Equestria At War - In the Shadow of the Sun

Vienybė was a positively imposing city. The decade of Starry Night's rule was more than good for its development. Although other cities and towns were not ignored, Vienybė's growth had seen a burst of new buildings, with architects, designers, and artists allowed to combat the greyness. Even if many of the murals and buildings were designed with the aesthetic of the socialist ideology in mind, they were works of art rather than blatant propaganda. Offices and factories were fully staffed and operational, the theaters and cafes full of visitors, and parks filled with peacefully frolicking griffons and ponies.

Twilight, her friends, and Jet Set could not appear publicly, but the one-sided tint of the armored cars gave them a good understanding of the city's prosperity. Soon however, they were in a much more sternly constructed neighborhood. Military installations, guard towers, and patrolling soldiers. The administrative district - the heart of Vartai's government. They approached a mighty building - towering with many floors, the walls designed to withstand nuclear annihilation.

The car entered the underground garage, driving deep until it reached the elevator, parking close to minimize walking distance. The delegation's guard quickly met the guard of the building, with a Vartai envoy doing the talking. They entered the lift, and went up what seemed to be more than a dozen floors.

Reaching their destination, they were met by a suited mare - her appearance a fine strike between beauty and professional. She extended a hoof to each of the ponies. "Welcome to Vienybė, and its Central Administration. My name is Bell Chime. I'll be overlooking and assisting your stay here."

"Like a spy or concierge?" Rainbow Dash joked - but instead of being offensive like Twilight feared, Bell Chime giggled.

"If I spy on you ma'am, then only to discover any problems and inconveniences." She said. "Your meeting with Ms. Night is in three hours - until then, I'd be happy to show you to your rooms, and then we can take you to our dining hall. We've prepared a lunch. I assume you must be famished after the flight."

"You wouldn't imagine." Applejack said with a dreamy hum.

The mare smiled cutely. "Then please, let me help you to your rooms and I'll get you to the dining hall immediately."

***

Spike was surprised to find a bowl of gems in-front of him, but Bell Chime eagerly explained that they had taken every request forwarded to them. There were several apple-based foods as per Applejack's request, and high-protein foods as per Rainbow Dash's.

After a hearty meal of finely made warm soups, potato dumplings, and baked savory foods, Twilight's eyes sparkled when dessert came - a tall spit cake.

"Still got the sweet tooth." Spike commented with a soft laugh, but didn't mind grabbing himself a piece for taste.

Rarity eagerly grabbed a plate of it, but only to eagerly give it to the silent Pinkie Pie. Although voiceless, the pink mare smiled weakly at Rarity. She nodded, and began to eat. Rarity hoped the deflated mane would puff up once more, but it seems it wasn't the time yet. Still, Pinkie enjoyed this curiously-shaped cake.

Fluttershy ate slowly, deep in thought. She'd meet her colleague, back in a time where she'd suddenly made seemingly sudden discoveries of a science she'd never tried before. Nuclear science. What a rabbit hole.

"Not gonna lie..." Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack. "I had no idea communists had this much food."

She yelped when the response came not from the cowgirl, but from Bell Chime, who'd been pouring wine for the ponies. "You'd be surprised what can be achieved with the right management." The mare said, going around the table, pouring a glass for the Handler, and Jet Set. "Not to mention, we started out with agrarian communism. Our politicians are well-versed in agriculture." She said, pouring some for the President.

"Even wine?" Jet Set asked. "No offense, I'm just surprised how...exquisite this lunch has been."

"Of course." Bell Chime giggled. "Sadly, Stalliongrad has left a bad taste for our way of life for the whole world. Their infighting, lack of proper management, it was a failed state. Success is dwarfed by failure, sadly."

When Handler's cup was poured, he took a sniff, and let go of tension once there was no scent of poison, not even the subtle ones. "Well, I hope the world looks up to you when the next revolution comes."

"It just might." Bell Chime cutely said. "Stalliongrad was never meant to last. A terrible state run by the stupid, and the stupidity that trickled down to their followers."

"I hate to sound provocative..." Jet Set murmured. "But, you do sound a little...personal about it all. Is there a reason you sound rather...hateful?"

"Oh, that's simple." Bell Chime grinned wide. "I'm from Stalliongrad."

***

It was time for the meeting.

They were led into a surprisingly lavish conference room - a massive table in the middle with warm decor that seemed to strike a balance of luxurious and humble, enough to give comfort and conversation starters, but not to seem as if funds were overspent.

