Chapters Copycat: A Displaced Tale
“Log One, First of Winter. Location, as of yet unknown. My name is… Was Adam Belle. And I seem to have found myself in a new body…? I’m making logs using this voice recorder I seem to have woken up with to help get my bearings and establish a basis of events, but I’m still struggling to get used to what I am now.
“I suppose keeping it military is just to fit the new outfit, but… Okay, I’ll just get to the point. I’ve become a big, violet, female cat with a weird cannon gun thing for an arm and some serious armor that makes me think of Mass Effect. I’ve even got this UI thing… And the name above the health bar that I assume is mine says my name is Captain Anna Belle.
“There’s more. The UI says my arm cannon is in Copy Mode. I don’t know what that means, but I figure I’ll find out when I use it… Until then, I can’t and probably won’t be able to switch it into any other mode. At the very least I found one of the triggers in this thing that shoots something resembling bullets. Unfortunately for me, they don’t seem to do a lot of damage… I feel like Samus. Start off with a Pea Shooter, and you have to steal abilities from others to get it to work better.
“I guess right now though, my first priority though should be survival. I need food, something my ‘Inventory’ didn’t contain when I woke up, but enough tools to harvest anything easily…. If I could use two hands. This stupid cannon is gonna get annoying, taking up my entire right arm. And that’s my dominant hand too.
“Whatever. For now, this is… Captain Anna Belle, signing off.”
Click . Anna sighed as she put the voice log back in her pack. After a moment, she stood up, getting off the tree stump she discovered while getting used to her new body. She looked down at the six sided stick resting over her hand - which she felt under that mess of circuitry and triggers. ‘So this is the only thing I’m armed with, huh? Some stupid pea shooter with the potential for godhood. I guess I can work with this.’ She thought to herself, halfway between pessimism and optimism. Honestly, to her it looked pretty much like a smoothed over version of Utsuho Reiuji’s arm cannon from Touhou. Or as some people might know her, “that winged girl with nuclear in her song’s title.” ...Except this arm cannon was nowhere near as long.
Anna sighed a little, letting the attached weapon hang at the ready in front of her, since that’s what it was for. After a while just wandering in a random direction - East, she couldn’t help but note - Anna ran across a few trees with strange rainbow colored fruit on them and a beautiful Rainbow Aurora above the trees. They looked like apples, but due to the coloring, she couldn’t be sure. She set her UI to scan one as she picked it, noting that it even felt like an apple…
After taking a bite of the apple, Anna immediately felt a surge of energy, and her mouth melted at the flavor. On her UI, the energy bar under the health bar, used to note how much energy could be routed to the gun on her arm, turned from green to a rainbow color, and the white 100 on it turned into an Infinity symbol. It lasted for a full minute after she finished chewing the bite. “Holy shit… I need to pack these things!” Anna then climbed the trees, picking the multi colored apples and digitising them into her previously mentioned Inventory.
Suddenly, a loud howl tore through the small orchard of strange apple trees, stopping Anna’s carefree attitude and causing her to spring into a ready stance. She held her weaponized arm at the ready, aiming ahead of where she looked. She was certain the howl did not come from a friendly creature. Down one unseen path, she saw a large wolf, the same size as a Clydesdale horse. It was one hell of an intimidating thing, especially considering her gun was no better than a Pea Shooter at the moment… But hey. A tutorial boss fight wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to her.
Anna immediately began firing her weapon, pulling the trigger as fast as she possibly could to deal as much damage as she could in a short amount of time. As expected however, they didn’t do much more than piss it off… Anna tried to dodge its charge, but was surprised when it stopped and instead headbutt her, stunning her with a bit of a concussion. Even stunned, however, Anna refused to stop fighting to handle the pain. She kicked out, the impact causing far more damage than her pea shooter. It looked like this gun was worthless as a weapon, for now. She backpedaled a bit and tried to kick the beast, but the weight of the armor slowed her down.
The wolf pounced again, stunning her again before biting down on her arm and flinging her into a tree. Thankfully, her armor protected her from most of the damage, but the impact still wasn’t very pleasant… nor was the remanent feeling of electricity surging through her nerves. The wolf charged at her again, and she barely had time to react. On impulse, she punched it in the face with a heavy left hook. In response, the wolf jumped back, disoriented.
“That easy huh?” Anna quipped as she stood up and aimed her gun at the beast again. This time, she pulled the Secondary trigger, causing a blue light to begin filling up like a circular progress bar on the end of the gun attached to her arm. It thankfully finished filling before the wolf recovered.
Stun Pulse acquired. Shots augmented with lightning, causing more damage with a 70% chance to stun.
Anna smiled at the text notification and pulled the primary trigger, this time unleashing a blue bolt of energy from her gun. The wolf took the blast to the face, causing its muscles to spasm wildly for a few seconds. It shook itself to recover, growling at Anna before running off, deciding to find an easier meal. Anna breathed a short sigh of relief, and stared after the wolf beast... almost wondering if she should have finished it off and "tamed" it...
Anna blinked at the thought as she realized a warm feeling had passed over her at the thought. "Oh no... I'm not..." she tried to deny, but as the warm feeling grew, so too did her dread. A status effect popping up under her health bar only confirmed her fears. "...I'm in Heat... I should have figured the Deities were gonna fuck with me..." she groaned. She almost face palmed, but then remembered she had a gun for an arm.
Deciding for now to ignore it, Anna set out to explore a little more. She dearly hoped she wouldn’t get into some kind of yiffy situation… At least she had a gun as defense against it. Thankfully she didn’t exactly get into one. Instead, she found a good clearing to set up camp in, and did so since the sun was beginning to set. After she set up camp, she took up her voice log and hit Record.
“I’ve set up camp for the night. The morning was rather eventful, beginning with an orchard of odd apples that, according to my UI, allows me a period of time in which my energy is not used by actions that normally require it. Ten seconds is my rough estimate.
