My Little Xeno 2 - Equinox Knights

Celestia stepped onto her balcony and took a look at the construction site on the far side of Ponyville. The base grew day by day, you could downright watch it getting bigger and bigger. While it would still take quite a while for this ‘fortress monastery’ to be completed, it already was an unmistakable sign of the Imperium’s presence.
Just like her guests.

Marneus Augustus Calgar - what a name - and Varro Tigurius reminded her of Antonius, as they were reasonable and thoroughly decent. They were more… reserved than Tony had been, though, Calgar even more than Tigurius. Well, that was what a lifetime of fighting non-humans did to you. Considering that, they were actually quite nice.

As far as Celestia could tell, they fit their roles in their chapter perfectly: Calgar seemed like the born leader, calm, considerate, and with a commanding presence that was downright phenomenal. No wonder that Antonius respected him so highly.
Tigurius was probably one of the most capable magic-, warp- or whatever users she had ever met in her life. While he lacked Antonius’ genetic disposition, he made up for that with his vast experience and talent. Her first appraisal had been correct - he was at least on par with Twilight.
Antonius’ and Tigurius’ magical abilities meanwhile really had grown tremendously.

“Deep in thought, sister?” Luna asked as she walked up to her.

“Kinda,” Celestia answered with a smile.

“The new base?”

“And our guests. All told, things are going pretty well.”

“Indeed. They really are nice humans.”

“Yes,” Celestia said, her smile fading,
“but there is one thing that could put this niceness to the test: Discord.”

“I see what you mean,” Luna replied,
“meeting their somewhat half daemonic traitor Primarch uncle will probably not be an easy endeavor.”

“That’s putting it mildly. Back when Tony got to know the truth, we had to tell him to stay calm and not try to kill Discord, and he listened to us because we were his friends. But the Ultramarines?”

“I am confident they will see reason, too.”

“I hope you’re right, Luna. Perhaps we should arrange this meeting to be in public, so that they will show more restraint as not to damage the friendly reputation they try to maintain.”

“Scheming again, sister? You cannot just trust them?”

“In the end, I’ll have to, but I’d like to do what I can to… influence them in a positive way.”

“And how do you want to do that?”Luna inquired,
“what public occasion do you have in mind for that encounter?”

“That Gala,” Celestia told her.

“The Grand Galloping Gala?”

“Yes. I’ve already wanted to invite Discord, so inviting them too seems like a good idea.”

“You want to invite Discord?”

“Well,” Celestia said with a somewhat apologetic smile,
“you know how dull the Gala usually is. I thought he might liven things up a bit.”

“Yeah,” Luna deadpanned,
“I do not see how this could possibly go wrong in any way.”

“Don’t be so negative, Luna. I’m confident that everything will be alright. I’ll send the invitations today, so they’ll have enough time to prepare. I guess Rarity will have to make some clothes for them… or do you think they have formal attire with them?”

“I would be surprised if they did not show up in their armors. Apropos armors: In just half an hour, Tony is going to get his armor. Do you want to witness that moment? I sure want to. The Ultramarines will be there, too.”

“I’ll join you. While I’m at it, I can give them their invitations.”

“Synchronizing… perfect!” Twilight beamed.

Another test of the new neural interface had been successful. She really was proud that she had been able to help Antonius and his friends. Next to the interface, Antonius’ armor was made of silversteel with darksteel inlays, which had been her idea. In addition to that, they had also been able to create magic-meters that combined enchanted crystals and human technology. Really, it was great that she was able to help mankind, even though they were technologically so far ahead of ponykind.

“Hmm,” Antonius agreed,
“the interface works within operational parameters… it’s even so close to the desired values that it’s unclear if the deviation isn’t just measurement uncertainty.”

“The neural interface prevailed in our laboratory tests,” Gearhart added for consideration,
“actual field tests are still required to asses its true reliability.”

“Well, they’re about to start once I’ve put the armor on. Now let’s attach the interface to the armor. Honestly, I can’t wait to use power armor again.”

While Antonius got ready to don the armor and Gearhart was busy installing the interface, Twilight once again took a look at the huge suit. It was as impressive as it was intimidating. She wondered what her friends would say. Of course, Rarity knew the plans, and the others had probably taken a look at them, too, but seeing a plan and seeing the real thing were quite different.

