The legend of Catasis Velon and the Caemarie

Chapters

CHAPTER 1 - The Veloran
CHAPTER 2 - Dr. Silvercrest
CHAPTER 3 - Deployment

CHAPTER 1 - The Veloran

CHAPTER 1 - The Veloran

The land of Equestria was vast, and the world bigger still. The ponies of Equestria knew of the stars, the planets, the sun, and the moon. Magic had helped them understand how the heavens went and the law of nature. There were many creatures in Equestria and almost all were different in shape or form. Ponies have been intertwined with nature since the time before history was recorded. There were many kingdoms throughout the land, each with it’s own ruler or rulers that had reigned for hundreds of years. Civilizations rose and fell, much of it unbeknownst to the peaceful ponies of Equestria.

The world of ponies, what we call Equestria, is a land much different than our own, where colored rain falls from silver lined clouds and the autumn mist smells like candy. Mountains stretch to the sky and water flows from sparkling rivers into pristine lakes that reflect the beauty of the land and the suns magical light. A land where Pegasi dance on clouds as magic graces their hoof prints while they walk among the clouds. These things might be hard for us to understand. But believe it true, for the land of Equestria is vast, much of it free and undiscovered since long before the age of the two sisters began.

The two sisters were imbued with the power and responsibility to raise the sun and lower the moon throughout all Equestria. A power bestowed upon them, either by divine birth right when they were young, or just through the way magic works in the kingdoms of Equestria. Princess Celestia, the elder, was tasked with raising and lowering the sun. She was as beautiful as the dawn and as adored by all the ponies throughout the land. She was the shining star of the kingdom and bore a cutie mark of the golden sun upon her flank. Her sister, the younger, clad in a coat of dark purple and black and a sparkling purple mane was the ruler of the night. Her realm was that of the land of dreams and she had dominion over the darkness while other ponies slept. She was given the task of raising and lowering the moon, and so spent much of her time hidden away from the ponies of the day. But soon a jealousy would arise and Luna, the Princess of the night, who bore the mark of the moon upon her flank, would desire to be adored by the ponies throughout the kingdom the same as her adorned sister. The sunlight reflected off the moon many thousands of miles away and shone down on the city of Canterlot and illuminated ponies through windows as they slept in their beds, was an ever constant reminder of her older sisters reign and benevolence.

Luna was a loving pony and cared for others. But soon a darkness would overcome her. She was still young, and young ponies are allowed to make mistakes. Even if they are the Princess of an entire kingdom. Truly, she wished she did not have these feelings. But wishing did not make it so. Desire and wanting alone could not change an ever growing resentful heart. Princess Luna should have felt loved, for her subjects did love her, and the love from her older sister bathed her in a never ending light that she could not see and could not feel. The light from the moon was still light, and the ponies rejoiced in it while they slept the night away, and it weighed on her already heavy heart like a stone. That never ending light constantly shining down was enough to plant the seeds of envy, and stir the cauldron of jealousy she felt deep within, and aided in her ever growing solitude. The disdain and resentment she felt, would soon take hold as she could no longer contain her anger. And it would consume her.

Princess Luna was not an evil sister. For her love for her elder was true, and her unhappiness could be empathized with. She was not a hated sister. She was not a bad sister. She had not asked to be a Princess of the night. She was only guilty of being unhappy and alone. She handled it the way many young ponies who weren’t princesses would have. The ensuing conflicts and arguments that could be heard by everypony in the castle became a daily occurrence. The younger sister became enraged as she could no longer contain contempt. One day in the grip of madness, she turned into another Princess who was not herself. Though by way of magic, or her own anger, none knew. The evil had taken her, and consumed her heart, and Nightmare Moon was born. After much tribulation and divide, the elder sister had no other choice other that to banish her younger to the moon for a thousand year slumber as punishment and penance for her hurtful words and actions. The resulting conflict, if had been left to continue would have torn the kingdom in two.

When Luna awoke from her thousand year slumber, she returned to the kingdom and upon seeing her elder sister she burst into tears for her wrongdoing, and the two embraced and fell to the floor as she begged for forgiveness. Celestia held her sister dear and told her all would be well in the kingdom this night. Luna had seen the err of her ways. They reconciled. All was forgiven, and she was welcomed back with love by the ponies of Equestria, and together they ruled an age as sisters once again.

