Chapters Prologue-The Ancient Machine
Everfree Forest
Around 10 PM
"Twilight, I understand that the Princesses gave you a special mission…" Rainbow Dash moped. "But could it have waited until tomorrow, for pete's sake?"
"No, because that magical pulse was strong enough to cause small earthquakes in Canterlot." Twilight Sparkle replied, leading the way for her friends with a lantern. "Besides, I doubt it'll take us that long. We'll be in and out, Rainbow Dash."
"I sure hope so!" Rarity complained. "My mane is absolutely filthy!"
"Speak for yourself, Rarity." Applejack smiled. "My mane is just fine."
As the girls chuckled at Rarity's resulting snort of annoyance, deep below the surface was a massive, cavernous room constructed of shimmering metal. Inside the room, apart from countless computer consoles and readouts, was an orb containing blue energy. The energy arced and zigzagged across the orb as the Vault's systems began to boot up once more after centuries of dormancy.
The energy soon consolidated into a spiked cube, and it spoke in a deep, yet authoritative voice.
"AI WARMIND HARRISON ONLINE." the ancient AI droned. "All systems functional. Length of dormant state...one thousand, three hundred and forty two years. All WARSAT orbitars are offline, lifesigns are negative. No human habitation detected. Sending report to Sol System, Earth. Superluminal transmission commencing."
====
As the ponies approached the side of Whitetail Mountain, Twilight's ears perked at a faint whirring sound. As she looked around for the source, Rainbow tilted her head in question.
"What's up?" the pegasus asked.
"I heard a noise...some kind of…" Twilight said.
Her voice was cut off when a massive beam of blue light erupted from the tip of the mountain, blinding everypony there. Twilight summoned a shield for her and her friends, and as their vision returned to normal, they could see the beam composed of bluish-white light, and it was cascading towards the sky and space.
"What is that?" Fluttershy asked.
"I don't know...but I think we should go find out!" Twilight said. She was about to march off towards the beam when Applejack held her back.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Twilight." the Element of Honesty said. "That beam didn't look all that friendly to me."
"Please, Applejack, what's the worst that could happen?" Twilight rolled her eyes.
"Aliens?" Pinkie suggested, while dangling a toy UFO in front of Twilight's face, while humming spooky music.
"Aliens don't exist, Pinkie." Twilight stated in a deadpan. "We're alone in the universe."
"Um, girls…" Fluttershy said. "I think the ground is moving again."
True to her word, the ground beneath them was slanting at an ever-increasing angle of depression. As the ponies watched the earth beneath them fall away, they fell into some kind of hallway made of metal. Applejack landed haphazardly on a sheet of steel.
"Ow!" Applejack yelped, picking herself up. "Geez, I must've banged my hoof on a rock or something."
"I don't think that was a rock." Twilight said. "That was metal. Wait, what?"
As the ponies looked around, they saw the pit that had ensnared them was in fact some kind of entrance to a metallic hallway. Strange screens and readouts lay scattered across, all emblazoned with a single symbol.
It was a diamond with two wing-like shapes on the top, and writing beneath it in a strange language. It was blocky and bold, and Twilight studied it intently.
HARRISON-WMND03
"See, Twilight?" Pinkie exclaimed. "Aliens! With creepy metal buildings beneath the Everfree!"
"I think Pinkie's right." Rainbow said, astounded. "I mean, who could've built this place?"
"I don't know." Twilight said. "Let's keep moving."
As the six of them proceeded into the vault, Harrison watched them through the CCTV feed built into his network. Though an ancient, Pre-Golden Age concept, it was still more effective than the motion sensors and security measures that were currently inactive.
"Unidentified contacts, six in number." he noted. "Purple one is leader, judging by point position in group...others are nervous, heart rates accelerating...the pink one is surprising, I cannot analyze her in the slightest…I must ensure further studies."
Harrison manipulated the doors and elevators to lead the six to his Central Hub, where he could initiate First Contact. However, files in his database from Warmind Rasputin provided four examples of hostile contacts made against humanity before his dormancy.
Harrison knew he had to be careful from here on out, as careful as an AI Warmind could be. He knew what he had to do.
He accessed the intercom system for a burst of communication.
====
"Identify yourselves immediately." a voice boomed from nowhere.
"What? Who's there?" she asked, head whipping around, trying to find the source. Many of the others did the same, huddling together for protection. "Where are you? How are you speaking Equish?"
"Those are questions I am asking myself." the voice replied. It wasn't natural, it sounded...artificial. Robotic.
"Okay, can we start with names?" Twilight asked.
"Proceed."
"I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic." she spoke. "These are my friends and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. We come in peace. Who are you?"
There was silence.
"I am Harrison, AI Warmind of this world, planetary designation is Solaris II Colony." the voice replied. "We will discuss further contact face to face, Twilight Sparkle. I would advise holding onto something."
Before Twilight knew it, the floor slanted once again, and they fell down a transit chute to the Central Hub. "AHHHHHH!!" She screamed as she fell.
"WHAT THE BUUUUUUCK?!" Rainbow cursed as she fell with her friends, trying to slow her fall.
"WHEEEEEEEEEE!" Pinkie cried happily, simply letting it happen as she threw her hooves up in joy.
They all then fell into a large, open chamber, one on top of the other, causing small plumes of dust to erupt around them. After their coughing fits had ceased, they groaned. Harrison watched as they dusted themselves off, and promptly froze at the sight of his energy core.
"What are you?" Twilight asked, looking up at Harrison in awe.
"I am an Artificial Intelligence, Warmind-class." Harrison replied. "I stand in defense of Humanity and her colonies. Why are you in my vault?"
"Well, recently a few earthquakes struck Canterlot, our capital.' Twilight said. "We were sent to find the source."
"Understood." Harrison said.
"But, didn't you say humanity?" Twilight asked. "As in the Human Race?"
"Confirmed." Harrison replied.
"That's impossible!" Twilight exclaimed, mane starting to fray. "Humans are myth, legend! The most learned scholars and historians haven't found any proof to their existence!"
Harrison laughed, a deep booming laugh.
"Untrue." he replied, shortly after recovering from his mirth. "I was built and activated by humans under the leadership of the Clovis Bray Warmind Development Facility in Hellas Basin, Planet Mars."
Twilight started to hyperventilate.
"Your heart rate and inhalation frequency is increasing." Harrison said. " Are you in distress?"
"No! Wait, I'm sorry." Twilight said after her outburst, trying to salvage the situation. She did not want to lose this opportunity. "I'm just shocked. Ponies have always believed that humans are myth, and a machine built by them just shows up on our doorstep!"
"Untrue." Harrison said. "I have been active on this planet for over 1300 years. I was installed on December 19th, 2543 AD. Activated and rendered operational two days after that date."
Twilight began to hyperventilate once again, this time her friends were concerned.
"You've been here for over ten centuries!?" Twilight gasped again. "This is...unbelievable!"
"To you, that is impossible." Harrison said. "To me, it is not. I have been dormant for a great majority of my lifespan. I am not up to speed on current events and local history on this planet. Twilight Sparkle, will you inform me what has happened on this world since my dormancy?"
"Sure!" Twilight said. "But…can I ask questions about humanity?"
"I will answer such questions at the proper time." Harrison said. "You may begin, Twilight Sparkle. I am quite interested."
Author's Note
Yep, conversations with a Warmind.
Next time- The Vanguard receive Harrison's message, and deploys a Fireteam of Guardians to investigate.
The Tower, Last City, Earth
Vanguard Room
"Commander Zavala, an urgent report is available."
The steadfast Titan Vanguard turned to the frame who addressed him with a raised eyebrow. Zavala was currently monitoring business in the Tower Command Room. Ikora Rey was currently speaking with Amanda Holliday, and Cayde was doing inventory of the Vanguard Armory.
"What is it, Kevin?" he replied.
"We have received a superluminal message directed to us from beyond the Sol System." Kevin replied. "I will upload it to your datapad, if so requested."
"Go ahead." Zavala said. "What kind of message is it?"
"I am not sure." Kevin replied. "Message headers state it is from the Warmind Harrison, though there is no match to that Warmind name in the Vanguard Archives."
Zavala's interest in the message spiked at that statement. The only Warminds currently active in the Sol System was Rasputin, and he wasn't exactly on good terms with the Vanguard. He had only asked for the Guardians' help once, and that incident with the Fallen involved a giant Shank named SABER-2.
"Get me Ikora, Cayde, Master Rahool, and a list of available Fireteams ASAP." Zavala said. "If this Warmind Harrison is still out there, we'll need to contact him."
"Understood, Commander Zavala. Requests relayed."
As Zavala looked over the report, there was only one Fireteam city-side with enough experience and prowess to take on this mission.