They took seats - they were the only ones in the room, giving them time to get comfortable and have the small talk they needed. Paperweight knew no rest however - she was busy preparing the material they intended to show to Starry Night and the scientist, Paradise Gem. She sat down and shuffled, ordering the papers and triple-checking to make sure nothing was missing.

Yet, her famished form had not gone unnoticed, so nearly anorexic that her ribs were outlined through her torso. It caught the attention of a mare who was taught to never let a guest, friend, or family member starve.

"Miss, I ain't seen you eat on the plane, neither at the lunch." Applejack asked, gently putting a hoof on Paperweight. She recoiled when the thin mare jerked in surprise, finding the resolve to calm down a moment later.

"It's okay ma'am, don't worry about me, ma'am. I-I'm a stress faster, ma'am." She awkwardly giggled. "Couldn't put a morsel of food in me if things are muddy...Ma'am."

"Just call me AJ." The earth pony sighed. "Still - you'd be killin' yourself with this job at this rate, then. It ain't healthy."

Paperweight began to neatly arrange the prepared folders, hiding her hyperventilation. "I eat...! Just, not much. I can get a lot out of a cup of coffee and a cigarette in the morning."

Rainbow Dash smirked, looking at the miniature models of aircraft and tanks. "Aquileian style, huh?"

Noticing the anxious exchange, the changeling sighed. Handler kept himself in the background, but he supposed he had to step in. It was his direct subordinate, after all. He calmly walked over to Paperweight, putting a hoof on Applejack to politely request to have a chance to talk to her. Applejack stepped aside. He leaned in. "Paperweight, you can wait outside if you'd like."

"N-No sir, I'm okay!" Paperweight said, breath still and heart skipping beats. Comments such as this held a strange grip of fear over her. "I appreciate the chance to get out of the office, sir..." Paperweight shakily told Handler. Yet, her anxiety was clearly shown by the tapping of her hooves against the floor.

"...Alright." Handler said. His ears perked to the sound of approaching hoofsteps. He turned to Jetset, then Twilight. "Mister President? Princess?"

On that cue, everyone currently present in the room sans the guards took a seat at the long table. The guards stiffened, standing tall and proud - unflinching and unmoving as they held their rifles to their hearts. The doors finally swung open.

Two entered - a mare and a stallion. Starry Night had a peculiar look - tired but ready, old but active, analytical but trusting. She walked with purpose and firmness, but with such a swing to her hooves that she felt very much at home.

Abba Povner only walked as much as he needed to - not from laziness, but because he didn't want any more attention that needed.

Abba and Handler caught each other's eyes. Both slightly nodded to each other, while others didn't notice.

Although it would have appeared to them that Starry would just sit down, they were wrong. She instead approached those at the table, forcing them to once again stand up. Her firm gaze softened into a smile.

"Princess, President - elements and staff. It's an honor to meet you." Starry eagerly shook hooves with everyone, and finally the princess. Upon reaching Twilight's hoof, her smile widened. "Welcome to Vienybė."

"Thank you, Ms. Starry. It's an honor." Twilight said, observing the leader, but finding the first impression to be rather pleasant and peaceful.

Starry smiled a little wider - then walked to the front of the table. Before sitting down, she looked at everyone. "Is everything to your liking? The transport, the food, security, accommodations...?"

"Perfect." Twilight said, the bright spark of the Princess of Friendship returning to her. "Speaking of the food, I loved the reception lunch. I've always wanted to try the spit cake in your country, and the taste just went above my expectations!"

"Our catering staff gets frequent training from the country's best chefs." Starry said, able to muster a low chuckle, which by her standards was an energetic giggle. "And yes, the šakotis. It's a popular snack among the personnel here. A burst of mild sugar and carbohydrates helps a slow work day."

"And the accommodations." Jet Set cleared his throat. "Very splendid. We're grateful for your hospitality."

Starry nodded proudly. "It may not be a castle or palace, but I would not be able to look in the mirror if I hadn't provided comfort after hearing all the terrible things that have happened. I hope it brings peace of mind amidst all the circumstances. Now, let us settle in."

Starry Night sat down, and so did the others. "Paradise Gem will be here in a moment." Starry said, reclining a little on her seat. "Apologies, Princess. Don't take her lateness for rudeness. She never leaves her workspace without checking all locks and equipment. Makes sure she didn't leave a burner on, or kept an important cabinet unlocked."

Twilight nodded in understanding. "It's a solid protocol, I can respect it."