“I’ll tell everypony that our fashion show is about to start,” Twilight grinned.

“Calling the presentation of a new type of armor a ‘fashion show’ is highly inappropriate,” Gearhart protested.

“Well,” Antonius opined,
“since the armor is brand-new and made of non-standard materials and with non-standard systems, it’s neither ancient nor sacred, so Twilight’s comment is certainly not an insult of our technology.”

“That is true, though I am planning to have the armor declared ‘sacred’ once it has proven its reliability in battle.”

“Oh, you really take the matter very serious,” Twilight stated.

“Of course,” Gearhart told her,
“the armor protects the Space Marine, and the Space Marine protects mankind. It greatly enhances his ability to perform his sacred duty. This is not to be taken lightly.”

“Okay… I’ll tell the others that you’re about to… show up.”

She returned to her friends and the Ultramarines and was really delighted to see Princess Celestia and her sister there.

“Princess Celestia!” she exclaimed,
“what a pleasant surprise! I didn’t expect you to join us.”

“Well, Twilight,” the princess answered,
“it is an important matter for Antonius, so I didn’t want to miss it. I also used the opportunity to give out the invitations for the Gala to our friends.”

“Oh! That’s nice!” Twilight replied and turned to the Ultramarines:
“Have you been to a Gala before? I know that you have festivities of your own, but since you are warriors, I’m not sure if you also attend… civil gatherings.”

“Such occasion are rare,” Calgar told her,
“sometimes we are invited to a celebration of some sort by a planetary governor, but we are usually too busy doing our actual duty to attend. Only if our presence is tactically and diplomatically prudent, a few of us may accept such an invitation.”

“Are you going to accept our invitation?”

“Yes, since we have time to spare. I have to admit that I’m curious how this Gala is going to be.”

“If the parties you attend are boring,” Rainbow deadpanned,
“the Gala will feel very familiar to you.”

“Rainbow!” Twilight shouted.

“What? I thought we should at least warn them.”

Just as Twilight wanted to speak again, Gearhart joined them and said:

“Chapter Master Antonius will be here momentarily. He is just checking his weapons.”

“Good to hear that he has not forgotten everything he learned,” Cassius grumbled.

“Chapter Master Antonius’ behavior does not show any indication of memory problems,” the magos told him matter-of-factly.

Now, Antonius finally showed up. The huge, black armor had looked impressive as it had just been standing around, but now as he wore it, it looked way more… actually, it was hard to find the right words. One thing was sure, though: It fitted him perfectly. He looked somewhat more… ‘whole’ with power armor compared to the rather simple armor he had returned with. The giant sword on his back and the storm bolter on his hip completed the appearance of a Space Marine.
The imperial aquila on his chestplate seemed to shine, and there was a similar symbol on one of his pauldrons. At a first glance, one could think it was another aquila, but a closer look revealed that it was an eagle and an alicorn embracing each other. In Twilight’s opinion, it was a perfect display on the friendship between mankind and ponykind.

“You look simply divine, darling!” Rarity cheered,
“the armor really is a modern take on classic elements and the color scheme…”

“Yeah,” Rainbow interrupted her,
“because THAT’s what armor is for: fashion-y stuff.”

“There is no reason not to look fabulous, even in the midst of battle.”

“Calm down, my friends,” Antonius laughed,
“the armor does indeed look great - at least in my opinion - but it’s true value lies in its usefulness.”

“Which you have extended with various experimental systems?” Cassius inquired.

“Yes. I’ve used ancient STCs as well as combinations of pony magic and human technology. Admittedly, usual Mechanicum personnel would probably get a screaming fit upon just seeing it, but I put effectivity over compliance. Once I have thoroughly tested the non-magical systems, I would even suggest to use some of them to update standard power armor, since they should be very beneficial to our cause.”

“For example?”

“The personal shield system should be useful, just as the advanced auspexes.”
He started grinning and continued:
“And there are also a few systems that are quite funny, too.”

“I know you want us to inquire about that,” Tigurius smiled,
“so I ask you: What do you mean?”

Twilight had to smile, too. Antonius and Tigurius had developed a truly brotherly relationship since they were learning magic together.