“Another acquisition I’ve made is a new addition to my weapons fire. Whereas before it was comparable to a pea shooter, it now does a moderate amount of damage and is augmented by lightning. This came from using the copy ability on a large wolf-like creature with electric attacks. I did not take much damage from it’s assault, but it chose in the end to hunt easier prey.
“Not much else was yielded from exploration. Most of the forest seems quiet, but I will explore more after dawn. I hope to find some form of civilization soon. It troubles me that I may be alone here, but I will hold out hope that I am not. This is Captain Anna Belle, signing out.”
Copycat: A Displaced Tale
The next morning, Anna was awakened by a strange sniffing sound. While thanking her past for making it incredibly easy to get up without complaint within seconds of waking up, she did so to investigate the intruder who had woken her so rudely. She stopped in surprise when she saw a rather recognizable creature made of wood. And it was eating one of her apples.
“Hey, wait a second, I wanted to save those…” she complained as she shuffled in her tent to grab them. Then, oddly, the Timberwolf chuckled.
“They would rot before you used them all. I am simply avoiding waste.” It stated without moving its mouth. Telepathy? Regardless, its apparent sentience immediately brought her to her senses with a logic shock. She sat up to inspect the beastly creature, and took in its menacing appearance.
“A Sentient? Good, I’d been hoping to run into one… It’s a bit odd to find it in an intimidating creature such as you, but Simulation has shown me stranger things.” Anna said, referencing videogames when she said Simulations. She had to stop her eyes from being drawn to his flanks, that warm feeling passing over her again. Her blush didn’t go unnoticed.
“Ah, you’re in Heat. Unfortunately, I can’t sate your desires. My knot would give you splinters in my current form.” The wolf stated bluntly. Anna’s blush grew, but she kept composed.
“That is fine by me. I don’t seek satisfaction, I seek suppression in that regard. This new body is unfamiliar to me, and I’m not quite ready to do something like.... that yet. In the meantime, since I doubt you can help me with my Heat, can you lead me to civilization? I’d like to meet with someone that can help with my situation.” Anna asked, doing her absolute best not to stutter. The wolf frowned and looked away.
“Civilization doesn’t much like me and my kind. Apparently to them, Elementals who uphold Nature are unnatural and must be exterminated. After that worg attacked you, I’d honestly feared you would treat me much the same.” The wolf said with a somber tone.
“I try to judge every individual for their own actions. That worg could have been a corrupted feral for all I knew and the rest of its kind were nicer sentients.” Anna replied with a kind smile. The wolf smiled.
“I like the way you think. But no, all worgs are feral. I’m frankly surprised you survived after its pounce. After witnessing what your weapon can do, I’m certain you’re the one who can help save Nature from being dominated by the Ponies.” The wolf said. From that, Anna could deduce this wolf thought there would be no chance of a peaceful end to the issue. She was still determined to try, but just in case… she was prepared to do battle if it meant her survival.
“I’ll do what I can.” Anna said simply. “Will you take me then?”
The wooden wolf nodded. “Of course. Pack up and we’ll get moving.” Anna nodded and began putting away her resources, as well as an apple in her stomach. Once all packed and ready to go, she and the wolf began trekking through the woods. On the way, they passed the orchard of strange apple trees again. She took note the apples were no longer there anymore, and the trees were bare. Merely assuming someone else had harvested them, she ignored this for now. Anna retrieved her voice log, recording the new day.
“Log 2, Second of Winter. I believe I’m either the luckiest cat alive, or about to delve into hell. I was discovered by a sentient wooden wolf at my camp this morning, helping to consume perishables before their expiration. It was certainly a shock, but the fact I woke up at all showed me he could be trusted not to rip out my throat. As of right now, he is my escort to civilization. My hope is to work out a problem the wolf has presented regarding the absolute control of nature. According to my escort, the primary natives of this planet are equine in form, and bear a grouping of three magic types. Only one of which is predominantly the magic fiction has described in such novels as Harry Potter and… well, admittedly I know too little novels to make such a comparison.
“Today is already shaping up to be a long one, so I may not be able to make another Log for some time. For now, this is Captain Anna Belle, signing off.”
Anna began putting the voice log away, and the wolf signalled a stop.
“Be warned, they might not take kindly to your appearance. Your teeth will unsettle them, so be wary of your own smiles.” The wolf warned. Anna understood. From what she gathered, the natives were equine and highly controlling in nature. They would be wary of anything that didn’t fit their views, and especially suspicious of carnivores. She nodded in understanding.
“As would be expected of their nature. I only hope logical minds will prevail.” Anna shared as.
Another hour later, and finally they reached a forming town. A town surrounding a castle in a way Anna found familiar. It reminded her of the format of Castle Town and Hyrule Castle, but the only difference was, the castle wasn’t as big and the decorations were far more colorful and cheery.
“This place certainly likes its happy colors. And the depictions of night and day… are the rulers representative of that?” Anna asked, deducing such from an image of two ponies with horns and wings, each of the same theme. The wolf seemed surprised at her observational skill.
“Uh… y-yes, they are. Those two even control the sun and moon. They are the embodiments of them.” The wolf replied. Anna nodded as she noted that. Such power was… well beyond her current capacity. However, if she coul-
“BCAWK!” Anna and the Wolf were startled to see a snake like creature with chicken parts suddenly bloat up and float around like a balloon.
“...What in the…?” The wolf asked. Anna turned in confusion.
“You mean that doesn’t normally happen?”Anna asked, raising an eyebrow… before noting that the wolf was sprouting blue flowers and screaming in fear. “I’ll take that as a ‘No’ then.” she said before turning back to town. She blinked at what she saw now floating over it. It was some sort of chimera, a frankenstein monster of animals thrown together to create something that brought only one word to Anna’s mind. Chaos. And the more he hung around, the more twisted the world around them was getting. Cities and chunks of land began floating in the air, upside down, and with ponies in them acting shitty or derpily.