"Not protocol." Starry chuckled. "It's her own way of doing things." She said. Twilight fondly smiled - the thoroughness reminding her of herself. In the meantime, Starry levitated a pack of cigarettes to each in the room, having it fly in a circle around the table. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy took one, while the others politely shook their heads. Starry, out of courtesy, then lit her zip lighter and levitated it to each pony who agreed, lighting the cigarettes for them, before finally lighting her own.

Taking a drag, Starry leaned forward to speak. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened. I hope you understand that our lack of direct support or communication during the past century does not imply a lack of empathy."

"It's okay." Twilight softly nodded once. "It was far out of Vartai's range, everything that's happened. And, to be honest, I never expected Griffonia to be involved in it all."

"All struggles are one, in the end." Starry chuckled. "Isn't that right, Abba?"

"Yes ma'am." Povner nodded. "Things have stabilized around this region, but only recently. Prywhen has had a vendetta against us for not believing that communism needs to be a violent wildfire. Our lack of open support for them and assisting the Severnyan government-in-exile seemed to have marked us as their nemesis, ideology or not."

"I'm sorry to hear." Jetset said. "I can't imagine this has been an easy conflict."

"It has, actually." Starry smiled. "Their mistake was allowing Serov and his cronies to sojourn within Prywhen. That tension has been its own can of worms. I expect we'll have an opening to...pacify them. At-least, once we've taken care of this concerning situation over the ocean. I'm not one to open a war on two fronts, even though I've had to face our ex-neighbors doing that to us."

Twilight frowned a little. Starry's sharp eyes noticed the movement of her throat, the tense swallowing. She took a drag of her cigarette, and softly shook her head. "Do not fret, Princess. I am not a warmonger. Conquest was never the intention for Longsword's revolution. However, it's safer for all of us that invaders get annexed for good. I don't think the River nations care much for Deponya after they broke off and attacked us full-force, for example. You have my word that Vartai's shape will not change until it's touched by those who want to change it."

"I...appreciate the reassurance." Twilight said, finding the slight resolve to smile. Something about Starry reeked with honesty - starting with the fact she did not shy away to smoke in the room with them, or recline on her seat. They both studied one another, and they both found the other to be interesting books.

"...President. Princess..." Starry took a drag. "...Daybreaker. What is she like?"

Jetset would not answer - he was not qualified. He looked at Twilight to speak for his behalf. The Princess did not give her answer immediately, staring at the rays of sun pouring into the window. "Princess Celestia was...is patient. Compassionate. Understanding. Civil. Refined...Caring. Motherly. Peaceful...And the best teacher I've ever had." She muttered, eyes slowly returning to look at Starry. "So, Daybreaker, she's...Either the opposite of the qualities I've mentioned, or a twisted version of them. Corrupt and just...so, so awful."

"Worse than Nightmare Moon?" Starry found the gall to ask. Yet, Twilight was undeterred to answer.

"...I think so." Twilight said. "As vicious as Nightmare Moon was, she knew that she was that. Evil. Or, at-least a necessary one. She didn't see violence as some odd way of ensuring peace and protection. She viewed violence as a tool for change in a world that she deemed unfit. She understood what she was doing brought suffering, perhaps because she viewed suffering as the only thing to get ponies to wake up. But...Daybreaker? After the things she's done, she would never, ever admit her violence brought nothing but suffering."

Starry silently looked at the table, halfway finished with the cigarette. "...Was a time I investigated an orphanage." She said. "You can claim it's below me, but I pay attention to what happens in Vartai. I put my ear to the ground. This was in the territories of ex-Hellquill. When we took it over, we removed any form of racial segregation, but...We learned that this pony, someone who once fought for our revolution, was abusing the griffon children. When all evidence was gathered, I went there. Since he was a revolutionary, I had to take the matters into my own hooves."

Unsure where she was going with this, the others quietly listened. Starry took a drag, almost finished with the cigarette. "Maybe I did something bad - as a leader. He fought for our freedom, after all. Yet, I saw the pictures. Bruises, scars, chipped beaks...The investigator I assigned even revealed that when news of my arrival came to the orphanage, the bastard had hidden a few griffons in the basement. Those that would either immediately tell on him, or those who were shaking from the fear and abuse. Mute ones, erratic ones...maimed ones. I had him arrested and put on trial."

Starry shook her head. She wanted to take a drag, but waited, allowing the paper to slowly burn. "During the trial, I was there personally. I asked him why he did it. He responded that what he was doing was necessary. Made excuses that this would shape them into obedient citizens that would never dare raise their talon against a pony. Believed he was doing something for the cause. For Vartai's dream...Then admitted it was all for vengeance, for how the griffons once treated us."