The world where Equestria is located in is quite different than our own. For one the planet is quite a bit smaller and the gravity different. But of course it was! How else could ponies fly? It had towering mountains much higher than ours that had sloped peaks and snow capped tops that stretched into the sky. If the planet were any more massive, the mountains would collapse under their own weight.

The race of ponies is old and their time is different. Their years and ages are not the same as ours. Ponies could be hundreds of years old. Ages can pass within the lifetime of an Alicorn. And one could not even begin to try and explain magic. The magic of their world is not completely fully understood, even by those that live there. They just seem to have it within them. It is not usually outwardly apparent the way it is in other pony races. Most Unicorns are especially fluent in magic, reading books and studying magic, but mostly living boring everyday lives using the magic they learned while they were young for simple tasks like levitating things here and there, opening doors and windows, pouring hot tea and the like. A very few number of Unicorns further hone their magic through study for their entire lives and go on to become powerful wizards and mages. Very few study it as a life long discipline like Star Swirl the bearded, who had studied it for centuries. Earth ponies don’t use magic per se, but seem to have their special gift to tend to the land and bond with nature. But what about Pegasus ponies?How did they have it? And how does it work for them? They rarely studied it. They have magic contained within their wings and their hooves allowing themi to walk on clouds and they have the gift to alter the weather, pushing clouds around and whatnot. How does that work? In fact, don’t they make entire buildings and walls from clouds? Wasn’t the great city of Cloudsdale made entirely of clouds? These things don’t take any conscious magical study. It just simply, was. It is within them. But it wasn’t just ponies that could possess and control it... Many more curious and magical creatures had it, both sentient and non. Maybe it was just in the land and contained within magical creatures. But it was the sentient that studied it, and nurtured it for the betterment of the magical world. But magic also had a darker side as well. It was only the wicked that used it for much darker and sinister purposes…

A ponies true magic lie in their cutie mark. A mark on their flank that appears in young filly-hood that foreshadows a special talent. It’s up to each pony to discover what their special talent is. And occasionally, a pony was gifted with a second talent that was sometimes rooted in magic that was sometimes attributed to their individual nature or personality. But what about Alicorns? The rarest of all ponies? Half Unicorn, half Pegasus with the body of a horse and the wings of an eagle who were of usually of royal blood? Who could even begin to explain their magic? Alicorn’s are the extraordinarily powerful magic wielders of the land, sometimes with unpredictability. Their wings would sometimes manifested on their one spontaneously from some great achievement or birth right. Or perhaps magic is drawn to them? Some of the magic is a learned process, like the magic of Unicorns learned through study and facilitated through their magical horn. Or perhaps some future leaders are just simply born magical. Or like the magic of Pegasi, contained within their wings and hooves who can walk among the clouds. All ponies have some form of magical ability, some natural, some learned. And Star Swirl the bearded, had both.

The land of Equestria and the creatures and magic within it before the time of the two sisters was not well known. In those days, still in the early years of ancient times, as no map maker had fully put quill to parchment, was quite smaller than our own, and many continents were left undiscovered and seldom explored beyond the borders of Equestria. There were curious magical creatures throughout the land and sea, all different in size and appearance as ponies may seem to us. Wars were fought over land to establish borders of some of those divided lands outside the kingdom of Equestria. There are kings, and princesses, mythical creatures, and kingdoms both large and small. Some good. Some bad. There are creatures and beings of old that have existed for eons as some of those kingdoms rose and fell, unbeknownst to the Princesses of Canterlot. There are magical beings, and magical lands. And not all of them are kind, as you soon shall see.

Many things are unknown about the curious world of ponies, much of it is foreign to us. But this is where our story begins. Mythical creatures of legend, flying ponies, magic books, great wizards, the rise and fall of kingdoms… All of this is just too much for our quaint and peaceful Princesses of Equestria, who had very little to do with wars or large disputes over silly things like borders. But it is to distant lands that our hero must go. Reaching the farthest compass points on a map in the name of ponykind was just the beginning. Beyond the mountains and the shores of Equestria, beyond the borders that are considered safe for ponies, lie other places and other creatures which are not so safe. Places like the city of Catasis Velon and the desert lands of the Caemarie. For beyond the mountains and the shifting sands of the dunes, lies a city under the ocean. And the creatures who inhabited it? They were called, the Veloran.