“What…? What’s going on?” Anna asked as she watched the scene unfold before her. Two ponies with wings and horns flew up to confront the chaotic creature only to be put down… by a sudden lack of horns or wings. Anna narrowed her eyes. Whoever this thing was, she didn’t think he was here with good intentions. She aimed her weapon at him and began using the Copy Function… but it flashed red with a buzzer signalling she wasn’t aiming at anything. “Huh? This thing has a range? Ugh…”
She took stock for a moment, gathering her courage and putting together a plan then, before setting off to get into town. With the guards preoccupied with trying to figure out how to switch back out of the dog bodies they were put into, they didn’t exactly have much say in whether or not she could pass. Before long, she was in town and directly underneath the strange chaotic creature. Assured it was all the distance she needed, she tried again… this time, she got results, but after half a minute of standing there aiming her copy ability, it was clear it would take at least four whole minutes to finish… she almost gave up on account of it not being worth it and that she’d be caught before she finished.
“I’m sorry, did you really think your magic would work on me? I’m Discord! You, know, Lord of Chaos, and all that?” Discord introduced himself. The two pathetic pony princesses before him seemed so confused… They must not be the fun types. And they think they can protect all of their precious little ponies. What’s even funnier is they don’t seem to know they’re destroying what’s really natural in this world. Maybe I should teach them a lesson. Show them they can’t save everypony.
“You won’t get away with this, Discord!” The white one shouted.
“Oh, how cliche… That deserves a cliche in return. How does this look?” Discord snapped his talons, teleporting the three of them to a custom built obstacle course. It had three paths, at the end of each sat a puppet pony I crafted to act as a pony those two were meant to save. And each of them was sitting over a pool of slime that, while not very dangerous, would cause some possibly unwanted changes to a pony. Discord smiled at the genius of it.
“What…? What is this?” The blue one asked in surprise.
“An obstacle course, of course.” Something stifled a laugh out of sight. Discord ignored it. It was probably that silly cat pointing a stick at him for whatever reason. Considering how little power he felt from her, he doubted it was worth the time or laughs to mess with her. Besides, he was busy with the Party Pooper sisters.
“To what end?” Speaking of them, the white one had asked the question. He smirked as a screen popped up, showing three ponies, struggling in rope bindings while being suspended over the previously mentioned pits of slime.
“To save your precious little ponies, of course! But be quick, you only have a limited time… and somehow, I doubt you’ll have enough time to save all three.” Discord said with a wide, taunting grin. The two looked at the four minute timer counting down on the screen, and to the one mile paths on the obstacle courses.
“You underestimate us.” The blue one scoffed. She immediately took off down one path.
“Luna, No! We needn’t play his games!” Sunbutt shouted, before gritting her teeth, seeing she had little choice.
“Come on now, Sunbutt. Don’t be a party pooper. You have ponies to save, don’t you?” Discord taunted. Celestia growled, before running down one of the other tracks, weaving between tall pillars on the bouncy funhouse flooring she had to traverse. Discord’s grin widened… Celestia would be getting a surprise on that path…
Discord excitedly poofed a camera into his hands worthy of an executive producer, and followed Celestia eagerly. Celestia tried her best to ignore him, but something about the way his grin kept growing the closer she got to her goal unnerved her. Even as she entered a short tunnel, she never felt his gaze leave her. She paused. She felt she’d stepped in something…. Looking down, she raised her eyebrow at the slime now coating her hooves. It wasn’t just sticking to her… it was keeping her pinned.
Then it began moving, rising up her legs and coating them as well. Startled by this, she tried to escape, but without her wings or magic, it was useless. Even so, she had seen enough japaneighs hentai to know what would happen next, and she did not want to subject herself to such a fate.
She gasped as she felt it slip into and around her ass and pussy, and shuddered as the slime vibrated within. “S-stop! Don’t do this!” she shouted, unable to do anything else to stop this. It didn’t listen, and she knew it wouldn’t… she had no choice. Nothing she could do would deter this molestation.
The moment the word crossed her mind, Celestia shuddered. It was something she was very familiar with…. It was her Darker Half. Molestia…. And it seemed in the wake of this event, She was coming out to play. Celestia’s hips raised on their own, legs spreading for the intrusion invading her, and the slime began pumping in and out of her holes.
“F-fuuuuck… this is better than I could have hoped~” she moaned, letting the slime have its way with her. And have its way it did… the slime flowed in and out of her, fluid rushing against her inner walls as, little by little, the slime slowly dripped pieces of itself into her womb each time it pushed in. Celestia had to admit to herself, as her climax fast approached, that even without Molestia’s influence, this was the best sex she’d ever had.
Just as the thought finished, Celestia let out a loud cry of pleasure, clenching on the slime as it surged forth into her, finishing its new claim to a house as Celestia came.
“What is happening?” Discord asked, snapping his talons, trying to do something.
“Sorry I took so long. You would not believe how tiring it was to point my Copy Scanner at this guy for four freaking minutes… or the effort it took to stay within scanning range.” A strange cat creature apologised as she rolled her arm, one which had a strange device attached to it. “Before I deal with him, though.. I have a few upgrades to make.” She grinned, causing her device to morph into something resembling a gauntlet around her paws.
“We have so many questions.” Luna stated, just as confused as Celestia was.
“Relax, I’m not on his side. I just stole his power… temporarily.” the cat spoke, smirking as she snapped the fingers on the glove, giving back Celestia and Luna’s wings and horn. Though Celestia was still stunned by her appearance, she could not deny she was grateful for the aid.