“Would you please hold my sword?” Antonius said, retrieved the sword from his back and gave it to Tigurius, then he turned to the ponies:
“Volunteers?”

“Bet you don’t dare to,” Rainbow whispered to Applejack.

“I’ll show you,” Applejack answered and took a step forward,
“I volunteer, and I’ll honestly tell you want I think about your fancy… whatever.”

Antonius picked her up, tuned around, and put her to his back… where she stuck.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack shouted,
“why don’t I fall? I somehow feel like I’m lying on my back… on your back… what is going on?”

Antonius turned around again with a grin.

“It’s a graviton lock,” he explained,
“it works like our magnetic locks, but I can put anything there and it will keep lying on my back, no matter my spatial orientation.”

“Oh, Antonius,” Pinkie grinned,
“Applejack would never lie, whether on your back or not.”

“You just had to use that opportunity, huh?”

“Absolutely!”

“Pardon,” Applejack interjected,
“but I’m still on your back.”

“Oh, yeah, right, just a moment,” Antonius replied, fetched her from his back and put her down on the ground.

“Hmm…” Calgar said while Antonius stored away his sword again,
“while it’s not really necessary, it is sort of convenient. I guess you deliberately showed us a harmless system first?”

“Well,” Antonius answered,
“this system in pretty easy to demonstrate, and it was a good opportunity.”

“True, but an actual field test would be better suited to test your armor and its systems than just a series of demonstrations.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“A maneuver. Attack the royal palace in Canterlot. That way, we can asses your strategy, your armor’s performance and the ponies’ defenses.”

“Works for me. Do you approve of this, Tia? Luna?”

Celestia looked quite surprised by this turn of events, but she said:

“Well… as long as nopony is actually hurt… what is your exact goal going to be?”

“We are his ‘goal’, of course, sister,” Luna grinned,
“and I have an additional proposal: since we are also testing our defenses, Tony should be allowed to be ‘evil’ for this mission.”

“‘Evil’?”

“Of course! We certainly will not encounter friendly enemies.”

“That… makes sense. And I thought I would just have a look at Antonius’ armor and give you your tickets… when is this maneuver going to start?”

“Let’s not waste time,” Antonius replied,
“the Gala is in a week, so the maneuver could be… tomorrow?”

“Works for me. I’ll let everypony know what we’re going to do, so that we can avoid any misunderstandings.”

“Excellent. Now I just have to get my hair cut, so that my helmet will fit. I hope Lotus or Aloe have time.”

“You’re going to the spa?” Rarity asked eagerly.

“‘Spa’?” Aleksa wanted to know,
“what’s that?”

Rarity looked gobsmacked as she turned to her:

“You don’t know what a spa is? That’s simply dreadful, darling! Come on, follow me!”

Some minutes later, Antonius, Rarity, her friends and Aleksa entered the Ponyville spa. Celestia and Luna had returned to Canterlot to prepare everything for tomorrow’s maneuver, and to no-one’s surprise, the Ultramarines and Magos Gearhart had also not joined them.

Still, Aleksa wasn’t the only human there, as they discovered after they had gone through the reception. Lady Angren was in the large, central tub. When she noticed Antonius, she almost jumped to her feet to greet him properly, but thought otherwise just in time. She still looked uncertain what to do, so Antonius quickly said:

“You may remain submerged, Lady Angren. Greetings, by the way.”

“Greetings, Chapter Master Antonius,” she replied with relief,
“and thank you.”

“No problem,” Antonius replied, then he looked into the distance and added:
“there are some things man was never meant to see…”

“Umm… my Lord?”

“I was just joking. Enjoy your treatment, I’ll just have my hair cut.”

“This way, please,” Lotus Blossom told him and led him to one of the cots.

In the meantime, Aloe took care of Aleksa, who vanished behind a screen, and the ponies spread to get their treatments.

“Do you really want me to cut off your beautiful hair?” Lotus asked Antonius.

“Yeah,” he answered,
“since it doesn’t fit under my helmet… but that gives me an idea: cut it, but don’t throw it away. I’ll use it as decoration and put it on top of my helmet.”

“So… a real hair wig for your helmet?”

“Not quite, but… OH WHAT THE…?!”

