Magic Augmentation Generator Infantry (M.A.G.I.)

Chapters

Survival's Cost
The Mournful Lover
Threnody and Cadenza
Revenant
Transition and Preparation
Upward Movement

Survival's Cost

The tower stood at the center of the city, a monument to progress. Curving gracefully upward, its sleek metal surface was inlaid with runes and sigils. For an instant, a glow flowed through the lines, causing the runes to flare. Just as suddenly, the tower returned to its original metallic sheen. At its foot, the young pony stared up at in awe.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” an older, cloaked, pony asked

“Yes!” shouted the colt in excitement, “I had heard about it, but this is my first time seeing it up clo-” He broke off suddenly, gagging.

“Is something wrong?” the mare asked, catching him.

“Y-you! You’re Spiral Nexus!”

“So I am. What of it?” she asked, stifling a chuckle.

“You’re only the most important spellcaster since Starswirl the Bearded!” he fawned.

“And my friends call me Nexxy. What’s your name?”

“L-lightray, your honor”

“So, Lightray, what are you doing here today?”

“Well, I was coming here to learn. I had heard that they were looking for candidates to train as Actuators.”

“So you want to be a warrior?” Nexus asked, looking suddenly grave.

“No. I want the opportunity to access the libraries. I want to learn, even if it means fighting on the front lines.”

“What does this place offer that you could not find elsewhere?” Nexus asked severely.

“Access to the most advanced research on formulaic magic. Possibly even being able to talk to my hero on a regular basis about it.”

Nexus’ face softened slightly at this, “And this hero. Might it be someone I know?”

“I would say so!”

She pulled a small emerald from her cloak, “In that case, I wish you luck. The candidate application deadline was yesterday, but show them this and tell then I sent you. I think we can make an exception to the rule for one as driven as you seem to be.”

“Thank you!” Lightray shouted, barely able to contain himself.

“Don’t thank me, just show me that you deserve it. Testing will be on the second floor, room 206” Nexus announced.

Suddenly, the lines on the tower started glowing again. They slowly stretched along the ground, shaping themselves into a complex array around Nexus. With a flash, she disappeared, leaving the courtyard in darkness.

An array of lines on the floor flared to life, bringing light to the otherwise dark room. At the center of the array, the cloaked figure of Spiral Nexus appeared. The crimson pony at the center of the room glanced over at her.

“Why did you meddle, Nexus?”

“His cause was worthy of attention, at least.”

“Will you meddle further?”

“Only if you try to fail him for an illegitimate reason. I gave him a chance. Let it be on his own head now.”

“You really don’t care about rules, do you?”

“I stopped caring about the rules long before you were created, Patterner. Dying might have had something to do with that.”

“And if something goes wrong because we gave him a chance?”

“Then it is on my head for giving it to him.”

The door was massive and intricately carved. It stood almost three times his height, as though it were meant for something much larger. It slowly opened, revealing a small, crowded, perfectly cubic room that was anything but elegant.

“You are Lightray?” an aging mare asked.

“That is my name, yes.”

“Then we will begin. Have a seat.”

As Lightray sat down, the mare tapped the wall, which began to glow.

“It has come to my attention that at least three of you are unfamiliar with the history of the Actuator program, so we will begin with the basics.”

An map labeled “Equestrian Territories at return of NMM”

“Roughly 400 years ago, Equestria was a peaceful, agrarian society. We were protected by two immortal soldiers, the alicorns.”

Pictures of Celestia and Luna appeared on the screen.

“Based on the surviving accounts, they were both immortal and ageless. Indeed, their physical bodies acted as limiters to their true power, which was unparalleled in both war and peace. No army ever so much as reached a mile into the kingdom. They were either reduced to ash on the wind, or sealed in prisons of absolute cold.”

A new, much smaller map appeared on the wall, labeled “Equestrian territory c. 50 RNMM”

“Roughly fifty years after Luna’s return, the pair abruptly disappeared, leaving Equestria almost defenceless. The royal guard proved completely ineffective against the aggressive dragon and griffon armies. All but two of our cities burned within a month. The only reason Equestia survived a single year was because of two figures. Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic managed to use the Elements of Harmony as an amplifier, something thought impossible. This power source was used by her brother, Shining Armor as fuel for the most powerful spell ever cast by a mortal. This spell took on the form of a massive shield over what was left of Equestrian territory.”

Abruptly, the screen blinked out and the wall split, drawing away to reveal a shining metal figure.

“Shining Armor poured his very life into the shield. It bought us almost fifty years.. In that time, we developed the first Magic Augmentation Generator Infantry, or MAGI unit, and began mass production. These machines allow sufficiently skilled pilots to fight on the same power level as a fully grown dragon. They are the front line units in our continued war for survival. Over these last hundred years, we have reconquered almost all of the original Equestrian territory. You are here because you think you have what it takes to become Actuators, the pilots of these machines.”

Lines of light etched themselves into the walls, which retracted, pulling back to reveal a massive depression in the floor. Stands rose out of the floor on either side of the depression and flood lights flared on, casting the room in an almost painful light. Doors opened along the walls, each one labeled with a letter and a number.

“Our reasoning is simple. If you want to pilot, you have to prove you are the best. there is no better way to determine who is best than to pit you against one another. You will each be assigned a MAGI unit and you will participate in a tournament. The top four will be accepted as Actuators. You will find a file under your seat. It contains your MAGI assignment and schedule for the upcoming tournament. ”

Nexus strode into the dark room, Unlike the rest of the tower, the floor was thick and transparent, allowing the occupants to look down at the arena below.

“Nexus.”

“Patterner.”

“I thought you hated MAGI. What changed?”

“I called in so many favors a minute ago that you wouldn’t believe it if told you.”

“Whatever for? You’re usually so calculating.”

“You know exactly what I did.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you are here.”

“I want to see if it was well spent.”

“I think I know the real reason you are here. It’s because you want to teach the commanders a lesson.”

“And if I you’re right?”

“By all means, go ahead. I don’t like them a whole lot more than you, after all.”

“I think that I hate you, Patterner.”

“The feeling is mutual. We should get married.”

“I’m going to make you wish you could die!” Nexus cried, eyes flaring green. The tower responded in kind, runes appearing on the walls.

"And here you had me convinced you preferred a non-violent approach."

The sound of Patterner’s screams actually reached volumes loud enough to travel through the vacuum sealed and soundproof walls, scaring a passing janitor half to death.

Glancing down at his envelope, Lightray immediately noticed a number hastily scrawled across the front.

“E-32,” he read aloud.

A nearby filly glared at him, “So. What’s your deal?”

“I don’t quite know what you mean.”

“How did you get in?”

“I walked in through the door.”

“You don’t get it. I’m from a noble house. I’m a direct descendant of Blueblood for crying out loud!” the filly cried, her voice increasing in volume, “I had to go through psychological checks, physical checks, magic checks, and an entire mountain of paperwork! I had it easy too! My status all but guaranteed me a spot and let me cut most of the application process! How in the name of the black gates of Tartarus did you just waltz in here!”

“I was told to show up here. I never even got around to applying.”

The increasingly guttural screeches of the filly drew the attention of one of the other colts, who quickly pulled Lightray off toward the arena.

“Who was that?” Lightray asked.

“That was the appropriately named Boiling Blood. Trust me, just stay well away from her.”

“What is your name?”

The colt bowed sarcastically, “I go by Iron Wing, my liege.”

Lightray then noticed the marked lack of wings on the grey pony’s back and couldn’t hold in a snicker.

“Yes. I am completely aware of my lack of any actual wings. I’m directly descended from Rainbow Dash. It’s tradition.”

“I go by Lightray.”

“Nice to meet you, Lightray. I can’t wait to thrash you in the tournament.”

Opening his envelope, he unfolded a tournament schedule, “What number are you?”

“R-23”

“In that case, we won’t be meeting up until the finals. What do you say to a friendly truce until then?”

The slate grey earth pony grinned, “Of course.”

“I’m going to go find my MAGI unit. You might want to as well. You seem to be in the first match this round.”

With a friendly nod, Iron Wing set off toward the door labeled R-23. Lightray scanned the room, but found no doors labeled with his number. Then, he spotted it. A rusted sign with what might have been an E on it. The door looked shabby and unkempt, a far cry from the rest of the facility. With a groan, it opened, releasing enough dust to send him into a coughing fit.

“It looks like this one hasn’t been used in a while,” he muttered.

The MAGI unit inside didn’t look much better than the room. It stood on three rusty legs atop a raised platform. The armor plating on the wrecked machine still showed flecks of its original color, a soft pink, but it was missing in places, exposing the full extent of the ruin. This came with the sudden realization that steel had been replaced by an alloy much less prone to corrode at least a hundred years ago.

“They expect me to win a tournament with this thing? It should be the pride of a museum!”