“Thank you. We could use all the help you can provide.” Celestia said with a smile. The cat smiled back.
“Not a problem. I’m just glad he underestimated me.” she said, before looking back at him. Discord himself wore a face of absolute shock. For a few moments, he stood stunned, but then he dropped the look and clapped as though impressed.
“Well played. I noticed you, but assumed it was nothing… And it cost me. I suppose this means you won. Bravo!” he said, evidently proud. The cat seemed unsettled by that.
“Well… what exactly does this mean then? I wasn’t aware this was a game.” she asked. Discord slithered through the air towards her, though his approach fell short a mere 3 meters away. The cat’s gaze had turned guarded.
“It means that you get my favor. Any deed of chaos you need, I’ll be there for you.” Discord offered with a big smile. The cat thought with a harsh look for a long while, before nodding.
“Very well. As of right now, I request that you restore this area to what it once was when your power has returned to you. I will speak to the sisters shortly to sort out a situation that requires their attention.” the cat said, getting a frown out of Discord.
“Oh great, another creature bent on Order…” He grumbled as he hovered away to begin his task. The cat sighed. It was her Military Persona in this body that promoted Order. But she knew Harmony would demand a balance and understanding between the two opposing forces. At the very least, she hoped she could get along with Discord. Anna turned towards the two sisters and gently brought herself down to the ground just as the one minute timer hit zero.
“I apologize if my sudden appearance startled you. I am Captain Anna Belle, an extraterrestrial as far as I am aware. I understand you two are the current rulers? Celestia and Luna, if my translation program is correct?” Anna prompted for confirmation.
“Y-yes. We are. How hast thou learned this information?” Luna, the younger alicorn sister asked.
“A mix of observation, eavesdropping, and technology.” Anna answered curtly. She considered following up by explaining the armor she wore, but decided against it. It was better to keep some secrets.
“And what do you mean by that?!” Celestia immediately jumped to conclusions. Anna shook her head at the alicorn.
“It was impossible not to, while I was keeping myself in range of Discord. He talks a lot.” Anna clarified. Celestia backed off, blinking as she realized what the cat meant. “Now, on to what I came here for. May I join you in your castle? I’m afraid the subject I wish to speak of will take some time to cover.”
“Erm….” Luna and Celestia shared a glance with each other, uncertain of what to do. “We believe that will be acceptable.” Celestia answered. Anna smiled and let them lead the way into the castle. As she followed them, she used her UI to scan these two, getting a bit more of an idea of who they were.
Princess Celestia Recently Ascended Alicorn of the Sun. She is the current designated controller of the sun. Due to a thaumic imbalance in this solar system, the celestial bodies require those with severe levels of thaumic control to move the solar system to prevent catastrophe. Her position as Alicorn of the Sun enables her to become the very embodiment of the sun. Solar Embodiment Progress: 5%
Princess Luna Recently Ascended Lunar Alicorn. She is the current designated Lunar Artist, in charge of upholding the peace of the night. Her position allows her to become the embodiment of the Night. Lunar Embodiment Progress: 15%
Anna stared at the scan results with half hidden awe. These two are something special. And those were only the summaries of the database files she received. She knew they were all in for a long day sharing information and getting situated… But at the very least, she was prepared. ...Somewhat.
Copycat: A Displaced Tale
Log 3: Diary of a Princess
“Could you start from the beginning? Perhaps it would benefit us all to understand all that’s happened.” Celestia requested when the three of them had taken seats in a dining hall. The castle staff had been made aware of Anna’s carnivorous diet and instructed to prepare a meal for me with what they could provide. They didn’t seem too happy about that, but at least they had fish on han- er, hoof.
“Of course. Now, as I mentioned on the way here, I wasn’t always a cat, let alone female. I used to be what’s known as a Human. In the world I once lived, magic was limited to sleight of hand or optical illusions. There was no manipulation of the elements or levitation, and the entire populus made do with the invention of various technologies.” Anna explained.
“That seems rather impressive. However, your reactions to this world don’t line up with the expected response from someone who’s been here as long as you have…” Luna observed. Anna nodded.
“Such things as true magic and universal travel are still only ideas in my world. These ideas have been novelized by inspired fictions. I immersed myself in them in my free time, and used to fantasize about being capable of such feats. Though over time, these novels and other ideas have gone beyond written texts, and theater plays, just as technology evolved, so did methods of storytelling. This has even reached so far as allowing the viewer to interact or even directly control a singular hero or team of characters. This method I speak of is known as Video Games, a media form I was training to produce myself in my previous life.
“One of my favorites was a series of games known by the title of Star Fox, which involved a lot of interplanetary travel and science-fiction technology. I have reason to believe I have become a slightly customized version of one of the characters of Star Fox, if not a potential soldier from such media.”
Luna and Celestia were listening intently, taking in every word with a mix of awe and disbelief, all hidden behind a carefully practiced mask of calm.
“And you seem to be taking all of this rather well. Tell me, how is it you have been taking this in stride?” Luna asked.
“In truth, I’ve been freaking out every waking second. But I push on because even growing up, I had learned that panic and fear distorts your judgement and makes any situation worse. I refuse to allow myself to make judgement calls based on fear. As well, I find comfort in the fact that I am wearing this armor.” Now that Anna thinks about it, with this armor being among one of the kinds of armor detailed in science fiction, she had to wonder if she had some kind of spaceship lying around somewhere. It’s a possibility to explore some other time. She still had an interview and mission to accomplish.
“That's an interesting lesson. And I can understand the comfort of armor... at least until its limits are truly tested.” Celestia chuckled. “But we’re getting off topic. You were getting to how you became what you are?”