CHAPTER 2 - Dr. Silvercrest

CHAPTER 2 - Dr. Silvercrest

It was early morning and it was cool outside. The weather had already turned cold some weeks prior, but this was the first really cold morning of the season. Peering above the stone window sill I could see the castle courtyard looking down from my fourth story study. The trees beyond the castle grounds looked like large barren sticks protruding from the ground. The leaves had already fallen from them and the weather was turning, and it wouldn’t be long now before the snow would layer the cobblestones in a blanket of white.

Audio walked over to his desk and sat down, preparing to do the days work for the kingdom when chill air came through the window. It felt good this time of year and was a welcome relief from the summer heat that befell them a season ago. Audio wasn’t not one to complain about the cool, brisk air, as he loved the changing seasons in this part of the world, the part of Equestria he called his home.

He enjoyed being surrounded by the many books that lined his book cases that filled the room. He had read most of them. On occasion his travels would take him far. Sometimes to meet with distinguished rulers throughout Equestria. Sometimes to places beyond Equestria’s borders on diplomatic errands for the Princesses. Sometimes he met with strangers who have never even heard of Equestria. Audio was used to meeting strange folk in strange places as he handled many of the Princesses foreign affairs for the kingdom. They often hand selected him for special assignments that would require him to travel, due to the delicate nature of diplomacy. For the matters of the Princesses and the growing threats outside of Equestria meant they wanted him to be their eyes and ears for matters pertaining to certain affairs occurring in other kingdoms. His work was sometimes very easy going with friendly dignitaries in friendly lands. And other times it was downright dangerous. What he was not aware of, was how one particular assignment that would stand out among the others on the many adventures he’d seen.

Audio sat back in his chair in his 4th floor study and stretched. He arrived the day before from the dystopian mountains of the Tanabarae. The mountains of that area were especially frigid and rocky to the north, but the valleys, rivers and fields were exquisitely beautiful and stretched on for as far as the eye could see. The valleys which were low enough in elevation to not have snow on them in between the mountains were flush with winter ice flowers in bloom, and the lakes were ice cold from the snow run-off from the mountains. There he conferred with the elders and the citizens of that region and informed them of the new dangerous creatures in the area, and what could be done about them. His adventures in that part of the world, perhaps a story for another day.

Audio adjusted his Daring Do figurine on his desk and was preparing to start the mornings work just as Dr. Silvercrest, a Historian from the Museum of Canterlot, and an official member of the Royal Canterlot diplomatic cabinet entered the room.

"Good morning, Sir Audio! I didn't expect you to be back until next week." Said Dr. Silvercrest with a light hearted grin as he took off his glasses to shine them. "Glad to see you're okay."

"Adventure and duty wait for no pony, my good Doctor. What can I do for you today?”

Dr. Silvercrest was an older pony that wore a tan colored coat, had a shaggy white beard and glasses. Dr. Silvercrest was an earth pony and had a cutie mark of a silver shield and two crossed swords behind it with a diagonal line going through the center. On the upper right side was a rose and the lower a crest. It seems the Dr. was destined for royal duties, and I believe the rose stood for compassion. He always had a knack for discovering what ponies wanted, and it made him outstanding at his job as member of the Royal Canterlot cabinet. I suppose it was his duty, and part Equestrian magic that his special talent allowed him to be an effective arbitrator and settle disputes between ponies, and inevitably countries. It made him perfect for his royal position. And I was glad he was on our side. They had worked together on different occasions and you could call them friends. Dr. Silvercrest had done some secret work in the past with Daring Do, and even had a run-in's with Dr. Caballeron himself. Dr. Silvercrest’s primary role was a diplomat for the kingdom of Canterlot. But he had been taking more and more time off from his royal duties in his old age to attend to the curator position at the museum.

"I wanted to let you know there is trouble in the desert again. There are two cities in the barony of the Carmarie that have engaged in some sort of a dispute, and the nearby city is outraged by the tyranny of it’s overruling neighbor. Or at least that’s what I can make of it. One of the cities is enacting severe sanctions over the other, blocking trade routes and refusing to let anyone in or out of the city. But luckily it has not yet come to war. I had a conversation with the Royal Canterlot Regional Ambassador and the Emissary for the Caemarie. She and her parliament are deeply concerned. Apparently they're worried about the intentions of a nearby neighboring city, the Catasis Velon."