A/N: Preread by ambion, who was great help, as usual. Reviews and critiques are always appreciated.

The Mournful Lover

Iron Wing stared at the hulking mechanical figure before him. It’s paint looked so fresh that it might have still been drying. Thick slabs of armor covered it, gleaming a dull orange. From its back, a skeletal frame extended to either side, strongly resembling a pair of wings. A mechanic scrambled over to him, calling,

“You must be the intended pilot!”

“That would be correct. I reall-” Iron Wing started, but was quickly cut off.

“I know exactly what you’re about to ask. Why are we wasting a top of the line work of art on a mere testing tournament?”

“That would be corre-,” he answered stiffly, but was cut off again.

“The outer shell of a MAGI unit is easily and cheaply produced. We have more than thirty of these waiting in the wings. Five other possible Actuators are using the same type of machine. It is actually cheaper to build them from scratch than to repair them and you will be using a fresh unit during every match.”

“Then why are there so few Actuators accepted?” Iron Wing demanded, shocked at the apparent insanity, “I had no idea that MAGI were this expendable!”

“Power limitations. It takes a significant amount of energy to operate this kind of machine. Micro-sizing the magic generators rendered them impossible to mass produce. Using a MAGI unit anywhere outside of this tower is impossible without one. Because of their scarcity, the number of units we can field is low. We have to keep the number of pilots relatively constant to make sure that all Actuators have access to these generators.”

“One last and really important question. How in the world am I going to get this thing into the arena?”

“That would be my job,” answered the still eager technician, “You’ll want to head outside. Trust me when I say that missing Patterner’s instructions would cost you.”

A voice boomed from the direction of the door, “All Actuator candidates will now report to the arena. Round one will begin in ten minutes.”

“Go on,” The technician announced, “Your MAGI will be in place when it is needed.”

As Iron Wing stepped out of the room, he was greeted by a strange, cherry red pony. It greeted him with a nod, then spoke in a clipped and precise voice.

“My name is Patterner. I have come to give you your instructions. You will report to platform two in thirty seconds. Follow the red line, please. You will need to run.”

With a smirk, the pony vanished, leaving a glowing red line on the floor. Now panicking, Iron Wing sprinted down the line, arriving at a glowing circle etched into the smooth metal plating. Tentatively, he stepped into the circle, which began to lift into the air. As it lifted, the world went dark. A white bar blinked into existence. The white bar slowly turned red, then blinked out. Iron Wing suddenly found himself standing in front of a set of doors. Intrigued, he lifted a hoof to open the door. A metal limb slowly raised itself into the air.

“What the-” He began, but was quickly interrupted by the voice of Patterner

“Go.”

The doors slammed open, revealing a floor of sand. He felt himself flung out onto it and heard the hollow boom of the doors closing behind him.

Think, he thought, I’m in the arena. My legs seem to be metal. It’s almost like I am the MAGI. Maybe it’s responding to my movements.

Something slammed into him, sending him skidding across the sand. As he forced himself to his feet, the blow came again. Gasping as the wind was knocked out of him, he spread his wings and pulled back onto his hind legs.

Wait. I have wings now?

His opponent came suddenly into view. It was a sleek, streamlined machine. Smooth plating gave it an aerodynamic look. It lunged at him and he briefly caught sight of a pair of ribbons trailing from its back. With his newfound maneuverability, he slammed his forehooves down onto the opponent’s back. The much heavier mass of his machine bent the opponent’s armor and it withdrew.

I have to have some kind of weapon. Maybe a spear?

As he watched, one of his forehooves retracted, to be replaced by a short blade. With a screech, the blade began vibrating. In response, the hoof it had replaced started to ache. He could feel his forelimb start to go numb. The scream of the machine roared in his ears.

Is this what it feels like to be an Actuator? This power? With this kind of strength, I can’t lose!

He launched himself at this opponent, digging the blade into his opponent’s machine. One of its limbs broke off, flying into the air. Without any warning, a spike of pain flared in his side. He screamed as it dug deeper. looking down, he spotted one of the ribbons embedded in his chest. With a flash of his blade, it was severed. Reeling and delirious from the pain, he struck the enemy again and again.

What am I doing?

Chunks of armor flew past him. The scream of his blade cut deeper into his mind.

What am I doing?

There was very little left of the opponent’s MAGI at this point. It was scattered across the arena in too many pieces to count.

What am I-

As the pain in his chest became a bit more intense, the sword retracted into its housing. Glancing down at the ruined chunks covering the field, he asked himself,

Did I win?

With an abrupt flash, the world shut off.

“That was brutal.”

“Nobody is making you see this, Nexus”

“When is Lightray’s match?”

“Two rounds from now. I’m a bit curious. It looks like you pulled some more strings. I don’t recognize the model number.”

“It’s my personal MAGI unit.”

“Top of the line?”

“Original production run.”

“So you’ve given your favorite a pile of scrap that’s more than two hundred years old.”

“It’s actually more than three hundred. I want to see what he can do with it. It’s not like it could be more damaged than it already is. Its heart is broken.”

“Machines don’t have hearts to break. I should know from experience.”

With one last pull, Lightray dragged himself to the top of the rusted wreck. From within the machine, a gentle tick emerged. On the wrecked head, a light gently blinked on, flickering in time with the clicking of its machinery. The entire machine gently hummed under his feet.

“So this is the old model,” spoke a voice in his ear.

Lightray jumped in surprise, almost losing his footing. Behind him, a bright red pony floated. It had both wings and a horn.

“Startled you, didn’t I?” the floating figure asked.

“Who are you?”

“Just call me Patterner. I’m basically in complete control of this tournament.”

“Were you the one who assigned me to this machine?”

“No. You have your sponsor to thank for that.”

The horn faded from Patterner’s head and the wings vanished into nothing.

“Do you have anything useful to tell me?”

“Your match is in five minutes. I suggest that you run.”

The rest of the red pony vanished, leaving a red trail on the floor below. Suddenly, the machine started shaking. his weight proved too much for the remaining forelimb, which buckled, sending the MAGI toppling forward. He scrambled for footing as it slammed into the ground, sending him flying forward.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to the machine, then sprinted out of the room. The line led him through a long line of hallways and corridors, before terminating at a gently glowing pink circle on the floor.

A tall, muscular stallion stepped into the observation chamber.

“General,” Nexus greeted.

“What’s this I hear about you messing with my careful recruitment plan?”

“I merely added one soldier.”

“Why did you refuse my offer? If it was so important that this favorite of yours become an Actuator, he could have been given something top of the line. Perhaps even one of my prototypes. I’ve seen what you gave him. It’s trash.”

“She said she wanted to fight again.”

“You say that like the MAGI could think.”

“How do you know that she can’t?”

“You don’t mean-”

“The Mournful Lover.”

“But the last pilot of that machine went brain dead! No one can pilot it!

“I’m counting on him not being able to try.”

Stepping into the circle, Lightray initiated the boot up sequence. A white bar floated before him slowly turning red. The red bar blinked out, leaving Lightray in darkness and silence. For what seemed like an eternity, he floated alone in the void. The first note played through his head, followed slowly by another. Although he did not recognize the melody, the meaning was clear, a funeral dirge. One by one, the discordant notes washed over him, until suddenly, they were cut off.

“They’re coming!” cried a voice in terror.

His mind latched onto the sound, desperate for any feeling, even pain or fear. Slowly, the world regained color and feeling. He was soaring above a delicate tower. Long spires reached up toward him as he recognized the scenery.

“Old Canterlot,” he whispered.

In the distance, columns of smoke rose. At their sight, rage flooded through him. It flared in intensity and he realized that it was not his own.

What is this? he cried mentally, struggling to suppress the alien presence.

The dirge began to play again, growing faster and more chaotic by the second. Below him, a brilliant rainbow burst forth, sliding up the spectrum to an impossibly bright shade of violet. The feelings came again. Sorrow. Regret. Pain that was not his own, but tore at his chest like it belonged there. As a shining violet dome flung itself outward, the world faded again. A single cry of grief and anguish pursued him back into the welcoming abyss.

The music started again. This time, it carried the humm of a machine, the clatter of machinery, and pain, physical pain. His every sense screamed. The world shone with new and unknowable colors, which burned his eyes. Unearthly sounds assaulted his ears. The clicking of an ant’s mandibles echoed like a thousand booming drums. With one last burst, the world shuddered back into void.

After something so vivid, the endless blanket was both a relief and a new source of pain. Thankfully, it gave way to a new melody. Its sounds were rough and sharp, like the breaking of glass and the grinding of gears. The rage returned with the song, coursing through him in fiery spurts. Suddenly, the world resolved itself. He stood in front of a glowing purple barricade. It flickered and died.