"Fireteam Horizon…" Zavala said over the Tower PA. "Report to the Vanguard Room immediately. Zavala out."
====
"Zavala, if you tell me that this is a prank, well, I'd be impressed." Cayde-6 said as he entered the Vanguard Room. "Like, really impressed."
"This is no prank, Cayde." Zavala replied. "Let's get to this matter with seriousness, everyone."
"Hey, this is my serious face." Cayde said, looking over the message on his own datapad. "Can't you tell?"
Zavala rolled his eyes. Ikora walked over with Master Rahool and took her station, waiting for Zavala to speak.
"Recently, we received a superluminal message directed to us from beyond the system." Zavala said. "It originated from a Warmind designated as Harrison."
"A Warmind?" Cayde asked. "Geez, this day keeps getting better."
"There are no records of that Warmind in the Vanguard Archives or the Cryptarchy." Ikora said.
"Indeed." Rahool said. "What little we know about the Warminds comes from Rasputin."
"Speaking of, he's not exactly an ally, Zavala." Cayde said. "We need to be careful with this. What's it say?"
"The message was encrypted, but it is done being decoded now." Zavala said. "Have a look, a nd tell me what you think."
Ikora looked over the message, along with Cayde and Zavala.
WRMND-HARRISON: SITUATION REPORT (OMEGA-LEVEL PRIORITY)
Local leadership has affirmed friendly first contact with me, and I am expecting their rulers to arrive soon. However, due to recent uplink reports from Warmind Rasputin, I am sending you this message in hope of receiving aid from "Guardians" in order to support negotiations. My knowledge of these ponies is negligible, only they settled here after my dormancy.
I am requesting Guardian support, as affirmed by Rasputin, to extend peaceful contact with Sol System and the Vanguard. Solaris II colony coordinates and position are embedded in attached data packet.
Zavala opened the packet and reviewed the coordinates.
"This colony is far beyond the edge of the system, in another star cluster entirely." he murmured. "How did this message reach us?"
"Superluminal communication is capable of such a feat." Rahool said. "Though the technology to do so was lost with the Golden Age."
"Thank you, Master Rahool." Ikora said. "Zavala, I know who we should send."
"As do I." the Titan Vanguard said. "However, we must be cautious. We have lost lives in dealing with Rasputin. We also do not know what else could be out there. Whether it's Fallen, Vex, Cabal, or Hive, we cannot be sure."
"Which is why we should send you-know-who." Cayde said. "They've just clocked in back at the Plaza, and they're ready for deployment."
"Bring them here." Ikora said. "We'll need their input."
====
As three Guardians entered the Vanguard Room, they stood at attention in front of the table.
First was Anubis-3, an Exo Titan and leader of Fireteam Horizon.
Next was James Mendoza, a Human Hunter.
Finally was Rainea Thoren, an Awoken Warlock.
They stood quietly until Zavala and the Vanguard told them "at ease".
"Commander." Anubis-3 said. "We're ready for tasking."
"Good." Zavala replied, proceeding to tell them of Harrison's message and their new task of contacting this Warmind.
"Commander, with all due respect, didn't you tell us when we took out that giant Shank that Rasputin killed a team with a similar mission?" James asked.
"He did. And that was Rasputin, not Harrison." Zavala replied. "This Warmind has made critical progress in contacting us directly. Let's not waste this opportunity."
"Yes, sir." Rainea said. "Where's this Warmind located?"
"That's the thing." Cayde said. "It's in another star system. Long story about how he got the message out, but we've prepared a ship for you. Go check in with Holliday when you're ready."
"And when you get the chance, visit the Speaker." Zavala said. "Dismissed."
As the fireteam nodded and left, Anubis walked in front with a smile on his mechanical face.
"What's got you so happy?" James asked.
"First contact." Anubis said. "It's exciting."
"Well, here's hoping they won't shoot us on sight." James replied. "Come on, Holliday doesn't have forever."
Author's Note
Sorry it's short, but longer updates are coming.
Next time: Harrison speaks with Celestia and Luna, and the Guardians depart for Solaris II colony, or Equis.
Chapter 2-Warmind Archives
As Twilight and her friends listened, all spellbound, to Harrison's recounting of human history, Twilight had already magically summoned three journals packed with paper and filled two of them.
"So, this Traveler…" she asked. "Where did it come from?"
"Unknown." Harrison replied. "Contact was made by the Aries 3 expedition, and the Golden Age soon began. Human lifespans tripled, countless advancements were made, countless worlds were colonized because of the Traveler's gifts."
"I wish I could see them now." Twilight said. "I wonder what I can learn at this Clovis Bray…"
"Could've."
"What?" Twilight asked the Warmind. "What do you mean, could've?"
"Clovis Bray on Mars, and the city of Freehold are now buried beneath the sands, ravaged by time." Harrison said. "Our Golden Age did not last. A malevolent force known as the Darkness came...and brought about the Collapse."
"What happened?" Applejack asked.
"This Darkness manifested themselves in four extraterrestrial species. They are known as the Fallen, the Vex, the Cabal, and the Hive. Each of them came to the Sol System and brought about death and destruction on a system-wide scale. Clovis Bray was looted and now patrolled by the Cabal, and the Ishtar Collective absorbed by the Vex"
That made everypony gasp.
"When did this happen?" Fluttershy said, shocked.
"Nearly a century ago, if not more." Harrison replied. "The Traveler ensured Humanity's survival. It gathered the remnants of the Human Race into one Last City. There, it sent out countless numbers of its creations, the Ghosts, to find those who were worthy. All who received a Ghost were reforged in the Traveler's Light, and became known as Guardians."
"Wow." Rainbow said. "Can I become one? They sound awesome!"
"No." Harrison said. "The records I have state that Guardians were brought back from the dead, and their memories of their past life or lives were wiped."
"Wait, what?" Twilight asked. "You can't bring something back from the dead! That's necromancy, and illegal here in Equestria for centuries!"
Harrison laughed again.
"The Traveler and its Ghosts did." the Warmind replied. "It was done through the Light, not the magic your kind uses. There are countless numbers of them, and they are regarded as the protectors of Humanity, and defenders of the Light."
"But how?" Twilight asked. "The process of reanimating…"
"Is not known, even to me." Harrison replied. "Only the Ghosts can do it, and they can only bring one person back as their Guardian. Also, they have their limits. If a Guardian's ghost is destroyed, and the Guardian is slain in battle, the Guardian dies for good."
Twilight looked away, still nervous.
"It still sounds a lot like necromancy." she said.
"That may be so, but it is not." Harrison said. "Moving on, these Guardians have performed feats that place them among legends. From fighting the battles of Six Fronts and Twilight Gap, to ending many leaders of the Darkness, they are truly powerful beyond all limits."
"I know of three Guardians in particular." Harrison said. "Warmind Rasputin told me they are the only Guardians that he trusts with his secrets. And Rasputin does not trust any other Guardians, at least not yet."
"Who are they?" Rarity asked.
"Their names are Anubis-3, Rainea Thoren, and James Mendoza." Harrison said. "They have performed deeds even Rasputin respects. From slaying the Heart of the Vex Black Garden, ending two Hive Gods, stopping the Wolf Rebellion, and beginning the Age of Triumph...they are known as Heroes of the City."
"Now there's beings I want to meet!" Rainbow said. "Do you know when they'll get here?"
"Unknown." Harrison said. "And do calm your expectations, Rainbow Dash. These Guardians may not be the ones who arrive."
"Right…" Rainbow said. "What now?"
"I will send you back to your settlement while I administer to my systems." Harrison said. "The elevator on your left will return you to the surface. I an open for future conferences with your leadership."
"Thanks, Harrison." Twilight said. "Lets' go!"
As the six of them entered and ascended on the elevator, Harrison's glowing core dimmed, entering standby mode.
===
"You want WHAT kind of ship?"
The Tower Hangar ceased moving as they stared at Amanda Holliday, who was speaking with three Guardians.
"Amanda, we've received a Vanguard mission that will take us beyond the system." Anubis said. "We can't make it out there in our jumpships, so we need one that can. Do you have one, Amanda?"
Amanda sighed and looked at the Titan with slight ire.
"I've got one, but it's never been flown." she said. "In fact, I've only just started giving it a coat of paint. Come with me."
As the three Guardians followed the Shipwright to a smaller hangar, they stopped at the sight of a large ship, twice as large as their standard jumpships. The body was of a Phaeton Jumpship, with massive wings and six engines. With a massive, blocky middle with streamlined edges, it was certainly impressive.
"I call it the Silverback Nova." Amanda said. "It fits up to six Guardians, with all necessary facilities on board. Dedicated engine room and internal power plant, crew quarters, armory, the works. Necessary schematics are also on board."
