…Before the storm.

It was about an hour later, all the captains having gotten treatment for their bruises and injuries. Celestia, Luna, myself and the other princess, along with the five captains, were all in Celestia's study. The princess I didn't know was currently fretting over shining Armour, frisking him like he was in a car accident.

"Cadence. Cadence! I told you a dozen times, I'm fine. The castle doctors are some of the best in Arcadia. I don't even feel stiff, so you can stop worrying." Shining says, holding the apparently named Cadence by the shoulders.

"Are you sure? Absolutely?" Cadence asks.

"Yes." Shining answers.

"Okay. If you're sure." Cadence says, before turning to glare at me.
Uh oh.
She then closes her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

"You are much stronger than I expected you to be. For that, you have my respect. But know this, I. Am. Watching you." Cadence says, pointing her fingers at her eyes then at me.

~~If you think I was strong in that match, you should see me when I'm not holding back.~~ I say offhandedly.

"WHAT?!" All the captains shout at once, to the shock of Celestia and Cadence but not Luna. "YOU WERE HOLDING BACK?!"

"Of course he was. If he hadn't been, he could have killed you all in seconds." Luna states matter-of-factly.

"Are you saying we threw almost everything we had at him and he was holding back?!" Spitfire yells.

~~Technically, I was giving it as much as I could at the level I was fighting.~~ I explain.

"What do you mean?" Spell asks me.

~~I was fighting with a handicap, yes. But I was also doing my best, while also staying with the handicap.~~ I answer.

"Oh. So you were doubly whooping our butts." Spitfire says, to my confusion.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asks, voicing my question.

"Not only was he not fighting us at full power, but he was also being careful not to go over the handicap he was on. So, not only could we not beat him at his handicap, we couldn't even push him over it. Therefore, he was basically doubly fighting us and we still lost!" Spitfire shouts, ending her sentence with her head hitting the table.

~~Oh. I get it. Yeah, unfortunately she's right.~~ I say, to the visible dismay of Hammer and Night.

"Hey! We're still guard captains, act like it!" Shining Armour scolds.

"Sorry sir, but you have to admit, that's a blow to the pride." Night Slash says.

"That may be but you should still have some discipline!" Shining admonishes. The captains all sit up straight. "Now, princesses, why have you called this meeting?" Shining asks.

"We have called you here to discuss why you can suddenly and unexpectedly hear Diego's voice. So far, the only one who has been able to hear him has been my sister." Celestia says, turning to Luna.

"Well, when did you start hearing Diego's voice, princess Luna?" Spell asks.

"After the invasion of monsters, Grogar, their leader, managed to fire a permanent damage spell at me, critically wounding me." Luna says, to the shock of the captains and Cadence.

"But you said you were unharmed after the invasion." Shining says.

"I am unharmed now, but that is only because Diego was able to heal me. After Discord escaped his petrification, he helped Grogar escape, as you know from the report, leaving my sister, the Elements of Harmony, Diego and an, at the time, dying me. My sister attempted to heal me but that only made the spell injure me further. Diego then stepped in and performed a basic but effective Divine Nature Healing on me." Luna explains.

"WHAT?!" Spell yells loudly. "A Divine Nature Healing is one of the most dangerous restoration spells there is! And you pulled it off?!" Spell looks at me. I nod, making his jaw drop.

"As I was saying, Diego managed to heal me. After that, for some reason, I gained a connection to him, allowing me to hear his voice." Luna finishes.

"That explains why the princess can hear him, but it doesn't explain why the five of us can too. He didn't perform any kind of spell on us at all. At least not to my knowledge." Hammer Strike says.

~~No, I didn't. And I can't think of anything that could be the cause of this either.~~

"Well, perhaps we are thinking of this the wrong way." Night Slash says.

~~What do you mean?~~ I ask, Celestia echoing my words.

"Well, we are all thinking of what is causing us to hear your voice." Night says, pointing his hands at me. "Perhaps we should try to find out why others can't hear you?" Night suggests.