“Of course. Now, the media I have spoken of previously have quite the following. My planet has a population well over billions, and a majority of them has access to the established Worldwide Media tool that came to me known as the Internet. This allows us to advertise meetings for certain circles of fans of this series or that game, usually many in one. These gatherings, known as conventions, can host a vast number of fan creations and merchants selling their wares related to the subject of the convention. I had the misfortune of purchasing a product from the only merchant I know of that was capable of not only transforming me into the character I was wearing a costume of, but subtly transporting me to another planet altogether… Possibly even another dimension, but I’d like to remain optimistic. My Copy weapon was the item I purchased. And the very same item that caused such a chaotic change in my life.”
“Then why do you keep it?” Luna asked, glaring hatefully at the offending item. Anna chuckled.
“If there is anything consistent about Humans, it’s their ability to thrive in conflict. Their ability to adapt in the face of Discord and Chaos. And most of all, their ability to survive when pushed to the edge. I recognized it was a weapon; the only weapon I had. My only self defence. But logical minds prevail… I recognized the Copy ability has the potential for Godhood. I’m no megalomaniac, but I know obtaining power will more efficiently allow for the protection of not just myself, but the innocents that I no doubt will meet on my travels.” Anna ended with a smile. But then her face allowed an expression of cold, critical analysis.
“You don’t even know you are hurting innocents, do you?” Anna asked suddenly, causing the alicorn sisters to tense up. They looked between Anna and her weapon, with which she was fidgeting nervously.
“What exactly do you mean? What innocents?” Celestia asked. Anna sighed.
“The creatures of nature. Timberwolves are Elementals who protect their territories. By taking control of nature yourselves, you take the lives of the Elementals who control and live in their element. A timberwolf sent me to work things out with you, to get you to understand what you’re doing, and to stop it.” Anna presented. The two alicorns shared a sceptical look.
“But we know what we’re doing.the creatures you call elementals have attacked ponies, even going so far as to kill. What better course of action than to show them what they do to us?” Celestia asked, worried and confused. Anna withheld a growl.
“That course of action casts you into ignorance. Tell me, how long have you and your kingdom been established?” Anna asked, hoping to show them what was wrong.
“Nearly 100 years. We’ve seen these creatures every now and then since we came, but not for long, usually.” Luna replied.
“Until they began killing ponies about 10 years ago, we were content to leave them be.” Celestia added.
“Did you begin controlling more than the sun and moon around 10 years ago?” Anna asked. Celestia’s eyebrow raised in doubt, while the connection immediately caught Luna’s mind.
“We did! We had pegasi begin scheduling weather for the Earth Ponies’ farms!” Luna answered.
“By doing so, you began killing the Elementals. They were not the first to strike. They are merely defending themselves. After all, what would you do to defend your home and life? I suggest laying down your control and striking a deal with the Elementals. They are sentient.” Anna told them.
“And who are you to tell us what to do?” Celestia asked with narrowed eyes.
“I’m not giving an order. I’m making a suggestion. However…. To ignore me would be to forsake the meaning of Harmony.” Anna said. Her weapon clicked, and blue pixels coated it as it grew back into the arm blaster form it previously took. She immediately began scanning Celestia. “So I suppose, in a sense, I am telling you what to do.” The two sisters tensed up as they waited for something to happen. It was about 30 seconds before the weapon beeped, changing back into a gauntlet. Above it, a holographic screen showed Anna’s new acquisition.
Solar Beam acquired. Solar magic has augmented your beam attacks. High chance to burn targets. Damage affected by proximity and exposure to solar energy/bodies.
Anna immediately toggled it on. No sense in not using all beam modifiers available.
Fire Affinity acquired. Intense Heat empowers armor and abilities up to 300 Degrees Celsius.
“What is this?” Celestia asked, cautious and afraid.
“Life insurance.” Anna replied coldly, standing up. “As much as I wish for peace, I must be prepared to fight for it too. Even if it means fighting you.” Anna turned with a stoney face toward the exit. Before she reached it, however, she stopped and considered her words carefully. She turned her head towards them halfway.
“Please know that though I am willing to fight, I would much prefer peace. You two seem reasonable enough. I hope you will chose to take me as an ally rather than an enemy.” She said before leaving. The two sisters stood silent and tense as they waited for the cat to leave the castle.
“Sheesh. What a drama queen.” Star Swirl the Bearded callously remarked as he made his presence known. The two sisters jumped in surprise, yelping a bit as they turned to him. He let out a hearty chuckle. “And I see she got to you too. But she has a point. You should listen to her if you really want to stop the killings.”
Luna gave her sister a subtle, yet smug smirk, feeling some satisfaction in being the one that’s right for once. She had argued against the killing of the elementals long ago, and now, ten years later, she had proven correct. Celestia paid the look little mind.
“Listen to her?! SHE THREATENED US!! If anything, she’s declaring war!” Celestia shouted in return, upset and afraid.
“Deep breaths, Celly. Remember what happened last time you lashed out in fear.” Star Swirl admonished. Celestia’s breathing didn’t slow down.
“No, she raised her weapon against me. That was a direct threat!” Celestia continued to argue. Luna put a hoof on the elder sister’s shoulders.
“Sister, stop. She gave us a choice.” Luna said in a soft tone to try and calm her down. Celestia tried to come up with an argument, but had to stop to recognize that her mask of calm had been broken, and that tears of fear had begun falling.
“I… I…” She paused to take a breath and wipe her tears. “...I need to rest. This business with Discord’s attack… I’ve reached my limit.” she said, excusing herself. She left for her room, where she could collect herself in peace. Moments after they heard the door to her room slam shut, a servant holding three plates of food cleared his throat.
“So… what am I doing with these, then?” he asked uncertainly. Luna sighed.
“I believe Starswirl and I will take the two salads. If you can find a carnivore among the castle staff or common folk, please let them have the fish. Or find some way to deliver it to Captain Anna Belle. No food should go to waste.”
“As you wish.” the servant said, levitating the two salads over to the two, as Starswirl took a seat.