That exclamation was not directed at the spa pony, but rather at Aleksa, who had appeared again. Nopony seemed to have told her to wrap herself up in a bath towel, however, which gave Antonius an involuntary full-frontal view of the tech-priest. Unlike members of the higher echelons of the Mechanicum, and despite her artificial limbs, she was still pretty much recognizable as a - female - human.

Suddenly, Lady Angren burst out laughing:

“I guess man has seen the things he was not supposed to see!”

While Antonius was busy thoroughly investigating the ceiling, he heard Aleksa say:

“Excuse me, but I think that I don’t get this joke.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s about you being naked,” Rarity told her.

“Well, I certainly won’t take a bath in my robe, and furthermore, a body is just a vessel for one’s intellect… although… I have to admit that my experiences with Marcus…”

“Do me a favor,” Antonius interrupted,
“don’t finish that sentence and just get into the tub.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Are you waterproof?” Lady Angren inquired.

“Of course!”

When he heard water splash, Antonius leveled his gaze forward again. Only Aleksa’s head was visible now, so this ‘danger’ was avoided.

Lotus cut his hair and wrapped it up for him to take along.

“I don’t suppose I can get you interested in taking a bath, too?” she asked with an innocent smile.

“Well, there is space available,” Lady Angren snickered.

“Correct, especially if we close ranks,” Aleksa added.

“Funny,” Antonius deadpanned and got up to leave.

“Umm… Chapter Master?” the navigator said.

Oh, she used his title, so she probably had decided to get serious again…

“Lady Angren?”

“Please excuse the jokes, but it was funny, and the opportunity was too good to let it slip…”

“Don’t worry, I did not take offense at your humor.”

“Thank you, Chapter Master. I never thought I’d see an Astartes in such an… unusual situation.”

“Yeah, normally we encounter creatures more dangerous than undressed tech-priests.”

“My robe does not affect my combat abilities,” Aleksa told them.

“Well,” Lady Angren said, still turned towards Antonius,
“again, thank you for not resenting the jokes, and you may of course return the favor at your convenience.”

“Oh?” Antonius replied,
“so, I might snap to attention and salute now, for example?”

“Then… we’d have to get up and salute, too…”

Antonius snapped to attention… waved, turned around and left.
While he was passing the door, he heard Lady Angren say:

“For a moment, I thought he’d actually do it.”

“Don’t worry,” Aleksa returned,
“he certainly has seen things worse than you.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Now, Antonius left the hearing range and the spa.

He proceeded to Canterlot, where he met with Luna.

“Pity,” she grinned,
“I have somehow gotten used to your long hair.”

“Do not fret,” Antonius replied and gave her the cut hair.

“What I meant was that I liked it attached to your head,” she laughed as she took it.

“Well, I’ll attach it to my helmet. That’s almost my head… sorta.”

“That is an amusing idea! I will keep it for you in the meantime.”

During the rest of the day, he made sure that his equipment was ready, the last details were clarified and that the ponies were informed about what was about to go on.

The next morning, Luna and Celestia teleported to the edge of the Everfree Forest with him.

“Now, Tony, since we are temporary opponents, I’m not sure if I should wish you luck,” Celestia grinned.

“Well, I do wish you luck,” Luna smiled,
“remember not to be too righteous, since we cannot expect our actual enemies to be so benign, and that it is over once you manage to nudge both of us.”

“And also remember that you’ve lost once we’ve brought you down or Twilight and her friends have you in their field of view for five seconds…”

“As long as the distance is less than fifty meters,” Antonius finished,
“or we are in the same room. The rules for the Elements make this actually quite hard, especially since they can fly and I have no ranged weaponry I could use… apart from throwing pebbles, perhaps.”

“Just do your best, we’ll do the same. And now, Tony, see you later!”

The princesses teleported, and the maneuver began.

Antonius first retreated into the forest, just in case Twilight and her friends tried to surprise him with an ambush. Such an offensive tactic would be atypical for them, but perhaps that was exactly the reason for them to try it anyway.
Even if they stayed defensive, they still were the main threat to him, since the Royal Guard was - with all due respect - rather negligible.

So, how could he render the Element Bearers harmless?
By separating them from their Elements, but that was impossible.
Using their flaws? Hard to accomplish within four seconds.
He had to separate them somehow… and he had an idea how to do that.