"Catasis Velon? Isn’t that the legendary city under the ocean?” Audio asked.

“Aye. You’ve been there before, huh.”

Audio knew of the magical city was sometimes talked about in that part of the world. He had been away on a diplomatic mission to the Caemarie only once many years ago, and stopped in a nearby town called Himeotep that was some distance from the Catasis Velon. another city called the Ra-Amon that was home to pony kind, which was the capital of the Caemarie region. The Catasis Velon was an underwater city rumored to be seeral miles out to sea and was as much as mile under the ocean. Or so the legends said. Only a handful of ponies had ever heard or seen it, and none were from Equestria.

"We had a meeting while you were gone over the last several days about whether it involves Equestria, and Princess Celestia is divided whether we should get involved or not.”

“Has she contacted the other Princesses?”

“Indeed she has. I’m sure you must have heard of it, it’s not the first time you’ve been to that area.””

Audio had heard bits and pieces of the underwater city, but only in passing. He spent a short time in the city, less than a day running aa diplomatic errand for the Princesses. But he had never met anyone who had actually been been to the Catasis Velon. How many of those ponies who ever mentioned it in passing had actually ever seen it with their own eyes? Probably not very many. Probably closer to none. But it was said the borders were free to pass by anyone who wanted to go there and there was an entire population of air breathers who lived there who were free to stay as long as they pleased. All that’s required was the magical ability to reach it, despite it’s rather difficult nature of being a mile under the ocean. Audio had heard in fact that quite a many pony folk actually live there.

“It is said a giant sphere encompasses the city while at the same time keeping the water out.” Said the Dr. “They say it’s a combination of air breathers and water breathers that live there, among others who seek the trade city to do business in. The city is shared by both air breathers and water breathers, along with many other types of creatures that visit and inhabit the city as it’s a trade hub and fabled for its magnificent beauty alone. It’s really quite a wonder.”

“What can you tell me about the water breathers?” Audio asked.

“The water breathers of the Catasis Velon are a race of sea creatures called the Veloran who built the city and are able to breathe the air contained within the sphere. Their bodies must have adapted some form of breathable lungs over thousands of years of evolution and so they are quite capable of breathing the air within the city that the air breathers require to live.”

Audio picked up a pencil and was twiddling it and looking at the Doctor with a sort of fascination. He had passed within twenty miles of the Ra-Amon, but had never heard or knew this much about the under water city before or it’s inhabitants. He made it a point and thought maybe he’d stop by the library and do some research before he retired to his quarters for the night. If, that is, there was much about it to be read at all.

“The beauty and architecture of the city is said to be unrivaled,” Said the Doctor. “It’s really a wonder of this world, and that’s why some ponies choose to stay there. The Veloran also have another form. Their aquatic form. With this the Veloran are still very much, how shall I put this, wild animals. It is told they still hunt outside of the sphere to food. But their waterborne ancestors still live and breath the water and live among the deep water ocean dwellers, although the ones who built the city are sentient. News from that part fo the world hardly reaches this far into the heart of Equestria. The only reason I know is because it’s the Princesses job to know all the foreign lands that surround Equestria. It’s an ancient civilization that’s thousands of years old and they keep themselves isolated for the most part. It's people and culture are rarely known to outsiders, save for only a few that have ever heard of it, and even fewer have ever been there. The Ra-Amon is located in one of the most inhospitable deserts on the planet, don’t forget.

"Have you spoken with the Ambassador for the Caemarie?" Audio asked.

"Yes, she believes the Chancellor and the Veloran are to blame. The city itself is purported to be a city of peace and have lived that way for thousands of years. But, according to the emissary and the Ambasador the Veloran say they have an ancient claim to the land of the Caemarie where the Ra-Amon was built. The Chancellor of the Catasis Velon has put sanctions over the city and blocked all trade routes putting great pressure on the region. They are blocking cargo shipments carrying food from reaching the ports for delivery. As far as we can tell, the ponies in that part of the world haven’t done anything to provoke the sanctions. The city of Ra-Amon is a peaceful one and has never known war."

"What else did the Ambassador say?"

"She has pleaded for Canterlot for help. Zephyrwind is a Pegasus pony, and she flew here to meet with the Royal Ambassador to Equestria…”

Audio stopped twiddling his pencil. “Wait a second... She flew here? The Caemarie is nearly two thousand miles away."