“...From the way she acted, I’m guessing she was closer to 18 than 25 as her body suggested.” Starswirl started to pick up a conversation.
“...Old perv.” Luna quipped in return.
“Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t notice. She’s given herself two forms of immortality. She’s ageless, and can even return from death.” Starswirl said, much to Luna’s absolute shock.
“Then she may be unstopable… Perhaps it would be wise to heed her wishes then. An alliance will most certainly prove the best course of action.” Luna smiled as she thought forward with a clear head.
Strange… normally I’m the one breaking down with fear and hatred… What has Discord done to her? Luna paused to think for a moment. But she shook the thought from her head. I will need to help the common folk regain their bearings. They have been afflicted far too harshly in recent times.
Anna took several minutes to compose herself after she left. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest, and her blood had been running cold while she was in there, making such bold threats. It was like she was squaring off against death himself. The first thing she had freaked out about after the adrenaline wore off was “WHY THE FUCK DID I DO THAT?!” She then proceeded to go on a cursing tangent of regret. Sadly, it was too late to go back now unless she wanted to make it really awkward.
“Fucking hell. This is why 18 year olds aren’t old enough to negotiate with royals…” Anna lamented as she nearly clawed the fur out of her head. After a lengthy groan, she relaxed enough to compose herself.
“At least I got a couple neat upgrades out of it.” she muttered before walking out of the castle grounds and making her way back into the forest.
Celestia’s breaths shuddered as she finished her fit in her room. “It’s not fair… Why did they have to die so soon? I shouldn’t be in charge this young…” she whined as she hung her head. As her eyes cleared, she noticed her flailing about and crying had scattered various objects around her room, but her diary had landed right in front of her. Maybe she just needed to write to get her head together. Picking up an inkwell and quill once she spotted them miraculously untouched on a desk, she opened to a blank page in the book and began writing.
“Dear Diary,
Nevertheless, there’s been something new today. Many things, actually. The first of which might scar me for a while… Discord. The spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. He played with me and Luna like we were mere toys. We were powerless to stop him, and he nearly unleashed… HER on my little ponies. But he was interrupted when a strange cat stole his powers and set him to the task of restoring all he changed.
Then there’s the matter of the cat… it wasn’t even an hour before she turned on us, accusing us of harming innocents. She threatened us like none ever have before. She isn’t against us for power. I don’t know what scares me more; Her ability to steal power, or her standing against us. She even has Discord at her beck and call since she defeated him so effortlessly.
Mother Faust, guide my hoof… I don’t know what to do in the wake of these dreadful events. I only hope I can survive what comes next…”
Celestia took a heavy labored breath as she set the quill down. Then she turned to a wall in her room and cast a quick spell, before the wall turned around and revealed a particularly tall cake. In her mind, she paused to apologize to her sister for breaking the strict diet, but these cakes were one of the means by which she avoided breaking her own mind with boredom, madness, or otherwise. And then, she proceeded to dig in as only a princess of the sun could.
The mess left so many stains, the cleaning staff had to remove the afflicted carpet and replace it entirely. At least they were paid VERY handsomely to keep quiet about it.
Anna sighed as she finished recounting her tale to the wolf back at camp. The Timberwolf seemed confused.
“Why do you sound dissatisfied? It sounds to me like you got our message across.” He asked.
“But I gave a bad message… I left a horrible first impression, and on top of that, if they end up somehow finding out I’ve got the power to Respawn, I could end up in an endless cycle of dying over and over again!” Anna distressed.
“...Oh.” The timberwolf whimpered in realization. Anna nodded with ears laid flat. After a long moment of consideration, she stood up.
“I have something else I need to keep an eye out for anyway. Can you ask around for anything fitting the description of a large metal bird capable of fitting a creature in a seat inside?” Anna asked. “I’ll stand a much better chance of survival if I get my Arwing.”
“...I suppose I could ask around. What about that Discord fellow? Do you think he would know anything?” Timber asked.
“You called?” Discord was grinning, having a good feeling about this call.
“Yeah. I was wondering if you had any idea where I might find a crashed space ship. It’s designed more like an arrow or some kind of metal cat head than the usual stereotype of a flying saucer.” Anna asked. Discord thought for a few moments before investigating his Chaos Sensor, which was currently pointing to ten seconds ago.
“Ah, does it look something like this?” Discord snapped up an illusion of the Arwing, currently crashed in one of the newly settled farming towns just outside the Everfree Forest.
“That’s it exactly. Can you point me in that direction?” Anna requested.
“Maybe. Though my magic never likes to give straight answers, so bear with me. I’m just as new to this planet as you are.” Discord answered. Another snap, and a whacky compass appeared in his paw. The arrow was twisted on it, though Anna at least recognized the order in which the arrow stopped on three items. First, a Zap Apple Tree, then a crystal tree, then an S, presumably for South, then her Arwing.
“Hmm… This isn’t giving me any meaningful answers. Can you make any sense of it?” Discord asked, showing it more clearly. Anna nodded.
“I’ve set a few waypoints based on the order of stops. I already know where to go for the first one, so I have a general sense of where to go, but I have no idea about the Crystal Tree thing…” Anna said thoughtfully.
“Crystal Tree? You mean the Tree of Harmony?” Timber questioned. “I can lead you there. It’s just past the Zap Apple Orchard.” he got up and began leading the way, Discord grinning like a fool as he made an explorer outfit pop into existence on the trio. Anna giggled when she noticed her own was similar to the green tunic Link wears in Legend of Zelda.
“Nice choice.” Anna complemented, disregarding the utter disregard of reality that just occurred. After all, it has already been established that magic exists in this world, but she has not asserted what is possible. Therefore, anything that occurs is possible. Simple logic to explain her acceptance.