“So, the maneuver has started?” Calgar inquired as the princesses had returned to the throne room.

“Yes,” Celestia confirmed,
“Antonius is on his way.”

“I’m curious how Antonius will approach this mission,” Tigurius admitted,
“the whole premise is rather unusual, after all.”

“And the significance of the result is rather low,” Cassis added for consideration.

“Compared to our standards, maybe,” Calgar replied,
“but as a first test of man and material it is good enough.”

“Well, Antonius will have to use a covert approach,” Twilight opined,
“if he comes here in the open, we’ve basically already won.”

“I am quite sure that we all should be prepared for some surprises,” Luna smiled.

“Do you know anything specific, sister?” Celestia asked, an eyebrow raised.

“No, but I know Tony.”

“I hereby call this meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to order!” Apple Bloom called.

“Umm…” Sweetie Belle replied,
“neither of us is talking.”

“I will start with a roll call,” Apple Bloom continued, unfazed.

“We’re all here, right in front of you,” Scootaloo noted.

“Yes, but we are a club, and we have our traditions. So, roll call.
Apple Bloom? Here.
Sweetie Belle?”

“Hmm?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Scootaloo?”

“Still right in front of you,” Scootaloo sighed.

“Stormy Skies?”

“Present!” Stormy grinned.

“So, all of us are here. Good. That means, we can choose how we’re going to try and get our Cutie Marks today!”

“I suggest parachuting!” Scootaloo said.

“Haven’t we already tried that?” Sweetie Belle inquired,
“with… somewhat mixed results?”

“We’ve tried normal parachuting, but I’ve heard that there’s another kind where you jump from very high and open the parachute at the last moment! It’s called a ‘HALO’.”

“This bright ring around the sun?”

“That’s too high,” Stormy stated.

“If it gets us our Cutie Marks?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sound more like it’d get us into hospital.”

“Yeah? Well, you can easily talk like that, you’ve already got your Mark!”

“Hey, that’s mean! I’m here to help you!”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Scootaloo apologized,
“this whole Cutie Mark thing sometimes gets a little under my skin.”

“Whereas it should go ONTO our skin,” Sweetie Belle added.

“Calm down, everypony,” Apple Bloom called,
“I’m sure we’ll find something we can try that’s not quite as… potentially lethal.”

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

“I’ll go and see who’s there,” Stormy said and went to open the door.
“Antonius!” she exclaimed and darted outside.

Apple Bloom and her other friends followed. It really was Antonius, with Stormy around his neck.

“Hi, Antonius,” she greeted,
“is that your new armor? Nice! I thought you’re playing war with our sisters.”

“We’re not ‘playing war’, Apple Bloom, it’s called a ‘maneuver’”, Antonius corrected her.

“Oh! So… what’s the difference?”

“Umm… a maneuver is closer to reality and has more stringent rules.”

“Ah. And when does it start?”

“It already has.”

“Then… umm… shouldn’t you kinda attack Canterlot or something?”

“Yes, but I won’t be hasty and underestimate your sisters and their friends.”

“Ha!” Scootaloo exclaimed,
“even you are in awe of Rainbow Dash’s awesomeness!”

“Not quite,” Antonius grinned,
“but I’d be a fool not to be wary of the Elements of Harmony.”

“They’re actually going to use them?” Sweetie Belle asked in surprise.

“Not really, but we’ve made rules to incorporate them into our maneuver. I want to take care of them by separating the Element Bearers.”

“That’s clever!” Stormy said.

“It is,” Apple Bloom agreed,
“and why are you here? Do you want us to tell you how to separate our sisters from their friends?”

“No,” Antonius replied,
“I’ve already thought of something. Since I’m allowed to be somewhat ‘evil’, to make the maneuver more challenging, I though I might abduct you. Only if you’re okay with it, of course.”

“You want to fillynap us?” Scootaloo asked.

“We’ve already been fillynapped once,” Sweetie Belle told him,
“and it was no fun.”

“Well,” Antonius said,
“I know that you’ve already been abducted, I helped rescue you, after all. I thought that we’d go to Sugarcube Corner first and get some cupcakes, muffins and the like… and something to drink. Then, we hide in the Everfree and send your sisters messages to meet us.”

