A King and Princess' Duty
Princess Celestia sat in her throne in Canterlot Castle. She was waiting for a special guest to arrive. A guard entered through the large doors to the throne room, and stood in front of her.
"Your Highness, King T'Challa has arrived," Informed the guard.
"Excellent, let him in," Replied Celestia.
The guard nodded, and went over to open the doors. After he opened the doors, he left the room as Celestia's esteemed guest came in. The first to enter was not her guest, but two zebra mares. They both were wearing tabards, one red and the other orange, golden arm and neck braces, and tribal necklaces and bracelets. They both carried gold-plated spears. The mares stood to the side as the guest of honor walked into the room. He was a zebra stallion with a tall, fit build. He had a short black-and-white mane and tail, and had a regal look in his brown eyes. He wore a standard black tux with white dress shirt, gold cufflinks, and he wore a pin of the head of a black panther with its teeth bared.
"King T'Chala, it is a pleasure to see you again."
Celestia got up from her throne momentarily to bow, to which T'Challa reciprocated.
"Please, the pleasure is all mine, Princess. Thank you for agreeing to this rather sudden meeting," Said T'Challa.
"Of course. Not that I don't mind your visit, but I must admit that I was rather surprised when you had sent a letter requesting an audience with me. Is there something wrong?" Asked Celestia.
"No, but I came here because I had been looking into something that I hope you can help me with," Answered T'Challa.
"I will help you in any way I can."
"Great. I... I have been recently looking into documents written or signed by my father."
Remembering his father despite bringing some happiness also brought some pain to T'Challa, pain that Celestia saw.
"T'Challa, I'm sorry about what happened to your father all those years ago. He was both a great king and stallion. Your father's death was a tragedy, especially to you, your family, and Wakanda. I hope looking through you father's documentations has brought you more fond memories than pain," Said Celestia.
"Thank you, Celestia... Let's not dwell on the past. While looking through his documents, I came across one related to Equestria. I couldn't help but question one thing: my father, like the other Black Panther's before him, had a strong distrust towards other nations, but in that one document I found that was written towards the end of his life, he held Equestria to a high level of respect, particularly you, Princess Celestia. So I wanted to ask you in person why you were one of the few non-Wakandans that he trusted?" Asked T'Challa.
A long silence filled the room. Celestia held a hoof to her chin as she tried to come up with an answer to T'Challa's query.
"Admittedly, I have also wondered why he held me to a high level of trust. We respected each other as rulers yes, but I wouldn't go as far as to call us friends. My only guess as to why I had earned his trust was when he and I worked together to save both Equestria and Wakanda," Said Celestia.
"You and my father saved Wakanda and Equestria together?" Asked T'Challa.
"It happened a year before you were born, but yes, we did. Why don't I get someone to fetch you a seat, so you can listen to my story my comfortably?"
"No need, Princess. I'm already ahead of you."
T'Challa pulled down the cuff of his right sleeve, and revealed what seemed to be a tribal bead bracelet. He gently lifted one of the beads to reveal a button underneath. He pushed on it, and instantly a purple hard light construct appeared in front of him. It formed into a seat to which he sat on.
"(Chuckle) Even to this day, Wakanda's technology astounds me. Well then, let's get started. It was many moons ago when I encountered T'Chaka for more than a diplomatic meeting..."
Twenty seven years ago...
The sun had long since set in Equestria. Princess Luna's moon rested peacefully in the night sky. In the Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia was asleep in her private quarters. The light of the moon barely penetrated the curtains of her window, covering her in a dim white light.
KA-BOOM!
The sound of an explosion could barely be heard, but it woke Celestia from her slumber. With a tired look in her eyes, she reluctantly got up from her canopy bed. She walked over to the single window, and used her magic to pull the curtains back. She looked out past the grounds of the castle, and beyond the city of Canterlot.
KA-BOOM!
Another explosion could be heard. This time, she saw the source of the explosion. A few miles from Canterlot in the direction of Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, a small purple light could be seen. Suddenly, knocking could be heard from her bedroom door.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Enter," Said Celestia.
The door opened to reveal a guard on the other side.
"Your Highness, I see you have noticed the disturbance as well," Said the guard.
"Yes. Contact the authorities then assemble a patrol unit and make your way to the source of the disturbance. I will head out there to investigate myself," Said Celestia.
With a salute, the guard left to gather some troops. Princess Celestia opened the window, stretched her angelic wings, and flew out of the room. Flying above the castle grounds then Canterlot, a smile found its way onto her face, taking in the beauty of the city. After a few minutes of flying, she landed in a forest. Travelling on hoof through the understory of the forest, she found it hard to see due to the thick layer of vegetation. She concentrated some magic to the tip of her horn, generating a small light. Thanks to the light, she had a much better view of the forest.
KA-BOOM!
She heard another explosion, this time only a few yards in front of her. She cautiously walked over to a bunch of trees, and looked past them. On the other side of the trees was a small clearing, where she saw a small group of ponies. Not wanting her presence to be known, she extinguished the light from her horn. There were seven ponies, three of them wearing shorts, khaki shirts, and pith hats and the other four wearing suits. The three ponies in khakis were holding rifles of some kind with crates more beside them, while a pegasus wearing a suit held a single briefcase.
"Now are you convinced that these are good?" Asked a unicorn with a rifle.
"Yeah, yeah, they're good. Now will you please stop firing those things! I don't want to draw any unwanted attention," Said the pegasus with the briefcase.
"We're not going to draw attention to ourselves. The nearest town is miles away from here. So, do we have a deal?"
The pegasus tossed the briefcase to the unicorn, which he caught using his magic. Opening the briefcase, it was filled completely with bars of gold.
"You made a great choice doing business with us stallions. These babies are made with precious vibranium, and are the most advanced weapons in the world. Even an alicorn like Princess Celestia would be powerless against these," Said the unicorn.
"Is that a fact?"
All of the ponies jerked their heads in the direction of the authoritative voice. Stepping out of the forest, Princess Celestia stood tall and mighty with a stern gaze in her eyes.
"If you do possess weapons with such destructive capabilities and will use them to threaten Equestria and it's citizens, then I will ensure that they will be destroyed and you'll face punishment for your crimes," Said Celestia.
"Blast her!"
All of the ponies grabbed riffles and fired at Celestia. She conjured a shield in front of her to deflect the gunfire. The rifles shot out purple bursts of energy, which bounced off the shield. Despite this, they were actually managing to crack the shield, much to Celestia's surprise. Timing for when all of the guns paused in-between shots, she fired a bolt of magic at a pony, knocking them out in one hit. She then conjured another shield to protect herself, then fired another bolt of magic at another pony. She did this one more time before the remaining ponies pressed a button on the left side of their guns. The next round of gunfire was in the form of nonstop bursts of energy, not pauses in between. The shield she conjured was cracking, and she didn't have enough time to fight back or conjure a new shield. The ponies stepped closer with sinister smiles on their faces.
"Looks like this is the end of your reign, Princess," Said the unicorn ominously.
"Ahhh!"
Looking to his right, he and two other ponies realized that one of them was gone. They ceased their gunfire, and searched the area, finding no trace of the missing pony.
"You keep your eyes and gun on the Princess, while you come with me," Ordered the unicorn.
The three ponies split up to find the missing pony. The unicorn and one of his last remaining partners tread cautiously towards the edge of the forest. Suddenly, a black blur ran through the clearing, and rammed into the pony by Princess Celestia.
"Ahhh!"
THUD!
The pony flew into the air, and crashed into the crates, knocking him out. The remaining two ponies shot at the blur as it ran by them and into the forest. They shot at the forest, hoping to shoot whatever it was that was attacking them. The pony next to the unicorn felt something grab his hind leg, and fell onto his back and dropped his gun. He flipped over on his stomach and tried to hold onto the ground.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
His efforts were fruitless. He was dragged into the depths of the forest, his screams fading away into the dense understory. The unicorn shot wildly at the forest, hoping to hit his aggressor. A small energy dagger was thrown from the forest and hitting the barrel of his gun as he pulled on the trigger.
KA-BOOM!
"Gah!"
The gun blew up, knocking him back into the crates, and leaving burn marks on his right foreleg. Eerie silence filled the air, not even the sound of a cricket was heard. Princess Celestia was both relieved and fearful. Getting rid of her shield, she searched the edge of the forest where the blur had fled into. The sound of leaves rustling in front of her caught her attention. In front of her, a pair of white, blank eyes appeared in the darkness.
"Reveal yourself!" Ordered Celestia defensively.
As if by command, the bearer of the eyes stepped out of the forest. Standing in front of her was a tall equine-like creature. The only biological feature that could be seen was a tail of two different shades of grey, one light grey and the other a darker shade of grey. They were wearing a black colored suit with a helmet that resembled the head of a feline. Other notable features were gold ceremonial toothed necklaces, bracelets, and anklets, and a cape of the same color as the suit. Despite the figure standing menacingly in front of her, Celestia sighed in relief.
"Princes Celestia," Said the figure with a masculine tone and a strong African-esque accent.
"King T'Chaka," Replied Celestia.
