Prolouqe: Eldritch observer
Billions of years ago on planet Equis
"I have awaited you. Child." The Transcender's titanic body turned to face its creation.
"Be silent! We will not take your betrayal just like that!" The young forerunner replayed
"You were not meant to receive the mantle. And this is just proving us right."
"Enough!"
"Your kin call you blade master."
"How do you know that?!"
"I know a lot, child."
"..." The young warrior hesitated.
"Do not be afraid now, child. I know your intention. Do it."
"I'm sorry..." With a heavy heart plagued by the realization of what he was doing, the warrior pulled the trigger of his laser weapon, firing a hole through the creator's chest.
The precursor known as "the Transcender" or "the Wanderer" fell to the ground dead but not quite dead yet.
Millennia went by, and the body of the Transcender was decomposed by the plant life of Equestria. But whilst his body died, the consciousness of the precursor woven into reality stayed alive. The Transcender spent the time watching. Watching life evolve and grow. He watched and observed. He watched the rise of the Alicorn empire and their fall. The founding of Equestria and the birth of Equestria's princesses. He watched everything.
CARIBOU ARCH 2 MONTHS BEFORE FALL
"My lord?" The Caribou beastmaster Hrathr approached the young king with a respectful bow in his steps.
"Yes?" King Dainn answered, giving Hrathr a questioning stare.
"Once we reach the new land, what is your plan?"
"We will set up camp and then... Well, let's get there first."
"I trust your wisdom, my king, but shouldn't the warriors know the plan?"
"Have faith, beastmaster. I have everything planned out."
"Fine. My king." Rather, said with a sigh.
The Transcender watches everything.
CANTERLOT CASTLE 2 MONTHS BEFORE FALL
"Sister. It is late; thou shouldst go to sleep." Princess Luna, said with a concerned tone as she regarded her sister.
"No, it's okay, Luna. I just have...a feeling." Celestia answered, staring into the night from the balcony of the castle. The air was cold, and it hurt Celestia's face whenever the wind blew into her face.
"Dost thou wish to share that feeling with us?" Luna stepped out onto the balcony and wrapped a blanket over Celestia's shoulders.
"It's nothing. Just a feeling that something is going to happen." Celestia whispered, still staring out into the dark night, now together with her sister.
He watches everything. Especially when it comes to the race he favored: the ponies. He thought their peaceful nature to be endearing; he thought that maybe they could be a big help for humanity when they claim the mantle of responsibility. The Transcender hadn't intervened with this world yet, even though he could at any time, but no, he enjoyed watching the ponies progress and advance. But now that would change when, for the first time in millennia, the Transcender's voice would be heard.
"Princess of the ponies." The deep and gentle voice of the precursor halls in the mind of Princess Celestia. "Darkness is approaching. You must prepare." And with that, the voice disappeared again, leaving the alicorn in a state of fear.
In the next weeks, Celestia would spend more and more money and resources to build up and modernize the E.U.P. guard and quickly spend all of Equestria's savings, throwing the pony land into a crisis that would tear the race in two...
Chapter 1: Ancient awoken
EVERFREE FOREST 1 MONTH BEFORE FALL
"Sister? Why are we wandering into the forest again?"
"I-I, something tells me to do it."
Celestia stomps down the smaller plants under her feet as the two princesses walk through the deep green of the Everfree Forest. She didn't know why, but something told her to go deeper. Something forced her to go deeper.
As they wandered deeper and deeper into the woods, the feeling of being watched grew stronger and stronger in the presence of the night. But Celestia didn't seem to care. She
Pushed through the plant life without showing any reaction to her immediately.
"I just feel that... something or someone wants us to go here." Celestia says, trying to convince herself she is doing the right thing.
Luna stayed silent but looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow.
Hours later, the two princesses come to a strange ancient steel door. It was overgrown and covered with moss and vines. The door creaked and groaned as Celestia and Luna forced it open. Behind was a long staircase downward barely lighted by the half-broken lights on the walls. After what felt like an eternity of going down the stairs, the two came to a large corridor that ended in a large door.
