A Few Good Ponies

Canterlot Castle

2100hrs

With the fluttering of wings and the clatter of hooves the pair of chariots landed in the moonlit courtyard of Canterlot Castle. Awaiting them stood the princesses of the day and night, Celestia and Luna. Both the golden armored day guards and the darkly armored night guards were present in equal numbers as several dozen of them stood formed up in a protective semicircle facing the new arrivals.

As the ponies disembarked, Celestia approached them, flanked closely by a squad of grim faced guards.

Bowing her head respect respectfully, she greeted them. “Welcome my ponies. Please stay where you are. This won't take but a moment.”

Lighting her horn, Celestia cast a wave of magic over the group, filling their bodies with an almost uncomfortably warm sensation that seemed to emanate from everywhere at once. After a few moments the sensation vanished abruptly as she terminated the spell.

With a relieved look on her face, Celestia continued. “Now that I have proven that you are indeed who you appear to be, please come with me. I know you must all be tired from the long journey you have endured, but we have much to discuss.”

As the large group of guards dispersed, heading back to various posts, or in the case of the day guards a warm bed, the group followed the two princesses as they headed into the castle. After following them through a myriad of elegant hallways, they arrived in a small room with several low tables ringed with plush cushions. Following the princesses' lead, they seated themselves around one of the tables, the royal princesses sitting side by side at the head of the table.

For several hours they talked about how Twilight was able to save Firefly from Multis's spell. The majority of the conversation involved Twilight explaining her method, with the others occasionally filling in various details. The princesses took great interest in the discovery of the tatzlpony village. In the thousands of years they had lived, even they had thought them to be extinct. Eventually, now in the early hours of the morning, the discussion came to a close.

“I believe that creating a version of this cure that can be more easily replicated should be our top priority. We have lost contact with several of our Southern settlements, including Appleoosa and Dodge Junction, which I believe to be the work of Multis. With this many ponies potentially under his control, it's only a matter of time before he attacks a major city. ” Said an exhausted Celestia. Looking over to Twilight, she continued. “First thing tomorrow, I will assign a team of my best magical researchers to work with you towards this goal. Due to your important roll in these events, I have arranged rooms for all of you to stay here in the castle. I recommend you all get some rest.”

With that, they all went their separate ways. A guard showed the group the way to their rooms. A room was set aside for each of them. Normally reserved for royalty and visiting ambassadors from distant lands, they were some of the best rooms in the castle, second only to those of the princesses themselves. Each one was nearly as big as a decent sized house, containing a massive bed, a variety of elegant furniture and beautifully tiled bathrooms. Twilight and Firefly made their way to their own rooms, While Sunrise Lightning and Screech decided to share a room instead. After spending so much time traveling together, they preferred to stay together, and the room was certainly large enough to accommodate them. After a long night, Sunrise and Lightning quickly made their way under the covers of the enormous bed. Screech too jumped up, doing a few quick circles before lying down at the foot of the bed like a loyal dog. It was not long before they all fell fast asleep.

Canterlot Castle

1000hrs

Sunrise and Lightning walked through the deserted barracks of their unit. It had remained empty since the incident in the Badlands, and with no ponies to maintain it, a thin layer of dust had settled over everything. Sunrise walked over to his footlocker, rummaging through it before retrieving a spare set of gold armor. Contained in the locker were several other items, including a dress uniform, a set of ceremonial armor enchanted with an illusion spell to make him identical in appearance to the other unicorn guards, and a variety of personal items. Sunrise levitated out a picture of a smiling unicorn mare and stallion. His parents. He sighed, before returning it to the locker. It would be some time before he would be able to see them again with everything that was going on. Did they think he was dead? He wondered. He usually kept in touch with them regularly, but that wouldn't be a possibility for some time. Probably not until the threat of Multis was dealt with. Pushing it to the back of his mind, he closed the locker and put on his armor. He walked over to Lightning, who stood already dressed in her armor as well. Noticing the sadness in his eyes, she wrapped her hooves around him in a hug.

“Family?” She asked.

“Yeah, I'm worried about my parents. I've always been so close to them, and now I can't even tell them that I'm okay.” Replied Sunrise. “What about you?” He asked.

“I was an orphan. I never knew my parents, but I was adopted by my foster mother. She was a royal guard captain and was always very strict when I was growing up. I always wanted to make her proud of me, but it seemed like there was nothing I could do to make that happen.” She sighed. “I haven't even so much as sent her a letter in years.”

They stood there holding each other for several minutes before finally breaking the embrace as they were approached by a royal messenger.

Meanwhile

Multis Vaccine Trials

Experiment #25

Attempts to infuse tatzlpony magic into a wearable item were unsuccessful. While it is possible to transfer it into gemstones, the magic is just too foreign to interact with the subject's own magic in a sufficient capacity to negate the effects of Multis's corruption.

Twilight sat at a desk scribbling in a notebook. For several hours she had been working with a team of unicorn researchers with the help of Firefly and Screech to develop a cure with little success. Many of the attempts had even led to several of the researchers being sent to the infirmary in various states of magical exhaustion. It was starting to seem hopeless. As she worked, she was approached by a royal messenger.

“Celestia has requested your presence in the meeting room immediately.” Stated the messenger.

1130

Canterlot Castle

Sunrise, Lightning, Screech, and Firefly sat across the table from Celestia as she addressed them.

“My experts have made progress translating an ancient document written by a unicorn scholar who knew the pony we are familiar with as Multis before his imprisonment. I have here an exert

that could be of great importance.” She said.

Levitating the document before her, she began to read.

“Something has gone wrong. When Greenleaf put on the Multis Circlet, it changed him. He turned on us. Instead of joining our minds together to share our thoughts, it poisoned his mind. It was more powerful than we imagined, seemingly adopting a personality of its own, for which poor Greenleaf was no match. It lashed out, forcing other ponies to bend to its will as well. Stonehoof was the first to be turned, struck as he attempted to remove the circlet from Greenleaf's neck. It spread quickly. As far as I know I was the only one to escape. I can hear them looking for me as I write this. The ponies I once knew as friends now hunting me. If anypony finds this, please know that this is not their fault. Please help them. The Multis Circlet is the source of the corruption. I believe that if it is removed, the effects will be undone. There was no time to find a way to counter the effects, but I believe it is possible. If anypony can get close enough to Greenleaf without being affected, all you have to do is remove the Circ-.”

Celestia set the document down. “I believe this Multis we now face is the same pony as the one described here. Twilight, I know you were not able to produce a more easily produced antidote, so I have a new plan. It is desperate, and hate to ask this of any of you, but I believe this is the best option. Because force will not work, I would like to send in a small team. Myself, Luna, and you Twilight will use your spell to make the four of you immune to the effects of the Multis Circlet. You will then go to the Badlands, find Multis, and remove the circlet. Our scouts have reported an army marching for Baltimare. I will send forces to engage them. Hopefully this will create a distraction large enough to leave you unnoticed. We will begin preparations tonight, and as soon as Twilight has regained her strength we will put the plan into motion.”

Moments after she finished speaking, a loud explosion rocked the room, causing dust to fall from the ceiling as it echoed through the castle.

“Hurry!” Yelled Celestia. “We must begin immediately.”