CODE NAME REGISTRATION...
Twilight Sparkle 1/8192
REGISTRATION COMPLETE.
| | ||ACCESS...||
-Ranger HQ-
This is a tiny tale of time,
concerning war between friends.
“What today?” Twilight Sparkle asked, slipping into her dark coat. The thick fabric was reinforced with magic and could stop most weapons. “Genic's again?”
“Not today,” Trixie Lulamoon answered, crossing the dim locker room to stand beside her friend. She put a hoof of Twilight’s shoulder. “Guarding the lift. Work even a Low-D can do. Right, Twilight?”
Twilight’s ears flattened and her head lowered a fraction of an inch. Low-D was slang for somepony with a low D ratio, the number used to measure a subject’s potential. At 1/8192, Twilight was among the lowest of the low. Only one eight-thousandths of a chance of surviving a link with a magical construct.
“I’ll see you there, partner,” Trixie said, walking past Twilight. Twilight shut her locker with an angry shove, knocking several flakes of rust off the front.
Destiny decided to challenge us,
and so we choose to end the world.
The hall outside was the same as the locker room, which was the same as the rest of the headquarters and the entire LowSector. Dirty. Rusty. Dim. Twilight grudgingly made her way to the Captain’s office.
There was nothing to regret.
Nothing...
Twilight glanced out the grime smeared window of the Ranger HQ. It overlooked most of LowSector Borough. Old stallions sat in groups, reminiscing between coughs and wheezes. Fillies and Colts ran through the muddy streets and vendors hawked their wares from the safety of the dark alleys.
No regrets... right?
With any luck, Twilight would be able to work her way out of LowSector within a few years. Even MidSector’s air was said to be cleaner. If she could just work hard, they were sure to promote her, and working hard was what Twilight did best.
Words of advice from her first weeks range in her ears. “There’s no point in working too hard. With your ratio, you’ll never get anywhere. Just take it easy.” “Kiss up to Trixie while you can. She’s heading to the top. It’s the only way you’ll ever get out of this dump.”
Twilight found her way to the captain’s office. Several desks clustered together in a reception area. The carpet was stained from years of use, but it was still nicer than the tile and bare ground that made up the rest of LowSector.
Trixie stood beside the captain’s door, waiting for her. “Ready?” Twilight nodded in response. “Good. Waiting makes Captain Steel grumpy.” Without another word, Trixie pushed the door open and the two ponies shuffled in.
Steel’s office was almost clean, all polished walls decorated with medals and a well organized desk.
“Trixie 1/64!” Trixie said, snapping to attention.
“Twilight 1/8192!” Twilight said.
“Reporting, Ma’am!” Trixie finished.
The grey maned mare looked up from her paperwork, studying them from behind round spectacles. “I’ve called you in to review the the details of your assignment,” she said without prelude. “Guard duty, Level E. You are to board the freight lift and guard its contents. An easy task for you two, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Trixie answered.
“Then you’re dismissed.”
“Ma’am,” Trixie said. “Permission to speak with you privately?”
“Granted. Twilight, if you would wait outside.”
Twilight nodded before making her way to the door.
“Captain,” Trixie began as soon as Twilight was outside, “with my D-ratio, I could be on my way to a rank of my own, maybe even Regent someday. I’m never going to get ahead on guard duty and genic hunting.”
“Trixie, you were chosen for this mission because of your potential, not in spite of it,” Steel said, turning back to the papers on her desk. “This cargo is very important. Guard it with your life.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Trixie answered. “Just so long as you understand my position.”
-LowSector Borough-
Twilight stood in the dim light of an electric lamp as the muted buzz of LowSector Borough life went on around her. The ponies themselves matched the buildings and streets. Dirty. Faded. Lifeless. She turned her head up, away from the sad sight that passed for everyday life. The ceiling stood hundreds of feet above the small town. Millions of pounds of solid rock. She’d been told in her first days after coming to LowSector that the ceiling was painted blue to look like the sky.