The ash kept falling into the ashtray, the cigarette clinging onto the last bits of life it had left. She shook her head. "Vartai's dream is far from what he did. It was a perverted, wanton, corrupt act. We wanted equality between everyone. Griffon, pony, Posniak...In Vartai, there is no superiority of races nor culture. That's what I told the stallion before I gave him the verdict. Death sentence was ruled, and we didn't put him on death row. Instead, that night, I personally went to the execution site to shoot him myself. No firing squad - I put him down with my own pistol. The children - we transferred them to a better place in the capital. They're doing better now, one of them even works in this building."

She took that final drag, and rubbed the cigarette butt into the ashtray, finally snuffing it. "I'm saying all of this because real evil begins when you lose sight of who you once were. I'm afraid it's much harder for immortal beings. It's much like sleep deprivation. The longer the brain is awake, the more it degenerates. I plan to retire once I am too old to lead this nation. Daybreaker seems to have fallen down this pitfall. I see within you much responsibility, Twilight Sparkle. Please do not take this the wrong way, but you do understand that there is a great chance that after all this, no matter what happens of Daybreaker or Celestia...That the ponies of the West shall look up to you, yes?"

The words were provocative, eyes scrambling amongst one another. Handler studied Starry closely, but most importantly, he studied Twilight.

The Alicorn should have been offended being told her mentor could perish, but her logical mind clung onto the words. It was a reality she still did not wish to believe in. Yet, wishes were not always set in reality. She did not want to accept a future without her teacher, but it was time she visualized that awful letter. "B". Plan B.

Twilight put her hoof to her face, touching the burn scar on her cheek. "...I understand." She quietly spoke. "I can't exactly say "thank you" for what you said. I don't like a single word of it. Yet, I need to hear every perspective if I want to be ready."

"I apologize, Princess." Starry gently hung her head. "I just wish that I knew in advance that one of my closest friends would die in jail. Not because of the fact he did, but because of the fact it was my hoof that would sign the order, lest I cannot imagine the scale of the war and death that would come of it if he had his way. If I knew it could come to it, I wouldn't have hated myself so much for it. Now..." Another sound of approaching hoofsteps came closer to the door. "Let's get to business."

The door opened. Through it came a mare in a labcoat, teal with a green mane. She walked on her hind hooves without difficulty, carrying with her several stacks of folders. The guards were supposed to close the door behind her, but instead she hip-bumped the door back into a closing position, walking past the surprised soldier.

"Sorry I'm late!" She said. She did not seem phased by the fact she was in a room with such powerful ponies, instead making her way over to the empty chair beside Paperweight and Starry Night, dropping the things she came with. "One of the scientists working under me botched up a calculation - I took the time to explain what was wrong to him. Bright guy, but I'm afraid he might have un-diagnosed dyslexia." She said. "Aaand...Oh! Fluttershy!"

Despite how professional things should have been, Paradise Gem happily jogged over to the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy did not shy away from standing up, and the two mares hugged. "Great scott, Fluttershy. It's been too long. Good to see you, girl."

"You too, Gem." Fluttershy giggled, returning the hug. However, she whispered into her ear. "...Are you sure it's okay to, y'know..."

Paradise Gem couldn't help but laugh, pulling away from the hug and regarding the ponies at the table. "Sorry if I'm a bit curt, Princess, Mr. President. I don't mean anything by it, but I don't think you've come to see me treating our discussion as some kind of formal conference. Save that for the diplomats, right?" She chuckled. Jetset didn't seem phased, and Twilight found it slightly endearing, even. She finally sat down at the seat beside Starry.

It appeared that the scientist and the leader of Vartai were on familiar and friendly terms - for Paradise did not need permission to reach in and grab a cigarette from Starry's pack. All the same, Starry leaned in to light it for Paradise, to which she thankfully nodded. "Thanks boss." She said.

All eyes were on Paradise - who took her time as she took a few drags, poured herself a cup of water, and placed her hooves on the table.

"Okay, let's get to business." Paradise rubbed her hooves eagerly. "I heard you had something for me to review."

"My secretary will provide you with the details." Handler softly said. "Paperweight?"

