Iris Strike: Sealed Power

by hujan86

Rating: teen
Tags: Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Other, Starlight Glimmer, Original Character, Adventure, Crossover, Human, Anthro, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Dark
Length: 71062

Picking up where Dreamfall left off, Iris Dashiell winds up in Crystal Empire which is constantly under threat from its neighbor. There she meets a pony-people version of herself, the only known Pegasus with magic abilities.

Picking up where Dreamfall left off, Iris Dashiell gets separated from the rest of the Godslayers and winds up in Crystal Empire, one of two powerful nations in Moebius. There she meets a pony-people version of herself, the only known Pegasus with magic abilities. Together, they set out on a journey to seek out a magic artifact that might be able to save (or not) Moebius from Sinned Godus' latest war machine, the Monster.

(Universes: Mobius, Moebius Equestria & Earth Equestria)

Published 2016-01-06 15:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-06-15 15:14:40 UTC

PROLOGUE

Author's Note

Part of the story is inspired from the fanfic, Rainbow Dash: The Element of Magic.

Moebius' Starlight Glimmer has nothing in common with the canon character. I picked her because I didn't want to repeat with Sunset Shimmer & Twilight Sparkle.

Pegacorn is a reference to Megan McCarthy's tweet describing Queen Chrysalis as a Black Pegacorn.

Crystal Ponies do not exist.

PROLOGUE

Introducing Illumina, the capital city of Crystal Empire. The kingdom is home to pony-human hybrids, very much like the Godslayer, Fortepiano. They look very much like people, but with varying skin colors, small snout for a nose and pony ears and tail. They are still referred to as ponies though (formally, pony-people), since they are not associated with the Overlanders whose ancestors were actual human beings.

Crystal Empire’s population is divided into four main races: Earth Ponies. Historically they descended from numerous agrarian tribal groups that once spread over the southern regions; Unicorns. They have horns on their forehead from which they channel their inner magic; Pegasus are generally capable of fast flight; and finally, the Pegacorns. Like their Unicorn counterparts, they also cast their magic via their horns. Additionally, they sport sheer glittery wings that make them look somewhat like fairies.

In terms of architecture, Crystal Empire’s building style is analogous to the architectures of 15th to 17th century Europe in Dash’s homeworld, with heavy emphasis on glitter, in everything from the ornaments, tiles, roof shingles, frames, glass, linings, cornices etc.

Crystal Heart College is an institution of higher learning open to all races for enrolling in various courses. With the exception of Magic Arts, that is strictly limited to Unicorns and Pegacorns. The college was founded around a millennium ago by the head of the ruling royal family whom also serves as its chancellor. Such tradition continues until today of which Queen Crisanna is the current chancellor.

With slick cerulean hair elegantly styled with curly ends, brilliant green eyes behind her glasses and smooth light gray complexion, Queen Crisanna in the eyes of the citizens is a beautiful Pegacorn. In fact, her appearance is very youthful for someone of her age.

“You wish to learn magic?” she shockingly asked the young Pegasus sitting before her.

Rainbow Dash replied enthusiastically, “Yes, Your Royal Majesty. I’ve made up my mind. I wanna follow my dreams.”

“Only Unicorns and Pegacorns can perform magic,” Crisanna stated. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash but you cannot expect me to accept your claim based on faith alone.”

Rainbow Dash’s face fell. “But I really did use magic before! I know it’s in me! Though I can’t prove it now, I’m twenty percent extra sure if I work hard enough, I’ll be able to do so! Please! Give me a chance to prove myself!”

Crisanna gently shook her head.

“I am truly sorry but that is impossible,” she maintained.

Another Pegasus that is the queen’s younger half-sister, Princess Cadenza whom is standing by the table side, was notably impressed by Rainbow Dash’s sense of determination.

She looked thoughtful for a while before politely interrupting the conversation. “My Queen, if I may have a quick word with you in private?”

The queen nodded at her sister then instructed Rainbow Dash to wait outside.

The sullen Rainbow Dash complied but instead of waiting on the bench, she eavesdropped to find out what the royal sisters are discussing about.

“You can’t be serious, Cadence,” she heard the queen was saying.

“I am, sis. I without a doubt believe that she possesses the ‘spark’, and an even greater deal of determination. It’d be very interesting to see what studying magic could do for such a gifted Pegasus. Here. Have a look at what I’ve retrieved from the old archives and I think you’ll agree with me.”

Upon hearing the princess’ firm words, Rainbow Dash’s spirit was high again.

Crisanna looked through the browned old research notes with intrigue.

“Very well. I will grant the Pegasus a chance,” she told Cadenza. “For that, you’ll have to be her mentor. You must get her prepped by the time the next enrollment comes.”

A prideful smile ran across the younger sister’s face. “Of course, sister.”

When Cadenza opened the door to call Rainbow Dash in, the latter was already on the bench, pretending like she did not know anything. She tactfully smiled as she followed the princess into the office. The full story was still not clear to her. She was however now optimistic of her chances being accepted into Magic Arts class. And she had Princess Cadenza to thank for that.

***

It was around midnight. Lying in wait on a rooftop a mile away is a Suppression Squad operative, equipped with nigh vision visor mask and armed with a long-ranged hard sound sniper rifle, who is patiently observing a steamship, SS Baltimare, docking at the harbor.

From the limited intel given by her commanders, Baltimare departed from Maretonia four days prior. Once in the open waters, Crystal Empire naval vessels followed closely behind the ship’s secret voyage until they arrived at the territorial waters outside Horseshoe Bay Harbor.

Since this mission was ordered by Queen Alicia herself, whatever is it that the ponies on board Baltimare are smuggling out from Maretonia must be of very high value to Her Majesty. The queen was rather mum on the exact nature of the merchandise in question. But her orders are clear: eliminate the target along with all witnesses, retrieve the merchandise from the target’s dead hands and brought it back to Moebotropolis.

Easy enough, the sniper thought confidently.

The employed sonic weapon would kill them all almost instantly, without alerting the marine police and leaving little evidence behind. Her super speed would ensure she will disappear out of the area within seconds and reach the Acorn Empire’s capital by sunrise. Naturally, suspicion will fall on Acorn Empire. Therefore, after she is done, she will leave behind false evidences in order to incriminate another nation of the crime.

The sniper zoomed in her targeting scope on the uniformed bodyguards disembarking from the steamship to the lamps-lit dock. Amongst them, she spotted a middle-aged mare, dressed in plain clothes and carrying a metallic suitcase in her hand.

The suitcase, the sniper immediately figured, That has to be it!

With her finger firmly on the trigger, the sniper gets ready to fire upon the undercover agent for Crystal Empire. But the shot never took place. Few seconds of hesitation is all it took. Unexpectedly, a very young Unicorn came into the scope’s sight, partially blocking the target from view. Horrified at how close she was to shooting an adolescent, the sniper impulsively released her finger from the trigger.

As they greeted each other, Jasmine Flower was given an affectionate bear hug by her granddaughter.

“Wow, it’s been too long since last time I received a hug like this,” she said, relishing the long awaited reunion.

“Then you must also know how terribly I missed you,” Starlight Glimmer pouted after she finished hugging.

“How’s your mom?” Jasmine Flower asked her.

“Still recovering. She apologized for not able to come greet you but she sends her regards.”

A stern-faced bodyguard, who is also the mission’s superintendent, stepped up to the relatives.

“Let’s get a move on,” he urged. “There’ll be plenty of time for you two to talk back at the safe house.”

They complied with the superintendent’s request.

As they are escorted out to the waiting vehicle outside the dock, Starlight Glimmer clung on her grandmother’s arm and whilst walking together, asked, “How long will you be staying?”

Jasmine Flower could see there is notable hint of hopefulness in Starlight Glimmer’s eyes. She could not feel more proud at her granddaughter after she learned the Queen Regnant had chosen Starlight Glimmer for the important task concerning the content inside the suitcase.

“I suppose...I can make an exception this time,” she said.

The response made Starlight Glimmer smile.

Back on the rooftop, the sniper just sat there, reflecting on her past deeds.

I almost took a poor kid’s life, she thought to herself. What a monster I’m becoming.

This was the first mission she undertook that involves taking someone else’s life. Throughout her short career with the Suppression Squad, she had done terrible things. She helped detained countless Moebians on suspicions of links to the insurgency and had them imprisoned despite lack of evidence in many cases. Harsh tactics were used in the interrogations, including white torture but not once she went overboard. In comparison, Queen Alicia’s torturing methods are amount to slow execution.

She took no pleasure for all her past deeds. Her true motive was to get herself in the good graces of the regime thereby be in close proximity to Queen Alicia through which she will be able to take revenge upon the ruthless queen with ease. By sparing the enemy’s life, she had signed her own death warrant at the hands of the Suppression Squad. Returning to Moebotropolis after this setback would be suicidal. But she had made up mind. If she is going to die in damnation, might as well bring along the one who made her what she is today.

The sniper took off her mask, thus is revealed as Rosy Rascal.

ASSAULT ON ROBOTROPOLIS

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

ATTACK OF THE FOUR GUARDIANS

Author's Note

STAT stands for 'Statistics, Tracking, and Analysis Tool'. It is a software agent, not A.I.

ATTACK OF THE FOUR GUARDIANS

Godslayer May heard Godslayer Fortepiano’s voice through her SHADE’s COM system.

“Godslayer May! The SGs are all here. What’s your status over there?”

“I see one of them,” Godslayer May notified the Field Master, “along with two constructs.”

“I do not recommend you to proceed. Go back to the original plan and get out of there ASAP!”

“Negative!” Godslayer May protested. “I’m not going back empty-handed!”

She continued her advance on the Death Egg’s construction facility. If what the Field Master said was correct, then the one called Ruby might have been broken out by now. The only thing to do to find out the SG’s secret is to get to Zirconia and Robotnik. Besides, she reported directly to Lord Magister Varst. She need not necessarily have to follow Fortepiano’s directive.

“May, do not proceed! I repeat, don not proceed. It’s too risk-”

“May! Do you read me!? May!?”

There was no response from the Spirit Godslayer.

Godslayer Fortepiano attempted to reestablish connection but it was not going through.

She looked at Godslayer Watterson furious. “May just switched off her COM on purpose! Why would she do that!?”

“What’re you asking me for!?” the latter reacted. “It’s not like I’m the one who taught her to do that!”

Godslayer Fortepiano breathed heavily, trying to compose herself. Things were not going as planned. The way Godslayer May acted was an insult to her authority. And she had almost unfairly vented her anger at Zach.

Ruby made her way into the launch bay where automated tanks stationed there were battling to stop the golems’ advance. The golems were winning despite the hindrance by the tanks’ heavy firepower.

“Onyx!” she called, jumping and flailing her arms desperately trying to get the one of golems’ attention. “I’m right here! Hey! Over here!”

The way she acted was rather puerile. It was uncharacteristic to her composed demeanor or ferocity in battle. And which one is really Onyx, no one could tell, not even Ruby as all the golems looked alike.

“ONYX! URGH!!!”

When none of the golems took notice of her, Ruby charged past the tanks, across the battlefield with little care or thought. It was then that a tank had her it in its targeting reticule and fired its machine gun at her. She would have been killed had not a golem raced to shield her at the precise moment. The golem charged forth, absorbing all the bullets to little consequences before pummeling the tank into a pancake. After the golem was done, it came back for Ruby.

“Err... Onyx?”

The Guardians, as they are collectively referred by their masters- Asahina and Asakura, Nagato and Konata, took their appearances in the form of female Japanese high school punks. They all wore similar attire though the blazers, pleated skirts, gauntlets/gloves/arm guards, boots and accessories have different designs. Quite different from Ragingheart’s army of constructs in Dreamfall, these four have full freewill and serve the SGs directly. They are also capable of displaying expressions associated with emotions in addition to having some personalities, though Nagato is stoic most of the time.

The two constructs hopped from the roof down into the facility. In the descent, Nagato struck down the Death Egg with her Ethereal Katana. The damage dealt was not meant to destroy the Death Egg, just enough prevent it from launching. Shortly after, she joined Konata in battling SWATbots coming at them on the docking platform. In midrange combat, Nagato utilized a Needler (Ethereal flechettes-firing pistol) while latter fired Ethereal rays from the palms of her gauntlets to destroy the SWATbots.

They both exhibited extreme agility and speed in avoiding the SWATbots’ lasers while simultaneously charging towards the robots. Once the super-strong constructs got close enough to the SWATbots, melee combat ensued. Konata delighted in the ravages she caused to all the SWATbots with her fists.

After Ruby was rescued from imprisonment, the golems withdrew from the EggDome. She then led them to a bunker located not too far away from there. After a few tries, the golems successfully smashed through the reinforced steel doors. There were a few SWATbot guards inside, but they were easy to dealt with.

It turned out the bunker houses a weapons depot. Ruby however was only interested in certain items. Continental range ballistic missiles, prototypes of SWATbot successors (codenamed Combot), the room-sized thermonuclear bomb- none of them draws her attention. She passed the crates, various war machines and weapons to check on several containers until she found the ones she wanted. She signaled to the golems which containers to take by knocking on it.

Just as the golems began removing the containers, Ruby was on her way out the door. One of the Golems, possibly the one going by the name Onyx, stared at her. Although the creature did not say anything, Ruby seemed to able to understand it.

Before walking out, she told the golem, “Don’t worry. I know where to go.”

Robotnik did not know when the cloaked figure had appeared. While he was witnessing the ‘schoolgirls’ (that is how Nagato and Konata look to him) making short work of his SWATbots, the figure just seemed to pop into his view, standing there calmly outside the control room. If she had come in through any the facility’s entrances, the guards monitoring the security feeds would have alerted him.

Having destroyed the last of the SWATbots, Konata leaped from the docking platform down below to join her master. With a single strike from her fist, Konata shattered the safety glass separating Robotnik and Zirconia. The despot stepped back, shielding himself from the shards of flying glass. His guards took aim at Konata, however they themselves got blasted apart instead as their reaction was a second slower compared to the construct.

“Dr. Robotnik.”

The despot looked up at the figure. He appeared to be fine since none of glass shards managed to penetrate his suit.

“You must be Zirconia,” Robotnik said casually, “the one Ruby always mentioned as her rescuer.”

There was no trace of fear or nervousness at all in his voice. He is just too proud and egoistic for that.

Zirconia nodded then gestured at Konata. “And they are what could have been yours to command had you kept your end of the bargain.”

“While I admit I could see some usefulness of their appearances in reconnaissance or perhaps even espionage missions, still not my kind of style,” Robotnik commented. “Having the ultimate assault bot in the guise of harmless little girls sounded overly silly. Don’t you agree?”

True. “You can blame Ruby for that,” Zirconia sighed. “Now then, to the business at hand.”

Above, Nagato began interfacing with the Death Egg through touch. Bits of data appeared in her vision. The codes were analyzed and manipulated as the construct see fit in order to gain access into Death Egg’s system. Once the processing was completed which took less than a minute, the Death Egg’s schematics appeared.

“Interesting,” the construct remarked after downloading the schematic and codes.

Via Nagato’s remote command, the hatch opened and the printed circuit board containing the ruby stone is ejected. After taking the ruby stone out from the slot, another command was issued.

Crouched at the edge of the roof’s opening, Godslayer May witnessed Nagato tossing the ruby stone down at Konata.

What was the significance of the ruby stone? she wondered. Is it the source of the Sinned Godus’ powers? If that was true, then they are not as truly omnipotent as previously thought.

Then there was this Zirconia character. Who is she? Is she the leader? The mastermind behind the Battle of Hallow’s Victory?

“You won’t get away with this!” Robotnik warned. “Wait till I sic my combots on you.”

“I already have,” Zirconia imperiously responded.

So far, the despot has no idea that Onyx’s golems have retrieved the missing secondary armament, Jade is working on the activating the Monster, and... Nagato had just activated the Death Egg’s self-destruct sequence.

The Death Egg’s ‘eyes’ flashed red and running lights ran across the giant weapon.

“Self-destruct in T minus five minutes,” the Death Egg’s computer announced. The integration of the self-destruct function was intended to prevent the weapon from being reverse-engineered should it fell into enemy hands. But thanks to Nagato’s hacking, it is now the Achilles’ heel for Robotnik.

“Uh-oh,” Robotnik whispered.

“Zirconia!”

Zirconia looked to her side. Ruby, who somehow managed to infiltrate the facility, came running up to her. Konata stepped forth, was about to pass the ruby stone back to her but then Zirconia did the unexpected. She slugged Ruby right in the stomach. Aside from being a manipulative person, it seemed that Zirconia is also physically strong. Just how strong and what element she controls are not yet known.

Ruby gave a wheezy cough and collapsed to the floor, clutching her stomach.

“Why?” she rasped.

“That was for your stupid mistake!” Zirconia was clearly furious at Ruby. She snatched the ruby stone from Konata’s hand and showed it to Ruby still writhing on the floor. “You would never have gotten yourself caught if you weren’t so careless to lose this!”

“Self-destruct in T minus four minutes.”

While the two SGs and their constructs were distracted, Robotnik seized his chance to get away.

These two can argue here for as long as they want, he thought. I for one am not going to stay here to be blown apart.

Konata aimed a palm at the despot moments before he made it to the door but abstained from firing after Zirconia told her to let him go.

“He’s no longer a threat,” the latter added.

Godslayer May had to move fast. Zirconia and Ruby, the latter powerless, two members of the Sinned Godus were now right in front of her. She had never been so close to unravel the secret behind the whole multiverse war. The problem, aside from the fact the facility is about is to explode in less than four minutes, is how to get past the two constructs Nagato and Konata?

Clearly they are no pushovers based on their performance against all the facility’s guards. Rather than risk a prolonged battle which might dragged on until the end the countdown timer, the most sensible option is to perform swift stealth kills on the constructs before moving to incapacitate the SGs. After that, it is just matter of retrieving one of them and the ruby stone and escape from the ensuing blast. Remain cloaked, she silently made her around the roof’s opening to look for a vantage point to stage a surprise strike on the constructs.

Unfortunately for Godslayer May, she was spotted all way from the docking platform. The Godslayer’s outline could be seen as a mass of static particles by Nagato. The construct’s special vision allows her to detect and track enemies utilizing light-bending camouflage technology. She reached for her Needler then began shooting at the Godslayer.

Meanwhile, at the Monster’s construction facility, an explosion ripped through the roof. Sally looked up, fearing it was another of Robotnik’s creation sent to stop them from destroying the place.

Through the resulting hole through the roof, Jade glided in on his hoverboard. Asakura then followed, who is revealed to have flight capability via the jet thrusters on her boots and is wielding a pair of submachine guns she referred as Spikers. And finally, Asahina teleported in, appearing as multiple streaks of bright lights. After reassembling herself on the docking platform, it is revealed that the construct wields a Beam Rifle equipped with an optical scope.

All the Freedom Fighters became wary of the three newcomers.

“I don’t think I’ve seen those guys before,” Rotor remarked.

“They’re new to me too,” Sally acknowledged.

But it did not matter to her. If they are indeed Robotnik’s enforcers, they will fight them all the same, androids or Overlanders.

The armored soldier on the hoverboard did not seem to be particularly interested in the Freedom Fighters. He just hovered right next to the Monster’s port side and appeared to be operating a device integrated on his arm guard. Asakura and Asahina were another story. Upon spotting the dynamites planted all over the place, they holstered their weapons, switching to hand-to-hand combat to avoid accidentally detonating the explosives.

Asahina targeted Sally first because she holds the remote detonator in her hand. Sally saw the streak of lights coming at her but it happened almost instantaneous. By the time she reacted, the construct had finished materializing right before her. Asahina took Sally down with a knee strike then caught the detonator which has fallen off the latter’s hand.

Both shocked and angry that his leader was hurt, Rotor tried to take out Asahina with his cannons. The construct reacted by kicking and swatting the walrus’ cannons away before punching him into unconsciousness. After that, she crushed the detonator in her hand.

Asakura effortlessly caught Bunnie’s punch. She tried to move her hand away from the construct’s tight grip. But to her surprise, it would not budge. Even with all the cybernetic enhancements, her strength was no match for the construct’s. She threw another punch with her other fist to which Asakura responded with the same move.

“You’re pretty weak for an ‘upgraded’ Mobian,” Asakura taunted her.

Desperate to gain an advantage, Bunnie used her remaining free limbs- the leg. She kneed as hard as she could right in Asakura’s underside.

Antoine D’Coolette saw his girlfriend in trouble. “Oh no, Bunnie!”

He summoned his hoverboard to him. Leaping on to the moving hoverboard, he charged forth with his sword.

Asakura did not let go of her grip on Bunnie. She just absorbed the rabbit’s repeated attacks stoically.

“Dang it!” the rabbit hissed. “What th’ heck are you!?”

“I’m better than you,” the construct declared, a pleasant smile running across her face.

Bunnie was butted in the head. She limped from the resulting concussion and collapsed.

“BUNNIE!!!”

Asakura looked over her shoulder, then swung around at the incoming coyote. The swift low kick sent Antoine toppling over his hoverboard. The riderless hoverboard proceeded to crash into one of the docking platform’s columns. In spite of the pain resulting from his hard fall, Antoine scrambled to reach for his sword and rose to his feet.

“En garde!” he proclaimed.

Determined to avenge Bunnie, he rushed forth at the advancing Asakura. He slashed his sword but the construct caught the blade with her bare hand. Asakura wrested the sword away from him.

He gaped in dismay when Asakura smacked the sword down onto her thigh, breaking the blade into two. No hoverboard and no sword. All Antoine got left at his disposal was his karate moves. But since even the cybernetic-enhanced Bunnie could not beat the construct through sheer strength, he doubted it will do any good.

Tails Prower hovered above aimlessly not knowing what to do. “Oh gosh! Oh gosh! What should I do!?”

On one side, the armored soldier seemed to be doing something to the Monster, possibly trying to activate it for premature launching. On another, Antoine was in trouble of getting pummeled by Asakura.

Unbeknownst to the twin-tailed fox, Asahina had him in her rifle’s scope.

“Self-destruct in T minus one minute.”

Ruby was on her feet again, albeit unsteadily, hands still clutching on her stomach.

“I’ll be holding on to this until your punishment is done,” Zirconia told her, referring to the ruby stone.

Ruby did not argue. But truthfully it is hard to tell her actual expression behind the mask.

“Konata!” Zirconia called out. “Make quick work of the meddler! Then rendezvous with the other Guardians. The priority is to get the Monster safely out of this forsaken place.”

“Hai!” Konata proceeded to leap up to the docking platform then to the roof.

Zirconia conjured the dimensional gateway before her. Ruby trotted to follow Zirconia into the Light

“Self-destruct in T minus ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven...”

Godslayer May hurtled through the air and slammed onto the ground a block away. Nagato landed close-by, all the way from the construction facility. Konata followed a second later.

As the SHADE began to recharge its energy shielding (indicated by a band electrical energy flowing up the armor), Godslayer May wincingly hauled herself up. She had expected the two constructs to attack her by then. But instead she saw Nagato conjured an ovoid-shaped bubble shield made out of some kind of energy around both constructs.

“Oh shit!” Realizing the Death Egg is just seconds from self-destruct, she tried to make a run for it in the opposite direction.

She could try using her Resist Shield (refers to a static Ethereal shield that is highly durable though not indestructible). But from her past experiences, it cannot hold against explosive force of massive scale (like what happened in Dreamfall’s Killzone act).

Sonic the Hedgehog was awed at the destructive power of the two figures he has never seen before. Amber’s super-heated lightning strikes and Cobalt’s ice blast swept through the second wave of SWATbot reinforcements. In one fell swoop, all the SWATbots were annihilated, the same way the first wave did. The pair’s respective attacks had left evident mark on the surrounding structures- fire damages from Ruby’s side, and mountains of snow and ice from Cobalt’s.

Sonic and the Godslayers watched the one-sided battle unfold from a building rooftop a block away. They managed to get this close quick as the aerial defense towers they passed on the way were inactive. They correctly assumed it was the work of Patricia May.

“So you weren’t kidding about that,” Sonic said to Godslayer Fortepiano.

“Still we can’t just stand here do nothing,” Godslayer Watterson said as he stepped forth right to Godslayer Fortepiano’s side. Unlike the Field Master, he is overly keen to avenge his homeworld’s destruction. “If we could come up with a good plan, there’s-”

“No,” Godslayer Fortepiano interjected. “The plan is to stop the Monster from leaving its platform in one piece. That’s what we’re going to do.”

“No argument from me,” Sonic agreed. “We’ll take the boulevard to get around those two-”

An ear-splitting boom followed by a rushing shockwave interrupted Sonic. All of them looked towards where explosion originated. There in the distance a huge fireball billowed up into the sky.

“That must be where May is,” Godslayer Fortepiano guessed.

She then gave Godslayer Watterson his order. “Go and find her now!”

Godslayer Kurogane initially worried that Zach would argue back. Much to her relief, he did not.

“Affirmative, FM.” Godslayer Watterson immediately left without saying another word.

The Field Master is faster in terms of speed but she made right call, Godslayer Kurogane believed. If anything, the SG mentioned by Godslayer May should have left by now, she speculated. Now the only thing left to worry is if the Spirit Godslayer herself is still alive.

The sound of the Death Egg’s destruction and its resulting shockwave jolted Jade, Asakura and Asahina. The SG quickly dismissed it and got back to his work.

Asahina’s shot missed Tails by considerable degree. The fox shuddered at the thought of he almost got shot to death. On the bright side, he now knows what to do with his slingshot.

Asahina realigned her scoped sight at the fox. When she did, her left eye was struck by Tails’ projectile. Tails did it without the aid of a sighting device whilst moving in midair. A true marksman he is indeed.

Asahina’s face twisted. On closer look, the left iris changed to lighter color and crack impressions were visible on it. Briefly, the construct was distracted by her damaged vision. So it appeared the seemingly-invulnerable Nanite constructs do have a weak point after all.

“Kisama!” the construct cursed at Tails.

Asakura wondered what had caused the loud explosion. Unlike Nagato and Konata, the two constructs here due to unknown reasons were not aware of the Death Egg’s existence. Antoine seized his chance the moment he saw the construct momentarily distracted. His hoverboard was damaged but still usable. He remotely commanded it to hurl itself at the construct at maximum speed.

Asakura was caught off guard that she did not have time to launch herself to avoid incoming hoverboard. As a result, the crash threw the construct off her feet. Debris from the destroyed hoverboard fell off her attire as the unharmed construct sprang back up shortly after.

“Sacre bleu,” Antoine cursed. “I don’t know why I zout zat would do zee trick.”

“Baka yarou (fool),” Asakura scoffed, smiling cynically at him.

The Death Egg’s destruction devastated the surrounding area within several blocks radius. Entire buildings had either collapsed or in flames. Smoldered debris from the destroyed facility littered the surroundings.

Godslayer May grunted as she dislodged the heavy steel I-beam off her. She looked back. The armed Nagato was briskly approaching her. But the second construct stayed back. So it looks like it was going to be a duel between just the two of them. She conjured her personal Ethereal weapons- a katana and a wakizashi. At the same time, her energy shielding had just finished recharging.

Nagato lunged to strike at the Godslayer. The latter went into a combat-ready stance by crossing her weapons, ready to counter the attack.

Back aboard the Catgirl, the display screen showing E-Sat’s fuel cell capacity reached a hundred percent. A long list of diagnostic scan results scrolled down after that. Once it is done, the computer rebooted E-Sat’s system.

“On,” the Mechanoid announced. His voice was low pitched and very robotic sounding as compared to when he speaks normally. “Switching solid state drive to slave mode.”

He got off table to begin working on his assigned tasks. Mika had programmed E-Sat to run in Slave Mode once he is up, considering it would be much safer that way than letting him running around The Catgirl in his damaged state. In this mode, E-Sat behaved as worker bot with the sole directive of performing whatever tasks programmed into its system. The mode can be deactivated either automatically after a specified period or manually.

So it turned out that the instructions by Mika for him are housekeeping chores. In the bridge, he performed a routine full analysis of The Catgirl’s systems- electrical, communication, life support, thermal control etc. Later, he performed system analysis on the fusion power reactor but from the computer panels in the engine room. The air vents’ microbial filters were replaced, coolant tanks were replaced and disinfectant were injected through check valves into the pipework system. Dishware and food utensils were washed, dried and disinfected.

In the meantime, Dash was absorbed in her reading, oblivious to what was going on outside the brig. Zach was right. Daring Do turned out to be an interesting read for her, with characters and plot elements bearing similarities to the Adventurous Abby series that she is accustomed to. The fact all the characters are animals and creatures did give her the impression that the novel is a juvenile literature, but the story is actually serious enough to warrant her interest.

When the door opened, Dash initially thought it was Zach finally returning from his mission. It was actually E-Sat bringing in tray of food and drink for her.

“Wha...?” Dash put down the book. When Zach mentioned there is someone else on board, he certainly failed to mention it is a robot.

“Greetings,” E-Sat said monotonously. “You must be the human defined as Iris Dashiell. My name is E-Sat. I have been directed to attend to your meals.”

Dash wondered if Ethenians could create something as advanced as micromachines that are Nanites. Maybe it is possible they are capable of creating robots with advanced AI and self-awareness. She did not know it yet. But on Ethenia, Mechanoids is a race of mechanical beings capable of transforming their bodies into other forms- vehicles, machineries and weapons.

In E-Sat’s case, his alternate form is a weaponized mecha, ten times his original size.

“E-Sat, huh?” Dash said. “Say, what does it stand for? Electronic satellite dish?”

Though it was sarcasm, it was also to test whether the robot has a sense of humor.

“Esoteric Satire,” the Mechanoid replied.

Dash palmed her face. What kinda name is that? Of all the names the Ethenians could come up with, only the SHADE sounded good.

She took the tray offered to her, put it down on the bed then looked back at E-Sat. There did not seem to be any personality to him. Maybe E-Sat is just a fully autonomous service robot like the ones generically depicted in science fiction, she guessed.

“You may be not much of a conversation companion. But on the bright side of being a dumb robot, at least you don’t get to judge me. Nor hate me.” Dash lightly tapped her fist on the Mechanoid’s shoulder. “Right?”

E-Sat looked at his shoulder then at Dash. The fist bump somehow triggered E-Sat’s neural CPU to replay one of the memories stored in his memory modules...

***

This mission took place in Jump City, USA during in the early years in their service of the Godslayer Corps. Fortepiano’s lance were aiding the Teen Titans in battling Nanite constructs in the form of bio-mechanical, arthropodal aliens, referred locally to as the Zergs.

Godslayer Fortepiano and Robin have just successfully taken out the last of the hives (facilities for producing endless Zerg units) before joining the rest to wipe out the Zerg remnants.

At this point, Super E-Sat was battling a rare but powerful Zerg unit, the Ultralisk. It is a quadruped assault beast equipped with heavy armor and dual scythe-like blades. The mech assailed flurry of punches at the Ultralisk’s head and neck. Due to the Ultralisk’s armor and tremendous weight, it did not flinch from the mech’s attacks. A close-up view of Super E-Sat revealed his arms work like pistons, pumping in and out rapidly from the shoulders to greatly increase the impact of his punches.

Super E-Sat continued wailing on the Ultralisk, with one last punch with added gusto behind it broke the horn off on the beast’s head. When the Ultralisk tried to counter with its blades, Super E-Sat reacted by striking his fists at the blades, shattering them to pieces. Now weaponless, the Ultralisk did the only thing it could. It body-slammed into Super E-Sat. He staggered back, but otherwise unfazed as the attack only damaged the mech’s armor plating superficially.

Deciding to end this battle quick, he aimed his fists forth, and fired rapid Ethereal bolts from the Gatling blasters on his forearms. The barrage shot the armor pieces off the Ultralisk then savagely reduced the beast to bits.

Meanwhile, Godslayer Watterson, Starfire and Cyborg fought the Hydralisk swarms. Because the Hydralisks are not very durable in spite of their protective covering, their numbers were drastically cut down by the trio’s ranged attacks.

Away from the fight, a Mutalisk lurked close-by. This airborne-typed Zerg attack by discharging explosive projectiles from an opening on its lowest abdomen. Even so, it still requires to engage its target from close range hence its action of creeping up close to Godslayer Watterson. The latter, still green and solely focused on the Hydralisks, failed to realize this until the Mutalisk was shot down by Super E-Sat.

When the mech came to assist the trio, Godslayer Watterson lightly tapped his fist at Super E-Sat’s body and said, “Thanks buddy!”

This was one of few occasions where Zach owed his life to the Mechanoid.

***

Dash backed away on her bed in apprehension as E-Sat began shaking violently, his eyes flashing as if he is about to burst apart. Suddenly, he went limp.

Dash tapped on the seemingly damaged E-at to get some kind of response. The Mechanoid remained unmoving.

“Aw geez!” she cried out in despair. “Fortepiano is gonna kill me for sure! And it’s not even my fault!”

“On,” E-Sat announced, coming back to life abruptly, to Dash’s utter shock.

“WHOA!”

“Greetings,” E-Sat said in his normal voice tone. “You must be the human defined as Iris Dashiell. My name is E-Sat,”

“You’ve already said that,” Dash mentioned.

The Mechanoid looked around, seemingly confused. “But what am I doing here? How did I even get here?”

Dash scratched the back of her head repeatedly. “What?”

How could she know E-Sat was running in slave mode before rebooting to his normal state or memories of a Mechanoid during not retained during slave mode.

“Oh, now I remember,” E-Sat said, slapping his clamps together. “I just blew out a fuse. That could explain it. Mika must have programmed me to-”

“Look,” Dash interjected. “I ain’t got a clue to what’s going on with you, but I need to ask. D’you know when they’ll be coming back from their mission?”

“What mission?”

“How do I s’pose to know?” Dash said impatiently, hands on her hips akimbo. “I don’t even know what universe we’re in right now. Aren’t you supposed to be the one who’s well-informed ‘bout this?”

“That is true,” E-Sat acknowledged. “Good day.”

Dash sighed as the Mechanoid locked the door from the outside. It seemed after twenty years of her ‘normal’ life, she kept on running into wacky characters every now and then.

“Welp, can’t worry with an empty stomach, can I?” she said, dropped on the bed and helped herself on the meal.

Godslayer Fortepiano and Sonic shot through hole in the roof. The Godslayer slammed into Jade while the latter ran down the wall vertically, avoiding the planted dynamites while doing so. A second later, Godslayer Alkarin and Godslayer Kurogane dropped down on top the Monster’s hull.

Sonic curled up into his spinball form and Spin Dashes into Asakura, thereby saving Antoine from getting a potential severe beating.

“Sonic! You are a life saver!”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

True enough, the hedgehog’s attack had shoved Asakura twenty yards back but the construct remained on her footing and unharmed.

“That ain’t no Overlander nor an ordinary android,” he remarked.

Above the docking platform, Jade fought Godslayer Fortepiano during the uncontrollable spin in midair. They struggled for a while. Suddenly Jade had the Godslayer by the throat. He slammed Godslayer Fortepiano onto a column. Choking hard on her, Jade used his free hand to slug the Godslayer’s underside. Her SHADE’s energy shielding flared electrically every time she took a hit.

Godslayer Fortepiano curled up both her legs then kicked Jade away from her. Despite the force from the kick, Jade’s feet remained glued to his hoverboard.

Godslayer Fortepiano dropped down to the floor below, using her jet thrusters to slow down her descent. Upon landing on her feet, she winced in pain. The blows she received was akin to getting repeatedly hit with a sledgehammer.

Jade looked at the display on his arm guard. He tapped on it.

“Application completed,” the device announced. “All systems now online.”

A deep rumbling thundered across the facility. The docking platform shook hard. After short moment, the Monster began to rise. This prompted Asahina and Asakura to withdraw from their respective fights.

Sonic and Antoine both felt relieved as Asakura took off. As did Tails, when Asahina was a second away from shooting a hole through between his eyes before teleporting away. Now then, what are they going to do to stop the Monster from leaving the facility?

Godslayer Fortepiano realized the danger Freedom Fighters are in right now. “Sonic! Get them out of here!”

Sonic looked at the docking platform where the Godslayer is then up at the Monster. He understood immediately. The safety of his comrades must come first.

He called out to them, “Antoine, Tails! Grabbed Bunnie and Sally! We’re outta here!”

Then, he dashed towards Rotor and hauled the unconscious walrus over his shoulders. Antoine and Tails used their comrades’ remaining hoverboards to cart Bunnie and Sally respectively then followed Sonic back into the sewers.

Atop the Monster’s hull, Godslayer Kurogane diverted Asakura and Asahina’s attention away from Godslayer Alkarin whom is powering up his lightning attack to detonate the dynamites at the walls whereby the chain reaction from the resulting detonation should be able to damage the Monster enough to ground it.

Godslayer Fortepiano flew up right on top of him. “Alkarin! Do it now!”

Just as Godslayer Alkarin prepared to discharge his lightning, Jade suddenly appeared. No time to use his ultrasonic rifle, he used his wind element instead to attack the Godslayers by conjuring a vortex drill around his hand.

Extremely powerful, the vortex drill punched through the facility’s domed roof, carrying along all three Godslayers in a spiral inside its funnel high up to the sky. The vortex dissipated immediately after that, whereupon the Godslayers came crashing down through the roof of a nearby building.

Asakura and Asahina made their way inside the Monster just moments before it crashed through the roof. The docking platform collapsed as a result of debris from the destroyed roof crashing down on it, thereby setting off the dynamites planted on the trusses and columns. The resulting massive fireball spread out to the walls, detonating all the remaining dynamites at once.

The Monster made turn a ninety degree by the time Jade saw titanic eruption going on below. He projected a whirling wind all around the Monster. The wind sphere acted as a shield for the warship by repelling the rising blaze away from it.

In the sewers, the fleeing Freedom Fighters were currently about half a mile away from the construction facility. The tunnel far behind them lit up. Sonic glance back over his shoulder to see bright orange flames engulfing the tunnel and spreading towards them. They all picked up their speed to escape the incoming blaze.

The construction facility erupted outwards from within, spraying burning debris onto the many surrounding buildings. Unlike the case of the Death Egg’s destruction, the resulting devastation to the surroundings was minimal.

The just recovered Godslayer Fortepiano witnessed to her dismay through the shattered windows the Monster emerging through rising black smoke and then took off in the direction of the inner city. She was so sure that when she heard the loud boom and felt the main shock whilst writhing on the floor, the explosion had taken out the Monster.

Down below, the SG pairs were nowhere to be seen. They must have left before or during the facility’s destruction, she theorized.

“Where’s Alkarin?” she asked Godslayer Kurogane whom just came in from the adjacent room.

“He wasn’t with me.”

The two began searching for the minotaur.

Godslayer May parried the strike with her wakizashi. She tried to slash across the construct’s belly with her other sword. Nagato reacted by pulling back a bit then with one foot forward made another strike. Godslayer May parried Nagato’s katana again, pressing it down to the side. She swiftly raised her own katana up high, ready to strike Nagato down.

With one hand gripping tightly on to the hilt, Nagato released her other hand and utilized her arm guard to block the strike. The construct caught the Godslayer’s blade in between the hooks on the arm guard. For a brief moment, the two combatants locked. Nagato rotated both arms to free herself from the lock. Then, she struck Godslayer May with the hilt before kicking her away.

Godslayer May withdrew to a safe distance and deactivated her Ethereal weapons.

“What, don’t tell me you’re giving up already?” Nagato mocked in response.

“In your dreams, bitch!” Godslayer May’s cloak went active.

“That won’t do you any good!” Nagato aimed forth her Needler. “I can still see you!”

Though Nagato could spot her faint outline in cloaked mode, the Godslayer still presented herself as a difficult target. She jinked from side to side to avoid the shots, charging forth at the same time. Up close, she ducked down to avoid Nagato’s slash then edged around to the construct’s rear.

Nagato spun around, aiming the Needler at the decloaked Godslayer. The latter used her wakizashi to struck the pistol beyond repair and then went in for a thrust but the construct successfully deflected it. Nagato went on full offensive at Godslayer May who blocked all the strikes with both her weapons.

Konata became impatient as she watched the two fought.

“Senpai, mou yametara! (enough playing around!)” she called out to Nagato. “Zircon-sama said we shouldn’t waste time!”

“Hai, hai,” Nagato responded lazily, parrying another thrust before rolling to the side to avoid another strike. She stepped back into a Side Guard stance.

As Nagato stood there unmoving, Godslayer May tried to read the construct’s intention. She knew that in this stance, it would be virtually impossible for an opponent to predict which angle the next strike would come from (low, side, middle or high). In hope of confusing the construct as well, she assumed the same stance but with her wakizashi held forth.

Stay focus at all times, she reminded herself. If she concentrated hard enough to spot the strike in the last minute, she can counter it.

Godslayer May lunged forward. At the same moment, against her expectation, Nagato made a hand gesture. A bright flash occurred before her eyes followed immediately by intense electrical shock surging though her body. One moment, she felt herself getting hurled back. The next thing she knew, she was on the ground woozy, her SHADE flaring intensely and emitting smoke.

“What just happened?” she rasped. “STAT, analysis!”

On her HUD, the SHADE’s software engine scanned the energy barrier cast by Nagato, which bore similar appearance to the previous bubble shield. The analysis took a few seconds before data pop ups appeared.

An EM repulsive field, she realized. Shit…

Konata grappled Godslayer May and picked her up, placing the Godslayer in a chokehold.

Godslayer May, who was still weak from the shock, struggled but was unable to get herself free from the construct’s hold. Nagato proceeded to place a hand on the Godslayer’s visor.

As Godslayer May struggled, STAT began to go haywire. The visor flashed red as system warning pop ups pulled up before her vision. Soon, everything displayed on the HUD distorted into multicolored pixels and lines. Ultimately STAT crashed, shutting down the HUD and the SHADE’s entire system as a result.

Konata released Godslayer May and shoved her to the ground. Both constructs looked upon her with contempt.

Godslayer May picked herself up. No HUD. No motion assistance. She could not conjure her Ethereal weapons. Nothing was responding to her commands.

“What did you do!?” she demanded from the constructs.

Rubbing her palms with glee, Konata felt confident she can take out the Godslayer in no time. “Please allow me finish her off, senpai.”

“Katte ni shinasai (Do as you please),” Nagato said.

Godslayer May cursed under her breath. What was she to do to defend herself now?

“Access basic telemetry data on all personnel. Enter credentials. Name: Esoteric Satire. User ID: 384226. Password: Perfect Catastrophe.”

Six portraits pulled up on the virtual screen. All but two have green status. Godslayer Fortepiano’s status was yellow, meaning she is suffering mild injuries. Godslayer May’s status however was grayed out.

E-Sat instructed the computer to perform a rescan. The same result came out. Troubled, he contacted his Field Master.

It did not take that long before they found Godslayer Alkarin lying atop a busted industrial machine. Luckily, the minotaur was back on his hooves in no time as he was not suffering from anything serious, just a little dazed from light concussion. His thick skin and solid build makes him almost impervious to physical blows. The dampening effect from His SHADE’s energy shielding also helped lessen the impact.

“E-Sat!?” Godslayer Fortepiano blurted as soon as she heard the Mechanoid’s voice through her COM system.

She looked at Godslayer Kurogane. “Mika, didn’t you programmed him to run in slave mode?”

“She did,” E-Sat confirmed. “And now I’m back by Snowflake’s miracle.”

“Why did you call?”

“I have troubling news,” E-Sat notified her. “The Catgirl’s telemetry servers were unable to pick up any feed from Patricia May’s SHADE. It was not a system glitch.”

Sweet Celestia, did she perish in the explosion? the Field Master wondered. Please don’t let that be the case.

How E-Sat managed to reboot himself or why he was accessing the servers, those questions need to wait.

“Bring The Catgirl down here on the double,” Godslayer Fortepiano instructed. “Scan for Watterson’s coordinates. We’ll link up at his location.”

“Affirmative, FM.”

“What’s happenin’? Are they in trouble? Anything I can do to help?” Dash was anxious to know as she strapped herself securely to the chair.

“I will explain once we’re reach the intended location,” E-Sat promised. “Now please remember not to touch anything.”

Dash gave a thumbs-up.

“No messing around,” she assured the Mechanoid.

“Locking in coordinates,” E-Sat announced.

The navigation system pinpointed on Godslayer Watterson’s current location on one of the virtual screens.

“Setting engine power at one hundred percent.”

The Catgirl’s power reactor hummed to life. Panels around the engine room lighted up, indicating the instruments are working properly to regulate the reactor’s temperature and power output.

“Bringing energy shielding online.”