She shook her head and turned her gaze back down to the street below. What wishful thinking that old ponytale was. An infinite expanse of light and clean air. If this sky actually existed, it was before the changeling war that had forced them belowground. It was gone now, destroyed in the cataclysm that had shaken the foundation of the world.
“Twilight!” She looked up at the sound of her name to see Trixie trotting toward her.
“Done talking with the captain?”
Trixie nodded. “Oh you know how much the captain loves the Great and Powerful Trixie. She’d do anything for me.”
“Uh-huh, sure,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes.
They made their way through the muddy streets toward the LowSector Lift Port. It was easy going. One glance at their ranger uniforms and most ponies scurried out of the way, though they were stopped once by a little colt.
“Excuse me, Miss Ranger?”
Twilight blinked in surprise, used to avoidance when she was on duty. The brown and white colt trotted nervously in place, clearly ready to bolt. “Um, yes?”
“Were you the ones that stopped that big genic from coming into town a few days ago?”
“Oh, that. Yes, we were,” Twilight answered. Genics were genetically altered creatures from the Everfree Labs. They were created through magic to help with manual labor, but they occasionally got free. Wild genics had been breeding for years, and some of the more feral ones could prove dangerous to ponies. One of the ranger’s duties was to keep the genic population down and keep them out of towns and cities.
“Thank you,” the colt said. “Mommy says rangers are bad people, but everypony says the rangers keep us safe. I want to be like you when I grow up.”
Twilight smiled warmly. Before she could say anything, Trixie cleared her throat impatiently and they started on their way again, leaving the colt to gallop back to a group of impressed friends.
The lift port was on the East end of LowSector Borough, a fenced in area full of vertical rails. Nodding to Twilight, Trixie boarded the metal lift. Twilight followed and it began to climb, leaving the haze and rot below.
-Genic Processor-
The long wait is over
Twilight stood on a metal walkway, facing the largest creature she’d ever imagined. The great dragon was obviously dead. Massive spears pinned it to the metal wall, and entire sections of its lower body was missing. It’s massive scales were a dull bronze, though she could imagine the golden shine they would have had in life. It looked down at her through empty sockets.
...at last...
The enormous dragon strained against the spears pinning it. It’s head reached down toward her. Twilight tried to flee, but her legs wouldn’t respond. She could only watch in awe as the beast’s head lowered until it was level with her own.
You have awakened.
My dying dream.
The dragon’s lips parted, and its warm breath washed over her. Rather than the fetid smell of death she’d been expecting, the dragon’s breath was full of energy and magic and pure, glowing life.
Let us go, my little friend.
Once again to the sky!
The dragon rolled it’s head back, jaws gaping. It’s roar was so massive, so powerful that Twilight couldn’t hear it. It was a physical presence in the room, shaking every fiber of her being. It shook the floor and walls and shadows until nothing was left in the world. When it ended, darkness flooded in to fill the void.
-Everfree Labs-
“Twilight? Twilight!” Somepony was shaking Twilight. She rubbed her face slowly before opening her eyes. Trixie stood over her, a look of panic on her face. They sat in a white hall, full of clean tiles and steril lights.
“It was a dream?” Twilight murmured to herself.
“Are you alright?” Trixie was asking. “You just stiffened and fell over.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Twilight said, pushing herself to her hooves. "I just got dizzy for a second." She took a moment to collect herself and check to be sure she was in fact fine. They started down the hall again. The door at the end slid open as they approached, and Twilight froze.
The room beyond was exactly like the one from her dream. A metal walkway extended ahead of them for a few dozen feet before meeting with another path to form a T. Suspended over the walkway was the massive dragon, still pinned to the wall.
“What in Equestria is that?” Trixie asked, jaw slack in awe. “There aren’t any records of genics that big.”
