Midnight Rising

"They're just silly little fans, or grateful for what I do, Spike. Surely they don't actually forsake the Princesses in favor of worshiping only me. Right?"

My adventure began one otherwise average morning. It was around 9 AM, and Empress Twilight had directed me to report to Her for another assignment. I had just finished a crackdown a week prior on a Griffin raiding party in the Serpent system that had been terrorizing Equestrian colonists, and it was time to get back to work. The sound of booted hooves striking cobblestone filled my ears as I walked the roads of Canterlot towards the royal district of the grand city, the buildings growing sparser as I neared Castle Twilight. Canterlot looked nothing like it had used to; the old Canterlot still existed, most of it a tourist destination, with the old royal palace sealed off from everypony but the Empress herself. Over the years New Canterlot formed, spiraling up the mountain, the peak of which Castle Twilight was built around. It was said the utter peak of the mountain, concealed from view as it was ringed by the palace itself, was a haven for a dragon, but what manner of dragon Empress Twilight would trust to live with was beyond anypony's guess.

As I passed beyond the threshold of the last building I entered Her Majesty's Walk; a stretch of cobblestone surrounded by a large grassy field, a river spring cutting through it laterally, a quaint old bridge erected across it. Beyond that lied the wall that ringed Castle Twilight, the magnificent palace stretching into the heavens beyond. Her Castle had been constructed in a traditional fashion, elegant spires, towers, and battlements symmetrically placed along the steeped roof. In the center of the structure rose a particularly large tower, wide, splitting the clouds like a spear of old. Empress Twilight's private tower. Nearby, at a fashionably utilitarian dock, lied the Empress's private voidship, and the flagship of Her fleet; the Marelothian. A mammoth of a ship, twice again as long as the length of Ponyville's main road(itself a mile long) it bore every possible manner of magical energy cannon and conventional point-defense gun turrets ever devised by pony minds, and its visage best described as a vague cooking pan shape; a main body comprising all the core components of the ship, stretched across five decks, with an overhang stretching out at the back containing various things such as the captain's quarters and Empress Twilight's chambers. Under the overhang lied the thrusters, which propelled the ship to ludicrous speeds in the vacuum of the Void.

Permanently stationed at Canterlot's military spaceport were the lesser prides of the fleet; the Horsewell, the Featherland, and the Mare in White. Together along with The Marelothian these four ships formed the pride of our fleet. Empress Twilight's flagship, the Marelothian, was sealed as tight as a bank vault. The ponies that crewed her never left, and few others ever entered. I had only ever been inside once, and even then I had seen only the hangar. It was said that other than Empress Twilight herself the only other ponies who had seen the Empress's private chambers deep within the ship were the ponies who built it. Who all, incidentally, were given permanent jobs aboard the ship once it was complete. One other note of trivia was that Empress Twilight had deigned to name all the ships in the fleet after certain books or authors, though no copies of any such books bearing such titles existed, leaving only Empress Twilight's word as proof(though this was irrefutable by its very nature).

Passing the edge of the gate that was the only entrance through the wall surrounding the palace I neared Castle Twilight, its brilliant quartz stone reflecting the midday sun. It loomed far above me, Empress Twilight's beautiful tower split by a rainbow-stained bay window halfway up its length, the kaleidoscope of colors starkly contrasting the pure white of the quartz. I entered the front gate of the Castle, the foyer beyond dominated by a spire in the fashion of a Unicorn horn, symbolizing Empress Twilight's beginnings. Beyond the foyer was the main hall, an obsidian representation of the Empress' cutie mark dominating this room. I passed it, paying it my silent respects just I had done so many times before, heading for the staircase behind it. My hooves thumped loudly in the halls, adding to the chorus of hoof falls as the guards patrolled. I ascended on to floor two, another foyer branching off into multiple halls greeting me. This foyer was dominated by a statue of wings, symbolizing Empress Twilight's Ascension. Another staircase lied beyond it, its entrance flanked by a pair of Royal Ranger Honor Guards. Their ornate jade armor shining in the light, bronze and brass filigree spreading across it in intricate, arcane patterns. Their helmets came down over their faces in sharp points, a coil of brass spiraling up their horns, ending in a glowing purple gem at the tip; a magic enhancer, giving them power equal to the Empress when she was a Unicorn.