"What are you doing here?" Asked T'Chaka.
"I could ask you the same thing. I'm here because I detected a disturbance near Canterlot, only to find the source to be an illegal arms deal. Why are you here?"
"I apologize if these stallions disturbed your beauty sleep. I am here to take back what was stolen from me and to gather information on a case that I am investigating."
T'Chaka walked over to the unicorn (who was holding his injured foreleg in pain) and grabbed him by the throat. He brought the unicorn's face to his.
"Where is your superior?" Asked T'Chaka menacingly.
"What do you mean? It's just me and two others. We stole vibranium weapons and brought them here to sell," Explained the unicorn.
"I am not a fool. I have an informant who told me of a large group of mercenaries who sneaked into Wakanda and stole vibranium, so you better spill," Warned T'Chaka.
"Well, what if I don't? You'll kill me?" Asked the unicorn rhetorically.
"No, but I'm not gonna tickle you either."
T'Chaka raised a gloved hoof, and a set of sharp antarctic vibranium "anti-metal" claws protracted from it. He was about to scratch when his hoof was held in a golden aura. He saw that Celestia was holding him back.
"Unhand me!" Demanded T'Chaka furiously.
"You don't need to resort to violence, including in situations like this," Said Celestia.
"I will do whatever it takes to protect Wakanda, even if it means harming people like him."
"Let me try at least."
"... Fine then. You get one chance, but if you fail, I will get him talking my way."
T'Chaka retracted his claws, and Princess Celestia let go of his hoof, which he placed on the ground quickly. Celestia sat in front of the unicorn.
"You won't get me to talk," Said the unicorn.
"Maybe not, but regardless, you will end up in prison. However, if you were to cooperate and tell us what you know, I can see to it that you will get a shorter sentence if you are arrested here in Equestria instead of Wakanda. Otherwise, you will have to face the wrath of a king."
Celestia gestured towards T'Chaka who raised a hoof and protracted his anti-metal claws while looking at the unicorn with a menacing gaze. The unicorn was left terrified.
"Alright, alright, I'll talk! Our boss is hiding out in the large vibranium mine located in the heart of Wakanda, working on a big super-weapon of mass destruction. I don't know what it does or what he plans on doing with it. The boss gives us as little information as possible. He sent me and my crew out here to sell some some weapons, so he can earn some extra cash on the side."
"Thank you."
Princess Celestia summoned some magical golden chains, and they wrapped around the unicorn, binding him to the ground.
"I'll admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you would be able to get him to talk," Said T'Chaka.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Said Celestia sarcastically.
"Now, I must return to my country. Thank you for your assistance."
T'Chaka was heading towards the forest when Princess Celestia stepped in front of him.
"Wait, I'm coming with you," Said Celestia.
"No you're not. Wakanda's borders are closed to outsiders. It always has been, and it always will be," Said T'Chaka.
"But if what he said is true, then I need to help you find this super-weapon and destroy it."
"This doesn't concern you, Your Highness. Return to Canterlot and let me take care of this."
T'Chaka started to walk away again when he heard Celestia say...
"You're wrong."
T'Chaka stopped dead in his tracks, and looked over his right shoulder.
"Excuse me?"
"You're wrong. This super-weapon's existence is more than just a threat to your kingdom. It is also a threat to mine, and every other kingdom for that matter. If it ever gets unleashed, then all nations are in peril. We should combine forces and stop this threat together."
Both monarchs looked each other dead in the eye with serious glares. The only sound that was made was of a light breeze brushing against foliage.
"... Fine then. If you're going to be so persistent on dealing with this threat, then you can come with me. BUT on one condition, as soon as everything has been taken cared of, you will immediately return to Equestria and never return to Wakanda. And you can bet that your visit will be shortened if you either get in my way or I suspect you are doing anything suspicious," Said T'Chaka.
"That works for me. Lead the way," Said Celestia.
"Oh, and since you insist on coming along, you will help me with something that I was going to save for Wakandan authorities."
T'Chaka walked over to the crates, and balanced three of them on his back. He then pointed to the rest of the crates. With a sigh of annoyance, Princess Celestia used her magic to carry the rest of the crates telekinetically. Both of them walked over to the edge of the forest, and trekked through the understory.
Back in the present day, T'Challa was chuckling.
"I see that my father decided to make the most out of having an unplanned guest tag along," Said T'Challa with a wry smile.
"(Laughter) He did. I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about strangling T'Chaka right then and there when he made me his pack mule. But I now understand his frustration. I thrust myself into his case without giving him much of a choice. I was afraid for Equestria and the world that I didn't let T'Chaka carry out his duties on his own. Nonetheless, I am glad that I did tag along, otherwise he may not have gotten out of the mine alive."
"What do you mean?"
"Allow me to continue. T'Chaka escorted me to our transport."
T'Chaka and Princess Celestia, crates in tow, were walking through the dark forest. Using her magic to carry just about everything, Celestia wasn't able to create a bright enough light to navigate her surroundings. She walked into a lot of trees, shrubs, and branches. T'Chaka on the other hand effortlessly navigated his surroundings thanks to the night vision bestowed to him by the heart-shaped herb. Because of his heightened senses, he was far ahead of her.
"Woah!"
THUD!
Celestia ended up tripping and falling face first onto the ground. In the process, she dropped all of the crates she was carrying.
"Be careful, there are a lot of exposed roots on the ground. You could easily snag a hoof onto one," Said T'Chaka.
"Thanks for the warning," Said Celestia sarcastically. Getting up from the ground and wiping off the dirt from her elegant coat of fur, she picked up the crates she dropped with her magic. "How are we going to get to Wakanda quick enough before the super-weapon can have enough time to be built? I imagine that if you came here by zeppelin it took three days for you to arrive in Equestria."
T'Chaka stopped several feet ahead of her, then turned to face her.
"We won't be using a zeppelin to get to Wakanda."
T'Chaka pressed a button on the right foreleg of the Panther Habit. In that instant, an advanced plane-like vehicle appeared in front of them. It was hidden in plain sight thanks to cloaking technology. The sight of this strange vehicle caused Celestia's jaw to drop.
"Wh-Wha... Is..."
"Congratulations, Princess Celestia. You're the first non-Wakandan to learn of the existence of a stealth ship."
A ramp was lowered in front of them, and T'Chaka walked on board. Needing a second to compose herself, Princess Celestia followed him. Once she was onboard, she took in the sights. The walls were made of metal except at the very front of the ship, which had a large shatterproof window. Buttons, switches, and dials of all sorts were laid out on one big control panel in front of the ship. T'Chaka sat in a seat in front of the control panel, and there was an empty one next to his right. Setting all of the crates next to his load resting in a back corner, she walked over to him.
"What magic and technology was used to create a machine like this?" Asked Celestia in astonishment.
"No magic was used in the creation of this stealth ship. This was made exclusively with technology. Don't touch anything unless I grant you permission. And I would take a seat if I were you," Said T'Chaka.
"Why?" Asked Celestia.
"You can stand if you want, but takeoff at speeds even greater than supersonic can be rather rough."
Doing as he suggested, Princess Celestia sat down in the empty seat next to him. At the push of a button, the entire ship roared to life. The engines created a deafening sound. Pushing a lever upwards, the ship lightly levitated off the ground, the landing gear tucking in.
BOOM!
Moving so fast that it created a sonic boom, the stealth ship soared across the sky at unimaginable speed. The flight was mostly uneventful, with T'Chaka piloting the ship and Celestia sitting quietly in her seat. She wanted to start a conversation to kill the silence that filled the cockpit, but T'Chaka was radiating an aura that she knew meant he didn't want to talk to her.
In only a matter of minutes, they had entered Wakandan airspace. The ship flew over lush jungle, then dry savanna before towering, extensive mountain ranges came into view. T'Chaka set the stealth ship to autopilot, and turned to look at Celestia.
"Before we arrive, I need to make one thing clear. I am going to reveal something to you that almost no one outside of Wakanda knows about. I want you to vow that you will never reveal ANYTHING that you see or are told. If you don't, I will turn us around right now, and return you to Canterlot. And you can be sure there will be consequences if you ever break your vow. So, do you vow to keep everything from now to when you get home a secret?" Asked T'Chaka.
Taking a deep breath, Celestia gave him a reassuring smile.
"You have my word, King T'Chaka. Whatever happens in Wakanda stays in Wakanda," Vowed Celestia.
"Good, because we are here."
Taking back control of the ship, T'Chaka was piloting it towards the largest mountain in the chain. They were getting closer and closer without slowing down one bit. Celestia was starting to panic, fearing they were going to crash.
"T'Chaka! We're going to crash!" Cried Celestia fearfully.
Once they were about to crash into the mountain, Celestia closed her eyes, and braced herself in her seat. As the seconds went by, she pressed herself deeper into her seat. Eventually, she hesitantly opened one of her eyes. What she saw caused her pupils to contract, and her jaw to drop once again. Instead of a mountain the ship was flying through a force field and on the other side was one of the most marvelous sights she had ever seen. The force field was hiding an enormous city with large river systems winding through it. The mighty skyscrapers towered over the land, a mix of both traditional and advanced architecture. Technology of which the world had never seen was everywhere. Taking in all of the city was overwhelming for her.