“I don’t know,” Twilight answered. “Maybe it’s an experimental one. I don't know why anypony would make something so big though, it wouldn't be able to fit in most tunnels. How did they even get it through the door?”
“Who knows? Come on, we've got work to do, indulge your curiosity later.”
Twilight stared up at the great beast as Trixie started forward along the walkway.
Odjin, she thought. Your name is Odjin.
-Everfree Labs Lift-
“Twilight, relax. Nopony’s gonna attack a lift guarded by rangers,” Trixie said, leaning casually against the lift's guardrail. The dark tunnels flashed by as they rode the lift back to LowSector Borough. The lift was a single car, powered by magical engines. The middle section was comprised of a large holding tank.
“What do you think’s inside?”
“No idea,” Trixie answered. “I doubt we’ll ever know.”
They fell silent for a few minutes. The tunnel opened up into a cavern where several rail lines crossed. Junction twelve or thirteen, if Twilight remembered the map correctly.
“Twilight. I need your help,” Trixie said abruptly.
“With what?”
“You remember the genic you beat the other day? The one trying to get into the borough?”
“Yeah?”
“I want you to give me the credit for things like that.”
“What?”
“I have the potential,” Trixie said. “All I need is a reputation, and they’ll have to promote me. If things go well, I could even be a regent. I have the qualifications after all.”
Twilight shook her head. “Regent? Are you serious?”
“I am.” Her eyes sparkled in the light from the lift’s lamp. “I, Trixie 1/64 will be a regent. I must. Twilight, with your 1/8192 D-ratio, you’ll never make past grunt. But once I get to the top, I’ll be able to help you out. Come on Twilight, what do you say?”
Twilight fell silent. It was true that with her ratio, her options were limited. But if she gave credit for everything she accomplished to Trixie, her chances of promotion would nonexistent. She was saved answering by a sudden crack as sparks flew up near her head.
“It’s Trinity!” Trixie shouted, pointing a hoof. Twilight turned to see something running along one of the parallel tracks.
It was a war genic, a large brown creature known as a cyclops. It sprinted along on two legs, easily keeping up with the lift. On its back was an earth pony dressed in the blue uniform of a Trinity member and wearing one of their masks. A blond mane and tale poked out from beneath the clothes, whipping around as they hurtled through the dark cavern.
The earth pony leveled her hoof at the lift. A bulky cylinder covered the end of her leg. After a moment, it flashed. With another crack, sparks flew up from the guard rail in front of Twilight.
“Return fire!” Trixie shouted, horn glowing. Together, they fired several quick blasts of energy. The earth pony ducked her head and the genic took most of the shots without slowing. After the barrage of magical shots, the earth pony straightened up, holding a much larger cylinder in her hooves. She took a moment to balance it across the genic’s shoulder and pulled the trigger.
A torrent of light exploded from the cylinder, tearing through the tracks beneath the lift. Twilight felt her stomach drop as the world spun out around her.
-Old Waste Shaft-
Everything was dark. Twilight pushed herself to keep moving forward, limping with each step as she marched through the endless darkness.
I have chosen you.
Twilight kept moving forward, her stride growing longer as the pain faded.
Within you sleeps greater power than you know. With this gift, you will rise higher than ever before.
The darkness began to recede, driven back by a ruby light coursing through Twilight.
You are the chosen. The destroyer of a thousand years.
She could feel the dragon roaring. It’s power coursed through her bones.
Take your destiny into your own hooves. What you do will change...
The darkness flowed back in as the rush of power faded.
Everything.
-Everfree Labs Lift Shaft-
The earth pony winced as the lift fell into the darkness with a deafening screech. She hadn’t expected the tracks to fail quite so easily.
One of the unicorns had managed to jump to safety. The light blue ranger stared at the wreckage for a long moment before turning and running back down the tracks. The earth pony let her go. She had other things to worry about.