"Yes,” said the Dr. “She nearly passed out when she arrived in Canterlot two days ago, exhausted from nearly several days of non stop flying. Her reason was urgent. The Princess is reluctant to send any guards to settle the region. She wants to send YOU instead."

"ME?" Audio exclaimed. "I can’t settle a dispute on behalf of two fighting cities half way across the globe I just got back from a diplomatic mission."

"But, you’re the one who has been there before, right?" Said Dr. Silvercrest, with a big grin on his face.

Audio saw where he was going with this, he was trying to rope him into going there. So Audio decided to play along. “Aye. I was in the region, once…"

“So you know the ponies there?” He interjected.

“I know of them.” Audio corrected. “I’ve only been to the Caemarie on one other occasion. And it was for only half a day in Himeotep. And from what you say, I gather the two cities are on the brink of war. I can imagine the region isn’t exactly safe right now... There’s gotta be a mix of many different magical creatures. Not to mention a potentially corrupt leadership that has absolutely no relations with Equestria and sounds like they’re about a half step away from declaring outright war. Plus did I mention it’s a mile under the ocean. Did I mention that part? It's dangerous. I wouldn’t even have any idea how to get there."

“Well, you fly, like the Ambassador, of course. And of course it’s dangerous!” Exclaimed the Dr. “Isn’t danger your middle name, Mr. Dasher? At any rate, I’m sure you’ll be fine. It’s nothing you haven’t handled before. After all, this is what you do, isn’t it?”

“Did I mention it’s also a mile under the ocean?” Audio repeated sarcastically. “And last time you told me my middle name was; ‘Adventure pony’ just to clear that up to get me to go to Vanhoover, all because you wanted maple syrup and hockey pucks.”

“The maple syrup was wonderful by the way, and the hockey pucks do make for a great paper weights for my desk.” Dr. Silvercrest turned around and reached into his saddle bag where Audio couldn’t see him. Then he turned around with his eyebrows raised and asked and pulled out a large decanter of cider. Then with about as much charm as cupid, turned to Audio with his: "Audio, would you care for a drink?"

Audio’s eyes lit up at the bottle, and the change of topic. Dr Silvercrest knew very well it was his favorite kind. Sparkling rose from belchers. Imported from the magical vineyards of the arc country, specifically in season this time of year. The Dr. was a pony who was very well versed in negotian and certainly had a way with persuasion…

"Alright," said Audio. "I’ll play along. There are two mugs over on the bookshelf. Help yourself."

Dr. Silvercrest walked over to the bookshelf and retrieved the mugs and poured two mugs full, replacing the glass top of the decanter with a clank, and placed the remaining bottle on my fireplace mantle top to keep.

"The Princess thought you'd be perfect for the job." He said.

"Oh?” Audio asked nonchalantly, taking a sip of his cider. “And, what about you?"

"Oh absolutely!" He said with a smile. "You have the mind of a dignitary. There wouldn’t be anypony more suited to the task than you, Mr. Dasher. You are an adventure pony that can’t be kept satiated! You know very well you can’t live without adventure. You’re too much like Rainbow Dash."

"Ahh yes," Audio said with a nod, taking another sip. “I think I may have heard of her. She part of that other group that saves Equestria from time to time?”

"Aye, that she is. She's a very feisty pony Mr. Dasher, much like you."

Audio nodded. “Is that so? Competitive, eh?"

"Very much so. She doesn't like to lose." Replied the Dr. sipping from his mug.

"Oh really?" Audio replied, with a hint of mild curiosity and one eyebrow raised.

"She and her friends have saved Canterlot on many occasions. Just like you, Mr. Dasher.”

"Oh really..." I humbly snorted.

"Surely you've heard of Pinkie Pie's party cannon before, yes?"

Audio burst out laughing and nearly spit his drink onto his desktop papers. "Yes, yes. Of course I’ve heard."

Audio paused for a moment, considering all things very carefully, then asked; "What does the Princess of friendship have to say about this?"

Dr. Silvercrest took one long last gulp from his mug and placed the empty cup on my desk and started to walk away. "She wishes for you to keep good relations with the diplomats and the citizens of the Caemarie. And of course..." He paused for dramatic effect. "And of course, to make friends along the way.” Then he made his way to the door.

"Wait a second Dr. Silvercrest, how do you know I'll accept the deployment? I haven't said if I’d accept the assignment yet."