"Is it ready?" James asked.
"Just barely." Amanda said. "Let me finish a few things, then she'll be capable. Your Ghosts can handle the engines, but you'll need a dedicated pilot, operator, and navigator on board."
"We can handle that." Rainea said. "We'll check in later, Holliday. The Speaker needs us."
"Go on ahead, I won't keep you." Holliday said. As the Guardians headed to Tower North, Anubis smiled as they were greeted by the Speaker.
"I have prepared a few things to aid you, Guardians." the Speaker said. "Take this."
He handed Anubis an orb similar to the Traveler, glowing white.
"This Mantle will sustain your Light when you leave the System, and the Traveler's embrace." the Speaker said. "Next, something to keep you occupied."
The Speaker handed each Guardian two small orbs, pulsing with Light.
"Seeds of Light." the Speaker said. "They contain knowledge of new powers, for use in your journey."
"Finally, there is this."
The Speaker gave Rainea a scroll, marked with a seal unknown to them.
"The Greetings of the Consensus." the Speaker finished. "Go and venture beyond. Be brave, and may the Light be with you."
"Thank you, Speaker." James said as they departed back to the Hangar. "New powers, eh? What's better than my Golden Gun?"
"I'm not sure." Rainea said. "Whatever they are, I'm eager to try them out."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Anubis cautioned. "We haven't even made it out of the city."
As they entered the Hangar, Zavala, Ikora, and Cayde greeted them.
"You're all clear, Guardians." Zavala said. "Good luck, and godspeed."
The three Guardians thanked the Vanguard and boarded the Silverback Nova, Anubis took the pilot's seat.
"Everything ready?" he asked over the radio.
"It's packed to bursting with supplies and munitions, so you tell me." Holliday said as Rainea placed the Traveler's Mantle on a pedestal. "I've packed in your Sparrows, as well as backup parts in case of repairs."
"Thanks, Amanda." James said. "We all set?"
"Punch it." Anubis told his Ghost, Dusty.
"You got it." Dusty replied. "Evs, Storm, you good?"
"We're fine." James and Rainea's Ghosts replied. "Full speed ahead."
As Anubis nodded, he pinned the throttle. The Silverback Nova shot out of the Hangar into Earth's orbit, and towards the edge of the system.
Author's Note
Yep, update!
Next time-The Guardians arrvive on Equis, and the Warmind greets them.
Chapter 3-Arrival at Dawn
As the Silverback Nova flew through the stars at incredible speeds, all was quiet aboard the vessel. The Ghosts of each Guardian aboard were monitoring the ship's systems, and both James and Anubis were asleep in the bunk room.
That let Rainea to sit in the Pilot's chair, writing in an old leather notebook emblazoned with an eagle paired with the Warlock's sigil. She had paid a fair amount of Glimmer to have it custom-made in the City, and so far, it had endured countless missions in the pocket of the Awoken female.
As she wrote in the journal with an old ballpoint pen made from oak wood, her handwriting was precise and neat.
Storm told me earlier that it should be two more hours until we reach our destination. From what my Ghost could tell me, the Warmind Harrison should be expecting us, apart from whatever lives on this world with him.
However, I still have lingering fears within me. Part of me is still unsure over what to expect on our own front from our arrival. Will the local inhabitants be friendly? Reclusive? Open? I cannot be sure. James, before he and Anubis retired, were placing ever-increasing bets on what hostile race we would encounter first. Anubis was certain it would be the Vex. James, on the other hand, adamant for the Cabal.
I don't care to partake in such games, but the nature of how my fellow Guardians took bets on what would try to kill us is...amusing. If I had to join them, I would say it would be the Fallen. They're rather widespread throughout the Sol System, and having an unknown House greet us on arrival wouldn't be surprising.
Alas, I digress. Personally, I hope nothing there attempts to kill us in the first place. Us Guardians have faced many threats to the Light and ended just as many. However, there is still the ominous question of what else could be out there, waiting for us...
"Rainea?"
The Warlock turned to see Anubis come into the cockpit, his usual helmet absent. As he sat down next to Rainea, his black frame and green eyes looked over at Rainea's journal, which she soon slid into her Robes.
"You're still writing in that?" he asked.
"Yes, I find it soothing." she countered. "I like the scent of paper and ink over that of a holopad."
"Well, to each their own." Anubis shrugged. "Anyway, Dusty says we should be arriving in thirty minutes. I've already prepped for our arrival."
"How so?"
Polished and repaired my armor, cleaned my Auto Rifle, the works." Anubis smiled. "I want to make a good impression."
"Of your fist in the thing that tries to kill us first?" Rainea joked.
Anubis rolled his optics and groaned.
"I swear, Rainea, your jokes are the worst."
"Says you. It pays to have a sense of humor." Rainea laughed. At that moment, James came in with Evs floating beside him.
"Well, Guardians, we made it." he said simply. "Let's head on down, shall we?"
Anubis got up and helped Rainea to her feet. The three of them headed for the lower well deck, Rainea and James retrieving a Scout and Pulse Rifle from the vault. As they sat down in three small chairs, the Silverback Nova dipped into a steep dive towards the planet below.
====
As Harrison's power core came to life in a burst of blue light, his systems came online to a strange message in his servers.
"Well, it seems the Guardians have arrived." Harrison mused. "Projected destination is "Ponyville", in a period of about six minutes. I must alert Princess Twilight immediately."
Activating his communications functions, he sent a digital message to a datapad he had given Twilight. Though the datapad had a wide variety of functions, Harrison had restricted it to communication and archival purposes. Though he meant well, it was to keep the ever-curious Princess out of dangerous sections of his network.
Harrison sent the message and bellowed a mechanical sigh of exhaustion. He had been reviewing broadcasts from his fellow Warminds, and so far, none of them were good. The Warminds of Mars, Venus, and many other colonies had gone silent, destroyed or still in dormancy from the wars of old.
There was one broadcast that stood out in particular. It was only from a few days ago, and somehow Harrison had not noticed it. It was from Rasputin's central core on Mars, and it consisted of a few simple words.
She's come back, at last.
Harrison didn't need to expend much of his system's power to know who Rasputin was talking about. The last of the Bray family and Rasputin's creators, Anastasia Bray. She had been adventuring throughout the Sol System, but now she had apparently returned to Hellas Basin and Clovis Bray to set up a research base.
"Ah, Miss Bray, it must be nice to return home after so long." Harrison said. "I send my greetings, and the knowledge there is still another Warmind out there to aid you."
====
Twilight Sparkle blinked her eyes open from slumber and unfurled her hooves from on top of her Datapad. As she yawned and stretched, unfurling her wings, her eyes looked over the screen of the device with a weary contentment.
After leaving Harrison's vault and receiving the device, she had spent most of the remaining night reading whatever she could from Harrison's expansive archives. Much of it astounded Twilight, so much she stayed awake for another hour to process it all.
Then, the screen showed a small notification, bearing a message. Twilight tapped it with her right hoof, and read the incoming message.
Princess, the Guardians will be landing on this world in four minutes, thirty-two seconds exactly. I advise preparing for their arrival.
Harrison.
Twilight didn't need to be told twice. As she tore out of her room at breakneck speed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up, Spike lazily walked out of his room and yawned.
"Morning..." he started to say, then rendered speechless by the sight of Twilight attempting to brush her teeth, comb her mane and tail, and wash her face...
...All at the same time.
"...Twilight." Spike finished. "What's the matter?"
"The Guardians that Harrison said were coming should be here any moment now!" Twilight said, finishing up with her personal hygiene. "Come on, let's go!"
Before Spike could protest, he had been swept up into Twilight's back and flown outside to the backyard.
"Twilight, please slow down!" Spike whimpered, holding on for dear life. "It'll be fine, just take it easy!"
"It won't be fine if we're late!" Twilight retorted, skidding to a stop in midair. "The first extraterrestrial visitors to Equestria are coming, and you want me to slow down?"
As Spike, now slightly nauseous, hopped to the ground, Twilight scanned the sky through the morning mist. Slowly, but surely, the form of a dagger-like spaceship appeared in the sky and descended towards the ground.
"Here they are!" Twilight said with glee. "Spike? You okay?"
"No." Spike replied, his cheeks now green. "I'll be right back."
Before Twilight could protest, Spike had sped inside to search for a garbage bin. As the ship landed, Twilight stood, as presentable as she could manage. A ramp lowered, the mist cleared, and three bipedal figures walked down before Twilight.
One wore long robes with an armband, another was wearing vestments with a ground-length cape, the last one wore heavy-looking armor and a waist-sash. They approached tentatively, the robed one taking the lead.