"I-I thought Wakanda is a third-world country!" Said Celestia in disbelief.
"That's what we want everyone to think."
T'Chaka piloted the ship to the heart of the city, where a large palace with a landing pad on the front grounds stood out against the rest of the infrastructure. The ship hovered above the landing pad, and gently descended to the ground. The landing gear made contact with the landing pad, and the engines ceased to a low rumble. Both occupants got up from their seats, Princess Celestia the first to head towards the back of the ship. The ramp lowered, and she walked down it, setting foot on Wakandan soil.
She didn't have the chance to even blink when the sharpened points of spears were brought uncomfortably close to her neck. She was surrounded by five zebra mares wearing orange and red tabards. Their spears surrounded her from all sides.
"You are trespassing on Wakandan soil, and have stolen the personal transport of the king! What have you done with him?!" Asked a mare.
"At ease, Aneka." T'Chaka casually walked down the ramp, and stood in front of the mare known as Aneka. "She is with me."
Aneka looked at T'Chaka hesitantly, but then lowered her spear. The rest of the mares followed suite. With the spears away from her direction, Celestia sighed in relief.
"I apologize on behalf of the Dora Milaje. As you can see, they take their jobs as both my personal guards and head of security for all of Wakanda very seriously." T'Chaka put a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "Welcome to Wakanda."
T'Chaka walked down a path leading from the landing pad with Celestia following behind him. The Dora Milaje stood in an organized line on the right side of the path. A zebra mare stood on the other side of the path. She wore a navy blue dress with a circular headdress, and had golden earrings in the shape of panther heads.
"Hello, my queen."
T'Chaka reached for his ceremonial toothed necklace. Pressing on it, the helmet of the Panther Habit retracted into the necklace. This revealed his slightly aged but handsome face and short black mane. An affectionate smile could be found on his face, looking at his wife.
"My king," Said the mare.
Both king and queen embraced each other in a hug. T'Chaka was noticeably taller than his wife. While she was whispering something in his ear, which made his smile even bigger, he put his left hoof on her abdomen. They broke from their embrace, and turned to Celestia.
"Celestia, allow me to introduce you to Ramonda. She's both the Queen of Wakanda, and my loving wife," Said T'Chaka.
"Princess Celestia, it's an honor to meet you."
Ramonda extended her hoof towards Princess Celesita. She reciprocated with hers, and shook hooves with a smile.
"It's also an honor to meet you, Queen Ramonda. I've heard many great things about you from your husband in-between diplomatic meetings," Said Celestia.
"And I've heard many great things about you as well."
Ramonda looked to her husband, and pointed to their mouths. He understood the message, and spoke to her in Xhosa.
"(Is something troubling you, my beloved?)" Asked T'Chaka.
"(I didn't realize that you were bringing back a guest. I thought Wakanda was closed to non-citizens)," Said Ramonda.
"(It is, there were... unexpected changes to my investigation. She helped me with extracting information from one of the thieves who stole vibranium. When we learned that a super-weapon was being built here in Wakanda, she was determined to help save our country, Equestria, and maybe even the world if it is that deadly. She was determined to protect her subjects and others. I admire that in other rulers, so I allowed her to come along. I made it clear, though, that if she were to get in my way or threaten the secrets of Wakanda, I would send her back to Equestria.)"
"(Alright then. While you were in Equestria, I was notified of a hostile takeover of the Great Mound by a group of ponies. Thankfully, everyone got out of their safely.)"
While the two monarchs were talking, Celestia could only listen with confusion. She did know they were talking about her because they would pass quick glances at her as they spoke.
"We are going to make our way to the Great Mound. If the super-weapon is being built anywhere in secret in Wakanda, it will be there," Said T'Chaka to Celestia in Ponish.
"Lead the way, Your Highness."
Celestia and T'Chaka walked towards the northern end of the city, while the latter put his helmet back on. Queen Ramonda watched them leave with the Dora Milaje by her side.
In the present day, T'Challa had a hoof on his chin, reflecting on Celestia's story.
"What was it like seeing the real Wakanda, as opposed to what we have the world believe?" Asked T'Challa.
"It was... beautiful. I have seen many things during my extended lifetime, but I had never seen a city as magnificent as Birnin Zana. It combines technology more advanced than anywhere else, but also keeps and draws inspiration from culture and architecture from many moons ago. There's simply nowhere else on Earth like it," Said Celestia.
"You're right, there isn't. And I'm not saying that because I'm ruler of Wakanda. During my training as the Black Panther and even after, I traveled to many lands, but there's simply no place like home. Equestria itself, though, is a remarkable land as well. Every time I come here, I sense the harmony, unity, and friendships in its citizens. I believe the positivity here is even greater than in Wakanda. You should be proud of all you have accomplished under your rule."
"Oh, that's kind of you, but I shouldn't take all of the credit. My sister, Luna, had as much of an impact on Equestria as I have. And in more recent years the harmony in Equestria grew to what it is now thanks to the latest bearers of the Elements of Harmony."
"Yes, and Princess Twilight Sparkle in particular has made great strides in the magic of friendship. You must be proud of her, and her friends."
"I am. Equestria is an even greater land thanks to them."
"So, then what happened?"
"After we arrived in Birnin Zana, we made our way to the Great Mound..."
T'Chaka and Celestia were walking through the savanna. The tall dry grass brushed against Celestia, feeling the rough stems brush across her skin. Due to the sparse amount of trees in the ecosystem, they could see far from where they were currently walking. In the distance straight ahead stood a large mountain. The slope of the mountain was miles high, and vegetation grew only on the summit. Eventually, they stopped in front of the mountain.
"So, why would criminals build a super-weapon in here? Is there a cave system inside?" Asked Celestia.
"The Great Mound has mines for extracting vibranium," Answered T'Chaka.
"I see, so they must be extracting vibranium to build the super-weapon. How much vibranium is in the mound?"
"The Great Mound IS vibranium."
"The ENTIRE mound is vibranium?!" The revelation of how much vibranium Wakanda had left Celestia in shock. "No wonder why you're country has the most advanced technology I've ever seen!"
T'Chaka's only response was a simple nod of the head.
"So, how do we get in?" Asked Celestia.
"Follow me." T'Chaka guided her along the eastern side of the Great Mound. He led her to a gaping, equine-made tunnel over one hundred feet above them. "This is one of the many tunnels we use to export vibranium out of the mound. We'll sneak through here, and get a good view of our surroundings once we're inside."
"Alright, I can use my magic to teleport you up..."
Celestia looked over her left shoulder, and saw that T'Chaka was gone. She didn't have to look far to see he was way ahead of her. He was climbing up the side of the Great Mound by using his anti-metal claws.
"Oh, right, claws."
Celestia spread her wings, and flew up after him. By the time she got to the entrance, he was already far inside the tunnel. Looking into the tunnel, she could see only darkness ahead. As much as she wanted to light up the tunnel so she can see, she decided against it because she didn't want to risk attracting unwanted attention. So with reluctant steps, she walked straight into the tunnel.
Just as she predicted. She only had to take a few steps to be draped in darkness. It was so pitch black that she couldn't see her own nose. The fact that it was nighttime as well didn't help much. She was wishing she had T'Chaka's ability to see in low light levels. She was about to light up her horn, not caring anymore that she could get caught, when she finally saw light ahead of her. As she got closer to it, she noticed a silhouette directly ahead of her.
She quickly realized it was T'Chaka. He crouched down on both of his back legs, and stared intently ahead of him. She sat down next to him, and looked around. The area around her was glowing purple, knowing that it was all vibranium. What appeared to be floating minecarts were scattered around the area. She didn't fail to notice the large amount of ponies in the mine. Some of them were pushing minecarts filled with vibranium ore in and out of various tunnels, while others acted as guards, caring vibranium rifles on them.
In the center of the room stood a rather dapper looking unicorn stallion. He was primarily red in color with a black mane and tail, and blue eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved dress shirt with a navy blue suit vest and a tie in a lighter shade of blue. He stood in front of a cauldron that had a large blue fire burning in it. The fire was projecting a live image of an earth pony stallion. Their face was completely concealed by a hood.
"Tell me, do you have anything of worth to report?" Asked the hooded stallion.
"Of course." The unicorn stallion used his magic to grab a crate from a few feet away from him. He pulled out various weapons from inside the crate including rifles, pikes, and explosives. "As you can see we have stolen and created enough vibranium weapons to arm an entire army. And we have much more in development."
"Hmm, perhaps I wasn't specific. What I meant to ask was is the SUPER-WEAPON done yet?!"
"Yes, it is. I've had my best men building on it in secret for the past few weeks. I assure you it will be done by early morning. In fact, feel free to call back in a few hours, and I will give you a demonstration."
"Very well, I will see this super-weapon in action. But know this: if this weapon of yours proves to be nothing more than a waste of my time, you will lose more than your payment."
As soon as the fire burned out, ending the call, a voice yelled-
"KLAW!"
