「Crystal War Requiem」

In the Carriage, soaring through the skies

The Carriage ride until that point was relatively quiet. The mare sitting next to Giorno is still sitting at attention while looking as professional as possible. Giorno, however, was relaxed with one thigh over the other. He rested his elbow on the armrest on the edge of the seat while using the said arm to support his chin as he peered out the window, looking on at the scenery. It really was saddening to Giorno.

"This world looks so peaceful yet so barren. It must be due to the war she mentioned earlier. I have to talk to the princess about that. " Thinking, he turns his gaze to the stiff mare next to him for a brief moment before looking back out the window. Celestia had her eyes closed, her posture as regal as ever with her wings tucked neatly to her sides, one hand rested over the other on her lap, her legs sitting closed, and her physics breaking mane is still flowing gently in the still air.

Opening her eyes, she looked out the window. Seeing they were nowhere near their destination, she went back to closing her eyes, waiting for their arrival at their destination. All while this was happening, The ironclad mare sitting next to Giorno was sweating bullets underneath her armor.

She could not relax.

Moving her gaze from the princess to Giorno, she continues to think, marveling that this creature is so relaxed in the presence of The Princess. Any other normal pony would be as tense as herself, if not at least a bit uneasy. The ghost-quiet silence was broken when Giorno spoke up,

"So, how should I address your kind?" Celestia opened her eyes and turned her attention to Giorno, who fully turned his body to face her.

"I can't keep calling your kind 'hey' and 'you' am I right? it would be very ill-mannered of me." an easy smile appeared on Giorno's face, which in response Celestia gave one too.

"To answer your question, we are a race called Ponies, with it being split into three main groups, Earth Ponies, Pegasuses, and Unicorns.. "

"Interesting, back in my world, we have myths stating your existence back in the olden times. But the only difference being your kind not having hands and is quadrupedal. That said, I believe I did not get a fair chance to introduce myself," he placed a hand onto his open heart-shaped chest and continues,

"my name is Giorno Giovanna. It's a pleasure to meet you, princess, given the previous circumstances."

"The pleasure is all mine, Giorno Giovanna, and my name is Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria."

"If you wouldn't mind, could you explain to me these three groups of ponies? I'm very interested in the subject."

"I suppose it would be a good chance to pass the time until we reach Canterlot. As I have said before, the groups are separated into three groups. Seeing as how you have interacted with the Pegasuses the most, I'll start there. The Pegasuses are groups of ponies born with wings. They can use them for flight or act as a second pair of arms and hands. They are also able to alter weather conditions and walk on clouds naturally. Next is The Earth Ponies, these groups of ponies do not have any extra appendages like the Pegasuses or the unicorns, but they are the most physically strongest out of the three groups due to having magic running through their muscles, making them incredibly strong and resilient.
Furthermore, these groups of ponies have a magically ingrained connection to the earth that makes them better at working with plants and animals. Both of the groups that I have talked about have passive forms of magic. Now we have the Unicorns, a group that actively performs and modifies magic directly with their horns. Examples being casting spells, levitation, and teleportation." finishing her explanation, she looked at Giorno, who is deep in thought,

"I Apologise, but throughout your description of the pony groups, you have mentioned the term 'magic' on more than one occasion. Could you perhaps explain what this 'magic' is? And with all due respect, princess, but what are group are you from? You seem to have aspects from all three groups." nodding understandingly, she carried on,

"Magic is a mysterious force. Unlike other forces, magic is different for everypony as it develops quite early on in their lives and manifesting in unique ways. But ponies aren't the only race able to use magic. Magic is everywhere and possessed by all living things in this world. And to answer your second question, I am an alicorn. Alicorns have all three groups' traits and are immortal, not in the sense of being unkillable, but more of unaging youth. Oh, and I must commend your use of magic! with such combat potential, I can see how you defeated some of my best soldiers."

"Oh no, we humans don't control or have any connections to magic in any way. We are a descendent of monkeys evolved for hunting and running, which is the reason why I am furless."

"Well, then your race must be very physically strong then, no? seeing as you defeated one of my greater Lieutenants and a veteran soldier with such ease." examing Giorno's figure, he doesn't look very physically strong from Celestia's observation. However, she cannot judge a book by its cover. It has come back to bite her many times in the past.

"Not necessarily." He replied,

"Surely, you jest? You state your race does not have the capabilities of harnessing magic and is not very physically strong. Assuming that you're not lying to me, then how is it that you managed to defeat two professionally trained armed personnel of the military forces with little to no difficulty?"