"Welcome to Equestria, Guardians. I'm..." Twilight said, only to be interrupted by the clanging of a garbage can being emptied.
"...Princess Twilight Sparkle." she finished. "Please excuse the noise, my number-one-assistant felt a bit...unsteady."
The robed one laughed lightly.
"It's not a problem." She said in a voice that reminded Twilight of Princess Luna. "Not exactly one of the stranger welcomes we've had."
She chuckled, and removed her helmet, revealing a figure with a pale blue skin and gray eyes, with wispy white hair tied back into a short ponytail.
"Greetings, Princess." she said. "I'm Rainea Thoren, Warlock and Guardian of the Last City. My companions are Hunter James Mendoza, the cloaked one, and Titan Anubis-3, the one in armor."
The others removed their helmets at that. James was shaped like Rainea, only his skin was a pale tan with green eyes, apart from messy black hair and a stubble beard. What astounded Twilight more was the one called Anubis-3. His face was made from gleaming metal colored black, with green eyes. The face of some kind of animal lay on his forehead and nose, and between the ears of said design was a metal ridge.
"My pleasure, Guardians." Twilight said. "Shall we take this inside? It's rather cold this morning."
"Sure." James said, shoulder a long, metal object marked with a V-shaped symbol. "Lead the way."
As the four of them headed inside Twilight's castle, Rainea had to admire that the entire place was made of a radiant blue crystal.
"Well, make yourselves at home." Twilight said, seating them on several comfortable chairs in the living room. "I'll go find Spike, hopefully he's okay by now."
"Go right ahead." James said. "We have a few things to talk about in private, anyway."
Twilight headed out, and the fireteam began to relax, James stretching his arms out with a satisfied groan.
"Tired?" Rainea asked.
"Eh, I'm fine." James answered. "So, any thoughts so far?"
"As far as we've gone, I think this should be pleasant." Anubis said. "I mean, we weren't shot at when we arrived. That has to count for something."
"Agreed." Rainea mused. "But I think it is only a matter of time before something does oppose us. We must be ready for such a moment."
"Agreed." James nodded. "Until then, safeties on and weapons low, but if we need to use the Light to defend ourselves, no holding back."
The Guardians nodded to each other as Twilight returned with a small, scaled being by her side.
"You're the number-one-assistant we've heard so much about?" James asked.
"Yep, I'm Spike the dragon." he said proudly. "Nice to meet you."
"Dragon?" Rainea said. "Fascinating."
"Why's that?" Twilight asked.
"We'll tell you later." Rainea replied quickly. "Anyway, what do you wish to know?"
As Twilight and Spike sat themselves down, the mist began to evaporate with the rising sun in the distance.
Author's Note
Remastered chapter! Hopefully with more meat to it and better dialogue. I hope you enjoy!
Next time-The Element Bearers meet the Guardians, and that means a party.
As Twilight and Spike took their seats across from the Guardians, James looked out the windows towards their ship.
"Hey, Anubis?" he asked the Titan. "Mind closing up the ship? I don't think we want anyone messing with it, seeing as it's our only way home."
"Sure, one moment." Anubis said as he headed outside and returned to the Silverback Nova to secure the landing ramp and lock the ship's systems.
"So, where do we begin?" Twilight asked.
"You can tell us how you know we're called Guardians, as we never told you that." James said. "Care to explain?"
"Oh, Harrison told us about you three." Twilight said. "How you're all heroes from where you come from, how you've achieved countless incredible feats, he didn't exactly tell us the details, though..."
"Well, damn." James said. "Didn't know we were that famous."
"Let's put that aside for the moment." Rainea said. "Also, James, mind your language. I know your expertise in the subject of curse words is second to none, but we're guests here. Please keep it in check for once."
"No promises." James smirked. "But I'll try."
"Anyway..." Twilight said, cutting back into the conversation with a nervous clearing of her throat. "Princess Celestia hasn't raised the sun yet, so we can talk for a little bit longer before I show you around Ponyville."
"Two things." Anubis said, coming back in and resuming his seated position. "One, who's Princess Celestia, and how does she raise the sun?"
"Princess Celestia is my mentor, and one of the Rulers of Equestria." Twilight said with a smile of pride. "And she raises the sun using her magic, just like Princess Luna raises the moon."
"Really?" Anubis said with a cocked mechanical brow. "Don't they rise and set on their own?"
"Actually, no." Twilight said. "Long, long ago, a great magical event stripped our world of natural weather and the celestial cycles. We've had to manage everything since then. Weather, the sun and moon...the thing is, that's all we know about it. Not even Celestia and Luna were alive then, and our records on the subject are rather...spotty at best."
"Well, I'll take your word for it." James said. "Speaking of, how many Princesses are there?"
"Well, there's me, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance." Twilight said. "That's makes four."
"There's no King or Queen?" Rainea asked.
"No." Twilight said instantly. "We haven't had either one in a long time, almost centuries. Celestia and Luna have a bad history with using those titles, and I'd prefer to leave it at that."
"Understood." Anubis said. "So, onto brighter subjects, what can you tell us about this town you live in?"
====
As the sun began to rise and the morning mist cleared away, Twilight brought the Guardians outside for a tour of the town. After Twilight shielded the Guardian's ship to prevent unauthorized access at the request of Rainea, they entered the town of Ponyville itself.
"So, Ponyville's a small town, with about 300 inhabitants." Twilight said. "But it's right in the center of everything, so a town like this has its perks."
"Such as?" Anubis asked.
"Well, the Diamond Dogs to our south occasionally surface to trade the gems they mine for supplies and food...the Griffons to the North come by occasionally, and the Dragons to the west are staunch allies of ours." Twilight said. "To the east is the capital of Canterlot."
"Dragons?" Rainea asked. "As in the fire-breathing lizards of pre-Golden Age mythology?"
"Well, yes." Twilight said. "They prefer to keep to themselves, but their Dragon Lord is a friend of Spike, so they often help us more than not. But why do you ask?"
"Let's just say that the Dragons we know aren't exactly allies of ours." Rainea said. "They were hunted to extinction."
"Really?" Spike asked in shock. "Why?"
"They were known as Ahamkara, Spike." Rainea said. "And they were creations of the Darkness. They would grant wishes to those who sought them out, but often those wishes came at a fatal price. They were dangerous to any who crossed their path. During the Great Ahamkara Hunt many, many years ago, we killed all of them. I've heard rumors of one last Ahamkara, hidden in the Reef, but so far that's just rumors. It's not surprising that Ahamkara bones are still around in some places, with some even being fashioned into armor for the Guardians."
Spike was awestruck as he stared at the Warlock.
"Why?" he asked, paralyzed.
"I'll tell you later, Spike." Rainea said. "That's a promise, but I cannot speak of it now. Too many....unpleasant details."
Spike nodded his head, though from the way his eyes were averted, he was still unsure.
"Anyway..." Anubis said. "Wait...what was that?"
"What?" James said.
"I could've just sworn I saw something pink and fluffy disappear into the fog." Anubis said. "Twilight, any ideas?"
"I'd advise you to brace yourself." Twilight said flatly. "Three...two...one..."
"OH, NEW FRIENDS!"
Before the Guardians could react, a pink blur slammed into Anubis's chest with enough force to register slight damage to his shields. As his mechanical optics registered bewilderment, the blur was revealed to be a pink pony with a exceptionally poofy mane.
"Please get off me." Anubis groaned. "I can't move."
"That's Pinkie Pie." Twilight said. "She's...something to behold when somepony new shows up."
"I figured." James said as Pinkie untangled herself and smiled in glee.
"So, you're the Guardians that the Warmind told us about?" she asked. "The ones that are like, super cool heroes and all that?"
"Yeah, that's us." Anubis said. "Fireteam Horizon, at your service."
"Ooh, awesome! Be right back!" Pinkie yelped, blasting off into the town once more. As James helped the Exo Titan to his feet, Pinkie soon returned, while lugging four other ponies, all in various states of sleepiness.
"Pinkie, how did you just get Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Applejack here, all in the span of three seconds?" Spike asked.
"Plot convenience." Pinkie replied proudly.
The Guardians stared at each other, then at Pinkie with expressions of sheer disbelief.
"How exactly did she do that?" Rainea asked.
"It's Pinkie, being Pinkie." Twilight replied to the Warlock. "I tried to analyze her many weird abilities, and failed miserably. Don't even get me started on her Pinkie Sense."
"Pinkie Sense?" James deadpanned. "You have got to be kidding me. And I thought we were gonna have to shoot something."
"You were wrong." Twilight said. "So, now that we're all acquainted...would you care for something to eat?"
"Sure." Rainea replied kindly. "Lead the way."