The Honor Horns stopped me as I approached the staircase to Her tower, taking a moment to check my identity before waving me past. I gave them a curt nod as I stepped past, ascending the final staircase. Quartz turned to oak as I entered Her private tower. Few ever entered this place, and though I had been here many a time before, I was still possessed by that mystical awe of entering such a sacred place. I was like a foal seeing his parents' bedroom for the first time; the alien decor and solemn stillness of a place I was invited to, but felt as I should not be in.

Empress Twilight's tower was spread across three floors. The first was the living room, featuring decor befitting Her personality, and some relics of Her past. There were two couches on either side of the room, opposite each other. Bookshelves were built into the wall behind the couches, stuffed to the brim with many a tome. Just before the couches, built into the wall, were two staircases spiraling, both leading into the same room; the kitchen. On the far side of the living room lied a fireplace. A mantle above the fireplace bore five golden necklaces flanking a magnificent crown, the pieces ornate and intricate, but their meaning lost to time. There were a number of other, sundry pieces strewn about. A book with a red and gold sun on the cover lied on an end table, a Griffon idol on the other. A bust of a dragon was in a corner, his scales black as ebony, the plaque proudly proclaiming his name; Aldurmaax. Why Her Majesty had relics from the other species was beyond me.

I announced my presence with a call of Her name, and she responded with a polite but otherwise decidedly-not-regal "I'm coming!". I remained silent, staying my hooves. I heard the thick pressed glass of Her shoes striking marble as She came down the left-hoof staircase. The smell of breakfast wafted after Her in Her wake. She reached the bottom step and strode out to me in the middle of the room. My muscles compelled me to bow, but She stopped me with an authoritative "no curtsy, Meteor Shower! You know I despise such gestures of adoration from somepony who clearly does not care for them."

I attempted to protest, telling Her that She was deserved of such gestures, but the words died on my tongue. The truth was I didn't care for curtsies, or bows, or the soft kissing of hooves in delegation. I was a soldier pony. I was brusque, abrasive. Quiet and foreboding. I stood out like a sore hoof. Canterlot was not my place, but She was something special. She was my Empress, the mare I had pledged undying loyalty to. As a Royal Ranger, She was my Goddess, and to not show Her the respect She deserved went against every fiber of my being. Still, I complied with Her wishes. Both out of respect to Her, and out of gratitude that She saved me from having to partake in such silly gestures.

She was stunning, unlike any other mare I'd ever seen. She was on posters everywhere, on television screens everywhere, Her voice everywhere. But to see Her in the flesh was a unique experience, and I bathed in her otherworldly presence. My senses taking Her in; my eyes regaled by Her lavender coat, her purple mane. My brain reeled at the sight of both Her wings and Her horn, despite having seen them both a thousand times. Seeing an Alicorn face-to-face was a rush that never died, and more than a little adrenaline seeped into my blood as my brain recalled Her power, knowing just how dangerous and lethal Alicorns were. My ears delighted at the sound of Her voice, and my nose drank in Her scent.

Even if it was clear that she had not yet showered this morning.

"I'm glad you're here, Meteor Shower. I have a task befitting of your skill" Empress Twilight declared, my mind pondering Her words. When I did not respond, She deigned to continue. "Equus Prime has gone dark; all communications off-world have died. For a colony world, this is not outside the norm, but Equus Prime is our most stable colony. It has the best power grid, the best infrastructure. The last time it went dark was a year ago, and it was only dark for a few hours. This time, it's been dark for over two days."

A mild alarm built in me at those words, knowing full-well the implications. A colony as stable as Equus Prime doesn't go dark, and certainly not for two days straight, unless outside interference was involved. The trouble was that there weren't groups native to Equestria with the power to knock out a colony's infrastructure. Most of the other species were space-faring, but they had been crushed by our might so badly that any resistance to us was performed by independent groups of slavers, raiders, and mercenaries(all with the secret backing of their respective governments, of course). Not one of those types of groups had the power to attack an entire colony. Electronic knockouts were possible, but they'd still have to amass enough physical force to storm the colony, and none of the various marauder and slaver groups had that kind of power.

The implications were dire.

