Chapter One: The beginning of the end
The Conversion Bureau: Before they came
By Da Bunnana King
Thanks to Aegis and his idea, love ya man… no homo
Chapter One: The beginning of the end
= = = = =
Princess Celestia paced back and forth in her throne room as she tried to stay calm even though everypony could see she was distraught. Her hooves made a clip clop noise as she moved on the marble floors and even on the crimson carpet that divided the room. Her throne room was largely rectangular with marble floor and thick large marble columns supporting the roof. Her large throne was elevated off the floor that had the crimson leading up to the golden throne; that had a large crimson cushion in the middle covering the seat.
“Your highness,” said her one of her royal guards, “I think you should sit down, pacing back and forth doesn’t seem to be doing you any good.”
She sighed and trotted over to the window and gazed out of the sunset that she had set in motion earlier. A slight breeze blew through the throne room nearly sending a chill up her spine. The air around her seemed electrified and even the land she protected felt uneasy and unnatural to her.
“I know, but our worlds are going to clash and Equestria is going to be affected worse than when Discord ruled,” she said in a melancholy voice as the guard pony flanked her.
“Your highness, I’m sure that your divisions are going to be for the better of Equestria. You have kept peace for more than a thousand years now and with the return of your sister Equeastria is experiencing a time of peace,” he said again as he attempted to calm the ancient ailcorn.
“I know, but once we step over the threshold of the new world. We can never go back to the Equestria we know of,” she said as if she had already been defeated.
“Your majesty,” said another guard pony who was accompanied by a unicorn in a long purple flowing robe, “Moon Dancer is here.”
“Thank you,” she said as she nodded to the kneeling guard.
“Rise Moon Dancer, and thank you for coming in such a hurry,” Celestia said as the robed unicorn rose.
“You should also try and not hide in that robe,” she said once again as she took the hood off Moon Dancer with her magic, “You have a very pretty face, and you’re never going to meet a nice stallion if you hide a face like that.”
“But it’s tradition that all unicorn mages wear the robes,” she near on whined as the hood was removed. She had a long flowing silvery mane with a stripe of white going through it, that complimented her sea foam green coat and the horn that poked through the heavily styled mane.
“I know, but I think you can break tradition once,” she said as Moon Dancer knew that when a Princess summons you its important. Right now the Princess seemed to be dodging the reason as to the summons.
“Princess,” Moon Dancer began, “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but why did you summon me and make sure I was given a royal escort by your elite guards?”
Celesita sighed and walked in front of a large mural depicting the two sisters raising the moon and setting of the sun. Moon Dancer followed her and stood next to the Princess.
“Moon Dancer a great change is about to come to Equestira. A change that I can’t predict let alone control,” she began, “But I do know that we can observe this new world through the cracks in the magical barrier that seems to be dividing us, but I think we can do one better. I think we could send somepony through to see what is really in this new world.”
“But your highness,” interjected Moon Dancer, “How do we know if they are friendly or not?”
“We don’t know, that is why I summoned you,” she said as she turned to the almost scared unicorn, “You have the most experience with observing the stars beyond my sister Luna’s control. I believe that you can peer beyond the veil of this barrier to see the new world.”
“But your highness,” Moon Dancer interjected once more, “I’m just a simple mage from your school who gazes at the stars. I can’t possibly look into a different realm besides Equestria; even looking beyond Luna’s night sky is hard for me! How can I possibly handle another world?!”
“Moon Dancer,” Celestia said as she placed one of her large wings upon her, to calm the panicking unicorn.
“I have full faith in you. You’re a very smart mare, if you can look beyond my sister’s night, then I believe that you can do anything,” cooed Celestia as the panicking unicorn seemed to calm down.
“But what am I to do?” she asked as she looked up her ruler hoping for the next move she was to make.
“I really don’t know, but I can have Captain Steel Wing escort you to the closest rift that the Runic Order has discovered,” she said as she retracted her wing.