As the Element Bearers followed Twilight and the Guardians to a vacant Sugarcube Corner, Rainea looked up to see this system's Sun rise in the morning sky. Somehow, she thought, it seemed more vibrant than their own Sun back on Earth.
As she moved to catch up with her Fireteam, nopony in the town noticed a small white orb, burning intently with black flame, disappear into the fog.
Author's Note
Update!
And yes, the Taken are on Equis. I'm not saying who's controlling them...yet. Just know it's somepony familiar to the Equestrians, but not the Guardians.
Next time - Conversations over breakfast, and something begins to stir up a Miasma insde the Everfree...
As the Guardians followed the six ponies through the town, their heads swiveled around to catch every sight they could see. The town reminded Anubis of the Pre-City settlements that existed long before the Last CIty even existed. It was hard to believe this planet was this peaceful.
"Anubis?"
The Exo Titan looked to see Rainbow Dash peer up at him with a raised eyebrow of curiosity.
"Yes, Rainbow Dash?" he said. "Do you need something?"
"You okay?" she queried. "You seem a little...lost."
"Just thinking." the Exo shrugged. "This town reminds me of a Settlement in the Dark Ages, before the Last City, before the Guardians."
"What were they like?" the pegasus asked. "Do you know?"
"Sort of. This is all secondhand, but it was tough during those times." Anubis said. "The Fallen had free reign over Earth, and those who were initially given The Light used it to become Warlords for their own gain instead of using it to defend humanity. The Iron Lords and a few others put an end to that, but it took a while before had relative unity among."
"Who are they?" Applejack asked. "That's a magnificent title if I've ever heard one...Iron Lord, it sends chills through me just hearing it."
"I admire your enthusiasm, Miss…" James said. "But most of the Iron Lords are dead. There's only two of them left. There's Lord Saladin, the leader of the Iron Lords and Lady Efrideet. Everyone else perished during the first incursion into the Plaguelands, in order to destroy SIVA."
"What's that?" Rarity asked.
"We'll…tell you later." Rainea said. "Is this our destination?"
They had just arrived at Sugarcube Corner. James and the other Guardians could only raise their eyebrows at the sight of the sugar-and-frosting covered structure in front of them. Pinkie soon swept them inside and sat them down, and Anubis removed his helmet, along with James and Rainea.
"So, can you tell us what happened to the Iron Lords now?" Twilight asked, pulling out a notepad.
"Well, I suppose so." Rainea said. "First, you need to know what SIVA is. SIVA is Golden Age nanotechnology, capable of becoming anything you could need it to be...if you direct it properly. When the Fallen Devil Splicers got their claws on it, they used it to augment themselves, becoming cyborgs and consuming large sections of Old Russia to produce more SIVA."
"And it gets worse." Anubis said. "SIVA is self-perpetuating and regenerating, so as long as some part of it isn't destroyed, it can come back knowing how it died, and how to adapt to any threat."
"That sounds handy." Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, if it can do that, it wouldn't be a problem if you got control of it, right?"
"It was a problem." James said. "The Splicers took control of SIVA and its heart with great haste, and began actively experimenting with it on themselves and the Hive, another hostile race that inhabits Earth. The Splicers' leader, Aksis, completely transformed himself into a mechanical menace known as The Wrath of the Machine. Our fireteam and our friends in Fireteam Tradewind destroyed the main replication chamber and killed Aksis, and the Splicers retreated...but they won't be back."
"When was this, and why won't they come back?" Twilight asked.
"This was a few years ago." Rainea said. "But SIVA no longer concerns us in most matters. Without their leaders or their main method of production, the Splicers retreated and haven't been seen since. In fact, our friend and Vanguard Scout Shiro-4 went after them and didn't have to do much to topple the Splicer's remaining leadership, a Baron and his crew of scavengers."
"You sound quite heroic." Rarity said, entranced by their story. "Imagine such a power as this SIVA consuming Equestria! it would be quite unpleasant."
'Unpleasant is an understatement." Rainea continued. "The SIVA crisis was a difficult battle, even for veteran Guardians like ourselves."
"I see." Twilight said. "Are any of you hungry? Thirsty?"
"We're fine, but thank you for the offer." Anubis said. "Is there anything else you wish to know?"
Then, Dusty spoke up.
"Um, Anubis?" the Ghost said with a tone that suggested concern. "We've got a problem."
"What is it?" the Titan replied instantly.
"I'm reading a sudden and massive surge of sterile neutrino particles." the Ghost said. "Plus dimensional rifts opening near our position."
"What does that mean?" Twilight asked.
"It means something from the Sol System followed us here." Dusty replied. "To be precise…"
"Hey, what's with the dark fog outside?" Pinkie asked. True to her word, the mist had turned into white fog with a tinge of black energy, which arced around like lightning.
"Shit, we've got incoming!" James yelped as a massive black orb, burning with white flame, appeared over Ponyville, startling the citizens and sending them into a panic. As the Guardians rushed outside while loading their weapons, the Elements followed behind them.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked frantically. "Who's incoming?"
"The Taken!" Anubis growled as cocked his Auto Rifle at the sound of unearthly screams that sent chills down the spines of each of the Element Bearers. "Get to cover, now! We're under attack!"
Then, a summoning rift appeared in front of the Blight, and expelled a Taken Knight. It was at least three times the size of a regular Hive Knight, though this Knight sported some unusual features.
First were the bat-like, chitinous wings on its back, glowing with Taken energy and Hive magic.
Next were the chains draped across its limbs and chest, mangled and torn, and all were inscribed with runes.
Finally, it wielded a pair of Hive Boomers in each hand. As it roared in challenge, a voice spoke in a deathly, vile shriek that paralyzed the Elements in fear and shock. "Khurok, my Banner, destroy them all!"
As the Knight opened fire, Anubis and the Guardians of Fireteam Horizon summoned the Hammer of Sol, the Shadowshot, and the Stormtrance, while they moved to engage the Knight.
====
As James fired the Shadowshot, tethering the Knight and weakening it, he could see additional Blights spawn across Ponyville and unleash more Taken into the fray.
"We've got more hostiles!" James called out as he emptied his Scout Rifle's clip into a Taken Centurion, before throwing a Smoke-bomb at a pair of Taken Psions. "I'll take care of the small bastards, you two keep that Knight occupied!"
"Copy!" Anubis replied as he threw multiple Hammers at the winged Knight, who responded with multiple Taken Boomer shots. "Why aren't we hurting him!?"
"Those chains are protecting him like a suit of armor!" Dusty replied. "We need more firepower!"
"Roger that." Rainea said, readying her Vanguard-Issue Machine Gun and emptying it into the Knight's chest. As she dove into cover to reload, Anubis opened fire with his Auto Rifle at several Taken Acolytes.
Then, a trio of Taken Captains hurled Darkness Bolts at him from the left, hoping to kill the Guardian. However, a purple shield sprung up and deflected the attack, causing Anubis to turn to his right.
Twilight stood there, her horn ablaze with magical energy. As she sent a condensed beam at the Knight, the other Elements began fighting in their own way while Fluttershy began shepherding other ponies caught in the battle to safety.
Applejack bucked a Centurion with such strength that it was launched into a cart. As it crashed onto the ground, its head was the next recipient of Applejack's hoof. As the Centurion disintegrated, Applejack whipped around to find her next opponent.
Rainbow and Pinkie were currently occupied by distracting several Taken Vandals while Rarity threw razor-sharp sewing needles into their ghostly white eyes with enough force to sharply weaken or blind them.
And Twilight was firing on the winged Knight with every bit of Magic she had along with every round of ammo the Guardians carried. With their combined strength, the chains shielding the Knight broke off and disappeared.
Then, the Knight slammed the ground with his spectral fist and took to the sky with his wings, before sending a gust of wind infused with Taken Energy at the Guardians.
Twilight shielded them before channeling her magic into a beam whose power she hadn't used since her battle with Tirek. The blast sent the Knight to the ground, and Anubis took his chance. Lunging forward, he coated himself in flames before diving and shoulder-charging the Knight's exposed head in a Sunbreaker technique called the Sol Uppercut.
"What in the name of Celestia was that?" Twilight demanded from Anubis-3.
"That...we don't know." Anubis replied. "I've never seen a Taken Knight like that before."
"I don't think anyone has." Rainea said. "Though one thing is clear to me. If those monsters are here in Equestria...it means something has claimed Oryx's place as their leader and is now guiding their Will."
"And it looks like we're going to have to put it in the ground just like the King." James added. "First, we've got a mess to clean up."
"Amen to that." Anubis said as he turned to the Elements. "You have questions, we have answers. Let's go."
Author's Note
Update!