She jumped from the back of the cyclops war genic and turned to face it. The cyclops was a terrifying creature, all ropey limbs and misshapen muscles with a single eye dominating its face, but they were perfect for traversing the weblike shafts and tunnels connecting the sectors.
“Get down there and see if you can find the wreckage,” she ordered it. “Bring back the cargo at all costs.”
The genic grabbed the edge of the tracks below them and swung down, leaping to a wooden brace and shuffling down. “And don’t damage it, ya hear? We need her in one piece!” The genic climbed lower until it disappeared into the darkness below. “Aw, Granny’s gonna have my hide this time.”
-Endsector-
“I think she’s waking up,” somepony said in a hushed whisper. The noise drove through Twilight’s brain like raging genic and she clenched her teeth against the pain.
“Give her some air,” an elderly pony said.
Twilight groaned and opened her eyes, wincing at the sudden light. Her vision was blurred at first, but once it cleared up she saw a family of earth ponies standing over her.
“Welcome back,” an older stallion said. “We were starting to worry you’d never come to.”
“Where am I?” Twilight asked.
“Endsector. We’re near the edge of town. My kids found you near the scrap heap. What were you doing out there?”
“I...” Twilight took a breath and collected her thoughts. “I fell, I think. From the Everfree Lift.”
The stallion chuckled. “The tracks are four hundred feet up. Nopony could survive a fall like that.”
“I think... It’s all a bit fuzzy, but I think I reflexively decreased the velocity of the wreckage to nonlethal speeds. Magical exhaustion would explain the headache, and that kind of energy usage would explain why I passed out.”
“Uh-huh. In Equestrian?”
“Oh, sorry. I used magic to slow the lift’s fall.”
The stallion arched an eyebrow and whistled. “You stopped that big thing? All on your own.”
Twilight blushed at the looks of disbelief and shrugged. “Was it near where you found me? Can you show me where it is?”
“Uh, sure, but maybe you should lie back down. You still don’t look good.”
Twilight tried to argue, but the room was starting to spin. She fell back onto her haunches. “Maybe. A few minutes isn’t going to hurt anything.”
-Ranger HQ-
“That’s when Trinity attacked,” Trixie said. “An earth pony on a war genic shot at us and blew up the tracks. Twilight and the lift fell.”
“I see,” Captain Steel said, pressing her hooves together and looking over them at Trixie. “And the cargo?”
“Excuse me, ma’am?”
“Did you secure the cargo before returning?”
“Trinity was still there. I barely got out alive,” Trixie said. “The cargo was destroyed. It couldn’t have survived that fall.”
“As likely as that seems,” Steel said, “we do not take chances. Find the cargo, and secure it. Failing that, make sure it’s thoroughly destroyed at least. No matter what it looks like.”
Trixie shivered at the words. “Yes, Captain.”
-Junkyard-
“That’s where we found ya,” the stallion said as they rounded a corner. “Over by the- ah horse apples! What the hay is that thing?” He jumped back behind the wall and Twilight followed.
The lift was sitting haphazardly on a pile of scrap metal, dented and scratched, but in tact. It had fallen over one of the junkyards lower secor ponies often scavenged. Standing over the lift’s main cargo tank was the war genic that had attacked Twilight earlier.
“We oughta get out of here,” the stallion said. “I’ve never seen a genic like that, but it can’t be friendly.”
“It’s not,” Twilight confirmed. “You’re right, get out of here.”
“What about you?”
“I need to secure whatever’s in that lift. Go on, I’ll be fine.”
“Well, uh, if you say so,” the stallion said, moving nervously away. “So, uh, don’t die.”
“Thanks for helping me,” Twilight said as he turned to gallop away. Her attentioned turned back to the war genic. It had clambered up to the top hatch of the tank. After studying it, the cyclops raised a massive fist and brought it down on the tank with a massive boom.
Twilight winced, trying not to imagine what those fists would feel like if the genic caught her. After a moment, the echo of the blow faded into silence.