Behind the stallion known as Klaw, a zebra stallion about twice his size appeared. He was wearing the hide of a white gorilla, covering all of his body apart from his face. From their hiding spot, Celestia was surprised at the sight of him while T'Chaka scowled.
"That is a large stallion," Said Celestia quietly.
"That stallion is M'Baku, leader of the White Gorilla Cult," Said T'Chaka.
"What about the unicorn he's talking too? Do you know him?"
"He is a new arrival in Wakanda."
"He must be the leader that we were informed about."
CRACK!
M'Baku smashed his hoof into the ground angrily. This didn't faze Klaw.
"You promised me, Klaw, that I would have a chance to face T'Chaka when you hired me for muscle. For your sake, he better show up."
To get his point across, M'Baku pushed on Klaw's chest lightly, almost knocking him over.
"You will get your chance soon, M'Baku. Nothing stays undetected in the Black Panther's country for long. He will show up soon, and then you can face him, and take the throne for yourself," Assured Klaw.
"Fine then, at least the super-weapon will draw his attention at some point."
"Oh, trust me, M'Baku, everyone's gonna notice it. This will be the most powerful weapon in history, and once I sell it and other vibranium weapons to our buyer, I will be set for life!"
"We need to act, now! T'Chaka?"
Celestia saw that T'Chaka disappeared. She looked around, and found him hiding behind a stack of crates close to M'Baku and Klaw. In a matter of two seconds, he pounced from his hiding spot, grabbed M'Baku by the shoulders, and flung him into some equipment several feet away by flipping over him. Klaw slow clapped at T'Chaka.
"Marvelous, absolutely marvelous! I expected nothing greater from the famous Black Panther," Said Klaw.
"Enough of the pleasantries, who are you?" Asked T'Chaka impatiently.
"Oh, where are my manners? The King of Wakanda makes time in his extremely busy schedule to see me, and I haven't even introduced myself! My name's Ulysses Klaw, but you can just call me Klaw."
Princess Celestia decided to come out from her hiding spot, and stood next to T'Chaka.
"We learned that you are building a super-weapon. What exactly are you building with the nation's vibranium?" Asked Celestia.
"Princess Celestia?! You're here as well?! If I knew I was gonna be graced with the company of TWO monarchs, I would have brought more drinks! I'm afraid that I can't disclose what I'm building just yet. Trust me, it will be a game-changer," Said Klaw.
"You are trespassing in Wakanda. I will only give you one chance to leave and never return. Otherwise you shall face the wrath of the Black Panther," Warned T'Chaka.
"I'm afraid not, King T'Chaka. I have a buyer who's waiting for the super-weapon to be finished, so I'm gonna have to have my enforcer and acquaintance of yours to escort you and the Princess out. M'Baku!"
At the call of his name, M'Baku leapt several feet from where he was tossed, and smacked T'Chaka an equal amount of feet away. He stood on his hind legs, easily towering over Celestia. He looked down at her with a wicked grin.
"I have faced many of Wakanda's and the world's greatest warriors, but I have never had the chance to face against someone of your might, Princess. I've got to say, I thought you would be taller."
M'Baku prepared to deliver a punch to Celestia's face when he felt something grab his hoof. He looked down and saw T'Chaka holding it back. The king then delivered an uppercut, and sent him flying back a few feet.
"Leave her out of this. It's just you and me, M'Baku," Said T'Chaka.
Getting up, M'Baku rose onto his hind legs yet again. He brought his hooves up, and beat them rapidly against his chest like a gorilla while bellowing a mighty roar. He then charged at T'Chaka, and brought both of his hooves down to strike. T'Chaka moved back to avoid the attack, then pushed him away from Princess Celestia. Armed guards pulled out their rifles, and shot at both him and Celestia. Amidst the battle, Klaw grabbed another crate and opened it. Inside were bottles of wine and wine glasses. He casually grabbed a bottle of wine and poured some of the dark red drink into a glass. He took a sip of the drink, sighing out of satisfaction.
Three armed men fired a barrage of gunfire towards Celestia. She cast a spell to summon a force field around her to protect her from the gunfire. She then destroyed the shield, forming a circular burst of energy. It hit the armed men, causing them to fly across the mine. A lone pony sneaked up on her and tried to shoot her, but the rifle was enveloped in a golden aura. It floated out of his grasp, then smacked him in the face, knocking him out. The source of the aura originated from Celestia's horn, which radiated in the golden aura. The magic from her horn faded away, and she had a smug look on her face.
Meanwhile, T'Chaka and M'Baku were duking it out with each other. T'Chaka threw multiple kicks and punches at M'Baku, but all the attacks were blocked with the latter's large, muscular forelegs. M'Baku swung his right foreleg into T'Chaka's side, launching him a few feet. He then leapt towards his adversary, and slammed his fists into him. His attack was followed with a few punches. With each strike, the Panther Habit was glowing purple. M'Baku grabbed T'Chaka by the neck with one arm, and brought him to his face.
"You are unfit to rule Wakanda, T'Chaka; I am better fit to rule. Don't worry, I will make sure your legacy lives on after I give you a warrior's death," Said M'Baku.
"And I'll make sure you are not forgotten after I kick your ass."
T'Chaka grabbed M'Baku's hoof, and managed to unwrap it from around his neck. Landing onto the ground, he ran up to his adversary, and nearly avoided a wild swing from his adversary's arm. He then formed a fist with his right hoof, and delivered a punch square into his opponents face.
VWOOM!
THUD!
With the single punch, a burst of kinetic energy was formed. M'Baku was launched high up, and landed on the vibranium ore encrusted wall of the mine. He slid down slowly a few feet, then fell face first onto the ground. From his position, Klaw had a perfect view of the beatdown. He reluctantly set his drink down, and grabbed another crate. He searched the crates contents, pulling out various hoof-held weapons. This didn't go unnoticed by T'Chaka, who ran straight towards him.
"Klaw!" Bellowed T'Chaka.
After some searching, Klaw found what he was looking for. He pulled out a device that looked like a bowl with an antenna sticking out of it. He held it in his right hoof, and faced T'Chaka. As the Black Panther was going to swipe at him with his anti-metal claws, Klaw aimed the device at him.
VWOOM!
"Gugh!"
The device generated a powerful burst of concussive force, launching T'Chaka back. He was just able to land on his hooves. It was clear that he had taken a major hit.
"I like this!" Said Klaw happily.
Princess Celestia enveloped Klaw in a golden aura, binding him with the use of magic. Confident that he has been subdued, she walked towards him.
"Your time is up, Klaw. You will be escorted by us to the proper authorities, and will face punishment for your crimes. You better pray that the King will show mercy towards you after trespassing and stealing from his nation," Said Celestia.
"(Chuckles) If anyone should pray for mercy, it should be you and T'Chaka!"
SCREE!
"Gagh!"
The device in Klaw's hoof emitted a high-volume sonic wave. Princess Celestia covered her ears in reaction to the horrid noise, losing her focus on her magic. Freed from his bindings, Klaw aimed the device at her, concentrating the sonic wave in her direction.
"How do you like my invention? I call it the Sonic Disruptor. This baby can project sonic waves in various frequencies, create blasts of concussive force, and turn sound waves into physical mass. I needed vibranium to make it work, which is why I had my men steal as much of it as we can get our hooves on. Of course we also need it for the super-weapon as well," Explained Klaw.
With each step he took, the sonic wave grew louder. The pain Celestia was experiencing was excruciating. Her eardrums felt like they were going to burst at any moment.
"Look on the bright side, you got a private demonstration of my life's work."
The Sonic Disruptor was preparing to fire a burst of concussive force, a purple light pulsing from the front.
VWOOM!
"Ahh!"
"T'Chaka!"
Before the concussive force could make contact with Celestia, T'Chaka jumped out in front of her. His body shielded her from the hit. He was flung several feet back, and made contact with a wall. He fell on his haunches, his body shaking. He tried to get up, but a large hoof grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him up off the ground. The owner of the hoof, M'Baku, pummeled T'Chaka with heavy punches. Face, torso, even limbs were in the crossfire of M'Baku's rage. The sounds of T'Chaka being beaten filled the mine. Celestia tried to get up to help him, but Klaw used the Sonic Disruptor to create a sonic wave to deafen her. She could only watch as T'Chaka was being beaten to death.
Eventually, M'Baku ceased his attacks on the Wakandan King, and Klaw stopped his attack on Celestia. The leader of the White Gorilla Cult tossed the Black Panther next to Celestia. Every inch of his body was battered, he almost appeared lifeless.
"We should leave. We have an important meeting very soon," Said Klaw.
"What about them?" M'Baku looked at the beaten princess and king. "We should kill them, now."
"And we will. Look at them, two of the world's greatest hero's, and all that it took to beat them were punches and a lone weapon. Their humiliating defeat deserves to be forgotten, buried among Wakanda's other secrets."
VWOOM!