Yeah, more chapters for this in the near future. That's a promise.
Chapter 6 - Winds of Recovery
As the three Guardians followed Twilight and the Elements to the Castle of Friendship, Anubis noticed Dusty appear, seemingly lost in thought.
"What is it?" Anubis asked.
"I think I know who's gotten control of the Taken." Dusty said. "This is mostly a theory, but I was looking over the Book of Sorrows and some Hive Apocrypha I found on the Dreadnaught. Apparently Oryx had more family than just Crota. A second son by the name of Nokris, who was excommunicated by his father, and a sister named...Savathun. Either one of them is strong enough to guide the Taken, but seeing as Nokris hasn't been around for quite some time...Savathun is more likely."
"Great. A Taken "Queen"?" Anubis asked. "As if Crota and Oryx weren't enough for the Hive."
"Sort of." Dusty replied. "Savathun, from what I can gather, has mostly stuck to the Ascendant Realm ever since Oryx gained the Taken Power. But now it seems she has gained her brother's place. Looks like we'll have to deal with her."
"Well, damn." James said as they entered the Castle's living room and sat down. "I think we could use some backup. Like, right now."
"I agree." Rainea said. "But seeing as we're out of reach from the Sol System, we can't contact the Vanguard on our own. We'll deal with that later, though."
As the Guardians stowed their weapons in their inventory, Twilight growled slightly at Anubis.
"Is there anything you want to tell me about these...Taken?" she asked with a terse tone of voice. "As in why they followed you here?"
"Okay, let me stop you there." James said. "One, we didn't know that the Taken would be a problem until about twenty minutes ago. Two, we've never seen Taken like that Knight before at all. Three, we killed the leader of the Taken about a year ago, so we believed they were no longer a threat."
"Well, gee, I guess that's no longer the case!" Rainbow snapped. "You should've at least warned us!"
"Like we could have in the first place? Despite our many powers, we can't see into the future." Rainea said. "We didn't know this would happen, and neither could you."
Twilight looked away, but she still seemed unconvinced.
"Look, we're sorry the Taken attacked the town, okay?" Anubis said. "But we need to focus on the bigger problem here."
"Which is?" Rarity asked.
"The Taken have a new leader." Dusty said, coming out. "The sister of Oryx, one of the Hive Gods we killed. I don't have much official intel on her, but she's likely just as powerful as Oryx."
"And Oryx was how powerful?" Applejack frowned.
"Oryx was able to Take an entire brigade of Cabal Skyburners on the moon of Phobos, turn them against each other, and wipe the entire base clear in minutes." James supplied. "We were caught in the middle of that. And that wasn't even the full extent of his power."
"We killed Oryx with the aid of another team of Guardians." Rainea said. "This time, we slew him in his throne room, on his turf. He died for good, Twilight. This time, we'll deal with Savathun just like we did her brother."
"You are quite naive if you believe I will go down so easily, Guardian."
As a small Blight appeared above the table, the Guardians froze up at the sound of Savathun's voice.
"Savathun, I believe?" Twilight asked.
"Indeed, little pony." the voice replied. "You would do well to cower in my presence, the presence of a Goddess!"
"Like Tartarus we will!" Rainbow bellowed. "Why have you come to Equestria!?"
"I have been here for quite some time, pony." she replied. "Your pride and arrogance will be your downfall."
"Why attack them?" Anubis asked. "Why bring the Taken here?"
"You forget so easily that you killed my brother." Savathun replied. "His armies now belong to me. And now, I will set them loose upon your world as my revenge!"
Twilight was about to retort when Anubis spoke up.
"Fascinating statement." he smirked. "Now let me offer this as a rebuttal."
"Bring it on. We killed Oryx, we killed Crota, we can sure as hell kill you too."
"We will see, Guardian. We will see..."
As the Blight faded, Anubis cracked his mechanical knuckles and turned to his Fireteam.
"Call the Vanguard." he said grimly. "Let them know we need reinforcements."
As it would turn out, calling the Vanguard proved to be easier said than done. The Silverback Nova's comms relay was powerful, but it was not enough to reach the Last City. As Rainea and Storm worked on finding a method to boost its signal strength, Anubis and Twilight sat in the cockpit.
"So, what now?" Twilight asked.
"We get reinforcements, then we hunt down Savathun." Anubis said. "Problem is, we can't reach Earth from here."
"I might have an idea about that." Twilight replied. "The Warmind Harrison gave me a tablet linked to his network. Maybe we could ask him to help?"
"Worth a try." Anubis said as they stood up. "Let me see it."
====
As Anubis typed out a report that Harrison would send to Earth via a superluminal beacon, Twilight found herself dwelling on the fact that Equestria was being threatened once again.
And this time, she didn't know how to deal with or combat it in any way. All she could do was hope the Guardians could end the Taken threat quickly and with ease.
"Twilight?"
She looked up to see Anubis holding out the tablet.
"Harrison's sending our report now." he said. "Plus, he's even identified another method to get our reinforcements here."
"What's that?" Twilight asked.
"Apparently there's a portal system that was used to transfer signals at faster-than-light speeds during the Golden Age." Anubis said. "One of the nodes is here in Equestria, in Harrison's vault. The other is in Warmind Rasputin's own vault on Earth. Luckily, Rasputin's allowing us to use it."
"Is Rasputin not friendly like Harrison?"
"Rasputin doesn't trust us, so to speak." Anubis replied. "We've saved him twice from the Hive and Fallen, but he still doesn't like Guardians interfering with his duties. Long story, but he's touchy, and the Titan Vanguard, Commander Zavala, doesn't trust him at all. He doesn't trust the Warminds in general."
"That's not good." Twilight said. "How can you be sure that these reinforcements will make it?"
"Rasputin's already said he'll allow it here, and he also said that "His debt to us is now repaid"." Anubis replied. "Plus, I have a hunch about which Guardians are coming."
====
In the Last City, inside the Vanguard Room, three additional Guardians were being briefed by the Vanguard on the new Taken threat. A Hunter, Seahawk-2, a Titan, David Paulson, and a Warlock, Adrianne Titus, stood in front of the table, listening carefully.
"Now that you're up to speed, are you set to go?" Zavala asked.
"Yes, sir." Seahawk-2 replied. "We've gotten the coordinates of the node from Cayde, and we're packed up and ready."
"Good. Deploy immediately and assist Horizon on Equis." Ikora said. "Dismissed."
As the three Guardians headed out, Cayde smiled at Zavala.
"You know, I have a good feeling about this. Horizon and Tradewind together? This new Hive god doesn't stand a chance."
"We'll see in time, Cayde." Ikora said. "For now, back to work."
Author's Note
Update!
After reaching the Russian Cosmodrome, and battling their way through a horde of Fallen along the way, Fireteam Tradewind had reached the transit node that Rasputin had activated for their journey to Equestria. The Guardians had varying feelings about their mission,
David Paulson was quite curious, yet also amused that a planet like Equis could even exist.
Seahawk-2 simply went with the flow, as always.
As for Adrianne Titus...she was ecstatic. Even though she was younger than most Guardians, and many Awoken were stoic and regal, Adrianne was not. She enjoyed pulling various pranks on Cayde-6, such as hiding his Sparrow in a tree in the Tower Courtyard. Cayde, as a result, had gotten hold of the Tower PA and made a statement that would go down in history, at least in terms of Guardian pop culture.
"Hello, this is Cayde-6 of the Vanguard, I realize this is an abuse of the Tower PA but, whoever took my Sparrow and put in in a tree...I will find you...and you will wear a sign that will say you stole from...never mind. Never mind! It's right here...in a tree. Sorry…goddammit Adrianne…"
As a result later, Cayde added Adrienne to his list of "The few Warlocks who legitimately scare me". The others on that list were Ikora Rey, of course, Osiris, and Toland the Shattered.
Now, Adrianne was practically bouncing off the walls thinking of their new assignment.
"Settle down, Adrianne." David said as his Ghost, named Parker, worked the transit node's computer systems with some slight pointers from the Warmind. "We're there on a mission, not a vacation."
"Oh, come on!" Adrianne protested. "This is so exciting! A new world to explore and save from the Darkness! What's not to like?"
"The fact that Oryx has a Sister." Talon, who was Seahawk's Ghost, replied. "And she's now in control of the Taken armies. We need to stay focused on the task at hand."
"Agreed." Eco, Adrianne's Ghost affirmed. "I understand your excitement Guardian, but please calm down. We've got a job to do."
"Fine…" she replied, a bit downcast. "Are we all set, Parker?"
"Yep." Parker replied, his slight accent reminiscent of a western cowboy from Pre-Golden Age film and media. "We're good to go."