"That… might work?" Cadence says uncertainly. "There might be some sort of spell on Diego preventing his voice from reaching us?" Cadence suggests.

"Then perhaps we only need to cast a spell nullifier on him?" Spell asks, lighting his horn in magic.

~~I don't think that will work.~~

"Why not?" Spell asks.

~~Well, remember what happened with all those spells you tried to use on me during our fight?~~ I ask.

"Yes, why… oh." Spell realizes.

~~Exactly. For some reason, your magic doesn't work on me.~~ I explain.

"Wait, Shining and Spell Blade's combined spell pushed you over. If that was true, the spell should have just washed off, should it not?" Luna asks.

~~Now that… I can't explain either. Shining's magic felt… different. Foreign, almost.~~

"What do you mean?" Shining asks.

~~It… how do I explain this? Oh, I know. Normal magic, like yours Luna, feels like a calm breeze passing over my body. During the Grogar's invasion, Discord's magic felt like static racing over me but Shining… your magic felt like… it felt like I just got dunked in a hot bath. It was very warm.~~ I try to explain.

"Warm?" Shining asks.

~~Yeah. Warm, like the ground on a sunny day.~~

"Well… does it feel like that now?" Shining asks, lighting his horn and forming a ball of magic on the tip, sending it towards me. I hold up my hand, passing it through the ball before it pops like a bubble, Shining flinching. "Ow. Your hand feels hot. Like I'm trying to grab on to a bonfire or something." Shining reels, massaging the skin around his horn.

~~Well, your magic just feels like lukewarm water now. Not as intense as it was before.~~

"Really? Well, my magic was boosted by Spell during the match." Shining explains.

"Yes, but none of this explains why the five of you can hear Diego now." Celestia says.

"Maybe something happened during the fight?" Cadence asks.

"I doubt that. We were all watching the fight. We would have seen it." Luna answers.

"Could it have been that shock weapon you have? You… wait no. You only shocked me and Spitfire. That can't explain it." Hammer says.

"Wait, I have an idea. What if we do a magic scan of everyone who can hear Diego's voice? See if we find something abnormal?" Cadence suggests.

"That could work. Shining, your thoughts?" Celestia asks.

"I think we should try that. It sounds like it could hold the answer." Shining agrees.

"Alright. If you all agree, I think we should go to have you all visit the infirmary again." Celestia says, the captains and Luna nodding.

(Lightyears away)

"Helmsman, ETA?" Captain Cracheam asks.

"Surog's cruiser says the planet is in range of its long range scanners. ETA is almost eight vargas. The Nova Seizer's and Void Walker's readings match." The helmsman reports.

"Good. Perform a wide range scan of the surrounding area of the zone. I wanna know what's where." The captain orders.

"Vrepit sa." The helmsman responds.
These forsaken nerves. I'm so nervous I feel like if I make the wrong move, my covers going to be blown. Hold it together, Cracked Sky. Just a few more hours. Then you'll be home. The captain stands at the ready, inwardly feeling like a ticking time bomb is hanging over her head.

"Captain… scans report that the planet at the destination is in a… completely stationary orbit within its solar system." The helmsman reports, thoroughly confused.

"What do you mean?" The lieutenant asks.

"According to the scans I'm picking up, the sun and moon around the planet are in completely fixed positions. If there is any life on the planet, it will be dead in a few quintants, if not a phoeb." The helmsman answers. The captain looks confused before saying.

"Ignore it. If we need to land on the planet, we'll simply take precautions."
Can't believe I forgot about that.

"Anything else on the scans?" The lieutenant asks.

"Yes. The planet appears to be the only one near the sun. No other planets of any kind in range of scans."

"Good. As you were."

(With Diego)

After the magic scan of the captains and myself, not much was learned other than the fact that I apparently am a walking supernova of raw energy. I believe the report said that I have so much energy in my body that I exceeded the scale for normal living things hundreds of times over. The scans unfortunately didn't shed any light on why only the captains and princess Luna can hear my voice. I was beginning to get frustrated. Scratch that, I AM frustrated. Good news is, the captains have a target range in the capital and they said I could join them. I am currently there, my Bayard in the form of my energy bow, taking shots at the various targets.