Energy shield wrapped around The Catgirl, characterized by an electrical band flowing over its hull. Like the Godslayer’s personal energy shielding, The Catgirl’s shielding is invisible to the naked eye after complete generation.

“Firing thrusters.”

All of The Catgirl’s thrust nozzles fired up. The cruiser moved away from its orbit and began approaching Mobius.

“Beginning final approach for atmospheric entry,” E-Sat declared, his large, blue eye focused on the main view screen. Even though he has clamps for hands, he manipulated the controls just fine.

“Why can’t we just use the Void?” Dash asked.

“You have no clue about the effect of gravitational field and mass on the Void’s collapse,” E-Sat said to her.

“Fair ‘nuff,” Dash muttered.

The Catgirl’s bow began to glow blazing bright once it hit Mobius atmosphere. As the cruiser pushed further through the atmosphere, heated gas layers streamed over the entire hull, creating a visible trail extending from its rear. The energy shielding flared erratically but this is a normal occurrence due to the disruption by high temperatures.

Back on the ground, the Monster hovered above the weapons depot’s outside parameters where several golems stood guard around a cluster of containers. A beam of glowing aurora shot through the opened bottom hatch to the ground whereby the containers dematerialized from view.

Godslayer May dived out of the way, narrowly avoiding another explosion. Most part of her armor, including the helmet, had been ripped off after taking direct hits from Konata’s palm rays, thus exposing deep burns on her skin. Without her helmet on, it is revealed that Patricia May is a light brown-furred anthromorphic cat.

“Kimi tsukaene na (You really suck at this),” Nagato remarked monotonously, which really annoyed Konata.

“Kuso! Chotto kochi kite! (Get back here!)” The child-like construct caught Godslayer May who attempted to escape. “Bukkoroshite yaru! (I’m going to beat you hard until you die!)”

Konata proceeded to beat her down severely. But then, all of a sudden, two Fiery-Ethereal arrows into the chest and shoulder sent the construct tripping on her back.

“Nanda...?” Nagato scanned the surroundings cautiously. “Kimi wa dare da? (Who goes there?)”

Not too far away, atop charred remains of concrete blocks and steel trusses, Godslayer Watterson was readying for another shot.

ARRIVAL TO MOEBIUS

Author's Note

Photo Finish speaks in a German-like accent.

The species/race of Rainbow Dash's Moebian friends is a nod to the episode 'May the Best Pet Wins'. Aside from Tank, their names are OC.

Try imagining the race between Rainbow Dash & Rosy whilst listening to Immediate Music's Tossin the Khyber.

ARRIVAL TO MOEBIUS

Nagato rushed forth, continually swinging her katana to deflect Godslayer Watterson’s subsequent shots. The latter cursed the construct rushing at him. After seeing how badly hurt Godslayer May is, rather than wasting his time fighting, he should be getting his former Proctor to safety. On contact, he immediately switched from his tek-bow to dual Fiery-Ethereal Swords.

“Not a very good time to call!” Godslayer Watterson responded to the sudden call whilst exchanging blows with Nagato’s weapon.

“Hold on a little longer,” Godslayer Fortepiano instructed. “We’re en route and E-Sat’s headed your way.”

E-Sat? Oh, whatever!

As they fought, Godslayer May forced herself up to her feet. Light-headed and the sharp pain she felt in her chest and waist, all of it pointed to the possibility of severe abdominal trauma. She had been through this kind of injury before when her SHADE’s regeneration function was still working. If she does not get medical help or a replacement SHADE soon, she will not survive for long.

“Mate! (Wait!)”

Alarmed, Godslayer May looked back to see Konata picking herself up, just as the arrows piercing the construct’s upper body dissipated. Shit...

“Where do you think you’re going!?” the construct jeered. “I’m not finished with you yet!”

Konata seemed to only sustain minor damages and was not weakened at all. She flexed her arms and body, looking eager to continue the fight, before marching forth.

Snowflake, help me please, Godslayer May prayed.

Too weak to get away, the Godslayer braced herself when Konata raised a fist to strike her. At this point, jet boots-equipped Super E-Sat streaked down from the sky. He slammed into the construct at blazing speed.

Godslayer May watched them crashed into the third floor of a nearby building. Soon after, the mech hurtled out from the second floor across the street and crashed against a dumpster.

The angered Konata jumped out of the window onto the street below. The construct would have wanted to take the mech apart for what he did until she came under heavy fire from barrages of high-caliber Ethereal bolts. She dodged out of the way but the bolts tagged her everywhere she went. The pavement along of the length of the street and walls of the surrounding structures were shattered to pieces as a result.

Seeing that Konata is in trouble, Nagato broke away from her fight with Godslayer Watterson and rushed to the hokai’s side. She protected themselves with the use of her bubble shield. The Ethereal bolts burst into sparks as it came into contact with the shield.

“Daijoubu-ka, Konata? (Are you all right, Konata?)”

“Hai!”

Godslayer Watterson felt relieved when he saw Super E-Sat coming over from the trashed dumpster unscathed. He then looked up at where the shots are originating and spotted the Catgirl in the distance above the skyline. The cruiser is revealed to be equipped with a rapid-firing cannon, deployable from a hatch underneath the bow.

Hopping onto the mech’s back, he said, “E-Sat, get May!”

Super E-Sat complied and went over to Godslayer May. As much the mech tried to be careful and gentle when carrying her up in his arms, Godslayer May grunted from her pain, just as blood started trickling down from her mouth.

“Let’s go!” Godslayer Watterson said urgently as soon as he saw this.

Super E-Sat activated boot jets then took off.

“Dude, who’s manning the gun?” Godslayer Watterson asked during the flight back to The Catgirl.

“The human defined as Iris Dashiell,” the mech answered.

Dash? the feline thought. Oh man, Forte’s gonna blow a gasket when she finds out.

Asahina took up position on the Monster’s top hull. She switched her rifle to its secondary firing mode before taking aim. She had The Catgirl’s cannon right in her scope’s reticle. Holding the trigger, the rifle began to charge up, indicated by the bright glow at the muzzle’s tip. On release, a giant, powerful Ethereal bolt traveled almost instantly across the skyline before striking its target. The cannon was destroyed in a fiery explosion along with a large portion of its mount.

In the bridge’s fire control station usually occupied by E-Sat, the view screen went dark. Letting go of the joystick, Dash uttered a short cry of frustration.

It was not that hard after E-Sat taught her how to manipulate the joystick. Ignore the rest of the screens and some of the more intricate controls, it felt similar to playing Beach Head 2000, a stationary shooter arcade game.

On one of the side tactical screens, what she described as a ‘flying mechanical crab-shell’ approaching from the starboard was displayed in the inset live feed.

“Whoa,” she uttered in reaction to an object whose magnitude dwarfed even the Catgirl. “Look the size of that thing,”

Dash became alarmed when she took notice of the turrets, unaware that the Monster was not yet battle-ready. “Come on, you guys! Get back here quick!”

No longer under fire, Nagato disengaged her shield. Looking up, she saw the Monster flew by, passing The Catgirl over to their position.

“Ikou (Let’s go),” Nagato instructed Konata.

“Hai.”

They proceeded to walk over to the glowing aurora projected by the Monster.

Dash ran up to Super E-Sat after the latter landed in the hangar bay. “You guys made it!”

“How the hay did you managed to get out of your cell!?” came a familiar hostile voice from behind her.

Brimming with anger, Godslayer Fortepiano grabbed hold of Dash’s wrist and pulled the young woman close to her. “Didn’t I made myself clear that I will toss you overboard if I find you somewhere you aren’t supposed to be at!?”

“Owww!” Dash flinched as the grip on her wrist increased. “Let me go! You’re hurting me!”

Godslayer Watterson came to Dash’s aid but was shoved back by Fortepiano.

“You’re really asking for trouble now,” Godslayer Fortepiano jeered at Dash, ignoring her pleas. “Did you think I wasn’t being serious about-”

A call from Godslayer Kurogane interrupted her. “FM.”

“What is it!?”

“We need you at the bridge ASAP,” Godslayer Kurogane replied, whom is monitoring the tactical screens in the bridge. “The Monster’s starting to take off as we speak.”

Godslayer Fortepiano released Dash. Her sight fell upon Godslayer May dazing in Super E-Sat’s arms.

“Don’t you just stand there looking pretty!” Godslayer Fortepiano scolded both the mech and Godslayer Watterson. “Take her to the medical bay now!”

“And for the time being,” she immediately added, “the bridge is off limits for you two!”

“FM?”

“On my way!” Godslayer Fortepiano shouted to her COM then made tracks into the corridor.

Dash rubbed to soothe her aching wrist. And then she remembered. Sunny Emerson. She did something similar to the former high school bully. Even though Sunny changed her ways and did the best she could to make amends, Dash refused to believe it. It was not just anger she felt at the time. For less than a moment, she seemed to enjoy the pain she inflicted on Sunny. No matter how much Sunny had suffered, it did not seem enough for Dash.

Godslayer Watterson walked over to Dash, worried. “Hey, are you-”

“I’m okay,” Dash assured him, then looked at the Godslayer she did not recognize being carried away. “You should go help her.”

The SHADE was in the worst conditions she had ever seen. Somehow Dash felt the armor’s self-repair function was going not to help the poor Godslayer this time.

On her main view screen, the Field Master watched the Monster flying off towards the Light materializing over the city edge.

“Going at full throttle!” Godslayer Fortepiano announced, hands on the flight controls. “We need to to get as close as possible!"

“We’re going to following it?” Godslayer Alkarin asked from the co-pilot seat.

Godslayer Kurogane voiced out her concern. “We don’t know what’s waiting on the other side. We could be sitting ducks.”

“We’re not losing that thing!” Godslayer Fortepiano maintained.

Amber, Cobalt and Jade witnessed The Catgirl pursuing the Monster from atop a skyscraper.

The former spoke in an accented, low pitch voice. “We oughta stop ‘em or Zirconia’s gonna skin us alive!”

“Let’s trash this freakin’ place while we’re at it,” the energy being added. “What you say guys? For Ruby!”

Her cohorts nodded their agreement.

Cobalt made a broad gesture as Amber and Jade rose into the air. Waterspouts burst from the ground all around Robotropolis, extending high up into the clouds. The skies darkened almost immediately, as if it was nightfall already, by the unnatural build-up of black stormy clouds covering the city and the surrounding regions.

Amber and Jade made the same gesture. Lightning flashes erupted across the cloud surfaces, leaving brief diffusing glows in its wake. The whole city was soon pounded by gale-force winds and hailstones showers that grew in intensity every minute.

In a small cave in the outskirts of Robotropolis, Sonic held Tails in his arms as they and the rest of the Freedom Fighters watched the thunderstorm, its scale was nothing like they have seen before, ravaging the city.

Already less than half of the city have lost power due to the power lines damaged by the hailstorm and lightning strikes. The blackout spread to other areas one block at a time

SWATbots in the open areas were blown off their feet. Hurtling through the air, they collided amongst themselves, with uprooted objects and debris and against various structures, thereby reduced to scraps in the process.

Zinc roofs were blown off the warehouses and factories. The hailstones trashed the industrial machines and SWATbots taking cover in the building interiors through the exposed ceilings and shattered window panels.

Ignition by lightning strikes led to the successive explosions of fuel and weapons depots across the city. The lightnings also brought down several radio transmission towers and aerial defense towers, either by damaging the upper section of the mast or setting the oil-filled foundation insulator on fire.

Dr. Robotnik’s air car was brought down to rest in the middle of a freeway after its engine sustained major damage by the hailstones. Inside the cockpit, the despot hummed whilst tapping his fingertips nervously as the windshield started to show signs of cracking.

“They are trying stop us!” Godslayer Alkarin cried, the booming sound of the storm outside partially drowning his voice.

He was wasting his breath though since it was already apparent to Godslayer Fortepiano. The entire bridge was shaking heavily from the extreme turbulence outside. The Catgirl was built sturdy enough to handle such a severe weather thanks to its mithril alloy hull plating and fusion-powered propulsion. Even so, she could not help feeling anxious since this is not a normal storm.

In the corridor, Dash felt the shaking too. That can’t be a good sign.

“Dash,” Godslayer Watterson called, stay with E-Sat!”

“Where’re you goin’!?”

“I won’t be long! Just stay together!”

He moved ahead of them, leaving Dash to follow Super E-Sat into another corridor.

Amber flexed her arms and legs, her hair tendrils glowed intensely like it was emitting energy.

The Catgirl’s hull showered with lightning bolts. The overwhelming electrical discharge from the simultaneous lightning strikes instantly wiped out the cruiser’s energy shielding, leaving The Catgirl vulnerable to the following strikes.

“Shield’s down!” Godslayer Kurogane reported the readings on her screens. “Let’s hope the static dischargers hold-”

She yelped in shock when her console burst with sparks.

The lighting strikes were so intense the static discharge wicks and dielectric insulation layers covering along the length of the hull practically melted. With the lightning mitigation measures failed together with the fact there is a delay of five seconds before the generators begin recharging the energy shielding and it takes another four seconds for a full recharge after the delay has passed, subsequent strikes sent surge currents throughout The Catgirl’s wiring system.

One by one, the virtual screens on Kurogane and Alkarin’s station shut off. Godslayer Fortepiano had some controls left, albeit some of the digital readings on her screens went erratic. The surveillance feeds were also lost. While Alkarin lost all controls as co-pilot, it was Kurogane’s predicament that made the situation much direr. As a ship engineer, her job is to monitor the parameters related to all The Catgirl’s systems. One of them being the power reactor.

Screen panels throughout the engine room went dead as sparks from the instruments flew around the reactor. Right after the electrical surge malfunctioned both the coolant circulation pumps and the heat exhausts controls, indicator lights on the reactor flashed red. Yet the reactor was working at maximum power output. In a flash, the temperature level inside its core jumped dangerously over the safe limit.

Godslayer Watterson was about to enter the storage room the when the corridor went dark, save for the flickering lights at the far end. Fire alarms went off at the same time.

Let The Catgirl be okay, he hoped. This thing is already in worse shape than it was before.

The same situation happened in the corridor where Dash and Super E-Sat are pacing through unsteadily.

Godslayer Kurogane scrambled out of the bridge as soon as she heard the alarms. When the Field Master notified her that The Catgirl’s propulsion had dropped slightly, that could only mean there was something wrong going on in the engine room. There was a thunderous boom. Almost all the lights in the corridor burned out instantly. Yet she pressed on, undistracted by the sudden darkness.

She finally arrived at the door to the engine room. After keying in the password on the keypad, the door opened and true enough, she found the engine room on fire. She thought of using her ice powers to put the fire. But she took a moment to step away from the scorching heat. A few seconds of delay proved to be fatal. Flames blasted from inside the engine room, engulfing her as the inferno spread into the corridor.

The violent jolt threw Dash against the wall.

Super E-Sat, whom was momentarily off balance, managed to find his footing. His jerking however had elicited an uncomfortable groan from Godslayer May in his arms.

He turned to check on Dash. “Miss Dash, are you all right?”

“The heck was that!?” Dash exclaimed, unsteady on her feet. It felt like an explosion just happened.

Suddenly flames erupted through the floor between Dash and Super E-Sat. Its force flung them both though the corridor in opposite directions.

The Monster, under the protection of Nagato’s bubble shield, pushed through the raging hailstorm into the Light. The Catgirl soon caught up to it. By the time the cruiser’s bow came in contact with the glow, a minor explosion burst from the underside of its midsection. Another similar explosion followed shortly before The Catgirl vanished into the Light.

***

Grand Forest is an alternate version of Great Forest. Like its counterpart in Mobius, it is a vast evergreen forest with small rivers crisscrossing through it. The main difference however is that it bordered between Acorn Empire and Crystal Empire. The territory used to belong to the former until its ruler King Maxx died in a battle with Crystal Empire’s forces. A civil war erupted henceforth between two rival siblings, Prince Elias and Princess Alicia (Sally Acorn’s Moebius counterpart) over the right to the throne, in which the latter’s paramilitary faction eventually won.

The forest became a sanctuary for refugees who fled the violence that continued long after the war ended with the princess coming to power. To galvanize her rule, Queen Alicia retained the Suppression Squad that supported her against Prince Elias and ordered them to viciously crack down on resistance fighter groups, various political and social movements, anything she deemed dangerous to her totalitarian regime. Civilians suspected of having links to such organizations or being sympathizers were executed without trial.

But the notorious Suppression Squad did not stop there. Refugees, whose actions of taking shelter in Grand Forest or fleeing to other nations were viewed as treason by the regime, were also hunted down to be mercilessly executed later on.

In order to protect the refugees, one genius Overlander successfully created a machine that can generate force field big enough to cover the entire forest. Cut off but safe from Moebotropolis’ oppression, camps were set up all over Grand Forest to house the refugees expanded into settlements that years later became autonomous villages.

In order to minimize conflicts between the villages and promote co-operation working for mutual benefits, the Council was established whose membership consists of all the village chiefs and headed by a Mayor elected amongst them to a five-year term, thus turning Grand Forest into a confederacy of sort.

One of those villages is Knothole. As of right now, within its territory, a blurry trail and a rainbow-colored streak emerged from the forest into a wide clearing where a centuries-old castle ruin stands. The former was catching up with the latter, as if they were in a race. Both zipped across the clearing towards the castle’s entrance. In the castle’s main courtyard, Jenga the Flamingo waited by the specially set up flags before him. The rainbow streak came in through the entrance first closely followed by the blur, grabbed the flag and retreated back to where they came in.

The blur and the rainbow streak went back into the forest, still locked in the race with the latter in the lead. On separate paths, they zigzagged along the forest floor to avoid the trees.

The blur dashed down a steep slope up ahead. At the bottom, there was a bush of wild berries at the bottom which the blur failed to avoid. A pink female hedgehog emerged from the other side of the bush, sprawling to the ground. It is Rosy Rascal. In this universe, Rosy possesses some of Sonic’s abilities hence she is the amalgamation of the blue hedgehog and Amy Rose from Mobius. She wears a form-fitting bodysuit whose design bears reminiscence to the Arcanist SHADE worn by Zach, Mika and Aegnor.

The rainbow streak stopped dead, revealing it was actually Rainbow Dash in flight. She gazed back with pure concern at her friend.

“Rosy,” she called out, “you hurt???”

“I’m okay! Go ahead!” Rosy insisted, waving Rainbow Dash away after spitting out leaves and berries of her mouth with disgust. The berries are not poisonous, Just the skin tasted very bitter.

Rainbow Dash was glad that her friend was not hurt in any way.

“Try to keep up, ‘kay?” she said before continuing the race.

The next flags were held by a bat named Rad waiting on a branch of the largest tree in the area. In order for Rainbow Dash not to cheat by flying straight to the bat from the beginning, a wooded arch had been erected a few yards away from the tree. Keeping low to the ground, Rainbow Dash passed through the arch and made a sharp turn, flying up vertically up to Rad. She was given the flag then immediately went down through the same route. A second later, Rosy appeared and accomplished the same feat with a vertical wall run.

In order to get to the third flags, Rainbow Dash and Rosy has to cross a three miles-long canyon from one end to the other. At the ledge, Friz, Solarhawk and Nero, a falcon, eagle and owl respectively, monitored the two racers along the length of the route.

Rainbow Dash and Rosy navigated through the many sharp bends without ever slowing down. Apart from large boulders, palm trees and small spring-fed pools, there were not many obstacles along their path. Half way through the canyon, a broad fault cutting through the canyon floor came into their view up ahead. Rainbow Dash of course crossed over it without problem.

The gap was not a hindrance to Rosy either, for she has a little trick called Jump Dash. She began by accelerating past the sound barrier, a feat she could only maintain for a short duration due to the enormous amount of energy it drained. With precision timing, she launched herself from the cliff’s edge forward in midair. The burst of forward momentum hurled her forward to clear over the gap. Landing on the other side, she instantly broke into a sprint. The result was there seemed to be no break between her actions.

The final flags were placed right before the canyon’s exit. Rainbow Dash got to it first. Rosy soon followed. After grabbing the flags, they exited the canyon then headed back towards the Grand Forest via a nearby trail leading up to the canyon’s cliff.

Danix the Duck who was waiting nearby the exit talked into his walkie-talkie, “Final flags taken. They’re now heading back.”

The final portion of the race is very straightforward. The forest track leading to the finish line is mostly straight so the outcome now depends on speed rather than skill. Boosting her speed further, Rosy dashed past Rainbow Dash. The latter was not about to lose either. Both racers took turns on taking the lead as they go.

A tortoise named Tank manned the finish line which is located at the edge of a circular clearing with a garden in the middle. His hummingbird companion, Arial spotted the racers deep in the forest through her binoculars. At her signal, Tank readied his checkered flag. They need not wait long until Rainbow Dash and Rosy arrived, the latter clearly trailing behind. Due to Arial’s petite nature, when Rainbow Dash sped passed her, the hummingbird spun around dizzyingly like a spinning top. She spun again in the other direction when Rosy passed her opposite side.

Tank waved his flag as Rainbow Dash crossed finish line first. Rosy came in second. Only a few seconds separated them. Jenga, Rad, Friz and Solarhawk came in to cheer for both the racers. At this moment, Danix and Nero arrived on their hoverboards (called Extreme Gears).

“You guys missed it just now,” Tank told them.

“Can you blame us?” Danix said. “This thing is light-years away from coming close to their speed.”

Tank remembered it surely. In the initial years after meeting Rainbow dash and Rosy, they were highly impressed by the duo’s speed ability. One day they decided to test their Extreme Gears against them in a lap race around the forest. The result? Rainbow Dash and Rosy made their Gears look snail-paced by comparison.

“What’s wrong with you?” Danix asked when he saw Arial came over tottering about and looking sickly.

“She’s fine,” Tank said flatly then went to update the tally scoreboard.

“This month’s race goes to Rainbow Dash,” the tortoise announced to everyone’s cheer. “With this win, her tally now ties with Rosy.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Luv you guys!” Rainbow Dash said as she exchanged congratulatory high fives with her Moebian friends.

Nearby, Rosy was bending down on her knees, gasping and coughing. Rainbow Dash had never seen the pink hedgehog looking this exhausted before after every race.

“Hey, you feeling all right?” Rainbow Dash asked with worry as she placed a gentle hand on Rosy’s shoulder. “Should I the get-”

“No, I’ll be just fine,” Rosy insisted, bent on her knees. Her breathing was heavy but as bad like a minute ago.

“Whoa, would you take a look at that,” Friz uttered, when his sharp eyesight spotted a strange phenomenon began materializing at the distant clouds.

Solarhawk looked up in the same direction and saw it too. “What do you supposed that is?”

Arial looked though her binoculars. A glow had appeared as though it was punching a hole through the sky. It then stretched out into a tear-shape, big enough for everyone to see without the use of binoculars.

The still-shielded Monster emerged from the Light, banked right towards Grand Forest and soon thundered over where Rainbow Dash and the rest are at before disappearing out of view above the canopies.

“What the hay was that thing!?”

Apparently no one holds the answer to the Pegasus’ question.

“Whatever it is,” Tank said grimly, “it’s headed in Moebotropolis’ direction. That can’t be a good sign.”

They all heard a faint boom, prompting them to look back at the Light. It was closing but another craft, its bottom midsection ablaze, managed to get through shortly before the portal shuts off for good. It banked right towards them.

Electrical sparks burst everywhere in the bridge. The shaking intensified and the rumbling grew louder by the moment. At Godslayer Fortepiano’s station, screens shut off simultaneously and all the flight controls were no longer working.

“Kurogane’s not answering!” Godslayer Alkarin cried as he staggered away from his seat.

That finally did it for the Field Master.

“Abandon ship!” she immediately ordered her second-in-command.

The final explosion blew out from the bottom of The Catgirl, cracks spread around the hull and severed the entire midsection of the cruiser.

Rainbow Dash saw the airship broke apart in midair. Its burning front half appeared to be heading this way in a crippled flight. But that was no concern to the Pegasus. She shot up to the sky, climbing up until the cityscape of Illumina, characterized by its tall landmark structures, was spotted, though it was barely discernible due to the great distance. Sure enough, the rear portion of the separated airship was descending in the city’s direction.

Alarmed by what she saw, Rainbow Dash dived straight down, streaked past her friends and disappeared into the forest.

“Hey, where is she going?” Rosy asked around about her friend.

Everyone shrugged their shoulders.

Godslayer Alkarin was now a free fall from a tremendous altitude. He had only vague memory of what happened beforehand. One moment he was following his Field Master to the airlocks. The next moment, there was a loud boom and he was sucked out from The Catgirl the moment everything shattered in front of him.

Damn it, where’s FM? the minotaur thought to himself. Did everybody else made it out?

By then, Godslayer Watterson with a backpack slung on his back dropped down in front of him.

“Dude, don’t worry!” the feline shouted. “I got a table cloth inside my bag! We can use it as a parachute and float safely down to-”

“Oh, to hell with that plan!” Godslayer Kurogane chided from above, revealing herself still alive. “It’s ridiculous! I got a far better idea!”

She dived right between them. An ice platform materialized beneath her. Godslayer Kurogane landed nimbly on her feet with the other two right behind her. The structure rapidly extended at an inclination, turning into a slide of sort. As the three Godslayers moved in line along the slick surface at high speeds, they steadied their posture and footing to keep themselves on course while maneuvering down the bends and corkscrew-shaped loops like a coaster.

Godslayer Kurogane worked hard to form the ice surface in front of her faster than the rate of their descent. Godslayer Alkarin cast a brief glance back over his shoulder. The ice slide was collapsing behind him, the resulting work of gravity and lack of structural support. Fortunately, the pace of the collapse was not fast enough to overtake them. At least to him, it was moving at the same speed as they are.

At last they reached several hundred feet above the tree canopies just beyond the forest’s edge. Godslayer Kurogane detected something was amiss as soon as she saw her ice slide ended abruptly, the ice spreading outwards instead as though it had hit a surface. There was no way for her to stop. At the speed she was going, there was not time to brace herself for impact either. She hit the invisible surface face first with a loud smack. Shortly Godslayer Watterson slammed against her rear. Godslayer Alkarin in turn slammed against Godslayer Watterson’s rear.

Godslayer Kurogane let out a groan, both of pain and humiliation from getting pinned by her male comrades. She is not the only one though. Godslayer Watterson was not enjoying it either, being sandwiched between her and the robust minotaur. The ice slide below their feet collapsed instantly. The three Godslayers dropped, sliding down following a slight arced path. This suggests the invisible barrier was of massive in scale and has a curved surface.

The three landed on the ground with a heavy thud then lay there for a moment until they heard a loud crashing sound. At the same time, they felt a minor tremor on the ground. They all immediately got up to see what was happening. To their horror, The Catgirl’s bow was plowing its way in their direction. They immediately scrambled out of the way, running until the massive eruption from The Catgirl knocked them off their feet.

They picked themselves up to see the burning remains of their cruiser. Godslayer Kurogane saw that the flames did not reach the trees, as if it was being contained. Observing the scattering of debris around the squashed main wreckage, she speculated that the explosion was partly caused by a violent collision. She stepped forth towards the forest, her hands held forth like she was trying to reach for something.

She finally found what she was looking for when she felt her palms pressed against something. Whatever the object is, it is not visible to the naked eye. Moving her hands along the smooth, transparent surface, ripple effects, barely noticeable, were observed emanating from the point contact.

“What is it?” Godslayer Alkarin asked her.

“Some kind of energy barrier,” Godslayer Kurogane told the Ensign. “It’s solid hard.”

Meanwhile, Godslayer Watterson looked upon the wreckage with worry. Where are the rest? Ensign’s here, so Forte should’ve made it out too. But what about E-Sat? May? Dash...

Super E-Sat appeared with Godslayer May safely in his arms. He safely touched down on his feet

“Where’s Dash?” Godslayer Watterson demanded when he saw Dash was not around with the mech.

“We were... we got separated.”

Infuriated by the reply, Godslayer Watterson snapped at the mech. “What the crap, man!? How did this happen!? You two were supposed to stick together, darn it! Explain how exactly did-”

“Watterson! Get your shit together!” Godslayer Alkarin stood next to him, motioning him urgently at the unresponsive Godslayer May. “May is our first priority!”

Only after calming himself a little, then Godslayer Watterson realized his emotions made him almost forget his ex-Proctor’s condition. He crouched, putting down his backpack, his hand reaching for its content. At the same time, Super E-Sat carefully set Godslayer May down on the grass.

Godslayer Kurogane turned around when she caught a glimpse of two figures emerging from the forest. To her bafflement, the figures walked through where the energy barrier should have been. By then, she recognized the two figures as this world’s counterparts of the characters from Mobius. She remained on guard. A question played in her mind. Are they friendly or potential foes?

Alarmed students all over Crystal Heart gazed upwards at a strange metallic object, its burning end left a long trail of black smoke, falling from the sky. Among of the witnesses are Cloudchaser, Moon Dancer, Maud Pie and Muffins Hooves. While many students wondered what is it that they were seeing, none was more sure than Muffins. It has to be related to Acorn Empire’s technology, she speculated. But what had caused the explosion? Midair accident, experiment gone wrong, or maybe it came under attack, the list in her mind goes on.

Godslayer Fortepiano was hovering high above Illumina. She was faced with two choices. Either saving Dash first or immediately prevent The Catgirl’s remaining half from crashing into city below thus preventing potential loss of hundreds of lives. It was not a hard decision to make. She went with the latter.

Dash could feel her heart beating fiercely in her chest. As every minute passed, she gets nearer to death. Aw, gawd! I’m gonna die for sure this time!

Every now and then, she finds herself repeatedly getting into situations involving falling from a great height. Unlike last time, she no longer wears the Fleet SHADE like she did in back in Canterlot. Perhaps E-Sat could save her from ending up in bits and pieces. But where is the mech? Dash remembered they got separated the corridor they were in blew apart. Had the explosion killed him off? If so, then the next person who could save her is Fortepiano. Unfortunately, she was not around either.

By now, she was a thousand feet away from splattering on the field beneath her.

Aw naw, this...This is it...!!!

She braced herself. Though she knew that will not do any good. It was just natural instinct in which any living things try to avoid pain as much as they could. Just as her eyelids was about to fall shut, she glimpsed something coming into her view. But she was unable to make out what it is. It began with a mass of colors, as if a rainbow was passing before her eyes, immediately followed by something feathery. She felt a jolt. After that, she remembered nothing...

Putting as much speed as she could on the thrusters, Godslayer Fortepiano traveled through the sky just barely above supersonic speed. Throughout the flight, she appeared to be surrounded by a midair aura. In fact, this is a vapor cone. The shock wave around her was made visible via the formation of condensation cloud.

Even at such speed, her mind and sight remain focused. Godslayer Fortepiano guessed she was somewhere near the heart of the city. In all directions, urban structures seemed to stretch up to the horizon. There did not to be any safe place where she could shove The Catgirl to. There were patches of undeveloped wooded areas. Unfortunately, they are not spacious enough and constricted by the urban surroundings.

Approaching the falling wreckage, just minutes away from crashing, she spotted it. Miles away from her position, a broad clearing, the size of a superblock and completely devoid of vegetation. Most likely, it was recently cleared to make way for development. For Godslayer Fortepiano, it was the perfect about-to-be crash site. Now, time was about to run out. She has to get to work immediately.

She dived down to follow the wreckage’s descent. Once she got to the lower part of the wreckage, the Godslayer held on to it by pressing her front side firmly against the hull. Thruster nozzles on her rear breastplate and leggings pitched upwards to a near-perpendicular angle.

By now, she saw that they were heading down directly towards a tall building complex. Possibly a shopping mall, judging from the billboards and banners decorating it, and crowds of people dotted around the premise. There was no better time than now to test her limits. Exerting every ounce of her willpower on the SHADE, continuous blast of the jet streams, its intensity growing by every second, thundered from the thrusters.

The stern began to level from its rapid descent thanks to the momentum provided by the the jet streams. It gradually changed its direction away from the complex, hurtled through the skyline towards the intended destination.

Amore Plaza has been a gathering place for Crystallites since ancient times. For centuries, it served as a venue for seasonal ceremonies, royal proclamations, festivals and religious events. A grand building housing government offices, a courthouse, a temple and a museum complex border the plaza. The centerpiece of the plaza are the twin statues erected on a marble plaque in honor of the summer and winter goddesses.

It is here where Photo Finnish is currently having an outdoor photo shoot. The model posing in front of the statues is Fluttershy.

“Shtretch zous vings!” Photo Finish instructed the Pegasus, whilst snapping her camera non-stop in exaggerated postures. “Oh, you are such graceful creature, Fluttershy! Ja! Ja! JA!!! Vork your magick!”

Pixel Pizza nervously tapped on Photo Finish’s shoulder from behind.

Not looking back, the irritated photographer snapped her fingers at the assistant. “Ha tat tat tat! Do not interrupt vile Photo Finish vork on her meistershtuck!”

She was getting back to taking more photos when Fluttershy all of sudden broke character. She stood looking up, her eyes wide in horror.

Photo Finish put down her camera and scolded the model. “Fluttershy, vat is za matter vif you!? Focus!”

Shaken, Fluttershy pointed up at something in the sky. Before Photo Finish could see what is it that the Pegasus was seeing, The Catgirl’s stern passed low over the plaza, taking the photographer by absolute shock. The wreckage was losing altitude fast, to the point of almost toppling the museum’s top structure. Moments after it vanished over the museum complex, there was a loud boom and massive fireball was seen rising in the distance.

Photo Finish murmured a few curses in her mother tongue. Just now the weak-hearted Fluttershy had collapsed from utter shock. Smoke churning from the out-of-view crash site ruined the setting. There was nothing more the Earth Pony hated than having her photo shoot interrupted. Then again, this unexpected occurrence presented an opportunity for her to do something she has never done before.

“Vat vas zat saying again? Every cloud has a silver lining? Yesss...”

Godslayer Fortepiano staggered away from the crash site. She flinched when she heard more explosions behind her. Looking back, the cruiser’s stern was now mangled beyond recognition after being blown further apart by the secondary explosions. She made her away across the street to rest between some big crates.

Glancing around, she realized the ground she was at belonged to a construction contractor. The area was laden with crates labeled with material’s name. The small wooden cottage house was most likely built as a site office or living quarters or both. Work boots and hard hats were haphazardly left by the shoe rack. Nearby are some small sheds. One of the doors was left ajar. Inside construction tools were visible.

Right now she was feeling beat up. She sat there for a while, contemplating about the horrible day she is having. The mission in Mobius failed, The Catgirl was lost and Dash is probably dead by now. Though it was not entirely her fault, Magister Vast is definitely not going to like the first and last part.

Godslayer Fortepiano peeked out from her hiding place at the sound of engine noises. Firefighters had just arrived in their fire engines. The vehicles’ design is peculiar, described as a cross between a motor carriage and a tanker truck. It looked like it belongs in 19th Century Earth (Victorian Era) or steampunk universe, more inclined to the latter.

When she saw the firefighters rushing to put out the fire, that was when the Godslayer realized the inhabitants of this land are pony-people, exactly like her. But there were other personnel there too. They were wearing bronze helmets and armored uniforms. They each sports coat of arms and insignia on the armor plates.

A high ranking officer was seen giving orders to his subordinates. “Fan out and cordon off the area. I want a closed parameter within five hundred feet radius of the crash site done in five minutes’ top. No one else but fire personnel and medics are allowed in and out! Intruders, if any, are to be taken down on sight without hesitation.”

“Capture or kill, captain?” asked one of the soldiers.

“Either is acceptable,” the captain replied firmly.

Wherever she ended up in, Godslayer Fortepiano understood this place does not take kindly to intruders. Crouched low, she sneaked out of her hiding place towards the cottage house then around to the back where no one could not see her. She is sure she was alone though she did not check properly.

SHADE armor, time out.

The helmet separated. Armor plates detached from her bodysuit. Together all the pieces suspended in midair around her. The bodysuit transformed into dress shirt, pants and leather shoes. Circling around her, the carbon fiber-like armor pieces separated further into thin sheets, changed colors and altered its appearance at the same time. They then reassembled themselves around her, turning into a blazer. With that, the transformation was completed.

Forte stroked her frontal hair down a little bit so that the circular stump on her forehead remain unseen. She deliberately tried to hide what remains of her horn because of past experiences of constantly being asked about it. It is not an experience she wants to divulge.

She took a quick peek out the corner to see if the soldiers are still there. A number of them had gone, including the captain. Those who stayed were seen in a deep discussion while going through some papers and a map, out of the firefighters’ way. Better not stay too long otherwise she will get caught by the patrolling soldiers, that is Forte was thinking. She swiftly moved from there as far away as possible from the soldiers.

Forte could not help but feel awed by the new surroundings. After hours of walking in the alleyways, she somehow managed to stumble upon a multi-story shopping arcade. And it was crowded with shoppers of various races. The scene painted a vague reminder inside her mind of her former home, though the world where she originated sports more modernized architectural style.

She was also not familiar with another race of pony-people walking among the crowds. Their horns, wings and consistent grayish skin made them resemble somewhat like the changelings. But they lack fangs and body holes. Their have normal eyes, ears and hair. Normal as in their appearance are closer to ponies than the insectoid creatures.

What a strange world, she thought to herself.

An accidental bump to the shoulder broke Forte out of her thoughts.

“Hey yuuu! Vatch vere you are going!” Photo Finnish held on dearly to her camera pouch strapped on her shoulder. “Zis is irreplaceable! I, Photo Finish vill sue you to court if anyzing happens to my precious photos!”

Forte regarded Photo Finnish with disdain. She was just standing there out of the others’ way minding her business. It was Photo Finnish who came bumping into her, not the other way around. She would very much like to scold back at the pompous Earth Pony yet she refrained herself from doing so.

Instead, she flatly said, “I apologize.”

“Hmmph!” Photo Finish cast a scornful look at Forte before pacing towards a photo studio which incidentally was nearby.

Forte inhaled deeply to relieve her frustration.

No point in arguing over a petty matter, she reminded herself.

Off Forte went to find the arcade’s main entrance. She will need to find to a way out of this country and reunite with her subordinates. She is confident that they are all alive and all right.

They have to be absolute morons for not to.

Acorn Empire is Crystal Empire’s worst enemy. For decades, it cast an evil shadow on its neighbor, from the time when the late King Maxx first began waging a military campaign to conquer Crystal Empire. His goal was not only to expand his kingdom’s territory and gain Crystal Empire’s natural resources, but also to ultimately diminish the neighboring kingdom’s status as one of the two superpowers on Moebius.

After the king died, his daughter Alicia took over the campaign. But a series of heavy defeats in the hands of the defenders squandered the invading force. Acorn Empire have since quiet down its activity across the border, instead diverted its resources to clamp down the insurgency happening on its own soil.

Even so, without a formal truce in place, with tensions remain high, the conflict between the neighboring kingdoms merely fell into a frozen state. The shaky peace that spanned over the years is short of recommencement to full-blown warfare by a minor provocative act by either side.

Queen Alicia never gave up on her ambition. Should her kingdom arise as the sole superpower on this planet, she will dominate the other nations through military and economic strength. That is the purpose the Monster was built and brought into her kingdom’s soil. It will be the instrument of her ultimatum to be issued to Queen Crisanna- surrender or perish with Illumina. Or so she thought, because truly she is oblivious to the destroyer’s real origin and purpose.

Colin Snively- viceroy of one of the provinces under Queen Alicia’s rule, came rushing in to meet his secretary after being alerted that an identified flying object was detected on radar crossing into Acorn territory. The room had a gigantic monitor hung on the wall with the map of Acorn Empire displayed on it. A pulsating yellow dot was slowly moving across the screen. Smaller banks of monitors showed live image feeds of the Monster from various distances.

“It’s enormous,” the viceroy commented. He spoke in a low, sinister voice.

Rouge the Bat turned away from the screens to face her superior. “And it’s slowly making its way here. Other than that, it hasn’t done anything since it arrival. It’s coming from the direction of Grand Forest. It’s possible the ship might be originated from Crystal Empire though the design seemed to differ from-”

“Destroy it,” Snively ordered. Though seemed offended by the intruder’s presence, he maintained a calm demeanor. “I want no trace of that warship left untouched. The balls those who are foolish enough to think they can trespass into my province and get away with it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rouge communicated the orders via the computer console’s microphone. But then, a phone call interrupted her. She only picked up the receiver once she finished issuing her orders. She exchanged a brief conversation with whoever is on the other end before urgently passed the receiver to Snively.

“Sir, it’s Viceroy Prower.”

“Urgh, what does he want!?” Snively exclaimed in discontent at the mention of his rival’s name. He pressed the receiver to his ears and said, “This better be important, Prower.”

The mobile anti-air artilleries lined up in the flat outskirts. Their armaments aimed forth at the Monster approaching from the distance. Minutes passed. The Monsters was getting nearer. Yet not a single shot has been fired. When the Monster arrived at the line, the artilleries finally did something. Their missile pods contracted into the hatches and they idly let the warship passed without incident.

The Monster hovered near the city limits. There Miles Prower was waiting under escort by Mechanauts, androids who serve as standard foot soldiers for Acorn Empire’s military. Unlike his eleven-year old Mobius’ counterpart, this fox is significantly older at eighteen, sports dictator-like behavior and he did not share the former’s flight ability.

The moment the four Guardians spawned under the Monster’s aurora, Prower moved ahead after ordering his escorts to stay behind. Briskly approaching one another, none of them showed any form of expression or gesture that suggests hostility. Asakura, Asahina and Konata stopped in unison all of a sudden. Only Nagato continued forth.

Finally facing each other, they expressionless gazes met. Nagato is taller and of course way stronger than the puny Miles Prower. The latter knows of this. Yet he was not afraid of the construct at all. A bravado act or is there something sinister hidden behind the young fox’s outward appearances?

***

“This is Lord Magister Varst speaking to all Godslayers in the vicinity. Moebotropolis is monitoring all communication channels to the outside. So I want an updated status within the next eight minute before I cut off this transmission. Omit the details on your blundered mission in Mobius.”

“This is Ensign Alkarin reporting. We crashed just outside of the Grand Forest and have taken refuge in the village of Knothole. Watterson, E-Sat, Kurogane and I are fine. May is in critical condition. But we found someone that can help with the treatment. Her SHADE is damaged beyond repair. According to May before she passed out, one of the four constructs have the ability to detect the SHADE’s presence, hack into its system and see through the Shadowdancer’s cloaking field. Extra precautionary measures is advised, Magister.”

“This is Godslayer Kurogane. In regards to The Catgirl, the wreckage is still burning. Once condition is permissible, we will inspect it to assess the extent of the damages on the reactor and the Void Drive. In addition, I still have a backup copy of the data files belonging to Magister Perris.”

“This is Field Master Fortepiano reporting. I’m… Truthfully I’m still uncertain of my exact position. Still working on that. The stern crashed in the middle of a busy metropolitan area. I’m confident the locals will not find anything useful from the wreckage. Casualties on local population- zero. Iris Dashiell… presumed dead. Also, the locals appeared to be exhibiting extreme hostilities towards outsiders. Soldiers are patrolling the city and I see air patrols in the sky. I will wait until nightfall before regrouping with the others.”

Dead? No… She can’t… Zach was devastated.

Dash was not with E-Sat. She was not Fortepiano either. He did not want to believe it but soon he came to realize there was no way for Dash to survive the crash without aid from the SHADE.

It shouldn’t have ended that way. It’s not fair...

RIDDLE'S CODEX

Located in the heart of Moebotropolis, the old structure had served as the seat of the House of Acorn for more than two hundred years. There was nothing distinctive about the castle until it was added with rooftop gardens sometime after Queen Alicia assumed control of the empire.

In light of the Monster’s arrival, Queen Alicia called for all council members to meet at the castle. The Viceroy, Jeffrey St. Croix arrived, not long after Prower and Snively. In the hallway, the three came across the beat up-looking Patch, Boomer and Buns (Antoine D’Coolette, Rotor Walrus and Bunnie Rabbot’s Moebius counterpart respectively). As top commanders of the Suppression Squad, they have observer status in the Council of Acorn.

St. Croix could not help but poke fun at the two whom he knew just returned from a failed operation against suspected resistance positions near his province. “Again with another heavy defeat? I’m beginning to think you two are losing on purpose.”

“Indeed,” Snively agreed with the skunk. “Having made the Suppression Squad a laughing stock in front of our enemies, I have to wonder why Her Majesty still keeps you around.”

Prower did not say a word to Patch, Boomer and Buns. He regarded them with indifference as he paced down the hallway with other viceroys.