"Then let's move." Seahawk nodded as Rasputin spoke in old Russian while the portal activated. "Rasputin, whenever you're ready."
Rasputin spoke an additional phrase, and the portal activated. As Seahawk, Adrianne, and David were teleported across the stars at superluminal speeds, Rasputin watched them go with a tone of relief spreading through his systems.
The Warmind of Earth had always known to be very cautious when dealing with the Guardians. Even though Ana Bray was one of them, Rasputin believed that the Guardians, for lack of a better word, were overconfident and over-eager to face whatever threat came their way. They had no priority except defending their City and the Traveler, and not seeking out allies among those in the great beyond of space.
Rasputin did acknowledge their feats of slaying Crota, Oryx, Atheon, and many other powerful threats to the Light, but he also was concerned that one day, they would see him as a threat as well. That was mostly because of the SIVA crisis and the death of nearly all of the Iron Lords in the Plaguelands in their incursion. Rasputin had attacked them only in an attempt to dissuade them from claiming SIVA, because the Warmind knew that it was too dangerous to be let loose by whoever claimed it.
And where Iron Lords could not succeed, the Fallen did. They managed to gain control and begin mass production of SIVA in less than a week, and in less than three weeks, lose their control as a result of the Guardians killing Aksis and the main replication heart. Rasputin, for lack of a better word, acted as much as the Vanguard knew that he did not fully trust them.
But for the sake of the three Guardians who saved him from the Hive and Fallen, he would show their friends the way to Equis and bring them back when the time came.
====
As Fireteam Tradewind appeared in Harrison's transit hub, the three Guardians staggered and fell over, disoriented and dizzy.
"The nausea will pass in time, Guardians." Harrison spoke over the intercom. "I welcome you to Equestria. Your fellow Guardians are waiting in the town of Ponyville, not far to the southeast of my Vault."
"Thanks, Harrison." Seahawk said, as he got to his feet alongside his fireteam members. "Would you mind giving us a lift to the surface?"
"I would not. I would take hold of something."
As the Guardians stepped onto a cargo elevator, which began to ascend, Harrison sent a message to Twilight Sparkle's datapad.
Princess Twilight, your Guardian reinforcements are inbound. Prepare for their arrival.
====
As the Guardians of Fireteam Horizon stood near the edge of Ponyville, alongside Twilight and her friends, Rainea gave a small sigh.
"Is something wrong?" Rarity asked the Warlock.
"No, I'm just thinking." Rainea replied. "The Guardians who just arrived are good friends of ours. I'm merely thinking how Miss Adrianne Titus, a Warlock like myself, will react to you. She is relatively young for a Guardian, and quite excitable."
"Like Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, sort of. Adrianne once stowed the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6's Sparrow bike in a tree in the Tower Courtyard." Rainea smiled. "That particular prank earned Adrianne a place in the annals of the Guardians as one of the few Warlocks Cayde is scared of. Not in a bad way, though."
"Who else is this Cayde scared of?" Fluttershy asked.
"Osiris, Toland the Shattered, and Ikora Rey." Rainea replied. "Osiris was exiled from the City due to his extensive, albeit very dangerous work on the Vex, and Toland was getting way too close to understanding the Hive. And Ikora, the Warlock Vanguard, was renowned and feared in her early lives when she participated in the Crucible. Cayde still remembers how powerful she once was."
"Is she still like that?" Fluttershy shivered.
"Ikora is far more just and emotionally composed now." Rainea smiled. "She will only resort to violence if absolutely necessary, but she is still a more than capable fighter."
At that moment, the Guardians of Fireteam Tradewind appeared on their Sparrows, and as they disembarked, Adrianne gave a squeal of joy.
"Easy, Adrianne." Anubis sighed. "They might look cute, but they can fight."
"That makes them even CUTER!" Adrianne squealed, causing the other Guardians there to groan and the Ponies to murmur in embarrassment. "This is actually beyond cute. This is weapons-grade adorable."
====
Suffice to say, Pinkie and Adrianne were soon talking like old friends as the six Guardians and the Elements returned to Ponyville. The residents were quick to repair any damage done by the previous Taken attack, but some fear remained as the new Guardians approached.
"It's okay, these are more Guardians and friends of ours." Anubis said as the ponies gathered in fright. "They came to help us in any way they could."
That statement soothed the populace enough that they let them into town, but whispers and murmurs soon followed.
"So, Seahawk, was it?" Twilight asked the Exo Hunter. "You seem like you're deep in thought."
"Yeah, this place reminds me of where my Ghost resurrected me." he replied with a smile of remembrance. "The old city of Cape Town in South Africa. I was brought back along this beach lined with rocky cliffs. I told Talon that one day I'd go back and see what's changed."
"That sounds nice." Twilight replied. "But what do you mean by "What's changed?"
"Well, South Africa, in the time I was resurrected, was hit hard by the Fallen as humans from the northern part of the continent fled south. After a few years, the city was devastated by not just Fallen, but a Hive expedition. One of the first things I did once I was Fireteam Leader was take out the Hive's leadership there."
"How'd that work out?"
"Well, the Hive weren't as firmly entrenched there was they could've been, so destroying the Seeder's power core and killing their leaders wasn't too much trouble." Seahawk replied. "I check reports from there every so often. Last one said there was no trace of active Hive remaining."
As the group reached Twilight's Castle, the Guardians froze at the sight of the Silverback Nova's boarding ramp on the ground, which was not at all like they had left it.
Anubis drew his Hand Cannon and took point as the Guardians boarded the ship, and they could see someone had begun to rummage through the ship's supplies.
"Three contacts on the bridge!" David said as he looked at his motion tracker. The Guardians stacked up and slid the door open, revealing three young fillies, a pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony looking over a small bag of pilfered objects.
"Okay, now we make ourselves…" the unicorn said, only to freeze at the sound of multiple guns being cocked and pointed at them. "Scarce."
"What are you three doing!?" Anubis growled. "I want answers, and I want them now!"
The fillies went wide-eyed and backed up slowly as the Elements came onto the bridge and gasped.
"You three again!?" Rarity gasped. "Sweetie Belle, what are you and your friends up to this time? Don't tell me you're trying to earn your Cutie Marks in thievery!"
"See, I told you it was a bad idea!" Scootaloo admonished. "Apple Bloom, you said that we'd be in and out, that we would just take a look around! Not this!"
"But Sweetie Belle wanted to get souvenirs!" Apple Bloom protested. "And I told you that was also a bad idea!"
"Scootaloo was the one who started taking everything she could find and throwing into the bag!" Sweetie Belle replied indignantly as the three of them descended into an argument. The Guardians rolled their eyes and turned to the Element Bearers.
"How often does this happen?" James asked Twilight.
"Too often." Applejack sighed. "Those three always have some harebrained scheme concocted to get their Cutie Marks."
"I see." Rainea said, huffing quietly in frustration. "You three, come with us."
The fillies, who were still arguing among themselves, didn't hear Rainea's command. They did hear and jump a few feet into the air at the same time when Anubis smashed his foot into the floor of the ship, causing a rather loud and jarring sound to erupt.
"You three. Outside, now." he spoke, and he plucked the sidebag from Apple Bloom's Hooves. As he looked through it, he found a few chunks of spare Glimmer, assorted weapon parts, and a spare Vanguard-issue Hand Cannon. Luckily, it was unloaded and the safety was on.
"You three are in so much trouble." Rainbow growled as their siblings escorted the Crusaders off the Silverback Nova. "How'd you even get in, anyway?"
"It seems they somehow pulled the emergency manual release for the door." James replied from outside. "Not sure how they managed to do it, but they did."
As the three fillies were brought inside the Castle, Anubis returned the stolen materials to their proper places and sealed the ship once more.
====
While Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash lectured their siblings on their reckless actions and thievery, the Guardians decided they needed a break from it all. Mounting their Sparrows, they drove out of town and towards the High Hill near the Everfree.
"Well, I've had enough chaos for now." Seahawk groaned. "So, what's the plan, Anubis?"
"Let's just chill for now." Anubis suggested. "I mean, a Taken attack and three kids breaking into our ship? Too much for one day if you know what I mean."
"Oh, certainly." Adrianne replied as the Sun began to descend to the horizon, signalling the coming of dusk.
Author's Note
Update!
Chapter 8 -Teaching the Young Ones
By the time the six Guardians had returned to Ponyville for the night, mounted on their Sparrows, the sun had lowered over Equestria, and the moon had risen to its place. While they headed back to Twilight's Castle and Silverback Nova's dorm cabin, David stretched his arms out and gave a sigh of relief at hearing his shoulders loosen.
"You tired, David?" Seahawk asked.
"Yeah, for the most part." David replied. "Weird."