“Charge!” came the cry. A thousand shapes blotted out the sun. Just as Lightray thought the rage could become no stronger, it flared. He could no longer resist. Thunderously, his scream of sorrow echoed out across the field. Wings spread. His horn flared with power. Scales buckled under his blow. He struck again and again, losing himself in a flurry of motion. The blows of his enemies were nothing. They were the pattering of rain against his hide. He was vengeful steel. As one last screech wrenched itself from his throat, he welcomed the cold embrace of silence and darkness.

As Iron Wing walked, his side still ached. Closer inspection thankfully showed no physical injury. Stretching, he strode back to the stands and took the nearest open seat.

“Have you been in a match yet?” the nearest filly asked.

“Yes. I was in the first one.” he answered stiffly.

“Which machine?”

“I remember that it was gold.”

“So you were the one in the Icarus model. I don’t quite understand why you were so incompetent, though.”

“Incompetent?” Iron Wing shrieked, “I was thrown into the machine without any time to figure out how it worked!”

“I suppose that might explain why you took almost three minutes to crush an obviously inferior Masamune model. You didn’t even need the vibration edge, the brute strength would have been enough. My name is Mobile Armor, by the way.”

The sound of a buzzer interrupted their conversation, and a pair of doors opened on the arena below. From one side, a heavily armored machine like the one Iron Wing had piloted strode onto the field. On the other side, a rusted hulk clattered onto the field.

Pulling back onto its hind legs, the Icarus model strode forward.

Mobile’s voice took on the tone of a connoisseur, “See how the wings stabilize it. It’s not a flight unit. The wings give full mobility to the forelimbs. Some of the latest models come with a shield to use in protecting the main body while in that kind of position.”

The wrecked machine slowly forced itself from the ground, metal groaning and screeching. A sickening crunch bore tidings of a stripped gear and one of the legs broke off entirely. The Icarus’ limb split down the middle, revealing the short vibration blade. Sickeningly easily, the screeching blade slipped into the chest of the fallen machine. Withdrawing the sword, the Icarus prepared to strike again.

Abruptly, the limb holding the blade bent. It’s joints sparked and screeched before the limb was wrenched away completely. Rusted armor on the face of the wrecked MAGI unit broke away, revealing a pair of glowing blue orbs. It opened a serrated mouth and lunged at the opponent, ignoring the cacophonous complaints from its joints. Its opponent pulled back, deploying another sword from its remaining hoof.

“What was that?” Gasped Iron Wing, “That was a stab to the chest. The pilot should be unconscious!”

“I’ve never seen this happen. That looked like telekinesis,” muttered Mobile Armor, shuddering.

Ravenously, the increasingly bestial machine tore at the ruined and discarded arm of its opponent, devouring it. With a flare of blue light, A jagged column of metal thrust itself from the center of its forehead. On its back, a wrecked chunk of metal flexed and bent, growing into the shape of a wing. New armor formed over the gaps, hiding its machinery. With impossible speed, it struck the Icarus, ripping through it like paper. Wreathed in blue fire, the machine stood over the ruined opponent.

“The Mournful Lover,” whispered Mobile Armor, “I thought it was just a legend.”

A/N: Bonus points to the person who guesses the plot twist. I thank ambion and LL for their services, which are always invaluable.

Threnody and Cadenza

Generator Tower 23, also called the Pike of Uranus, stood its lonely vigil at the northern edge of Equestria. Sleek metal plating, magically fused into one whole coated the spire, stretching almost a half mile into the air. Smooth metal abruptly ended at the peak of an equally towering mountain, whose face was scorched and torn in a thousand places, hinting at its violent past. A piece of the sky fell, its once pristine blue sheen stained by black soot. Plates of armor folded back and legs extended, dragging the machine to a shuddering halt. Within the tower, an equally blue pegasus jerked to life.

“Captain!” he gasped, clutching at his side. Behind him, a glowing green circle faded into the floor.

“What did you find, Hazel?”

“Twenty three dragons, wearing imperial armor, heading straight for us. Ten winged, twelve serpentoid and one Ryu.”

Dull resignation settled over Captain Grave Digger and he strode over to a nearby array of runes.

“Prepare to spread the generator field to the maximum extent and scramble all non-independant MAGI. Move the microscale generator to the core of the tow-” he began, before the blue pegasus interrupted him.

“No. Move it to the Haze Lord. I’m going to sortie. If even one slips by, it means famine for half of Equestria.”

“But your nerves have yet to recover! Even an Actuator of your skills can’t hope to stop a Ryu. Please! Leave it to Nidhogg.”

“Nidhogg is on the other side of the kingdom. It can’t hope to arrive for two days at least. My death is acceptable.”

As the unearthly blue light faded, Nexus smirked.

“I suppose you were wise to give him such a machine. It served him better than my prototype ever could have. If he is capable of piloting such a beast, I am willing to make him an Actuator here and now.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Why ever not?”

“Did you see what happened down there? That was the aggression and skill of an animal. He needs to learn control. Next time, give him a Masamune. Pit him against the prototype you wanted to give him.”

Patterner abruptly materialized in the center of the room. He waved at a wall and a map appeared. At the center, a tower labeled “Generator #23” was pinpointed.

“There are twenty three dragons on their way to this tower. One of them is a Ryu.”

“How many MAGI units are assigned to the tower?”

“Almost forty tower dependants and three actuators are there. One of them pilots the Haze Lord.”

“That won’t be enough. How many other generator towers are in the area?”

“Generator twenty three marks the edge of our latest acquisition. The nearest tower is twenty miles away. There is no way to get tower dependants there without a microscale generator.”

“Give them my approval. Nidhogg will be dispatched. They’ll need to hold for at least a day without it.”

“I’m nothing if not observant,” announced Iron Wing, “I saw your reaction. You recognized that thing.”

“It’s a legend among MAGI developers,” Mobile Armor answered, “I’m from one of the most prominent families. I should know.”

“What is the legend? You have to tell me!”

“Twilight Sparkle was in charge of the first development for MAGI. She created machines that we still don’t fully understand. They all bear such names as, The Haze Lord, The Crimson Core, and The Merciful End. Of these machines, only four are presently held by the republic and of those four, only The Haze Lord and The Merciful End are active.”

“So this machine was made by Twilight Sparkle?”

“Even among Twilight’s work, The Mournful Lover is legendary. It is said she built if for the last alicorn. However, it disappeared after the first battle with the dragons. The account of my great grandfather declares that the sky went dark from the masses of the enemy, and that The Mournful Lover made it rain blood. Apparently Twilight couldn’t bear the carnage and vanished with most of her machines.”

“If these machines are so powerful, why don’t we use all of the ones we possess?”

“They are almost impossible to pilot. Three Actuators have tried to take on The Crimson Core in the last two years. One is paralyzed, another dead, and the last in an asylum, babbling about his unworthiness. Gentle Touch, the pilot of The Merciful End, goes into shock every time she comes out of the thing. She usually spends the next week locked in her room, weeping. Hazel Ray, the pilot of The Haze Lord, suffers from acute nerve damage very time he goes out in it. It’s not life-threatening from what I can tell, but it is cumulative. If he doesn’t recover between sorites, it gets much worse.”

“One last question,” Iron Wing chuckled, “You know a huge amount about MAGI operations. Indeed, you know more about it than me and I read every book I could get my hands on before coming here. I’d say you’re either already an Actuator, or possibly a developer. Am I wrong?”

“Oops!” Mobile Armor giggled, almost falling off of the bench “looks like I’ve been found out. I’m really here to test my department’s prototype. I still can’t believe it. We’ve been improving the designs of our machines for almost three hundred years, but we still can’t touch Twilight’s level of performance. If you want, you can come with me to check on the pilot of that machine. I have absolutely no idea why they would give an inexperienced pilot a monster like that.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I want to meet him now.” Iron Wing cried, leaping up.

Hazel stepped forward. Before him, a strange, multi colored circle glowed.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Grave Digger pleaded, “You’re one of our most valuable Actuators. We could easily pull The Haze Lord back and get you to safety.”

“You would all die. I’m one soldier. Nothing can make my life any more valuable than yours.”

“Then you’ve forced my hand,” the captain stated, “This is a direct order. Take your machine and run.”

Hazel answered calmly, stepping into the circle, “My life has been defined by loyalty. Loyalty to my friends and family, loyalty to my country, and loyalty to my comrades. I cannot betray my fellow soldiers. Indeed, I cannot betray the innocents who I have sworn to protect. Even if it means that I die, it is worth it to save them.”

Immediately, his face became blank and unresponsive as his mind was transported elsewhere. Along the tower’s sides, hatches opened, and MAGI units emerged into the thin air. Their armor was sleek and aerodynamic, aiding them as they spiraled around the tower. At the tower’s peak, it slowly split open, allowing a single machine egress. Unlike the other machines, this one gently glowed, hovering in midair. First a sickly green, then a deep blue, and finally a violet.