As she finished her sentence a regal looking pegasus guard trotted in. He wasn’t wearing the same royal garb like Celestia’s personal guard but a more dull silver armor fitted with blades at the end of each hoof and a large curved blade where the crest of the helm would be.
“Ma’am,” he spoke in a deep voice that reverberated through the room, “You summoned me.”
“Thank you very much Captain for coming here so quickly,” she said as she nodded to the captain.
“Ma’am with all due respect, being called away from the border of Equestria and the Forest’s of the Timeless Arrow,” he said in a almost grimace tone of voice, “So it has to be as you said ‘a bigger danger to Equestira than Discord himself.”
“It is Captain, I need you to protect this filly. I want her under your guard twenty four seven, and no harm must come to her. Is that understood?” asked Celestia aggravated by the Captain’s response.
“Yes ma’am,” he said saluting and turning his stone cold gaze towards the scarred young mare.
He trotted up to her as she almost hid behind Celestia’s hind legs in fear of him. He towered over the small unicorn, but she could already see his coat underneath the metal that made up his armor.
His eyes were a sage green and his coat was a dusty charcoal black, even his tail was a mix of charcoal and a dark grey. It was hard to tell if it was the magic that the armors were supposedly enchanted with or if it were his coat color.
“Moon Dancer don’t be afraid of him, he doesn’t bite,” joked Celestia as she nudged the freighted mare towards the towering stallion.
“Don’t worry ma’am, I’ll keep you safe,” said Steel as he winked at Moon Dancer, “But I am to believe I am to escort you to the tunnels beneath Canterlot to the source of the null-magic?”
“That is correct Steel, now if you could please escort her in a hurry. I have many a plan to make with the Council of Elder Unicorns and with the Griffon dignitaries,” she said as she began to walk off to her throne.
“I’ll see to it ma’am,” replied Steel as he herded Moon Dancer towards the exit.
= = = = =
Moon Dancer followed the captain down a long and darkened corridor underneath the castle. The tunnels were old and smelt dank; the walls were covered in moss and the stones that made the walls were cracked and a more earthish brown color than a light grey color.
Everything in the tunnels also felt to drain her magical powers, as each step made her feel slightly weaker and the tiniest bit lethargic.
“How much longer until we are at the rift Mister Steel?” asked a curious Moon Dancer.
“Should be around this corner and down the staircase… they say we’ll know when we’re there,” he replied back as the arrived at a spiraling staircase.
She nodded as they both descended down the darkened staircase, until they began to approach a large bright light. Once they passed over the threshold of the light they emerged into a massive bright room. The room was massive in size and dwarfed the ponies that worked in it. In the middle of the room stood a large monolithic structure that suspended a large glowing orb that shifted in color and brightness.
“Wow,” Moon Dancer said in pure awe of the rift in time and space.
“No kidding,” Steel said as they both approached two unicorn guards flanked by a large Earth pony guard.
“Officer on deck!” cried one of the unicorn guards as they all saluted the approaching Captain.
“At easy gentlecolts,” replied Steel as he returned the salute, “Now who is in charge here?”
“That would be Head Scribe Ink sir,” the unicorn replied.
“Thank you, where can I find him?” asked Steel as Moon Dancer was still in awe of the size of the room.
“He is usually in front of the rift, if not on the main floor. He is the one wearing the blue robes and has the onyx tail and mane,” he replied as Steel nodded in acknowledgment.
“Thanks, come on Moon. I’ve been told to guard you and so far it’s been easy, lets just get to the site so I can get some rest,” he grunted as he tugged lightly on Moon Dancer’s tail to get her moving once again.
“Hey ouch! Be gentle,” she cried out as she caught up to Steel, “I thought Princess Celestia told you to keep me out of harms way.”
“I promised the Princess to keep you safe, and I think that we have a lot more at stake riding on this besides your tail getting pulled,” he said as the continued down the stairs.
= = = = =
The small congregation of ponies were in front of the pulsing orb were either exchanging notes or observing into the ever changing orb before them.
“So which one is Ink?” asked Moon Dancer as she walked with Captain Steel.