The near-anorexic mare squeaked at the spotlight. Scattering, she collected the relevant documentation and gave it to Paradise Gem. "Y-Yes, t-the uh...The files here, they're color coded, with footnotes a-and--"

"Huh." The teal mare eagerly took the files. "Nice organizational skills, sweetie. Where were you when I opened my workshop? I hope you appreciate her." She cheekily said while glancing at Handler. Paperweight's nose would have bled if it hadn't already for the third time this day.

Nervously, Paperweight would begin to give Paradise Gem the gist while she was allowed to go over the papers. Paradise read over the documents with surprising speed, outpacing Paperweight's words. "Big explosion - if that's the altitude the picture was taken from. First of a kind, I'd assume."

"Paradise Gem, do you think she's planning to make...nuclear weapons?" Fluttershy asked immediately. "If Daybreaker's been looking for you, then she must know the project we've been involved with, and..."

"No. It's not a nuclear weapon." Paradise shook her head. "I don't like to use the "I" word - but it's impossible."

"But..." Fluttershy leaned in. "Doesn't it have all the signs of a nuclear explosion? I mean, it's not like magic can yield something like that..."

"It could in theory, but that's mere myth." Paradise said.

"So, how do you know?" Twilight butted in.

"Simple. If an explosion of this size took place and it happened to be radioactive, it would reflect in our atmosphere." She said. "I'm in touch with several monitoring stations across the world that would be able to give me radiation readings, and I still do it once in a while. Nobody's reported any changes. This explosion is radiation-free. And look, the photograph quality is pristine. No static, distortions, coloring issues?"

"Our agents reported that Daybreaker was looking for you. Do you know what she wanted from you?" Handler asked.

"Ah." Paradise smiled. "She did reach out. I mean, she's smart. Didn't resort to violence first. She, however, was asking about my magicore research. I didn't tell or give her anything - and when she tried to send someone to kidnap me here, our favorite...trash collectors took care of them." She said, winking at Abba.

"She wanted...magic-based information from a nuclear scientist? Er, what kind?" Jet Set asked.

"I'm not a nuclear scientist, just one that's learned a bit from my friend." She smiled at Fluttershy. "But uh, can't see the correlation..." Paradise sighed, leaning in the seat and smoking. "The project was related to restoring magic to unicorns that've lost their magic. It made sense that I get in on it since, heh..." She moved her mane aside and tapped her forehead, showing the scar of where her horn once was.

"Oh. I'm so sorry. That's awful..." Twilight frowned.

Yet, Paradise shook her head. "I saved some comrades from a mortar shell. My magic for a few lives - I didn't care back then. Now? Well, you be the judge. I digress. We've deduced that the horn itself is not the source of magic. It's like those fairy tales about magic wands and whatnot. Your unicorn magic can be "brought out" with it - but...The real magic's..."

She paused. She tapped her head, her heart, motioned her hoof around her own body. "Mind, heart, soul - yeah, I'll be honest, it seems abstract. Y'know why Friendship is Magic, right?"

"I should." Twilight chuckled softly. "...Never could put it into words."

"Not exact ones." Paradise Gem smiled. "Your spirit's the source. You saw unicorns drained of magic by freaky centaur magic and such, right? The horn's still there, so where'd the magic come out from? Nah. Magic's not in that cone of keratin. It's deep in your soul. Something we theorized as the "magicore". It's essentially the spirit, or...a part of it."

She smoked again, looking at the ceiling. They should've felt off-put by how casual she seemed, yet she was genuine and honest. What she relayed to them was not easy, nor simple to understand. Treating this as a simple conversation had the effect of allowing the others to settle into these facts.

"You know..." She said. "I thought that when I did lose my horn, I lost my magic. And, we did check that loss of magic causes nasty effects. Depression. A lack of the will to live. Memory loss. You're a husk by that point. I did feel that way - but if I really lost my magic back then, I wouldn't have been able to find a way out, wouldn't have realized I can still do some good with the brain in my skull. Removing the magicore is, in a way...death. Worse than death. But..." She leaned in and put out her cigarette. "I got no idea how this can tie-in with this Vividvale, this...explosion. This could be just confusion. An intel mixup? False impressions? Maybe the enemy's just throwing you off your trail?"

"We've considered it." Handler muttered. "But...I'm not sure. There's got to be something to all this. It's a weapon. Some kind of high-yield explosive."

"Shit - er, pardon the Aquileian." Paradise Gem rubbed her head, elbows resting on the table as the cigarette hung onto her lip. "It could be a lot of things. There's been "MOABs" and "FOABs" and "GFOABS" in theoretical development by so many nations wanting to wipe the other out. Gasses, the vacuum, liquids, powders...Basic chemistry and physics can do the trick without touching the radioactive."