Hazel opened his eyes and spread his wings. A flickering ghost of pain flowed down his limbs, but he ignored it. Gagging, he felt a tightness in his chest. The air was too thick. He couldn’t breathe. His vision felt horribly limited. Only a dozen miles were within sight, the rest obscured by the haze. Instinctively, he pushed himself off the spire of the tower, soaring higher. Eventually, the sky faded to a deeper shade of blue, then nearly black.

They don’t realize it, he thought as he came to a halt, The air is too thick down there. They live in an eternal haze with nothing to protect them and nothing to clear it away.

In the distance, a coiling shape became clear, resembling a mountain more than a living creature.

That will be the Ryu. It’s almost a mile long. I have to slay it.

He thrust himself forward, building momentum as he screamed downward. An alien presence pushed at his mind, bringing with it ambition and desire. He had to go faster. Be the best, the fastest. With an echoing crack, the sky lit up as he broke the sound barrier. From the heights of clarity, he witnessed MAGI tearing through the attacking dragons. He caught a glimpse of one of the MAGI as it was shattered, scattering uneven chunks of metal down onto the ground below.

I can see everything from up here. Escape from the pressure of the ground. Fly higher. No. I have to focus.

As he flew faster still, the sounds of the battle filtered up to his ears. Screeching metal, sickening squelches, and the crack of broken scales assaulted his senses. A limb extended, almost of its own accord, revealing a long beam saber. Clashing with another MAGI, a dragon flashed by him, barely even visible at Hazel’s velocity. The saber didn’t so much as tremble as it cut cleanly through scales, muscle and bone. Two halves of the dragon slowly crumpled to the mountainside below. Looming ever closer, the Ryu filled his vision.

Something pressed against his mind again, this time an image. Flickering flames devoured the buildings as a group of pegasi fled in terror. They were clad in blue and yellow. A burst of fire prevented him from witnessing anything further. Violet obscured his vision, bringing pain with it.

No. Not yet.

Something slammed into his side, crumpling his armor like paper. He was falling through the thick, blinding air.

Is this it? Is this all I can do for them?

To his shock, a voice answered him. Did you really mean what you said about your life being meaningless compared to all others?

Hope surged through him. Yes.

Then sing. Sing the Swan Song and burn

The words came to him of their own accord. He wasn’t sure if he screamed it, or merely thought it, but the words echoed nonetheless.

“Limiter Removal!”

Grave Digger stared down at the screen. His MAGI seemed to hold the advantage for the moment. Of twenty two minor dragons, three had fallen. For their destruction, he had seen four machines fall. However, the Ryu drew ever nearer. It floated in the skies above, a mile long coil of muscle and thick scales. His mind couldn’t quite register the size. It simply looked too massive. Then, one of the MAGI crashed into one of its coils, not even scratching the scales.

A dull boom shook the tower. As the captain watched, a rainbow burst across the sky. Three more dragons fell, taking another two MAGI with them. Stepping gingerly into the room, a yellow earth pony cleared his throat.

“Lieutenant,” Grave Digger greeted, not looking up, “I thought I ordered you to get out of here.”

“I had to give you a message first. It’s from Spiral Nexus.”

“What does she want? Doesn’t she know that we’re fighting a battle.”

“She said to warn you about the feedback filters on on the tower’s generator. You need to shut it off now.”

“Is she mad? That will destroy our defences.”

“She said it had something to do with The Haze Lord.”

“Do it.”

In the distance, he witnessed Hazel’s machine as the Ryu batted it aside. It had barely annoyed the monster, much less scratched it. Behind him, he heard Hazel mumble something, then shout it,

“Limiter Removal!”

Immediately, the glowing control circle began to shine brighter, flickering in a thousand colors like a ravenous flame. Outside, The Haze Lord underwent the same transformation, a corona of light forming around it. As the circle grew brighter still, the Lord’s beam saber grew in length and width. Prismatically glowing, it dwarfed the machine creating it.

With all the speed of a bolt of lightning, it launched itself at the Ryu, saber slicing through scales. Then, the machine screamed and fell, followed in turn by the smouldering chunks of the slain dragon. Inside the tower, Hazel gasped and jerked back to awareness. His eyes shone with the variety of a rainbow, and flames of the same hue wreathed his form.

“I did it,” he whispered, smirking, “I protected them. I’m sorry, Captain, but it looks like you won’t be able to court martial me.” His knees buckled. Only grey ash reached the floor.

Spiral Nexus jerked violently in surprise. A display over her eye flickered for an instant, then she announced to the group,

“The Haze Lord is now without an Actuator. Generator #23 has fallen.”

“How many of the dragons survived?” General Conduis-Moi demanded,

“Five. The Ryu fell in battle. Hazel died from a magic overload due to tapping the full potential of The Haze Lord. He was loyal to the end.”

“Can I ask you a personal question?” the general responded.

“If you really want to know.”

“You showed up here fifty years ago with a number of unpublished works that you attributed to Twilight Sparkle. Back in those days, I hadn’t even been born. You look exactly the same now as you did back then. You’ve just shown some kind of very tangible connection with Twilight’s machines.”

“Are you going to ask the question? I’m busy.” Nexus stated, cutting him off, “I know exactly where you’re headed with this.”

“Who or what are you?”

“The Sixth.”

Mobile Armor slammed her hooves against the wall repeatedly, shouting, “Patterner! Get out here! I know you can hear me!”

A crimson draconequus appeared behind her.

“I know you just appeared behind me, Patterner,” she announced, “I’m also reasonably sure you took the form of something I hate. I’m going to turn around now. If I don’t see you, or if you’re in an even mildly offensive form, there will be consequences.”

As she turned, the now cowering draconequus shifted into kitten. “Can’t you be a little more forgiving? Do you have any idea how dull this job is? Your nagging is almost as bad as Celestia’s.”

“I’m sure you prefer it to your old, mossy perch. At least you’re doing something.”

“What did you need? I’m very busy.”

“Take us to the pilot who won the last match.”

“Why should I?”

“Because Spiral Nexus taught me her signature disciplinary spell.”

“Just follow the line.”

After giving Mobile Armor a hand sign obscene in at least fifteen countries, Patterner vanished, leaving a red line behind.

Mobile Armor looked at it suspiciously, then demanded, “This had better be the shortest possible route.”

Blurring for an instant, the line reformed, pointing them in a completely different direction.

“Is he always that difficult to work with?” Iron Wing asked, trying to stifle a giggle.

“He loves being in a position of power, so he acts very serious when someone is under his thumb. However, I’m not, so he tries to keep as far away as he can and generally makes trouble.”

As the two turned a corner, a gentle pink glow began to light the walls. Long trails of pink runes, crept along the otherwise featureless walls. Closer examination showed each rune to actually be composed of thousands upon thousands of much smaller runes that overlapped to form a more complex whole.

“Is this normal?” Iron Wing asked, gently prodding one of the sigils.

“Do you know how formulaic magic works?”

“Not really.”

“The concept is quite basic. Magic is heavily based on the mentality of the user. Examining it scientifically bound it to a set of rational rules. Magic arrays allow non-unicorns to manipulate magic. Basically, the more complex the array, the more autonomous control it has. A simple, magic conductive circle can allow an earth pony to do telekinesis, provided they have a magic source. Another, more complex array will do telekinesis in a specifically defined way on its own.”

“So complexity equals autonomy?”

“Precisely.”

“So what does this array mean?”

Mobile Armor shuddered, carefully avoiding the glowing symbols, “I have absolutely no idea.”

Finally, the source of the light came into sight. A pale, yellow pony lay at the center of the array, gently twitching. Around him, the flat metal plates were warped and twisted, smoke curling from their edges.

Iron Wing gasped in recognition, “Lightray?”

A/N: Once again I thank LL and ambion for their assistance tweaking this chapter.

Revenant

Roughly hewn from the living stone, the benches lay in the open air, weathered by the countless rains and snows from time immemorable. Upon the benches, dragons of almost every variety sat, whispering among themselves and staring intently at the maw of a cave so massive that it made them feel minute by comparison.

After what felt like an eternity for many, an older, green dragon emerged. For a race with such longevity as the dragon, the fact that his scales had begun to grey spoke of countless centuries of wisdom. The sun slowly set, and it was only when it began to peek over the horizon that the elder finally began to speak to the gathering.

“Our great Empress Tiamat has weighed all in the balance. Equestria is flaring, burning with powers we do not, and perhaps cannot, understand. For a time, it was shielded by the deathless ones, who burned even our scales. Then, the wall of light prevented us from wiping it from our world. However, in these times, it merely fought with the desperation of a cornered rat. It held all the importance of prey, to be spared at the mercy of the hunter. It was insignificant, unimportant, and content with its mere existence.