Then he adjusted his glasses one final time, and said: "Because you can't walk away from adventure, Mr. Dasher. It's in your blood just as the magic of understanding and compassion is in mine." Then he smiled a boastful grin of success.

Well, he had me there...

"You meet with Princess Celestia, Luna, and the ambassador to the Caemarie tomorrow morning at nine am. Good Day Mr. Dasher. And good luck."

And slowly walked out into the hallway.

CHAPTER 3 - Deployment

CHAPTER 3 - Deployment

The next morning Audio walked through the open courtyard to the plaza. Two stone towers rose into the gray and cloudy morning. Two gold and purple tapestries hung down from the castle towers that bore the Canterlot emblem embroidered onto its fabric, as it rippled in the breeze. Two armed guards standing on either side of the entranceway watched Audio carefully as he approached. Each had a long spear and a short sword at their side.

“Good morning my good, gentle-ponies! Pleasant morning to ya!” Audio called out, and bowed, showing them a token of respect.

“Aye, an’ you, Sir AudioWave.” The one on the right replied.

Audio was a well known dignitary and had done many missions for the Princess's since he was young, and was on a first name basis with most of the guards around the castle. The two armed guards of the watch eyeballed his as he passed between them and entered the hall. Ever vigilant and attentive as ever, they would be ready in a moments notice to defend the castle if duty called.

Audio’s hoof-clops turned muffled as his hooves went from the cold cobblestones of the courtyard to the the red carpet of the passageway that led to the throne room. Along the walkway, giant stained glass windows stood like monoliths forty feet high to the ceiling commemorating the Princesses of the realm, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Twilight and Princess Cadence. Magical wall sconces blazing with light decorated the one hundred and fifty foot long corridor that led to the meeting place.

The entrance to the main chamber had two twenty foot wooden doors that currently stood ajar, that led the way to the throne room where most of the Princesses daily briefings took place. It was guarded by two more ponies, this time dressed in golden armor and battle helmets not unlike the first guards that were guarding the courtyard. Each held long spears and also had short swords like the others. These was the Princesses personal honor-guard protectors, and the last line of defense against any would-be attackers.

"Good morning Sir Battle Hammer and Sir Herald Star! It is a pleasure to see you again!” Shouted Audio with cheer, then bowed slightly to greet them.

"Aye." Said the first guard. “And you, Sir AudioWave. The Princesses are expecting you.”

“You may enter.” The other guard said, dispensing with the formalities.

Both of these guards took their jobs very seriously and had been in the service of the kingdom for most of their lives, and would gladly give their lives to protect the kingdom and the princesses from harm. Canterlot was a peaceful city and attacks were rare. But not completely unheard of, save for some of the wild magical creatures, some sentient and some non, that still roamed the land.

“Thank you kind gentle-ponies. And good day to you!” Audio said, and passed between them and the double oak doors, and entered the throne room.

The throne room it was beautifully lit with light and glass. The main chamber never ceased to amaze him. The sky windows that decorated the ceiling allowed the sunlight to enter the room and provided a beautiful ambient lighting effect. Special reflectors collected the light from outside the stone castle and reflected it back along the floor igniting the room with an exquisite brilliance. The chandelier and sky fixtures probably had more glass in them than Audio had ever seen anywhere in the world. The grand hall was truly grand, and it rivaled any of the other great nations’ throne rooms. Audio hadn’t seen them all, but he had seen a good many. Magical wall sconces, blazing of magical fire lined the walls, as light and shadow danced among the pillars.

Canterlot truly was a grand city. But some magic Audio just could never understand. Some Unicorns studied magic their entire lives and spent most of their time reading books and casting spells. Audio, being a pegasus pony himself, could never quite understand how they AudioWave was a Pegasus, and all Pegasi cherish their wings and live for the freedom of the open skies and the wind in their feathers. Who wouldn’t love soaring over the countryside hundreds of feet off the ground for countless hours when one soared with the wings of eagles?

"WELCOME!" A powerful voice echoed throughout the halls and startled Audio out of his thoughts.

While Audio’s head was up admiring the ceiling glass and sky fixtures while daydreaming he hadn’t noticed the group of ponies standing right in front of him. The powerful voice belonged to Princess Celestia, of the sun, and she had a great big smile on her pony face to welcome him.

Audio approached, then knelt before the Princesses, with honor.