"What is this place?" Luna asked more of herself than anything.
"I don't know. But I think whatever led us here wants us to go wherever that door is going."
"As you say, sister."
The door opened on its own as the princesses approached it. Inside the gigantic room was a huge number of futuristic weapons, blasters, and rifles, as well as a few sets of armor that were too large for the normal pony or royal guard to wear. Celestia gasped with surprise as she gazed at the forerunner weapon chamber. She couldn't believe all of this was hidden just beneath her sight.
"This has to be thousands of years old! How have we never found this place?" Luna asked in awe as she grabbed one of the rifles and took it off the wall.
Celestia wandered to one of the armors. There were exactly six armors, and while still being slightly too big for her, she tried to put one of them on. The armor's white plates shimmered in the little light there was, and as Celestia finished putting a shoulder guard onto her right shoulder, the armor jumped to life, and the parts started floating towards and then clinging to the alicorn princess.
"Hello, Master. I am shield. The artificial intelligence of your armor! May I know your name?" A gentle male robotic voice spoke to Celestia from inside the helmet that covered her entire head and only left some strands of her long hair exposed.
"Me? I-I am Celestia."
"Hello, Master Celestia! It is an honor to serve you! Wait a moment. I will calibrate the armor to fit comfortably!" The voice went silent again, and the armor started to shift and became tighter, wrapping itself around Celestias like another layer of skin.
"Oh. Thank you. Shield." Celestia mumbled to herself as she gazed at the armor.
"Shield? How do I take this helmet off?" Celestia asked with curiosity.
"No problem, master!" Shield replied, and the helmet fragmented, and the pieces floated at Celestia's shoulders. "Is there anything else you need assistance with?"
"No. Thank you." Celestia said before turning to her sister, who was staring at her with wide eyes and her mouth completely frozen in shock and awe.
"Sister?"
"Yes. Luna?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, Luna. I feel alright." Celestia said Looking at her armor-clad hands and arms.
"We want one too!" Luna shouted with a wide smile as she approached one of the armors. A deep blue armor with black stripes running down the plates and cyan lights along the chest piece. Luna took one of the handpieces and slid it onto her right hand, activating the armor that, just like with Celestia, bound itself to her body.
"Hello! My name is Guard! I am the artificial intelligence of your armor! May I know your name?" A feminine robotic voice said with an energetic tone as the helmet covered Luna's head.
"I am Luna!" The princess answered with joy.
"It is an honor to serve you, Luna!" The guard responded with an equal level of energeticness as the armor shifted to fit the princess's body.
"Guard. Helmet off!" Luna delightedly commanded. The armor replayed immediately, and the helmet fragmented and receded into the back of the armor.
"This is so cool!" Luna squeaked to her sister while doing small jumps and noticing it was way easier to jump and that she could jump higher.
"We have to get this back to Equestria! Whatever we are supposed to prepare for this will help massively!" Celestia said to her with a small smile forcing itself on her lips.
"Yes! Sister!" Luna replied as she took as many weapons as she could and stuck them under her arms, but she quickly realized there were far too many weapons to transport them in that way.
"Luna. I have a better idea." Celestia said as she watched her sister trying not to let one of the surprisingly light but still heavy firearms fall to the ground.
The sisters made their way back to Equestria and called the guards to the throne room. The guards all stared at the alien armor the princesses were wearing.
"Guards! We have found a ration of weaponry deep in the Everfree Forest and have found it to be helpful for our cause! I command all of you to help retrieve these weapons!" Luna speaks to the crowd, her voice still filled with childlike joy.
The retrieve operation went quickly and smoothly. The weaponry was immediately given to the guards, but the remaining armor was given to Cadance and Twilight Sparkle in order so they as well were secured by the ancient armory found deep in the Everfree Forest, hidden away for millennia.