"Princess, if I may interrupt," Turning her attention from Giorno to the armor-cased mare in front of her, she nodded her head in confirmation that she could continue.

"While we were engaged in combat, I noticed Sir. Giorno's arm is covered in yellow, golden armor before he strikes. That was how he knocked out both Lieutenant Dash and Cadet Officer Gust."

Giorno was stunned the moment when the mare mentioned seeing a part of「G.E.R」. Leaning forward to her, a shadow casts over his face, a menacing aura forms around him, and the air tenses.

"You can see it?" questioning the mare. Giorno stared at her with cold and calculating eyes. This caused her to tense up from the sudden lifelessness in his voice, it stabbed her like icicles through her heart, making her skip a beat, and with dryness in her throat, she avoided eye contact while she sheepishly answered,

"Y-yes sir, even my comrades could see it."

"Giorno, is there something you're not telling us?" Turning his gaze over to the princess, she returned his cold eyes with a pair of her own. During the staredown, the Wonderbolt was unfortunately caught in the crossfire, feeling the air so heavy that it weighed down on her chest, causing her to sweat and breath even harder.

"HOLY BUCKING SHIT WHY IS THIS TENSION SO INTENSE." she yelled in her mind not to interrupt this mental battle Giorno and Celestia were having on the astral plane. She swore she could see an electrical current connecting their gazes. Giorno was the first to break the staring contest,

"Princess, I want to test something, tell me. Can you see a golden arm?" bringing fourth「G.E.R」with the sound effect of clanking coins together, a right arm levitates in front of Giorno.

"Yes, I can see it, and I'm assuming this is the same kind of power that defeated both of my soldiers?"

"You are correct." dissipating the arm with a crystal shimmer of light. He lowered his arm onto the armrests.

"The fact that you could see my Stand either means this world is filled with stand users or another cause that allows you to see it. I hypothesize it is the second option seeing as you never seemed to have encountered the likes of this power before."

"Well, what is this power? What is a Stand? Care to explain?"

"A Stand is a physical manifestation of one's fighting spirit, each stand is unique, and its power differs from user to user. This power is not specific to just humans. Other animals may possess a stand as well. Only a stand could touch another stand."

"So if you had a Stand, you would be undefeatable unless another stand user opposes you?" questioning with slight anxiousness, Celestia's palms began to get sweaty,

"No, it doesn't automatically make you undefeatable nor invincible. Remember, I said that a stand is a physical manifestation of one's fighting spirit. Any damage taken to the stand would reflect onto the user, and vice versa as destroying one's stand is destroying one's soul, if the user were to die, the stand would usually perish along with them."

"So, in your world, you have Stands to act as protection from harm?"

"Yes, it's just a few exceptions here and there, but other than that, humans are just like how I have previously described them. Not so strong bipedal monkeys that could hunt and run." Giorno leans back into his seat, trying to relax.

"Well, aside from the few Stand users that you have already described, how is it that your race is still alive? it must be hard to live and survive then."

"We learn. Many millennia ago, we started with simple stone-based tools and weapons to help us hunt. And throughout the decades that my species have lived for, we learned and educated, created and destroyed, innovated and invented, adapt, and overcome. Even if there were deaths involved in that process, their deaths helped the remaining survivors to reach one step closer to understanding the unknown, which lead to us discovering many untold truths in the world.
We built inventions that allow us to keep connected with just a tap of a button, communication systems that span continents, metal planes that can travel to the moon, metal pods, and ships that can travel into the deepest parts of the seas. Yes, we are not very impressive physically. Still, we make up for it in knowledge." after Giorno's short speech, needless to say, Celestia was very impressed with such technological advances that would do wonders for the betterment of Equestria if they could somehow make connections between the two worlds.

"Incredible, perhaps after this war our worlds we build a treaty? I'm certain we could make some connections to exchange various information regarding our two worlds." getting a bit cheery from the thought of a technologically advanced Equestria and the idea of making connections to another world.

"About that, I have meant to ask you, but what started this war? I have heard bits and pieces, but I never did get a full story from it." Celestia's smile quickly dropped to a slight frown after hearing that.