Klaw aimed his Sonic Disruptor towards the roof of the mine, and fired a single blast of concussive force. Dust descended from the ceiling, and shards of vibranium fell with it. Klaw and M'Baku made their way through the main exit, leaving the monarchs to their fate. Princess Celestia was struggling to get up. Her legs felt like they would give out on her, and her ears were ringing from repeated exposure to the sonic waves. She managed to get her bearings, and looked towards T'Chaka. She used her magic to lift him up, and wrapped his left foreleg over her back.
"Can you walk?" Asked Celestia.
"I will manage," Replied T'Chaka.
Both of them walked over to the exit, chunks of vibranium ore raining from above. Just as they were about to reach the exit, a large chunk of vibranium ore fell towards them. Reacting quickly, Celestia moved them out of the way just in time. The vibranium fell in front of the exit, leaving them trapped inside.
"Teleport us out!" Ordered T'Chaka.
Concentrating more magic in her horn, she and T'Chaka were surrounded in a golden aura. In the blink of an eye, they teleported. A few seconds later, they teleported right outside the Great Mound. It was a rather rough teleportation. They both landed on their sides. Getting up, Celestia brought T'Chaka back up, and wrapped his foreleg around her back.
"How hurt are you?" Asked Celestia out of concern.
"Nothing that the professionals can't fix," Answered T'Chaka.
"Maybe we should take that helmet off your head. Who knows what injures you sustained in that region."
With a nod of his head, T'Chaka pressed on the toothed necklace of the Panther Habit. The helmet retracted into the necklace, revealing his face. He had a single black eye, his lip was slightly swollen, and there were multiple gashes across his face.
"Let's get you patched up," Said Celestia.
With a slow and steady gait, Princess Celestia and T'Chaka made their way to Birnin Zana.
In the present day, T'Challa was pacing around the throne room. A look of anger was visible on his face.
"That impuku, Klaw! Even during my father's reign he was a nuisance to Wakanda! I can't believe that he and M'Baku almost killed you and my father all those years ago,"
T'Challa was visibly trembling, his hoof clutched into a fist and his teeth grinding against each other.
"Do you want to talk, T'Challa? I can tell that my tale has brought certain emotions to light," Said Celestia.
"... (Sigh) Klaw has brought nothing but pain and misery to me and my people. He committed many crimes over the years, but his most atrocious act was the murder of my father. Hearing you speak of how he left you and my father to die brought back memories I would rather forget," Said T'Challa.
"I can't imagine what you have been through, and at a young age no less," Said Celestia.
"The worst part about it all was I was there when Klaw killed him. I was fourteen years old when it happened. I attended a meeting between Farasi and Wakanda with my father as part of my royal studies. Little did we know, there were some uninvited guests. Klaw and some of his men cut through all of security with his Sonic Disruptor and stolen vibranium weapons. Once they got into the room the meeting was held in, he entered first. He walked up right to my father, and, instead of his Sonic Disruptor, he pulled out a gun. That gun had only one bullet in it... and he SAVED IT for my father! He looked my father right in the eye, and he said four words that I will never forget. 'Long live the king.' After that, he pulled the trigger, and my father was struck down by a bullet to the chest."
"His men then came in and rained gunfire throughout the entire room. That was also when he used his Sonic Disruptor. He was going to use it on me and my mother. Thankfully, little Shuri was home under the care of royal sitters at the time, but my mother's life was in peril. Due to a combination of anger and grief, I tackled Klaw to the ground. I managed to grab his Sonic Disruptor before he shook me off. I then used his own weapon against him, maiming his right hoof with one blast. He and his men retreated after that, and my mother and I were left with my father's lifeless body."
"Ever since that day, I have wanted time and time again to end Klaw's life. To finish off the rest of him. But I haven't killed him because it wouldn't change anything. He might be gone, but it wouldn't bring back my father, or undo all of his misdeeds. He will pay for his crimes by wasting what remains of his lifespan in a cell."
"It's been hard enough to live without my father in my life for these past few years, but, in my opinion, it was better to have known him than to never have known him and still lose him." T'Challa walked up to Princess Celestia, looking better now that he had talked about his troubles. "So for that, I thank you for saving his life back then, so I could've gotten to know him."
T'Challa in a split second embraced Princess Celestia in a hug. Surprised at first, a warm smile found its way onto her face, and she returned the hug.
"I'm glad you got to know him, so you could cherish him," Said Celestia.
"Let's continue the story before we get sidetracked again," Said T'Challa.
With a nod of her head in agreement, Princess Celestia proceeded to continue her tale.
Princess Celestia was sitting patiently on a bench in a hallway. After their battle with Klaw and M'Baku, she helped T'Chaka walk back to Birnin Zana. Shortly after they arrived, they were escorted to a medical facility, so T'Chaka could have his injuries tended too. Unfortunately, not much information was disclosed to her about the facility she was currently in. She had been waiting for awhile now, waiting for any news on T'Chaka's condition. To her relief, a door opened next to where she was sitting, revealing a physician.
"How is he?" Asked Celestia.
"Based off of what we could observe, King T'Chaka only had a couple broken bones and some bruises. The only reason he had trouble standing seemed to be from being beaten senseless by M'Baku and this Klaw character," Answered the physician.
"Wait, you said he 'had' broken bones? As in past tense?"
"Yes. I can't disclose the details, but his bones were healed thanks to the combination of the King's empowered abilities and nanotechnology. He just needs to rest and he will be back to perfect health."
A holographic image appeared from a kimoyo bead on a bracelet the physician was wearing. He briefly looked at it before swiping it away.
"I'll have to head out, I'm needed elsewhere."
The physician walked down the hallway, leaving Princess Celestia all by herself. The sound of the door creaking open caught her attention. Standing in the doorway was King T'Chaka. Less than an hour ago, he was nearly beaten to a pulp, but now he looked completely healed. Even his eye and lip were healed.
"Wakandans have made incredible technological advancements. In medical research alone, they made technology that can heal people at a much faster rate than anything else. Their tech could help so many people, but they keep it to themselves", Thought Celestia.
"Ah-Ahem."
Princess Celestia looked in King T'Chaka's direction, realizing he was getting her attention.
"Is something on your mind?" Asked T'Chaka.
"I'm just surprised at how quickly you healed. It takes the average person much longer to recover," Said Celestia.
The sound of hoofsteps echoed in the hallway. Both monarchs looked down the hall, and found Queen Ramonda, galloping towards their direction. She and T'Chaka embraced each other in a hug, a look of relief was on her face.
"Thank Bast you are alright!" Said Ramonda.
"It was nothing I couldn't walk away from," Said T'Chaka.
"What you did was reckless! You faced both M'Baku and this Ulysses Klaw by yourself! I'm willing to bet you didn't let the Princess help you, aside from a few weaker links."
"I've beaten M'Baku before, and I will most definitely beat him again. Klaw just caught me by surprise with his Sonic Disruptor. I will be prepared next time I face them."
"You should be resting, not going out to fight! Let the Dora Milaje take care of them."
"I'm not going to let them risk their lives. The Black Panther has been Wakanda's protector since the nation was founded, and I plan on acting on that duty."
"Protecting Wakanda is part of the Dora Milaje's JOB! You should be letting them take over until you fully recover!"
T'Chaka rolled his eyes out of annoyance, which did not go unnoticed by his wife.
"King T'Chaka, I swear as long as I draw breath I am not gonna let you set hoof outside Birnin Zana! And if you do, Bast give me the strength to not have you tied up to your throne!"
At this point, Ramonda's concern for her husband got to the point that she was upset with him for even thinking about going out to face Klaw and M'Baku. However, a saddened look appeared on her face.
"I'm sorry, I know it's your duty to keep our nation safe. If you do decide to go find them, I won't stop you, but I'm... afraid," Said Ramonda.
"Afraid of what?" Asked T'Chaka.
"I'm afraid you will be killed by those men. Until now, I believed you were invincible, but after hearing what happened, I assumed the worst would happen if you went to fight them again. I don't want you to leave us so soon."
A single tear slid down Ramonda's face. T'Chaka put a comforting foreleg around her.
"I'm not leaving yet. I will be here when the day comes, and we and all of Wakanda will celebrate. I won't promise anything, but I will assure you that I will come home."
T'Chaka pulled Ramonda close to him, and embraced her comfortingly. He laid his hoof on her abdomen, a small smile finding its way on her face. They separated from each other, and looked at each other lovingly.
"Well then, I guess I will leave you two to get prepared," Said Ramonda.
"Yes, but first... " T'Chaka turned towards Princess Celestia, his expression turned to one of seriousness. "You and I need to talk, alone."
He gestured for the Princess to enter the room, to which she complied. As soon as she entered the room, she closed the door behind her.
"Is everything alright, T'Chaka?" Asked Celestia.
"I'm going to cut to the chase: I'm going to have you escorted back to Equestria," Said T'Chaka.
"What?! Why?! Is this about Wakanda's secrets? I vowed to never speak of anything I see here like you asked. Although, from what I have seen in the short amount of time I've been here, your country could help so many people. Wakanda's made grand strides in medical, communication, and architecture technology to name a few. If you were to just trust other nations, people would benefit from everything you and your subjects have created," Said Celestia.