St. Croix and Snively’s ridicule exasperated Patch. Once the viceroys are out of view, he growled, “J’en ai ral le bol! (I’m so fed up!) Zees job should’ve helped me climb up to zee position of Viceroy! I’m supposed to drink fine red wine in my very own villa, have my own secretary, giving orders to zee people, making new tax laws. Not still leading stupide robots to zee battlefield, getting shot at and coming back with black and blues all over me!”

“The resistance fighters do seem to know an awful lot about our operation,” Boomer said with thought. “Every time they were ready as if they’re already expecting us. You know what? We should consider the notion of a spy in our midst.”

A spy? A name crossed Patch’s mind. “Miles.”

“What ‘bout th’ lil’ runt?” Buns was asking as they strode down the hallway.

“He is not zee same as before, is he not?” Patch said. “He no longer speaks to us. What do you zink he is doing in his own private lab?”

“Your point is?” This was coming from Boomer.

“He is zee queen’s right hand man and most trusted advisor. Zat is why she lets him freely work on his own weapons program, separate from zee main army. But we both know he also is very ambitious.”

“You’re suspecting Miles of treason, are you?” Boomer realized.

“He stands to benefit should zee chaos worsens,” Patch opined. “When Her Majesty’s rule is weakened enough, zat would be zee right time to strike”

“It’s gonna be mighty hard t’ prove that there allegation of yours, Patch” Buns pointed out.

At this point, they had arrived outside the council room.

Before opening the door, Patch said, “We shall see about zat.”

Council members focused on the 3D hologram projected at the center of the donut-shaped conference table. It showed the Monster docked at an unknown location. Some were awed by the warship’s appearance and size. Some, including St. Croix, looked uneasy for their own reasons. Snively for one was being very calculative. Queen Alicia remained impersonal.

“Where did it come from and why were we not told of this?” This came from Snively.

“It was important that this weapon be developed in the utmost secrecy,” Prower replied the question. “With good reason in light of countless setbacks suffered against the resistance.”

Patch tensed up in his seat at the reference to the botched operations he and Boomer led up until recently.

“From this footage, you can clearly see the consequences of what happens when confidential information is leaked out in the open. The warship was damaged when the site it’s being constructed in came under attack by unknown forces which I speculated as being allied to Crystal Empire, prompting the premature launch of the warship.”

It is a lie, of course. Whether the young fox is aware of it or is being used as a puppet in the SG’s machination is yet to be seen.

“How did this information that only you supposedly know of was given away?” Snively inquired further.

“Irrelevant,” the queen interjected. “This is not a fact-finding proceeding. Miles, how soon can you get the warship ready?”

“Not very soon I’m afraid, Your Majesty,” Prower said calmly. “Apart from the hull needs repairing, the assemblage and retrofitting of the armaments will take time. But once completed, it will give us a great deal of advantage over Crystal Empire’s military. Even so, we shouldn’t be overly haste.”

The hologram changed to display Grand Forest with a translucent dome covering the whole area, all scaled down to size.

“With Your Majesty’s permission, I’d like to have it field-tested on Kintobor’s energy dome,” the young fox continued.

“The dome is impenetrable,” Snively reminded him. “We’ve tried it before and failed. None of our most powerful missiles and cannons could get through it. Not even the coilguns work.”

“If you’re saying that this warship possesses firepower enough to take out the dome, then it risked destroying Grand Forest. A huge loss it will be if such scenario turned out to be true. Not to mention the fallout it will bring upon the nearby Moebotropolis,” St. Croix added to state his concern.

“You may recall Project Metal,” Prower said, referencing to the weapons program he shelved several years back with reason being given is that it was deemed to be ‘unfeasible’ in terms of technology and software right from early stages of development.

Summarizing, Project Metal is a program to replace the current fleet of Mechanauts with a new generation of robots, fully weaponized and run by intelligent AI. The latter part involves the implementation of a new chip that will have the same storage capacity and performance of a biological brain (similar to E-Sat’s neural CPU).

“Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the follow up to the program, the Roboticizer. Yes, our previous weapons were able to penetrate the dome. But this one will due to its photonic properties.”

The hologram changed again. This time it showed an odd looking machine, roughly the shape of a spark plug with orange and blue glowing highlights all over it. The machine is positioned upright, hence giving it the appearance of some sort of aerial cannon or a satellite weapon.

“This machine is able to convert any organic creatures into robotic forms. Anyone who undergoes the ‘roboticization’ process will have their minds translated into software format. They will lose their free will, original personalities and memories, thus becoming subservient, ready to do our bidding whatever we demand of them.”

As Prower spoke, the hologram began playing a simulation of the converting process of living tissue into machinery. The scene moved from cellular level to finally showing organs being transformed into mechanical equivalents. Many council members felt uneasy at what seemed to them is a gruesome and very painful process.

“The Roboticizer will be refitted as part of the Monster’s secondary armaments. Due to the limitation in firing range, I will have drones scouting for the exact location of Kintobor’s base and the nearest villages. Once the first hurdle is passed, our newly ‘conscripted’ robotic army will help take down the force field generator for us and then Grand Forest and all of its natural resources will once again be ours.

“As for the Crystal Empire queen, we will present to her the Monster’s destructive firepower in the form an ultimatum. The experimental plasma-based weapons that will become the Monster’s main armaments is able to reduce cities the size of Illumina to ashes in mere moments.”

Alicia allowed herself a small smile, relishing the prospects of victory in the long-standing frozen conflict. “Which leaves her with two choices: surrender or perish with her city. Once the royal family is out of the way, once the lands of Crystal Empire fall, we will use the Roboticizer to convert the remaining population into free slave force to mine its riches.”

She stood up from her seat and briskly proclaimed to the council, “The advent of this kingdom as the sole superpower of Moebius draws near! Acorn Empire will rule all and Moebius will be ours!”

At the end of proceeding, through her decree, Prower’s weapons program was given the green light. Both St. Croix and Snively shuddered at their Queen Alicia’s audacious ambition. The use of such weapons they felt would amount to genocide. Yet there was nothing the two could do about it. In fact, even if the whole council objects, it would not matter at all.

Although Council of Acorn is the legislative and deliberative assembly in the kingdom’s political system, it is not a truly democratic body. Any laws and resolutions proposed during the proceeding, either by an individual, specific group or collectively, only Queen Alicia has the final say in the approval process and adoption. As the de-facto head of the assembly, she approves and vetoes at her own discretion without requiring to offer explanation for her decision.

Alicia was about to enter her private lounge room when Patch came in and interrupted her.

“There’s nothing new about it,” said the queen coldly. “The new weapons have already been made known to me for a long time.”

“But surely Your Majesty having Miles too much of a freehand is still a cause for concern?” the coyote persisted.

“You’re not suggesting Miles is up to something sinister!? That’s absurd! He is one of us! The greatest friend this empire got. My empire!”

“Your Majesty, you should at least have someone monitor-”

“I am not listening to this! Focus on crushing the resistance, Patch! That was supposed to be have been crushed ages ago! You are DISMISSED!!!”

Patch aversely complied. Alicia opened the door, walked in then ordered the bodyguards inside to get out, leaving her alone with Miles. She slumped into a soft chair and helped herself with the bottle of champagne on the adjacent low table.

She took a sip from the glass. “Miles, I assume you have news in regards to my special request.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said the young fox as he stood at ease before the queen. “You were right all along. She has the codex. The first two chapters have been fully deciphered. A third is underway.”

“The rumors that she’s seeking the Precursor Artifacts are true then.”

“I’ve always thought the artifacts were nothing more than folklores told to amuse.”

It is common knowledge to most Moebians that the Precursor Artifacts refer to a set of mystical object with infinite energy, seven in total. Various tales surrounding each artifact have been told by different races and tribes, passed down verbally from ancient times that predate Crystal Empire and Acorn Empire’s 5,000-year history, hence the origin of the term ‘Precursor’.

How these objects came to exist had always remained enigmatic. While none of the tales tell of the artifacts’ creation, they all however share one common element- it is that the cores of all seven artifacts were forged from the Elite Gems of the same number.

According to the Cataclysm myth which many Moebians believe, about around twelve million years ago, a time when cold-blooded beasts called Mobosaurs roamed this planet and only a single supercontinent existed, Moebius crossed path with Tartarus, a dwarf red planet originated from another system. The glancing impact broke the continent apart, triggering massive volcanic reactions and climate change on a global scale that lasted another million years.

During this period, it said the energy from the collision reacted with the crystal deposits deep within the planet’s surface. The result was the creations of the energy crystals. Following thousands of energy crystal deposits compressed under ultra-high pressure, fusing into a highly dense form, the Elite Gems were created in the wake.

“If the codex does indeed exist,” Alicia said, “so must the artifacts. One had been found, I believe. Kintobor’s energy dome. I’ve always suspected it. What kind of energy source could that Overlander possibly use to power up a force field so durable and that goes uninterrupted for years, hmm? Imagine what he could do with that unlimited power.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much,” Prower said confidently as Alicia sipped her drink. “Although only he among the forest inhabitants has the technical expertise to create a device capable of extracting power from the artifact, Kintobor is still a pacifist. The Crystal Empire queen on the other hand... She has the same idea, but who’s to say she won’t change her mind and use it against us.”

“Before that happens,” Alicia said sternly, “I want those artifacts found. And that includes the one in Kintobor’s possession.”

“It will be done,” Prower affirmed. “The texts’ meaning is ambiguous. But I will continue monitoring them. Any progress they made on solving the codex’s riddles, I’ll be the first to know. Then it’s just a matter of sending my agents out to track their location and retrieve the artifact. Once they’re in our possession, with more research, I might find a way to incorporate it into our weapons. Our military’s power will be limitless.”

Alicia gulped down her drink and then put down the glass on the table. “Ah...! What am I going to do without you, Miles?”

She pressed her fingers to her temple and continued, “I was always the better one. But, Elias was destined to inherit the throne.”

Prower stepped to the low table. His glacial eyes on the bowl containing grapes, oranges, apples and pears. And a fruit knife. He took the knife. Holding the handle firmly in his grip, he gazed at the sharp edge of the blade, seemingly in a deep thought. He then looked at his queen who was still relieving herself of the slight hangover.

“I have the intelligence, the combat prowess, the leadership skill. Yet Daddy favored him more than me. It’s not fair that I should linger in the shadows of my brother my whole life. All of these, the things that we enjoy today, none of it would’ve be possible without you, Patch and Boomer’s support. That’s the sole reason I still keep those two dunderheads around. Oh-” An apple, its skin freshly peeled, was held before her.

She took the fruit off the young fox’s hands. “Why, thank you.”

“Don’t over think about the past, Your Majesty. Focus on the present and think about what lies ahead in the future.”

“You’re right,” Alicia said then took a bite out of the apple.

With a bow, Prower excused himself out of the room. As the queen enjoys her fruit, had she paid more attention to her surroundings, she would notice a transparent outline of a figure lurking silently in the room. The slight distortion of the surrounding behind the figure is the only sign that could indicate the cloaked Spirit Godslayer’s presence. From early on, Varst had been watching and listening to their conversation.

Back at the shopping arcade where Forte encountered Photo Finish, the photo studio actually belongs to the latter’s parents, operating shortly after the couple’s marriage. It was from the time she spent most of her childhood playing around the studio, observing her parents working, that her passion for photography began to develop. Her talents in taking great-looking pictures are a mixed result of self-learning and her parents’ tutorship. Of course, that is by no means she should not expand her knowledge and develop her skills further.

A Crystal Heart College student herself, she is currently taking major in professional photography. Already at such a young age, part of her portfolio has been featured in local community exhibitions and amateur photography magazines. It does not draw in much money for her yet, still she is content. Because for now, networking and reputation building is her main focus.

Being a professional in the field opens her up to other opportunities apart from inheriting the family business. Why should she limit herself to taking portrait and wedding photos? She could choose to partner with documentary filmmakers as a travel photographer, or work as a photojournalist for press agencies, or she could even move into Manehattan’s fashion industry and sign contracts with prestigious modeling agencies. As of now, she has yet to decide on her future. However, whichever course she decides to take, her parent assured that they will still be proud of her.

Inside the dark room, Photo Finish had just finish developing the photos she took earlier today. Usually all her photos are developed at the college facility. But as she wanted to have these done urgently, she went to her parent’s studio instead which is not too far away from where she did her photo shoot. She studied each and every of the 4R-sized photos clipped on the rope line. Strangely, Fluttershy did not appear in any of the photos. That is because they were not taken at the photo shoot. Instead, they showed something else entirely.

A figure clad in strange armor is seen in the first photo. The next few shots recorded the armor’s transformation sequence. The final shot revealed the armored figure now being a mare in semi-formal attire. With her photo shoot ruined earlier, she decided to try her hands at snapping disaster photos. She only managed to take these bizarre shots in secret before the arrival of the royal army at the site prompted her to leave the crash site at the very minute.

Photo Finish took down that last photo and went to get a magnifying from the drawer. Even though the image is sharp, due to the distance between her and the mystery mare, she still could not make out the facial details. After she focused her magnifying glass, the details became apparent.

“Mist!” she cursed, hand lightly smacked on her forehead.

Photo Finish recognized the face as belonging to the mare that rudely bumped her shoulder earlier (Not true in fact. Photo Finish was in such a hurry that she was not paying any attention on the ponies around her).

So the one responsible for the crash- that blue-haired, white Earth Pony, she was just right in front of her. Whoever this mare is, it was apparent to Photo Finish that she is not be from around here. The (SHADE) armor’s design- What was the word she is looking for? Alien? Robotic? To put it simply, it is unworldly.

What if the mare is an agent from Acorn Empire- an android, a clone, or a maybe living biological weapon taking the appearance of pony to infiltrate Crystal Empire? And the exact nature of the mission? To spy on the kingdom? Conduct clandestine attacks on civilians? Assassinate the beloved Queen Regnant?

“Za crazy mare vas right all along,” Photo Finish proclaimed. “I have to report zis immediately. Ja, zat is vat I- Photo Finish, must do!”

“Photo Finish!” her mother’s voice was heard from outside the door. “Mit vem redest du noch? (Who are you taking to?)”

The embarrassed Photo Finish quickly responded, “Urk! Niemand, mutter! (No one, mother!)”

Crystal Palace of Illumina is the heart of the royal family’s rulership over Crystal Empire. Unlike the castles and palaces of other nations which employ singular structure design, Crystal Palace is a citadel.

Within the defensive wall enclosure, the castle where the throne chamber and the royal family’s residence are located lies atop a slightly elevated ground at the central compound, surrounded by rows of office buildings, courtyards, pavilions, and botanical gardens. In addition, a giant clock is built into the wall of the main gatehouse.

The facade on the castle’s lower setbacks are of sandstone brick veneer with four different hues painted on each brick- brown, red, green and light gray, the result being a colorful facade. The plaster-finished exterior wall of office buildings and the castle’s upper setbacks are painted pearl pink with gold accents. The roofing consists of azure and deep blue glittered tiles alternate.

When Queen Crisanna was informed of the incident involving the crashing of an unidentified airship in middle of Illumina, she became restless ever since. Returned from the city earlier on, the captain of the royal army, Shining Armor reported that neither bodies nor survivors had been found at and around the crash site.

Crisanna said sternly, “Put all the soldiers in city on maximum alert. Increase frequency of air patrols. Send more reinforcements to the border outposts! Get all military assets at every garrison on standby. They all must ready to strike back hard should those Moebian fools attempt another incursion.”

“Yes, Your Royal Majesty. Anything else?”

“That will be all for now. Dismiss.”

Shining Armor bowed to the Queen Regnant then paced out of the chamber to carry out his orders.

Crisanna turned to a ripe old-aged unicorn whose thick moustache and eyebrows made it almost impossible for anyone to tell his expression at any given time. Holding the title Overseer, he has served the royal family faithfully since the time when the Queen’s father was a mere young prince.

“Kibitz, issue an advisory notice informing the citizens to be extra cautious in the outdoors. We must assume Queen Alicia is planning more provocative acts against the kingdom. And contact Professor Inkpen. Set up an appointment with her at the chancellor’s office this afternoon.”

“At once, Your Royal Majesty,” said Kibitz with a deep bow.

After the Overseer left, Crisanna slumped into her throne chair, looking rather depressed. It seems the incident had a deep effect on her.

Cadenza moved to her sister’s side. Sitting on the arm rest, she placed her arm gently on Crisanna’s shoulder. “Sis…”

“She’s finally awake from years of slumber to go on the same fateful path with her father,” Crisanna said bitterly.

“How can you be sure it’s them?”

“One of the outposts reported to have spotted a large airship crossing over Grand Forest towards the direction of their capital. From our airspace, Cadence! The nerves! She’s challenging me! Just as her father had challenged mine!”

“You’re very agitated.”

“How could I not? I simply cannot allow that incident from happening again. Many have died, all because of the ambition of one stupid…rodent!”

“Sis- Crissy…” Cadenza began as she held Crisanna close to her. “They have wronged us more times than we can count therefore I understand your anger towards them. But please don’t let it affect your judgment way too much. Otherwise you’ll be putting yourself and this kingdom at risk.”

Holding Cadenza’s hand firmly, Crisanna looked up at her younger sister with gentle eyes. “Believe me. I only have the citizens’ best interest in my heart. Cadence?”

“Hmm?”

“Come with me this afternoon. I wish to show you something. I’ve had Inkpen and Starlight Glimmer working on it for quite a long time.”

Curious to find out, Cadenza nodded. “Yes, sister.”

Canterlot Street is a two-mile long pedestrian mall lined with shops selling all kinds of goods, particularly clothing and jewelry. There is also a fresh food market midway down the street, cafes as well as many street stalls, especially along the side passageways

Forte regarded with slight envy the foods and drinks served to the customers as she walked pass an open cafe. Fruity oatmeal, coleslaw & chips (fries), mustard piccalilli, green bean casserole, rice & peas- all those would have come as a breath of fresh air from the packaged food and supplement pills served aboard The Catgirl. If only she is not penniless right now.

She soon passed a lavish fashion boutique. Canterlot Boutique is its name, according to the front sign. Visible through the glass window are two posh mares helping to put gowns on the mannequins. Forte recognized one as Rarity, who looks identical to the Rarity she knew (deceased). The other Unicorn (Sassy Saddles), older and is wearing a classy black dress, Forte guessed is Rarity’s employee.

About an hour later, she came across a music store. And almost without thinking, she entered the store. It felt like ages since the last time she visited such a place back in Hallow’s Victory. Along with Zach, she had returned to the Ethenian capital city periodically but the stay was very brief before they going on active duty again.

Inside, she found the store was in fact much bigger than it looks from the outside. Almost every musical instruments, digital and traditional alike, is available for sale, all neatly arranged on the walls and around the floor space.

Forte has a great talent in playing pianos. Her love of the instrument began in her original homeworld. She was eight when her father first sat her down on the chair and taught her to play the family’s piano. And it has grown immensely ever since. She played whenever she could, thinking of herself as a musician every time.

Forte finally found what she was yearning for. Before her is a veneer-finished parlor grand piano with glittery topcoat and extensively carved legs, approximately 7’ in size. Eying the instrument with admiration, she ran her fingers along the elaborate marquetry patterns whilst making her away around to the stool.

“It’s gorgeous, don’t you agree?”

Forte looked at the younger, friendly but jaded Unicorn, judging from the blemishes around the eyes. “It’s...exquisite, yes. You are?”

“My mom’s the store owner,” Starlight Glimmer revealed. “I’m the helper.”

“I see,” Forte acknowledged. “So, is this new?”

“No quite,” Starlight Glimmer was being very honest. “This was once belonged to the Apples. Other than replacing a few strings and did some retuning, this instrument is like-new. No cracks nor scratches. The soundboard is in pristine condition. All parts are excellent. Sound is superb. Not overly bright, just about right.”

The Apples? Forte thought. The family must be quite reputable here if they have to be referred by name.

“Made from the rare Everfree Rosewood,” Starlight Glimmer added. “That reason alone makes the piano very expensive. Had the condition been worse when it came to us, even a minor restoration would’ve inflated its cost considerably. Say, would you like to sit down and give it a try?”

“Can I?”

“You’ll see that I was being truthful,” Starlight Glimmer smiled. “To add, other music store owners would say that only the wealthiest ponies would have the privilege to lay their hands on the finest of pianos.”

Forte could detect hints of playfulness in the young Unicorn’s voice. Perhaps a ploy of getting me into making a purchase? Well, sorry.

Though, in truth she wanted to play the piano anyway. For she had not work her fingers on the keys for quite a long time.

“All right,” Forte said. I do hope my fingers haven’t turned rusty.

She sat down on the stool, flexed her fingers before gently setting them down on the keys. Having already decided on which music piece she wants to play, Forte took a while to recollect all the notes that she had learned by heart. Hitting the first key at last to play the four-note opening motif, she began playing.

Not a classical music, rather it falls under the modern genre of symphonic rock, a combination of progressive rock with classical music traditions. It is one of her favorite music pieces. When she first heard it, she was captivated by its energetic rhythm and lyrical tunes, so true that she regarded it as a masterpiece.

The full orchestral version, featuring the symphonic combination of instruments common in classical genres (violins, cellos, trumpet) and non-classical (congas), and modern instruments (drum kit, electronic keyboard/synthesizer, bass guitar) complemented with chorus, would not be out of place in an epic tale involving the final battle between the forces of Light (good) and Darkness (evil).

All those who stand in the Light, so courageous and high in spirit, were in fact fighting a losing battle. Any hope of achieving victory was almost extinguished. Then out of nowhere, unexpectedly, an omen came to signal that a miracle is about to occur, driving the fighting spirit of the Light’s entire forces to soar even higher than before. So ignoring all the pain inflicted on them, they kept on fighting to hold off the onslaught of the Darkness’ infinite forces until at the end the Light prevailed when the miracle cast the Darkness itself into the eternal abyss never to be seen again.

“Superb is an understatement,” said the notably impressed Forte, right after she finished playing. “The tone quality is simply amazing!”

“Was that an original piece?” Starlight Glimmer asked with genuine curiosity. “It doesn’t sound like any of the classical symphonies I knew. Did you compose it yourself?”

“No, no,” Forte said with a head shake. “It’s something that I heard before.”

“It’s lively,” Starlight Glimmer stated her opinion. “The style is different... Hmm, I don’t know how else to describe it. Contemporary?”

A fair remark, Forte thought.

The last remark she received with regards to the piece was from Zach when they were staying at Gazleen Perris’ house- Oh, man. I’ve never cleaned a toilet with such might while listening to that song.

Ironically while she played the music aloud in her bedroom, the younger feline did in fact just came out of the bathroom, having finished scrubbing the toilet bowl. So she had no clue whether he was serious or was making another unamusing joke.

“Anyway, I like it,” Starlight Glimmer continued, which Forte was glad to hear.

“Hello? Is there anyone around?”

Knowing well that upper class female voice, Starlight Glimmer glanced over at the counter. “Be right there!”

She was not the only one though. Forte also recognized the voice, much to her consternation.

“Please excuse me,” Starlight Glimmer said to Forte before going off to attend to the customer.

Forte suddenly became emotionally distressed. She looked away upon laying her eyes on the Earth Pony. The Earth Pony possesses a striking resemblance to her deceased friend, Acoustic Strings, save for the personality, fashion and music tastes. Judging from the former’s attire and upper class accent, she appears to be coming from an aristocratic family. Acoustic Strings on the other hand was a punk with ponyhawk hairstyle and the lead guitarist of a rock band.

It really pained Forte to remember every little detail about her. So she hurried towards the door but stopped with a start and had to take another lane when she almost bumped into another Unicorn who is her counterpart in Moebius. Fortunately, the mare was too absorbed in examining the on sale pro DJ equipment to notice her.

As is with Acoustic Strings, Forte is the polar opposite of her counterpart- neat/bun vs. shag hairstyle; semi-formal/smart casual vs. funky attire with bling; she plays the traditional piano, whereas Vinyl Scratch is a disc jockey; the former speaks with a general English accent, the other does not talk at all.

“Good morning!” Starlight Glimmer cheerfully greeted her loyal customer.

The Earth Pony looked very crossed but not at Starlight Glimmer. “Morning. Where’s your mum?”

“She’s out and won’t be back until the next hour. How can I be of service today, Tavi?”

Octavia Melody set her cello case on the counter and opened it for the unicorn to see its content. “Please tell me whether or not it’d be feasible to have this repaired?”

“By the goddesses,” Starlight Glimmer gasped. “What happened?”

The sight of the antique cello’s condition appalled her. The neck had been broken off from the main body. Two of the four strings were snapped in two. Part of the upper bout’s top was shattered to pieces. On top of that, the entire top looked ready to come off from the ribs. What kind of accident could lead to such extent of damages?

“It began with a practical joke gone horribly wrong,” Octavia said in a suppressed anger. “Actually I prefer not to elaborate beyond that.”

“Sure, I can have it repaired,” Starlight Glimmer said. “But, Tavi. It won’t be the same. This is one of only fifty cellos made by Duke Stradivari. It’s irreplaceable.”

“I know,” Octavia grumbled. “My family’s prized possession unwittingly ruined by...Vinyl!”

The Unicorn stepped to the counter in response to her friend’s call.

“Meet the pony responsible and who will bear the total costs of the repair,” Octavia bitterly told Starlight Glimmer.

The newcomer’s appearance took Starlight Glimmer by surprise- the same height, same facial mold, same hair (right down to the cyan highlights) and skin color.

Strange coincidence, she thought. “Hi.”

Vinyl Scratch responded to Starlight Glimmer’s greeting with a V-sign gesture.

“Don’t let her lack of speech put you off, Starlight,” Octavia continued. “The vocal cords are still intact. Though it hasn’t been much use due to her severe stuttering disorder.”

Put off by the scornful remarks, Vinyl Scratch pursed her lips, took off the purple shades she is wearing and glared at her friend.

“What!?” Octavia scoffed. “Was I not telling the truth?” After what you’ve done to my two million Bits cello, I think you really deserved it.

“Please, please! Let’s not fight between friends, okay?” At this point, Starlight Glimmer’s suspicion was confirmed by Vinyl Scratch’s eyes. She looked over at where the exquisite grand piano is, but the mare was no longer there.

So she decided to ask the Unicorn, “So... Vinyl Scratch, right? Do you happen to have a sister? An Earth Pony twin, maybe?”

Vinyl Scratch shrugged her shoulders. A headshake would have been a much proper response.

“She has a big brother who’s also a Unicorn,” Octavia said. “Why do you ask such an odd question, Starlight?”

“It’s...nothing,” Starlight Glimmer said. “Nothing at all.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have any exams today.”

“Something just came up, mom.”

Starlight Glimmer rushed out of the store. She looked at her watch. The appointment is at three and now it is past one thirty. A few minutes prior, she had received a call from Professor Inkpen that Her Royal Majesty wants to see her in regards to the item which she is working on. She usually scoffs at appointments set up in the last minute and asked for a reschedule. But since this one involves the queen, she will make an exception this time.

The walk from the store to Crystal Heart will take more than an hour. The route takes her from Canterlot Street across the downtown shopping district, passed a residential neighborhood, through a public park and another commercial area before finally arriving at the college’s main gate.

While she was in the residential neighborhood, Starlight Glimmer caught a glimpse of a corvette (an armored blimp-shaped airship, with heavy forward and side-mounted armaments) and a dozen or so fighter escorts, flying across sky in the distance to an unknown destination. Like everyone else, she had heard about the crash of an unidentified airship this morning, possibly belonging to the neighboring kingdom. The battle group she saw was most likely mobilized in response to a possible airspace intrusion by the kingdom’s enemy.

Later, Starlight Glimmer walked up a concrete pedestrian bridge spanning across a large lake. The public park is dotted with fountains, artificial waterfalls, stone carvings and sculptures. With facilities like water playgrounds, jogging trails and bandstands, the park is popular for families to enjoy recreations and ponies who simply want to relax far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. On occasions, it does attract tourists as well.

Halfway across the bridge, Starlight Glimmer heard screaming. At the lakeside, a foreigner was in distress at her son drowning in the lake.

The mother is a Qilin, a race of pony-people considered very unusual by both Crystal Empire and Acorn Empire, due to their hybrid appearance of a deer and reptilian features.

Forte, who incidentally was relaxing on the nearby bench, saw what was happening. She made a split-second decision. Taking off her shoes and blazer, she went into the water and swam towards the struggling colt. By the time she got to the spot, the colt had disappeared underwater. She dived and a few seconds later, emerged through the water surface with the colt. She brought the unconscious colt back to land.

Forte was able to revive the colt through CPR few minutes later. The colt was shaken and left breathless after coughing out all the water. Yet he still managed to ask about his ball. That elicited a chide from the upset mother. Forte looked back at the lake. There about a hundred yards away is the colt’s ball floating on the water. She now under understood what had happened. The colt accidentally dropped his toy while playing too near to the lake’s edge. And even though he did not know how to swim, he still went into the water to try to get his ball back.

Against the everypony’s expectation, the mother and onlookers alike, Forte went back into the lake to retrieve the ball. Soon after she came back, Forte sat with the family for quite a while until the colt recovers.

“Xiè xiè nǐ jiù le wǒ ér zi de mìng (Thank you for saving my son’s life),” said the mother gratefully.

“Bu yong ke qi (You’re welcome),” was Forte’s response.

Starlight Glimmer witnessed this. She realized there is more to the ‘Earth Pony’ than meets the eye. When the mother and son first spoke, they were speaking in their native language. The ‘Earth Pony’ in response demonstrated her ability to both understand and speak the foreign language. This draws surprise not only from the onlookers, even the family find it unusual for a local to speak language so fluently.

Forte gave the colt his ball back. “Yi hou wan de shi hou ni yao geng jia xiao xin (Please be more careful when playing).”

“Xiè xiè nǐ, ā yí (thanks, auntie),” said the colt.

“Na li! Wo hai nian qing ah, xiao di! (Hey kid, I’m still young!)”

“Ō! Duì bù qǐ, dà jiě. (Oops, sorry! I meant ‘sister’.)”

There is a minor difference between Forte and the native speakers, in the way their pronounced the words of the language. The Qilins speak with notable accent, with varying tonal differences between each character that have the same pronunciation. Some are pronounced sharply, with emphasis. Some are pronounced lightly. Whereas Forte speaks in a consistent neutral tone.

Still remembering her appointment, Starlight Glimmer moved away from the small crowd of onlookers and continued her journey. She is still curious about that ‘Earth Pony’ though. No matter how much she tried, Starlight Glimmer just could not shrug the thought off her mind.

Rainbow Dash stood at the window, looking out. She wanted to draw the curtains but then caught a glimpse of the royal sisters arriving at the campus’ main entrance. There, they were met by Starlight Glimmer who then followed them into the chancellery.

The queen sure’s been spending an awful lot of time with Starlight Glimmer lately, the Pegasus thought. What’re they up to I wonder?

She pulled the curtains shut, deliberately leaving her room dark, to keep unduly eyes from looking in and out, since her dorm is facing towards the campuses. Even though her room is on the fifth floor, she could not afford the risk someone finding out she has an ‘unwanted guest’ in her room.

Rainbow Dash checked up on at her doppelganger who was sound asleep on the bed before going out. She had several bandages applied on her face, arms and knees, and an aching back thanks to this ‘Overlander’ dropping on top of her seemingly out of nowhere. She wondered who this young woman is and where she is from. The woman’s resemblance to her was really disturbing. Hopefully when the woman regains consciousness, she will have her some answers.

Out in the corridor, Rainbow Dash was closing the door to her room when someone called out to her.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!”

Panicked, Rainbow Dash slammed the door shut and turned. Hands still on the knob behind her back, she faced a pony whom she did not recognize.

“Whoa, what happened to you?” asked the Unicorn when she saw the bandages.

“Nothing!” the Pegasus lied. “Who wants to know!?”

“Err, okay... So hey, have you seen the results for Herbology and Potions they posted a while ago? You passed with flying colors, and your scores are way higher than what Starlight Glimmer got. You really showed her this time, huh?”

“No, really? I haven’t,” Rainbow Dash said. Although the she felt happy to hear considering how much effort she had put in those subjects, there is something else preoccupying her mind right now. “Um, who’re you?”

The Unicorn looked at her appalled. “Are you serious?”

Rainbow Dash frowned. Is she in the same class? Those thick eyes brows, big glasses, the funny way she tied her hair… Oh yeah, she sits two rows behind me. But what’s her name again? I really don’t recall befriending this Unicorn…or any other Unicorns for that matter.

“It’s Moon Dancer. You would’ve remembered my name if you haven’t been so keen on slipping away when I tried to talk to you after class.”

“Okay. Moon Dancer. I’ll keep that in mind. And thanks for telling me. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Rainbow Dash locked the door in haste before turning back to Moon Dancer. “I really need to go.”

“Urgh, you doing it again,” the Unicorn complained. “Every darn time. Come on, Rainbow Dash. We’re classmates. I know a good place where we can have a drink together and talk. What do you say?”

“Seriously I gotta go. I appreciate your offer. I really do but no. So...” Rainbow Dash raised a hand in goodbye. “See ya!”

Moon Dancer watched the Pegasus pacing hurriedly down the corridor towards the stairway. Hmph! Someday I’m going to find out where she always hangs out after class.

The artistic painting depicts a freestanding flatiron-shaped structure that will play the main role in Queen Crisanna’s defense initiative. Dubbed the Crystal Peace Tower, it is a tall, four-sided pyramid supported by massive, sturdy columns standing apart at the square base. On the flat top of the tower is an obelisk-like spire. To beautify the tower, the facade is to be covered in crushed quartz and decorated with marbled panels on certain parts. There is also an enormous plaque depicting a stylized snowflake, a symbol associated with Crisanna’s late mother, Snow Crystal.

Cadenza turned away from the painting at her sister with quizzical look.

“The Raid on Cloudsdale,” the solemn Crisanna began. “We’re still here today because my late mother’s shield protected us all at that time.”

The ‘incident’ that Crisanna mentioned this morning refers to this. It was a surprise strike by Acorn’s military purposely to coincide with the royal family’s visit to Cloudsdale. Led by King Maxx Acorn himself, the attack was intended to kill two birds with one stone- to eliminate the Crystal Empire royal family and to capture Cloudsdale where in it’s outskirts vast deposits of energy crystals have recently been discovered.

The attack resulted heavy casualties among Crystallite civilians. Cadenza who was a filly at the time, lost her father during the evacuation process. However, she along with her wounded mother, King Metatron and the then Crown Princess Crisanna all had survived thanks to Queen Snow Crystal’s effort. The confrontation by the late queen led to the destruction of King Maxx’s flagship, and in turn their demise. Leaderless, the attacking fleet was repelled in the following day.

“I remember,” Cadenza said. She was on the same airship with the surviving royalties, thus also witnessed the sacrifice by Crisanna’s predecessor. “But what does it have to do with the tower you’re planning to build?”

“I had a revelation-”

Crisanna was interrupted the moment Professor Inkpen knocked on the door and came into the office, followed by Starlight Glimmer. After they greeted and bowed to the royal sisters, Inkpen handed over a set of technical drawings to the queen.

“Thank you, professor.” Crisanna proceeded to roll the plans on the desk for Cadenza to see.

The princess studied the floor-by-floor plans and section drawings for Crystal Peace Tower. It is revealed that standing at 1100 ft. tall, the tower would become the tallest structure in Crystal Empire should Crisanna commission its construction. But that was not the most surprising part. The tower houses a huge machine of some kind, occupying the center through several floors, connected to an antenna that is part of the spire.

“What is this?” she asked.

“A projector capable of providing shield protection for the whole kingdom,” Crisanna informed. “Like I was saying, I had a revelation. Cloudsdale and the subsequent wars taught me the enemy will never stop breaching our borders until they achieved their goals. This morning’s incident points to they’re planning something. I’ve always known that someday they will target Illumina directly. My mother’s death served as the inspiration behind the Peace Tower initiative. Once the shield projector is deployed, incursions and surprise attacks will be a thing of the past.”

“You said that this machine could provide protection for the whole kingdom,” Cadenza said as she studied the shield projector’s blueprints. “Wouldn’t that require vast amounts of power?”

“Theoretically it is possible,” Inkpen said. “The goal is to maintain both strong and continuous defense around the kingdom. To be able to withstand multiple direct hits from ferromagnetic projectiles, near-zero disruption on the generation process, such feat will require a new power source.”

“Which is where Starlight Glimmer comes in. Show it to her.”

Acting upon the Queen Regnant’s order, Starlight Glimmer took out the contents of the large envelope she is holding and passed them to the princess.

“It’s the Riddle’s Codex,” Crisanna said.

Cadenza was very astonished upon hearing that. She shuffled through a series of photographs that was given to her. True enough, in the photographs is a paperback-sized antique book that came to be known as Riddle’s Codex, taken from various angles. Subsequent photos showed a close-up view of a faint signature (Riddle Mare), a page with a diagram in which seven symbols are drawn and arranged radially, from clockwise: heart, trident, lozenge, triangle, hexagon, circle and five-pointed star.

The remaining photos are pages showing characteristics of the unintelligible text that culminate with illustrations of objects corresponding to symbols in the earlier diagram:

A heart-shaped cyan gemstone (heart).

A staff, not spear since the prongs are blunt with the middle one is actually a purple gemstone (trident).

A green cut gemstone (teardrop)

A pendant, consists of a red gemstone mounted on a triangular-shaped bezel (triangle).

A six-sided prism rock crystal with iridescent glimmer (hexagon)

A yellow crystalline ring or it could be a bracelet depending on the size of the real thing (circle)

A crown and a saber, with two identical blue star-shaped gemstones set on the front horn and the guard respectively (five-pointed star).

“The fabled book- it’s all true, then?” Cadenza wanted to be sure.

Crisanna explained, “It was discovered by chance two years ago in an obscure archives at Meadowbrook University library in Maretonia. Fortunately, the professor who found it is a close relative to Kibitz. Thanks to his connection, I’ve had Shining Armor make arrangements for the codex’s secret transportation into the kingdom.”

The codex’s history has always been shrouded in mystery. Its origin is as obscure as its composition and authorship. The book derived its name from its only known possessor. According to history records, so little is known about Riddle Mare apart from she is a physician and alchemist associated with the court of Princess Harmonia of Equestria.

The book was first mentioned in a discovered letter fragment purportedly written by Princess Harmonia in reply to Riddle Mare’s correspondences about a codex which both believe will lead them to the final resting place of all seven ‘magical artifacts of great power’ in order to tackle increasing threat from the invading Yaks. It is stated in the letter that the princess wishes to meet the traveler from whom Riddle Mare acquired the codex in spite of his ‘odd’ appearance.

No other correspondences between the princess and Riddle Mare concerning the codex was ever found. Most likely the rest were lost in the later historically factual war between Equestria and Yak-yakistan. Ultimately the kingdom fell but from its ruins rose a brand new dynasty that is more successful in repelling the invaders. The victory achieved in turn gave rise to the birth of Crystal Empire.

It was unknown what became of Riddle’s Codex sometime after the war. Many ancient scholars speculated should the codex really existed, its final fate is mostly likely ashes under Equestria’s old ruins. Yet there were also an equal number of those who believed the codex survived, that it was merely lost. Throughout the course of time, believers searched tirelessly for clues to the codex’s whereabouts. Old dictators and kings have launched costly expeditions in hopes of finding the codex and subsequently the artifacts themselves to be used for their own nefarious ends.

10,000 years later, after all other attempts to find it have failed, finally the codex was found, discovered by a naive professor in the unlikeliest of all places- inside a closet among piles of uncatalogued old books. Without any form of records on the codex’s ownership and change of hands, how did it end up lost to Maretonia is a question beyond anyone’s capacity to answer.

“And have you found out anything from it?” Cadenza inquired.

After the photographs were turned to her, Starlight Glimmer showed to the princess the papers containing what she claimed are the complete translation of the texts from the codex’s first two chapters.

“How is this supposed to lead us to the artifacts? It’s just more fairy tales,” Cadenza remarked.

“Maybe yes, maybe no, Your Royal Highness” Starlight Glimmer said.

Not quite understanding, Cadenza asked the Unicorn to explain.

“The texts are written in Kuda script. Well, not exactly.”

“Kuda?”

“It’s a Saddle Arabic alphabet adapted for writing the Marelay language. It was the standard script in Marelaysia until it was replaced by the Standard Alphabet a couple of centuries ago. The use of Kuda has since been relegated to religious and cultural purposes.”

“But you somehow can understand it?” Cadenza inquired.

The Unicorn nodded. “Yes, because I have Marelay ancestry in my blood. But when I looked at the texts, I found the characters do not follow the language’s orthographic laws at all. Every word and sentence is made up of randomized jumble of characters, therefore the whole text is meaningless. Another thing is Kuda script is written from right to left. But in the codex, it’s the opposite.

“This rules out the theory that the codex originated from Marelaysia. The ancient script was conceived after religious influence from Saddle Arabia first took hold in Marelaysia. To write the script in the wrong manner would mean a desecration to their religion.

“Anyway, it was a long and painstaking process but after analyzing strange markings below certain characters discernible only under a magnifying glass and inconsistent gaps between certain words on each line, I’ve successfully extracted meaningful texts using Equidistant Letter Sequence method. Mind you, only the early chapters have been translated as each chapter employs different arithmetic sequence.

“Now, back to your original question, Your Royal Highness. I believe each story is riddle of sort whereupon it contains clues to the artifact’s location. For example, in one chapter, it referred to the appearance of a super lunar eclipse and a disaster that bore reminiscent to the flood myth that we’re all familiar with. I’ve had those pages and the ink carbon-dated then I went to check the records at the Astronomy Faculty and Geology Department.

“The moon in the story is described as having a dark hue, which I hypothesized was due to the eruption of the now extinct volcano we know as Mount Smoky. The department’s geological records both showed Mount Smokey’s last eruption and a giant tsunami event occurred almost simultaneously around 60,000 years ago. The same thing goes to the super lunar eclipse which also appeared around the aforementioned period. And now get this, the result of the carbon-dating confirmed the paper and the ink are of the same age- 60,000 years old, give or take.

“Nothing conclusive had come out of my research yet. But like I said, it’s a riddle. In the next chapter, I found a pattern of numbers keeps appearing in the text. And a name- Dowunda, a place that supposedly devastated by a comet. The largest freshwater lake in Moebius is located at Dayunguo. Its near-symmetrical circular arc suggests it was created by a cataclysmic impact. I think that’d be the place to begin our search for the artifact.”

Cadenza took time to absorb Starlight Glimmer’s (overly) lengthy explanation. By the goddesses, I feel like I’m in History class all over again. “So what is the next course action? Send out an expedition team to Dayunguo?”

“Not until more clues can be deciphered by Starlight Glimmer,” Crisanna said. “The location of where the artifact might be buried need to be exact so that the excavation and retrieval works is swift and under wraps. We have to assume the enemy is watching our every move. Not to mention we don’t want any interferences from unscrupulous treasure hunters.”

“I see,” Cadenza acknowledged. “So Starlight Glimmer, could you show me where you kept the codex? I’d like to see the fabled book with my very own eyes.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Starlight Glimmer said, her eyes glinting with pride.

They politely excused themselves after Crisanna gave them her permission to leave.

“Your Royal Majesty,” the concerned Inkpen was saying to the queen. “I don’t mean to sound impudent. But I suggest that you don’t put too much pressure on Starlight Glimmer. The task of deciphering and translating the texts are already hard enough. You must’ve been aware that her grades have been slipping as of late. Her midterm scores are at an all-time low compared to her past results.”

“She’s working on it at her own accord, professor,” Crisanna said firmly. “Time management is the one thing a student should’ve mastered after the first term in college. Now then, in light of the current events, I believe it is justified that we should discuss about moving the project to the next phase. Don’t you think?”

While Crisanna and Inkpen are conversing, Rainbow Dash is revealed to be eavesdropping on them outside the window by perching on corbel table between the floors.

The red sky was gradually darkening. It would not be long before the sun sets and make way for nightfall. Forte finished consulting the city map on the way-finding signage. Moving away, she will need to find a safe spot where she could get into her Fleet SHADE and fly out of there to regroup with her subordinates in Grand Forest. From the map, she determined that she is at a downtown commercial area. The way to the city limits will have her follow the route along the boulevard located about twenty-minute walk from where she is currently at.

As she walked down the sidewalk, she caught sight up ahead of two soldiers together with the captain she saw earlier today. They were hanging up notices on the bulletin board of a tram stop.

Stay calm, Forte told herself. You haven’t been discovered yet.