“I’ll just call out his name and who ever looks back it’s the Head Scribe,” joked Steel back as Moon Dancer let out a quiet giggle.
“I didn’t imagine you to have a funny bone in you,” she joked back.
“Heh, yeah. My old Captain Cloudhammer used to always be the pony with a stick in his rump but he still had a funny side to him underneath all that strictness,” he said as he reminisced all the times he and Cloudhammer had ever joked with each other. An astounding ten times before they went their separate ways.
“Wait, isn’t Cloudhammer that really strict Royal Guard that trains all the new pegasus recruits?” asked Moon Dancer.
“Yes, how did you know?” replied Steel as the began up a small wooden rampart towards the orb.
“My late brother used to be in the guard,” she said as her mood slightly dropped, “But from what Cloudhammer said at his funeral, I think he went down with a fight and saved the rest of his squad.”
“Oh,” said Steel as his ears flattened against his head, “I didn’t know-,”
“It’s alright,” she said as a lone tear slid of her muzzle, “I’ve made my peace and I still think he is watching over me from the clouds.”
“Guah!” cried a strange looking grey and onyx unicorn, “Who said we needed more hooves proding the giant death ball?!”
“I presume you are the Head Scribe?” asked Moon Dancer as the unicorn walked up to them.
He was a scrawny unicorn with a pair of reading glasses that hung off his horn; almost balancing on them except they were also supported by his ears like conventional glasses.
“Yes now what do you want?” he said lightly stamping his foot, “Can’t you see we are all busy!”
“That’s no way to talk to a nice filly,” intervened Steel as he quickly moved in front of her and flared his wings.
“Now listen here you brute-,” he began before being cut off by the angry stallion.
“No you listen here. This is Moon Dancer, she was sent by Princess Celestia herself to help you eggheads to see what is beyond this… this egg thing, and I was tasked with seeing her safety and the smooth running of this operation. So I would be more nice to her,” spoke Steel as the small unicorn was backed into a corner and was almost cowering in fear from the massive guards pony.
“Sorry… please don’t hurt me,” he whimpered as he looked at Moon Dancer, “The lab is yours. Now excuse me, I have to use the little colt’s room,” he said as he galloped passed the ponies that were staring at him on the rampart.
“Thank you Steel, but I don’t think you needed to do that,” Moon said as she angrily stared at the Captain.
“Yes I know but I could already feel the conversation was going to go no where,” he replied back as he was put off by her stare.
“Be nicer,” she demanded and the Captain who had been to Tartarus and back just nodded, knowing he had been put in place by a filly a quarter his age.
“Fine, but you have to world to observe,” he said as he tried to get her to stop death staring him.
“You’re getting off easy this time mister, and you’re lucky I have Equestria to save,” she responded as she turned her attention to the pulsating orb of null magic.
= = = = =
Author's Note
Dis gonna be goooooooooooood… I hope. Also please thank Aegis, this wouldn't be made without his idea, and thank Cloudhammer for letting me use one of his millions of OCs (Spoilers: Its Cloudhammer). One last thing and then I'll get back to writing, please comment to tell me if I'm doing something wrong (Grammar, spelling, or story telling wise [not the plot, thats mine] because I don't want it to end up like Jacob at the end of Green Tea) or if you like it so far... okay now back to writing.
Chapter Two: Viewing glass
The Conversion Bureau: Before they came
By Da Bunnana King
Chapter Two: Viewing glass
= = = = =
The orb just pulsed as the filly studied it. Within the orb she could see a mist floating around blocking the changing lights inside it.
“So what is it?” asked Steel as he trotted up to Moon Dancer who was staring intently at it.
“I think it’s a rip in time and space,” replied Moon Dancer as the orb floated in front of the pair.
“Well aren’t rips supposed to be… well you know, rippy?” offered Steel as they began both staring at the orb.
“Well I think so, but Princess Celestia just wanted me to see what was on the other side,” Moon Dancer said turning her head towards Steel who was almost in a trance like state looking into the orb.