These few hundred years have changed that. In the blink of her eye, they have changed the greatest of hunters into mere beasts to be hunted. She has given them time to change their course. In the last hundred years of grace she so generously bestowed, their ambition has only grown. They see our mercy as weakness. As of this moment, our mercy is at an end. We shall form the second Imperial army and burn these impudent equestrians to mere ash on the wind. This, Tiamat commands.”

Without warning, the pink array disappeared, leaving the hallway in darkness.

“Give me a second,” Mobile Armor said, “I’ll get some lights on.”

Flickering, a faint blue circle appeared.

“Is this the light you were talking about?” Iron wing asked.

“No. I’m still trying to find the main conduit switch.”

“Then what is that?”

“If we’re lucky, a short produced by the obvious structural damage.”

Glowing sinisterly, the circle moved toward them.

“And if we’re not?

“Then it’s the product of whatever that spell was.”

From the direction of the light, an unearthly wail burst forth, punctuated by the clatter of metal.

“Run!” Mobile Armor shouted, “Whatever that thing is, It’s not stable!”

Only a dull thud answered her. Iron Wing felt something slam into his chest. It was the blue light, which hovered mere inches from his face. With a click, the lights flared on, revealing a single purple eye staring at him from a yellow face. Around the eye, the yellow coat was stained with hints of pink.

“What happened to you, Lightray?”

Slowly, Lightray’s other eye opened, a rich and earthy brown. Gasping, he mumbled incoherently.

“Melting. Their heart is melting. The crystals are burning!”

Iron Wing silenced him with a hefty smack to the face, shouting, “Snap out of it Lightray!”

“We have to get him to Spiral Nexus. She might be able to tell us what happened.”

“On the contrary. You need to get to your match,” announced Patterner, materializing behind them.

“So you really want to keep the tournament going after this?” Mobile Armor cut in, “We’ve just discovered a relic of unimaginable importance and danger.”

“Of course. We need more Actuators. Should he choose not to go, he will be summarily dismissed from the tower.”

“Fine. I’ll go. I can trust you with the rest, Right?” Iron Wing announced, striding back toward the arena.

“Of course.”

“Spiral Nexus wants you to meet her on the observation platform. I suggest you hurry. I will move Lightray.” Patterner stated coldly.

“Give Iron Wing my new Aether, would you?” Mobile Armor announced, striding down the corridor.

“I thought you were going to pilot it yourself.”

“I’m not ready to say goodbye to him just yet.”

Dragons swooped down toward the machines on the ground, fire spilling from their jaws. Ducking behind a shield, a shining Icarus model weathered the heat. With a crack, it launched a long harpoon, skewering the scaled beast. Motors screaming in protest, it dragged the dragon down to earth, ending the fight with a swipe of its vibration edge. An instant later, it was ripped in two by a vengeful comrade of the fallen dragon.

One of the MAGI, a Murasame, slipped around the encroaching flames, depending on speed for protection. Whistling hellishly, one of its ribbons sank deeply into the chest of a dragon before withdrawing. The machine was already a distant blur as its opponent hit the ground.

“Lightning Count!” A nearby flight model called, “Thirteen hours until Nidhogg arrives. Backup machines are already en route.”

Above them, a dragon suddenly crumpled, bleeding profusely from its chest.

“Don’t waste time talking when you could be fighting,” the Murasame answered.

Screaming forward, the machine became a blur of motion. Almost seeming to fly from one point to another. As it mounted a nearby hill, the sparking remains of Generator Tower 23 came into sight. Uncontrolled magic twisted around the ruin, boiling away stone and metal.

“You don’t understand! They sent The Merciful End!” The flight model shouted, before streaking away from the battle. As it left, a glimmer of gold came into sight. With it, a few notes of music drifted across the battlefield.

And the world stopped.

Mobile Armor stepped through the door, which silently closed behind her. Glowing green runes appeared on the door, sealing it. Aside from the runes, the room was dark, lit only by the battle visible through the floor.

“Look at you,” came the voice of Spiral Nexus, “You’re so young. I’m quite envious.”

“Why did you give that relic to Lightray?”

In the darkness, a blue light blinked on.

“Because she asked me to.”

“You say that as though it can think,” Mobile Armor stated flatly.

“Don’t call your grandmother an it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Princess Mi Amore Cadanza, Empress of the Crystal Ponies, immortal alicorn, and eventually, The Mournful Lover.”

“How do you know this? There’s no possible way anyone could know!” she shouted again.

The clicking of steel on glass rang in the aftermath of Mobile Armor’s panic.

“Twilight Sparkle, Personal Student of Celestia, Second Princess of Equestria, Founder of the Equestrian Republic, Element of Magic, Developer of MAGI, The Sixth, and eventually, Spiral Nexus.”

Lights flared on, revealing a sleek machine resting in the center of the room.

“On a side note, also your great aunt.”

Mobile Armor’s eyes rolled back into her head she collapsed.

“Too much?” Twilight asked Patterner as he appeared in the center of the room.

“Definitely too much.”

Reynardine slowly flapped his wings, soaring over the crackling nexus of magical power below him.

Look at it. he thought. I don’t think they understand the implications of what they’re creating. When the tower broke, it was hot enough to melt our scales. We swim in lava. It’s only become more violent since then.

Swooping down, he struck one of the machines, breaking it into two pieces. Dull, throbbing pain came with the blow. Even a dragon couldn’t break metal without consequences. Beating the air with his wings, he dragged himself back into the sky. To his left, a fellow dragon jerked and crumpled to the ground far below.

They have to be stopped. Any race that so relentlessly pursues power must be stopped.

In the distance, a glimmer of gold broke his train of thought. As it drew nearer, an unearthly sound touched his ears. Slowly it became clearer, an eerie, wailing chorus.

Is someone singing?

Waxing louder, the source drew nearer. With a sickening crunch, he struck the ground.

When did I stop flying? What is this?

As it grew closer still, emotions started to form in his mind. First, anger shot through his veins like lava, eating at his already decaying thoughts. Though he wanted nothing more than to leap up and tear through his enemies, his body refused to move. As suddenly as it had come, the rage vanished, leaving him empty. Grief struck in the aftermath, bringing tears to his eyes. Gasping, his limbs slowly went limp. Emptiness in his heart lined his limbs with lead, paralyzing him. Finally, guilt poured into his mind on the chords of the song, carving away his hopes and righteousness and leaving him a sobbing shell. And still, the song grew louder and stronger.

Mustering what little remained of his strength, he looked up at the golden figure standing above him. Long and delicate, the machine standing over him looked impossibly out of place. Perfectly crafted golden armor plates covered the MAGI, which looked almost gentle. Delicately crafted wings gently fluttered as it strode forward with an almost angelic gait, still singing its mournful song. For a split second, he caught sight of it’s face.

Is it crying?

Then he looked into it’s eyes, and felt himself plunged into the merciful silence of oblivion.

Mobile Armor gasped and bolted upright. The first thing she saw was the metal face of Twilight.

“You’re still Twilight?”

“That would be correct.”

“And my grandmother is still a MAGI?”

“Equally correct.”

With another gasp, Mobile Armor fainted for a second time. Leaning on Twilight’s shoulder, Patterner chastised her,

“Still too much. You owe me dinner. For the record, there’s no possible way hitting the floor like that can be healthy.”

“Knock it off, Patterner.”

“I’ll double the wager that she faints again when my reveal comes around.”

“If you insist.”

“Now. Let’s talk planning.”

“The Haze Lord is on its way, We’ll wait for it to arrive, then put the plan into motion.”

“And what about The Inverse Logic? You’re not planning on letting that abomination see the light of day again, right?”

Twilight grinned.

“Right?”

Transition and Preparation

Patterner appeared in midair above the arena. Clearing his throat, he commanded the attention of the Actuator candidates below,

“Due to recent events, a position among the Actuators has opened. Earlier today, an irreplaceable MAGI known as The Haze Lord was lost just outside of our borders. Its pilot, one Hazel Ray, perished due to unknown causes at the same moment. The test will therefore be quite simple. It has since been recovered and is presently aboard Nidhogg. Whoever is successful at synching with it shall keep it, immediately becoming its Actuator.”

Murmuring broke out from the audience assembled below, but were quickly silenced by Patterner’s instruction.

“Let this be a warning to you. This machine is perilous. Since its construction, almost two hundred have attempted to pilot it. Only a quarter were successful. About ten of the failures recovered after years of intense therapy, but the majority either died or went mad. While this path is an impossibly rare shortcut, it is a shortcut that could cost you your mind or even your life. Ponies seeking to take this path are asked to please notify me when they next see me. With that said, the next match may begin.

Also, due to accusations from some ponies, coughNexuscough, that I’ve been neglecting my duties to toy with the candidates, I’ll be acting as announcer for this match.”

With a hiss, a door opened in the side of the arena and a red Icarus model strode out. Mounted to its forelimb, a smoothly contoured shield protruded.