She froze in her tracks. What!? I can’t believe this!

On the street lamp post is a Wanted poster which she proceeded to rip off. She was absolutely shocked at the colored sketch of her portrait, all details are correct. Written below it are physical descriptions of herself right down to her clothes and the phrases ‘WANTED FOR BEING A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT’ and ‘DEAD OR ALIVE’.

Well, that escalated quickly!

A mare acting suspiciously attracted Shining Armor’s attention. He was overseeing his subordinates while on patrol duty, also hang up wanted posters and the advisory notice by the Queen Regnant when the mare turned around all of a sudden. As she walked away from them, the mare was seen tossing a crumpled piece of paper into the trash can. He did not quite get a good look at the mare’s face but the clothing, the hair color and hairstyle does match the descriptions in the poster. He called out to the mare to stop, but was ignored.

Forte kept her rear facing against the soldiers. When the second call to her was ignored, the captain ordered his subordinates to follow him. That was Forte’s cue to quicken her pace.

“Hey, you there!” Shining Armor shouted. “Stop! I said, stop! Weren’t you, listening!?”

Forte kept on walking until she veered into a corner, prompting the three soldiers to give chase.

“Don’t let her get away!” Shining Armor ordered his subordinates.

The sidewalk around the corner was busy with pedestrians. Forte dashed past the pedestrians but her pursuers are not far behind. The sidewalk got more crowded as she makes her way deeper into the downtown shopping area. Forte brushed past the crowds until she came across an entrance into an alleyway straight ahead. She glanced back to see the pursuing soldiers having trouble making their way through the crowds. She stooped low hoping to lose herself from the soldiers’ sights amidst the confusion then slipped into the alleyway.

Forte raced through the back alleys that seemed to have been designed like a maze. After what seemed like hours, she stopped to catch her breath. But there was no time for a longer rest, as running footsteps echoed from behind her. She ran again and turned into another alley, only soon to encounter a dead end. Looking around, there was no place in the narrow alley to hide behind and the footsteps were getting louder, accompanied by grunts and shouting.

Oh great, there’s more of them now.

As her pursuers were getting nearer to her position, Forte was now faced with two choices- try to break-in through the locked door at the end, or transform and launch herself out of there. The first is obviously too slow; the second choice likely would provoke a clash with the patrolling air army.

Yet, surrender is not option. She is not about to let herself get arrested and find out what other predicaments await in the interrogation. A Spirit Godslayer like Varst and May would know what to do in that kind of situation. Pushed enough, Forte might have no choice but to fight them.

As she was coming to a decision, there was a faint click. Forte turned around and saw that the door had been unlocked. There stood a figure who looked rather familiar. Unfortunately, she was not able to glimpse at the pony’s face because of the magic aura enveloping her body.

Wha…what is this? Forte suddenly felt woozy. Sleeping…spell…?

Unable to resist the spell’s effect, she collapsed onto the pavement. The last thing she saw before her eyes close shut is a female Unicorn crouching over to her. In the past, Fortepiano had fought against enemies of all types and sizes- tanks, robotic foot soldiers, hundred-foot tall giants, automated fortresses. Today, she fell to a mere adolescent.

THE NAME

Author's Note

According to Think Baby Names, Leala means 'loyal, faithful' in old French.

Muffins' physical description is inspired by Mirror Equestria's Derpy Hooves.

The Gyro is a cue to the Greek dish. The reference seemed appropriate considering that Cloudsdale's building design took cues from ancient Greece and since pegasus is a creature originated from Greek mythology.

THE NAME

“Dad!” Dash, clad in soccer jersey, came into the kitchen looking very crossed. “I don’t wanna be a girl anymore!”

Garrett, who was preparing the ingredients for tonight’s dinner, looked at his eight-year old daughter with surprise. “Now, why would you say such a thing?”

Dash explained, “They won’t let me play with them. They keep teasing me ‘cuz I’m a girl!”

“So, play with the girls,” Garrett said.

“I ain’t gonna play tea party with dolls! It’s so silly on so many levels!” Dash folded her arms and jutted her lower lip out in a pout. “Man, I wish I was a boy.”

“Well, there’s nothing you could do ‘bout that,” Garrett said as he began chopping on the vegetables.

“I should have my name changed,” Dash suggested. “Yeah! A boy’s name.”

“Changing your name won’t make a difference,” Garrett pointed out. “Which dumb kid told you that?”

“They said girls ain’t cool,” Dash complained, “so I thought maybe if I have better name, I-”

Garrett interjected, “It is a good name. I gave it to you.”

“It sure doesn’t sound like one,” Dash grumbled.

Garrett put the knife down.

He looked sternly at Dash and said, “That is enough! Iris is your name and you should be proud of it!”

“C’mon, dad-”

“I don’t wanna hear it! Now I want you go upstairs this instance and get yourself clean before dinner’s ready! Go!”

Dash stomped off towards the stairs in the living room. Got teased by her male peers and now she was given a scolding by her father. She was now moodier than before.

Garrett drooped at the table and uttered a long sigh. So far the child is not curious yet. But when the time comes, when she finally asks about ‘her’, he will have to tell Dash the origin behind her name.

***

“Deja-vu.”

Just a moment ago, Dash opened her eyes to find herself in a room she did not recognize. How many times this kind thing happened to her? Counting right now, she counted four. After she should have died in a wingsuit flying accident, she one day woke up in Gazleen Perris’ room with the Fleet SHADE on her, though she was still pretty woozy at the time so her memories of that particular location was cloudy at best.

Then an incident occurred that led her to be sent to a pony-inhabited Equestria (Blue Marble universe) where she would then wake up inside a boutique belonging to the Earth ponies Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, finally kicking starting the events of Dreamfall. The Nanite-constructed SHADE was later revealed by Zach as possessing healing capabilities and it was that what saved her life. The fate of the Ethenian counterpart of Lightning Dust after that however was left ambiguous.

Sitting up on the bed, only then that Dash realized she had bandages wrapped around her forehead. The last thing she remembered after The Catgirl’s destruction was falling from high-altitude towards her supposed death, until she collided with...something. Something rainbow-like, and feathery...

Weird, what was that...?

She looked around. It is a rather small room, gloomed because of the closed curtains. There is a wardrobe, a small bookcase, a study desk and a chair. Atop the desk are more books all neatly arranged, a stationery holder, a portable radio and a desk lamp. The antique style decor and ornateness made everything in the room look odd to her.

Aw geez, where have I ended up in this time? This better be not old-school Europe. If I don’t fall to my death again, then I’ll be sure die of boredom.

She got out of bed and it was then that she noticed a note taped to the headboard, with the following words scribbled on it:

‘Don’t go out of the room

Don’t open the curtains

If you want to live’

Dash could not understand why- What, is there a zombie apocalypse going on out there? The brunet was never good at listening to advices. Since the note only stated that she cannot open the curtains, she just peered through it. Virtually no promise- nothing can stop Dash from satisfying her sense of curiosity, Felicia’s unbreakable pledge probably is one exception.

Dash saw outside that the buildings around are all of classic Europe vintage and there were pony-peoples everywhere, some carrying books and backpacks. They either move about the place or loiter around, conversing with their peers or just doing their own things to pass the time. In some way, this strange scene reminded Dash of high school.

What stranger is that the contemporary clothing worn by these students seem anachronistic to the fashion of the time period Dash thought they are in. The street style clothing looked contemporary to the modern fashion trends from her homeworld but with aesthetic and motifs partly drawn upon neo-Victorian, goth, aristocrat, Asian influence etc.

Huh, I think I’m now in a cheerful, steampunk version of Equestria, Dash thought. Was this how Fortepiano’s world looked like before it was destroyed?

Just then, she spotted a figure that is unmistakably Rainbow Dash heading towards here. The multicolored hair, the feathery wings… A thought then hit her: could it be that Rainbow Dash be the one who saved her life?

Dash snapped out her thoughts when she saw Rainbow Dash suddenly on the ground, with books scattered from her backpack. A Unicorn whose condescending demeanor suggests she knocked or tripped the Pegasus over on purpose. There were other students there as well, all are Unicorns and Pegacorns. None seem to be particularly keen on helping the Pegasus. Instead they seemed to take in pleasure from the bullying. Amongst them Dash saw this world’s version of Sunset Shimmer/Sunny Emerson, Twilight Sparkle/Twilight S. Parkleigh, Lyra Heartstrings and Trixie Lulamoon.

There is another Pegasus nearby, whose appearance bore reminiscent of Ditzy Doo who also goes by other names, Derpy and Ragingheart, the latter being an alter ego whom she battled against to protect her friends, Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the Element Bearers back in Dreamfall. Dash could not be sure whether or not the Pegasus is truly Ditzy Doo’s counterpart because, save for the skin and hair color, the Pegasus looks like a completely different Individual with her brushed back, pixie cut hairstyle, glasses and smart-casual clothes.

Zach once told her, “There are an infinite amount of universes, all equally real, existing continuously through time. In each of these universes, lies a world, some of which are almost identical to ours, but most are very different.”

Fair ‘nuff, Dash thought.

But still, Sunset Shimmer had told her Rainbow Dash is a brash and confident pony. Surely this Rainbow Dash should at least know how to stand up to the likes of bullies. Dash herself was a shy, awkward kid back then when Sunny and her cohorts came targeting her. Eventually she learned to fight back her tormentors verbally though it took years and the death of her father for her to finally change herself.

C’mon! Dash silently urged the Pegasus. Fight back! You can do better than me, right?

Starlight Glimmer smirked in satisfaction at the Pegasus whom she just purposely tripped using her Unicorn magic. “You may have got the highest grades this time, but you’re still sloppy as ever. But with that brain of yours made of mush, I guess it’s hardly surprising. So tell me. Did you cheat in the exams? Come on. Just admit it. You cheated.”

Rainbow Dash stood up and glared intently at the bully. “What does it take for you stop, Starlight Glimmer?”

Standing around watching them are Unicorns from the same class including the quartets, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Lyra and Trixie. They tittered behind their hands, whispering and muttering to one another. They are all classmates, yet no friends of the Pegasus.

Rainbow Dash was pissed at herself as much as at the Unicorn. She should have been warier whenever Starlight Glimmer was around outside class. Yet she still keeps falling for her pranks.

“How about...you quit, pack your bags and leave to never show up your sorry face here ever again?” the Unicorn blatantly suggested. “Better do it sooner than later. Because no matter how long you stay, no matter how much you achieve, no one here is going to remember you once you leave.”

Rainbow Dash clenched her fist in anger. Keeping her glare into the bully’s eyes, she concentrated. She unclenched her fist little and a tiny shimmering ball of dark energy forming on the palm, hidden from anypony’s view. At the same time, the same energy formed underneath each of her wing feathers, though the appearance is so subtle that the aura is barely noticeable to the naked eye. Pegacorns and Unicorns cast magic through their horns, Pegasus on the other hand do it via their wings. But so far in the known history, only Rainbow Dash was capable of doing so.

Rainbow Dash knew she might get into trouble if she decided cast the spell now in front of the other students in broad daylight. She initially wanted to use it to retaliate against Starlight Glimmer behind everyone’s back. But looking at the bully’s sneering face, she could not hold herself any longer.

“HEY!!!” The scolding voice belonged to Muffins Hooves who came approaching the Unicorn, prompting Rainbow Dash to cancel her spell. “Stop harassing her!”

“Beat it, four-eyes!” Starlight Glimmer shoved Muffins away. “This has got nothing to do with you!”

“Why are you acting like this!?” Muffins demanded to know.

Starlight Glimmer shrugged as if she had done nothing wrong. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…bubblehead.”

Muffins almost got into a full argument with Starlight Glimmer until Moon Dancer came along to intervene.

“Stop it, Starlight.” Moon Dancer stepped closer and whispered, “Leave Rainbow Dash alone from now on. Or our agreement is off.”

“You wouldn’t dare-” Starlight Glimmer whispered back, alarmed. “You want to be friends with that featherbrain? Okay, fine! Just remember to keep that secret just between the two of us!”

Rainbow Dash and Muffins did not know what the two Unicorns are muttering about but the latter breathed in relief when Starlight Glimmer seemed to have back down.

As Starlight Glimmer walked past Rainbow Dash, she whispered to her with a disdainful tone, “Hey, I see you and Moon Dancer are made for each other. One is a cheater, the other an average achiever.”

The quartets followed the leaving Starlight Glimmer from behind. The other Unicorns moaned lightly of their disappointment that their expectation of a duel between Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer did not materialize before began dispersing.

Rainbow Dash picked up her bag and began collecting her books. Moon Dancer picked up one book but it was quickly snatched from her hands by Rainbow Dash who is evidently still upset.

“I don’t need your help!” Rainbow Dash strode past Moon Dancer without looking, even ignoring Muffins as she made her way back to the dorm.

Rainbow Dash’s demeanor irked Moon Dancer. Muffins merely shook her head at the unharmonious sight of the relations between students of Crystal Heart, specifically those from Magic Arts class.

“You feeling all right?” Muffins asked Moon Dancer, to which the latter sullenly replied, “No, I’m not.”

Dash felt relieved that her counterpart made it out okay from what might have been a fierce fight. Though she is deeply troubled by the rift because for a moment there, the bullying appeared as though it was racially-motivated given how one Pegasus was being targeted by a number of Unicorns and Pegacorns. Dash was unsure but it certainly looked like it.

Focusing back to the room she is in, Dash stepped from the window over to the bookcase. Based from the titles on the spines, the subject of the books on the shelves ranged from magic spells, history on magic, divination basics, something about dueling against Dark Magic, herbs, potions etc.

Yup, that confirms it, Dash thought. I’ve somehow winded up in the dorm of a magic school.

On one of the shelves, she found a series of books which do not seem to belong with the academic books. She pulled out one and flipped through few pages. It was then that she realized the book is a novel and that the Brave Blue main character is this world’s version of Abby Jones/Daring Do. So this Rainbow Dash enjoys adventure novels as well, she thought.

After putting the novel back, Dash crossed towards the desk. She first examined the desk lamp because of its ornate design which intrigued her before switching it on. The arranged books are revealed only contain study notes relating to magic (which Dash did not understand at all). Steel fountain pens in the stationery holder indicate what is considered as luxuries and status symbols in her homeworld are the standard writing instruments here.

The portable radio’s overall design is simplistic. It is roughly box-shaped with smooth edges. The housing is made out of varnished wood. Apart from the speaker and frequency indicator, it has only two dials (one for volume and one for reception) and a short whip antenna. Dash turned the dial until the static noises from the speaker changed to what sounded like a broadcasted message from someone of high importance (Queen Crisanna):

“...that was committed in broad daylight was provocation to spark off a military conflict and again to disrupt peace of this kingdom. Even as the royal army are sparing no effort on improving security, I ask all citizens to keep a weather eye open at all times in the outdoors. Remember that the enemy’s goal is to incite fear and they love nothing more than to see fear in our eyes. One way to defeat that fear is to maintain vigilance, and remain composed and resilient on both national and personal level.

“We all have known worse times in the past. So as long as we maintain our courage, determination, responsibility and unity, we as one will overcome the challenges that lie ahead. Whatever the enemy may throw at us, with blessings from the almighty goddesses, I am confident that Crystal Empire will emerge victorious…”

Oh. So it’s Crystal Empire, Dash figured. Not Equestria.

She spun around, startled to see the door unlocked then opened. When Rainbow Dash entered, she is just as startled to see Dash awake and quickly closed and locked the door behind her.

“Rainbow Dash,” Dash blurted, before realizing her indiscretion, clutched her mouth shut with her palms.

The Pegasus in response cast a calculating look at her. “Took you long enough. Glad to see you’re finally awake, and looked well at that.”

She approached the desk, her gaze still fixated at Dash. Dash stepped away to sit on the side of the bed. Rainbow Dash switched off the radio then pulled out the chair from the desk and sat astride on it.

“Huh, weird,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“Yeah,” Dash admitted. “But not so in many levels…for me, that is.”

For her, the meeting with talking ponies last time has lessened the weirdness of this encounter.

Regarding these two counterparts, one is a Pegasus-person; the other is a human being. They are different but they do share a few common characteristics. They have the very same eyes (something that Zach also mentioned in regards to the Pegasus pony from the Blue Marble universe), and share similar facial mold (save for nose, ears and the skin color), hairstyle and voice.

There are differences in regards to the latter two. The layered top hairstyle is the same but Rainbow Dash’s is rainbow-colored and with mid-back level length on the back while Dash is a brunet with a pixie cut, though it has grown a bit longer than last time. Dash had once dyed her hair the same way as the Pegasus’ hair colors but that was only in high school. Her voice is also considerably less raspy and she speaks in a tiny accent that Rainbow Dash could not quite place.

It sounded like one of those weird urban accents spoken in Manehattan, the Pegasus thought. “How did you know my name? Are you psychic? On top of that, you have five fingers.”

“So? Is that s’posed to be weird?” The confused Dash does not know the fact that Overlanders have only four fingers, including the thumb.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Rainbow Dash said in realization. “I want you to be a hundred percent truthful to me. Who are you? Where are you from? What’s your purpose here? And who the hay told you my name?”

Even if Dash wanted to explain, she was uncertain how to begin, due to convoluted nature of the circumstances surrounding the journey that brought her up to here at this point.

It was made very apparent to Rainbow Dash by her doppelganger’s anxieties. What’s she hiding? Have I made a mistake? Is she really an enemy? Oh, mane. Don’t tell me that mare’s crazy conspiracy theory about Moebians developing clones to infiltrate this kingdom is true… Then again, why would they make a human clone that doesn’t even look completely identical to the pony it supposed to replace? That has to be the worst possible way to not get caught in Crystal Empire.

“You better start explaining now,” the Pegasus urged. “Or I’ll have to consider handing you over to the authorities. I’ll have you know that the royal army here are hostile towards trespassers. More so now after that crashed airship of yours in the capital could’ve caused many casualties.”

“So you really did save me?” Dash asked.

“No, I didn’t,” the Pegasus chided and gestured at her bandages. “You fell on top of me.”

“Oh, uh... Sorry.” Dash contemplated for a brief while.

At last she said, “Would ya believe me if I say I came from another world?”

“Shoot.”

“Look, it’s kinda complicated so it ain’t easy for me to explain in a way that you’ll get a full picture of the situation, ‘kay? I was critically injured in an accident. Then one of the good guys found me and the compassionate person she is, brought me for treatment. And so in the long run I unwittingly got caught in their battle against an evil army.”

“As for how I got here, I was in The Cat- I mean uh, in the airship the whole time. So I dunno really what’s going on outside. All I know is I was accompanying an injured crew being brought for treatment when suddenly a giant fireball right shot up in front of me. The next thing I knew, here I am waking up in your room.”

“And the other airship that was headed to Moebotropolis?”

The flying giant crab shell? “Nope. I dunno nothing ‘bout that. Honestly speakin’. I don’t even know what country I’m in right now, ‘till a while ago.”

Rainbow Dash slipped her hand into her bag, then took out a folded piece of paper, unfolded it and showed it to Dash. “Is this your friend?”

Dash saw that it is a Wanted poster...for Fortepiano. “Aw geez... Yea, I know her. And no, she’s not my friend. She totally hates my guts.”

“You’re way better off than her,” Rainbow Dash commented. “She’s on her own. Nothing I can do to help if she gets caught.”

Meh, outta the country by now most likely, Dash speculated. That pony-person can outrace an F/A-Six on full afterburner. It’s Zach that I’m worried ‘bout. And the other two. Were they lucky as me?

“Were there others besides the two of you?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yeah, six others,” Dash replied. “Thou I’ve no idea if they made it or not. We got separated during the explosion.”

“Okay then. The other half crashed nearby the Grand Forest at the border,” Rainbow Dash informed her. “Obviously you can’t stay here for too long. So I’ll take you to Grand Forest. Chances are your friends might turn out to be lucky but I’m just speculating. In the meantime, we’ll have to figure out how to get you out unnoticed. Just so you know, sneaking you in here ain’t easy, I’ll tell you that.”

“Thanks,” Dash said.

“It’s been three days since I found you,” Rainbow Dash told her. “You must be hungry.”

Dash nodded.

“I’ll get something from the cafeteria.” Rainbow Dash stood up from her chair.

Before leaving for the door, she asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Dash.”

The Pegasus sighed, “Don’t tell me your name’s Rainbow Dash too?”

“No,” Dash responded. “It’s my nickname.”

“Then tell me what your real name is,” Rainbow Dash demanded.

What, no way. Only my dad can call me by my first name. “It’s...It’s Iris.”

“There you go,” the Pegasus said with a tight-lipped smile. “Nice to meet you, Iris. And hey, I think you should use your real name.”

“No,” Dash protested. “I like Dash better. Rainbow Dash, and Dash. What’s there to confuse?”

“Well I think Iris is a pretty name,” Rainbow Dash opined. “Not often I met someone who is named after a flower.”

No, I was named- Hold on... Flower?

***

It was Sunday midafternoon when Dash visited the bookstore she quite frequented. She picked up several magazines from the wall rack, one of which is a publication for extreme sports. Picture of wingsuit pilots in action dominated its cover and the headline reads ‘Wingsuit Flying Will Get Competitive’.

While walking towards the pay counter, she unexpectedly found Brooke who is looking through the shelf in Comics section. The latter did not notice Dash’s presence. He was running his finger across the spines until he found the volume he wanted. After he extracted the book, Dash snatched it from his hand.

“Hey!” Brooke exclaimed. “Oh, it’s you Dash.”

“Young Kin...day...chi Case Files,” Dash pronounced the title on the cover. “Seriously, you’re into Japanese comics?”

“It’s called manga,” Brooke corrected her. He held up the other book he is holding in his other hand to Dash. “This is a comic.”

“Whatevs,” Dash shrugged before returning the manga to Brooke. “Same thing, different language. Hey, Brooke...”

“What?”

Dash smiled impishly, gave her magazines to Brooke and said, “Help me pop for these, will ya?”

“Eh?”

And Brooke really did pay for those magazines. In return, Dash later treated him to a drink at the nearest local coffeehouse. Dash was having butter-spread hot crumpets and salted caramel hot chocolate. The latter just opted for a cup of ‘white coffee’. The drink is actually light coffee but the beans are roasted with margarine before brewing. It is a little unorthodox, but white coffee is popular in the neighboring country Yakistan and it has slowly grown on the locals’ taste buds (including Brooke) ever since the drink crept its way into Paragon’s menus few years back.

Anyway, whilst enjoying her crumpets, Dash read the article regarding the leaders of US Parachute Association (USPA) and World Air Sports Federation (FAI) finalizing the standardization of racing rules for international and national-level wingsuit competitions. Previously, wingsuit flying was not governed under FAI, but that changed when negotiation began more than three years ago. If everything goes well, the first local wingsuit competition sanctioned by Equestria’s National Sports Association could be held by the earliest sometime around next year.

“Like I said before, terrain flying a.k.a. proximity flying is a whole different ballgame compared to flying at high-altitudes,” Brooke said in response to Dash’s question regarding the participation in the competition. The same thing was mentioned before when Dash expressed her attention to try fly through Paragon Highlands some time ago.

He added, “People who do proximity flying generally don't stay in it for long. Careers average about six years, after which it is usually curtailed by death, injury, or prudence.”

“’Kay, ‘nuff said,” Dash conceded.

She wanted to get back to her reading but then took notice of Brooke gazing at her with subtle intimacy. Aw geez, he’s doing it again. “What it is this time?”

“Oh, uh...” Brooke took his eyes off slightly away. “There’s something I was wanting to ask for some time. I’ve read that Iris is the Greek goddess of rainbow. Then there’s the flower named after it in reference to the wide color varieties across the species. Was it your first name that inspired you to dye your hair the way you did back then?”

“It’s an accident actually,” Dash revealed. “Remember the Battle of the Bands?”

She then told him it happened a month prior during a practice session with the rest of the Sonic Booms. She took Twilight suggestion of having her dyed because at the time she thought her appearance was still not stage-worthy even in one of Dorothy’s top of the class wardrobes (“I wasn’t enough cool-lookin’ at the time,” as Dash had put it). She was given by Dorothy a plastic bag of full of hair dye bottles to try out.

Looking at the bathroom mirror whilst contemplating on what kind of look she should adopt- blonde, redhead, goth, punk etc., the sink she was leaning on gave way. That resulted her covered in hair gels all over on the floor. After Dorothy and Vanessa helped her up to her feet, Dash looked at herself in the mirror again. She was not mad nor upset. Awesome, she thought at the mess of colors on her hair. That is the look that she decided to adopt.

“There you have it,” Dash concluded.

“Of course,” Brooke said in comprehension, “otherwise you’d use your real name,”

“It isn’t my name actually,” Dash stated, eliciting a surprise look from Brooke. “It’s my mom’s name.”

“So, you were named after your late mother,” Brooke said. “That still makes it your name as well.”

“Yeah,” Dash said reluctantly. “But still, I wish I was given a cooler name.”

That was said merely to keep the story simple. The nickname she conceived for herself dates back to her childhood days in the hometown of Skydale. At that time, she was experiencing gender identity issues.

“It’s funny thou. My dad said he named me so as a remembrance to her memories.” Dash produced the photo of her late parents from her wallet and showed it to Brooke. “Other than sharing the same name, we look nothing alike.”

True enough, the late Mrs. Dashiell bore zero resemblance to Dash physically, but was a beautiful woman nonetheless. She was tall, had porcelain-white complexion and deep violet eyes that seemed hypnotic. The long, slick hair ran down to her lower back, its color appeared to be black though in reality it is very dark brown. Her statuesque physique hinted she either workout regularly or maintained a healthy diet or maybe even both. Studying the photo, Brooke could understand why Dash’s father would fell in love with this woman.

Then, when his sight fell upon Mr. Dashiell, his brow furrowed.

“What’s wrong?” Dash asked when she saw Brooke’s tensed expression.

“You are absolutely right,” Brooke said, looking up at Dash again. “You are the female image of your father.”

“See.”

“It’s not all about looks,” Brooke opined. “How much do you know about your mother?”

“She’s just a school teacher,” Dash stated flatly. She’s s’posed to be a squash sensation, but no. She winds up with a boring job instead.

“All right,” Brooke said with resolute. “Finish your crumpets quick because we’re going on a short trip to the uptowns.”

Afterwards, Dash followed Brooke closely from behind on their respective BMXs. When asked, Brooke told Dash he used to take the bus to his lectures but since stopped when his wallet was lost to pickpockets. Newspaper reports have surfaced that pickpockets are increasingly preying on victims in overcrowded buses.

Brooke pulled up onto the sidewalk, prompting Dash to pull over at his side.

“We’re here,” he said.

“So what d’ya want me to see?” Dash scanned the building row until her eyes fell on a motel just up ahead whose bright red-painted premise contrasted the overall old brick facade. The blackboard at the entrance promises an establishment ‘absolutely unique in city’, with writings in several Asian languages and an Anime-styled caricature of a young couple at the bottom half.

The motel’s name on the front sign- Villa Erotica, caused Dash to see red. “Hey! What the hell are ya planning here!? You-you perv...”

“That’s quite new to me,” Brooke affirmed, after taken aback by Dash’s reaction. “It wasn’t there when I moved out of these parts. Honest.”

He then showed his true intention by pointing towards a fenced premise across the street of a dilapidated building with dark facade. “Over there. On that very porch is where I was found as an infant and so I grew up under that roof until the age of fourteen.”

Constructed entirely out of wood and featuring rustic aesthetic, the now-abandoned orphanage looked out of place in the concrete and brick-laid neighborhood.

“Then, that means you’re…an orphan,” Dash realized. How could they be so heartless! Abandoning their own baby as if it was everyday scrap! “How bad-”

Brooke immediately cut her off. “I didn’t bring you here to delve deep into my past.”

He motioned Dash to take a look at the name on the street sign nearby: Brooke Rd. They rode further up the street, reaching until the end of the adjacent building row. Brooke expressed relief that it is still there, referring to the food court operating at the corner: Anthony’s Corner. Per Brooke’s instruction, Dash followed him into another street, past the orphanage, row of shops, cheap eateries and sleazy pubs and finally pulled in front of a closed gate to an industrial compound: Colman Industries.

Dash glanced back and saw that the place where they are at is not far away from orphanage. All three places had a common denominator she realized. Their prefixes make up Brooke’s full name.

Soon afterwards, they were back at where they started, resting on the curb of the sidewalk.

“What point are you trying to make here, Brooke?” Dash asked.

“That you should at least try to appreciate your name,” Brooke replied. “There’s a reason for him to give you that name. Unlike mine, which was put together from name of random places.”

“Change it then,” Dash suggested, “if you don’t like it.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Brooke said with a shrug. “Listen, Dash. It's merely a tribute to the woman he loved and admired. You might find it odd to be the inspiration for your given name. But you have to understand the emotional strains that he went through. It must’ve been quite a rollercoaster ride for him.”

“You don’t know my dad,” Dash pointed out harshly.

“True,” Brooke acknowledged. “It’s only my opinion. But the parental love you received can’t be disputed.”

“I know,” Dash said. “But I still can’t help but feel it’s weird. I mean, what was he hoping from me? It’s not like I’m gonna grow up to be like my mom was. I wanna be me, not be someone else’s shadow.”

“You’re overthinking it, Dash,” Brooke said to her. “Consider your mother’s name as a sort of...‘cool’, personal attachment to you, not a burden or an obligation.”

After consulting his smart phone app, he added, “I can only guess that, deep within he did hope that you’d someday become someone admirable, someone special, as your mother did in his eyes. It’s like the metaphor ‘one blossoming into a beautiful flower’. But you get to choose for yourself what flower you want to become because it is my belief that your father recognized you are your own individual self.”

Dash recalled back the moment prior to her father’s untimely death. They were in Paragon’s low highlands, at Dash’s request, to watch the flyby by the Equestrian Royal Air Force and its aerobatics team, the Thunderbolts, which was held in conjunction of the country’s 50th National Day.

“Don’t you wanna be something else? Like a lawyer? Or a doctor? Maybe an engineer?” she was asked by her father after expressing to him her desire to join the Thunderbolts someday.

“Ba-ba-ba-boriiiing!” Dash retorted.

Her father then remarked, “You are one weird kid, Iris.”

“My mom…she’s special?” Dash wondered.

Brooke said to her, “A high school teacher is apparently good enough for your father. Their marriage is proof of that. Then there’s you.”

The maiden name of Dash’s mother is Leala Iris Sinclair. She is the sole child of an alcoholic father and a neglectful housewife. When she reached the age of nine, her parents split, with the mother running off with another man and the father’s voracious drinking habits put him out of employment. The latter could not be bothered to look for another job. He abandoned the house soon afterwards, leaving poor Leala all alone and starving. Fortunately, it was not long before she was found by Social Services and put into foster care.

Garrett Dashiell’s childhood was marred with hardship and poverty. To provide for themselves, his mother worked two odd jobs at different shifts. As time passed, her health gradually deteriorated until the point she became critically ill and had to be committed to the hospital. She passed away in the following week. Like Leala, Garrett ended up in foster care. The identity of the father was never known to Garrett as his late mother never talked about it. It will take another decade before he learns the truth: his mother never married and her death was the result of a venereal disease.

Five years later, Leala met Garrett and Madeline (Skyler’s mother) during the 8th Grade. The latter two had already become friends prior. It was a chance meeting. Leala was the new girl, having been transferred to the new school days earlier. On the first day of class, she accidentally tripped in the middle of the hallway, scattering all of her belongings as a result. This clumsy act happened to occur right before Garrett who was talking to Madeline at the time. Naturally Garrett helped the newcomer pick up her books and stationary.

It was during that very moment their gaze met. Garrett was immediately taken by her lovely eyes. He then introduced himself and Madeline to Leala. Later, they discovered that Leala went to the same class as them. And so, that was how the three met and became friends.

School life has its up and down moments. However, Leala was determined to make the most out of her school years. Life with her foster family had not been a happy one. For once, she had met peers who actually like her for what she is. Encouraged by her newfound friends and motivated by prospects of admitting into a good college/university, finally getting away from the foster family and get a financially comfortable life after that, so she studied, both very hard and smart.

Since her enrollment, the teaching staff noted Leala as an exemplary student, for her good behavior and outstanding grades. For as long as they could remember throughout their teaching career at the school, there has not been one student who could consistently pull straight As in every examinations. Whereas other students have aced science subjects- Math, Advanced Math, Chemistry, Physics, but totally blundered in read-heavy subjects- Biology, Geography, Civic Studies, Literature and of course, the dreaded History.

Garrett was a school jock, being active member of the school’s soccer club and his class’ athletic team. Nothing too outstanding in terms of skills but he was at least good enough to be allowed to represent the school in inter-school competitions annually.

In academics however, he did pretty badly. He was not particularly bright in any of the said subjects so Leala volunteered to be his tutor and helped him with his home works and school projects. One would expect with an intelligent student as his tutor and all known smart study tips taught to him, that his marks would pull up. Indeed, it did, up from the usual Ds and C-s, just never went over B-. Better than failing, he once said to Leala, his casual reaction dismayed Leala.

Of course, the academic excellence of just one student is not able to alleviate the school’s academic reputation in the country. Reputable science and college schools in Canterbury and Mainhattan are much more known to produce highflying academic students whom later went on to become political leaders, leading businessmen, top scientists and researchers of the country.

If there is one thing that Skydale High did right is in the extracurricular side, notably sports. Together with its regional rival, Rainbow Falls High, they make up the two major sports powerhouses of (Earth) Equestria. It is from here generations of professional athletes in a wide range of sports were born. (The only other school outside the region that comes close to challenging that status quo is a prep school from Paragon City)

Many students from both schools have represented the country in international tournaments for martial arts, gymnastic, squash, tracks and archery. Some players from schools’ soccer, basketball and rugby teams were even selected to play for the U-18 national team and local league clubs.

Leala joined the squash club in keeping with Skydale High’s standards in sports but mostly it was due to relentless persuasion by Madeline. Leala did not find the sport any fun at all. It is a fast, highly intense game that demands great physical fitness and mental strength to play and its rules are ‘complicated’ to learn. But Madeline was very patient and put up with Leala’s constant grumbling. Whenever there are no club activities, Madeline invited Leala to play at the school court in the evening and the weekends. She took that time to coach Leala herself.

A year later, Leala was selected to represent her school in the National Inter-School Squash Championship after demonstrated impressive performance at the inter-class competition. Initially she never seeks to win because she only wanted to play for fun. But she will always try her best to win the matches. Garrett and Madeline were among the spectators witnessing Leala winning the final match and thus claiming the gold medal. Leala would do so again for the next four years.

Aside from playing squash, Leala was also an orator for the Debate Club in the first two years before settling with the Spelling Bee Club. She was not as successful when competing against other schools as she did with squash. Disappointed at she was for failing to make an impact but then again she is no Mary Sue, a notion she came to accept later on.

Somewhere during this time, Garrett began to fall for her. She was smart, radiant, helpful and beautiful. One day, he decided to ask her out on a trial date. Leala was initially reluctant but finally gave in to his pestering.

On their first date, they talked about a lot of things. Both realized they had a lot more in common other than just sharing favorite sports club, music tastes etc., after revealing each other’s family history. They shared a poignant moment together before going to other places across town to hang out then finally headed to the district’s tourist attraction that is Rainbow Falls. They were in luck as it was a clear, sunny day. From the lookout point of one of the high trails, they marveled at the rainbow formed in the mist of the two-hundred-foot high waterfall.

By the end of the day, Garrett remarked how much he enjoyed being with her. Leala had no comment but did agree to his suggestion on going out together again sometime. In spite of going out on occasion, Garrett and Leala are yet a couple- officially. They did not consider themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend, at least not until both are sure they want to take things to the next level nor have their other friends been told about it.

It was now the final year at school. Madeline did not take it too well when she finally found out. She was very ticked off that she was kept out of the loop this whole time. Had one of them that mentioned that they are dating, she would not have pinned her hopes on Garrett, thus revealing that she harbored feelings for the same guy.

“BFFs don’t keep secrets from each other!” was how Madeline put it.

Leala in turn argued that Madeline was just as the same therefore is at fault as well. The spat ended with Madeline declaring that it is all over between them. For months they refused to talk to each other. Garrett’s effort to have the three friends reconcile so far failed to yield positive results.

It appeared so that their friendship ended just like that, until one day Leala chanced upon Madeline coming under sexual harassment by a group of boys whom she recognized them as the same mean kids who always picked on the other students all the way since middle school. Like any female should, Leala was highly pissed at such a despicable act. Hence without hesitation she put herself in between the bullies and Madeline.

Consequently, she was subjected to the same harassment as the bullies were not at all intimidated by tough act of a mere ‘girl’. She retaliated by kicking one of the boys in the crotch. Unfortunately, the act led her to get struck down by the leading bully. Though it was impulsive, the leading bully developed cold feet at his action and fled with the others following suit soon afterwards. Madeline, after coming over her shock, found Leala still unconscious from the hard knock on the head and quickly called for help.

The injury was not too serious so Leala recovered in no time. After the incident, she and Madeline had a very long conversation in private. At last they apologized to each other and made up as friends again. Even so everything was not the same as before with Madeline now spending less time together in the group. When summer prom came along, Madeline missed it out on purpose.

However, Garrett was determined to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime dance with his date. It was on this occasion where Garrett and Leala had their first kiss. The slow music and low-light settings really set the mood for Garrett, especially when Leala looked so beautiful in the lavish gown that matches exactly with her eye color. As they danced to the melody, locking in each other’s gaze and smiling, Garrett was experiencing the same feeling he felt in his chest when he looked into Leala’s eyes the first time. But it felt much stronger this time.

Unable to hold the feelings any longer, he slowly pressed his lips against Leala’s. The latter was taken aback by his sudden action. She was totally embarrassed yet did not object in any manner. Later, when Garrett was sending Leala home, they remained silent on the entire journey. Hard to talk when both their faces are still blushing scarlet.

What followed after that throughout the year is a period of intense studying then the final year exams. Predictably Leala came through with flying colors. Garrett and Madeline passed as well. On her commencement speech, Leala talked about on how all these years spent at Skydale High have been memorable despite all the up and moments (the latter part involving teen dramas and bullies) and how good and helpful the way everyone from the students (with a couple of exceptions which she gracefully did not mentioned) to the teaching staff treated her and each other.

It sounded like what any good student should say about the school but those who are fully aware of Leala’s family history knew what she was talking about especially when she gets to the part where she came to think the school as ‘home’. Initially uncertain of her future, it was during the middle of composing her speech prior that Leala finally decided on the direction she wanted to take. That would take to her to Canterbury where she would remain for the next four years. Meanwhile, Garrett was accepted into a community college in Gensville.

Before they parted ways, a pact is made of which to meet up again at a place which will be decided later on after both have finished with their studies. It was decided between them that if they are still single, if they have not found someone else within the next four years, then they will continue where they left off.

Four years later, Leala returned to Skydale after she graduated. Earlier she had sent a letter to Garrett to meet up at The Gyro, the local fast food chain. Leala looked at the time on her watch. It had been one hour passed the meeting time. Another hour went by yet she waited, with utter patience and with faith. After two more hours of waiting, it became apparent that Garrett is not coming. The heartbroken Leala finally conceded that the relationship they had as teens is only temporary after all.

Afterwards she did not go straight back home however. The weather was clear and sunny like the day on their first date. A great day to visit Rainbow Falls, she thought. There is still time to unpack her things and get herself settled in her apartment. Additionally, it will be another two more days before she has to report to work. So... Why not?

Four years she has not come back. Even on the holidays she stayed back to work part-time in Canterbury so she could support herself. So imagine her surprise when she looked down at the waterfall, she was not greeted with the usual sight of the multicolored arc, but what she simply put as ‘mists of many colors’ at the base of the waterfall. Has there been undergone a change in the environment over the years that caused the phenomena or was she simply at the right place at the right time?

“Leala...!”

She turned at the ever so familiar voice. “Gary?”

Garrett was coming up the trail and he finally arrived, he was drenched in sweat and breathless out of exhaustion.

“I’ve waited long, y’know, and you didn’t show up,” Leala complained, holding herself from slapping the man’s face. “I thought...”

“I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you wait.” With notable guilt, Garrett showed the letter she had sent to him. It looked as though the latter came out dried after being crumpled up and soaked in water. The writings have become blurry, barely readable with a lot of missing words and letters:

‘r Gary, I hope you rember the pomise we made 4 years ago. I’m back in Sky and would to see you. If you're , let’s meet at The Gyro 7 March . If you don’t show up, I’ll assume ?” “Best wshe, Leala.’

Garrett explained that he came too late to figuring out that the ‘7’ was not referring to time before focusing his search at three places: 7th Street, 7th Avenue and 7-Grains. The last of which is the mall where Leala actually was waiting at.

Leala made it very clear that she was not interested to know how the letter get ‘busted up’ like that before falling silent all of sudden.

Taking the hint at Leala’s expectant look, Garrett held her hand and went on one knee. “Leala Iris Sinclair, will you be my girlfriend for the next five years?”

Leala was not impressed. “Five? Are you being serious here?”

“By that time, I’ll be ready,” Garrett affirmed. “I promise.”

“Gary, you’re such a dolt,” Leala sighed. “Don’t make a promise that you can’t be sure to keep.”

Two days later, Leala showed up at Skydale High to the surprise of many teachers. The principal announced Leala as the new teacher recently assigned from Canterbury and she joins as part of the staff teaching in physics and mathematics beginning today.

The teaching staff in turn gave their warm welcome to Leala as to many to them she was remembered as a good-mannered student, excellent both academically and in extracurricular activities, young squash ace and active volunteer in past communal works organized by the school. For Leala, it almost felt like homecoming.

As time passed, sentiment between the couple grew stronger. One night, Garrett decided to take Leala out to a candlelight dinner at a fancy western restaurant called The Athens. At first there was nothing unusual going on throughout the date. They engaged in lighthearted conversation, they flirted and they joked around, up to from leaving the restaurant to sending Leala home.

At the door, the tired Leala expected nothing more than a quick trip to the shower and turning in afterwards after kissing Garrett goodnight. She was entering her apartment when Garrett decided to stop her. He took something out of his pocket and revealed it as a silver engagement ring. On his knee, he proceeded to ask her hand in marriage. With that, Garrett fulfilled his promise, albeit a year earlier than the deadline. They wed more than a year later.

After three years into their marriage, Leala, whom was not feeling well therefore has to stay home from work, broke the good news to her husband. The body aches, the nausea and fatigue she had experiencing for the past couple of days are signs pointing to it but she could not be certain until she took the hCG test- she was pregnant.

That evening, Garrett returned home early. Both were as happy as a lark at the sentiment that the baby will make the family as whole. Leala was determined not to make the same mistake as her parents did. And Garrett, who watched his mother suffered, pledged to her that once the baby arrives, it shall be raised with what was thoroughly lacking from their own childhood. Both resolved that never should their child at any point of its life go through what they did.

Months later, the fetus Leala was carrying was born into the world at last. This baby would later receive the name Iris but eventually become the person known to many as Dash. Dash’ story begins from this point. Unfortunately, this also marks the end of Leala’s story, leaving Garrett alone in raising Iris. The dream of having a complete family was shattered. But Garrett would have to learn to move on from the tragedy that took Leala away from him, for the sake of his late wife, and for the sake of newborn daughter.

Brooke clicked his fingers in front of Dash’s eyes. “Dash! Hey, Dash!”

“Huh?” Dash snapped out of her thoughts. “What? What!?”

Brooke motioned Dash to get up with a pat from behind her shoulder. “Time to go. It’ll get dark soon.”

Dash looked up at the sky. The sun was coming down. She understood why Brooke hastily got on his bike which prompted her to do the same. She knew very well the reason why he is eager for them to get back home quick.

Dorothy did mention that Paragon is the sin capital of Equestria and it was due to that reason she was initially wary of Brooke’s presence after he got transferred to Gensville High. Petty criminals like the ones who took Garrett’s life are not picky on hours and places, but downtown and the slums in the northern suburbs, the latter which happens to be where Brooke and Dash live, are hotbed for illegal trades. Dash and Brooke both happen to live in close proximity of those areas. And they would not want to cross path with the underworld after dark.

“Brooke?”

“Yeah?”

“I still like Dash better.”

“That’s fair.”

Without further delay, both pedaled back towards the city. Along the way, they were met by heavy congestion on the boulevard. They carefully followed the path along the narrow shoulder until further ahead they rerouted into the outer suburbs. The street they are taking were not as idle, as drivers more often than not chooses the same route to cut through the heavy traffic.