Twilight could hear another sound. It was too faint to make out, but it sounded like it was coming from the tank.
The genic slammed the top of the tank again. A sharp hiss indicated the blow had cracked the seal. With a final blow, the genic tore the hatch away from the tank and reached it’s massive hand inside.
Twilight held her breath and waited. What could be so important that Trinity would attack the rangers? She quickly started brainstorming several plans to recover the cargo, each one different depending on it’s size and weight. If it was small enough, she could teleport it away without even revealing herself.
The genic straightened up, pulling it’s hand out of the tank, and all of Twilight’s planning fell apart.
The genic was holding a pony.
Twilight stared dumbfounded as the Cyclops lifted a pale yellow pony out of the tank and climbed down to the ground. The pony seemed to be unconscious. Its eyes were closed and it hung limply from the genic’s grasp.
It didn’t have a horn, which made it an earth pony, but it had an extra set of appendages growing from its side. They reminded Twilight of the bats that nested in the higher nooks and crannies of Lowsector borough, but who’d ever heard of a pony with wings?
The genic flipped the winged pony over its shoulder, and she let out a small, pained squeak. Her eyes fluttered open for a second, darting around before closing again, and Twilight realized she wasn’t actually unconscious. Either she was playing dead in the hope the genic would leave her alone, or she was waiting for a chance to make an escape.
The genic moved toward the nearest wall and started to climb. Twilight started forward, desperately searching for a plan. If the yellow pony was the cargo, she couldn’t let Trinity have it. Even if she wasn’t, nopony deserved to be taken away by something like the cyclops.
When no other plans came to mind, she took a deep breath, lowered her head, and blasted the cyclops in the back. Its head jerked back as its body shuddered. After a moment it lost its grip and fell, landing in a crouch. It turned toward her, seemingly unharmed.
“Oh,” Twilight said. “Um, hi?”
The cyclops threw its head back as if to roar. Its body shivered with rage, but with no mouth it couldn’t make a sound. It’s head swung down, its single eye locking onto Twilight. It surged forward, long legs carrying it forward with an uneven stride.
Twilight held her ground, legs trembling as the beast bore down on her. Her horn flared with power and purple energy lanced forward at the genic’s face. It ducked its head, closing it’s eye and took the blast without slowing.
Twilight through herself to the side as the genic’s fist came down where she’d been standing. Before it could stop or turn, she charged toward it. As it slowed, she leapt onto its back and grabbed the winged pony’s front legs. The pony’s eyes flew open in surprise as she was pulled from genic’s shoulder.
They fell into a jumble and quickly pushed themselves to their hooves. “Come on,” Twilight commanded, turning to run further into the junkyard.
Why do you run?
Twilight led the winged pony past piles of twisted metal and collapsed rock. The Endsector air was starting to get to her, burning in her lungs. Her exhaustion from earlier returned as the rush of adrenaline from fighting faded, and she nearly stumbled as the world spun beneath her.
Why do you run and hide like a frightened child?
A crash echoed down from above them, and Twilight barely had time to dive sideways before the Cyclopes dropped onto her. She heard a scream and looked up to see the winged pony struggling as it pulled her up by the mane.
I did not choose a weakling or a coward. Stand and fight.
Twilight’s head was beginning to clear, and the burning in her chest was fading. Her limbs shivered with a rush of energy. She stood.
This is but the first of many trials. Do not falter, do not turn away.
The winged pony whimpered as the genic held her aloft. Twilight’s horn glowed brighter than usual.
You are stronger than those that came before you, stronger than you know. You are our last hope.
The genic threw its head back in a silent scream of pain as it clutched the stump where its arm had been. Twilight landed a dozen feet away, the winged pony clutching to her mane in panic. She turned as the genic closed in on her, its eye wide with rage. Her horn flared again, illuminating the cavern with an intense light.
A moment later it was over.