"As far as I am concerned, whenever Wakandan technology is in the hands of outsiders, there is only destruction and woe. It's because of men like Klaw why Wakanda is isolated from the rest of the world in the first place."
"Not everyone has the best intentions, but there are plenty of good people in this world. You shouldn't let the bad eggs stop you from helping others."
"What I do with my nation's technology is not of your concern. That's not why I'm sending you back, though. You're heading back to Equestria because I'm not going to risk you getting hurt."
"I'm fully capable of taking care of myself."
"Based off of what happened an hour ago, I would say you're safer with the E.U.P Guard."
"But you could get killed if you face them alone! You were almost killed earlier!"
"Something that wouldn't have happened if you weren't cocky when subduing Klaw with your magic. If I hadn't taken the blow for you, you probably wouldn't be standing here right now. The first blow was on me, but the second one has you written all over it. It would be better if you went home. Klaw and M'Baku are my problem, and my problem alone. I will face them myself."
"It will take both of us to beat them. You need-"
"What I NEED is for you to leave and never return! There's too much at stake for me to have to watch over royalty!" T'Chaka was irritated, but he quickly calmed down. "Return to the stealth ship, and I will have someone pilot you back to Canterlot."
T'Chaka walked by her without so much as a passing glance. He opened the door and was about to leave.
"You're expecting, aren't you?"
T'Chaka stopped in the doorway, and looked back at the Princess.
"Ramonda is pregnant, isn't she?" Asked Celestia.
"... How did you know?" Asked T'Chaka in reply.
"I could tell because both times we encountered her, you placed a hoof on her abdomen. And the way you touched it, you were gentle and affectionate. That's why you're determined to beat Klaw and M'Baku. Your goal has expanded beyond just protecting your kingdom, you're also protecting your unborn child."
"... We found out about her pregnancy a couple weeks ago. Ever since then, I have raised security in my nation. I want to make sure that when my heir is born, they will be born in safety. When I learned that vibranium weapons were being smuggled out of the country, I took it upon myself to find those responsible and apprehend them. Now that the situation has evolved from weapons smuggling to super-weapon production within my borders, I had to stop them at all costs."
"Yes, I understand now why you'll risk your own life to fight them. You'll do it if it means your child will be safe."
"Then you understand why you must leave. I can't risk losing my country or my child."
"Then we need to team up. There's too much at stake to risk fighting them alone."
"You're right, there is too much at stake. That's why you need to go home."
"I understand what you're going through, T'Chaka. You're afraid of losing everyone you cherish. Trust me, you'll need my help to-"
"As if you know what its like to fear losing those closest to you! Equestria has been through an era of peace for close to a thousand years now, and the only threats you had to deal with were easily dispatched with the help of the Elements of Harmony. So, as far as I'm concerned, you have never had to fear losing someone."
With that one comment, Princess Celestia's normally patient demeanor was replaced with anger.
"Actually, T'Chaka, I do know what it means to fear losing those closest to me! In fact, I know what it means to FAIL protecting your loved ones! Exhibit A!"
Directing his attention towards a lone window, Princess Celestia pointed towards the full Moon. It glowed faintly in the night sky, the face of an alicorn covering its cratered surface.
"She may not be dead, but I DID lose my sister, Luna! One thousand years ago, I failed to save my sister from herself. I failed to notice that she was envious towards me, envious that the citizens of Equestria praised the Sun and shunned the Moon. That envy turned into bitterness, then hatred. Once she gave in to her emotions, I lost her; she became Nightmare Moon. I tried to save her, but she couldn't be reasoned with. I was left with no choice but to BANISH her! For the past millennia, she's been trapped on the Moon, and I put her there! I... I've had to live with that for all of these years... If I had been a better sister and realized early on how she was feeling, things could've turned out differently. I could've had my sister..."
Burning tears ran down Celestia's face. She glanced at the Moon, only to look away while choking on a sob.
"My loss is different than what you are fearing, but I know what it means to lose someone. If we work together, we can ensure that your fears never come to pass. I can only help you if you'll allow me too."
Silence filled the room. T'Chaka was deep in thought, hoof on his chin and his eyes closed, while Celestia looked at him with pleading eyes. Pressing a hoof onto his toothed necklace, the Panther Habit's helmet covered his head and face. With a sigh of defeat, Celestia made her way towards the exit. She felt something firm placed upon her shoulder, and saw that it was T'Chaka's hoof.
"I'm sorry about what I said. I was wrong to believe that you never experienced loss, fearing it no less. You're right, I have a better chance at succeeding with aid than going in alone. I want you to fight by my side, to protect Wakanda and potentially other nations. I hope you will still help me in spite of my behavior," Said T'Chaka.
Celestia looked at him, then nodded her head. She reached out her hoof towards the King, and he grabbed it with his. They both shook hooves, sealing their allegiance.
"Let's go stop those miscreants," Said Celestia.
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed observatory in the jungles of Wakanda, Ulysses Klaw and M'Baku were looking at a lone cauldron. The latter was holding a potion that made noise similar to a ringing cellphone. He looked at his partner, who nodded his head. Grabbing the cork with his teeth, he removed it from the bottle, and poured the potion into the cauldron. A blue fire roared to life, and the cloaked stallion appeared.
"Klaw, have you finished my super weapon?" Asked the stallion.
"Yes, ole great and powerful one. And, as promised, I will give you a demonstration of its raw power."
Klaw gestured the stallion's attention towards the center of the observatory. The floor opened up, and a large machine rose towards the sky. The roof opened up, allowing the machine to climb up towards the sky. Upon closer examination, it looked like Klaw's Sonic Disruptor, just on a much larger scale.
"What exactly am I looking at?" Asked the stallion.
"This little beauty is one of my Sonic Disruptors. At this scale, it can create bursts of concussive force so powerful, that it can level entire cities. Allow me to demonstrate."
Klaw punched in coordinates to a device on his wrist. The large Sonic Disruptor aimed towards a section of rainforest about one hundred yards away. A purple light pulsed from the front, then fired.
VWOOM!
A blast of concussive force flew towards the rainforest, and created a powerful explosion. A cloud of dirt formed a blanket over the area, lush giant trees were uprooted and toppled over or blown to splinters, and the sounds of frightened tropical birds could be heard in the distance. Klaw looked back at the stallion with a satisfied smile on his face.
"That is only a fraction of the power this weapon has. Imagine what only a few of these Sonic Disruptors can do for you and your organization," Said Klaw.
"Hmm... Yes, this would most certainly help with my cause. Very well, Klaw, have that weapon and its blueprints ready in a week, and I will pay you handsomely for your efforts," Said the stallion.
On that note, the fire died out, ending the transmission.
"Yes! Soon, my Sonic Disruptors will leave a mark in history, and I will be paid enough to last me for life! Who can stop me now?!" Asked Klaw rhetorically.
Five minutes earlier, in Birnin Zana...
Princess Celestia and T'Chaka were outside the medical facility. They were walking towards the northern end of the city.
"I wouldn't be surprised if during my recovery, Klaw and M'Baku used the time to work on the super-weapon. Hopefully, with the collapse of the mine, their progress has been slowed down. We should find where they are hiding out, and put a stop to them before they can finish," Said T'Chaka.
"I concur. The question is, where are they hiding out?" Asked Celestia.
VWOOM!
The monarchs along with civilians travelling through the streets stopped in their tracks when they heard an explosion in the distance. Towards the north end of the city, the explosion generated by the Sonic Disruptor could be seen destroying a large chunk of rainforest. The civilians were stricken with panic, while Princess Celestia and T'Chaka remained calm.
"Something tells me they have already completed the super weapon," Said Celestia.
"There's an abandoned observatory over in the vicinity of the explosion. I'm willing to bet that's where they're hiding out," Said T'Chaka.
"How quickly can we get there?"
"I can give you the coordinates, so you can teleport us there."
One minute later...
A golden light flashed in the jungle, fading away to reveal Princess Celestia and T'Chaka. The latter directed the former's attention towards a very large clearing ahead of them. The observatory where Klaw and M'Baku were hiding out loomed over the landscape. The King of Wakanda walked up towards two large metal doors, and pushed them over with a loud creaking sound. Entering the observatory, the hallways and other rooms were coated in dust and grime from a long period of abandonment. After walking down an extensive hallway, they eventually entered what used to have been the telescope room. Klaw was punching in new coordinates to the device on his wrist, his back facing the royals. They quietly walked towards him, getting ready to strike.
"(Chuckle) I know you two are right behind me. I have been planning for your return,"
Celestia's horn lit up while T'Chaka protracted his anti-metal claws. They were both about to attack when Klaw faced them with his hoof close to the device.
"Don't take another step, or else Birnin Zana will become a crater," Said Klaw.
Both heroes stopped in their tracks, halting their attacks.
"How did you know we survived the mine collapsing?" Asked Celestia.
"You two are the mighty rulers of your respectful nations. If I wanted you two to die, I would have done what M'Baku suggested and finish you off instead of leaving you at the mercy of the mine."
From behind Klaw, M'Baku stepped out of the shadows, looking down on them.
