Ascended Operative no. five, callsign Twilight, was- and had always been- nervous about meeting the Fuhrer Herself in person.
One would think that years of spending time with Her would cure Five of such illogical and unprofessional behaviors, but they had not as of yet, and she suspected that it never would. Five knew that She was simply too magnificent, the Undimmed Sun, the Burning Light of Equestria, She of a Thousand Voices. No, Five would always be in awe and a little bit of fear whenever in Her presence, and not just because She could no doubt, for all her terrific power, vaporize Five where she stood. Five was in awe and fear because She was... well, She was Herself.
She had crushed the pony tribes when they had been at their weakest, and melded them into a whole stronger than any of them could have ever dreamed.
She had lead magical and technological research into a new age of development and prosperity, the likes of which had never been seen before on the face of Equus.
She was more than two thousand years Five's elder.
Five would be a fool if she wasn't nervous in Her presence.
The throne room was as opulent and beautiful as ever, the white marble interspersed with black stone, the gold balanced with silver. The symbol of Equestria, a blue moon interspersed over a black sun, was displayed proudly on the many banners, leading to the raised dais that held the twin thrones. One, all gold and white, displayed the sun on its high back: the other, carved from onyx and interlaced with strips of silver, was emblazoned with the moon. Both were immaculately cleaned, perfectly cushioned... and completely empty, as they had been for a thousand years.
She stood off to one side, as she always had, one hand on the armrest of the black throne. To Five's knowledge, and even to the knowledge of the eldest of the Ascended Operatives, She had not sat in the throne since Her sister was banished from Equestria. Five did not pretend to understand, because it was not her prerogative to understand. It was her prerogative to follow orders, nothing more and nothing less. And coming here, to be in Her presence, had been an order, stamped with the highest priority. Idly, Five wondered why she had been selected: One and Three were in Canterlot between missions, and Four could be recalled easily enough, so why had She called for her, the least experienced of the five?
With practiced ease, Five filed the thoughts away for later as she approached and knelt before the throne, arms outstretched, palms up, wings crossed. Nopony ever saw one of the A-OP interact with Her, and this was purposeful: nopony could copy their standard greeting, nor the little tell-tales they sent back and forth, signs that they had not been subverted. That they were still loyal, that their minds and bodies were their own. Thus were impostors and controlled A-OP quickly detected, and the enemy quickly ousted.
Five's military training had long taught her the value of the element of surprise.
"Rise. At ease."
Five rose, snapping into the 'at ease' stance with easy military precision, noting Her eyes quickly taking in the parade-perfect position and marking it with a flicker of approval. That made her feel... warm, inside, but she suppressed the feeling. It would not do to act unprofessional, not here, not in Her presence. She, in the meantime, gently rubbed the armrest of the seat. The stone had been polished smooth and shone like glass from the years of that repetitive motion, and Five suspected that it was a calming ritual for Her.
"Operative Five, yesterday you submitted a report listing the current and present dangers to Equestria at large. One of the listed threats was 'Nightmare Moon'. Explain."
To any but the A-OP, that phrase would have seemed harsh, cold, indicative to punishment. The A-OP, however, would have understood the subtext behind the order: 'explain the reasoning and line of thought you followed to come to this conclusion'. And Five would, gladly.
"According to reference material and historical archives, the banishment of Nightmare Moon was set to last exactly one thousand years from initial incarceration. If this information is correct, Nightmare will be released approximately eleven months from now, when 'the stars will aid in her escape'. Abnormal movement from four stars has already been observed, and the imprint on the moon itself has darkened." With every word, Five felt calmer. Mother would know exactly what to do. She always did.
Years ago, when the A-OP had first been established, She had needed a callsign of her own. Something shared among the A-OP alone, that they would instantly recognize. One had chosen Mother, and She had protested: One, however, had stood his ground, and refused to be moved on the subject. And so, to all A-OP, She was Mother, in every sense of the word. They would die for her, because she would die for them, and that could not be allowed to happen. Mother would outlive all her children, as long as there were A-Op.
There was a moment's consideration, the thoughts flickering behind thick mental shields, and then She nodded once, the single motion indicative of Her understanding. She understood exactly what Five had meant, needed no clarification: her reasoning had been enough. Despite herself, an inaudible sigh left Five: the fact that She understood eased her concerns greatly. The hand stroked the armrest of onyx a moment more, then stopped, and Five froze in place. Mother had a plan.
"There is a weapon- old, ancient beyond knowledge. Not technological, but an artefact, one of great power and potential." Five still did not see what this had to do with her outside of her report, but Five did not know Her to do things for no reason. "To explain what it is capable of requires delving into areas of magical thought and learning that are atypical in every sense of the word. Tell me, Five-" Five nearly shuddered involuntarily at Her use of Five's name- "how much do you know of resonance magic?"
This was a test, Five was sure of it, and Five did not fail tests. "Resonance magic is a branch of contemporary magic that has primarily to do with the connection between ponies of all races. One of our greatest strengths as a species is our natural resonance magic, often referred to as 'harmony'. Harmony allows soldiers to act in unison without command or hesitation, allows musicians to form a melody flawlessly without a conductor to lead them, and makes the will of the people just as important as the will of nobles in terms of governance. This is primarily due to the fact that the resonance of the ponies vastly overwhelms that of the noble families, even despite their more tangible power."