"RISE MY FAITHFUL SUBJECT!" The Princess commanded, with a kind authority.

Audio knew the Princesses well, and the bowing was just a formality.

"Welcome to the great hall. Thank you for coming to the call of the Kingdom! You are welcomed with love and admiration for your service to Equestria!"

Audio slowly rose and got to his feet.

The Princess herself was a tall white pony with a golden crown upon her head, a golden breast plate and golden shoes. She bore the emblem of the sun on her flank. To her immediate left, stood her beloved sister, Princess Luna of the moon, lord of dreams. And next to her stood Princess Cadence from the Crystal Empire. Princess of the Crystal Kingdom. And along side her a Unicorn apprentice wizard he did not know that had spectacles upon his nose. To the Princesses right was a female Pegasus pony he also did not recognize, but could surmise this was the pony from the land of the Caemarie.

Before any proper introductions could be made, the light tan pony all at once threw herself upon her knees, and bowed her head as close to the marble floor as it would go, and began pleading for help for her Kingdom.

"Great Sir, please help our country! The Royal council has said you are the one that can help us! Please come to our aid! Our country is on the brink of war and is in great peril!"

Audio looked abashed, and took a half a step back with one hoof in the air. Then gave a subtle look of confusion at the Princess with a questioning look of broken protocol.

The pony was quite visibly shaken and upset.

Then the Princess stepped forward. "AudioWave, this is Zephyrwind, an Emissary from the kingdom of the Caemarie. She believes her country is being threatened and may soon be attacked by the Veloran and the creatures of the sea. Canterlot calls upon you, Sir AudioWave. Will you answer?"

Audio looked around timid, and self conscious. Then back to the Princesses and gave a slight uncomfortable smile. "Y-Your Majesty, I can not fight a war to liberate these ponies. I am but one single pony, not an army..."

Celestia beckoned, then leaned down to Audio wave, and said in a quiet voice; "My dear AudioWave... I do not wish for you to start a war. I wish for you to prevent one. That is why I’m sending you to the Caemarie to bring stability to the region. Your Kingdom calls upon you."

Then Princess Luna joined in. "We all have great faith in you."

Zephyrwind got up from her knees and spoke. "We beg your assistance. Princess Celestia says you have great powers and will serve us well. The Caemarie needs your help."

Audio looked back to the Princesses, hesitated, then finally swallowed, and said; "If the Kingdom calls, I will answer..." Then bowed before the altar.

"Good! It is settled! You will accompany Zephyrwind back to the Caemarie, and ascertain the cause of the conflict, and find a resolution."

"Yes your Majesty,” said AudioWave. "It is an honor to serve Equestria." Then bowed once more, and stepped back.

The Princesses voice rose and presided over all who were there.

“You leave with our blessing and the good will of every pony in Canterlot! Go, and may good fortune lead your hoofprints."

Zephyrwind was a beautiful light brown pony whose coat was the color of the sand of the region. She had on her several decorative pieces of jewelry including a gold Saddle Arabian necklace plate that hung around her neck, a two gold hoof bands, several gold mane clips, and earrings. Audio thought it was a wonder she had chosen to undergo such a journey having such unnecessary ornamental decorations. Then he guessed she must have left in a hurry without much warning. He supposed it could be worse. She looked decorated, but was not overly bogged down with the useless apparel most other dignitaries usually traveled with.

The formalities broke and Zephyrwind approached him.

"Hi. I'm Zephyrwind. Looks like we're going to be working together for a bit." She said, and stuck out her hoof.

"Aye." Said AudioWave, and shook it. She was fit and spoke with a polite confidence.

"The Caemarie thanks you VERY VERY much!” She shouted excitedly. “We greatly need the assistance of Canterlot, and are pleased the Princesses chose to send you. Your assistance is very much appreciated! Thank you again, VERY VERY much! You will not regret coming to our aid! So, what’s our next step?"

"I need to go back to my chambers and pack for the departure. We will need provisions and supplies. I will return shortly. Then we will likely leave by midday with the permission of the Princesses."

Zephyrwind nodded, and just as Audio began to turn away, she put her hoof on his shoulder stopping him. "Please, one more thing… We must hurry. I fear there may be an attack on the city soon. The Chancellor and his supporters believe the sacred land of the Caemarie is rightfully theirs under the domain of the Veloran. In essence, they believe we stole the land under their control thousands of years ago when our ancestors first settled there. It is critical we return with haste to prevent any further conflict. There are many who are in danger, and I fear the leadership of the Veloran and the Chancellor may soon move to invade the Caemarie.”

