Vengeance 2 - Canterlot Has Fallen

....09:15:30....

Later that evening, all the preparations for the following day's Summit had been made, and Zodiac was making sure all of the checklist he had made was all filled and completed. As he strolled into the room where the Grand Duchess was going to settle in, he suddenly heard a swooshing sound like wind whistling through a crack in windows and it shimmered and glowed with a twinkling glitter like aroma.

....Zodi.... said a whispering voice from this strange aroma.

"Who's there?!" he asked in a scared tone, he was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a hoof tapping on the wall by the door behind him. He then turned to see that it was none other than Nathan, who was with Twilight coming from inspection processes of their own.

"Sergeant, is everything okay?" asked Nathan, Zodi rubbed his eyes, but when he turned back the aroma was gone in the same way it came. He then turned back to Nathan and Twilight again and shook his head over what he had just saw.

"Sorry, I was coming in here to do a final inspection, then I saw an aroma floating in front of me, which somehow called my name and...."

"Zodi, you're mind is probably just out of juice from all the inspection work from today." interrupted Twilight.

"She's right, ya' might just be lettin' things crawl on ya." said Nathan.

"I'm not sure, I really did hear a voice in here, in came in through that window." said Zodi, pointing a hoof at the bedroom window, which was halfway cracked. However, Nathan and Twilight still were not having any sense of believing him.

"Zodi, I think you're just tired." said Twilight.

"No really, I did!"

"Look, your shift is almost over anyway, so just go home and get some rest." said Twilight.

"Princess, I'm telling you, somepony or something called my name!"

"Look, just go home and get some sleep alright, we've got a big day tomorrow." said Nathan.

"Maybe sleep will get your mind up and running." said Twilight.

Zodiac groaned and facehoofed in annoyance, but did as he was told anyway, so he walked out of the room and towards the exit still feeling down over the fact that no one could even believe him over what he had just seen.

"Nathan?" asked Twilight as she watched Zodi leave.

"Yes?"

"Did Kyle get my proclamation about the Summit?"

"Yes ma'am."

"What did he say?"

"He said he's got police officers, Special Weapons and Tactics, and the Rangers all rounded up and ready for tomorrow. We've also got Army, Marines, and National Guard as well."

"Well, since he's bringing a massive group around here, I do not think anything will get in our way of this." said Twilight.

"Yes, well Ah' think it's time for me to head home and get some sleep as well, we've got a big day tomorrow." said Nathan as he flapped his wings.

"Okay Nathan, I'll see you tomorrow." said Twilight, and Nathan lifted for the doors himself leaving Twilight to depart for her sleeping quarters as well.

Meanwhile, Zodiac was strolling all alone through the empty streets of Canterlot, his guard armor clattering and clanking as he moved through the moonlit night. While he was strolling through towards his home, the same wisp that appeared in the room at the castle now had floated past him again and it hovered right in front of his face.

"....Zodi...." the same unknown voice from the room said again, Zodiac turned in every direction which way.

"....Zodi...." it said again.

"Who's there, who's calling my name?" he remarked with a nervous pronunciation, but still there was no one to answer back to him. In a small yet apprehensive way, he trotted faster than normal from the streets to his home, a typical looking townhouse with black and white painted marble walls and beautiful flower boxes perched on the window sills. As he approached his townhouse, he opened the door and quickly closed and locked it as he entered, he lit some candles and turned on the only lamp that he had.

As soon as he lit the candles and turned on the lamp, he pulled back a curtain to look out the window and see where that wisp was. But all he could see was a sticky wet ground, lamp lights on, and wind hissing outside, so he closed the curtains and rubbed his eyes with his hoof.

"Maybe Nathan and Princess Twilight were right, maybe I am just cracking up." he said as he turned his attention to the kitchen.

"Maybe a nice cooked meal will calm my nerves." he said with a nervous laugh, so he quickly turned on a lamp in the kitchen and took out some pots and pans to cook some veggie soup. As he was cooking, he quickly thought of all the things that would be happening tomorrow with him helping out with the escorts of the Royal rulers, even knowing Nathan's human friend would be bringing a massive army from America into Equestria to help escort the ponies.

Once his soup was fully cooked, he poured it into a bowl and put a spoon in it. He then put his bowl of hot veggie soup onto a small stand in his living room and washed the pots out, once he did that, he then picked up his dinner and went over to a chair to sit down and started to take the first sip of the soup. Once the small spoonful of liquid was in his mouth, he swallowed it and wiped his mouth with a napkin, but just as he was about to take another sip..........

"....Zodi...." said the ghostly voice again, but this time it was really freaky, the eerie wisp that appeared to him twice was now forming through another window that viewed the castle's upper corridors. Zodi was now really on the verge of screaming in terror, but he couldn't because it felt like something was pinning him to his chair like a magical force. There was also several clicking sounds surrounding him, they were the doors and windows throughout his home locking by themselves, soon the wisp that floated in front of him started taking a different shape.

"Who....Who are you, what do you want with me?!" he shrieked as the wisp continued taking form, suddenly, a light formed around it. It then swirled light a whirlwind of a tornado very lightly and gently, soon the form took into a silhouette of a familiar looking alicorn, and then the wisp stopped.

"Are you surprised?" asked the silhouetted pony, "Is it not me?"

Zodi quickly recognized the voice, "Obviously it is you mom, what other voice wouldn't be so soft and soothing as yours?"

The silhouette giggled as the blackness around it faded away, to Zodi's surprise, it was Celestia!

"You look rather particular for a ghost." he said as he stared down as Celestia's beautiful looking spirit, he was actually even more surprised to discover her memory had come back nice, since she actually remembered where he lived. Her body consisted of a beautiful heavenly light that covered her body up to her face and horn, but her crown, necklace, and gold shoes she wore all those years ago were not on her anymore. Instead, she wore a lovely angelic like robe on her body that had a roped belt keeping it secure.

"Mom!" he exclaimed with joy, Celestia walked up and sat in a chair across from his. To another discovery, she looked like she did when she ruled Equestria all those years ago.

"Why are you here, I thought the dead never came back."

"I am now an angelic spirit, I have become a messenger for Nathan's God."

Zodiac became shocked, "You mean, you're an angel?!"

"Yes, but I have been sent here to tell you bad news." Celestia gave a worried frown, "I'm afraid you and the Summit are in great danger."

"What are you talking about mother?" Zodi asked, "There hasn't been any threats since Tirek and Chrysalis....." his mouth was soon covered by Celestia's hoof.

"I'm afraid it's worse than that son, they have not only escaped, but they have a massive army of their own!"

"How is that possible?!" Zodiac asked in disbelief.

"You will find out what kind of army they have, it's from Nathan's old world. It consists of massive evil groups!"

"But how, Tirek and Chrysalis couldn't have found a way out of their stone prison."

"I'm afraid they did, they had help from your old arch-enemy Thunder Clash."

"How do you know all this?!"

"I've watched everything unfold from Heaven ever since Twilight became the new ruler of Equestria."

"Well, if what you are telling me is true....."

"It is, you will have to keep Twilight well guarded."

"Don't worry mom, if something bad happens, we will have Twilight protected."

"I know you will." she said with a smile.

"Now you know why I chose to be a guard instead of ruler."

"Yes Zodi, and I know you will rule when you are ready."

"And also, Nathan's friend Kyle is coming with a massive enforce of soldiers from his world for extra back-up."

"I'm very pleased with that, just keep your eyes peeled my son."

"I will mom." he said as he hugged her, she then faded back into a wisp and floated away. Zodiac then turned over to ponder something, what if Celestia told him was true?

If it was, then it sure was gonna be big and threatening.