“Our first competitor is the daughter of the President, a filly who can trace her lineage all the way back to Prince Blueblood! Let’s hear a round of applause for Boiling Blood! She is in the arena today with her custom Icarus-b, a high mobility type!”

Emerging from the opposite wall, a misshapen machine floated into the arena. It’s body was lined with thick cables, which stretched outward from the almost spherical central body. Gently glowing shards of metal tipped the cables, tearing at the air like some strange octopus.

“From the outskirts of the newly rebuilt Fillydelphia, we have a good, old-fashioned colt. If you would, please welcome Iron Wing! Due to blatant favoritism by a MAGI developer, he will be piloting the prototype Non-Equine model, Aether!”

Floating higher, the Aether launched one of the jagged shards of metal toward his opponent, cable whistling behind it.

“And Iron Wing starts on the offensive!”

Smoothly transitioning onto its hind legs, the Icarus parried the attack. However, the shield bulged and bubbled strangely as the metal scraped across it. Jettisoning the shield, it slipped closer.

“For the uninformed, the Aether is a testbed for the new HEE system. Anything that it touches it flooded with a particularly nasty form of magic. It’s more than capable of boiling metal.”

Using it’s greater mobility, the Icarus danced and spun with impossible grace, barely dodging the whiplike blows of it’s opponent. Each dodge brought it just a bit closer to its opponent. With a crack, a shard scraped against its shoulder, causing the attached forelimb to explode violently. A guttural scream followed the severed limb to the ground.

“And it looks like things might already be drawing to a close. That injury looks pretty much unbearable.”

With a gentle thump, one of the shards hit the ground, sending sand flying everywhere. From the center of the cloud, crunches and crashes emanated, interspersed with cries of pain. Chunks of glass, fused from the melting sand by the Aether’s fury, slammed into the walls. Finally, silence reigned in the arena.

“It would seem that we have a winner.” Patterner chuckled.

Slowly, it stepped out of the rapidly dispersing cloud. Long gashes and halfway melted metal littered it’s wrecked form, but it still stood tall. Impaled on its broken sword was the head of the Aether.

“And in an upset, Boiling Blood is the winner! Iron Wing is eliminated.”

As Mobile Armor sat up, groaning, Twilight began speaking, exasperation evident in her voice,

“You know, I’ve been trying to tell you about your grand quest for the past hour. And what do you do? You faint. Not just once, either. Oh no. You did it almost ten times. Could you at least make up your mind? Are you going to go mad from the revelation, or just get over it already?”

“Now, now,” Patterner interrupted, “Driving ponies mad isn’t something you should be doing. That’s my job.”

“I think I’m ready now,” Mobile Armor mumbled, sounding anything but. Rather than trying to get up, she simply rolled over onto her back, staring blearily at Twilight’s metal face.

“Are you sure you’re not going to go unconscious again? Last time, I was halfway through telling you when you fainted again.”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“Then let me begin.” Twilight tapped the floor, green runes radiating outward. They coalesced into a screen, which floated gently in mid-air.

“Over the last few weeks, Equestria has been suffering from an attrition within our forces. no less than ten generator towers have fallen, most recently Tower 23, The Pike of Uranus.”

Flickering gently, an image of the broken tower appeared on the screen. Raw magic still poured out of it. Most of the stone had burned away, leaving the ruin precariously balanced on a thin column of stone.

“We cannot endure this kind of punishment forever. Tiamat seems determined to destroy us, and there is very little we can do to stop it. Your quest is quite simple. Celestia and Luna are hidden somewhere outside of Equestria. You have to find them.”

Mobile Armor slowly got to her feet, then asked a pointed question, “Did you really have to mess with my perception of reality like that just to send me off on a quest like this?”

“Yes. My reasons are simple. I am sending The Haze Lord, The Mournful Lover, and The Inverse Logic with you. Listen carefully. I’m only going to give you these instructions once. First travel down the mountain to Ponyville. On Moon Street, you will find a shop, The Cosmos’ Requiem. Tell the owner I sent you and he will give you the tools and supplies you will need. You’ll need to convince the army that you’re going to fight for them, so head for the front lines. Once all three machines are ready, Nidhogg will shut off for one minute. Use that minute to escape. After that, you’re on your own. Do you accept this mission?”

“Stop being so serious, Twiley,” Patterner interrupted, chuckling, “You make it sound like it’s impossibly urgent.”

“Don’t call me Twiley. Only my brother gets to call me that. It’s bad enough that you got everyone calling me Nexxy.”

“I’ll go,” Mobile Armor announced, slowly striding toward the door, “Any further instructions?”

“You’ll need the pilots of the two MAGI that are to accompany you. Patterner will see to getting you your machine ready. This mission is not a secret. Tell your companions. Try not to let the army learn about it, though. They won’t be happy about losing three of my machines.”

With a dull boom, the door closed behind Mobile Armor, leaving the pair alone.

“You don’t really think they’ll find them.” Patterner stated.

“Of course not.” Twilight answered, slowly donning the guise of Spiral Nexus, “They’re really looking for something else. It’s nothing that you would understand. Suffice it to say that if they knew what they were looking for, they would never find it.”

“And what if, by some strange chance, they find the two alicorns?”

“That’s impossible. I was there when they died.”

Iron Wing’s every sense screamed at him, burning in the aftermath of his defeat.

“So. How did dying treat you?” Patterner whispered into his ear.

“How do you manage to always be around when I’m at my worst?”

“It’s one of the perks of not having a physical body. I can pester anyone all day, every day. But let’s get down to business. Do you want to try piloting The Haze Lord? If not, I’ll see you out of the tower.”

“I’ll pilot it.”

“How about a bet?”

“What would it be?”

“If you pilot it, you win.”

“Sounds good. From what I understand, if I fail, I won’t need trifling things like money.”

“Very straightforward. I appreciate it. You remind me of Luna. I always loved her way of pretending red tape didn’t exist. She would always ignore my riddles and cut right to the chase. I never could quite stop her.”

As he rambled, Patterner’s form blurred and shifted, slowly settling on the shape of a crimson draconequus.

“Are you finished?” Iron Wing asked, stepping back into the circle.

“Yes. For what it it’s worth, I hope you come back alive.”

With a flash of blue, Iron Wing went limp.

He opened his eyes and found himself standing at the center of a bloody battlefield. Broken bodies were strewn across the landscape. In the sky, gouts of flame heralded the fury of an angry dragon. Examining it more closely, he witnessed a chilling sight. An entire city, floating on a cloud, was under siege. At least as much as such a massacre could be called a siege. Screaming pegasi struggled to escape attacking griffons, only to be mercilessly dispatched. Others scrambled to hide within the crumbling city, only to have their hiding places exposed by the brutal blows of the hungry dragon. Shuddering, he ran for the nearest building with any semblance of structure left, hoping to go unnoticed by the battle above.

“Where am I? I wasn’t aware of any floating cities,” he wondered aloud.

“The fall of Cloudsdale. It was the single most bloody battle in Equestrian History,” a voice announced from above. Though unable to distinguish details, he could make out a pony attached to the ceiling by thick chains.

“How did I get here?”

“You wanted power, I would assume. You will be given two chances to give up.”

“Give up on what?”

The roar of a dragon interrupted him.

“There is an innocent out there. He will die soon. Will you prevent it?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“Because it is right.”

“So you are loyal to morality? What about your own life?”

“There’s no time!” Iron Wing shouted, rushing out of the ruined house.

He found himself back where he started.

“Why are you so desperate?”

“You told me that someone is about to die!”

“But what does one more death matter. You would probably die yourself. One loss is better than two.”

Iron Wing bolted again, finding himself back in the room, staring at the dangling pony.

“Why are you so desperate? Why do you insist on throwing your life away?”

“Because nobody’s life is worth less than my own.” he stated, fleeing the room one final time.

He emerged just in time to see a dragon let loose a tongue of white-hot flame, almost striking another lost pony in the desolation. Without so much as thinking, he seized a spear and charged toward the dragon., only to break the shaft on the dragon’s hide. Looping around, the beast prepared to unleash his molten fury.

“Run!” he shouted at the startled pony.

Gritting his teeth, he waited for the searing heat, only to see the dragon dissolve into nothing.

The chained pony hung in the air before him again.

“The path you wish to follow will lead you to places worse than this. It may even demand your life. Are you sure you wish to proceed? Now is the time to turn back. If you do not, you will die.”

“I must.”

“Then do so with my blessing.”

Lightray groaned, forcing himself to open his eyes. Throbbing pain shot through his head. Examining the room, he realized that he was in a medical center. Beds lined the walls, completely unoccupied. From his right, a voice spoke,

“Can you see me?”

Hoarsely, his voice grated forth, bringing a stabbing pain with it, “No.”

“Interesting,” the voice commented, “Apparently you can’t see out of that eye.”