“Right,” he said almost autonomously but was mainly focused on the orb.
“Captain?” asked Moon Dancer as she touched Steel’s armor, which snapped him out of his zombie like state.
“What?” he said as he shook his head, “Sorry, but that… thing… it’s-.”
“Hypnotizing, I know,” said the head scribe as he trotted up to the pair, “It has that effect on ponies, except unicorns for some reason. We believe that it might be because it’s made of pure magic and since unicorns can use magic physical we are less prone to its effects.”
“What do you mean we?” asked Steel in an aggravated tone.
“I mean no offense but it is true, most of the guards posted here are unicorns. Almost all the pegasus and Earth pony guards couldn’t perform their duties,” Ink said as he could sense Steel’s state.
“But we passed an Earth pony guards on the way in and we’ve seen some pegasi flying around,” interrupted Moon Dancer trying to change the energy around them.
“There are a few odd cases of someponies being able to somewhat resist its effects but even then it’s limited. I’m surprised that the Captain is so strong willed to resist its full effects,” said Ink.
“Yeah, fighting Changelings, Griffins, Diamond Dogs and guarding the Princess herself for twenty years does that to you,” he said boasting of his service, “But could it be that my mother was a unicorn?”
“Perhaps, but we’d need to run some more test to even see if it is because it is pure magic. For all we know it could be a death orb or a portal to the crystal kingdom… or worse,” he said as he gulped in fear of what it could be.
“What could be worse than an orb of death?” asked Steel.
“Well it’s rumored that long before Princess Celestia there were a group of ponies that practiced a darker kind of magic,” he stuttered out, “Soul capture, resurrection, mind enslavement and even eternal preservation.”
“Eternal preservation?” asked Steel as Moon Dancer began moving closer to Steel in fear of the stories that were told around the school.
“It was said that they had devised a way to cheat time and death by preserving themselves in some sort of capsule and then when the time was right they would return to Equestria,” he said almost on the verge of some mental breakdown.
“I don’t see why it’s that scary, and I’m sure Moon Dancer will get to the bottom of this,” he said pushing her gently out with his hind legs, “Isn’t that right?”
“Yes,” she blurted out, “Well I hope, I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start with what you know I guess,” offered Steel while Ink shook his head as if he knew everything of the orb and he was holding their hooves with the matter.
“That would prove foolish. I suggest seeing if it’s powered by the lay lines that run around Equestria or seeing if you can measure the output of magic that’s coming out of it,” Ink said as he turned around and began to trot away before he added, “If you need help then ask one of the other mages or researchers around. I’ve got more pressing matters to attend to. Good day.”
“He is as friendly as a hydra,” muttered Steel as he was lightly hit on the back of the head by Moon.
“Be nice. Even if he is rude, he is technically my boss and same with you since you guard me,” said Moon Dancer.
“Fine, I’ll play nice,” said Steel as he felt a great blow to his pride.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure that’s going to be the last we see of him,” said Moon Dancer hoping to lift his spirits somewhat.
“Hopefully, so…” he began before being interrupted by Moon Dancer.
“He did have a point about the magic here, I can feel it to be somewhat concentrated,” she said.
“What is a lay line to be exact?” muttered Moon Dancer as she tried to recall what she was taught, while she took a big breath in and exhaled, almost indulging in the magic rich air.
“Well it’s a stream of magic that runs through out Equestria similar to the lines used on a map to show latitude and longitude, but sometimes these lines intersect and it’s a well of magic. I think it was one of the reasons Canterlot was build on a lay line,” she said as she tried to pull up that fact from her lessons from when she was a smaller filly.
“Alright so does that mean that the orb showed up here because it’s at a crossing of one or because-,” Steel began before his mouth was covered by Moon Dancer’s hooves.
“Wait that could be it,” she blurted as she blushed out of embarrassment and prompted removed her hooves.
“What could be it?” he asked confused by the excited filly.
“Well what if the build up of magic is because of the orb being at the crossing of two lay lines,” she said almost excited.
“Okay so how does that help us?”