Audio nodded. “I understand, and will return shortly.”

"Okay,” Said Zephyrwind. “I will see you then."

An hour later Audio returned to the throne room, having packed his double sided saddlebag with provisions for flight. He had packed necessities he though they would need, then planned to return to the Princesses chambers for a final briefing before departure. Audio walked over to Zephyrwind.

“I packed a few things I thought we might need: Some food, water, a knife, a rope, compass and a few other things as well. But we’ll have to get our food and water along the way. We have a long journey ahead of us. You made excellent time flying the distance from the Caemarie to Canterlot in only two days. We may not be able to travel that fast with two of us and our supplies in tow.”

“I understand,” said Zephyrwind. “When will we be leaving?"

Audio adjusted the satchel on his back, and pulled the straps tight with his teeth. Then turned to her and said: "We will fly out tonight and will make the three or four day journey back to the Caemarie.”

“Understood,” she said. Then she closed the flaps on her own satchel and threw it over her back, and cinched her own straps.

The Princesses approached them, along with the brown pony and the spectacles upon his nose.

"Here, you will need this." Said Princess Luna. And handed Audio a cloth purse with a drawstring filled with bits.

"Thank you, Princess Luna.” He replied, then lowered his head in honor and stowed the purse in his double sided satchel. Audio then turned to Cadence. "Say hi to Shining Armor for me and give my love to Flurry Heart."

"I will." She replied.

"Are you ready for your journey?" The Princess of the sun asked.

“Yes, your majesty.”

“And you Zephyrwind?”

“Yes your Majesty!” She said emphatically.

“Excellent then!”

"We are ready to depart for the four day journey." Said AudioWave.

Princess Celestia smiled and let out a giggle, then looked over at her sister.

"Ohh no!" Exclaimed Luna. "You wont be traveling by flight. The region’s need is too dire. Sunburst will be teleporting you there shortly."

"WHAT?" Audio shouted out loud. “I cant teleport! I don't wanna become part of some tree!"

Ausio, a rule, hated teleporting and tried to avoid it at all costs. Teleporting is very dangerous business and takes a tremendous amount of skill for a Unicorn to perform. The Unicorn and those being teleported have to know exactly where they’re going and what’s on the other side, because if they teleport you into a solid object, your molecules get scattered into a billion pieces.

Princess Celestia turned to Zephyrwind and asked; "Zephyrwind, do you know of any open areas outside the city?”

"Yes your majesty! There is an open sparse of desert next to the mountains about three miles north east of Ra-Amon in the Caemarie! It's a clearing without any dunes! We shouldn’t have any problems in that area. You can send us there!"

"Ohhh No!" Audio shouted and turned to scamper away, his feet slipping on the marble floor.

"Ohh no you don't..." Said Luna. And ZING! A magical ray emanated from her horn and froze Audio in place with a not-so-flattering look on his face. “Looks like he isn’t getting out of this one.” Said Princess Luna.

Dang it! Caught in her freeze ray, AGAIN!

"You're lucky Sunburst's here to cast you away.” Said Princess Luna. “We were going to let Trixie come along and practice her teleportation spells on you." Then gave Audio a sarcastic smile.

Audio wasn’t quite sure if she was joking or not. Trixie was the local magician in Ponyville, but technically she WAS studying magic, and would be capable of great things, just, not yet... Her mastery of teleportation was off only by about a hundred years or so. Audio finally sighed and slowly resigned himself, and thought; ‘Somehow that would have been worse…’

Audio lay suspended above the marble flooring with one foot still in the air, grumbling at having to agree to this most barbaric form of transportation.

Luna turned to Zephyrwind. "Are you ready Zephyrwind?"

"Yes your Majesty!" She called out.

"Interlock hooves with AudioWave.” Said the Princess. “Think of the clearing in the open, with no objects around, and concentrate hard. Sunburst? Fare-thee well AudioWave... And good luck. You carry the love of the Kingdom with you where ever you go..."

Sunburst’s horn lit up and he cast his teleportation spell with a crack and a flash.

And just like that we dropped about three feet out of the sky, and into the barren desert under a burning sun.