Panic shot through his limbs, showing itself even more in his voice, “What do you mean?”

Slowly, a nurse stepped into sight. Her age was apparent from a white mane and deep wrinkles, “I mean that whatever happened back there is unprecedented. When they carted you in here, I saw something new,” Slowly, she lifted a mirror, allowing Lightray to stare into his mismatched eyes.

“What happened to me?”

“Patterner showed up with you about five hours ago. According to him, you were piloting a MAGI. I don’t kn-”

The rest of her statement was cut off by something stirring in the back of his mind. Before he could stop himself, the words came out, “The Mournful Lover.”

“Is something wrong?” the nurse asked, alarm apparent on her face.

Still entranced, he mumbled again, “It was The Mournful Lover.”

With a click, a door opened, revealing the eternally cloaked form of Spiral Nexus.

“What is his condition?” she asked.

“Outside of being blind in one eye, nothing seems to be wrong.”

“Then you may go.”

“But-” began the nurse, stepping forward in alarm.

“You may go.” Nexus pressed.

“No!” The nurse shouted, stepping between Nexus and the bed. A circle of green runes sent her flying from the room.

“Now. We’re alone. You have questions. I have answers.”

Comically spinning, Patterner appeared in the air above her, “Stop being so serious.”

“What happened to me?” Lightray demanded, ignoring the distraction.

“The machine you were graced with is probably the most powerful MAGI ever constructed. She is not kind. Indeed, She demands a price. However, despite Her demands, She is powerless to take from you what has not been given freely. She asked for sight and you gave it to her without thinking. I only wish that was the limit of what you gave. You are bound to The Mournful Lover until your dying day.”

“If it was so dangerous, why was I given such a gift?”

“A number of reasons. First and foremost, it was a test. If you survived, if She wanted you, your dream would have been fulfilled instantly. A machine of Her caliber is impossible to pilot by anyone who has not been chosen by Her. Simply because of your ability to become Her Actuator, you would have been accepted into the army without question and given remarkable autonomy.”

“I sense a but,” Lightray said impassively.

“We have a smart one this time!” Patterner shouted gleefully.

“Because of events beyond anyone’s control, I have been forced to advance a plan I was not ready to carry through. Your condition is not irreversible. I’m ready to offer you a bribe.”

“What would that bribe be?”

“I am about to send a group out on an impossible mission. I wish you to join them. Help them however you can. However, your goal is very different. When they finally give up, your true mission will begin. Your task is to bring them and any companions they may gather back here, alive. When you return, I will free you from Her encroachment. Do you accept your task?”

“Of course.”

Patterner stopped spinning, shouting, “Blast it! I thought he’d faint at least once!”

“Pay up,” Nexus chuckled, catching Patterner’s grudgingly thrown coins, “Your companions should arrive sometime today. Be prepared to leave tomorrow morning.” Nodding at Patterner, she asked, “I can trust you with the rest?”

“Of course.”

As Nexus exited the sick bay, the general stood waiting. Chuckling, he gestured to a pair of guards, who slammed Nexus into a wall.

“I can’t prove anything, but I think I know who you are. What I can prove, however, is your treason.”

“Then tell me,” Nexus answered, surprisingly calm considering the spears leveled at her, “What treason?”

“You have undermined my authority on at least three counts, withheld information from us essential to the war effort, and are now plotting something potentially disastrous to Equestria. Anything but the words ‘I surrender’ will be taken as hostility. Any hint of magic, and the guards will run you through. ”

“It would seem that it’s time to remove myself from play. I bet you thought you were checkmating me.” A spear cut through the air toward her throat, “Your opponent is one of the greatest machines built by Twilight. The Sixth.”

With a sickening crunch, the spears embedded themselves in her body, revealing delicate magical arrays. At the machine’s core, a massive, star-shaped amethyst gently glowed. Nexus burst into laughter.

“You win, General. I will leave play for a few centuries. However, you have ultimately lost. I already achieved my goals, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Green runes slowly appeared on the floor, changing into continuous lines of violet. Piece by piece, the machine broke down, converting itself into more of the violet light, which quickly faded into the floor.

“What just happened?” one of the guards asked, “That wasn’t normal.”

“We underestimated our opponent.”

“Sir!” shouted another guard as he ran into sight, “The magic jammers you ordered set up!”

“What about them?”

“They’re all ruined. The word ‘Checkmate’ is burned into them.”

The general blanched, shuddering with pure fury.

“I will find you, Nexus,” he whispered, “And I will drag you back here. And I will make you regret ever daring to toy with me.”

Mobile Armor stood on the platform as it slowly spiraled down into the bowels of the tower. Suddenly, the shaft opened up. Almost forty feet away, she could see the opposite wall of the cylindrical hollow. Every so often, a set of doors would flash by, some larger to accommodate MAGI, while others were obviously intended for more organic inhabitants.

Suddenly, the wall gave way to a smooth glass front, allowing Mobile Armor to examine the proceedings behind it. At various points along the massive room, magic arrays were laid out. The center of each slowly extruded smooth metal. Other machines quickly assembled the parts. An entire Icarus model MAGI was created from nothing in the time it took her to pass the room.

Slowly, Patterner materialized on the platform.

“Things have started going downhill,” he announced, almost mournfully.

“Are you being serious or silly?” Mobile Armor asked, not sure if she believed him.

“I mean that I will soon have no choice in the matter. Nexus is gone. She was usually the only one who put up with my antics.”

With a shudder, the platform stopped before a featureless section of the wall. A set of violet runes etched themselves into the smooth plating, revealing a hidden door. Patterner placed himself between Mobile Armor and the door, uncharacteristically foreboding words spilling forth.

“I would like your attention for a moment. The machine behind this door was sealed for a very, very good reason. It was once part of a greater being, one who broke free of His shackles near the end of the war three hundred and fifty years ago. He was thrown down and bound again, but fear had been seeded in the hearts of the ponies who locked Him away. They lacked a successor, and war was looming once again, assuring His freedom within a few years.

Thus, out of desperation, they tore his mind from his body and banished it into an inescapable prison. However, his body proved uncontrollable and lashed out instinctively. After years of struggle, they finally managed to shackle it’s power to their will, but in doing so, they lost one of their number. In the end, the beast of madness was ruled by humor. Even as they controlled Him, He devoured Laughter, dragging it with Him in His final defeat. That is the power that lies behind this door. Insanity and Euphoria. The Inverse Logic. I’ll ask you this one time, are you sure that you want this door opened? You may never be able to close it.”

“You said that my aunt is gone?”

“That would be correct.”

“Then I will not allow her planning to go to waste.”

Stepping through Patterner’s unreal body, she shoved open the door and stepped into the darkness.

“I’ll see to setting the stage,” Patterner called after her, dissolving into red mist.

Slowly, he re-materialized before the face of the general.

“I was wondering when you would show up.”

“I have important news for you.”

“What is it?”

“Nexus let me in on a piece of her plan. She dug up two of Twilight’s creations.”

“Two?”

“The Inverse Logic was buried near the foot of the tower. As of now, it has an Actuator.”

“What did she plan to do with the MAGI?”

“Restore the kingdom.”

“And you have some way to thwart it?”

“Use what you have been given. Send them to the front lines. With four of Twilight’s monsters, no army would ever be able to break through. We could go on a true offensive for the first time in months.”

“And you have no regrets about betraying her?”

“None,” he announced truthfully. In his mind, the thought echoed, Because I would never betray her.

A/N: Sorry for the considerably heavier chapter. It'll get lighter next installment, I promise.

Upward Movement

Patterner nervously floated around the hallway as General Conduis-Moi battered him with questions.

“Do you have the names of the Actuators she was going to enlist?” he demanded, rounding off another set of questions.

“Lightray, Mobile Armor, and Iron Wing. I wouldn’t blame them, though. At this point, she had limited her influence to pointing them to their machines. They had no idea of her plans, nor had she given them any orders.”

“I see. Then nothing is stopping us from using what we have been so graciously given.”

“If I might ask, sir,” Patterner began, “I would appreciate some time off after this.”

“How long do you want?”

“All of yesterday.”

“You want this incident to have never happened.”

“That is correct sir.”

“Then you ask for what is already done. Prepare the trio for immediate departure, then make yourself scarce for at least a week. You are dismissed.”

Lightray slowly forced himself to stand, stumbling out of bed. The voice of Patterner whispered into his ear, “This is the last time we will speak to each other, so pay attention.”

Jumping from surprise, he backed away from the cherry red chimera that floated in midair..

“I’m supposed to tell you to go to Platform 42 for immediate departure. The rest of your team will be waiting there for you. Nexus has gone and so I will follow. Goodbye, Lightray.” With a snap of his fingers, he faded into a red mist, leaving a red line for Lightray to follow.