“Well if I could use a simple observation spell upon a mirror, or a really flat surface, and link it to the orb we could see what’s inside the orb,” she said quickly looking around her for some sort of flat surface.
“See, I knew you could figure it out,” said Steel, “I’ll try and find a mirror or something.”
“Well I could do it on a mirror but I would need something big… like… like a-,” began Moon.
“Like a massive reflection pool,” said Steel while lying on his belly and looking over the side of the wooden platform they both were on.
“That’s genius Steel,” she said letting out a small squee of success.
“Alright now how do we get there?” asked Moon as she peered over the side along with the Captain.
Below the pair were two large oval reflection pools that were built on each side of a large wooden door. The floor seemed to be large and the focus of the room was mainly built toward that door that was guarded by two onyx unicorn guards.
“So how do we get down there?” asked Moon as she looked back up at Steel who was standing upright again.
“We can take the express route or the long route,” he said stretching out his wings.
“I hope I’m not going to regret this,” Moon Dancer said under her breath, “The express route… just don’t go too fast.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” he chuckled as he took off and lifted up Moon Dancer with his forelegs and promptly swooped down to the bottom floor.
“Ah, don’t… don’t ever do that again,” she stuttered as she tried to regain her balance with her shaky legs.
“You’re fine, nothing bad has happened-,” said Steel before the two onyx guards galloped over to them both.
“Are you alright ma’am?” asked a guard with a red cross on his armor as his comrade stabilized her.
“I’m quite fine, just shaken is all,” she said as she regained her footing.
“Are you two done?” grumpily asked Captain Steel.
“Yes sir, just making sure to do as we were ordered sir,” said one guard as he saluted Steel.
“And what was that?” he asked again in a stern voice.
“That was to make sure that all personnel aren’t harmed during this expedition sir,” said the guard again.
“Very well then, return to your post,” he said saluting as they both began walking towards the door, “Oh and make sure that word gets around that Captain Steel Wing is in charge of personally guarding Miss Moon Dancer as per Princess Celestia’s orders.”
“I’ll deliver the message sir,” said the guard that didn’t have the same insignia as his comrade before galloping off behind the door.
Moon Dancer shook off the fright and trotted over toward one of the pools.
“Now if I can cast the spell on this pool and link it to the orb’s magic field we could see what is on the other side,” began Moon Dancer as her horn lit up in a turquoise color.
The reflection pool began to turn the same shade of turquoise as Moon Dancer’s horn and slowly began to have a whirling effect around the edges of the pool. The effect continued until the large reflection pool was covered in a dark grey and black vortex effect.
Her horn began to die down in color as Moon Dancer was left panting. She then lit up her horn again and a stream of turquoise light shot from her horn that hit the orb, then another beam of light hit the reflection pool. The beam then detached from her horn until an opaque beam of turquoise connected the orb and the pool.
Moon Dancer was left panting and beads of sweat were formed on her brow from the exertion of those two spells.
“Are you alright Moon Dancer?” asked Steel as he walked up next to Moon Dancer again.
“Just puffed. I’m not used to that sort of magic,” she said panting still, “But now-, now I just have to do what I usually do with observing the stars when I use a spell like this.”
“And what would that be?” he asked.
“Focus it,” she said as she trotted closer towards the pool.
“Now all I have to do is,” she said as her horn lit up and attached a beam of light to the other.
The central beam then turned a dark solid red as the orb above vibrated and shook the foundation of the dungeon. Gusts of wind began to form moving toward the orb and a strong vortex of wind slowly sucking toward the pool.
“Oh no!” cried Moon Dancer as she began to gallop away from the pool along with Steel before she tripped over a stone and began being sucked towards the pool.
“STEEL!” she cried as both Captain Steel turned back towards Moon Dancer and the onyx unicorn guard got back on his hooves as he was knocked over by the vibrations.
“I’M COMING MOON DANCER!” he yelled as he opened his wings opened ready for flight.
= = = = =
Author's Note
Well this has gotten boring quickly.