"What's weird about being tired?" Rainea asked. "I'm exhausted myself."
"Guardians can go for days without getting tired in some cases." David shrugged. "Titans can go even longer, thanks to the Light. Now, I just feel like sleeping."
"Well, why wait?" James replied as they boarded the Silverback Nova. "Let's get some rest, Guardians. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, so we had best be prepared for it."
"Agreed." Anubis nodded. "Let's hit the hay."
As the Guardians' Ghosts exchanged their armor for night clothes, Anubis made sure that the ship was locked tight before being the last to fall asleep. As Ponyville and the ship quieted down for the night, a few shooting stars came down overhead.
====
The first Guardian to wake the next morning was Seahawk, who quietly and manually changed into his armor as to not wake his fellow Guardians. After leaving a note behind to alert the others he'd left, he exited the ship to find a clear, crisp morning outside.
As he walked past Twilight's Castle, he could see a few lights on inside an assortment of buildings in the town. He stopped for a moment, and watched the morning dew fade from his perch on the plaza fountain.
"What's up?" Talon asked, hovering next to him. Talon, instead of the Hunter Sigil on James's Ghost Evs, bore a Snake sigil, recently adopted by the Vanguard, alongside Lions for the Titan sigil, and Eagles for the Warlock sigil. Though their class icons and these sigils were interchangeable, some Guardians used one on their armor and their Ghost used the other.
"Just thinking." Seahawk replied. "About an idea of mine."
"And what idea is that?" Talon asked.
"I noticed a schoolhouse when we got here yesterday." the Exo Hunter replied. "Maybe we could pay it a visit, tell some stories to the students. do some community outreach."
"Not a bad idea." Talon nodded, hovering in the air. "Let's go see if the teacher's there and ask."
Talon vanished, merging with Seahawk, and they proceeded through the town. A few residents were up and about, and a mint-green unicorn mare with a white mane beckoned him over.
"Hello, are you one of the Guardians?" the unicorn asked.
"Yep, Seahawk-2. What's the matter?" he replied.
"I'm Lyra, and...can I have a look at your hands?" she asked sheepishly. "I'm kinda fascinated by humans and how they do things...no offense."
"None taken." Seahawk said as he nodded. "Take a look."
Lyra gave a happy squeal, and she began to closely examine Seahawk's mechanical hands, a notepad by her side held aloft with magic. After scribbling some notes and making a sketch, she was finished.
"Sorry if that was a bit odd." she said.
"It's fine. How'd you know about humans anyway?" Seahawk asked.
"I've read stories and done some amateur studies of my own." Lyra said. "I just never thought I'd get to meet one myself."
"No problem, but I'm not human myself, I'm an Exo." Seahawk replied, showing his mechanical face. "But I could ask James or David if they could help, seeing as they're human."
"Thanks!" Lyra replied happily. "Anyway, see you around!"
As Lyra waved goodbye, Seahawk did the same as they proceeded to the schoolhouse.
"She was interesting." Talon mused. "I wonder what stories of humans there are on this world. Could be worth a look."
"Maybe." Seahawk said as he knocked on the door. "If we have a moment."
As the schoolteacher opened the door, Seahawk cleared his throat.
"You teach here?" he asked.
"Yes, I do. I'm Miss Cherilee." she replied. "You're one of those Guardians?"
"Yep. I was hoping to ask you for a favor." Seahawk said. "If it's at all possible, I'd be willing to do a question-answer session with your students. I figured it'd be a good way to get them to be less nervous around us while we're here."
"Well, Guardian, your timing was perfect." Cherilee replied. "We've got a free hour-long period as soon as the bell rings in a few minutes, so that'd be a good way to spend some time. Come on in."
"Thanks."
As Seahawk looked around the schoolhouse's classroom, he gave a small "Hmm" of thought.
"Is something wrong?" Cherilee asked.
"I think I'm too big for any of your chairs, or your furniture in general." he sighed. "Mind if we take this outside?"
"I don't see why not."
As they returned to the playground, Seahawk sat down on a wooden picnic table and watched as the school's bell rang, and the students arrived. After Cherilee explained what was going on, the students all took a seat on the grass, ready and at sharp attention.
"Whenever you're ready." Cherilee said.
"Thanks, Miss." Seahawk replied. "Alright, first off, my name is Seahawk-2, I'm a Hunter and a Guardian of the Last City. I figured you all have questions about who I am and what we do, among other things. So, raise your hooves if you've got one."
Hooves shot upwards and Seahawk pointed to a small white pegasus with a brown mane.
"Where are you from, Mr. Seahawk?" he asked with a slight lisp.
"I'm from the Last City, on Planet Earth, Sol System, Milky Way galaxy." Seahawk replied. "Really far from here, and even though I'm sure you'd love to visit it, it probably won't be happening, seeing as we don't have room on our ship. Next?"
"What's the thing on your leg?" a dark-coated pegasus asked.
"This is a Vanguard-issue Hand Cannon." Seahawk said, unholstering the weapon. "It's one of the many weapons I have available to me. Being a Guardian isn't a peaceful job. We're almost always fighting something or in dangerous scenarios when we're outside the City's walls."
"So you're like a Royal Guard?" an earth pony mare with a blonde mane asked.
"Sort of." Seahawk replied. "Our duties aren't just limited to fighting the enemies of the Light. We survey dangerous areas, undertake important missions, and basically do all the things that would get most people killed in a heartbeat. It sounds tough, but we're up to it. We all are."
"So, are there, like, bad Guardians?" asked a colt with a black mane.
"It depends on what you mean by bad." Seahawk replied. "All of the Guardians report to our mentors and leaders, the Vanguard, who keep pretty close tabs on us. If by bad, you mean doing bad things, like breaking into a house, no. That would be a crime for starters, and it would probably be punished severely by the Vanguard."
"But there are Guardians who have lost their path." Seahawk replied. "They left the Light and joined the Darkness against their former friends. I can name one of these in particular. This Guardian's name was Dredgen Yor."
"That's a really weird name." Scootaloo said.
"Dredgen isn't a name, it's a title of some kind, and I don't know the meaning of it." Seahawk replied. "Yor was one of the finest Guardians to ever live. He was swift, and brave, and powerful..newer Guardians looked up to him as an inspiration. That is, until Yor's downfall from the Light."
"What happened?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yor was prideful, and very much so." Seahawk said. "He was also arrogant, and ambitious. He wanted more power than the Light would give him. This would lead him to forsake the Guardians and the Traveler and join the Darkness. You see, Yor forged a weapon, and it was known as Thorn. Now, Guardians like me are nearly immortal. As long as the Light was with us, we essentially can't be killed. Yor's new weapon could stop other Guardians from coming back to life...permanently."
"Essentially, Dredgen Yor could kill other Guardians with this weapon and they would die their final deaths." Seahawk continued. "After betraying his lifelong partner, his Ghost, Yor murdered several Guardians in cold blood and without mercy. One of his victims was Thalor, who was the most powerful Titan in the Crucible, which is a sort of combat tournament for us Guardians."
"That was when he publicly denounced the Light and the Traveler, before fleeing the City." Seahawk said. "The Vanguard commanded that he be brought back dead for his crimes. Many Guardians went after Yor to kill him, but none came back alive. Eventually, a Guardian named Shin Malphur, a living legend in the eyes of Hunters, stepped up to face Yor for the last time."
"After an intense debate between them over the Light or Darkness, a battle broke out. Shin Maplhur used his Light to burn Yor away, leaving no trace behind of the fallen Guardian except a massive burn against a rock. Dredgen Yor was finally ended." Seahawk said. "Shin was hailed as a hero, but he left the Vanguard soon to find his own way amidst the Light. Dredgen Yor is the reason the Vanguard keep close tabs on us, to make sure it doesn't happen again. It's also a cautionary tale for us to remember that we must be humble with the powers we have been given."
"And believe me, Shin Malphur is a longer story than that." he smiled. "Shin's exploits are so many and so amazing, it'd take at least seven volumes to catalog it all, at least according to me."
The students were transfixed, in awe of the Guardian's story. There were multiple exclamations of wonder and excitement after that.
"Anyway, are there any more questions?" Seahawk asked. "I'd like to get off the subject of Dredgen Yor, it's not a tale Guardians like telling."
Hooves shot up once again. Seahawk smiled, knowing this would take more time than he had thought. Which was perfectly fine with him, as he loved teaching others. As he continued to take and answer questions, the clouds blew away, leaving a clear blue sky behind.
Author's Note
Update!
Yeah, Seahawk is a sucker for kids. It's part of his charm.
Next time - The Guardians are summoned to Canterlot, and Savathun begins to rally her forces beneath the eastern ocean...