Brooke and Dash crossed a busy thoroughfare linking to the nearby interchange before entering inner suburbs. Arriving at the inner city which took close to one hour to reach, they parted ways right across the street from the diner where they encountered each other a year earlier.

***

Iris was reminded not to reveal her presence to the other students or there will be heavy consequences for both her and Rainbow Dash. After the Pegasus left the room, Iris was left alone to wonder about this place and its people. If the locals here distrust outsiders so much, then what is the reason for Rainbow Dash to help her out, going so far as willing to take her across the border in secret?

***

Three days earlier...

Dr. Ivo Kintobor is the complete opposite of his Mobian counterpart. Whereas Robotnik is a cruel and sadistic despot with penchant for betraying even his own allies, Kintobor is a kind and gentle veterinarian with a great sense of distaste for violence. Located in close proximity to Knothole village, Kintobor Tower is where he operates his clinic. The building also housed the generator for the dome force field around Grand Forest. Thus, Kintobor is the Overlander responsible for protecting the inhabitants of Grand Forest from the Suppression Squad all these years.

Patricia, whose dysfunctional armor was removed earlier, had just been given sedation by Arial. The hummingbird is the only other staff working at the clinic. Today was her day off, but she got recalled back to work after the Godslayers’ arrival. Away from the operating table, Kintobor was examining the x-rays. He determined that several ribs experienced multiple fractures. At least one rib has been dislodged from the sternum. There was also a long running crack on the side of the skull, pointing to potential brain injury.

Arial ran her fingers on the patient’s midriff. Under the furs, the skin felt cold and clammy. Discoloration on the skin was observed. She also noticed bluish coloration on the feline’s lips. She immediately alerted the doctor that the patient was showing symptoms of internal bleeding.

Wasting no time, they began the procedure. First they need to identify and stop the source of the bleeding, before moving onto surgery to repair the damages to the organs resulting from the shock. Blood transfusion as well as fluid replacement will be performed to compensate for the blood loss. The risk of an infection gave rise by the burn injuries complicated the procedures even more. This probably will be the most difficult operation Kintobor and Arial performed in their medical career.

In the meantime, Aegnor, E-Sat and Zach were waiting outside the operating room. None was more depressed than the latter. While Patricia’s life was on the line, Dash remained missing. She was presumed perish during The Catgirl’s midair separation. But for the feline, such a notion was hard to swallow.

After all they have been through together, after Dash had experienced multiple brushes with death in Dreamfall, he thought surely Dash deserves anything but an abrupt end to her life. he deserves to have more chances in life to prove that she could be more.

As plain as Dash may look in terms of appearance and not as so extraordinary as the other versions of Rainbow Dash, she is still amazing in her own right. That is Zach’s personal opinion. If Brooke could listen to his thoughts right now, he would have agreed with him.

Hours have passed. None of them talked.

“Hey, man,” Zach said at last, notable regret was in his voice. “E-Sat, listen. Sorry I shouted at you back then. It was unfair I realize it now. You would’ve done something if you could.”

E-Sat’s only response is a meek nod. Because of the blank look shown by the Mechanoid, Zach wondered whether E-Sat is suppressing his feelings. Despite being robotic, in actual fact Mechanoids are sentient beings. The way their express their feelings is dictated by their appearance and design which are extremely varied across each individual. For E-Sat, one just needs to pay attention to the movement of his eye and his tone when he is talking to know his feelings.

Shortly after, Kintobor stepped out of the operating room, a grim look on his usually cheerful face.

“How is she, doctor?” Aegnor asked.

“Still critical I’m afraid,” the doctor replied. “We’ve done all we could. Your friend will be transferred to the intensive care unit shortly where her condition will be monitored continually.”

Just then, Mika along with Tank and Rosy have returned from inspecting what remains of The Catgirl’s bow.

“Guys, Ensign. I got good news and bad news,” she informed with a troubling look on her face.

“I heard this so many times I can see where this is going,” said the minotaur. “Give us the good news first.”

“Contamination from the destroyed power reactor is minimal and has been contained.”

“What’s the catch?”

“It’s the Void Drive. The unit’s largely intact except for the damage on the shielded casing around the core.”

“Is that bad?” the doctor voiced his concern.

“As the core began decaying from prolonged exposure, it’ll become unstable gradually to the point of detonation,” Mika explained. “The rupture isn’t that big. I can get it patched, with the right materials, components and tools.”

“We could triple the mini generator’s capacity then hope for the best,” Tank suggested.

Mika looked at the Ensign to which he nodded his approval.

“The reality is much worse than what you think,” she informed the locals.

THE SUPPRESSION SQUAD

Starlight Glimmer had worked diligently on the codex since it was first entrusted to her by Queen Crisanna. Act one to three have so far been deciphered and translated. The fourth is underway. Prior to discovering the final definitive clues in the texts, Starlight Glimmer had spent over a year analyzing the codex via all known ciphering methods ranging from the simple alphabetic substitutions to grille mapping to the most complex multi-step mathematical algorithms in attempt to extract its real content.

Even though the good work of safeguarding the kingdom’s security is based upon the realm of myths and legends, the queen herself is truly convinced of the artifact’s existence. Her confidence stemmed from her belief in the local myth that in turn gave rise to the legends surrounding the Precursor Artifacts. Seven Days of Fury is the title and like its Moebian myth counterpart, it falls short of revealing the artifacts’ creation but it did describe the origin of their crystal cores.

According to the myth, the ancient tribe of Umbru once co-existed with Celestia and Luna, a pair of deities that govern the seasons’ annual transition. The pair resided in their temple at a remote location from the Umbru’s homeland. Every early spring, the Umbrus were allowed to visit the temple to make offerings to the deities. In exchange, the deities would then use one of the crystal fruits from the World Tree grown in their temple’s garden to make the lands fertile, for the period between Spring and Fall.

One fateful day, the tribe decided to have the World Tree all for themselves. So they cut down the tree in a night raid on the temple and then brought it back to their homeland. When the deed was made known to Heaven, the Primordial Deity of Creation was enraged. The Seasonal Deities were summoned back to Heaven and the Phoenix was dispatched to punish the unscrupulous tribe. With a vengeance, the Phoenix rained fiery hail continually upon Moebius for seven days.

This event had inadvertently led to something else other than the tribe’s demise. The rich energy crystal deposits found today are said to be the result of seeds from the crystal fruits scattering when the World Tree was destroyed alongside with the Umbrus. Meanwhile the tree itself shattered into the seven Elite Gems.

The Elite Gems are legendary. They are quite different from their lesser (though abundant) counterparts, which currently power all of Crystal Empire’s military assets. Whereas regular energy gems will deplete their magic on every usage over time, Elite Gems defied this convention. It is said the gem’s powers will remain undiluted and eternal. It is also said the gems cannot be destroyed (or at the very least, nearly-indestructible).

Driven by the queen’s firm belief in the aforementioned mythology and the upbringing by Jasmine Flower, both of whom Starlight Glimmer is loyal to, ensure the young Unicorn never questions the viability of the Crystal Peace Tower’s initiative.

But even as Starlight Glimmer is devoted, often a sense of unsettledness crept close behind her while working on the codex. First and foremost, it is strange that the results of carbon dating put the parchments of each dividing acts at different ages, millennia apart with the ink added not long after the parchment’s creation. Yet the materials for the paper and ink, the typesetting and style of handwriting remained unchanged, not even the slightest.

Furthermore, all three translated acts made frequent mention of a single recurring character. It would not be a total surprise should that character appear again in the fourth act. The ominous nature of the character, its ambiguous role in the stories, add with the implication that the codex may have been written by a same being dating back to a period between 60,000 to 18,000 years ago, Starlight Glimmer found all this unnerving to her.

Occasionally while working quietly alone in the archive room, ordinary sounds- footsteps, chattering noises made by students passing through the corridor outside, or birds tapping and screeching on the windowpanes, would easily startle her. Every time that happened, she convinced herself again and again that the tales are no more than stories, that they were based upon real events but greatly exaggerated in some parts and embellished with fanciful elements. And that includes the-

She gave a start at the knock on the door.

“Oh, I startled you,” Crisanna said.

“N-no,” Starlight Glimmer said. “I was being too absorbed in my work, that’s all.”

“Speaking of which, that’s what brings me here,” Crisanna said and as she entered, noticed how glum her favorite student looked.

“Your Royal Majesty?”

“It has come to my attention that all your academic performance has declined of late,” Crisanna said, to Starlight Glimmer’s discomposure. “While it isn’t that poor, it is considerably lower than what you’ve achieved in the past two years. You’ve always been good at maintaining your grades, Starlight Glimmer.”

“I guess I didn’t put enough effort because I was overconfident this time. I’ll surely get my grades up in the next exams.”

Crisanna glanced at the cluttered work desk then at Starlight Glimmer again. “No. You’re distracted. And I feel responsible.”

“It’s nothing really, Your Royal Majesty,” Starlight Glimmer insisted, while trying not to sound too disrespectful. “I have every confidence I can get most of the work done now that there’ll be plenty of free time in the holidays.”

Resting her hands on the student’s shoulders, Crisanna gently said to her, “What you need to do now, Starlight Glimmer is take a short break. I can see it on your face. You’re tired, and pressured. During the day after class, you either come here to attend to the task I assigned to you or help out at your mother’s store when she is ill. At night, you stayed up late, to finish your studies and assignments.

“You tried to manage well your time. You’ve done your best to cope. But at the very end, your body will recognize when it’s time for a break. I’ve been where you are. And even now, juggling between my duties as queen and chancellor still takes a lot out of me. So I can understand how you feel. Take a rest- hanging out with friends, go on a vacation, things like that.”

“Well, I am thinking of going out on a trip actually,” Starlight Glimmer said with reluctance. “To…Dayunguo.”

The Queen Regnant frowned, a hint of disprovable.

“It’s not treasure hunt, I promise,” Starlight Glimmer affirmed. “It’ll be part vacation part scouting mission. While sightseeing, I could scout around for information on locations that might have links to the Precursor Artifacts.”

A fair proposition I suppose, Crisanna thought. “But my whole point was to get it off your mind for a while.”

“Starlight Glimmer said firmly, “I’ll get some relaxation. Their rich culture and natural attractions, it’ll definitely come as a breath of fresh air, compared to bustling Illumina.”

“You can’t speak Qilin,” Crisanna pointed out. “How do you intend to get around the place without breaking the language barrier?”

“I have…a ‘friend’ for that,” Starlight Glimmer stated.

Crisanna relented in the end, deciding to trust the student’s judgment after all. “Oh, all right. I trust you won’t go overboard?”

“I won’t,” Starlight Glimmer promised.

After telling Starlight Glimmer to be careful and wished her a good summer vacation, Crisanna turned to leave. But then she suddenly remembered one last detail. “Oh! Starlight Glimmer?”

“Yes, Your Royal Majesty?”

“Do keep that your friend of yours in the dark at all times. No one else must know about the codex.”

“I promise I won’t tell anyone, by accident or otherwise.” But even as Starlight Glimmer said that, she tactfully crossed her fingers behind her back.

Crisanna stumbled upon Rainbow Dash in the hallway. Greeting the student, the Queen Regnant took this chance to congratulate her on her recent examination success.

She remembered how the then naive Pegasus first came to Crystal Heart to try enroll in Magic Arts. After that, she had kept watch on Rainbow Dash’s progress while under Cadenza’s mentoring. But nowadays, she seldom came across her.

Crisanna left after wishing Rainbow Dash to enjoy her summer break. The young Pegasus watched her queen walked away, then turned to face the direction of the archive room.

Huh, so that’s where Starlight Glimmer spends her time when she’s not pranking me.

Rainbow Dash wondered what kind of advantage could she draw upon from what she knows so far about the Crystal Peace Tower project.

Circling at medium altitude above Grand Forest is a semi-autonomous winged surveillance drone. It was making a third sweep on The Catgirl’s crash site when it came under fire by Godslayer Watterson’s arrows, prompting the drone to alter its course. He eventually brought down the drone to send it crashing into the nearby gorge which runs through the border between Grand Forest and Crystal Empire.

On the ground, Tank and Rosy, both clad in radiation suits, were in the midst of replacing a mini generator that is critically low on power. Timing it perfectly, Tank switched off the original generator at the same time Rosy switched on the new one. During the transition, the yellow-tinted translucent energy dome dimmed down, flickering briefly and then went up back to its full capacity.

Underneath this dome lies The Catgirl’s debris field where Godslayer Kurogane, assisted by E-Sat, was inspecting the damages on the Void Drive.

The size of a small van, the triangular prism structure is merely a protective housing for the actual device inside. The side panels have been removed, a cylindrical engine with magnetic coils running along its length linked to the disc-shaped enclosure in which the drive’s power source resides. A big gash ran through the enclosure’s surface, exposing a dark crystal shard that gives the drive its ability to generate the Void.

The bright, pulsating glow emitted by the shard has grown more intense since the day before, a telltale sign that the power source is becoming critically unstable. Unless Mika could get the containment shield up and running again and the damaged panel replaced in time, the shard’s detonation would inflict devastating effect across the lands of the two neighboring empires.

Prower studied in detail the Death Egg’s schematic displayed on the giant wall screen. He was not interested in the whole weapon, focusing instead on the highlighted parts.

“Can you can build it?” This was coming from Nagato in the inset window next to the schematics.

Prower responded to the question earnestly, “The main connections won’t pose too much of a problem. Only that a lot of customization works will be required to adapt the power feeder system. As for the power source, I discovered an opening we can exploit.”

“Where is that?” Nagato asked.

The schematic’s windows closed to be replaced by video images retrieved from a downed surveillance drone.

“Nanda-” she blurted, having recognized the figures standing guard outside the small yellow energy dome as those who tried to interfere her master’s plan in Mobius. “Ikite no? (How could they still be alive?)”

“Oh? So you know those pesky little pests?”

“You could say we have an unfinished score to settle,” the construct stated.

“I have a squad of Mechanauts standing by at a base eighty-five clicks north of Moebotropolis,” Prower told her. “They along with Boomer and Buns will be coming along with you.”

“My sister and I can handle them,” she balked the offer.

Yet the fox insisted, “You will need the extra fire support to increase your chances of success.”

“As you wish,” Nagato conceded. Not going to argue with someone who made a deal with Ruby.

Before signing off, she signaled to Prower with a slight nod that there is someone else in the room. He glanced at the direction of the entrance. A female fox came in, bringing with her a set of files and discs.

“Who’s the adolescent?” Fiona asked flatly, staring at the screen.

The redhead has an air of sultriness around her, with penetrating blue eyes, shapely body and black form-fitting mini dress.

“You’re supposed to knock first,” Prower said coldly to his secretary.

She handed him the items when prompted. “Can I get you anything to drink...sir?”

“No, thank you. Now please remember to close the door on your way out, Miss Fox.”

His business-like attitude irked Fiona. She headed back to the door but stopped halfway and looked back. “You’ve changed, Miles. A lot…”

Prower was unmoved by her feelings.

He turned away and looking over at the file’s content, he said dispassionately, “I’ve already told you. It’s over between us.”

Jeffrey St. Croix has been feeling relatively uneasy about Prower’s plan involving the new airship and its indiscriminate firepower. To further add to his restlessness, the airship is visually unlike anything else in the empire’s current fleet inventory. He sat musing on the potential problem in his chair, until Hershey the Cat knocked on the door and came into the office.

“Have you found out?” St. Croix asked his secretary.

“Yes. It’s docked at Acorn One.”

Make sense that the warship is sent there, he thought.

Acorn One is a military base located at Big Kahuna Island miles off the western coast of Acorn Empire. Prior to its shut down after Queen Alicia took the throne, it was there that a fleet of destroyer airships was constructed for King Maxx’s campaign against Crystal Empire. He thought it makes sense that the warship was sent there, given the base’s big enough capacity to house a warship of such immense size.

The cat continued, “The base’s anti-air defenses are already online and a battle group consists of frigates and subs is currently en-route to the island.”

“So it’s impossible,” St. Croix sighed.

“Should we really be worried?” Hershey opined. “Surely Alicia won’t risk using such a formidable weapon on her own soil. It’d be stupid of her to destroy the very lands she wants to retake.”

“No, she isn’t,” St. Croix agreed. “But the problem remains that she does not hesitate to resort to genocide to get what she wants.”

His statement disconcerted Hershey. Queen Alicia is cruel and a megalomaniac, but would she really go to such extreme measure against the Moebians?

Hershey was then asked about the intel concerning the next move by the Suppression Squad, to which she replied, “Y-yes, about that. The Mechanaut squad for the planned an assault on Feral Forest was called back and remobilized to Grand Forest instead.”

St. Croix eyed the cat with surprise. “Do you know why?”

“From what I can gather, Prower seems to be interested in the airship rumored to have crashed there.”

St. Croix took the information in. “Good, for now.”

“Yes,” Hershey agreed, in the context the distraction would offer them a short window of opportunity to make extra deliveries of much needed supplies to Rebel Underground.

Aside from governing his province north of Moebotropolis, St. Croix also owns several business fronts. But in truth, along with Hershey, his true allegiance lies with the resistance group that is fighting to replace Queen Alicia’s tyrannical rule with democracy.

Behind the scenes, he operates black market deals involving exporting raw materials smuggled out from Rebel Underground’s strongholds and the swaths of territories under their control in order to supply them arms, commodities and intelligence. On top of that, a number of locations he owns in his province serve as hideouts for those seeking shelter from oppression by the Suppression Squad.

Despite all the efforts to weaken her rule over the years, Queen Alicia still remain in full control. Rebel Underground’s campaign have become stagnant. Any major breakthroughs seemed long way off. Worse, their numbers have dwindled from casualties.

Currently the remaining one left to fight, after all the other resistance groups, most of which were affiliated with Prince Elias, have been annihilated, St. Croix is aware of the great challenge that stands in between them and their goal for a great change.

“It’s time for a game changing plan,” St. Croix stated.

“What do you intend to do?” Hershey asked, noting the serious tone by her employer.

“If we’re going to have a better chance for achieving our goals, we must consider taking the bold step of directly removing the top two heads from the regime,” St. Croix said firmly.

“You are proposing an assassination,” Hershey realized. She reminded him that someone had attempted this before and failed, for which the perpetrator paid the price.

“Yes, the risk is high,” St. Croix acknowledged. “But now that Prower’s weapons development program is back in business, things are only going to get worse from there if we don’t something about it.”

Hershey conceded, though she still worried. Should the assassination plan fails, their treachery could be exposed, thereby potentially crippling Rebel Underground’s future operations.

Two Pegasus, one is from Astronomy class and the other studies Meteorology, were heading towards the Student Affairs and Alumni office.

“I don’t know how you could manage it,” Cloudchaser bickered.

“I didn’t put up with her,” Muffins said back. “It was by order of the chancellor. Had I’ve a choice in the matter, I would not give my cooperation to Starlight Glimmer.”

Rainbow Dash was taking a sip from the fountain sink nearby when the mentioning of the name piqued her interest.

“Exactly what were you doing for her?” Cloudchaser asked, opening the door for her friend.

“Actually I can’t say,” Muffins replied as she let herself in.

Before the door closes, Rainbow Dash managed to catch Cloudchaser pleading to Muffins to let out a little bit of that secret.

Does Muffins know about the Crystal Peace Tower? she wondered. Maybe I should pop by at the Astronomy Faculty later.

Like all the Rainbow Dashs across the infinite space-time continuum, Iris is a total bookworm when it comes to stories involving a brave female protagonist going on an adventure, traversing booby-trapped locations in search of ancient relics and treasures, sometimes even saving the world while at it. But still, it still cannot detract from her need to get out and stretch her legs.

When Rainbow Dash finally returned with takeout foods, Iris stopped reading, sat up on the bed and said, “Hey, I’ve been cooped up in here for days. I’m so in need for a stretch. Any ideas yet on getting me outta here?”

“I hear ya,” Rainbow Dash said in understanding as she sat at her desk. “Where you’re come from, do they have Extreme Gears or the likes?”

“What?”

“Hoverboards.”

Iris’ face lit up. “You got a hoverboard!?”

“So you’ve no idea how to ride one,” Rainbow Dash sighed.

“No,” Iris admitted though she could barely contain her excitement. “But for serious I do wanna give it a try!”

“’kay, then,” Rainbow Dash nodded. “I’ll teach you all the basics to board riding and if you’re anything like me, you’ll master it in no time.”

Sweeeet! It’s gonna be so awesome! I sure wish Skye was- Iris’ mind stopped dead at the thought of her good friend, foster little sister whom she had left worried after by severing all contact with the Peters.

“I have to go to my friend’s place to get it,” Rainbow Dash informed her. “It’s pretty far so you’ll have to spend the night here without me. Think you can manage it?”

“I guess...” Iris shrugged.

“Here,” Rainbow Dash said and passed the food container to Iris.

Iris opened the container to find this time it contains a sandwich so similar to the Gyros- roasted meat added with onions, tomato and sauce served in grilled pita bread wrapping. Gyros is a popular food in her hometown of Skydale. But Crystallites are vegans, so the meat is replaced with hard brined-cheese.

She took a small bite out of the cheese- salty, minty and peppery all in one. Something to get use to but ain’t so bad.

“Rainbow Dash, can I ask you somethin’?”

“Yeah shoot,” the Pegasus mumbled, her mouth full.

“I always thought those wings are only meant for flight,” Iris began. “Does that mean all Pegasus here can do magic?”

Rainbow Dash swallowed her food and wiped her mouth before answering. “Nope. I’m the only one. Or more exactly, the first one in several millenniums. I cast my first magic spell when I was a lil’ filly. Not on purpose. An accident more like. But I knew I didn’t imagine it. It was real. Yet back then everyone thought I was either daydreaming or downright lying.”

“Why?”

“Because I was alone when it happened. And for some reason, I wasn’t able to do it again after that. Me being here right now, I owe it all to Princess Cadence. When I first told her of my story, she believed me! She said I was special because I had the ‘spark’. She told me of how Pegasus tribes were once like Unicorns and Pegacorns. Each pegasi was actually born with magic. But it is largely inert so each individual had to learn and train from foal-age well into adulthood in order to become full-fledged magic casters.”

When Rainbow Dash was talking, Iris could see that the Pegasus was really psyched the moment the princess is mentioned thereafter.

“But, then something happened to make y’all lose it?”

“Five thousand years ago, a war broke out with the Yaks,” Rainbow Dash began explaining. “Everything was in shambles after the old dynasty fell, and all the pony tribes were nearly wiped out. It would’ve ended that way if it weren’t for the effort of one Pegacorn knight. He unilaterally took command of what’s left of the kingdom, had the remaining knights unite all the tribes and rallied them into making a last stand against the invaders. As you can guess, they won at the end. It was a painstaking victory and the Pegacorn knight became the first in line of a brand new dynasty.”

Queen Crisanna’s ancestors, Dash figured.

“The surviving Pegasus after the war were largely the younger generations. So by the time the new kingdom was completely rebuilt, all knowledge on Pegasus magic were forgotten. That is until now, when Princess Cadence discovered the old instruction notes to our long lost ability.”

“But you said you’re the only one so far who had the ‘spark’,” Iris said. “How could the princess have taken you under her tutelage if she can’t do what you can?”

“You’re right,” Rainbow Dash acknowledged. “For years she studied the notes but failed. Yet that didn’t stop her from doing all she could to help me. Without her guidance, I would’ve never learn how to control my emotions. Oh man, you got no idea how hard that was for me.”

Iris shrugged her shoulders. “Search me.”

“I almost wanted to quit,” Rainbow Dash confessed. “But the princess never gave up on me. I’ll always remember that look on her face the day I finally able to channel my inner magic. So it was well worth it in the end. She said one day, I could become an example for other Pegasus to follow in restoring their true potential.”

“Wow, she’s really proud of you,” Iris remarked. “I guess your parents must be too.”

The Pegasus’ mood abruptly darkened, her voice sounded bitter. “Pffft, I wish.”

“They aren’t keen?”

“My dad had something else in mind for me.”

“The Wonderbolts,” Iris guessed.

Rainbow Dash was going to ask how Iris could know but then decided that she did not care after all. “He’s now retired. He always wanted me to become like him, that I’d be the one to break his top record for the Mustang Marathon. Seriously, I was a filly back then, who loves to play around, doing stupid things, saying stupid stuff all the time. I didn’t know what I really wanna be at the time.”

She paused to collect herself before continuing. “My dad was the last pony I expect to object when I said I wanna to Crystal Heart. I’ve had it with his lack of understanding. Once I finished school, I ran away. Came here, and I never look back ever since.”

“So... you never go back to visit him?” Iris asked with alarm. “Not even once?”

“What’s the point?” Rainbow Dash retorted. “He went sour on me first.”

Iris felt she could understand how the Pegasus is feeling. She admitted if she was in Rainbow Dash’s place, she too would be disappointed- no, more like mad as hell, had her own father acted on such selfishness. But Garrett’s death also taught her something else.

“Do you love your dad?” Iris gently asked.

Rainbow Dash shot an indignant glare at her and hissed, “If he really loves me, he should come to look for me first! Yet he didn’t! Two years it’s been. Where is he now!?”

Then she went back to her sandwich, biting and munching it voraciously.

“He’ll come around,” Iris said. “There’ll be a time when you wish you had more time to spend with each other b’cuz, by then you’ll realize how hard it is to cope with loneliness. Please, make sure to appreciate your dad...while you still have him.”

Rainbow Dash was stricken by Iris’ tone. She slowly put the sandwich down, wiped her face clean and cast a quizzical look at Iris. Obvious hints of sorrowfulness showed in Iris’ eyes.

“What happened? Is your father...?”

Iris then told her everything.

“Has anyone seen Princess Cadenza anywhere?”

Kibitz’s question was asked to all the castle servants and royal guards around the citadel.

“Quite odd,” he remarked. “I don’t recall the princess leaving the palace together with Her Royal Majesty earlier today. Or has my age began to affect my memory?”

Rainbow Dash came out the college’s main gate, a backpack slung on her back, ready to go down the sidewalk until she heard someone call out her name from the opposite direction. Recognizing the familiar voice, she turned around to see Princess Cadenza coming up to her. Only Rainbow Dash amongst the ponies around could recognize the princess who is in her civilian disguise and without any makeup on.

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Cadence, hi!”

“Hey,” Cadenza greeted back.

Despite seeing Cadenza in the outfit multiple times when she came looking for her outside the college, Rainbow Dash thought the overall dark color scheme did not suit her. The princess was wearing a black jacket over gray t-shirt undershirt and olive drab cargo pants. Her long hair was tied and neatly hidden under the black baseball cap.

“On, nothing special in particular. I’m just going downtown to pick up some stuffs for the journey home.” That was Rainbow Dash’s excuse when asked where she is going with such a big (but empty) backpack.

“Then do you have the time to spare?” Cadenza asked. “We haven’t spoken for a very long time, since you’ve been doing pretty well here.”

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash agreed. Though concerned that her plans might get disrupted, she kept it as subtle as possible. “What do you have in mind?”

Cadenza proposed a drink at her favorite cafe not far from here.

The Sugar Cube Corner is a unique little gem of a bakery (also a cafe) in Illumina. That is not just because the premise looks like it was built of all sorts of baker’s and sugar confections. The owners pride themselves in offering cakes and pastries of exotic cultural flair, created with the finest ingredients available. The attention paid to the distinctive and beautiful details adds to the testament of the Cakes’ high quality standards and long experience in the business.

After Pinkamena left with their orders, Rainbow Dash opened up of her problems at class to the princess.

“I don’t understand,” Cadenza said in dismay. “Why would they single you out?”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “I dunno. They all don’t seem to like me very much, from day one. Even after my performance got getter, they still poke fun of me. So nothing’s really changed.”

Was she being discriminated on the basis of her kind? Cadenza mused. Or perhaps is there something more personal going on between them?

Either way, it really appalled her that such act could happen right under the chancellor’s nose in Crystal Heart, the same place where the royal sisters graduated from.

“But why did you wait until now to say this?” asked the princess.

“I know about Starlight Glimmer,” Rainbow Dash replied, “how she is close to Queen Crisanna.”

“Starlight Glimmer?” Cadenza frowned. She remembered encountering the Unicorn more than once- quite a chatty pony. “Is she…the instigator?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “I figured, who’s the queen gonna believe- me or the teacher’s pet? Besides, everypony in class will back up Starlight Glimmer.”

“Can’t be all of them, right?” Cadenza anticipated. “There must be at least someone who isn’t mean to you.”

Now that I think about it. There is one pony but what was her name again? Rainbow Dash nodded meekly. “Yea...”

“Which one? Do you have a name for that pony?”

“I don’t...know,” Rainbow Dash admitted, though did manage to recall the first part of the name. She was going to say it had it not for the unexpected appearance of an Earth Pony by their table.

Cadenza pulled her cap down a little and looked away, upon coming under the grunge mare’s scrutiny.

Rainbow Dash recognized the mare as Maud Pie, a student from the Environmental Studies Faculty, well-known for emerging as one of the winners in the college’s Battle of the Bands two years straight. Furthermore, she was one of two ‘weirdo’ ponies who in the first year tried to recruit her into their group.

“Can I help you with something?” Rainbow Dash asked sharply, offended by the Earth Pony’s rude intrusion.

Maud Pie grinned in realization, “Princess Cadenza?”

“What-” Cadenza gasped. “No, no, no. You got the wrong pony.”

“Oh, I get it!” the Earth Pony winked at the panicked princess. “Gotcha. I won’t tell.”

She then recited her own version of the Pinkie Pie Promise, making appropriate gestures according to the phrases.

“Maud! What’re you- Stop disturbing the customers!”

Pinkamena came rushing back, careful not to spill the drinks on the tray. After serving the cups of hot chocolate on the table, she apologized to the two customers on her sister’s behalf.

“Pinkie!” Maud Pie exclaimed in joy. “How is my favorite little sister doing?”

“Stop!” the red-faced Pinkamena urged in a low voice, resisting her big sister’s overeager attempt to hug her. “Stop it! You are embarrassing me!”

She once again apologized to Cadenza and Rainbow Dash, this time with a deep bow. Then the waitress jostled her sister away from there. It was then that Rainbow Dash saw that Maud Pie did not come alone. It turned out the grey Earth Pony is part of the group that consists of Cloudchaser, a pony in a hoodie and…

Oh hey, it’s her! Rainbow Dash recognized the Unicorn with big glasses and thick eye brows, but always seemed to forget her name. Moon, Moon…Something… Oh, mane…

Moon Dancer, having noticed her from across the floor, smiled and waved a hello. That prompted Rainbow Dash to wave back albeit a little awkwardly, remembering how she reacted to the Unicorn a day before.

“Is she the one?”

“Come again?”

“Is she your friend in class?” Cadenza repeated her question.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, not really.”

“Rainbow Dash, I hate to see you alone,” the princess said in a solemn tone. “Still, try make an effort to make friends, okay? If you let them get to know what a great pony you really are, maybe then the rest’ll start to change their minds.”

She nodded Rainbow Dash to look at Maud Pie’s group. “See them over there? That’s how I imagined part of your life in college. Two years it’s been. You’re already halfway through your studies and you’ve missed half of what makes it so enjoyable.”

“It’s not my fault,” Rainbow Dash defended herself.

“I know it isn’t,” Cadenza said. “Yet I really can’t imagine how you could cope being alone all these years.”

Rainbow Dash had found the solution years ago but... Wish I could tell you, princess.

The princess mused for a minute before continuing. “Listen, I graduated from Crystal Heart too. I really want you to experience what I went through. I can’t say I have a solution in the short term for dealing with your classmates’ behavior but Starlight Glimmer, I might be able to do something about her.”

“Thanks...”

“You should’ve come out with your problem, Rainbow Dash. Know this. My sister is a fair pony. There’s no reason for you to believe otherwise.”

“Sorry for the long wait,” Pinkamena pronounced, serving them a plate of warm white chocolate-filled muffins.

“Come on, Pinkie!” Maud Pie pleaded. “There must be some left!”

“There isn’t any!” Pinkamena said crossly. “The last batches already went to the customers you disturbed just now. And by the way, stop calling me that! I’m not a filly anymore, you know!”

“Aww, you mean we collected all that money for nothing!?” the big sister groaned aloud, eliciting a shush from her younger sibling.

“Keep your voice down!”

“Get zis over vif already,” urged the pony in the hoodie, the cultured accent of hers sound so familiar. “Get her a burfday cake like everypony else.”

“No way,” Cloudchaser protested. “She’s really crazy about muffins.”

Agreeing with her, Moon Dancer looked over at other cakes in the display cases.

“After all, today is her birthday,” she said. “We should get her something she really likes.”

***

From the edge of Moebotropolis plumes of black smoke was seen rising somewhere in the outskirts. Hangars housing the surveillance drones were ablaze. Despite all the security measures taken to secure the military airfield- guards patrolling around the clock, CCTVs and motion detectors and electric fencing, yet still someone had managed to sneak in and sabotaged the drones undetected in broad daylight.

The young viceroy collected himself after his secretary informed of the loss of his drones. “None?”

“All of it,” Fiona said. “Strangely, other hardware was left untouched and all had been accounted for.”

“So they were targeting the drones exclusively,” Prower noted.

“It seemed so,” Fiona agreed. “In addition, no casualties have been reported so far.”

That was of no concern to Prower however. If anyone had died today, they should be counted as lucky. Death is a merciful fate compared to what is to come next. “Do we have any idea on who the perpetrator is?”

“They’re going through the footage as we speak. Nothing suspicious has come up yet. Though, some of the ranks have already pointed their fingers at the resistance as being responsible.”

Or it might’ve been those so-called Godslayers Yuki mentioned before, Prower mused.

His stare disconcerted Fiona. “Sir…? Is something the matter?”

“Nothing,” Prower said dismissively. “What of Her Majesty by the way? Does she know about this?”

“Yes.”

“How did she take it?”

Fiona responded in a cynical tone, “You should already know the answer to that, sir.”

When the news reached Queen Alicia, she reacted to it with fury. She wasted no time summoning Patch to Acorn Castle. Deeming the attack on the airfield to be an act perpetrated by Rebel Underground, the Suppression Squad commander was heavily reprimanded for his past failings in reining back the resistance group.

***

The metal used to construct the Void Drive is of the highest grade of silver steel- hard and strong as diamonds, could resists extreme temperatures, yet very light in weight.

But this is Moebius, not Ethenia. So Mika had to settle for the next best thing available to her, in which case is the very alloy used in the manufacture of Extreme Gears. Due to deep technical know-hows needed in building these airborne vehicles, Extreme Gear builders are thus a rare breed. Fortunately for her, there is one builder who resides in Knothole.

In the meantime, while waiting for Tank to fabricate the plate according to the specifications required to replace damaged part of the drive, Godslayer Kurogane worked on fixing the drive’s shield and coolant system. Super E-Sat kept watch over the generator outside the shielded debris field. As for Godslayer Alkarin and Godslayer Watterson, they had set off to intercept the Suppression Squad before they get anywhere near where Mika and E-Sat are.

On the other side of Grand Forest close to Acorn Empire’s border, the battle with the Suppression Squad had already begun.

Godslayer Alkarin dispatched one group of Mechanauts after another around the battlefield. While doing so, some of the robots have done half of the work for him, though it was purely unintentional. Their slow-witted AI along with the minotaur’s rapid movements around the battlefield, resulted in them constantly caught in each other’s line of fire.

When all the robots have been dispatched (save for the ones engaging Godslayer Watterson), Godslayer Alkarin now faced off against Boomer. He challenged the walrus to come at him first. Boomer taunted back with a flaunt display, boldly declaring that the minotaur’s ‘rugged leather suit’ is no match against his Power Armor.

Godslayer Watterson loosed his arrows, while avoiding incoming fire from the Mechanauts coming in waves. As soon as one wave is destroyed, another moves in from the rear guard to continue the fire support. Eventually the barrage fully drained his SHADE’s energy shielding, forcing him to conjure up his Resist Shield (in the shape of a ‘magic circle’ with a flame symbol in the middle surrounded by mystical markings) to take cover behind it.

“Man, these things really pack a wallop,” he muttered, as the energy shielding started regenerating.

As the frontline concentrated their fire on the seemingly unbreakable shield, the rest of the Mechanauts moved to outflank him. Seeing this, Godslayer Watterson decided to use his fire elemental attack on them.

Inferno.

Flames burst from the ground which then spread out in an arc around him. After the Resist Shield was conjured away, he made a broad hand gesture to send the flames surging and fan out in all directions. The inferno set the grassy surroundings ablaze. Some Mechanauts ceased function after the searing heat fried their circuits.

The surviving Mechanaut scanned the surroundings for the Godslayer via their thermal vision but the hotspots from the fire all around them made the search all the more confusing. Godslayer Watterson appeared shortly afterwards, after he shot down a handful of the robots from out of sight. The first robot to turn and face him had its head cut off and another ended up being sliced in half through the midsection. He proceeded to reduce the remainders to scrap pieces with his swift swords attacks.

Godslayer Alkarin leaped clear of Boomer’s line of fire. Contrary to his robust physique, Godslayer Alkarin is quite fast and nimble on his hooves, whereas Boomer’s mobility was let down by the bulkiness and weight of his armor.

“Hold still, you big bull-crap!” the walrus shouted angrily, even as he struggled to get a fixed aim at the charging Godslayer.

On close contact, Boomer lunged forward, throwing both fists at him. Godslayer Alkarin sidestepped then, with one swing of his axe, chopped the cannon clean off the walrus’ arm. Boomer was furious. Godslayer Alkarin put away his axes. He then fired flurry of powerful punches at the walrus’ metal plated armor while evading his counter attacks at the same time until they caught each other’s fists.

“Ensign.”

“What is it, Watterson?” the minotaur growled, as he wrestled against his opponent’s overpowering grapple.

“Something’s not right here!” the feline said with urgency through the SHADE’s COM system. “I don’t see the constructs anywhere! You don’t think...?”

Realization came over his Ensign in that very instance. “Snowflake! The whole fuck is a distraction! Get back to E-Sat and Kurogane pronto! I’ll soon follow!”

“Yes, Ensign!”

Godslayer Alkarin let out a menacing growl and ended the deadlock by breaking free from the grapple with forceful twists of his muscular arms. He deflected Boomer’s arms away and a push kick from his broad two-toed hoof sent the walrus staggering backwards. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward and lifted his opponent high above his head. Boomer tried to twist free of the grasp but could not get away. He was hurled high through the air and slammed against the transparent surface of the dome force field.

Shockblast!

A lightning bolt from Godslayer Alkarin’s fingers incapacitated Boomer and disabled his Power Armor.

“Phew! Looks like my work here is d-” He was seemingly flattened by a giant robotic foot.

Part of the E-series of giant war mechs developed by Prower (the E stands for Elite), the one piloted by Buns Rabbot is officially designated as E-123 ‘Omega’, a heavily armed version. It has a stocky upper body and arms. Roughly the mech resembles a spinning top with arms and legs. The pilot’s cockpit is located inside the hood-cap structure on top.

“HAH!” Buns cried triumphantly. “Not so tough now, are ya!?”

She suddenly a minor quake inside the cockpit. “What in tarnation!?”

Godslayer Alkarin is revealed to be still alive. His muscles flexed impressively as he worked his whole body to resist the weight exerted by the robotic foot. With a loud growl, he shoved the giant foot up with forceful thrust to send Omega toppling on its back.

“That ain’t possible!” Bun’s voice boomed from Omega’s loudspeaker units.

“Yeah you better believe it!” the Godslayer panted. I won’t physically lose to a dumb robot, or I’ll never hear the end of it from my cousin.

Omega got back up to its feet.

“Fight this!” Buns hollered. “FULL BARRAGE MODE!!!”

The mech’s hands retracted inside. The hatches on its forearms and front body, shoulders and waists all opened up. Out came various weapons- rotary guns, missiles, cannons, flamethrowers.

“Say yer last prayers, traitor!”

Godslayer Alkarin responded to the threat by giving her the finger. “Fuck you, bitch.”

Godslayer Watterson stopped in his tracks, being alerted by the loud boom behind him. He looked back. Alarmed by huge fireballs erupting over the distance, he attempted to contact Godslayer Alkarin.

“Ensign, do you copy? Ensign?”

No response. He repeated the call several more times. Finally, a voice barked through his COM, but it was not from the Ensign.

“This is Godslayer Kurogane! We’ve been engaged by the enemy! Requesting immediate assist!”

“Mika, hang in there! I’m coming!”

“Copy that! But hurry!”

No time to waste, Godslayer Watterson sprinted off in the direction of his comrades’ location. He has yet to realize that Omega’s laser-guidance missiles were currently zeroing in on him.

Later, back in Grand Forest inside the dome force field...

Friz peered from behind a bush, a flat hand over his squinted eyes. “Ooh, things are looking pretty intense out there.”

Over at a shallow trench, Jenga was gazing at the same direction with his binoculars. “Dude! This is just like in Brave Blue and the Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, chapter twenty-seven wherein Brave Blue wrestled with a cyclops before both fell into the Abysmal Abyss.”

Rad dropped upside down from nearby a tree branch. “Say, you guys think we could go and give them a hand or something?”

Nero popped his head behind a large boulder. “You go. No way we’re going against those two.”

A stern-faced Rosy came and stood before them. “Trust me, guys. I’ve seen much of the atrocities they’ve committed. You don’t wanna be in the middle of a Suppression Squad ops.”

“Hey, hey!” Friz shouted. “I spotted Rainbow Dash over there!”

His words put Rosy in a state of discomposure. “No. Tell me you’re joking.”

Rainbow Dash weaved through the trees at high speed. A skill in part bestowed to her as a filly by her father. She enjoyed the feel of adrenaline but it was not enough to make her join the Wonderbolts like her father had wanted. She shot out of the woods, was about to dive down into the gorge but stopped dead in midair instead as soon as she saw the translucent energy dome on the opposite side.

Close to the dome was a female armored figure scuffling with a teenage schoolgirl. Another adolescent was clinging on to the back shoulder of a black-and-white robot, whose strange, blocky design makes it look somewhat like a giant bipedal washing machine, in a tantrum.

Super E-Sat thrashed about some more, his arms flailing in all directions, unable to reach Nagato due to the bulk of the Gatling blasters. Upon realizing it was of no avail, he went and slammed himself against the surface of the force field repeatedly, an action so brutal it drew a disbelieving gasp from Rainbow Dash. Then he raised his arms up high and threw himself to the ground flatly on his back. He quickly got up afterwards. and subsequently made a full swing to finally get the construct off of him.

He trained his blasters on the limped construct but to his surprise it would not function.

No matter, he thought.

He still has his giant fists. Just as Super E-Sat was about to deliver a good deal of severe pummeling on Nagato, a robotic hand suddenly grabbed him from behind. He looked and subsequently received a punch across the face by Omega.

As the two mechs fought, Rainbow Dash unsuspectingly glided down next to the girl lying unconscious in a curled up position. Crouching, she put down her backpack then reached for the girl. If by any chance the girl was still alive- even if barely, maybe then something could be done to save her life-

“RAINBOW DASH! DON’T!”

Who the hay-? She immediately looked away.

“GET AWAY FROM IT!” cried the armored figure. She down on the ground, frantically trying to kick her attacker away.

Shock came over Rainbow Dash as the other girl lunged to thrust her firearm’s blade attachment into the armored figure’s thigh. When she felt a stirring movement, she turned back to the girl before her. The girl was getting up, her stoic calmness unsettled Rainbow Dash, even more so at those unblinking eyes. The gaze was hollow, as though devoid of a soul. It did not take Rainbow Dash long to see how impossibly unscathed the girl was either. No blood nor bruises, not even a single sign of physical injuries.

Oh no, Rainbow Dash finally realized, I’m in a lotta trouble, am I?

She took to the air. Asakura shrugged off the injured female Godslayer and was about to go after the Pegasus but gets caught in the subtle glow produced on the ground beneath her by a MagNet whose appearance is identical to Godslayer Watterson’s Resist Shield. Nagato too was ensnared, unable to move in the glow of another MagNet (tribal-stylized outline of a bull’s head).

Watterson and Alkarin revealed themselves to have against all odds survived Omega’s barrage. But then to their utter shock and dismay, Nagato and Asakura started displaying a feat supposedly not possible for human-sized constructs, until now. Through a lot of strenuous effort, the two began moving within the MagNets. Nagato hauled herself up on both feet then trudged out of the MagNet’s confinement.