He groggily followed the line, trying and failing to remember what had happened the previous day. Stumbling along in silence, he finally came upon a window. In the distance, the sun hung low in the sky. Something shifted at the edge of his mind. It was as though he was looking at something horribly and blatantly wrong, but he couldn’t quite grasp what. The streets of Canterlot stretched out along the mountain, just as they always had. Suddenly, he realized. The sun wasn’t moving.

He quickly corrected himself, however, Of course the sun isn’t moving. It never moves.

Shuddering, he hurriedly followed the line along the hallways. As he strode, recent events slowly started to return. He immediately wished to forget them again. Almost an hour passed as he walked through the deserted hallways, before he finally and abruptly emerged into a crowded chamber. At one end, a wide staircase led up to the streets of Canterlot, as the large sign would suggest. The other broke into a number of smaller hallways, each one labeled with a set of glowing runes.

How did I end up here? he wondered. This is the Canterlot Transportation Hub.

Turning, he found the path back into the tower blocked by a smooth marble wall. With no other options, he followed the line to its destination, an archway labeled, “HSC Platform 42” As he stepped through it, a faint vibration ran through the floor. The archway had sealed behind him.

At the end of the hallway, two ponies waited for him. One of them, a slate grey earth pony, he recognized as Iron Wing, the other was a violet pegasus. Neither looked particularly aware of his presence. In fact, they both stood listless and glassy eyed.

Feeling obligated, he broke the silence, “So, you’re the team Nexus told me about?”

The pegasus jerked back to awareness. Catching sight of his mismatched eyes, she addressed him. “You’re the pilot of The Mournful Lover.” It wasn’t a question.

“Let’s get the introductions out of the way,” Iron Wing stated, “As you should both know already, my name is Iron Wing. I now pilot The Haze Lord.”

“My name is Lightray. You know what I pilot.”

“I’m Mobile Armor,” she began, before collapsing.

“What’s wrong?” Iron Wing demanded, crouching to look at her shuddering form.

Her twitches gave way to full bodied laughter, “Just look at us,” she gasped, “We’re hilarious. Think for a second. It’s been less than twenty four hours since we entered that building. In an instant, I went from MAGI engineer to the rarest breed of MAGI pilot. I’m sure we share many aspects of this story.”

“You’re right,” Lightray added, beginning to grasp the absurdity of his position.

With a gentle hiss, a part of the wall slid away, revealing a small capsule, obviously built for four. Iron Wing helped Mobile Armor to her feet and they entered the machine.

Taking her seat, Mobile Armor began to exposit, “I’m assuming that none of you understand our mission, so I’ll lay it out as simply as I can. We’re being sent out of Equestria in order to find Luna and Celestia. The hope is to bring them back and put an end to this war. It’s a very simple mission, even if it seems impossible.”

“So we can add ‘Chosen Heroes’ to the list of absurdities,” Lightray joked.

“Perhaps we should introduce ourselves a bit more thoroughly, if we are to be working together. I would certainly like to know more about my comrades.”

“All right then,” Lightray announced, “I’ll start. I was born on a small farm, just south of the Crystal Wastes. I grew up at the edge of Equestrian territory, albeit the more stable edge. Our town was rugged and built for war. Unearthly monsters are the only remaining inhabitants of the wretched Crystal Empire. They’re as sharp and uncaring as the broken glass that makes up their bodies. Needless to say, I learned to use a mace at a very young age. Life was hard but manageable. My father would take me on excursions into the Wastes to recover some of the books from the Empire’s library. I eventually became an oddity. A scholar in a discipline lost for so long that it was rendered obsolete. One day, an Actuator landed outside our settlement. He told me about the wonders of Canterlot, and the privileges of an Actuator. So I arrived here yesterday, intent on securing a route to continue my research. Someday I’ll return home with the knowledge I need to deal with those monsters once and for all.”

“That’s an interesting history,” replied Iron Wing, “Not just anyone can survive the attacks of a crystal revenant. I look forward to working with you. My own story is nothing so grand. I grew up in the industrial and logistical capital of Equestria, Ponyville. Born into House Chroma, I was expected to continue the family business. Unfortunately, weather control is not something an earth pony can do. Thankfully, my family understood and did their best to help me find another interest. For a few years, I was allowed to work on the paperwork. Eventually, I discovered a love of flight. I heard that Actuators spend a great deal of time in the air, so I attempted to become one. My family was very supportive. They pulled some strings to help me get accepted for testing.”

“Rather than expositing for a ridiculous length, I’ll just say this. I grew up in House Eclipse. House Sanguine had been trying to wipe us out for years. After all, we’re the only other noble house that can trace its ancestry back to an alicorn princess. Only timely intervention from Spiral Nexus prevented my assassination. Now that I’m aware of my relation to her, I suspect that there was an ulterior motive. It was clear to me then that I had to look for a lower profile position if I wanted a quiet life, so I renounced my rights as a member of a noble house and went to study under Nexus. As long as I don’t make any attempt to reclaim my old position, I should be reasonably safe.”

“I’ll go ahead and add ‘motley crew’ and ‘quirky’ to the list,” Lightray chuckled, “We really are quite cliche.”

A smooth, mechanical voice announced, “Arrival in Central Ponyville, Platform 372B, in one minutes.”

“We’ll be getting off here.” Mobile Armor stated, “You know the city, Iron Wing, I’ll be counting on you to help guide us.”

“Of course. May I ask where we are headed?”

“We’ll be traveling to Moon Street, wherever that is.”

“That’ll be in the lower levels somewhere. The higher levels only have numbers. We can stop by my home. Mum will be overjoyed that I befriended someone from House Eclipse.”

Silently, the doors opened, revealing a smooth metal corridor. At the end, a guard stood stiffly. As they approached, he presented a set of badges. “You’re the new A class Actuators, correct?”

“That would be correct,” Mobile Armor answered.

“Then you will need your identification badges. You’re expected to report for transport to Nidhogg within twenty four hours. Please report to Runway 15 when you are ready.” Bowing deeply, the guard stepped to one side, allowing them to exit into the crowded center of transportation.

A shrine to the art of logistics, the building stretched on as far as the eye could see. Ponies walked, climbed and occasionally scrambled through vast hallways and cavernous chambers. Thankfully, a map of the facility was readily available. It detailed hundreds of different transport routes, each one labeled with a means of transport and departure time. With a flicker of runes, the map shifted, showing another floor of the vast hub.

“And this is why Ponyville is the heart of the Republic!” Iron Wing shouted over the din, “Ninety percent of all goods travel through this building on the way to the edges of the empire! Stay close to me! If you get lost, there’s no way we would be able to find you again!”

The pair nodded and followed him upward. Each floor was in the shape of a ring. At the edges and center, stairs allowed upward movement.

“So, what’s this about houses?” Lightray asked Mobile Armor

“I had almost forgotten, you grew up on the outskirts. Here’s a history lesson; my great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Princess Cadence, was left behind when Celestia and Luna disappeared. Unfortunately, something had happened to her. She was irrational, dangerous and certainly unfit to rule. A week later, she vanished just as mysteriously as the other two. Documents were recovered that left the ruined kingdom in the hooves of Twilight Sparkle, my equivalently great aunt.

However, she was unwilling to leave an absolute monarchy in the hooves of a mortal, not even herself. She attempted to create a republic, but was opposed by the various nobility. Not wanting a civil war, she established a relatively simple system. Laws are approved by two groups. One is composed of the leaders of the various Noble Houses, and one is elected by the population as a whole. Most of the Noble Houses were actually established by Twilight. For example, my family, House Eclipse, was defined as the descendants of Princess Cadence. Ironically, a Noble House was forced upon her, only to have her disappear, leaving no heirs. It’s known as House Phantom, and the seat is still held for her as a gesture of reverence.

Because of their clout in politics, Noble Houses tend to have significant economic power as well. How concentrated this power is varies a lot. For example, House Sanguine is a total of three members. The head of the family, his wife, and his heir. House Chroma, the descendants of Rainbow Dash, are more than a thousand in number and hold elections to determine who will represent their interests.”

Further exposition was interrupted by Iron Wing’s frantic shouts, “Pay attention! I almost lost you!”

As they traveled further and further up, the crowds slowly started to thin, and the halls to narrow, until they finally emerged into a deserted floor.

“We’re heading up to the roof,” Iron Wing announced, “I’ll be able to arrange transport from there. I really hope you’re not afraid of heights. Have either of you been in Ponyville before?”

“I got lost here on my way to Canterlot, but I never saw the city itself.” Lightray admitted sheepishly.

“I never had the chance. I was either too busy working, or trying to not get assassinated.”

“Then you two are in for a treat.”

Whipping out a small keycard, he touched it up against a plate on the wall. With a hiss, a side passage opened and light poured into the room. Stepping out, Iron Wing beckoned.

“Welcome to the tiny, backwater town of Ponyville.”