"Ah, I suppose now it's a better time than any to explain the situation, I'll try to keep it brief then, over a thousand years ago, a tyrannical ruler named King Sombra took over the Crystal Empire, my sister, and I banished him, but before he disappeared, he placed a curse on the Empire, and just as Sombra vanished so did it. A thousand years later, the Crystal Empire came back, bringing him along with it. The events thereafter were horrible. He waged war against Equestria, more specifically Canterlot. I tried to get The Elements back from the Tree of Harmony. A magical tree that holds the Elements of Harmony, one of our primary defenses against the forces of evil. But he reached there before I could and destroyed it, shattering it into pieces. Ever since then, we had to take a more aggressive means."

taking a quick pause to regulate her breathing, she could feel herself getting uneasy and losing her composure. Celestia took one long breath, filling her lungs with air, calming herself, exhaling slowly turns her face slightly upwards before resuming.

"Ever since then, he has been slowly taking over Equestria with the help of his five powerful major generals, The 5 Gates of Grief. With his reign over the Crystal Empire made easy, we slowly lost more land and more ponies every day. Other nations didn't want to help us in the war since it didn't concern them in any way. And even with me leading the charge, I foresee that I was slowly delaying the inevitable fate that Equestria was to suffer should we have not taken any other option. So which is why when one of my a scientist under the magic branch of the Equestrian Military of Science, suggested we seek help from another world, I was a little reluctant in proceeding with the idea.
Still, in the end, I decided that desperate times call for desperate measures, aiding her in her experiment. We managed to open a portal with magic to your world, I presume, and a strange figure in blue and pink emerged from it. It broke the wall supporting the portal, allowing the magic from the portal to fly through the opening and in the direction of Ponyville, which was how you ended up there. Though, from what you look like and the characteristics of your stand, the figure that broke the support of the wall fits the description of a stand. " switching her gaze from the ceiling back to Giorno, looking at him with pleading eyes, clenching her fists that made her already white knuckles even whiter and her voice cracked a little,

"But right now, we are in desperate need of help, which was the reason why I had opened a portal between our worlds in the first place, so for the future of Equestria, I'm willing to give you and your world many of Equestria's riches and treasure, anything you desire that I could grant I would. Please, save my world." bowing until her head had faced the ground entirely, Giorno could see her arms shivering. The mare opposite to Celestia was astonished. Never in her life of serving the Wonderbolts have she seen Princess Celestia, the one who controls the power of the Sun, bowing and pleading.

"There is no need for such a thing. I've already decided to help your cause the moment you mention this King Sombra enslaving the Crystal Empire, whether you liked it or not." Celestia looked back to Giorno. The surprise was written all over her face at how easy he was on board with the idea of helping her kingdom and their war efforts.

"Thank you! Giorno Giovanna, you have my eternal gratitude!" a warm smile drew upon her face. She briskly straightened her posture when a slight bump hit the carriage—pulling all three passengers' attention to the front window, where they were met with the face of the pegasus guard looking back at them.

"We have arrived at Canterlot, your highness!"

The guard called out while the door seemingly swung open on command. Outside was a stretcher held by two ponies in military outfits, the signature red cross atop their helmets signifying they are part of the medical team. They were awaiting the injured Wonderbolt resting inside of the carriage. With a slight wave and gesture of her hand, a glowing golden aura encased Celestia's horn and hand while she telekinetically moved the battle-damaged stallion gently atop the stretcher. With that, the two medically trained ponies waste no time and quickly dashed away to the nearest Infirmary, with the mare that sat next to Giorno following in suit.

Stepping out, Giorno looked around. Noticing the pristine garden, he was standing in the middle of, a gigantic castle looms over him from behind him, towers of concrete and gold protruding from the sides of it. Turning back, shiny whites of the pavement floor directly connects to and acts as a pathway from the castle doors to the garden's entire premises' front gates. With lush green bushes that compliment the palace front's overall royal design and atmosphere, massive pillars of concrete walls encasing the interior as the garden's whole and connecting to the sides of the castle walls. Giorno also took note of all the unsettled faces of the guards who looked in his direction.

"Don't worry, guards, he is with me. Now then shall we get inside?" Celestia motioned him over to the thousands of flights of stairs leading to the two grand gold doors and the hundreds of guards standing on standby at the sides of the stairs. Making their way halfway up the stairs, Celestia stopped and turned over to one of the guards,

"Oh, and cadet?" the cadet in question clopped his hooves together at attention, snapping his right arm to a salute.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"Inform all of the Captains from all branches to meet me at the conference room in 30 minutes."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"What was that about?" Celestia spun around. Giorno stood there questioning the Princess,

"We will be meeting all of the Captains from the different branches to discuss how we can proceed further with our plans." And with that, Celestia continues to walk up the remaining flight of stairs with Giorno slowly tagging behind her.