Meanwhile, a powerful burst from Asakura’s jet boots launched her upwards with a loud boom. She came to a full stop right on top of Rainbow Dash in seconds, taking her off-guard and subsequently delivered a full reverse roundhouse kick to knock the Pegasus cold in midair. As Rainbow Dash plummeted to the ground, she swooped low over the Godslayers, pinning them down with her Spikers.

The cover fire provided Nagato the opportunity to get to Rainbow Dash whom had dropped not far away. She pulled the dazed Pegasus up by her jacket and gave her a sharp stare, momentarily contemplating on the plan and what action she should take next.

The Godslayers’ combined Resist Shields appeared to almost succumb to the continuous onslaught of Ethereal Spikes. Asakura could have finished the three off already, only to stop abruptly at Nagato’s signal.

Then with a smirk, she declared their ultimatum to the Godslayers, “Tell them inside to deactivate the force field! Or otherwise watch as onee-sama dismember this poor pegasus- Cupcakes-style!”

Nagato shoved Rainbow Dash onto her knees, one hand firmly on the shoulder to hold her down, the other holding a double-edged dagger called kaiken, thus forcing the Godslayers to stand down.

“I don’t buy it,” Godslayer Watterson said under breath. “What do we do, Ensign? That thing’s gonna kill her anyway.”

“Let me think,” the minotaur whispered back.

“You all should how know it ended for that Rainbow Dash,” Asakura went on, even as Nagato brought the dagger’s blade threateningly close to her prisoner’s throat.

At that moment, Rainbow Dash was coming to. Iris, so she was telling the truth after all...

“Hey,” she rasped, the same time summoning the remaining strength she had in order to conjure an offensive spell. “You’re pushing your luck.”

“Do not try anything clever,” Nagato warned, unfazed by the threat. “What could a Pegasus possibly do-”

It was pretty subtle but her expression indeed did change to reflect her surprise at the aura that is unmistakably Dark Magic immersing the Pegasus’ wings. She must decide between killing the Pegasus or to proceed with Prower’s plan. The Guardians may have been built as formidable fighting machines by Ruby, still they are vulnerable to magic-based attacks. She opened her mouth, revealing her canines have elongated to become like fangs.

“You’re underestimating me just ‘cuz I’m a Pegasus, huh? Big mistake.” Rainbow Dash clenched her eyes shut and muttered a word: “Corruption.”

Red-black fractal flames exploded about from her wings, blasting Nagato through the air. Asakura shielded herself from the force given off by the explosive aura yet came off unharmed. The aura soon disappeared after which Rainbow Dash dropped into a crouch, wincing in pain.

Watterson, Alkarin and Kurogane were also off their guard, for this is the very first time they have encountered a pegasus capable of such a feat, more so that the aforementioned pegasus is a ‘Rainbow Dash’.

“Come on!” Godslayer Alkarin commanded his two subordinates to follow him. “Let’s take ‘em out once for all!”

As eager he is to avenge May, Godslayer Watterson however felt uncertain about Rainbow Dash. “W-what about her? Should we be worried? Has anything good ever came out of Dark Magic!?”

He was prompted by an angry Godslayer Kurogane with a shove on the shoulder. “Just go!”

Asakura surveyed around for the senpai. But then almost out of nowhere Rosy waded into her with a Super Spin Dash attack. The strike pushed the construct back a little, damage inflicted was apparently negligible. When Rosy returned for a second run, Asakura evaded the attack this time by leaping into side flip. She turned, her firearms brought to bear at the spinning hedgehog. Godslayer Kurogane darted in between them, and used her flying dagger blades to shift the construct’s attention away from Rosy.

Meanwhile, the blast had catapulted Nagato close to the edge of the gorge. She appeared to have suffered a malfunction of sort. Her limbs were all jerky and she was having trouble keeping her balance. Even when Godslayer Watterson and Godslayer Alkarin came charging in her direction, she did nothing, just stood there gawking at them.

Godslayer Watterson skewered her with five arrows released consecutively at point-blank range. Godslayer Alkarin followed up the offence with persistent slashing, forcing the construct back further until she was only one step away from falling off the cliff.

“This is for Proctor!” Godslayer Watterson brought his hands close together and conjured a fireball between the palms. “Fiery Blast!”

Along with Alkarin’s Shockblast, both Tier-1 elemental attacks struck Nagato simultaneously, throwing her off into the gorge.

“Onee-sama!” Asakura shot past them then dived to go after her senpai.

Luckily for Super E-Sat, his arm pistons work just fine which he used to his advantage well, as it turned out Buns have exhausted the ammunitions when it went full barrage on Watterson and Alkarin earlier. Pinned against the surface of the force field, the Omega used its forearms to try block the punches rapidly coming at it. An uppercut from Super E-Sat broke its defense, followed immediately by a flurry of powerful strikes to its torso. Consequently, Omega shattered along the waistline. Its upper half fell off, while the lower torso stood idly, spewing out fuel and hydraulic fluids.

Buns emerged shortly from the cockpit hatch. In a last-ditch effort to beat the black-and-white mech, she fired a rocket at him only to deal superficial damage on his metallic body. Super E-Sat advanced on her, briskly pounding his fists together. His actions intimidated Buns enough that the rabbit dropped the rocket launcher and scurried away from there, without looking back. With that, the battle was over.

Asakura caught Nagato in her arms then twisted to bring herself right side up. The jet bursts from her boots helped deaccelerate their descent until they reached the bottom safely. Nagato’s condition elicited a strong reaction from Asakura. to mull what kind of damage had been inflicted so as to cause such an unusual behavior. She cursed the Pegasus that did this to the senpai and vowed to get back at that pony.

Rainbow Dash held in the sheer pain radiating from between her shoulder blades.

“You picked one helluva time for a visit,” Rosy said, helping the Pegasus up.

“Ain’t exactly my fault,” Rainbow Dash replied sharply. “What’s going on here?”

“Tell you later,” the hedgehog insisted. “Right now, let’s get inside and have Kintobor take a look at you.”

Turning her gaze at the strangers, Rainbow Dash observed the injured female was limping towards her companions. No way she’s still able to walk. Not with a wound that deep. I could’ve sworn that…

She was so certain of what she had saw. The hard thrust should have put the blade right through the bone. Furthermore, impossible as it may seem, bleeding through the sizable gash have stopped.

Who are these weird-looking guys? she wondered. Could they be the friends Iris been talking about?

“Rainbow Dash,” Rosy prompted.

The Pegasus looked back at her friend. “Yeah, okay.”

She rubbed off the temporary stinging pain on her neck before heading off with Rosy towards an opening through the force field. Had Rosy noticed it at the time, there were two small puncture marks on the exact spot where Rainbow Dash had felt the sting. The Suppression Squad’s mission was a success after all.

***

Muffins’ friends came to her room, and surprised her with a load of cupcakes layered with a wide assortment of toppings, each had a different wooden alphabet pick on it that when put together spelled ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUFFINS’. They celebrated in a simple and hasty manner. There was no time for a party. Muffins and Maud Pie later had to get back to their studies for the last exam tomorrow. As for Cloudchaser, she wanted to turn in early in the night to catch the early morning bus to attend an adventure camp co-organized by the Wonderbolts Academy in Rainbow Falls.

While all were enjoying the last of the cakes on the table, Cloudchaser talked to Moon Dancer about Rainbow Dash, when the latter revealed the rainbow-maned Pegasus they saw at the bakery earlier is her classmate. Cloudchaser could not recall ever encountering that Pegasus around campus, perhaps it was in part due to her not living onsite like the rest of her friends.

“There’s not much that I can tell,” Moon Dancer said. “Apart from being an egghead, she’s awfully quiet in class and unsociable. But that isn’t entirely her fault, I guess.”

“Hey, are you two talking about Rainbow Dash?” Muffins joined in their conversation. “Come on, Moon Dancer. I feel sorry for her too. But let’s face it. She’s just not all that interested.”

Rainbow Dash… “I heard that name before,” Cloudchaser finally remembered. “This is unbelievable. How come neither of you ever mention this to me before?”

“Why?” Moon Dancer asked. “Is it such a big deal?”

“Well, yeah!” Cloudchaser was a little ecstatic right now. “I heard she’s a former champion in the Young Fliers, and also the daughter of Rainbow Blaze, a Wonderbolts legend! My seniors used to admire her a great deal. A talented pony like that could have gotten into the Wonderbolts team easy, if she had wanted to.”

“You know this how?” Moon Dancer prompted for more information.

“It’s all rumors,” Cloudchaser admitted. “Word is that the they became estranged because the father put too much pressure on his daughter to follow in his footsteps. So the next thing she did was quit the Young Fliers, ran away from home and never came back. But they didn’t say anything about the magic part. Someone must’ve missed that last part.”

Moon Dancer was dismayed at the revelation. So Rainbow Dash has family problems too. Then Starlight Glimmer came along and made it even worse. This isn’t right. It’s not right that someone under so much stress should cope with it alone. At least, she needs someone to talk to. Someone she can release to. A real friend.

“But if that’s the case,” Moon Dancer went on to ask, “where had she been staying during the holiday breaks?”

“Who knows?” Cloudchaser shrugged. “Anyway, I could do with a new friend. If there’d still time left, I would’ve tried inviting her to the camp with me.”

Muffins however scorned the idea of making friends with Rainbow Dash, no matter how woeful the latter’s life story sounded. “Good luck with that. It isn’t just Moon Dancer she doesn’t trust. She didn’t even make an effort in befriending the rest of the students in Crystal Heart.”

Cloudchaser mulled on the problem. There might be a way.

She turned to Muffins. “Say, Muff. Got anything fun planned for the summer?”

“Oh!” The grey Pegasus pumped her fist and chuckled. “I’m so glad you finally you asked!”

Keeping her enthusiasm under control, Muffins leaped from the bedside and strode over to a corner where there is a whiteboard stand. Placed right next to it is a large box from which she retrieved what appears to be a handheld tracking device, equipped with a satellite dish.

“I’ve been holding this back as I was still working the final touches on the circuitries,” she said. “But now, it’s ready for your unveiling.”

She made a ‘cool’ pose with the thingamajig and declared, “Me and Maud Pie are going on Moebian hunting!”

The Pegasus went on to claim that the device in her hand is a specially designed to track down Moebians via scanning for their unique genetic traits.

Cloudchaser palmed her face with both hands. “Oh, Luna-Celestia. Muff, I like you. But you can get too weird sometimes.”

“And you, Maud,” she went on, looking at the mare just as appalled. “You must’ve got rocks in your head if you’re willing to go on this merry chase.”

“No, it’s not that,” the Earth Pony mumbled, her mouth stuffed with cupcakes. After swallowing them in one go without choking herself, she let out a loud burp.

“It’s just that I think Muffins’ idea- TOTALLY ROCKS!” she immediately proclaimed, whilst performing an air guitar with her hands. “We are going to rock this word to its core!”

“We are going to get medals for this!” Muffins joined in with her partner.

“We’ll be heroes!”

“Yes, we do!”

As the two friends giggled and got engrossed in their fantasy, Cloudchaser proceeded to ask Photo Finish of her holiday plans. “I don’t suppose you’re free all summer?”

“Nee,” the latter lied, playing it cool. “I am helping my parents at ze studio. Azer zan zat, maybe I vill do some more photoshoots.”

Moon Dancer saw through Cloudchaser, that she is planning something. “Cloudchaser, you’re up to something. What’s in your mind?”

“I am thinking that maybe you all and Rainbow Dash would go out for an outing. I mean, what better way to get bonding than going on a trip together, right?”

“That…might work,” Moon Dancer comprehended. “The Summer Festival in Ponyville is coming up soon. I bet she’s never been there. So maybe…”

“Yeah, go for it!” Cloudchaser said to further encourage her.

But then the latter remembered one tiny detail. “Oh, no, no, no… I can’t ask her. She’ll just avoid me again, like always.”

Cloudchaser let out a smirk. “Not to worry. Lucky for you, I got something up my sleeve.”

Maud suddenly came up from behind, leaning so close that Cloudchaser could feel the Earth Pony’s breath on her face. “What? What’s in your sleeve? Is it a magic trick? Oooo, I love magic tricks!”

“Maud,” Cloudchaser urged, her palms pressed against Maud Pie’s cheek and gave a light push, “please get off my face.”

They were back at the same bakery. Cloudchaser had insisted otherwise, but Moon Dancer nevertheless decided to pay with her own money for the boxset of flavored cupcakes.

“Am I to assume a bribe would convince her to become my friend?” Moon Dancer remained unconvinced of the former’s plan.

“Not a bribe,” Cloudchaser affirmed. “Think of it as a gift basket. Rainbow Dash can turn down all your invitations, but she couldn’t possibly say no to sweets.”

“I don’t know…”

“Hey. As I recall, this was what I did to approach Muff. Look at me now- part of the gang.”

“Okay,” Moon Dancer conceded. “I’ll take whatever ideas I can.”

She took the box, then got on to her scooter.

“Remember,” Cloudchaser reminded her. “Start slow. Small talk, then ask her out.”

“Got it.”

After bidding each other goodbyes, they parted ways. Moon Dancer rode back to the college, whereas Cloudchaser walked home, since the apartment where she lived was nearby.

The door partly opened. Iris peeped from behind and even though the coast is clear she still waited for a minute before coming out.

Better safe than sorry, she thought.

Rainbow Dash had reminded her not to do anything that would expose herself but from the looks of the place, the block is almost devoid of occupants, as the midterm break approaches. She emptied the wastebasket into the garbage bin at the end corridor by the stairway and returned to the room immediately afterwards.

“Rainbow Dash? Are you in? It’s me, Moon Dancer! Rainbow Dash?”

There was no answer despite her repeatedly knocking on the door.

Darn it. Why isn’t Rainbow Dash answering? Is she out? Moon Dancer peeped through the keyhole to see that there is light in the room. Huh, did she forget to switch off the lights?

Not wanting to give up yet, she decided to try the door handle. She gave a nudge, then to her surprise the door was actually unlocked. She peeked into the room.

“Rainbow Dash?”

Iris was in the bathroom enjoying a nice hot shower by the time Moon Dancer arrived at the door therefore did not hear the repeated knocking from the outside. Upon coming out, hair and body wrapped in towel, she bolted back in surprise at the unexpected presence of a pony who is not Rainbow Dash standing at the opened door.

Oh gosh, did I forget to lock the door!?

The pony was just as shock, at what she thought is an ‘Overlander’ intruder, accidentally dropping the box in her hands. She was inclined to scream and ran out of there. It was then that it struck to her that the ‘Overlander’ seemed to bear more than a passing resemblance to Rainbow Dash. She covered her mouth, took deep breaths to repress the urge to scream.

“Ra-Rainbow...Dash...?”

She thinks I’m Rainbow Dash? An idea hit Iris at that very moment, one that she hopes could avert a disaster. She cracked a big, sheepish grin. “Y-yeah! It’s me all right! I’m Rainbow Dash! Would ya believe me if I say it was b’cuz I messed up pretty bad with a transfiguration spell that got me this look?”

She held up her palm and wiggled her fingers. “See? I got five fingers.”

Moon Dancer fainted.

BLOOD MOON

It was late evening in Illumina. Rainbow Dash and Cadenza both lay in the midst of a broad field of bloomed flowers, gazing at the clouds awash with pink hue drifting up in the sky.

“Still,” the princess said, “you have progressed further than I could ever hope to achieve myself.”

“Doesn’t change the fact I’m so average,” Rainbow Dash responded sullenly. “Are they really gonna let someone with such a mediocre talent into Magic Arts?”

“Rainbow Dash,” Cadence said, her tone prompted the younger Pegasus to turn her sights away from the clouds, “having the spark alone already makes you very special. No other Pegasus can perform magic like the way you do.”

“You still think I can make a big impact like you said I would?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Cadence said, “There’s a saying, a small stone can trigger an avalanche if it falls in the right place. Have patience and have faith. With hard work and proper guidance, you shall succeed. One day when you’re ready, you will help inspire future generation of young Pegasus to realize their true potential, thereby marking the first step in restoring our race to its former glory.”

Rainbow Dash looked back up at the sky. She closed her eyes, relishing at the thought. If things go well, chances are her name and story might appear in History of Magic textbook for the future generations to read, making her of equal prominence as the likes of Star Swirl, Hayscartes and Meadowbrook- perhaps even surpassing them. Who knows?

“I believe in you, Rainbow Dash,” the princess affirmed.

The moment did not last long. A stern voice jolted them out of their daydream.

“Hey!” shouted a Pegacorn. “Get out of there this instance! Didn’t they teach how to read in school!?”

The public park employee, whose name is Pony-Berserker, stood on the cobblestoned path, his finger at the sign that reads: BE CONSIDERATE. DON’T WALK THROUGH THE FLOWERS.

The panicked princess bolted to her feet, pulling Rainbow Dash up with her. “Oh, we are so busted!”

“But Cadence, you’re the princess. Can’t you-”

“What, you mean to say I can openly use my position as an excuse to get away from breaking a municipal law? Be serious! Crissy’s going to kill me if she finds out about this! Now come on!”

They flew out of there, having got away with it at the end because the dimwitted Pegacorn was busy writing a fine. When he was done, he hastily tore off the paper and to his dismay found himself presenting the fine to thin air.

“What the buck!? No, not again!” Pony-Berserker went on his knees, fists up high in anger. “Curse all of you delinquents who seem to always get away with everything!”

***

Rogue tracked the small blip from the first moment it appeared on radar. The flight-capable Ryoko Asakura was passing over Snively’s province in the return journey from Prower-sanctioned Suppression Squad ops at Grand Forest. Whether it was a success or another failure, she did not know.

But she did notice the beading of the blip looked off. It was not heading out to the west nor the military base from where it departed in the first place, but instead it appeared to be heading in the direction of Prower’s province. Later, she reported the findings to her superior.

Snively leaned back on his chair, weighing the information.

“There is something suspicious going on inside that villa,” he intoned, to which his secretary agreed.

“According to my source,” the latter said, “D’Coolette has expressed his distrust but was ignored by Her Majesty. He harbors suspicions that the kid might be the one behind the divulging of classified intel to Rebel Underground.”

“The recent bombing?”

“Perhaps he wants to make D’Coolette look bad,” Rogue offered her opinion on the motive. “There appears to be a rift going on for quite some time between him and his former comrades.”

“There is only one way to prove whether he is guilty or not,” Snively stated with resolution. “We should give Patch a big hand in his investigation.”

He took a bottle of red wine and a crystal tumbler from the drawer.

“We remove Prower from the picture,” the viceroy continued, pouring the wine into the tumbler. “Once that is accomplished, I have a couple of friends in mind who would make a worthy replacement for the poor sap.”

“What do I get in return for the engagement of this extra service?” A bold demand from a someone who holds no position of power.

Yet Snively was well aware of his secretary’s capability in information gathering. The viceroy held up the half-full tumbler at her.

“My dear, just name your price,” he said, with a self-satisfied smirk.

Fiona had finished all her work for the day, but there is still twenty minutes left before closure time. So she took her time reminiscing her past relationship with Miles. The photos scrolling across the monitor screen were all taken together as a couple on their past dates. It turned out Prower do- or rather, did have a soft side underneath his serious exterior. The only time Prower has ever shown that part of him was when he was spending quality time with his girlfriend. But that was all in the past now.

Utmost anger and heartbroken was what she felt when their broke up abruptly, a unilateral decision made on Mile’s part. Yet her love for the young viceroy has not fade completely. Otherwise, she would not have stayed on to work for him, and those photos should have been deleted long ago.

Switching off her computer afterwards when the clock struck six, she got up ready to leave the office but then came what sounded like a jet engine followed by something landing with a heavy thud outside. The front doors swung open to reveal two humanoid figures she did not recognize.

“What the hell!?” Fiona exclaimed, baffled how the intruders managed to bypass the Mechanaut guards. “How on Moebius did you get in!?”

Asakura ignored her and proceeded to carry Nagato inside.

After pressing the silent alarm button located under her desk, Fiona pulled a gun on them. “Stop where you are!”

“Stand down, Fiona,” Prower.

She obeyed albeit reluctantly. Asakura brought up her senpai to the viceroy.

“What’s wrong with her?” Prower asked upon seeing Nagato’s condition.

“She was hit by Dark Magic.”

“Then it’s beyond my expertise.”

“There must be something you can do for onee-sama,” Asakura implored. “You must help her!”

“Follow me into my lab,” Prower said after giving it a thought.

Only then Fiona recognized the face of ‘adolescent girl’ being carried away by her peer.

“Miss Fox, you may leave,” Prower said. “I’ve disabled the silent alarm and will notify them a false alarm was triggered. Now, have a pleasant evening.”

Those two aren’t Overlanders, Fiona figured on her way out the gate. What are they?

Maybe she will be able to find out soon enough.

Rainbow Dash carefully got off from the examination table after putting her shirt and jacket back on. Dr. Kintobor’s confirmed from the x-rays that she incurred neither displaced joints nor broken bones to the shoulder, despite the force from her attacker’s knee strike.

“How’s the woman doing?” she asked Arial who just came into the examination room

“Mika? She insisted that she didn’t need to be looked at.”

“That’s crazy talk!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed exasperatingly. “Didn’t you see how big the gash is!? The blade that made it was like nearly six inches long!”

“What…gash?” Arial was genuinely confused.

“On the left thigh,” Rainbow Dash replied, the hummingbird’s reaction baffled her. “How could you’ve missed it?”

Arial shook her head. “There aren’t any apparent wounds that I could see. Besides, I’ve already asked if she was sure. She said she just needed rest, a glass of water and nothing more.”

No wounds!? You kidding! “I saw it with own eyes,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “Where is she now?”

“Out in the lounge.”

“Take it easy!” Kintobor warned the Pegasus of her untreated shoulder. “Wait, Rainbow Dash!”

It was too late, as she had already stormed through the swing double doors. Shortly after, they heard Rainbow Dash crying out in pain.

“Can I get you another glass of water?” Zach asked.

Lying on the couch, Godslayer Kurogane declined with a mild shook her head. She looked in agony from holding in the pain as the SHADE worked on healing the deep wound in her thigh.

It was unfortunate but still Zach was thankful that Mika’s injury was not as serious. Things could have gone far worse, as is the case of May and him, wherein they both had sustained life-threatening injuries in their respective battles.

Rainbow Dash and Kintobor came shortly afterwards. True to Arial’s words, Rainbow Dash found to her disbelief that the gash on the female Godslayer’s thigh had gone. She tried to inquire about it but Zach told her that they should talk somewhere else because Mika needs time of peace and quiet to cope with her injury.

The blue feline explained without delving too much into the technical details about the armor’s built-in emergency protocol, how the unique crystalline material that make up the bodysuit’s fibers act an adjuvant to the body tissues’ regenerative capability to speed up the healing process.

Kintobor immediately caught it, whereas Rainbow Dash took time to digest the explanation.

She is satisfied nonetheless and so decided to ask Zach about Iris Dashiell, “Are you familiar with someone by that name?”

The feline’s reaction confirmed it for her. “She’s alive?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “She’s safe, hidden. Thanks to me, though she can’t remain in Crystal Empire for long. So I got a plan. Well, actually not so much a real plan but I think it’s a safe bet that I can get her here without getting noticed by the border guards.”

“Thank you,” Zach said gratefully. Finally, the weight on his shoulders lifted. “Really, I can’t say it enough.”

“Heh, don’t mention it. Oh by the way,” Rainbow Dash said and went on to describe a pony whom Zach recognize as who could only be his Field Master.

“Oh, crap,” Zach said. “Was she captured?”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow Dash said. “But if that’s the case, then there’s nothing I can do to help. I wish I could, but I don’t want to be accused of treason, you know?”

That doesn’t make sense, Zach thought. There’s no way someone like Forte could so easily be caught. Then again, why isn’t she here yet? She’s not even answering her COM. That’s not like her.

During nearly every mission, fate tends to put Forte’s lance through ‘hell of a mess’ type of situations. At the end, he acknowledged that he could not ask more from Rainbow Dash than what she is willing to give. He could only hope his Field Master is still somewhere out there all right, and that she will pull it through somehow- better without having to take Crystal Empire’s forces apart.

Kintobor had spent a good portion of the evening thoroughly reviewing his latest research notes for the final time. Later, he started work on synthesizing an antidote from all the ingredients Arial had helped prepare earlier. In what is the latest of many attempts to treat Rosy’s illness, it had taken all night to finish what he hoped is the definitive cure. However, before the antidote can be administered to Rosy, it is standard requirement that it needs to undergo tests for its efficacy on blood samples taken from the pink hedgehog, which will take a day or two to complete.

Zach sat next to the bedside, quietly looking down at his former Proctor, still unconscious. Patricia’s condition saddened him greatly. All those intravenous insertions looked very painful to him. Her breathing was irregular as though she was struggling for air.

It is a possibility that the Spirit Godslayer would not be able to see action against the Monster and its Guardians since it would take months, probably up to a year, for the wounds to completely heal. Zach really felt bad for unable to avenge her, since one of the constructs that did this to her had survived the assault by him and Alkarin. If the Moebians had gained Nanite tech to resume the Monster’s construction, they surely would find a means to get Nagato repaired.

He looked up at the clock on the wall. It was a quarter past midnight- less than an hour before switching turn with the Ensign in guarding the generators outside the dome force field. He got up and left but not before reciting a short prayer for Patricia.

On his way out, he encountered Rainbow Dash who was getting herself settled on the couch in the lounge area.

“Dude, this is where you sleep?” He kept his voice low so as not to disturb Godslayer Kurogane whom is sleeping on the other couch.

“No,” Rainbow Dash replied in the same manner. “I usually sleep at the clubhouse. But I’m too pooped right now to follow Arial back.”

“Hey wait,” she prompted the feline not to leave yet. “Listen, I’m really sorry about what happened to your friend there. There was…a confusion. I mean, I didn’t know which side is which.”

“It’s not your fault,” Zach assured her. “You got nothing to apologize.”

Relief came over Rainbow Dash. “But, what I don’t understand is, the Suppression Squad supposedly had given up a long time ago. Why the resurgence of interest all of a sudden?”

Zach regarded the Pegasus. “You’re from Crystal Empire, right? You familiar with something called Riddle’s Codex?”

How-? That’s supposed to be top secret. “No,” Rainbow Dash lied, careful not to let the feline detect her reaction.

“What about Precursor Artifacts?”

“Stuffs of legends,” Rainbow Dash replied indifferently. “Magical objects of powerful nature... It is said that whoever possesses one of the artifacts, he or she will be bestowed unlimited power. But seriously, there’re way too many versions of the tales surrounding them for me to remember all the details.”

“Apparently someone out there thinks it’s real,” Zach notified her. “Those guys were trying to find a way in because one is believed to be hidden someplace here in Grand Forest. And somehow they also knew about your queen looking for the artifacts, the same they are.”

How could they know? Rainbow Dash wondered.

Then it dawned on her. If the enemy somehow knew about the codex, then they must have someone spying on Starlight Glimmer. That would mean the Crystal Peace Tower project is now in jeopardy.

Tried hard as he possibly could but Prower could not comprehend the data that came up on the screen.

“Well?”

The fox turned towards Asakura.

“The exact cause of her erratic behavior could not be pinpointed,” he informed the construct. “None of the data returned by the diagnostics scan stacks up.”

Subsequently, neither of them spoke for a while. The construct Asakura was such in a moody state, it is clearly written on her face, a far cry from her carefree disposition.

“There is one method I could attempt,” Prower said, breaking the silence at last.

“I am listening.”

“Your artificial neural architecture isn’t so much different from a biological brain. If you agree, I can build her another body, with an endoskeleton modified to work seamlessly in tandem with the same nanomachines that you four are composed of. Of course, should the ‘mental pattern’ transfer process be a success, keep in mind that the new body is by no means an improvement over the original.”

Asakura weighed the option presented to her.

“Wakaru,” she said at last and went out the lab’s door.

When Rainbow Dash woke up first thing in the morning, she found that the female Godslayer was no longer there at the couch. But she did not think much it. Getting back to Illumina by today was her main concern. So after cleaning herself up, she headed out to Tank’s workshop where he makes and repairs Extreme Gears. Upon arrival, she found that Mika is there as well.

Tank was showing the Godslayer a small alloy plate in his hand. “I’ve exhausted every possible combinations and ratios I could think of. This is the closest I can get it to match the required strength and density. But temperature wise…”

Godslayer Kurogane nodded her understanding. “It’ll have to do since we’re running out of time. I dread to think what may happen if we delay any longer.”

She has every reason to be worried. In many such cases in the past, not long after the main crystal deposit was first discovered and subjected to study by Ethenian scientists, an energized Void Shard undergoing structural destabilization not only emits high levels of radiation, the energy it generates warps and breaches through space around it, causing objects inside the expanding field to spontaneously change location, disappear without a trace or fused together in a gruesome manner.

“So it’s good enough?” the tortoise asked.

“It’ll be okay so as long as the drive isn’t switched on,” Godslayer Kurogane said. “Will it take long for you to fabricate the actual plate?”

“If you have a detailed drawing, I may be able to give you an idea.”

When they noticed Rainbow Dash was at the entrance, Tank greeted her and asked the purpose of her visit.

“I need to borrow one of your boards,” she told him, then instantly changed her mind at the intermittent pained sensation on her shoulder area. “Make that two.”

“Hey, you should rest up more if you’re not feeling up to it,” Godslayer Kurogane suggested.

“I can’t,” Rainbow Dash said. “I promised Iris I’d get back to her by today.”

She was inclined to ask Godslayer Kurogane about her leg’s condition but then decided not to. She did however take this opportunity to study the young woman’s face. The hair and eye color is completely different, but… a part of Mika’s looks sort of reminded Rainbow Dash of her former schoolteacher.

The factory at the fortified Acorn One is a massive structure that lightly mirrors that of Robotnik’s domed construction facility in Mobius. In its original design and purpose, the broad hangar could accommodate up to five Warlord-class airships constructed at a time. Due to its size, the Monster docked inside had occupied nearly all the space in the hangar. Scaffoldings had been erected around it to provide accessibility for the constructor robots.

The whole hangar is abuzz with activity, as it has been shortly after the destroyer’s arrival at the facility. Flatbed cars and overhead cranes moved back and forth transporting parts and installation and repair works were carried out by the constructors. Day and night, these machines worked at fast pace in order to complete Monster on schedule.

Asakura strode across the floor, making her way towards blast doors at the other end. Something is amiss the construct realized as she gazed around. The female supervisor was not around to monitor the construction work. On top of that, where are Konata and Mikuru?

Konata and Asahina waved avidly at the camera. “Konnichiwa!”

“Izumi Konata da! Hajimemashite! (I’m Konata Izumi! How do you do?)”

“Watashi no namae Asahina Mikuru desu. Oaidekite ureshii desu. (My name is Mikuru Asahina. Pleased to meet you.)”

At Nicole’s request, the two let her take pictures of them modeling bathing suits in erotic poses around the beach.

The adjacent chamber behind the blast doors is where the Monster’s core parts and armor covers are being mass-produced. The industrial machines used convert the Nanites are obviously Moebian tech. These were looked upon with disdain by Asakura- noisy, slow and inefficient. Back in her master’s homeworld, a machine of such complexity and size would have taken no more than a day to finish constructing.

All of the lengthy troubles went through throughout the course of helping Prower acquire Robotnik’s Roboticizer technology. That being said, Nagato still gave the young fox a little kudos for doing his studies. Otherwise, he could not have built machineries sophisticated enough to take advantage of the nanomachine’s mimetic properties without their master’s intervention. Not many individuals across the multiverse have been able to successfully figure out the Nanite’s workings like he did.

Asakura keyed in the twenty-digit passcode. She strode in, walked past among the mammoth centrifuges, each one spinning as part of the complicated mechanism to load the Nanites into the in-feed end of the processing machines, and arrived at the row of cargo cases by the wall. Like the blast doors, these cases require access via a keypad. She got one to open, its contents revealed as metal canisters containing the Nanites.

Two of the canisters were removed, but she did not close the hatch afterwards as her attention was suddenly drawn to an air duct at the wall. On all fours, she peered through the grill cover, confirming her suspicion. In order to extract the object hidden in the duct, her fingers liquefied and reformed into long metal claws.

The three of them were now at a small hot spring not far away from the beach.

“Uh… Hey, Konata?”

“Hai?”

Nicole’s face blushed. “Remember the commercial we saw on TV the other day? Can you do me a service one more time? For the camera?”

“Mondai nai (No problem),” Konata winked.

She dipped underwater then reemerged with a big splash, whipping her head to make her hair flip back. Nicole pressed the camera button, after which the she showed the perfectly timed shot to Asahina, both to their gratification.

“Nikki,” Konata was referring to the lynx’s nickname, “junbi dekiteru no? (You ready?)”

Nicole switched her camera’s setting to video mode before training its lens at her companion. “Okay, go!”

Konata alluringly sang, “Timotei, timotei, ti-mo-teiii…!” whilst wringing out her sleek hair into the warm water.

Asahina gushed, “Oooohhh…! Anata ha hontou ni kawaii ne, Kona-chan! (That is so cute of you, Kona-chan!)”

With that, they all giggled, until Asakura showed up all of a sudden.

“Ara?” Asahina nervously said, after noticing the latter’s sweet guise showing signs of faltering. “Nee-sama? Dou shita no? (Is something the matter, sis?)”

Asakura saw what they had been doing, especially Konata’s ‘timotei’ act. She regarded their racy bathing suits. “Ittai nandesuka? Kosupure? (What is this? Cosplay?)”

Delighted at Asakura’s return, Nicole stepped out of the pool and went up to her. “Ryoko! Care to join us? Come on, the water’s great!”

Asakura showed her a bunch of time bombs she held in her hands. Nicole shrieked and bolted back in shock. Her foot stepped on a slippery rock whereupon she fell down on her back.

“I’ve disarmed them all,” Asakura said in a mix of casualness and sarcasm. “As Acorn One’s caretaker, you should’ve ensured tight security around the base. But rather than doing your job, here you are playing about. Now, really I can’t imagine how your superiors would react had these bombs detonated for real.”

“Aaa, daijobu desu yo (Oh, it’s okay),” Konata dismissed the matter with a comical gesture. “Ki ni shinaide, senpai (Don’t worry about it).”

The child-like construct’s attitude unwittingly prompted Asakura to produce in her hand a folded gunsen.

With a deceptively pleasant expression, she said to Konata, “Watashi wa kimi ni hijou ni okotte imasu, Konata (I am really upset with you right now, Konata),” then proceeded to smack her hard in the head with the metal fan.

She pinched Asahina’s ear, grabbed Konata by her hair, then dragged them both out of the pool and back to the base with her, leaving an upset Nicole alone by the pool.

Starlight Glimmer cast down her eyes, hands clenched tightly on her lap. Summoned to the office early this morning, she thought the chancellor wanted to talk to her regarding the codex. But to her mortification, Queen Crisanna instead inquired about the issue of Rainbow Dash’s bullying.

So I’ve underestimated Rainbow Dash after all, the young Unicorn thought. That stupid Pegasus had finally worked up her guts to speak up to the royal sisters.

Starlight Glimmer looked up at the royal sisters, both of whom looked back with piercing stare. She knows fully well that it does not matter how much she is of a teacher’s pet, Crisanna shall have to exercise fair judgement. Unwilling to openly lie in front of the royal sisters, she began her confession, finally revealing the motivation behind her actions against Rainbow Dash.

Moon Dancer sprang up on the bed with a start.

“Was it all just a dream?” she wondered aloud, seeing that she is back in her own room.

As soon as she pulled the blanket off her, Moon Dancer found herself still in the same clothes as last night, and not her pajamas. She got off the bed and it was then the thought finally dawned on her that the female human might not be a figment of her imagination after all. Something did happen last night.

The box of cupcakes and room key on the desk are the final clues Moon Dancer needed to piece it all together. Due to terrible habit of getting the house keys misplaced, she always put the keys inside the drawer for easy finding later on, meaning that someone must have had carried her back to her room after she fainted. It could not have been that hard to locate her room by looking at the key’s tag.

Was she really Rainbow Dash as claimed by the human? Moon Dancer recalled how Rainbow Dash behaved in one instance as if she was trying to hide something in her room. She intended to find out the truth later on.

Crisanna regarded Starlight Glimmer with disappointment.

She spoke to her student, “The reasons you’ve given are not sound at all. I’m not saying they weren’t wrong however. You all were only foals at the time. Ponies at such age sometimes have poor understanding of the consequences of their actions. Besides, it’s more likely than not those you mentioned no longer remember about it as adults now.”

The young Unicorn nodded meekly. “Y-yes. I’m sorry.”

“As for Rainbow Dash,” Crisanna continued, “according to her, she has never met you before for as long as she could remember. So why are you targeting her?”

Starlight Glimmer did not say anything initially. “A-actually… We…came across each other at the same camp…”

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had just arrived at Crystal Heart, a long duffel bag strapped on her back.

“You’re back,” Iris exclaimed, her face beamed with excitement as she came up to the Pegasus. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon! Show it to me! Show it to me!”

“Woah there,” Rainbow Dash said, slightly amused by her counterpart’s childish behavior. “Keep it down, will ya? Sheesh.”

She took one Extreme Gear out from the bag, pressed the safety switch and set the board down between them.

To Iris’ delight, the snowboard-like device levitated few inches short of touching the floor. “Sweet!”

Finally, a hoverboard that actually works. Unlike the total gimmick back on Earth that is the miniature self-balancing two-wheeled sideways scooter that functions nothing like its namesake.

Starlight Glimmer bowed submissively before the royal sisters.

“Please accept my apology,” she appealed. “I also would like to ask for your understanding that my actions on Rainbow Dash were purely for my own selfish reasons. By no means it signified I harbor ill intentions upon Princess Cadenza. My loyalty to the royal family and the kingdom is true and undivided. Should however Her Royal Highness wish to punish me for my foolishness, I shan’t object.”

Crisanna considered the matter. “All right. So what do you think we should do?”

“What- Me!? Cris-” Cadenza quickly corrected her slipup, “M-my Queen…”

Having composed herself, she continued, “You know the protocols. I have no say whatsoever when it comes to dealing with student’s discipline. I brought up the issue of Rainbow Dash’s bullying to you directly in the hope that it may be resolved straightaway, that’s all.”

“Yes, definitely it is up to me,” Crisanna said in earnest. “But since this case concerns Rainbow Dash, I decided to have your opinion taken into consideration. Her apology is largely meant for you, after all.”

Cadenza thought on it for a moment. Though indignant upon learning the Starlight Glimmer’s bullying of Rainbow Dash, judging and punishing the student never came to her mind.

“You want my opinion, here it is,” she said then turned to address the young Unicorn, “Starlight Glimmer, if you really want to apologize, then you should go and say it to Rainbow Dash instead. For your own sake, you have to make it right between the two of you.”

The request stung Starlight Glimmer badly.

Rainbow Dash pressed her finger around the keyhole, as though trying to feel it. She made sure that no one was around in the hallways before taking a booby pin out from her pocket. She held the pin close to her face, shut her eyes and focused hard. Slowly, the pin altered its shape on its own into a key, which Rainbow Dash then used to unlock the door. There was a hard click sound. Then, without hesitation, she slipped quietly into Starlight Glimmer’s workplace.

The archive is a sizable room with wall-mounted bookcases on all four sides. She reached a table across the room, and then for the first time in her life, Rainbow Dash set her eyes upon the so-called Riddle’s Codex. The ancient manuscript was placed under a stereoscopic microscope. On closer inspection, she discovered the text on the browned papers was in a strange language that uses cursive-styled writings. On the adjacent page is a detailed illustration of a green briolette-cut gemstone.

Clutters of papers spread out next to the codex have the same type of writings on it but these are obviously newer, likely written by Starlight Glimmer herself as evident from the bottle of ink and a pen made out of hard-dried plant stem. Rainbow Dash guessed that this must be the version of the texts that is still going through deciphering process.

Now then, she thought to herself, where could’ve Starlight kept all the translated texts?

She gazed around the room. A safe whose door was haphazardly left ajar drew her towards it. Inside, she found what she was looking for. Excitement overwhelmed her as she shuffled through the paper stack.

After finished making photocopies of the texts and putting the originals back into the safe, Rainbow Dash lingered, even though Starlight Glimmer could return to the romm at any moment. She could not leave just yet after the enemy was revealed to have found out about Crystal Empire’s possession of the codex. How they knew, Watterson had no answer to that.

Rainbow Dash clasped her palms together, uttered a short incantation then gestured both her hands towards the floor. A ring of energy spread outwards from the spot she is standing, across the floor, up the walls and finally, it converged on the ceiling into a single glowing orb. Rainbow Dash held out her hands, prompting the orb to glide down and hovered about above her palms. She stared into the orb briefly before whisking it away. The orb then dissipated into nothingness.

“There’s nothing here,” Rainbow Dash muttered in disappointment.

Her Spell of Revelation failed to find anything out of the ordinary in the room.

“Now remember what my sister said about making presumptions, okay?”

“Yes, Your Royal Majesty,” Starlight Glimmer nodded.

Crisanna wrapped her arms tenderly around the depressed Unicorn. “I’ll see you in the next term. Have a good time during the summer break.”

After Starlight Glimmer took her leave, Crisanna slumped back onto the chair and gave herself a good rub in the forehead.

“Aren’t you worried?” Cadenza asked seriously, arms folded on her chest. “It’s like poison. I’m afraid of the effect of such a mentality could have on her health.”

Crisanna said, “I quite agree, Cadence. That’s why I encouraged her decision to take a vacation, so she could take things off her mind for a while. If she is to reflect on her own wrongdoings, then she needs to be at peace with herself first.”

“I did think of recommending her to the counsellor,” she continued, “but we shall see how she fares in the next term before I come to that decision.”

Cadenza sat to rest on the sofa. “Sis, why didn’t you say a single word to her?”

“It is in my opinion that you’re in the better position to advice Starlight Glimmer.”

“I don’t understand. You know that she’ll listen to you more than me.”

“I…can’t.”

“You can’t? Why?”

“I saw it, Cadence. I saw my own reflection in her.”

Cadenza asked apprehensively, “It’s not about us, is it?”

Crisanna shook her head. “It’s more than that.”

“You’re talking about the Moebians,” Cadenza quickly figured. “Sis, I’ve told you many times. You mustn’t let your feelings get the better of you.”

For taking her parents away, she harbors ill feelings for the Moebians just as much. But Crisanna being over-irrational truly worries her. Many times had the elder sister expressed her intention to initiate a pre-emptive strike on Moebotropolis, as part of a deterrent to another attack similar to that had fallen upon Cloudsdale. But Cadenza saw through the guise. As such, both she and Kibitz took pains in their counsel to prevent their queen from stooping so low to the House of Acorn’s level.

“I know,” Crisanna said somberly. She placed a hand on her chest. “But it still hurts inside.”

Starlight Glimmer was now back in the archives, putting back everything in their places rather than continue researching on the codex, being too frustrated after the setback. As of right now, she just wanted to get out of there, go someplace where she could be alone for a while and clear her mind.

All her notes, instruments and the codex were returned to the safe. She reached for the papers inside, the stack’s obvious shift in position due to Rainbow Dash’s inattention earlier went unnoticed. Abruptly, a sharp sensation in the chest made her flinch and dropped to the floor.

Lasted only for a second, it was thus far the worst kind of pain Starlight Glimmer had ever felt, described as a needle piercing into her heart. She could not remember exactly when she began experiencing the chest pain but it has been ongoing for a very long time. None of the doctors she had visited could find anything physically wrong with her heart. Her most recent visit to another doctor she was told that it could be a case of cartilage inflammation. But despite taking the prescribed medicines, the pain would recurred from time to time.

“Darn it,” she wheezed, clutching her chest. “Why won’t this pain go away!?”

“Hello?” came Professor Inkpen’s urgent voice at the door. “I thought I heard a cry in here. Is there someone who needs help?”

Resting on the staircase’s banister leading up to the chancellery, Rainbow Dash read through the first act titled Blood Moon:

Once there existed a kingdom, built around iron, and isolated from the rest of Moebius. Its king, relatively young, was neither the wisest nor the strongest in the family line. But he is tenacious and so always did his very best to rule in his subject’s best interest. If he has one weakness, it is probably the blind love for his consort. A beautiful woman the young queen was, she possessed every trait that make up an elegant lady, save for an insatiable lust for jewelry.

One day, a maidservant, whose name is simply Isabella caught the queen stealing from the treasury. Knowing well that queen’s deed was wrong, as the treasures rightfully belong to the kingdom, she however agreed to keep it a secret after giving in to the queen’s pleas on the promise that her majesty will no longer steal.