“And when they come to rescue us, you want to catch them?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Exactly.”

“What about me?” Stormy asked,
“I have no sister who’s an Element Bearer. In fact, I have no sister at all.”

“I know, that’s why I thought you could be the messenger. Only if you all agree to my plan, of course. I’m just pretending to be evil, after all.”

“Would you give us a moment to discuss your plan?” Apple Bloom wanted to know.

“Sure.”

So the Crusaders circled and discussed the matter:

“I guess it could be fun,” Apple Bloom whispered,
“and we’d help Antonius.”

“Yeah, to beat Rainbow Dash and her friends,” Scootaloo added for consideration.

“They can stand a little sisterly competition.”

“At least we know that we won’t get Cutie Marks in getting fillynapped,” Sweetie Belle interjected,
“seriously, such a Mark wouldn’t be nice. And I guess your life would be rather glum if your special talent were ‘getting fillynapped’. But I guess you’d at least be a princess…”

“What does being a princess have to do with being fillynapped?” Scootaloo asked in confusion.

“Well, in almost every story I’ve ever read, it’s the princesses who get fillynapped, so that a noble knight can rescue them.”

“Life’s not a fairytale, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said,
“even though Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been fillynapped in the past…”

“Shouldn’t it be ‘marenapped’, since they’re all grown up?”

“No idea… that’s probably why Antonius says ‘abduct’.”

“Now…” Stormy said,
“are you okay with being abducted? I’m okay with being the messenger.”

“I’m not so sure if I should betray Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo hesitated.

“You’re not really ‘betraying’ her. We just help Antonius and make the maneuver more challenging for our sisters and their friends.”

“Rainbow Dash likes challenges… okay, I’m in. What about you, girls?”

“I’m in, too” Apple Bloom said.

“I’m in, three,” Sweetie Belle grinned.

With the four ‘abducted’ fillies, Antonius proceeded to Sugarcube Corner to get the necessary provisions.

“Hello and welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” Mrs. Cake greeted,
“ah, Antonius and the Cutie Mark Crusaders… excuse me, Antonius, but I thought you’re playing war with Pinkie and her friends. She said something of the kind, at least.”

“It’s called a ‘maneuver’,” Antonius corrected (again),
“and we are right in the middle of it.”

“Oh, does that mean that you are… raiding us?”

“That would be a fine addition to the chronicles of my heroics,” Antonius deadpanned,
“but seriously, we’re here to buy some snacks.”

“Anytime,” Mrs. Cake smiled,
“what do you want?”

The fillies rattled off a pretty impressive list of various baked goods they craved, and everything was neatly boxed and put on the counter.

“You’re having a party? Mrs. Cake asked.

“Not quite,” Sweetie Belle told her,
“we’re being abducted.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, Antonius fillynapped us to get ahold of our sisters.”

“What? That’s… pretty evil.”

“It’s just a part of the maneuver,” Antonius clarified,
“I even asked them if they’re okay with it.”

“Maneuvers are… strange.”

“Sometimes. But you live with Pinkie. ‘Strange’ should be your ‘normal’.”

“I wouldn’t call her strange. She’s just ‘Pinkie’. Anyway, here are the treats for your… hostages. Is that the right term? Excuse me, but it still feels evil.”

“Yeah, but I’m allowed to be a little evil to test the defenses of Canterlot.”

“If you’re evil now, are you still going to pay?” Mrs Cake smiled.

“Of course I… oh, I have an idea. Would you mind putting our order on Princess Celestia’s tab?”

“Oh dear… THAT is evil.”

“Thanks,” Antonius smiled in return.

Now that they had the provisions, Antonius needed a way to get his little messenger to Canterlot. Fortunately, that was not much of a problem. They just went to Moonlight and Blackwing.

“Hello, Antonius!” the batpony mare greeted when she opened the door,
“and hello, fillies! Come in! Can I help you somehow? And Antonius, shouldn't you be right in a maneuver, now that you have this cool new armor?”

“You don’t know how happy you made me by calling it a ‘maneuver’,” Antonius replied with a smile as they entered the house.

“Huh?”

“Everypony else called it ‘playing war’.”

“Not exactly a military term,” Moonlight laughed,
“but not really wrong, if we’re honest. Are you already done?”