"I'm glad that you showed up. Now that I have created my greatest creation and will be paid handsomely for it, I have to fulfill my end of the bargain with M'Baku here. So, T'Chaka, what will it be? Give up your title as ruler of Wakanda, or watch your beloved capital crumble?" Asked Klaw.
"I thought you relished combat, M'Baku. Why would you stoop so low as to rely on technology to fulfill your desires?" Asked T'Chaka.
"Oh, I will still face you in battle, T'Chaka. I just want to have an insurance policy in place should you not be cooperative," Answered M'Baku.
"If you had any sense of morality, you would not put innocent people in harm's way to get what you want. Should you somehow become ruler of Wakanda, how would the citizens of Wakanda feel if they learned that you endangered their lives?" Asked Celestia.
"I do not care what they will think. No matter the outcome, the people of Wakanda will not openly accept me as their ruler. It will just have to come with time. I grow tired of this. T'Chaka, give up your title as king, or Birnin Zana will be destroyed."
Secretly, T'Chaka reached behind his back, and grabbed an energy dagger.
"I will not turn over my title by such savage methods. If you were a true warrior, M'Baku, you would face me in combat, and earn my title with honor," Said T'Chaka.
"Grr! Destroy Birnin Zana!" Ordered M'Baku.
Klaw was about to press a button on the device on his wrist when his right foreleg was surrounded by a golden aura. He unwillingly moved his foreleg up and to the side. The aura came from Princess Celestia's horn.
"Now!" Cried Celestia.
SHING!
In under a second, T'Chaka threw the energy dagger at the device, destroying it with one slice. Klaw was enraged. He reached for his handheld Sonic Disruptor attached to his side.
"I will operate the Sonic Disruptor myself! Keep them occupied!"
Klaw ran towards the much larger model of his Sonic Disruptor, and climbed up a ladder built into it. Both Princess Celestia and T'Chaka were about to follow him when M'Baku stood in their way.
"Go after Klaw, I will deal with him," Said Celestia.
"Are you sure you want to face him?" Asked T'Chaka.
"Yes, now go stop Klaw."
With a nod, T'Chaka ran towards M'Baku. As a hoof was swung down towards him, he intercepted the hoof and swung over the brute. He leapt onto the giant Sonic Disruptor, and climbed after Klaw.
"Come back here, you coward!" Said M'Baku angrily.
"He's preoccupied with saving his nation, so you're left with me instead," Said Celestia.
"Hmm... T'Chaka, the mighty Black Panther, must have a lot of faith in you if he will allow you to face me."
"I'm no stranger to combat. I can take you on."
"Ha! I will prove to T'Chaka that his faith in you was misguided, and that I am better fit as ruler of Wakanda."
M'Baku stood up on his hind legs, and beat his chest with his hooves while bellowing a ferocious roar. Princess Celestia did not have enough time to react, as M'Baku plowed into her with the side of his body. She lit up her horn to prepare an attack, but her opponent grabbed her by the horn, and slammed her face into the ground. He then tossed her like a rag doll across the room. He jumped towards her, and brought both of his hooves together in preparation to strike. She quickly got up off the ground, and summoned a shield around herself, deflecting the attack.
This didn't deter M'Baku for long. He grabbed onto a concrete pillar, and removed a large portion of it. He then tossed it towards Celestia. She teleported out of the way, nearly avoiding the chunk of pillar. Her horn glowed with magical energy, and a beam of magic was cast at M'Baku. He took the full attack, only stumbling back a couple feet. With a mighty roar, he leapt towards the Princess. Meanwhile, T'Chaka was in hot pursuit of Klaw. With his enhanced speed, he was able to catch up to his adversary. Before he could strike, however, Klaw aimed his Sonic Disruptor at the king, and created a high-volume sonic wave. T'Chaka was overwhelmed by the noise, giving Klaw a chance to put some distance between them. T'Chaka leapt at Klaw, protracting his anti-metal claws. Klaw used his Sonic Disruptor to create a shield made of a sound construct, blocking the attack. He then fired a burst of concussive force, but T'Chaka dodged it. He retaliated with a punch to Klaw's face.
Back with Princess Celestia, M'Baku landed in front of her, and delivered an uppercut to the jaw. As she was flung into the air, he grabbed her by the hind legs, and slammed her into the ground. Not giving her a second to breathe, M'Baku loomed over her, and punched her in the face. Then again, and again, and again. In an attempt to get out of her beatdown, Celestia managed to kick him back. Upon getting up, her face revealed a couple bruises, and the smallest trace of blood could be seen from the corner of her mouth. She rushed towards him, and whipped herself around and stood on her forelegs. She stretched her hind legs out behind her, and kicked him in the chest. Standing on her hind legs, she followed her attack with a few of her own punches. M'Baku growled in anger, and grabbed her hoof. He then grabbed her by the neck, and pinned her to a wall. She lit up her horn to attack, but he grabbed her horn with his free hoof, and squeezed on it.
"Gahhh!"
The pressure brought agonizing pain to her, threatening to snap her horn. He also tightened his grip on her neck, slowly suffocating her.
"You may be a Princess, but you are no warrior. You have faced only bumbling idiots for tyrants, and Equestria has had such a long period of peace that you have allowed any combat experience to wither away. You will die here, and I will be the ruler of both Wakanda and Equestria."
M'Baku tightened his grip on both of his hooves, and Celestia's face was now turning blue. She struggled as she raised both of her front hooves, trembling with pain. She grabbed onto his hoof gripping her horn, and tried to pry it off. His hoof wouldn't budge, and she was starting to lose consciousness. Determined to not give up, she gathered all of her physical strength. Slowly, M'Baku was losing his grip, and she was prying his hoof off of her horn. Shocked that she was surpassing his strength, he tried to tighten his grip, but to no avail.
"How are you doing this?!" Asked M'Baku out of disbelief.
"Not just a pretty face, am I?"
Celestia pried his hoof off her horn, and she charged up a magical attack. She cast a strong beam of magic, and M'Baku was flung back several feet. Getting up painfully, he was preparing to attack when she flew at him. She tackled him, and tossed him into the air. She cast a beam of magic to strike him down to the ground. As she flew down towards him, he tried to punch her. She swiftly dodged out of the way, and punched him in the face with a hoof. He swung a couple more punches in her direction, but they too were dodged. She punched him a few more times, then flew off and back around. M'Baku galloped towards her direction, readying an attack of his own. Once they were close enough, they brought their hooves back, and punched each other once in the face.
Now, several feet away and their backs facing each other, both combatants breathed heavily. Both of them had taken serious blows, it would only be a matter of seconds when one of them would fall, and the other to emerge victorious. After twenty seconds, M'Baku dropped onto his knees, then fell over onto his side. He was beaten by Princess Celestia. She walked over to him, then looked at M'Baku's unconscious form.
"You know, M'Baku, when I first saw you, I thought you were taller than you actually are," Said Celestia.
SCREE!
"Gah!"
Looking up, Princess Celestia saw Klaw directing a high-volume sonic wave at T'Chaka. The king was overwhelmed by the deafening sound, covering one of his ears with one hoof and desperately holding on to the super-weapon with the other hoof. Klaw climbed up to the top, and sat in a seat built into the giant Sonic Disruptor. He pressed some buttons on a control panel in front of him, and the Sonic Disruptor aimed towards Birnin Zana.
"Say goodbye to your precious kingdom, King T'Chaka!"
Before he could fire his weapon, Klaw noticed a shadow loom over him. Looking up, he found Princess Celestia flying over him. She grabbed him with her telekinesis, and pulled him out of his seat. She levitated him back down to the ground, rather than toss him from a large height. She and T'Chaka dropped back down to face their remaining adversary.
"Grr! You will both die for your insolence!"
VWOOM!
Klaw fired a burst of concussive force at the heroes, launching them back.
"We need to separate him from his Sonic Disruptor. Without it he's just a stallion," Said T'Chaka.
"Then I will just take it from him."
Princess Celestia grabbed the Sonic Disruptor, and tried to take it from Klaw. He managed to hang on to it, and fired off another burst of concussive force, knocking them back again.
"Okay, trying to forcefully remove his Sonic Disruptor is a dangerous idea," Said Celestia.
"If only we could neutralize his weapon," Said T'Chaka.
Thinking about what T'Chaka said, an idea came to Princess Celestia.
"I think I know how we can stop him. What if we were to use his super-weapon, and play the opposite frequency of his attacks?" Suggested Celestia.
"... That might work! Distract him while I activate the weapon."
T'Chaka ran towards the giant Sonic Disruptor, and climbed up its side. Klaw was going to fire at him when he was tackled by Princess Celestia. He fired bursts of concussive force at her, but she dodged out of the way and cast a beam of magic towards him. He dodged out of the way, and fired another burst of concussive force. She nearly dodged out of the way, and kicked him back. He aimed towards the ground, and used a burst of concussive force to launch himself into the air. Not anticipating this move, this left Celestia vulnerable to attack. He hit her with a burst of concussive force, and, when he landed on the ground, directed a high-volume sonic wave towards her. She covered her ears, overwhelmed by the loud noise.