Still the queen did not keep her promise. More cunning than before, she kept on stealing to no one’s knowledge, until the treasurer finally began to notice the missing jewels and reported it to the king. In order to save her face, the queen decided to betray the one maidservant who had faithfully kept her secret all this time. And so, she bribed the other maidservants to accuse Isabella of the crime.

On his wife’s advice, the king sentenced Isabella to death by stabbing. The maidservant pleaded innocence but no one would believe her. She pleaded to the queen how she had served her majesty with faith in times of merriment and in times of illness but the queen merely regarded the tearful maidservant with indifference. The execution proceeded, her red blood staining the ground. With her dying breath, she cursed the kingdom seven years of bad luck.

That same night, at the witching hour, the moon in the sky appeared unnaturally big and red vivid as blood. Those who saw the moon interpreted it as bad omen. True enough, disasters soon followed- blights, draughts, diseases, endless wildfires… By the end of the seventh year after the Blood Moon’s occurrence, a cloaked figure appeared before the king and queen to proclaim that an impending flood will soon arrive to destroy them.

The figure offered the royalties a heart-shaped crystal that she claimed could grant them a chance for salvation from the impending doom. In exchange, the queen must confess for her crime against the maidservant wrongly-executed seven years ago. Enraged, the king ordered his guards to chase away the insolent visitor but to his shock, the figure demonstrated her invulnerability with the crystal’s power.

As for the queen, she did indeed confess, for the temptation by the crystal’s brilliance and clarity, its power was too much for her to resist. Retribution however quickly fell upon the queen. The figure removed her hood to reveal she has Isabella’s face, though considerably younger. She cited how her majesty failed to keep her own promise to Isabella, hence in an act of vengeance, the figure too will betray the queen.

Just as the figure predicted, an enormous wave rose over the horizon, rushed through the evergreens and eventually engulfed the whole kingdom. Such is the force of the sweep that entire villages and farms were gone in a blink of an eye. Likewise, the destructive wave stripped the castle of its magnificence and what was left of it was lost in the depths.

Perched above her home under the Crystal Heart’s protection, the cloaked figure watched the wave rush into the inland in aftermath of the kingdom’s oblivion. In no time she found herself in the midst of the flood’s expanse.

“Are you satisfied?”

The cynical voice startled the figure. Out of nowhere, the Daimon had appeared and was sitting right next to her.

“A shallow victory,” the figure admitted solemnly, “but yes.”

“It will be a lonely life for you from now on,” stated the Daimon. “A lonely death will later follow.”

“My mother is dead,” the figure said. “My life felt hollow ever since.”

“From the very beginning,” the figure added after a momentary silence between the two beings, “I never, even for a moment, thought that my mother did anything to deserve what happened to her. Retribution has been served. That’s all that mattered and I can live with that. After all…”

“Yes?”

“Would it not be better for them to perish so that this land be free from those who will follow and share the queen’s wickedness?”

The Daimon looked admiringly at the cloaked figure. “I like the way you think, Mina.”

Then he vanished into thin air, leaving Mina alone contemplating on the watery view.

Having heard somepony calling her name, Rainbow Dash quickly folded the papers and slipped it inside the pocket of her jacket before standing up.

“What are you still doing here?” Princess Cadenza asked her. “I thought you’ve gone back to Cloudsdale.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. “Err…tomorrow?”

“I see. You didn’t happen to run into Starlight Glimmer today, have you?”

The younger Pegasus shook her head. “No. Why?”

“My sister and I had a talk with her earlier,” Cadenza said. “I don’t think she’ll be bothering you from now on.”

“That’s…good.” At least, I hope so.

“Rainbow Dash, listen. I’ve advised Starlight Glimmer to make a personal apology to you, though it was more of an encouragement than obligatory. I hope she does and that you two can become friends. Or at the very least, get along with each other like normal classmates.”

“I dunno,” Rainbow Dash said nonchalantly, eyes off the princess.

“Please try,” Cadenza urged. “Starlight Glimmer and I have had plenty of conversations before. She’s actually someone who’s really enjoyable to be with. Just needs to get past her prejudice by getting to know you better- the current you.”

What does she mean by the ‘current me’? Rainbow Dash wondered. “I don’t get what you mean, Your Royal Highness. If you’re implying she and I had met before, then she lied to you.”

So the princess asked, “Do you remember going to a summer camp in Hallow Shades when you were, say ten to twelve-years old?”

According to Rainbow Dash, Camp Hallow Shades was ‘the worst camp- ever’, from its campers to counsellors. She could remember so little good things that it was overshadowed by all the bad ones. Altogether, as she put it, the whole experience ‘totally sucks’. Due to this one reason alone, she never went to another camp thereafter.

“There was no way I could’ve bullied Starlight Glimmer back then, okay?” Rainbow Dash emphasized. “I would never do such a thing. Yeah, there’re victims all right. I was one of them.”

“So you don’t remember running into her at all?”

“No,” the younger Pegasus maintained. “I’m extra twenty percent sure that she made it all up.” Yup, a lie to cover her own sorry hiney. She’s a bully, and a liar!

Perhaps bringing up the past is pointless after all, Cadenza thought. “Never mind. Forget that I ever mentioned about it. If you can’t forgive and forget, then promise me that you won’t do anything stupid.”

Rainbow Dash pretended as if she did not understand.

“You know what I mean,” the princess said sternly.

“All right...” Rainbow Dash raised her right hand and made the vow. “I, Rainbow Dash, give a hundred and twenty percent assurance that I won’t get back at Starlight Glimmer, no matter the circumstances.”

Satisfied, Cadenza affirmed that the chancellor will talk to the rest of the class after the summer break is over. “Next time, if you’re experiencing any problems in class, speak up. You are an adult pony so I expect you to act maturely.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

Before they parted, Rainbow Dash came very close to disclose the princess the enemy’s knowledge regarding the codex’s existence. But then came the predicament of explaining the source of the information? Is she seriously going to say she came by it from a blue cat whose airship was responsible for the crash in Illumina last week? On second thought, she decided against it.

Muffins tossed her notes on the desk then dropped flat on the bed. The last exam was over, she had eaten lunch and now all that was left is to get the last of her things packed and go back home for the holidays. But first, she decided to take quick doze to relax her tired mind. Before long, a knocking on the door interrupted her nap.

Who could that be? she wondered. Maud? Or maybe it’s Firefly coming over to return my LPs. Finally.

She got up and went to open the door. To her surprise, both guesses are wrong.

“Well, well, well,” Muffins said to the visitor. “This is rather unexpected.”

“H-hi…” Rainbow Dash stammered, smiling hesitantly.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Muffins immediately asked. “Oh, was it Moon Dancer who sent you?”

“Huh?”

“What,” Muffins reacted at Rainbow Dash’s lack of comprehension, “didn’t she came to find you last night?”

“No- I mean, I don’t know. I wasn’t around at the college last night.”

“What really brings you here then?”

Rainbow Dash said, “All right, I’ll cut to the chase. But we should talk inside. May I?”

Muffins agreed and let her in.

“What could be so important that you wish to talk to me in private,” she teased, pulling the chair for her guest to sit on. “The only plausible reason I can think of you coming here is that you’ve decided to join my club.”

Fat chance, weirdo, Rainbow Dash thought cynically.

She took notice of the white board at the corner, covered all over in article clippings, scribbled notes and photos related to conspiracy theories on Moebian activity. Amongst the many photos, she could make out a magnified shot of the wanted white mare in her transforming armor, the Illumina crash site taken from various angles, and a highly pixelated, aerial image of an unidentified airship (the Monster).

Rainbow Dash, having able to think of another way to persuade Muffins, mustered her courage to state her purpose. “Actually, I’m here about Starlight Glimmer.”

Muffins’ expression changed at the mention of the bully’s name but did not say anything, instead waited for Rainbow Dash to explain more.

“I know she came to you, about a lunar eclipse that occurred around…say, sixty thousand years ago.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Hold on, she must’ve eavesdropped on our conversation the other day, Muffins soon realized. We were careless. But from where did she get the rest of the details? “No, never mind. Listen, Rainbow Dash. Whatever is it that you want from me, I can’t help you. I swore an oath of secrecy to the queen, you see.”

“But she didn’t say what it was for, did she? You weren’t told of anything, aside from to comply, no questions ask. Aren’t you a little bit curious on what Starlight Glimmer was working on?”

“Rainbow Dash, please.” The grey Pegasus grew uneasy.

“Surely a mystery fan like you have heard about the Precursor Artifact?”

“W-which one?”

Rainbow Dash made a heart-shaped sign with her fingers.

“The Crystal Heart,” Muffins murmured, recognizing the name of the artifact which the college is named after.

One legend that she is familiar with tells that at one time it was used by Emperor Incitatus to create an impenetrable defense around Trot, prolonging the war with Orion until one fateful day the city was finally brought down by way of a trickery. Orion’s forces seemingly withdrew but left a giant wooden sculpture in front of the city gate. The emperor took the bait and willingly accepted the sculpture as a victory trophy, unaware that the enemy was hiding inside the sculpture’s secret compartment, all poised to strike once they are inside the city.

“Show to me what were you doing for Starlight Glimmer,” Rainbow Dash urged, “and maybe- just maybe, I’ll be able to help figure out where the Crystal Heart is buried. If the artifact happens to be found, I’ll make sure you get half of the fame. What do you say?”

It appeared that Muffins’ curiosity has been piqued but she soon shook the feeling off.

“No,” she uttered decisively. “If what you say is true- Even if the artifact really exists, the task of uncovering its whereabouts was delegated to Starlight Glimmer by order of our queen. We have no right to meddle in their affairs. And more importantly, I don’t want to get into trouble, okay?”

Rainbow Dash felt mildly disappointed by the response but was not about to give up yet.

“Maybe I can persuade you to change your mind with this,” she said and took a bulky box out from her backpack, the Sugar Cube Corner’s logo clearly labeled on it.

Inside is a dozen vanilla-flavored muffins. Not just any muffins though. These are baked in Sugar Cube Corner after all. Filled in the center of each muffin was a generous amount of dark chocolate filling. The subtly sweet, citrus flavor and fragrance of culinary dried lavender sprinkled on top compliments the rich taste of the chocolate.

“You kidding,” Muffins scoffed. “You think you can bribe me with a mere bunch of muffins?”

“Come on,” Rainbow Dash urged. “You say that but you know you really want it.”

And she was right. Muffins was actually drooling over the expensive muffins.

“It’s not just about the muffins,” Rainbow Dash went on to tempt the grey Pegasus. “You love chocolates too, don’t you? Preferably, the Cowbellgian variety. So pure, so rich, its taste is almost indescribable! And not to mention the texture…! Seriously, how often do you get to taste this kind of chocolate? It’s not like every day the Sugar Cube Corner could import the premium-grade ingredient.”

Just when it appeared that Muffins was about to give in, she stood up, strode towards the door, and swung it wide open. “Leave!”

Before slamming the door shut, she said indignantly to Rainbow Dash, “I maybe a quack or a weirdo, or whatever other labels you could come up with. But one thing I’m not, that’s a cheap, undignified donkey.”

Rainbow Dash breathed a deep sigh. That didn’t work out well like I hoped it would.

She opened the lid and nearly tossed the box into the trash bin. Such a waste though. She does like cakes and chocolate, but… Hmm, I wonder if Iris can handle lavender.

“YOU FIEND!!!” Unexpectedly, Muffins dived at Rainbow Dash and tackled her down to the floor, thus saving the good food from getting wasted. “What is wrong with you!? Show some appreciation for food! Do you have any idea how many families out there are poor and starving!?”

“Just wanted to double-check some data on the instruments,” Muffins lied after receiving the keys from the assistant admin. “This won’t take long.”

Lightning Dust turned her sights on the other Pegasus. “What business does a non-faculty member have here?”

The elder Pegasus explained that she recognized Rainbow Dash only because she heard about how the only Pegasus to have ever enrolled in Magic Arts has a very distinctive rainbow-colored hair.

Aside from Princess Cadenza, none of the current generation of Pegasus seemed to care that one of its kin has a talent for magic. One day, the princess always reminded her. It would be far easier to mold the younger generation coming in the future, though the restoration work will still be long and hard one.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Muffins reassured Lightning Dust. “She’s just a friend of mine here to accompany me. We’ll be leaving together right after this.”

“All right,” the assistant admin shrugged. “I trust you, as always.”

Muffins led Rainbow Dash down the hallways until they arrived before a carved double door.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she grumbled as her nervous hands inserted the key into the lock.

The chamber looks to be a study of sorts for faculty students and lecturers alike to conduct astronomy-related research, characterized by depictions of sky maps on the walls and tabletops. In between these stands a machine so unusual in appearance that Rainbow Dash had at first mistaken it for a sculpture.

She followed Muffins past the orrery to an adjacent room where the faculty’s physical archives are kept. Muffins pulled out two pieces of papers from the filing cabinet and unfolded them on the table for Rainbow Dash to see.

“This is what I was making for Starlight Glimmer,” Muffins revealed to her. “It’s what we astronomers call a moon visibility map. Since supermoon eclipse is so extremely rare, I’ve only identified only two such astronomical events within the time frame she’d given me.”

She indicated the darkest shaded portion on both atlases. “The darkest shade indicates the location where the greatest eclipse would’ve been totally visible to observers at the time. One fell over the middle of Great Mobo Ocean and the other one was-”

“Grand Forest,” Rainbow Dash noted. “Is this accurate?”

Muffins had to be frank. “We are talking about tracking the moon’s path over a span of thou tens of thousands of years, using estimations based on limited available data.”

She next showed her the thick manuscript whose content Rainbow Dash viewed as jargon. Not that Muffins cared. It was only to let her know how much effort was put in solving the complicated equations.

“But, all calculations have been reevaluated multiple times to make sure there weren’t any errors in the model,” she told Rainbow Dash. “Probability-wise, this is as accurate as it could possibly get.”

Rainbow Dash carefully studied that specific region of the map. “Hmm, Smoky Mountain is just of north of the place, and…”

She traced her finger down on a spot in the south. If her hunch is correct, then location of the Iron Kingdom is in-

“What’s over there?” Muffins wanted to know what Rainbow Dash was pondering about. “You don’t look disappointed at all. It’s a dead end. Unless you’re Brave Blue, you cannot hope to freely go in and out the place.”

Rainbow Dash smiled inside. Oh, yes I can.

Later on after they were done, the study room was locked. Muffins decided to take this opportunity to ask her, “So, do you live alone now? I’ve heard you’ve been away from your hometown.”

“Who wants to know?”

“Just asking. You staying somewhere here in Illumina?”

“That’s none of anypony’s business.”

“That’s too bad,” Muffins murmured, for Moon Dancer.

Rainbow Dash scowled.

“What was that!?” she asked angrily.

Muffins raised her hands in a disarming gesture. “Woah, touchy subject, huh?”

“Anyhow,” she went on, in a more cautious tone this time, “you should go visit Moon Dancer sometime.”

“Now why would I do that?”

“She’s your classmate,” Muffins tried to make her point. “Besides, you could use a friend. Rather, that’s what Moon Dancer said, since she always thought you looked so lonely...and depressed.”

“She really said that?”

“Yes. Moon Dancer is but anything like Starlight Glimmer. There’s little reason to be suspicious of her motives. I know because we’ve been good friends for a long time.”

“Err… thanks for the bit of insight. I…I’ll think about it.”

As Rainbow Dash strode away from there, she thought to herself, that maybe she should stop pretending that she is alone in class and make an effort to make friends with Moon Dancer. There shall be plenty of time over the holidays to think about mending some fences with her however. As of right now, she should focus on getting Iris out of Crystal Empire safely. Then there is the matter concerning the Crystal Heart…

Under Rainbow Dash’s supervision, Iris maneuvered her Extreme Gear slow and steady, careful not to get too near the edge. It was half past midafternoon and they are on the dorm’s roof. After almost two hours of practicing, Iris was starting to get the hang of the basics on board riding, to her counterpart’s satisfaction.

So far, she had taught Iris on how to keep herself completely balanced on the board and steer using her body and leg movements. By tomorrow, she hoped to take it up a notch by stepping up the speed and teaching her how to maneuver around obstacles. However, to accomplish that, they need to be somewhere with lots of space, far away from prying eyes. As such, she planned to have them leaving the city tonight under cover of darkness and set up camp in White Tail Woods before heading off to Ghastly Gorge.

Iris observed how silent the dual underside fans are, as well as the amount of momentum they are able to generate despite their small size. Understood even less are how the four metal discs between the fans work keep the board off the ground. Iris was not certain whether they are attributed to the Moebians’ scientific and technological achievements or simply, the physical laws in this world work in a different manner. Either way, she was impressed.

When the practice session ended, Rainbow Dash showed Iris how to detach from the Extreme Gear. The special boots are what anchors her to the board by way of a magnet built into the sole and heel.

“Oh man,” Iris was elated, “the people of Earth would be jealous if they could get a load of me right now.”

Rainbow Dash merely smiled, wondering what kind of world Iris came from.

Muffins finished packing all her books and other things into the box. She looked at her watch. There is still time before dorm office’s storage closes for the holidays. She grabbed a muffin from the box (the bribe from Rainbow Dash), slumped on the bedside and took a small bite.

She murmured, “Heavenly,” then proceeded to wolf down the whole cake.

Afterwards, Muffins went over to the window, where several pieces of electronics laid to dry, after Maud Pie had spilled her drink over it by accident last night. All the pieces were back together into the device she showed to Moon Dancer and Cloudchaser. She switched it on to make sure that the handheld tracker is functioning properly. To her relief, it came beeping to life. She frowned at the reader, as it was registering small bumps on its display.

With Iris’ help, everything- spare clothes, toiletries, camping gears and the Extreme Gears, had been packed into their respective bags. Rainbow Dash left the room, bringing the heavy box along with her effortlessly thanks to her Pegasus magic. Along the way, when she stumbled into Muffins. What was mistaken as some sort of weapon carried by the latter alarmed her.

Muffins looked down at the reader display confused then scrutinized the rainbow-maned Pegasus standing before her. The aura enveloping the wings and floating box appeared to be authentic. Not unless they had learned to replicate pony magic. But that’s unlikely to happen…or is it now? One can never be too careful when it come to Moebians.

“What’s your name? Where you’re from?” she questioned sternly, much to Rainbow Dash’s confusion.

“What?”

“Answer the question, please!”

“Rainbow Dash…from Cloudsdale?”

“If you are truly who you say you are, and not a robotic clone, then answer this. What is the relationship between the Wonderbolts’ history and the founding of Cloudsdale?”

“General Fairweather founded Cloudsdale in the year xxxxx. A-and the Wonderbolts was established fifty years later, with Fairweather’s grandson as one of the academy’s founding committee members.”

“Oh,” Muffins said and went on to apologize, “okay then. Sorry about that. Had to be double sure.”

“About what?” Rainbow Dash demanded to know what this is all about.

However, the other Pegasus was no longer listening.

“I just don’t know what had went wrong,” Muffins grumbled to herself, checking up on the device. “The parameters shouldn’t have been this off. Looks like I have to recalibrate the thing…”

Rainbow Dash looked around while waiting by the counter. There were not many students left eating at the cafeteria. Like her, some of them probably have their own reasons for not leaving yet even though it was the last day before the summer holidays. Soon after, her order of two submarine sandwiches arrived. Rainbow Dash made the payment, picked up the sandwiches and turned around.

“What the hay-!?” Moon Dancer appearing out of the blues took her completely by surprise. “Moon Dancer! Why in Goddesses’ name did you show up like that?”

Moon Dancer gave out a mock surprised gasp. “So! You could remember my name this time. That’s a total surprise. Gee, the real Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be able to do that.”

Her sarcasm puzzled Rainbow Dash. “What do you mean by ‘real’? There’s only one of me-” Wait, had she somehow found out about Iris? Aw, that’s bad! Really bad!

“Oh, I see,” Moon Dancer stared and continued, “So you really were messing around with transfiguration magic then?”

“What- No! Moon Dancer, you’re acting weird all of a sudden!”

“Am I?”

“Like, yeah!”

“Or maybe you’re the one who’s acting weird because, you got something to hide.”

Rainbow Dash took a step back from the Unicorn in apprehension. “Hey, I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You sure?” Moon Dancer pressed on. “Why two then? Why bought two subs? Seems a lot for just one pony.”

At this point, Rainbow Dash lost her patience and shrieked, “I’ve had it! If you wanna go on acting like this, sure! Fine! Go join the weirdo’s club! Just leave me alone, okay!?”

She turned away to leave, but Moon Dancer was quick to step in and blocked her path.

“What is it that you want from me, Moon Dancer!?”

“Simple. The truth.”

When Starlight Glimmer arrived, she found the place surprisingly gloomy. She flicked the switches to light up the hallway and the sitting room.

“Hello? Is there anyone home? Moon Dancer?”

There was no answer. After closing the door behind her, she left her bag at the hallway and went straight to set the groceries on the kitchen table.

The house she was in is quite lavish, with its fine decors and the chandeliers, cabinetries and furniture all custom-made. There is a lot of grandiose Southern charm all around the house. Cues have been taken from the Apple residence, as the family who built it had previously resided in Ponyville, and had business dealings with the Apples. Apart from the sitting room, a parlor, formal dining room, study, family room, kitchen and several store and powder rooms fill the vast space of the first floor. There is also a staircase leading to the cellar but it is locked behind the door at all times.

When Starlight Glimmer came back for her bag, she was startled by a figure clad in a black hoodie coming in through the front door. Soon, the figure revealed herself as Photo Finish.

“Photo Finish,” Starlight Glimmer said in a mix relief and exasperation, “can you not wear a hoodie all the time!?”

“Hey!” the Earth Pony interjected. “I do not tell you vat to do in your life!”

Starlight Glimmer had often wondered why the stark contrast of clothing choices outside college but right now she was in the mood to argue with Photo Finish.

“Where’s Moon Dancer gone off to?” she asked, more calmly now.

Photo Finish was just as surprised. “I zout she is supposed to be here after-”

“What is it?”

Starlight Glimmer could not hear it but Photo Finish’s keen sense of hearing enabled her to detect even the slightest sounds coming from upstairs.

“Your ‘friend’ has avaken!” said the alarmed Earth Pony. “And she is turning za place upside down!”

“No, wait!” Starlight Glimmer grabbed Photo Finish’s wrist, preventing her from running upstairs. “Stay here! Let me deal with her.”

“Zen ve go togezer!”

“No,” Starlight Glimmer insisted. “I can handle this. Just a few minutes alone with her, that’s it.”

She stepped ahead of the reluctant Photo Finish, then offered to help with her bag.

“Everything will be fine,” Starlight Glimmer promised. “There’s groceries on the kitchen table. Help me unpack them and prepare dinner. Now go. I’ll come down once I’m done.”

Photo Finish aversely complied, while Starlight Glimmer went up the staircase.

The hallways on the upper floor are as spacious as on the floor below. Altogether, the second floor houses eight bedrooms, a washroom and five bathrooms, all of stately designs.

A bedroom door was wide open. The condition inside the bedroom appalled Starlight Glimmer. Almost all the furniture has been turned over. Drawers pulled out, its contents scattered all over the floor. The fresh clean clothing she provided for the her ‘friend’ was strewn around the room. Starlight Glimmer placed Photo Finish’s bag down on the floor then went to check the other bedrooms whereupon she found them completely ransacked as well.

Oh, this whole mess is going to steam the house owner up…

Forte tore the clothes in her hands into two and hurled them against the wall.

Where is it!? Where are my clothes!? WHY is this even happening!?

Her face was red, mix of fume, embarrassment and dread. Imagine the mare’s feelings when one day she found herself in an unprecedented situation- waking up in an unknown house, and soon realized that someone had stripped her naked because she was now dressed in a nightshirt.

Forte stood up. To vent her anger, she punched at the mirror on the closet door, cracking the glass but not shatter it. A loud gasp came behind her at the subsequent moment, so she turned around. It was Starlight Glimmer at the door, both hands over her mouth, obviously shocked at the violent display.

“It’s you!” It all came back to her now. Forte recognized Starlight Glimmer from the music store, and the very same pony she encountered in the alley. “What is the meaning of this!?”

She shoved Starlight Glimmer out into the hallway, and held her against the wall. “What did you do to me!?”

“Y-you’re fine,” Starlight Glimmer’s voice was quivering, having been taken aback by the older mare’s utter strength and actions, “I haven’t done anything indecent, if that’s what you’re thinking. I swear. And… And you won’t find what you’re looking for anywhere in this house. I’ve hidden it. Only I know where it is.”

“I haven’t got time for this!” Forte gripped Starlight Glimmer’s wrist in a strong clasp. “Where are my clothes!?”

“No, please wait,” the young Unicorn begged. “I saved your life. You’d be right to think I have an ulterior motive for it. But, nothing malicious. I have a proposition!”

“No,” Forte balked, “I do not make dealings with anypony!”

She applied pressure little by little, just so that the Unicorn knows that she was being serious. “Now give me my clothes back, then I’ll be on my way!”

Is this really the same mare I met before? Starlight Glimmer asked herself, just as her wrist began to hurt. “You won’t do it.”

The response took Forte aback. “What-!?”

“You won’t do it!” Starlight Glimmer repeated, sounding firm in the second time. “You’re just trying to scare me but you won’t carry out your threat. Because…because I think you’re not that kind of pony.”

“Darn you!” Forte hissed at her. “Don’t you dare underestimate me!”

Increasingly desperate, she squeezed further around the wrist, eliciting a pained gasp from the young Unicorn. “Tell me! Then and only then I’ll stop!”

Almost crying, Starlight Glimmer begged Forte to stop yet the latter was still not prepared to yield.

She really can’t be this stubborn, the latter thought.

Eventually, she conceded defeat, and her grip on Starlight Glimmer gradually loosened. A look of regret came over her. She had just threatened and hurt an adolescent. Too many times had Forte let her temper got the better of herself.

Her eyes widened, the instant she felt a sharp blade inching close to her neck.

“Impossible,” she muttered.

The pony threatening her with the kitchen knife is Photo Finish, who somehow had managed to crept up to right behind her without a noise. With one hand held tightly on Forte’s nape, the Earth Pony seemed to know what she is doing. Should she yank both her arms, it would result in a clean cut through the throat.

“Believe it, dumpfbacke,” Photo Finish scoffed. “Now you let my friend go.”

Forte complied and released Starlight Glimmer, after which Photo Finish yanked her against the wall, the knife pressed lightly against her throat.

“I told you zis vas a bad idea!” she shouted to Starlight Glimmer, eyes still trained on Forte. “Forget about your plan! Zis pony is obviously dangerous. Ve should hand over her to za autority and be done vif it!”

“Starlight?” When there was no response, she glanced at Starlight Glimmer to see whether she was all right.

Forte seized the chance to swipe the knife away from her then lunged at Photo Finish. A brawl on the floor ensued, with both ponies exerting their physical strength to the fullest in the bid overpower one another.

“Stop!” pleaded the fraught Starlight Glimmer. “You both have to stop!”

Forte hurled Photo Finish off of her via a hard kick in the stomach. The knife slipped off from her grasp upon hitting the floor. Starlight Glimmer attempted to prevent Forte’s escape, hoping she could still reason with her but was shoved out of the way instead. Forte dashed into the corner, only stopping when to her horror, the knife whizzed past in front of her eyes. It struck a wall painting, whereby its blade had lodged into the wooden frame.

That was meant for me, Forte gasped. Celestia, they’re just college students!

Photo Finish grunted her annoyance at the miss and, against Starlight Glimmer’s pleas, quickly went after Forte.

Halfway down the stairs, she jumped over the handrail on to the floor below. Instead of chasing Forte who was nearing the front door, she ran off to the fireplace in the living room.

“Geh sterben!!!”

Forte turned her head back. The sight of a fireplace poker came hurtling towards her froze her dead on the spot. In a split-second the poker should have impaled her below the chest, but something stopped it just at the critical moment. A turquoise-colored magic aura wrapped around the poker, had prevented it from going no further than touching the nightshirt’s soft fabric. Starlight Glimmer summoned the fireplace poker up to her.

“Starlight!” Photo Finish exclaimed, notably angry at her friend’s action. “Vat do you zink you are doing!?”

“I don’t know whom I should be more afraid of, you or her,” Starlight Glimmer said back to her. “Where did you learn to throw like that?”

Forte dropped to the floor, panting in disbelief at how close she came to a painful death. Even in the state of shock, Forte was still able to think straight- She’s dead serious on killing me. I need to get out of here!

Even as she reached for the knob and pulled herself up, Photo Finish marched up to her with a porcelain umbrella vase at the ready.

“Photo Finish, no! Don’t!” Starlight Glimmer shouted her protest, which Photo Finish yet again ignored.

The blow slammed Forte’s head against the door, with the vase shattered into pieces a result. Her vision went dark immediately.

THE HUNT

Author's Note

Tarpany = Tarpan + Germany

THE HUNT

“The woodlands behind the college will only take you as far as Gait City. From there, you still need to pass through its vast suburban neighborhood to get to the city limits.”

Moon Dancer was saying things that Rainbow Dash already knew.

“Though, it won’t matter now,” the Unicorn added.

“What do you mean?”

“The place may be dead past midnight, but I’ve heard news that-”

***

Few days earlier…

After the transaction was closed, Silver Spoon with a professional smile said to Applejack, “Thank you for your business. We really appreciate it.”

Afterwards, the fancy Southern Earth Pony could not help but enjoy talking big to her henchpony, Flim and Flam, who carried a statuesque marble sculpture out the store.

“Careful now!” she sounded derision. “Dis here is custom-made specially for de upcoming Summer Fest Gala! Ah want de mayor and ever’pony present to have a good impression of me, once dey see how much trouble ah went through to make dis year de best gala ever.”

The brothers rolled their eyes in annoyance as they moved across the sidewalk towards the awaiting carriage.

“A’ll have ya know dat ah paid quiet a hefty sum for it,” Applejack went on. “Shame if ah had to cut all y’all’s pay for dis month just b’cuz somethin’ terrible happens to-”

Vinyl Scratch emerged from another sidewalk at that point, glancing back as though she was running away from someone. Since the store is located at a corner, she collided head-on with the sculpture and fell onto the pavement along with it.

“Nooo!!!” Applejack cried in horror at the state of her super-expensive sculpture. “Mah beautiful sculpture!!!”

Vinyl Scratch reacted to the uniformed polices’ arrival by quickly springing up on her feet, then going by only her instincts, used her Unicorn magic to pick up pieces of the broken sculpture and hurled them straight at her pursuers. As Officer Trotter and Officer Fluffles lay hurt on the pavement, Vinyl Scratch made a run for it. Silver Spoon came out from her store shortly, having heard the commotion. She gasped at the sight of two unconscious police officers in front of her.

Just then, what appeared to be a fireworks rocket exploded over the skyline into sparks of blue, pink and purple, that in turn displayed a message: NO ONE CATCHES DJ PON-3, EVER! :P

Applejack reacted to it with full fury. “She will pay!!! Send word out to Braeburn, Big Mac and Apple Cobbler. Ah want dat mare hunted down and brought to me alive!”

“Ain’t that going little too far, ma’am?” Flim asked, as he and Silver Spoon tried to help the officers.

“Besides, that message was probably meant for the cops,” Flam said.

Applejack however was not listening. “Mark mah word! Ah shall be avenged!”

***

“The police took issue of their fellow officers assaulted very seriously,” Moon Dancer explained to Rainbow Dash. “Right now, a joint-patrol with the army is being conducted in the area. And the presence of bounty hunters isn’t helping the situation either.”

While the two ponies talked, Iris remained quiet. When Rainbow Dash returned, unexpectedly with Moon Dancer, Iris tried to apologize and explain herself. But Rainbow Dash refused to listen. She had not said anything to her after that, but Iris could tell that the Pegasus is really, really, really pissed with her right now, despite the fact Moon Dancer seeming want to help them, whatever her reason is.

“So, what now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Moon Dancer pulled up the cuff of her sweater’s sleeve and took a quick glance at her watch. It was then that Rainbow Dash noticed the timepiece was the expensive kind of brand, made of gold alloy and encrusted with tiny gems.

“Two hours from now,” she said. “Wait for me outside the eastern side of the fence. By then, I’ll have a carriage waiting to pick you up.”

Still suspicious of Moon Dancer, Rainbow Dash asked her, “Why would you wanna help me?”

“Why would you help her?” the Unicorn asked back, referring to Iris, whom she absolutely has no idea what to make of.

Rainbow Dash held up her palms and said, “Okay, you win.”

Rainbow Dash looked at the time. Welp, this is it. Moon Dancer better keep her word.

She went out and switched off the lights to darken the corridors and stairway. Then, together with Iris, they sneaked out of the dorm building and secretly made their way towards the eastern fence as told, careful to avoid the lights from the lamp posts. Keeping close to the fence, the two went behind a small house where the gardeners kept their tools for storage. Held true to her words, Moon Dancer was waiting outside the fence along with the vehicle that she had promised them.

Rainbow Dash helped Iris in tossing the bags over the fence for Moon Dancer to catch and stashed them into the carriage. When Iris asked for the last bag, Rainbow Dash declined, deciding to hold on to it because that particular bag contained the Extreme Gears. If something happens to the boards, she will have to take responsibility and answer to Tank.

Iris climbed over fence, whereas Rainbow Dash exited through the main gate. The guard at the security house questioned her why she had decided to leave at such late hour. The Pegasus casually replied that she will be staying at a friend’s house nearby for the night before traveling back together to Cloudsdale. The guard bought the explanation.

Moon Dancer picked her up by the corner of the eastern fence, and so begins the journey to what she referred as a ‘safe place’. Iris lay on the back seat, keeping herself low as to as not be seen by passing vehicles. She did not like the experience- the occasional bumps, the frequent stop-and-go motions, the swaying motion when the carriage turned and the bright city lights coming through the windows, all made her dizzy and nauseous.

“All the western boroughs are probably covered,” Moon Dancer said, eyes kept on the road ahead. “We’ll have to use the southern route to bypass the security checks.”

“But where are we going, exactly?” Rainbow Dash pressed the Unicorn, the notion of the a likely trap lingered in her mind.

“Like I said,” Moon Dancer braked to make the vehicle come to a slow stop at the traffic lights, “safe.”

The road journey to the city limits took another hour but they were not in the clear yet. Vast residential areas lined up both side of the rural thoroughfare. Iris was still lying in the back, dizzier than before. Had she was able to sit up and take a look, Iris would have seen how beautiful Illumina actually is at night. The combination of its unique architectural style, colorful crystal lightings and mechanical contraptions that would fit pretty nicely in a steampunk or magitek universe painted a fantasy feel on the surroundings.

“Can I get up now?” Iris asked when it became apparent that they are now far away from the city.

“Yea,” Rainbow Dash replied her. “You okay back there?”

Iris slowly sat up, a hand on her forehead

“No,” she said, holding in the urge to throw up.

Moon Dancer flinched in the driver seat, alarmed. “What is it!? Is it infectious!?”

“Course not,” Iris said. “I’m just dizzy.”

Both she and Rainbow Dash did not know where they are now. It was dark outside the window- no street lightings, no houses, only illumination from the full moon in the sky. Rainbow Dash was not sure which way they are currently heading as all sense of directions had been lost after countless turns and curves.

On such long journey, Iris wished they could play some road trip games, but it was night.

“Soooo boooo-riiiing,” she whined. “Are we gonna get there soon?”

“No,” Moon Dancer said flatly.

“Is it far away?”

“Yes.”

Every after a while, Iris asked Moon Dancer the same question: “Are we there yet?” which the Unicorn coolly replied with the obvious answer every time. This went on for the next hour during which her repeated question was getting on Rainbow Dash’s nerves.

The Pegasus came so close to scolding Iris but then astonishment came over her at what she saw up ahead. “Is that…?”

Past the huge brass fences, is a two-storied country house, built atop a small conical hill, its grand magnitude and traditional architecture visible thanks to both the moonlight and garden lightings.

“I welcome you to my family retreat house,” Moon Dancer said. “This is where my family usually spend the time during summer. But don’t worry. They all are away on business trips so won’t be back until next week.”

“Moon Dancer,” Rainbow Dash gasped, “your family’s rich!?”

There was nothing in her manner or appearance that could have indicated that Moon Dancer is from a wealthy family. Save for the fancy watch.

The Unicorn gave Rainbow Dash an eye. “What, anything wrong with that?”

Starlight Glimmer was not having any luck with Fortepiano. The hornless Unicorn had refused to be spoon-fed nor talk to her. She just sat on the bed, sullen, unmoving and there was a far-off look in her eyes. When she had come to, her hands were already tied up and head covered with a large bandage. It was Photo Finish who did the ropes. Starlight Glimmer had objected to this but the Earth Pony mentioned Forte’s act of aggression earlier as justification.

“Please,” Starlight Glimmer pleaded, “you haven’t eaten for days.”

“The spell was only meant to last a day,” she added. “I honestly don’t know why it took you only now to wake up.”

The young Unicorn looked towards the window at the faint sound of a motor engine followed shortly by the iron gates opening and closing.

That must be Moon Dancer, she guessed.

Photo Finish came to the door to greet who she expected is just Moon Dancer. Much to her surprise, she found the Unicorn not alone. Rainbow Dash was not the problem at all.

“Vaz zur teufel!?” Photo Finish exclaimed. “Moon Dancer! Vy is zeir an Overlander vif you!?”

Red immediately came over Rainbow Dash’s face.

“I thought you said this place is safe!” she angrily said to Moon Dancer.

“It is,” the latter maintained.

Rainbow Dash fumed. “How could it be ‘safe’ when there is another pony in the house!?”

“Moon Dancer, why is she here? And...who...is that?”

Rainbow Dash had no problem recognizing that voice. She looked towards the staircase and sure enough, there she was, Starlight Glimmer, her bully in college, as dumbstruck as she is.

“What the hay is going on here!?” the Pegasus demanded an explanation.

“You two are harboring fugitives,” Moon Dancer pointed out with a scornful remark. “And you’re asking me what’s going on? Puh-leez, don’t make me laugh.”

“Fortepiano?” Iris spoke up. “You mean she’s here? Where is she? Is she okay?”

When met by confused stare from the ponies, she said, “Y’know, blue hair, white skin, and talks in a, what’s it called? ‘Hackney’ accent?”

“Verdammt!” The agitated Photo Finish turned to Starlight Glimmer. “Zat Unicorn is wif za Moebians! I told you she is trouble! Let me vack zem bof now before zings get vors!”

“Would please you stop it, already!?” Starlight Glimmer angrily objected. “There will be no ‘whacking’! Now or ever!”

Whacking!? The word prompted Iris and Rainbow Dash to exchange worried glances.

“It’s already too late to back out, you know,” Moon Dancer had correctly interpreted the look on their faces. “I promised you a temporary safe place to hide in. This is it.”

“So,” Forte spoke, “you aren’t dead after all.”

Iris showing up at the door took her by total surprise. Last time she saw the brunet, she forsook the girl to her fate, choosing instead to prevent a large of piece from The Catgirl from causing collateral damage to the city’s urban center. At first, she thought the blow on the head had messed up her mind, causing her to hallucinate.

Geez, would it kill ya if you’d say something pleasant to me for once? “Yea, happy to see you too,” Iris said bitterly as she walked into the bedroom. “Gosh, what happened to you?”

After putting down her bag, she looked over the rope tied around the Forte’s hands and tried to undo the knots but found it too strong. “Geez, I can’t undo these. It’s way too tight. Maybe Rainbow Dash can help.”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah,” Iris said, as she walked over to the windows. “I was lucky enough to get a little help from her. Ended up hiding inside a college dorm for the past few days before finding a way out of the city. Long story actually.”

Outside the window, she could see Moon Dancer, Rainbow Dash and the Earth Pony with the funny accent discussing- actually, it was more like arguing, among each other out in the front yard garden.

Huh, ain’t that ironic, Iris thought, recalling that something similar like this had happened before. (Dreamfall- Iris Rising Act)

She turned back to sat beside Forte. “Hey, where’s your SHADE?”

Forte shook her head, remained quiet.

“Seriously?” Iris smirked. “You lost it? Come on, that is so lame on so many levels. For someone who could take on a whole armada of-”

She suddenly remembered what Zach said about never pick a physical fight with Forte because her bite is actually worse than her bark. “N-never mind. Sorry.”

“Why are you here actually?” Forte demanded to know.

“We’re making a stopover,” Iris replied, “Believe it or not, Rainbow Dash’s taking me to where Zach is.”

Then she saw the Unicorn’s expression changed.

“I’ll have a talk with her,” Iris promised. “I’m sure she can help us sort out this mess.”

Forte frowned. “Why? You and I know both know we don’t like each other.”

“You’re right,” Iris acknowledged it. “But after what Zach…and Perris, had done for me, I owe it to them. I’d be damned as hell by them if I turn my back on you now.”

Somehow Forte believed her. Something about the girl’s look that made her so believable.

Was this how she gained Zachary’s trust then?

Her stomach made a growl. Iris noticed on the desk a bowl of soup that had gone cold. So she took the sandwich that was meant for her dinner out from her bag then offered it to her. Forte hesitated at first but after a little encouragement on Iris’ part, she accepted it with a gracious “thank you”.

Outside, Starlight Glimmer stood motionless by the door, having overheard the whole conversation. She breathed deeply, then came in and pretended to be surprised at Iris’ presence.

Without hesitation, the girl faced up to her. “Hey, you! I don’t know what your game is. But I need you to let go of my friend here. Whatever happened between the two of you, I’m sure we can talk it over.”

“Fine,” Starlight Glimmer yielded.

With the use of her magic, the knots came loose- surprisingly easy. The rope carefully pulled away from Forte’s hands, rolled itself up, and when it was done, Starlight Glimmer took the neatly bundled rope in her hands.

“You can go any time you want,” she said coldly, “and I’ll make sure Photo Finish won’t stop you.”

“I still need my clothes back,” Forte lightly demanded.

“It’s not here,” Starlight Glimmer maintained. “You’ll have to wait till I return to Illumina to get it.”

“See that you will,” Forte ended the discussion and proceeded to take nibble on her sandwich.

After picking up the bowl of cold soup off the table, for the sake of being courteous Starlight Glimmer asked Iris, “Are you hungry? There’s plenty of warm soup in the kitchen.”

Iris wondered whether she should accept the courtesy from a pony who bullied Rainbow Dash and held Forte prisoner.

“Well?” the Unicorn asked impatiently.

“Du spinnst! (You are crazy!)” With that, Photo Finish stormed back towards the house.

Rainbow Dash turned back to Moon Dancer, exasperated. “What did she just say to me!? It was an insult, isn’t it!?”

The Unicorn ignored the question.

“How long have you been doing this?” she pressed the Pegasus to answer.

“Moon Dancer,” Rainbow Dash said calmly, “if you truly wanna be my friend, then please help me by keeping this as a secret. If you’re willing to do it for someone like Starlight Glimmer, surely you can do the same for me.”

“We’re not just talking about you helping a Moe- a foreigner get to the border,” Moon Dancer reasoned, “you’ve actually been in Grand Forest! You know the consequences. You know you are close to the queen and the princess. You could be branded as a traitor.”

“They don’t have to find out,” Rainbow Dash interjected, “so as long as we keep our mouth shut.”

“For your sake, I won’t breath a word,” Moon Dancer said, still put off by the Pegasus’ stubbornness. “Starlight Glimmer too since she’s the same as you. Photo Finish will need some convincing but I think she’ll come around eventually. But, you. One day you might slip, if you keep on doing this.”

“I won’t, okay?” Rainbow Dash promised. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Wow,” Iris said after slurping on her spoon, “this is pretty good.”

The soup contains green peas, leeks and potatoes. What other ingredients were added to make the broth, she did not know, only that it is very tasteful and creamy.

Sat right across the table was Starlight Glimmer.

“This...Fortepiano,” she asked, “is she really your friend?”

“If you mean by real friends, then no,” Iris replied. “We actually met by chance. Our relationship…is kinda complicated. Something like a love-hate relationship, but not at a personal level.”

“Who’s Zach and Perris?” Starlight Glimmer asked without hesitation.

Iris raised her eyebrows at the Unicorn. “You were eavesdropping on us? What’s it to you?”

“I’m not being judgmental,” Starlight Glimmer said. “I wish to know more about her.”

“I’m sorry, but-”

An obvious angry Photo Finish abruptly interrupted Iris. “Vat are you doing, Starlight!? So zis Overland is za guest here now!?”

Behind her was Rainbow Dash, apparently not fond of seeing Iris together with her bully.