Soon enough, the three of them arrived at the Crystal Tree Timber had mentioned. Discord paused as, rather than a disgusted, tormented feeling he usually got when near this tree, he felt… calm. At peace, if it was a bit uneasy. Almost like it was accepting him, begrudgingly.
Anna was quick to scan the tree with her UI/Visor, and opened the file presented.
Tree of Harmony
The sentient tree before you endeavors to maintain balance and harmony across the entire planet. How it does so is unknown, but in recent years, its power has begun growing exponentially. Possible connection to the Alicorn Sisters may require further analysis of their relationship and further inquiry.
Alternative Identity: Lauren Faust
Lore: ERROR 404; History not found.
“This thing is Sentient?” Anna asked with a cute tilt of her head. Discord grabbed the UI file and looked at it himself, though he should not have seen it.
“That could explain why it’s not trying to kill me this time. And why there doesn’t seem to be anything on its past. Maybe this ‘Lauren Faust’ doesn’t want to share a history lesson?”
“Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it… but I will respect its wishes. Maybe someday it will trust me enough to share.” Anna said with a sigh. Just as she was about to turn away, something popped up on her UI.
Incoming Friend Request: Tree of Harmony
Accept?
“...Sure, why not?” Anna shrugged, once more assuming it was magic just finding a way to interact with her systems. Once the button went away, a chat window popped up. In blue text, it said,
Tree of Harmony: Maybe some day.
Anna smiled as she turned, leaving it in peace. The chat window minimized as she left. Now, it was just a matter of going South to her ship.
Copycat: A Displaced Tale
“What is that thing?”
“Why’d it fall outta the sky?”
“You think the Princess shot down an invader from space?”
This and more mutterings occurred as the citizens of early Appleoosa finally came out of their homes to investigate the crashed ship. Now, as Anna listened around just out of sight, she never knew that Katt Monroe never had an Arwing of her own. Anna never knew exactly what ship Katt had flown, however. Now, she knew. This was no Arwing. It was, however, a space worthy fighter ship.
Discord, in a stereotypical Secret Agent outfit, whispered to Anna. “So, what’s the plan, boss? A distraction? Wait till something else happens? Let’s hear it.” he asked eagerly, like a child waiting to be told what he was getting for christmas.
“I half wonder if we shouldn’t just walk out there and see what happens. The worst thing that could happen is a sheer panic, and that’ll just give me a clear path to the ship.” Anna muttered.
“I could clear the way by taking point, if you so wish.” Timber offered. Anna waved the offer away.
“Thanks, but I’d rather not put you at risk. I think I’ll test their reaction to me first. They’re pretty focused on the ship, so they probably won’t notice me unless I make a scene. I’ll talk behind one of them and see what happens next.”
“And so the dominoes line up to get knocked down…” Timber muttered as Anna crept forth like a true cat, silent in all but breath as she slipped up to the crowd.
“Hmm. Poetic.” Discord noted.
“So… what even is it, anyway?” one pony at the back of the crowd muttered, mostly to herself.
“A spaceship, obviously. But I bet I can put a name to it.” Anna said, paws on her hips as she looked past the orange mare at the crashed ship. She began scanning it to get a name from it too.
“Oh yeah? What’s it called then?” the pony asked, not looking.
“Cat’s Paw II. Second model of its design, made by a pilot to travel space as a mercenary fighter ship. And I bet while I repair it, I can make a few upgrades.” Anna gave a smirk as she checked out the schematic her scan provided. The pony turned to question the remark, and comically provided a Metal Gear Solid alert sound when she spotted the tall, bipedal cat.
“Wh-wha?!” Immediately, every pony present turned to view the commotion. Anna chuckled.
“Excuse me, can I get to my ship, please? I’d like to give it a bit of work and repair!” Anna called out. The sea of ponies parted slowly, shuffling about nervously as they let her pass. She chuckled at how skittish they were acting. “Relax, I’m friends of your Princesses.”
Once they settled down, she began inspecting the damage on the ship with her gauntlet. For the most part, the damage was only consistent with a low-gravity planetary impact. The metal was designed to withstand a low-powered weapon shot at least; something like a handheld blaster. Really, the worst damage here was a few misaligned circuits and missing armor plates.
Anna paused to consider one particular pair of words in her assessment of the damage. “...low-gravity?” She hesitated for a second, before initiating an environmental scan.
Terrain: Small Village; Easy to navigate due to positive reputation. Low Relative Gravity makes mountainous terrain easy to scale with leaps and bounds. Disabling armor stabilizers may result in extreme collateral damage.
“Well, nice to know my armor’s keeping me relatively underpowered.” Anna muttered with half a smile. She then set her scanner to drone mode - a recent addition courtesy of Chaos - to search for materials to replace the missing armor plates and fix the wires with, and then let it fly. By this time tomorrow, it should be back to deliver results.
“So you say you can fix this thing?” a pony asked, trotting up next to her.
“Yeah, I just need a smith. Making armor plates like these oughta be a challenge for a local, but enough time should allow for a decent replacement.” Anna analyzed.
“Well, I suppose I'm up to the challenge. So long as I can get the materials, I'll make new, and even improved parts for you!” The pony eagerly stated. Anna, caught off guard by that, looked at the pony. It was an Earth pony, with a charcoal black mane and dark brown coat. He also had a strange tattoo on his flank resembling a hammer and anvil. Beyond his strikingly normal appearance, Anna had to question his reasons.
“...Why? I haven't even done you any kindness or favor yet.” Anna asked in confusion.
“Smithing is my passion. And this… this is simply an opportunity I can't pass up. The fact that it's a new challenge is enough for me to want to do this. If you'll have me, that is?” The pony answered. Anna considered it for no more than two seconds.
“Huh… well, I'd be grateful. I've got a scan going for materials and it should be done by tomorrow. I'll head out for them then, and bring the materials to you. Thank you.” Anna said, smiling.