Meanwhile, T'Chaka had managed to climb up to the top of the giant Sonic Disruptor. He sat down in the seat, and gazed at the control panel in front of him. He only needed a few seconds to understand the controls. He turned some dials to adjust the frequency of the Sonic Disruptor's sound-based attacks. He then punched in a set of coordinates, and the Sonic Disruptor aimed towards the ground below. Klaw took notice of this.
"So, you think you can use my own weapon against me? You're forgetting who the Master of Sound is!"
SCREE!
Klaw aimed his hoof-held Sonic Disruptor towards the sky, and created a high-volume sonic wave that covered the entire area. Both T'Chaka and Princess Celestia were overwhelmed by the sound. The former only had seconds to act, or else he and Celestia could face permanent hearing loss or worse. He reached towards a large red button, resisting the urge to cover up his right ear. He pressed the button, and the giant Sonic Disruptor created a sonic wave. Due to creating sounds of opposite frequencies, both sonic waves cancelled each other out. Klaw was in a panic while the two sovereigns were recovering.
"No! I must adjust the frequency to my Sonic Disruptor before-"
BAM!
"Ahhh!"
Klaw was launched several feet back, dropping his Sonic Disruptor. T'Chaka turned off the giant Sonic Disruptor, and climbed back down swiftly. Getting back up, Klaw reached for his hand-held Sonic Disruptor. Unfortunately for him, Princess Celestia walked up to it, and stepped on it. The Sonic Disruptor was crushed to pieces. Both she and King T'Chaka looked at him with stern expressions.
"How is this possible? You two are nothing but sovereigns!" Said Klaw bitterly.
"We are more than just sovereigns, we are also the guardians of our countries. We are our nations first and last lines of defense. We trained our whole lives in order to protect the people that inhabit our nations. I may have been given my abilities by Bast, but my true strength comes from the desire to protect my subjects. And I know the same can be said about you, Celestia. So, you can bet that if anything threatens Wakanda or Equestria, we will do everything within our power to end it. And anyone foolish enough to challenge us such as yourself will face serious consequences for their actions," Said T'Chaka.
Growling in anger, Klaw rushed towards T'Chaka, and punched him in the torso. The area he struck glowed purple, and he was hit by a burst of kinetic energy. He was flung across the room, and landed hard on the ground. He laid there unconscious. Looking over their beaten adversary, both Princess Celestia and King T'Chaka looked at each other. The Princess smiled at the King. The helmet of the Panther Habit retracted, revealing T'Chaka's face, which had a smile, too.
Suddenly, they could hear a ringing sound coming from a potion. Giving T'Chaka a quick glance, she picked up the potion and poured its contents into the cauldron. A blue fire roared to life, revealing the cloaked stallion.
"It was a good thing I decided to call Klaw. I assume that he and M'Baku have been dealt with?" Asked the stallion.
"You must be the buyer Klaw referred to earlier," Said T'Chaka.
"You would be correct, King T'Chaka. If Klaw had succeeded in defeating you and sold me his weapon, I would have mass produced it and use it for my own plans. Thankfully, I had planned on his failure, so I will continue with playing the long game. I will wait until the right moment, then my followers and I will strike. We will bring the world to its knees, starting with Equestria as revenge for what you, Celestia, and your allies had done to me and my organization years ago."
"You speak as if we've been acquainted. Tell me, have we met before?" Asked Celestia.
"We have. You would know me from one of your old acquaintances, Captain Steve Rogers."
"Well then, do you mind giving us a name?"
The stallion lifted up his face slightly, revealing a red, bony chin. Their mouth could also be seen in the form of a wicked smile.
"No, I don't think I will do that. But I will leave you with this: You thought you got rid of us. That the world would no longer have to fear us, but you made one grave mistake. When one of us is beaten, two more take their place."
The fire died out, the image of the stallion fading away with it. The two royals were left with grim looks on their faces.
Two hours later...
After a long night, Princess Celestia raised the sun, beginning a new day. She, King T'Chaka, Queen Ramonda, and the Dora Milaje stood outside the palace grounds. The Dora Milaje stood in two organized lines opposite of each other, while the royals faced each other in front of the stealth ship.
"I want to thank you for assisting me in saving Wakanda. With M'Baku and Klaw behind bars, they shouldn't be able to harm anyone again for a long time," Said T'Chaka.
"Thank you, Princess Celestia. I think I can speak for my beloved when I say that we will rest much easier knowing our child will be born into a safer kingdom," Said Ramonda.
"Oh, there's no need to thank me. I'm just glad that I was able to help," Said Celestia.
"Your plan to create a sonic wave at the opposite frequency was genius. I find myself curious as to how you acquired your knowledge of acoustics?"
"(Chuckles) What can I say? When you've been alive for as long as I have, you learn a thing or two."
"Now, about our other friend. Do you have an idea of who he is?"
"When he mentioned I knew him from my association with Steve, it gave me an idea of who he is. I will have to do a little digging in the Canterlot Library to confirm my suspicions."
"Well then, we won't hold you up much longer. Thank you for your part in protecting Wakanda, and I hope that peace and harmony continues in Equestria under your reign."
Everyone but Princess Celestia stood on their hind legs, and crossed their forelegs over their chests. Celestia bowed towards the King and Queen of Wakanda.
"You can do it as well," Said T'Chaka.
"Yeah, we won't take offense," Added Ramonda.
"Oh... Okay. That's a relief."
Princess Celestia got up on her hind legs and crossed her forelegs over her chest. As soon as she finished, she walked over to the stealth ship, following behind a member of the Dora Milaje. The engines of the stealth ship roared to life, and it flew off towards Equestria. King T'Chaka and Queen Ramonda watched, sharing a smile with each other before making their way towards the palace.
"And that was how your father and I saved Wakanda and most likely the rest of the world."
Back in the present day, Princess Celestia finished telling her tale to King T'Challa.
"That was a riveting story," Said T'Challa.
"Has it helped answer your question?" Asked Celestia.
"Yes. Even though he told you not to tag along, that it was not your problem, you helped him anyway. You helped because you wanted to ensure the safety of not just Equestria, but Wakanda and every other nation as well. By showing your will to protect others, you gained my father's respect. I believe that is why he trusted you," Said T'Challa.
"I believe that you are correct. I'm glad that I got to fight alongside him," Said Celestia.
"That trust leads to another thing that I wanted to talk to you about. For generations, Wakanda has isolated itself from the rest of the world. We believed that if we opened our borders to other nations and shared our vibranium, our technology would be used to harm innocent people from both Wakanda and other nations. But after meeting many great heroes, warriors, and rulers such as yourself, I've decided that I don't want to hide Wakanda anymore. I want to be able to share my country's resources, and help those that could benefit from them."
"But, I don't want to completely open up Wakanda just yet. I want to start off small, by starting with an ally. Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria and raiser of the Sun, as King of Wakanda I propose an allegiance between our two nations. To share our nations' natural resources, knowledge, and cultures, so that Equestria and Wakanda's citizens will thrive. So, what do you say?"
T'Challa extended a hoof towards Princess Celestia. She looked at him then his hoof. A smile found its way onto her face, and she grabbed his hoof. Both sovereigns shook hooves.
"Thank you for deciding to align with Equestria," Said Celestia.
"Of course. I wanted to form an allegiance with a powerful but amiable ruler. And the fact that my father trusted you confirms that you are the right pony to partner with," Said T'Challa.
"My liege."
A member of the Dora Milaje walked up to T'Challa, and whispered something into his ear.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to head back home. It seems that one of the "miscreants" that you spoke of, Klaw, has been spotted entering Wakanda. I'm going to go take care of him. At some point I would like to discuss the details of our partnership," Said T'Chaka.
"Very well, I hope to speak to you soon," Said Celestia.
"Likewise. Goodbye, Princess Celestia."
As T'Challa was leaving, he crossed his arms over his chest. With a chuckle, Princess Celestia did the same. With the Dora Milaje behind him, T'Challa left the throne room, the doors closing behind him. Celestia looked towards the door with a warm smile.
"Your son has become a great king, T'Chaka. You must be very proud of him. With our allegiance, both Equestria and Wakanda are going to become even greater than they already are."
The End.
Author's Note
Hope you all enjoyed my newest story "Celestia and T'Chaka: Past Allegiance of Sovereigns"! As mentioned in the description, this story is a tribute to the incredibly talented Chadwick Boseman. His portrayal of King T'Challa (Black Panther) had more than just impacted the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther was also a cultural milestone for people of African descent. Boseman's passing on August 28, 2020 was a tragedy. After learning about his passing, I wanted to do something to honor his legacy. After entertaining the idea in my head for a couple weeks, I decided to dedicate the past two months to writing this story. I decided to feature both T'Challa and T'Chaka in the story because I wanted to highlight Princess Celestia's relationship with T'Chaka in the past and her current relationship with T'Challa. I would like to wrap this note up by saying here's to Chadwick Boseman and the legacy he created. Until next time, this has been ThePhantomArchives, and I hope you all have a wonderful day!