“Hmmm, something smells good!” came Moon Dancer’s voice from the hallway. “What’re you guys having?”

“Erbsensuppe,” Starlight Glimmer replied.

Moon Dancer came into the dining hall with a delightful look. “Nice! You know, Photo Finish. I really missed the taste of your mom’s cooking.”

She then told Starlight Glimmer to pour one bowl each for her and Rainbow Dash before going upstairs to clean up herself and make a quick change of clothes.

It was not long until her angry screaming voice was heard upstairs. “Starlight Glimmer! Photo Finish! Get up here now!”

Starlight Glimmer hurriedly set the bowls and the big pot on the hot pads on the table.

“Help yourselves,” she said to Rainbow Dash and Iris then hasted with Photo Finish out of the dining room.

“Explain to me why is there a broken mirror in one of the rooms!?” Rainbow Dash clearly heard Moon Dancer scolding the two ponies. “And what’s with the hole in the painting!? How am I supposed to explain that to my parents!?”

Oh, this is all backwards! the Pegasus thought, at the ironic situation where Starlight Glimmer holds sway over the rest of the students in Magic Arts class, whereas in this house, Moon Dancer is the master.

She sat right next to Iris. “Hey, what did you and Starlight Glimmer talk about?”

“Nothin’,” Iris replied frankly. “She was just curious about me, like how you and Moon Dancer were.”

Rainbow Dash folded her arms and gave Iris a crossed look. “Well, if that liar ever tell you something about me, don’t take her word for it.”

“Hey, it’s not like I wanna have anything to do with her anyway,” Iris said before getting back to her soup.

At the balcony, Rainbow Dash easily recognized the gleam in the distance as the city lights from Illumina, meaning that they are not quite far off from the city edge.

Forte appeared shortly, a robe donned over her nightshirt. “Rainbow Dash, why can’t we talk inside? It’s rather chilly out here.”

Rainbow Dash used her magic to close the slide door right behind Forte.

“Sorry,” she said, “but I can’t risk anyone eavesdropping on our conversation. Not even Iris knows about this.”

“What exactly is this about?” Forte pressed.

“Before that, I’d like you to know that this isn’t Iris or your friends,” Rainbow Dash earnestly told her, “It just so happens I saw that portal that you came through. I don’t know what you guys are doing here, but whatever it is, I’m pretty certain it has something to do with the strange airship I saw passed over Grand Forest.”

She managed to figure it out, but what this could possibly mean for us?, Forte pondered.

Every universe the Godslayers went they either find trouble, or trouble finds them. All the past missions could have gone easy had all the locals they encountered were not that so prejudice on their presence. Some were willing to ally with them, after going through a lot of effort to gain their trust. Others did not distinguish the Godslayers from the Nanites machine constructs and tried to obliterate them altogether, thus the need of secrecy, cover stories and support from covert Spirit Godslayers.

The Pegasus gave her an expectant look, saying, “When Watterson queried about the Precursor Artifacts, it makes total sense why the Suppression Squad recently showed up at Grand Forest. It was a battleship that I saw, am I right? No doubt their queen (Alicia) wants the artifacts as a power source for her new war machine.”

Forte was not inclined to confirm nor deny that, so she pressed Rainbow Dash to get to the point.

I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. What I’ve said and done to you before was stupid and unwarranted. Let’s put our differences aside. I hope these words will make amends, and we can be the best of-

Startled, Starlight Glimmer stopped writing then looked up at the person standing at the kitchen entrance.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Iris apologized, clearly not expecting to see anyone there at two in the morning. “I was thirsty, so I thought I’d come down here to find something from the fridge.”

Starlight Glimmer hastily folded the paper and put it inside her pocket. “S-sure. Be my guest.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Iris asked, pouring the carton of juice into a glass, “whatcha writing about that made you up so late at this hour?”

“That isn’t relevant to you, now is it?” the Unicorn frowned at her.

“Fair ‘nuff,” Iris acknowledged.

“So listen,” she said, after finishing her juice, “since Rainbow Dash is staying as guest here now, I’d appreciate if you don’t try pull any stunts on her like you did at the college.”

Starlight Glimmer let out a groan. “How much do you know about that?”

“Only as much as what I saw with my own eyes,” Iris being totally frank. “Rainbow Dash never said anything to me, probably b‘cuz she guessed you’re not worth mentioning.”

When the Unicorn appeared to take offence by what she had just said, Iris pondered to herself, Can I really do this? Unlike Twilight, I could end up making a mess of things.

Regardless, she went on to sit right next to Starlight Glimmer and said to her, “Karma is a bitch, y’know.” Man, if dad was alive to hear me say that word, I’ll never hear the end of it…

“What-?” Starlight Glimmer had absolutely no idea what that phrase means.

“I don’t know what’s the reason behind you being mean to Rainbow Dash,” Iris said, “but it’s just gonna lead to unending cycles of abuses and reprisals. When what goes around comes around, it can escalate into something so big, so difficult it’s almost impossible to fix.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Starlight Glimmer asked suspiciously.

“Like her, I used to be harassed by a bully in school,” Iris confessed, “then later I lost myself and became one. I was self-centered and hypocritical. If you could see what I’ve done to those who’ve wronged me before, only then you’ll know how real ugly revenge is.”

“I know how,” Starlight Glimmer revealed, “but you’ll have to give me your full trust.”

“Is it like a memory spell or something?” Iris asked, wary.

“It’s called ‘mind-sorting’,” Starlight Glimmer explained. “It allows me to delve deep into the deep layers of your mind- thoughts, emotions, memories, including those hidden in the subconscious.”

“Problem is,” she added, her cautious tone alarmed Iris, “since this is self-taught, that’d make you sort of a test subject. It’s a final year subject so officially, I’m not supposed to use it yet.”

“This is gonna hurt, isn’t it?” Iris asked with a grimace, recalling the time she had experienced the mother of all migraines right after being subjected to Princess Luna’s memory spell. (Dreamfall- Dreamfall Act)

“Most likely,” the Unicorn admitted.

Iris rolled her eyes. “Urgh, do it.”

After closing her eyes and bow her head a little as instructed, she tried to put herself in a total relax state, as the Unicorn put it that in order for the spell to work, she must not resist the caster entering her mind. Starlight Glimmer did the same, her index and long fingers placed on Iris’ temples. She muttered a short incantation, her horn glowed in a subtle turquoise-colored aura and thus began the process of delving and navigating through Iris’ memories. Later on when it was all done, Starlight Glimmer held Iris close to her as the poor girl was coming down with a headache.

“Uh, my brain feels like mush,” Iris moaned. “No more. This is the last time I let anyone into my mind.”

“I’m sorry,” the Unicorn sincerely apologized. So you came from an alternate reality, and you are…her.

The next morning in Knothole, Luger received an unexpected visit in his home from another village leader. The discussion with Penelope the Platypus was long and tense as they respectively made their stand. Julie-Su after serving drinks for the guest, decided to eavesdrop on the conversation from the kitchen. Even though she wanted to know as the topic concerns her half-brother and sister, it was not her place to get involved when it comes to official business. After Penelope had left, only then she came out.

Luger slumped into his favorite chair, both hands massaging his temples from stress.

“That puts today’s plan on hold,” he complained. “What is wrong with those two? It’s as though all the trouble they’ve caused here weren’t bad enough. Now they’ve dragged in the other villages with the stupid bickering of theirs.”

After picking up the empty glasses from the table, Julie-Su regarded her father sympathetically. “You should attend to get it sorted out before things turn for the worse. I’ll go talk to Kintobor on your behalf.”

Luger said, “You don’t understand, Julie-”

“It’s okay,” his daughter affirmed to him. “I will make sure he receives the message, father.”

Rainbow Dash and Iris both came into the kitchen. Moon Dancer and Starlight Glimmer were already at the table but the latter had just finished her breakfast. On the way out, Starlight Glimmer ignored Rainbow Dash, feeling the time and circumstances were not yet appropriate for her make the apology but she did make a curt nod at Iris to which the latter tactfully acknowledged. After the two guests sat the table, they were told by Moon Dancer to help themselves at the big bowl of porridge on the table.

As she scooped the porridge into her bowl, Rainbow Dash regarded oddly at Photo Finish. She clearly remembered her not just because of the exaggerated accent, but also the many times the Earth Pony, together with her assistants- Pixel Pizzaz and Violet Blurr, seemed to pop out from of nowhere, randomly taking photos of students around the college, regardless whether there was a special event or not. Her unorthodox methods and blatant approach tend to annoy the subjects she takes photos of, Rainbow Dash included.

No way, the Pegasus thought disbelievingly. Photo Finish might be a wacko, but not a...

“What is this?” Iris asked, after taking a spoonful of the ‘weird’ porridge.

Though described as porridge, it was cold like eating breakfast cereal but instead of dairy milk, coconut milk was used, added with chocolate flavoring. Aside from the walnut and coconut flesh toppings, she could make out the taste of maple syrup and vanilla as well in the milk. While not exactly unsavory, the meal still felt weird to her taste buds.

“Crushed sunflower seeds,” Moon Dancer replied. “This type of breakfast is famous in Tarpany.”

“Tarpany? That’s your home country?” Rainbow Dash asked Photo Finish who was at the sink washing kitchen utensils.

“My mutter’s,” the Earth Pony answered nonchalantly.

Sounds close to Germany, Iris figured. That kinda explains the accent.

She decided to speak, hoping to learn more about her hosts if she could. “Can I ask? How did you two knew Starlight Glimmer?”

“Oh, actually she’s a foalhood friend,” Moon Dancer replied, a revelation which floored Rainbow Dash.

“Vas,” Photo Finish quickly corrected her friend. “Zat vas zen. Only because she needs our help, zat she vould come looking for us now.”

“Photo Finish, please!” Moon Dancer said to try calm the sudden tension.

“Vell I am sorry,” the Earth Pony put down the knife she was washing then gave them a fierce look, “but it is za truf!”

This was the first time Rainbow Dash ever saw Photo Finish without her shades on. On top of that, there was something about those eyes that made Rainbow Dash suddenly anxious. Somehow, that sharp stare of hers hinted something frightening about Photo Finish.

What if I’m right? Rainbow Dash fretted. After she found out how Fortepiano got the bandage on her heard, after seeing how eager she wanted to ‘whack’ Iris... Seriously, what if Photo Finish really is a homicidal maniac?

Starlight Glimmer did not expect to bump into Forte on the way to the front door but that was exactly what happened as the latter had waited for her by the stairs. Upon informing that she has finally agreed to her request, Starlight Glimmer’s eyes gleamed with joy.

“But what made you changed your mind?” she still wanted to know.

Forte recalled what Rainbow Dash told her last night: “To be honest, I don’t give a darn about that mare, but since this concerns the safety of Crystal Empire. I went to check out the her workplace. It was clean. So I think whoever’s spying on Starlight Glimmer is following her around, watching her from afar.”

When asked why she did not report it to the authorities, Rainbow Dash replied, “No, I can’t tell the authorities. How am I gonna to explain to them? No pony outside the circle is supposed to know about the codex.”

Realization dawned on Forte. “That means, she and everyone else in this house could be in trouble if this thing gets out.”

Rainbow Dash nodded.

“I am a soldier,” Forte emphasized, “not a counterspy.”

“That’s fine,” Rainbow Dash affirmed. “So as long as you watch her back round the clock.”

Forte felt uncertain about her own decision. Dictated by logic, she should say no. Her lance are at the most crucial stage of the Moebius mission. They need to be fully ready when called upon by Magister Varst for the upcoming battle. By the time everything is over, the so-called Precursor Artifacts would have become irrelevant.

“Miss Fortepiano,” Starlight Glimmer’s concerned voice brought Forte out of her reverie, “are you all right?”

Deep in thought, she glanced at her hand, the one she used to almost break the young Unicorn’s wrist and finally said, “After how I reacted, after what happened yesterday, it just seemed like the way to go.”

Frankly, Forte still wondered if guilt was truly the reason. However, the response had elicited a smile from Starlight Glimmer, not out of contempt, not to gloat either.

“Honestly, I couldn’t see how I could be of help,” Forte added, “I’m merely fluent in the oriental language. That counts for little, compared to knowledge.”

“A valid point,” Starlight Glimmer acknowledged, “but we won’t know that for sure if we don’t give it a try, won’t we?”

She clung on to Forte’s arm and though the older Unicorn was reluctant, she let herself be ushered to the kitchen.

“Photo Finish, there’s a change of plan!” Starlight Glimmer announced, loud with a broad smile across her face. “Looks like we’re going to Dayunguo after all. So get your kits ready!”

“Of course,” the Earth Pony coldly replied, with a hardly suppressed grimace, resulting from her strong dislike for Forte.

She’s in such high spirit all of a sudden, Moon Dancer and Iris both wondered.

Only the latter could guess the reason, being able to see hints of intimacy in the pale purple Unicorn’s facial expression. She shuddered at the thought. In a way, this reminded her of the situation with Twinkleshine, an eccentric unicorn pony she met in Blue Marble Equestria.

Nicole came down the ladder from the top scaffolding, after completing her routine inspection on the electronic systems inside the Monster. She proceeded to use her tablet to take pictures of the warship’s exterior from various angles. As she reviewed and sorted out the images on the screen, a hand abruptly snatched the tablet away from her.

The exasperated lynx turned to the culprit. “What the hell, Ryoko!?”

Asakura glanced the screen then eyed the lynx with obvious suspicion.

“May I ask why were you taking these?” she queried.

“It’s for the daily activity report,” Nicole quickly explained.

Asakura gripped on the device tightly, looking as though she is about to snap it into two.

“Would you give it back already!?” Nicole hissed. “You’re going to give me trouble with Alicia! I can’t send in my report if there’s no pictures!”

“Hmmm, let me think first,” Asakura said with a jest smile, her index finger spinning the tablet, so skilled she was at it that her arm barely moved while keeping the spinning electronic device balanced on her fingertip.

“Be careful with that!” Nicole gasped.

The lynx watched horrified as Asakura finger-tossed her tablet in the air. She reached up to grab it but Asakura had caught it first. Nonetheless, the construct handed it back right after that, but in a teasing way which prompted Nicole to snatch her belonging out of Ryoko’s hand.

Pulling an innocent look, she leaned forward at the lynx. “Aww, are you angry? I am sooo sorry, okay? Lighten up. I was just messing with you.”

“It isn’t funny,” Nicole said in a huff. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

I don’t like that girl even more now, the lynx thought to herself as she took off, totally unaware of the true nature regarding Asakura, and the other three.

Nicole found it uneasy to get along with Ryoko, and Yuki too boot. Ryoko appeared to be sweet and friendly at first, but in truth she is deceptive and two-faced. As for Yuki, that girl is downright creepy due to her icy detachment and she rarely wants to talk (to Nicole at least). At least Konata and Mikuru could be counted on as companions, to confide her feelings in, and to indulge with in her hobbies, however strange those hobbies may seem.

Starlight Glimmer hung up the receiver. The Unicorn stood there thinking for a while, then picked the receiver up again, dialed a number and exchanged a short conversation with her mother. After that, she went to join Moon Dancer in the kitchen to help prepare lunch. The latter was in the midst of pouring rice into the pot.

Starlight Glimmer sniffed the familiar aroma coming from the pot and asked, “Is that jambalaya you’re making?”

“Your favorite,” Moon Dancer confirmed, now adding some stock into the cooking.

“Oh,” Starlight Glimmer said and quickly went to put on the apron. “So, what do you want me to do?”

Moon Dancer prompted her at the vegetables laid on the table. “I believe you still know how to make roasted pumpkin soup.”

Just as Starlight Glimmer was putting the tray of olive oil-coated vegetables into the oven, Photo Finish came into kitchen, behind her was Forte.

“It is done,” the Earth Pony declared.

Starlight Glimmer placed a hand over her mouth in astonishment. “Oh, Luna-Celestia. Well done, Photo Finish. She now looks even more like Vinyl Scratch.”

I can’t believe I agreed to this, Forte thought bitterly. I feel like an utter fool in this ridiculous outfit.

She now sports a shag hairstyle like her Crystal Empire counterpart, though hers has more layers and curls. The hair has been dyed darker to conceal the original colors. Her all-black outfit consists of a long-sleeved jacket worn over a hoodie, and a mini skirt.

“Food will be ready within an hour,” Starlight Glimmer informed them. “By the way, I’ve already booked tickets for three. If we leave right after lunch, we can catch the train early before it departs.”

“Three?” Forte expressed her surprise. “Who else is going?”

Photo Finish pointed to her glaring eyes with a backward V-sign then at Forte: I got my eyes on you, stranger!

“Oh, great,” Forte sighed. Who’s watching over who here actually?

In the meantime, Rainbow Dash was overseeing Iris’ training in a spacious area at the flower gardens. Her human counterpart appeared to be making progress much better than what she had initially expected, as throughout the first few hours, Iris had showed great control over the use of body and legs to maneuver the hoverboard around the obstacles, rarely with the need to slow down.

Maybe we don’t have to stay here long after all, Rainbow Dash thought with a smile.

If the result at the end of today’s training session proved to be satisfactory, they should be able to make the journey to Grand Forest by tomorrow.

“Dig in, everypony,” Moon Dancer proclaimed.

Iris reminisced about her past visits to the Big Apple Orchard upon smelling the aromatic smell coming from the pots. It was only during the time she slept over at the farmhouse once in a while that she had the chance to taste Southern cuisine courtesy of Granny Smith.

While waiting for her turn to scoop the jambalaya, Iris could not help but giggled inwardly at Forte. “Hey, Forte. Nice threads.”

“Not a word of this,” the annoyed Unicorn murmured back, “especially to Zachary!”

“You sure you wanna do this?” Iris wanted to be sure.

Forte nodded, but she was clearly uncertain whether her own decision.

“Here,” she said, handing Iris a sealed envelope. “I trust you’ll get this safely to Alkarin?”

“Sure,” Iris said and took the envelope in an act of good faith.

“No peeking,” Forte reminded her.

“What, want me to recite the Pinkie Promise for ya?” Iris joked.

“No,” Forte quickly said, remained serious, “that won’t be necessary.”

“So, what about Zach?” Iris then asked. “Any messages you want me to pass to him?”

Forte thought on it for a second and said “No.”

“Okay then,” Iris gave Forte a gentle pat on the arm, “good luck to ya.”

Rainbow Dash was reminded to ensure all the doors and windows are locked and the lights in the gardens and front porch switched on at nighttime.

“I’ll be back by late evening,” Moon Dancer then told her. “If you’re hungry, just warm up the leftovers inside the fridge. But I’ll be sure to bring back some snacks for good measures.”

Good riddance, Rainbow Dash grumbled, as she watched Moon Dancer drove her three passengers out the gate.

Starlight Glimmer gone meant no more awkward moments from this time onwards. Rainbow Dash could not take it another day staying under the same roof with a pony who loves to make her college life miserable.

“Wow, they all knew each other in Ponyville,” Iris said. “Who coulda guess?”

“So what!?” Rainbow Dash retorted, obviously irritated whenever Starlight Glimmer is mentioned or hinted. “What does it matter to us, huh!?”

She quickly went back into the house, followed shortly by Iris.

“You can’t freely let in outsiders without my father’s prior consultation,” Julie-Su was saying, “and now the other leaders have started to question whether or not he is really in charge here. Please remember, doctor. The council were all grateful for what you’ve done for us, but above all, it was my father who had convinced them that you may retain control over the generator’s possession.”

Politics, Kintobor sighed, wiping his glasses with a small piece of cloth then put them on again. “I do understand the security concerns but as a doctor, it goes against the code if I was to ignore those in grave need of medical attention.”

“Be that as it may,” Julie-Su said, “we firmly believe those newcomers are trouble-magnets. The attack by the Suppression Squad the other day, there’s only one explanation as to what the they were after.”

Kintobor regarded his guest quizzically. “Your point being?”

“Doctor,” Julie-Su firmly said, “they can’t stay here.”

A knock abruptly interrupted their discussion. Kintobor looked in the direction of the office door which was held ajar from outside by Arial.

“I’m sorry for interrupting,” his assistant said, a trace of Asian-like accent in her voice, “but I thought the doctor would like to know.”

“What is it, Arial?” Kintobor quickly asked.

“The patient, she’s waking up,” Arial informed him.

In the ICU ward, the groggy and frail Patricia ran her eyes around, trying to make out the unfamiliar environment.

Two Days later…

Moon Dancer came out the fence’ rear gate, walked down the slope and approached Rainbow Dash who was strapping the Extreme Gear on her feet.

“When will you be coming back here?” she corrected herself, “To Crystal Empire, I mean. You are planning to come back soon, are you?”

“Err, yeah,” Rainbow Dash replied indifferently, uncertain of the Unicorn’s actual definition of ‘soon’.

She had studied the map from an atlas book she discovered in the study room and therefore memorized the route she and Iris need to take. It was also her idea that they depart in late afternoon. If things go as planned, the pair should arrive at their destination by dark, a time of which the chances of encountering the border patrol is less.

With Iris finished fastening the Extreme Gear on her feet, they are now ready to go. Moon Dancer gave each a friendly goodbye hug before the pair activated their boards. Rainbow Dash said the incantation, as she held out her hand at the direction of the woods. A bright white-bluish light appearing like a flickering ball of flame shot from her hand, crossed over the stream, then flew into the woods. Moon Dancer waved a final goodbye as Rainbow Dash and Iris headed out to follow the wisp.

Rainbow Dash led the way, keeping up with the wisp which acts as a guide to lead them on the right path. Iris followed closely behind, having been warned prior to the start of the journey about White Tail Woods being a place so easy to get lost in. Halfway through the journey, no unwanted incident had occurred so far. But that was about to change because they were no longer alone from this point forward, as Iris soon realized.

Wait, what was that?

She slowed her speed down a little, glancing away from Rainbow Dash to ascertain what was that she had just glimpsed at the corner of her eye. But moving at over sixty per hour, she lost sight of whatever the thing was in an instant. Fixing her eyes frontward again, panic gripped her at the imminent collision with a tree but she reacted quick enough to steer away just in time.

After that close-call, she pulled up to take a breather. When she finally calmed down, it was then the girl realized the alarming situation she had got herself into. A moment ago, she was tailing Rainbow Dash. Now, she was alone, with Rainbow Dash nowhere to be seen.

Iris scolded herself for letting her focus flew elsewhere even if it was just for a short while. After all, the shadowy figures she saw moving among the trees might not even be real. She had just probably imagined it all. Now then, what was she going to do now that she has lost sight of her only hope of finding a way out of there?

Okay, okay! Don’t panic, Dash! You are not lost yet! Given the amount time passed, she couldn’t have gotten that far. You can still catch up to her. Yeah! If…if I knew which way to go… Aww, man...

Iris recalled a tactic taught to her long ago in a camping trip, to be used in case one got lost without a compass. She stared up at the sky then used the sun and her own shadow as a ‘natural compass’. Once the directions had been determined, she set off again, travelling westward.

Come on, Rainbow Dash oughta realized I’m missing by now, right? she thought worryingly, her eyes kept peeled for her Pegasus counterpart.

With any luck, Rainbow Dash is coming back to look for her. Otherwise, she would just have to reach until the Ghastly Gorge and maybe wait for her there.

She’s probably pissed right now. Aw man, how am I gonna explain this? What should I say when she finds me-

Iris gasped aloud. She did not know what was happening. All of sudden, she felt herself being caught in a horrible tight grasp, at the same time was shoved aside by an unknown force. With a heavy thud, she crashed and skidded across the dirt, the hoverboard dragged with her on her feet.

The mishap fortunately had not result in injury as her gears and backpack had helped cushion most of the impact. She came to shortly after, at which point she discovered herself in a the tight wrap of a strong braided rope line with small weights attached to each end.

No, no, no, dammit! Aargh, I ain’t prepared for this!

At this moment, two figures dressed in khaki camouflage outfits trotted up to her. She looked up at them who looked back with a triumphant smirk, then it became very apparent to her as to their identities.

“Hey, let me go!” she angrily demanded. “What do you want from me!?”

“There’s still one more,” the pony addressed her partner, ignoring Iris.

Her eyes narrowed as she interpreted the reading on the handheld scanner. “It’s strange though. The reader is picking up only one Moebian signature.”

“Could be an android,” the other pony opined, her determination as solid as a rock. “No problem. Which direction did it go to?”

The first pony gazed around uncertainly before pointing her hand to a direction. “I think it’s that way.”

“All righty!” her partner beamed and made taunt pose with her cannon. “The hunt is on, baby!”

“No, wait!” Iris shouted to get their attention. “I’m alone! There’s nobody else!”

In response, the first pony hissed, “Shut up, scum!” then gave her a hard kick in the stomach.

With all her senses are focused on keeping tracking of the wisp’s movement, Rainbow Dash continued to traverse through the woods without realizing the ordeal that had befallen on Iris. When she made a sharp turn around a big tree, Rainbow Dash brought her hoverboard to a complete stop. At this point, she was already several minutes ahead since Iris had went missing.

“Iris?” She looked around frantically at the direction by which she came for signs of her human counterpart. “Yo, Iris! IRIS!!!” Aww, come on! You’ve got to be kidding! Stick to the plan, Iris!

Rainbow Dash had no choice but to double back. Again and again she called out to Iris, and the lack of response was leaving her very hot under the collar.

Where is she!? That girl better not mess up again! Stick to the plan, is that so much to ask???

As Iris still have not show up, Rainbow Dash stopped to think. This isn’t going anywhere. I need to find another way.

She could use her magic to make a signal flare of sort, that is one idea. If Iris saw it, she would be led to her position no problem. Of course, that might drew some unwanted attention from the keen eyesight of border patrol scouts should they happen to pass over this portion of the woodlands. As she tried to figure an alternative, a fast-spinning object came out of nowhere shooting towards her.

“Whoa!”

Rainbow Dash bolted sideways as a projectile missed her by inches and got entangled around a tree branch behind her. The flying object turned out to be a type of throwing weapon called bolas. Had she mistimed her move just now, that would have spelled serious injury caused by the weights. After dodging a second, she sped away from there. But soon she came under attack by a salvo of bolas, thus quickly went to hide behind a tree big enough to conceal her.

“The hay’s going on here!?” Rainbow Dash wondered aloud. “Who did I just run into!?”

The bolas was not a standard battle equipment for any branches of Crystal Empire’s security enforcers. As a matter of fact, the only entity known to use such weapon are bounty hunters.

“Urgh, this day is getting better and better, isn’t it!?” she said in exasperation, upon remembering that Moon Dancer had mentioned about Ponyville mercenaries arrived in Illumina to hunt down Fortepiano’s counterpart.

A lot of questions and theories popped up in her mind at that moment on how they came to cross each other’s path.

The shooter reached inside her ammo bag to reload her cannon only to find that she had used it all up. Then an idea struck.

“Heh, they don’t me call me a rockhead for nothing,” she grinned.

It has been a while since the last shot was fired. Rainbow Dash peered out of her cover- an Earth Pony who did not look or dressed anything like Southerners was frantically searching for something on the ground.

She’s distracted, Rainbow Dash realized. Aw right! This is my chance to get away!

She made a break for it but barely made it far when a fist-sized rock struck her in the arm. The shock from blow caused her to lose her balance, spun uncontrollably in midair and finally crashed onto a tree. Even as she struggled to get back up, an ecstatic voice coming from behind gave away her attacker’s identity.

“Rock on! Maud Pie got you good!”

Such an unexpected turn of events, Rainbow Dash thought in disbelief. Rage overcame her, the injury on her forearm adding fuel to the fire. Aargh! This can’t be happening! I am not going to lose to a bunch of weirdos!

She inadvertently spread her wings through which a black aura emanated from them and hit Maud Pie. Subsequently, the unfortunate Earth Pony keeled over and fell flat on her back. Rainbow Dash immediately turned her head to look, so shocked at what she had done. Not quite understanding what had really happened, somehow her emotion had triggered the magic’s release on impulse. And because she did not say the incantations when it happened, there was no telling what spell Maud Pie had been succumbed to.

Rainbow Dash cautiously glided towards the unconscious Maud Pie to examine the extent of the damage done.

Oh, no. I didn’t mean this to happen, she thought worryingly. I studied Black Magic in secret only so I could get back at Starlight Glimmer. Not this…

Suddenly the Earth Pony sprang up, forcing Rainbow Dash to flee.

“Oh how,” Maud Pie moaned, rubbing on her temples. “That was totally weird. It felt like a breeze had just passed through my insides. And what’s with this headache all of sudden?”

After the headache abruptly vanished, she said, “Huh, I’m okay now.”

She pulled herself up to her feet and gazed around. “Hey! Where did the android go!?”

“Tell me what I want to know!” Muffins stomped a foot on Iris’ chest. “What are your orders!? What were you doing in Illumina!?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Iris persisted. “I strayed here after I got lost in the woods! Now I just wanna find a way back home! Ya hafta believe me, it’s the truth!”

“You really think I’m that stupid!?” the Pegasus retorted.

She gave another kick for the clumsy lie, evoking a strong feeling from her prisoner.

Damn you! Iris thought fiercely. If I could get outta this ropes, I’ll show you! I’m not the type of person you can freely mess with!

“Fine!” Muffins scoffed the girl. “I’ll just hand you over to the army, let them be the ones to break you. Whatever you are up to, you won’t get away with it. That’s for sure! Sooner or later the truth of your leader’s conspiracy against the world, will be unraveled and I’ll sure be there to witness your fall!”

Aw gawd, Iris grimaced at the Pegasus’ declaration. Are all the ponies of this world really that paranoid!?

Just then, Rainbow Dash appeared finally but kept a distance away from them. To prevent her identity from being known, she wore a piece of cloth to conceal her lower face. Her hair had been tied neatly into the helmet, and her wings folded behind the backpack at all times.

“Hey, where’s Maud Pie!?” Muffins demanded, not recognizing Rainbow Dash as the person on hoverboard. “What did you do to here!? Darn it! If harm comes to my friend, you’re definitely asking for it!”

She drew out from her back holster an automatic crossbow weapon and took aim.

Okay, now she wants to kill me, Rainbow Dash thought. This’ll be harder than I thought.

She took off to lure Muffins away from Iris and a chase ensued throughout the woods. Trailing behind, Muffins loosed several shots. Predictably, moving in fast motion had an impact on her accuracy, even if she is a good shot with the crossbow.

Rainbow Dash evaded them easily but when explosions went off around her, she cast a baffled glance at her pursuer. Luna-Celestia! Where did that deranged Pegasus managed to get her hands on explosive arrow tips!?

One arrow hit a tree, blowing its trunk off into two. Rainbow Dash swerved to avoid from getting crushed by the toppling tree then sped off in another direction. She put her Extreme Gear on accelerate, just as Muffins fired another salvo of the explosive-tipped arrows.

Rainbow Dash zipped all around the place in a zigzag fashion in order to shake Muffins off her trail, which eventually paid off. Amidst the confusion caused by the haze of smoke, dusts and debris, Muffins slowed down and pulled to a complete stop when it had become apparent that she had lost her target. She hovered about, scanning around for signs of movement.

Rainbow Dash saw her chance when Muffins went on the move again, away from her position. She broke from hiding and ambushed Muffins, using the board’s hard frame in an attempt to knock her out. Unfortunately, the sudden whirring sound coming from the underside fans had alerted the latter in advance. Muffins ducked down to cause her attacker to miss and subsequently collided with a tree.

Rainbow Dash lay on the ground in a prone position, a groan escaped her throat. She turned her head to see Muffins had finished reloading the crossbow and was now approaching on her position with cautious steps. She momentarily shut her eyes, thinking hard. Upon saying “Blind,” black aura enveloped her hand.

Muffins saw that her attacker was attempting something. She aimed for a headshot but Rainbow Dash’s black magic got to her first. She jerked from the searing pain in her eyes, causing her shot to go wide of the mark. The arrow struck a nearby tree, but there was no explosion. Instead it had buried itself deep in the trunk, with the pointy metal tip coming out on the opposite side.

Muffins was down on her knees, clutching her eyes and squirming, the crossbow lay next to her on the grass.

Her cries aroused a small deal of sympathy from Rainbow Dash. Sorry, Muffins, but you’d left me no choice.

She glided away from there, aware that the burning pain, a side effect from the spell, will wear off sooner or later. While admitting that leaving Muffins be in her current state is heartless, Rainbow Dash maintained hope that Maud Pie would eventually come to the aid of her friend. She later on located Iris who was still struggling to get free from her bonds to no avail.

“Rainbow Dash!” the latter implored. “Gimme me a hand here!”

“Hold still,” the Pegasus instructed.

A small energy blade materialized in her hand, which she then used to cut through the ropes.

“What happened to those guys?” Iris asked after she was free.

“They won’t be bothering us anymore,” Rainbow Dash sternly replied.

Iris decided to leave it at that. Then she noticed blood trickling down on the Rainbow Dash’s other hand. “Rainbow Dash, your arm!”

Pulling up the sleeve revealed a deep bluish patch surrounding the wound on the forearm, the result of Maud Pie’s attack earlier.

“Looks pretty bad,” Iris said, alarmed.

A piece of cloth torn from Rainbow Dash’s jacket was used to cover up the wound. Later, the two glided through the woods side by side, matching each other’s speed until they caught up to the wisp waiting for them. It shot off in the direction of its intended destination and they proceeded to follow it.

Sometime later, Maud Pie found Muffins, the latter was acting like a blind person trying to find her way around the place.

She approached her, hands waving up high. “Yo, Muff!”

“Maud, where are you???” Muffins hollered.

“Follow my voice,” Maud Pie said. “Turn around.”

Muffins whirled around, but was facing at the wrong direction.

“To your left.”

Muffins turned again and frantically reaching out for her friend, moved forward, until she bumped into a tree.

“Nope, that’s a tree,” Maud Pie intoned.

“MAUD!!!” So disappointed was Muffins at the Earth Pony for being unmindful of her predicament, she began to cry.

The wisp stopped to hover in midair over the Ghastly Gorge. Rainbow Dash pulled up by the edge of the deep ravine, followed by Iris. The wisp shrank, then dissolved into nothingness.

“Over there,” Rainbow Dash said, her hand pointed at an opening on the opposite cliff. “There’s a crevice big enough for both of us to fit in at once.”

They made it across the gap. Rainbow Dash entered first. She used her magic to light up the passage and led Iris in. The passageway stretched deep, probably miles before it began to bend upwards in a low slope. Iris became very uneasy at the gradually constricting space, not to mention the pitch-black darkness at both ends of the passageway. If she did not know what it feels like to lose her mind to claustrophobia, she does now.

They later exited into a deep shaft which looks to be of natural formation. True enough, when they got to the top of the shaft, she found it is connected to an extensive network of limestone caves. It did not take long for the two to reach the cave’s entrance after that. By the time they went out in the open, the sun had already set.

“How much further do we still need to go?” Iris asked.

Rainbow Dash simply gave a vague answer. “Not much.”

Throughout the remainder of the journey, they travelled high above the forest canopy, heading west.

Godslayer Kurogane handed a flash drive to Super E-Sat. Looks like the fight with Nagato previously had resulted in more than the tampering of the mech’s weapon systems. Throughout the duration of his stay in Moebius, he had to remain as a giant mech, unable to revert back to his original form.

“Once you arrived, first things first,” Aegnor told him. “I want you to make an inquiry of Magister Perris’ status. Say it’s urgent. Get the data to TECH, then report to the repair ward.”

“Affirmative,” Super E-Sat said, as he inserted the storage device into the internal compartment in his body.

Iris braked in midair and Rainbow Dash promptly did the same.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” the latter asked in surprise. “Why’d you stop?”

She looked in the same direction as Iris’ gaze. Beneath them is a small open space in the forest where all four Godslayer had gathered.

“I get it,” Rainbow Dash said understandingly. “You wanna see your friends. Let’s go.”

They made their descent, heralding their arrival to the Godslayers. Iris detached from her Extreme gear, even as Zach ran up to her. Then the two caught each other in a heartily embrace. They just went ahead, neither had given any thoughts in advance. Their action however did elicite a green-eyed stare from Godslayer Kurogane.

“So good to see you again, Dash,” Zach said, joyous of their reunion. “Oh man, I was so worried. I mean, when E-Sat showed up without you, I thought…”

“That’s understandable,” Iris said, with a gentle smile. Yeah, even Fortepiano thought I was dead.

Zach smiled back at her. “Dash, you might not realize it yet, but you have a strange way of surviving a great fall- every time.”

“Yeah, it has strangely become routine in my life,” Iris acknowledged. “But hey, what matters is that I’m a-okay now, right?”

“Err, so what’s going on here?” she asked him, whilst waving meekly at the other Godslayers.

“E-Sat’s going back for system repairs,” the feline explained to her. “This’ll also be a good opportunity to get the data we retrieved from your SHADE analyzed back home. There’s a chance they could find information on Gazleen’s whereabouts, and what’s current status of your homeworld.”

My homeworld…

Iris has always been apprehensive of her home’s wellbeing ever since she came to know about the world-cleansing operations led by the Sinned Godus. In her flashbacks, she only saw signs pointing to the Nanite-carrying cargo container’s crash site. Whether or not Gazleen Perris had ensured the payload’s destruction is still open to question.

Iris stepped up to Super E-Sat and gestured a fist bump at him. “Hey, save my world in case something bad happens to it, ‘kay? I’m counting on ya.”

“I won’t necessarily be assigned should the need for the mission arises,” Super E-Sat said, being cautious about the matter.

“Come on,” Iris insisted. “Just in case. Also, think of this as a good luck gesture for your way home.”

“Very well,” Super E-Sat finally agreed after some consideration.

He extended his massive fist, which Iris then lightly tapped it.

Later, they all witnessed the mech going into the Void, after which the dimensional gateway collapsed into a bright yet harmless flash. Rainbow Dash in particular was intrigued by this phenomenon.

Wow, interdimensional travel looks kinda cool, she thought.

***

What was days and weeks in Moebius, years have elapsed on Earth. What Iris feared for her homeworld has finally materialized. The Battle of Mainhattan is currently underway in Earth’s Equestria.

Facing the cityscape, an enormous column of light projected upwards past the clouds. Contained within this light is a flower-shaped crystal, that referred to as the Crystalline Galanthus by the Fates, surrounded by a swarming mass of Nanites. From this mass, various machine parts were continually being fabricated, which in turn self-assembled into bigger, more complex machines as they rose up in a slow spiral through the light column.

While this was happening, a squadron of F/A-6 Griffin strike fighters began the approach towards Mainhattan from the outskirts. After getting within weapon maximum range, the canard delta-winged fighter jets unleashed their precision-guided air-to-surface payloads all at once. Unfortunately, the Nanites remained unscathed despite enough firepower to wipe an entire town off the map.

After receiving the sitrep from the ground forces stationed in the city, the female pilot leading the squadron cursed in her breath. Even though the column appeared to be consists of pure light, the surface is actually solid, acting as a shield to prevent the cruise missiles from penetrating through it. She reported back to central command in Canterbury before ordering the rest of the pilots to get closer and pound the alien object with their remaining air-to-ground weapons.

A miniature twin-rotored drone surveyed the devastated downtown area of Mainhattan, having been abandoned after an intense battle between the Godslayers and Nanite constructs earlier on. The battle has moved to other locations, yet that is by no means that Twilight and friends are now safe. As they worked hard to save Trixie trapped under piles of rubbles, machines began forming in the light column, their growing outlines clearly visible over the skyline. Once the machine’s assemblage is complete, it will spell the beginning of the end for Earth.

“I’ve found Twilight,” Brooke announced, eyeing on the display on his arm guard. “Just off the Equitable Tower. They seem to be trying to get someone out from the rubbles. I can see a bronze statue toppled nearby.”

Fashion Avenue! “Ah know where dat is!” AJ said. “Ah gotta go help dem!”

“Unfortunately,” a familiar robotic voice spoke from behind them, “you won’t be able to do that unless you get past Yggdrasil.”

They were with Super E-Sat, one of the Godslayers whom had made their appearances shortly after the Battle of Mainhattan began. Thanks to Perris’ data, having been restored from its corrupted state by the Godslayer Corp’s TECH Division back in Hallow’s Victory, they were finally able to pinpoint the exact city where the Nanites are going to strike after being dormant for several reasons.

The ground around them shook like something big and heavy was pounding on it. Then the three witnessed a walking siege tower, fifty-stories high, maybe a little more than that, came plowing through the buildings few blocks away from their position. The remains from the demolished buildings affectively blocked all of AJ’s intended path, save one but that means she has to go underneath it. With its massive limbs, numerous gun turrets and mortar cannons, there was no way for her to approach the giant construct without danger.

“It has a strong energy shield surrounding its shell,” Super E-Sat informed them, “that’s why none of our weapons can affect it.”

“Then how do we destroy it?” Brooke queried.

“With this,” Super E-Sat said, produced in his hand is a grenade-like device he called the ‘Small NUKE’.

“You sure dat teensy small thing is gonna do it?” AJ asked skeptically. “Ah don’t s’pose it’ll bring de whole city down with it too?”

Super E-Sat said, “Not even close. Rest assure. Anyhow, if we could get inside and detonate it at the power core, the resulting meltdown would disable the energy shield and immobilize Yggdrasil, leaving it vulnerable. Your fighters should able to finish it off then.”

“Right then,” Brooke resolved, “I’ll do it.”

“What!?” came immediately AJ’s shock reaction. “Ye crazy! What do ya think ye are!? Special forces!?”

As a matter of fact, she was right- in a way. He does look like he came from some sort of specialized paramilitary unit. Clad in an all-black body armor, the fabric of the undersuit is supposedly made of anti-cut fibers. Integrated onto the back of his hard vest is a small pack that appeared to be designed to open mechanically.

“This is a battle to save Equestria from total annihilation,” Brooke affirmed her. “It’s worth the sacrifice.”

Having secured the NUKE to his utility belt, Brooke informed Super E-Sat, “I am going in. Upload the floor plans to my slate as we go,” before reassuming his Vigilante persona.

The plan: Super E-Sat would divert Yggdrasil’s fire towards him, at the same time lure it to a nearby skyscraper from where the Vigilante would attempt to jump and board the giant construct via its top structure. In the meantime, AJ will take an alternative route out of Yggdrasil’s way to where Twilight is. Simple? Yes. Is it a good plan? Maybe and they were about to find out.

“Wait,” Super E-Sat instructed AJ, “you will need protection. This armor will complement your elemental ability.”

The compartment on his body opened up whereby armor pieces glided out, assembled itself around AJ and fused together into the Arcanist SHADE.

Before the three separate, they returned Super E-Sat’s fist bump gesture as a sign of good luck.

Things were not going well for Gazleen Perris. Right now she felt seriously beat up as the prolonged sword fight with one of the Fates seemed doomed to go on forever. She had slashed, pierced and cut through Verdandi so many times. Yet rather than the machine construct destroyed, the battle damages would ‘heal’ itself on its own.

The same goes with the rest of the Fates. The combined effort of Equestrian armors and her comrades should have reduced them to dusts. Yet, the enemy would always come away from the massed assault with full strength after their body regeneration completes.

“Fuck this shit!” cursed the distraught Godslayer. “Where the hell is the extra energy coming from!?”

Apart from their mysterious regenerative capabilities, the Fates also possess elemental attacks such as those of the Battlecaster Godslayers and worse, their power level and battle endurance are on par with the Guardians. This makes them the most difficult opponents encountered by the Godslayers yet.

Sometime later, all the machines necessary for the completion of the final weapon had been fabricated. They started coming together around the Crystalline Galanthus, held together in place by energy generated from the crystal. Once it reaches sub-orbital altitude above Mainhattan, the Ethereal light vanished. At last, the weapon’s final form is revealed: a warped version of the Ethenian Terraformer, the Orbital Focus Cannon.

As the OFC began powering up, the Fates proclaimed:

Hatred shall darken the skies

Rage shall consume the lands

Your doom has been the willed by our masters

For your existence is the greatest of sins

Beams of energy fired down from the underside rotary cannon. Multistory buildings beneath crumbled flat as a result of the great pressure exerted by the beams. Gaining strength, the energy beams pulsated brightly, pounding on the surface with a force that sent tremors all over Mainhattan, the same time as the rotary cannon started spinning around its axis. At the impact point, clouds of heated dusts billowed into the skyline, higher and expanding outwards, as the beams bored into the Earth’s crust.

Perris had seen all this before. The OFC is a carbon copy of the very weapon that destroyed Fortepiano’s homeworld. Unless she learned from the mistakes made, find a way through the megaweapon’s impregnable shield, Earth is surely doomed.