***
“Log 3, Fifth of Winter. It's gotten around to snowing, which my armor thankfully keeps from freezing me to death. It's… been a few days, so I have several updates. To start with, I learned a lot about the ruling body, and just how much influence their names hold. Two days in the town of Apploosa taught me they are revered as deities. Logically, their tremendous power brought about this blind worship. I just hope all this praise they receive day in and day out doesn't go to their heads. I doubt it won't, however.
“Furthermore, the princesses are young and naive. On the day of my meeting with them, they were… confronted with a foe whom could warp reality on a whim named Discord. Luna and Celestia were helpless against him, since he could merely snap his fingers and their power was gone, just like that. As fearsome as he was, however, he proved to be cocky, and chose to ignore me while I followed him, allowing me to legitimately steal his powers, if only for a minute.
“This earned me two things. Discord as a follower, and the ability to upgrade whatever I pleased, however I pleased. Normally, one would be overwhelmed by this sudden influx of power, but… I don't know. Maybe it's an addition that my body came with a soldier's mind, which I suppose had enough Order to balance the Chaos. In any case, I was able to significantly improve my survivability and utility skills by adding a few upgrades. Firstly, I allowed myself the ability to respawn. Always at my current age, though I'm not Unaging like the rulers of this planet.
“And finally, I dealt with Heat… in an unconventional way. I couldn't actually remove that entirely. Funnily enough, Chaos Magic doesn't allow me to lobotomize any part of me, even pheromones. I did, however, change it from a monthly worry to a one-day problem I'll have to… prepare for, each time Valentine's Day comes around. Admittedly, this has a significant chance to prove a mistake. I'm no expert, but due to 12 months of Heat being compressed into one day, I could very well be setting myself up for a… well, very big problem. Unfortunately, Discord refuses me another scan, and refuses to change a thing. I suspect he's at the Horny Teen stage of his life, everything considered.”
“HEY!”
“The last update for today is about my new ship. It's known as the Cat's Paw II. It suffered some minor impact damage, but that was easily repaired in a day; on the Third of Winter, in fact. I worked with a local Smith who forged the missing or damaged parts with admirable skill and enthusiasm. His name is… heh… Black Smith. No kidding. He had such enthusiasm though that I got swept up in everything, and… forgot to record my logs until now. I managed to upgrade the Cat's Paw II into the Cat's Paw III, using some Thaumium Deposits Discord provided. Now, several functions of the ship replenish on their own, and have special effects based on my location. Like if someone took the Biome Blade from Terraria's Calamity Mod and turned it into a spaceship, I can draw on elemental power based on what kind of biome I am operating in. I can't seem to add this to my Copy Weapon, at least not permanently, so I suppose this is strictly for heavy artillery.
“There is a lot more to speak about, but this log has gone on long enough. I will speak more on them when they become relevant. For now, this is Captain Anna Belle signing off.”
Anna took a breath as she set the voice log into her ship’s Digital Storage. As discord sat pouting in the Co-pilot seat, Anna had to admit, she was proud of the work on this ship. She was definitely right to deny Discord’s offer to upgrade with his power alone. His introduction of Thaumium at least made him feel useful rather than left out, providing her, for a time, with a happy god of chaos.
Anna finally leaned forth and pressed on the hologram screen for a Diagnostic Report. This showed her all her current systems in working condition. Energy shields at 100%, Hull integrity at 100%, with four layers of armor, weapons systems fully functional, including her light artillery shot and her Seeker Missiles, both of which were provided the Plains effect which increases projectile piercing power and speed. There was also the Omnidirectional Engines, which were currently offline. On top of that, the ship now had an increased size, allowing her to add Living Quarters, and the necessities for living within her ship as a house. All in all, the hard work paid off, and she relished in the satisfaction of it all.
Now though… she had no idea what to do. Though she now had access to space travel, she didn't have any sort of map or coordinate system to navigate with. Likely as soon as she visited another star, she'd never find this planet again… this meant she would have to stay here for the time being, until she discovers a pony talented in astronomy. And even then, she'd have to wait until this world drafted their own spacecraft and explored with it. Part of her insisted she wouldn't allow her ship to be the cause of a massive technological leap. This meant she had to lock away the one blueprint she made for this vessel. Preferably with some odd password no creature here could guess, not even Discord.
…
Which would be a rather unreal task, Anna admitted, looking at the young amalgamate. Discord now busied himself playing Terraria, which he took from her memory to code into the ship. Anna smiled as the oddity seemed to relish in discovering the rare and powerful Arkhalis. She giggled, and then sat back in her chair to enjoy the current peace. She hoped it would last. She could get used to this. All that was left was to set up an exercise regiment so as to avoid becoming fat and lazy, and she was all set.
“Hey, Anna, it looks like the Royal Guards have come for a visit. Let's go see what's going on, shall we?” Discord notified Anna. Looking out of her cockpit windows, she saw a whole line of ponies in golden armor. Something about their faces unsettled her, however. Like there was no life behind their eyes.
Anna got up, curiously heading out to greet them. “Hello officers. What do you need?” Anna asked, her tone taking on a militant, gruff rumble.
“By order of Princess Celestia, you are under arrest.” The lead guard said. Anna raised her eyebrow.
“I have done no wrong. On what counts am I being arrested?” She asked.
“Royal Assault and Battery, fear mongering, and Theft of Magic.” The lead guard listed. “If you come quietly, we will ensure your trial comes soon so you can make your arguments.”
“Very well. Lead the way.” Anna replied. She made a gesture with her gauntlet, which activated an automatic set of orders. Her ship’s engines roared and began lifting the ship into orbit. Once it was gone, she allowed the guards to lead the way. This trial, she felt, would prove to be drastically unnecessary… or a pain in the ass.