"Then it wouldn't be worth the level of secrecy." Handler said. "No. It's not...It doesn't add up. Paperweight!"

The frail and thin mare yelped, nearly having a heart attack on the spot. "Y-Yes, sir?"

"Does anything based on the information we've received about Fillydelphia match Vividvale's profile?"

"No sir..." Paperweight admitted. "Damages were not explosive - considering that the city still stands..."

"...Damn, something happened in Filly?" Paradise Gem frowned. "...Have some friends who live there..."

There was a moment of silence. Nobody was sure where to go from here, what leads to discuss or point out - the marathon that had finished at the starting line.

Then, during the awkward silence in the room, a spark came to Sparkle. A memory of something important, nearly lost in how overwhelming and tiring the weeks have been.

"There's something I wanted to give to you." Twilight said. "I'm sorry I didn't do so earlier, I just got so caught up and overwhelmed..."

"Not to worry Princess. I go through the same thing unless I take some meds." Paradise Gem patiently smiled, taking the papers that Twilight levitated over to her. "Can you give a rundown as to what this is?"

Twilight mentioned. "It's related to what Cipher learned from one of the rebel groups - a defunct one, the FEA. They've learned that when Daybreaker sought you, they saw that Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns appeared many times in the reports and intelligence that they've gathered..."

"No kidding?" Paradise tilted her head. "I remember that school like yesterday...Your exam was hatching the dragon egg, right? I had to transfigure a whole block of steel into something...Amazed it worked out so well." She laughed, a little in remembrance. "...Yeah. Hm. I assume this weapon might need magic to operate? Guidance, maybe? Or something in the construction? I remember once the wartime got intense, unicorns who had anything to do with it or any other prestigious schools got poached to join the army. How do you think I ended up losing my horn, eh? Having experienced unicorns get assigned to work with special projects wouldn't be unusual...If we only knew how, though..."

Paradise would read the papers, but did not seem particularly surprised by anything. "Hmm...I don't know, I can't figure out what this would have to do with an explosion of destructive magnitudes. Seems to be like catalogues of students. No doubt Daybreaker's just seeking to groom them into soldiers of some kind."

"I suppose then we're out of leads, for now." Twilight sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm sorry if the visit caused any disturbance, ma'am." Jet Set stood up.

"Well, the visit is not unwelcome by any means." Starry smiled. "It's sad that public appearances are out of the question. It'd be nice to take you on a tour around the city. Once things stabilize, I will be more than happy to open an embassy, after all this time, to Equestria and New Mareland both." She said and stood up. The others stood up as well, beginning to shake hooves.

And yet, just as the meeting was just about to be declared over...

Paradise Gem cross-referenced things...And saw the negative space between the lines. All of them.

And the negative shape she saw was an epitome of terror that pulled a gasp from her lips.

"...Oh sweet Celestia."

The cigarette fell out of her mouth, just barely onto the ashtray.

"Hm? Paradise?" Starry Night raised a brow. "What's the matt--"

"Look..." Paradise Gem hastily said, slamming her hooves onto the table. "Some of this information...And some of the things the Princess said...I can't say that I've pinpointed exactly what's going on b-but...Shit, when I was researching this whole magicore crap, we were crunching numbers and..." She began to quickly gather all the papers on the table. "Look, I need to get to my lab right now and I gotta make some calls to some scientists I know. I need to confirm everything to the last minute damn detail. Starry, I'm gonna need to either be ready to travel or invite them here. This might involve Posada's science team, some Yale guys I know, a few Riverpony science groups, and I might involve Wittenland or Barrad's unicorn magic specialists, even if they're freaky. Can I have that?"

"..." Starry was still stunned over her unusual lack of calm, but she nodded in the end. "Whatever you need. I trust your judgement, Paradise. But - consult with me on this issue."

"Now hang on!" Handler barked, immediately standing up. What's going on!? You can't leave us in the dar--"

"I don't know what's going on, but it better not be what I think it is..." Paradise exhaled, breath shaky. "I-I'm off. Shit, shit, shit..." She scrambled - now looking a lot more anxious, even moreso than Paperweight.

Of all the ponies in the room, the most terrified was Fluttershy.

Because in all the days that she discussed the destructive potential of nuclear weaponry - the forbidden knowledge implanted into her by a god of chaos in an odd way to protect her...Her colleague, Paradise Gem, had never broken a single bead of sweat. Until now.