"Wow, you're a very good shot with that. Even Night Slash isn't that good and he has his own self made crossbow." Spitfire comments, with me having just hit four targets at once.

~~Thanks. I didn't even know I was that good a shot, myself.~~ I say, surprised.
It must be the armour. It probably improved a bunch of my physical capabilities when I was changed. Definitely explains me learning how to use my Bayard so quickly.

"Hey Diego." Hammer calls out, sitting at a nearby table. He held his arm up, his elbow on the table. "Wanna arm wrestle?" He asks me. I raise a mental eyebrow.

~~You serious? Like, actually, you're serious?~~

"Yeah. Come on. I wanna see just how strong you are." Hammer says as I sit at the table.

~~Are you forgetting that I not only swung Night Slash around like a wrecking ball, but I also hoisted you into the air? Both times with just one arm?~~

"And when I was five, I accidentally caused an earthquake in my village. Your point?" Hammer rebutts.

~~Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you.~~ I say, raising my arm. Hammer takes my hand in a firm grasp.

"Ready?" He asks.

~~Go right ahead.~~ I reply monotonously. Hammer's arm flexes, pressing against my hand with probably a few hundred kilograms of pressure.
.
.
.
~~Have you started yet?~~ I ask. Hammer looks at me with shock. He presses as hard as he can.
..
..
..
Huh. I think my wrist moved. Oh, wait, no. It moved back.

"What are you doing?" I hear behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I see Shining standing there, wearing a violet shirt and dark blue pants, wearing what looks like military boots.

"Hammer is trying to arm wrestle Diego." Spitfire responds from the next table over where she is tending to her shield.

"You do know that Diego threw both you and Night Slash around like ragdolls, right?" Shining asks Hammer.

"Yep… Diego… said… that… too…" Hammer strains, still trying to move my arm.

~~So, Shining. Who was that other princess with the pink and yellow hair?~~ I ask him nonchalantly.

"Oh, that was my girlfriend, Cadence Honeysuckle. She's the princess of love." Shining answers.

~~Love?~~ I question, adding a small bit of pressure to my hand. Hammer tries to use both hands to pull.

"Yeah. She helps people who have relationship trouble. Giving advice, helping organise dates, relationship counseling and if need be, she uses her magic to help people see how much others care for them." Shining explains.

~~Oh wow. That's really cool.~~ I say, adding more pressure. Hammer's arm is a few centimetres away from touching the table.

"Cool? I wouldn't call it that. I mean, it is cool but I more say it's endearing." Shining says.

~~Yeah, your right. That is a better word for it. Another thing, how come Spell uses a staff and chanting? Can't magicians just use their horns to do magic?~~

"Oh, that's because while normal spell casting can be done with just a horn and some knowledge of magic formula, if a magician or a wizard wants to increase their magic strength, they use a conduit, like a staff, wand or a specially made weapon like my shield, as well as chanting to strengthen their spells. Wizardry, which is what magic with chanting is referred to, can also help a magician or a wizard learn to use magic in the first place." Shining explains, my arm relaxing as I focus on Shining, allowing Hammer to pull my arm upright again.

~~You say wizard and magician as if there's a difference.~~ I say, keeping my arm steady.

"There is. While a magician can be a wizard, not all wizards are magicians. A magician is a person with a horn that allows them to silently cast spells through concentration and the use of mental formulas, where as a wizard is any person who practices wizardry.

For example, Spell Blade and I are both magicians, where as Night Slash is a nighthunter. However, all five of the captains know some wizardry. Spell Blade knows the most and uses a staff for a conduit to cast incantations.

I know some wizardry and use my shield as my conduit to cast about three attack based incantations and a wide range of area effect based incantations that I know.

Night Slash uses his homemade crossbow as a conduit, enchanting the bolts it fires with magical effects.