“No, it’s still ongoing. That’s why we’re here.”

So Antonius told her and Blackwing, who had joined them by now, what had happened, and why it had happened.

“Wow,” Moonlight said,
“that is quite evil… especially for somepony who doesn’t really have any experience with being evil.”

“Well, I’ve seen a lot,” Antonius shrugged,
“are you going to help me and get Stormy to Canterlot?”

“Of course. A little trip to Canterlot won’t hurt.”

“Thank you. Do you have writing materials? I need to write some letters.”

Antonius was writing the ‘ransom notes’ when he turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders:

“Well, maybe we should add something to prove that I have indeed abducted you. Something personal. Any ideas?”

“How about my bow?” Apple Bloom suggested.

“Good idea,” Antonius answered, then he added with a smile:
“will you be able to live without it for a few hours?”

“That’s not a problem,” she replied and gave him her bow,
“and I’ve got more than this one.”

“Good, thanks. Sweetie Belle?”

“Hmm…” the little unicorn pondered,
“what about a strand of my mane? Rarity would know it from a hundred others that look similar to any pony but her. Plus, she will totally freak out when she gets to know that you messed with my mane.”

“Okay,” Antonius laughed and carefully cut a strand of Sweetie Belles mane where this loss wasn’t too obvious, then he turned to Scootaloo:
“now, what about you?”

“I don’t know,” Scootaloo answered,
“you can’t send my scooter.”

“What about a feather?” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“Great idea!” Apple Bloom exclaimed and forcefully removed a feather from the pegasus’ wing.

“Ow! Hey!” she protested.

“Hmm,” Antonius mumbled,
“I certainly wasn’t going to hurt you, but if you like to hurt each other…”

“What are you threatening to do to us?” Sweetie Belle wanted to know.

“Huh?”

“The last time we got fillynapped, Chrysalis threatened to hurt us should our sisters not come.”

“Well, as I said, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s just a maneuver, after all.”

“You don’t actually need to hurt us,” Apple Bloom said,
“but you should write something that’s at least bad in some way, to make it more realistic.”

“Okay… any ideas what is essentially harmless, but still somewhat ‘bad’, as you named it?”

“Oh, I have an idea,” Apple Bloom smiled.

Having written the weirdest threats he had ever encountered, Antonius finished the letters. Then, he left with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They headed towards the Everfree Forrest.

“Where are we going to hide, exactly?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I thought we might pay Zecora a visit,” Antonius replied,
“that way, it shouldn’t become too boring for you.”

“That’s a great idea! I always like visiting Zecora!”

When they arrives at the zebra’s hut, Antonius knocked.
Now he could hear some noise from the inside, and it sounded like more ponies than just Zecora were in there. Was he disturbing her? Just as he wanted to offer to leave, the door opened.

“Oh, Antonius, it’s nice to see you,
what do you want, can you give me a clue?” Zecora smiled.

“Hello, Zecora. We’re having a maneuver and I got ahold of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to lure their sisters to me. Don’t worry, it’s just a simulation. I thought we could stay here until it’s time for them to arrive, if it doesn’t cause any inconvenience.”

“Ah, yes, I have heard about your game,
but abducting fillies, aren’t you to blame?”

“They were okay with it, and I even bought threats for them!”

“You don’t have to answer to me,” Zecora laughed,
“and now come in, into my tree!”

So they entered and Antonius unexpectedly met a friend of his:

“Hello, Doctor! A pleasant surprise seeing you here.”

“It’s nice to see you, too,” Rapid Cure replied.

The good doctor was sitting at a table, a steaming mug of tea in front of him.

“I hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Antonius said.

“No, I’ve just come here to broaden my horizon a little. There’s nopony around who knows more about natural remedies than Zecora, and some knowledge of naturopathic treatments can always be useful.”

“Most certainly. How are you doing, by the way?”

“I can’t complain. What about you? How’s your game going?”

“Maneuver. I think it’s going quite well.”

“Then… shouldn’t you be out, umm… ’maneuvering’?”

“There’s still time until Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash arrive.”

“Then, how about some tea,
when at the moment you’re free?” Zecora asked.

“Yes, with pleasure.”

“Yeah!” the Crusaders agreed.