"Your mission," Empress Twilight continued, "is to head out to Equus Prime and investigate. Conduct a vacuum survey for any space-borne threats, or outbound slaver vessels, and if none are found head planetside to deduce the cause of this knockout. If any threats are encountered, eliminate as you see fit, and get to the bottom of this. You are dismissed."

I dipped my head, turning from Her and heading back down the stairs into Castle Twilight proper. I trotted briskly out of the palace and back out onto Her Majesty's Walk, the sun rising farther into the sky with each passing step. Pride and courage swelled in my chest as I watched the ponies of Canterlot milling about. They were all nobles and born of high blood, and far outside the character of the usual ponies I associated with, but they were still Equestrians. Each individual a representation of our MIGHT, our collective power. They may have all been noblepones, but it wasn't our blood that made our species strong; it was our DNA, and everypony, down from the modest farmer, all the way up to the Empress Herself, was inherently superior to all other species of this planet by the very nature of their being.

Turning left from Canterlot proper I followed a path that stretched around the side of the mountain, a path not often traveled. I passed few others, most in military uniform. They all gave me curt salutes at the sight of my Hunter badge on the breast of my jacket, but the more reserved ones, the ones back from battling the Minotaur raiders of the Psi Serpentis system, paid me little more than a passing glance. The few civilians I passed looked at me with a mixture of awe and fear. I may have been dressed casual(well, casual for the Hunter, which is still fairly intimidating, given the heavy boots and leather jacket made of a Minotaur's pelt), but I was still a Royal Ranger, and more still, the Royal Hunter. These titles followed me with a heavy air of authority. I could've been stark naked prancing in a fountain like a statue come to life and still would the civilian folk be afraid of me.

I nodded warmly at each one I passed, all the same.

The rounding path around the side of the mountain ended in a building, a glimpse of docked voidships visible around the edge of the building and the fence built around the courtyard beyond. I entered the building, the pleasant warm air of the morning to a brisk chill at the air conditioned offices within. I approached the mare working at the main desk and presented her with my ID and Royal Void badge, which permitted me to travel offworld. She checked both into her arcane computer and hoofed them back to me, thanking me for my service. I nodded, proceeding down the hall to the doors at the other end and stepped back out into the morning air, the warmth briefly unpleasant as my body acclimated to the shift in temperature once again.

Breaking from the cobblestone paths I made a beeline for dock X14, where my ship was tethered. I passed a couple Startroopers coming off the transport vessel from their mother ship, catching wind of their conversation.

"...lives on Equus Prime. It's OK, though, right? I mean, colonies go dark all the time."

"Not Equus Prime, brother. Something ain't right. I'm sure your sister is just fine, though."

"Your words don't inspire confidence."

I approached, announcing my presence with an ostentatious cough. Brief suspicion and contempt passed over their faces, thinking another civie had come to bother them. Their expressions changed when they saw my Hunter badge. "Sir!" they all barked in unison, hooves rising to salute, which I returned quickly.

"I understand you bucks are talking about Equus Prime. Have you been by there recently?" I asked, paying particular attention to the stallion whose sister apparently lived on the colony. They looked at each other for solidarity, the foreign experience of speaking to a Hunter stealing their tongues.

"Yes, yessir!" the colt with the sister replying instinctively, a wince coming to him at his slip-up. I patiently waited for him to recover. "Actually, uh, no sir. We're stationed on the Haylysses; we just got back from action in the Serpent system. I received a message from my sister, though."

I arched my brow, interested by this development. Communications were out, but this buck had received a message from his sister? I was intrigued. "When was this?" I asked.

"Two days ago, sir. Just before the communications blackout."

I nodded. Now it made sense, and the intriguing went back to being mundane. There was still something else, of course, that promised renewed interest. "What did she say?"

"It was disjointed. Like she was typing out keywords to get her point across as quick as possible. Uh, lemme think... 'Ship. Black as Nightmare Moon. Dozens of dropships...'" the colt recited from memory. He paused, as if holding back.

"Anything else?" I pressed. The buck swallowed heavily, looking to his friends. He was turning pale, and his tongue stayed its place, the words dying as he opened his mouth. "Sailor, answer me. What else did she say?" I dreaded the response.

"S-Sir, the last word she typed was... Starborn."

I galloped for my ship, leaving the other sailor bucks to comfort their now visibly distressed comrade.