Hammer Strike has made his hammer-axe into a conduit, allowing him to cast a few different attack incantations.

Unfortunately, Spitfire only knows one incantation, ʞlɒw ɿiA. It lets her make a platform in midair for her to stand on." Shining explains, counting off on his fingers.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I am well on my way to learning a new incantation! mɿoɈƨ monnoƆ." Spitfire says from her table. Shining frowns.

"Connom storm?" Shining asks, confused.

"What? No! Common storm!" Spitfire denies.

"You're mispronouncing it. It's mɿoɈƨ nommoƆ. Not mɿoɈƨ monnoƆ." Shining corrects.

"Really? Huh. No wonder it wasn't working. Thanks!" Spitfire says, getting up and leaving.

~~How do you- hold up.~~ I add pressure to my arm, slowly but surely pushing Hammer's arm down.

"Nonono!" Hammer tries to fight back but loses. "Dangit! And now my arm is numb!" He says as I stand up.

~~What determines what is or isn't a conduit?~~ I ask.

"Life fibers and quartz." Shining answers. "By taking strips of bark off a tree and saturating them in magic, you can turn them into life fibers. You then weave those life fibers into an object, starting from a quartz called a focusing gem.

From the quartz, you weave the life fibers through the weapon, making sure to coil the life fibers inside the hilt of the object or weapon and then back to the quartz, creating a magic conduit. That's why there is a jewel in the center of Vanguard, my tower shield and at the tip of Spell's Osiris, his staff." Shining finishes.
Osiris? Do they have an Egypt here? I think as Shining, myself and Hammer squeeze out the door of the target range.

"Is it almost night time?! How long were we in there?" Hammer asks, massaging his sore arm.

"Must have been longer than I thought. I didn't expect it to be this late already. We all better get to sleep, the princesses will probably want to talk again tomorrow." Shining says.

~~Alright. Well, goodnight.~~ I wave goodbye as I take off to the castle, heading to my room.

(Hours later, Space)

"Captain, I just checked the scans of the area again, the star has moved!" The helmsman yells in shock.

"What do you mean? Are you saying that the sun is in a reverse orbit? You said that the planet isn't in an orbit." The lieutenant says.

"It shouldn't be. I cannot explain it but somehow, the sun is not only in a reverse orbit around the planet, but it has also gone from being completely still to having moved to the complete opposite side of the planet." The helmsman reports.

"My readings match his, lieutenant. The sun has changed position, as well as the moon of the planet. Hold on, the Void Walker is detecting a possible energy source originating from the planet that may be interacting with the sun and moon." The second helmsman reports, her readings matching the other research ships.

"Are you saying that the planet is arranging its own orbit?" The captain asks, already knowing the answer.

"The readings say yes, captain Cracheam." The second helmsman answers.

"I see. What's the ETA of Surog's cruiser?" The captain asks.

"A little over one varga, captain Cracheam." The robotic voice of the final helmsman reports.

"Understood. Relay this order to the Surog, the Singularity is moving ahead to investigate the unknown energy signature emanating from the planet. Helmsmen, take us forward." The captain orders.

"Belay that. Captain, I do not believe it will be a good idea to break formation with the Surog. Emperor Zarkon ordered us to find out what destroyed the Black Sky, not go galavanting off to look at strange energy readings." The lieutenant argues.
I can't have this idiot ruining my plan. I have to warn them before Surog gets there!

"The energy coming from the planet could be what destroyed the Black Sky. If we can find out what it is, we could potentially bring back an incredible weapon. And I'm not just going to braid my hair while that moron, Surog messes up a golden opportunity. And don't even try and refute that." The captain argues back. "Helmsman, send the message then full speed ahead." Cracheam orders one of them.

"Yes captain." He responds.
Good. Now I just need to find a way to sneak off my own ship. Then I can find my son.

Author's Note

Not much action, unexpectedly, but a nice bit of world building. Next chapter though?
Ho ho ho!