Chapters _recording 1293_
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She slumps on the chair, hair long and dishevelled, dark lines seemingly etched under her weary blue eyes. There are many splatters of blood across the walls.
“How many times have I done this? I’ve lost count a long time ago… Never mind…” She trails off, not sure what to say. After a moment, though, she smiles sadly.
“Y’know, there was this guy – a real insane motherfucker, but there was some logic to him nonetheless. His motto was ‘Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?’ He said that insanity was doing the exact same fucking thing over and over and over, expecting shit to change. And… I guess that is what I am doing, too. How many times have I killed myself, only to come back? Ten? A hundred? A thousand times?” Her expression suddenly changes and she’s leering at the camera with unbound malice, her eyes speaking of eternal, mind-breaking pain.
“I will suffer no trespass, you mortal scum! You cannot keep me locked away forever!”
“Uh… never mind that.” She sighs, sticking a sidearm under her chin. “Here goes nothing.” She squeezes the trigger. Her head snaps backwards as blood splatters across the camera. She falls on the floor, lying in a puddle of her own blood.
_recording end_
She drops the corpse, adding it to the huge pile of cadavers already there – all of them in various states of decay, yet share the same details – blonde-haired and wearing the same clothes. She would shudder at the sight, but she’s had roughly four years to get used to it. That and she's personally killed and murdered nearly fifty thousand enemy soldiers during her career in the Marine Corps. Ruthlessness was the key to surviving in those first months of the war. She turns to the large button floating mid-air and cringes. She knows what’s to come. She presses it nonetheless.
[RESET]
She gasps, coughing as she clears stale air out of her lungs. She grasps at the back of her head. Her hair’s matted with blood, but her skull is in one piece. Again. Then, she can feel strange bonds tugging at her mind – The Lost Children, cruelly separated from their guardian, Shadow Mother. Locked up in different locations aboard the unnamed research station, they cry out for her to save them from the scientists’ tools. Yet, she lacks the strength to break out of her cage. The power she requires is just there, right inside her mind for her to reach, but she violently rejects the dead god’s tireless temptations – Kraath’Malyk is ever beguiling in its persistence.
It had finally broken her sanity four years ago and she had gone on a rampage, slaughtering thousands of Coalition citizens, drinking their souls, twisting their bodies into puppets for her to use. Her rampage lasted two weeks before she was brought down. It was her fault, all of it. She had thought to shackle a dead god. It had seemed doable at the time – she had defeated Insanity Engine, hadn’t she? The binding of the dead Asahi’s essence to her soul had nearly claimed her sanity as well, but she had persevered in the end. She still remembered Stiarra’s words, too…
Dead godlings they may be, but they are still children. You must take care of them, for my time in this realm is at an end…
So she did just that. Until Kraath'Malyk finally broke her.
She had been the best Coalition had to offer – a tactician without compare, a leader so charismatic entire star systems had defected to her cause during the Rebellion. She was a hero. She was a legend.
She was Coalition's biggest shame.
It had been merely because of what she had achieved during her life – forging an alliance with both Vasari and Advent during the war, saving Tala'Hiri, Nell-Tiray's daughter, stopping the Skrugg Invasion after the war, and finding Earth, the humanity's long-lost homeworld – that she was not executed on the spot. But there was no escaping the bottom of the well for her, too. She was transported to an unnamed research station somewhere in deep space and endlessly examined and experimented upon. She did not know what they were trying to do. But she gladly accepted the pain that came with the scientists' work. She deserved all of it and much more. She just hoped she would die one day. Knowing what she was, however, she did not expect for death to claim her anytime soon.
Such was the curse of being a mad god.
They were not alone in this universe.
That much Princess Celestia had found out several years ago. She had been daydreaming at one point and her mind had soared through space. She had marvelled at the magnificent sights the whole time – awe-inspiring nebulae, stars in their prime, alien worlds, both lush and barren, yet beautiful nonetheless in their own way. And then, she had sensed much pain and death – and very close to Equis, too. Both curious and concerned, she returned to her world, drawn to a battle that took place in orbit of Luna's moon.
There, she found scores of space-faring alien vessels, locked in a tooth and nail fight. As she approached, she could distinguish three distinctive groups. The first of those commanded wicked-looking vessels and she felt fearful just by looking at them – the shapes of their hulls were pronounced and aggressive, with sharp edges and bristling with menacing weapons. The second fleet consisted of graceful ships and her worry was soothed by merely looking at them – all attractive curves and spheres. She would commend the vessels' designers if she could – the aesthetic analyst in her could appreciate the beauty of these ships. The last of the belligerents were starkly different, however – she could not help but feel like their ships had been built with anything but warfare in mind – the closest she could think of was merchant ships. They surely looked the part – big and bulky, moving ponderously through the void. Even so, she saw vessels that had been designed with combat in mind – chunky yet sleek of shape. These vessels looked commanding and defiant, every last one of them. As one of them rumbled past her ethereal form, her jaw dropped in surprise as she read the illuminated letters on its prow.
TDN REMEMBRANCE
And, in smaller letters that seemed to be haphazardly painted on its battle-scarred hull in garish red...
For The Rebellion!
She could feel the emotions of the combatants. Those of the first fleet were desperate – they were running for their lives from something that had been pursuing them for more than ten millennia. She would feel pity for them, if she had not seen what dwelled inside – chambers filled with slaves. The swirling maelstrom of emotions from the captives brought fury to her heart, for she abhorred slavery of every kind. Yet, she saw numbers of these vessels among the third fleet, too – defectors, she guessed.
The second fleet were apparently allies of the third fleet, for they shielded the battle-worn ships of third fleet, seeming to use powerful barriers to deflect the majority of shots fired by the first. Though the allies' thoughts were focused on revenge directed at the first fleet, she could feel some animosity between the two, yet she felt glad they could put their differences aside for a common foe. That being said, she noticed many more kinds of ships among the second and third fleets, which made her wonder – how widespread was this schism, this Rebellion? How and why did it start? Was Equis in any danger?
To this day still, she questioned herself of what she had seen take place above Luna's moon. Who were these aliens that also used Equish as their language? Why did they fight? Which of the belligerents held the moral high ground, so to speak? Was the war over already? Would they come across Equis once more? What would happen if they did? She had many questions that needed answering, but one of them had been already answered.
They were not alone in this universe.
She trudged wearily through the corridor, ignoring everything apart from the gently pulsing line on the floor that guided her to the labs. She could walk to her destination with her eyes closed. It did not make any difference. Her body burning from the chemicals pumping through her veins, she slowly headed towards her cell. Or 'personal quarters', as the scientists put it. It was a prison, no matter what way you put it. When she called the station commander out on it, he gave her a sickeningly oily smile and said her not to worry her 'pretty little head over it.' Oh, how she wished to gut that bastard where he stood... Alas, doing that would require the collar to come off. And that was all but impossible – the deactivation codes were in the commander's quarters. And, to get there, she needed to have the collar removed. So, there she was. Imprisoned for ever and with no way to escape. Truth be told, she did not wish to escape – her freedom would only last mere moments before Kraath'Malyk possessed her once more. And, despite her treatment here, she would do anything to make sure that damn thing stayed here, even if it meant an eternity of torment for her.
…it does not have to be so, Shadow Mother…
Huh? Who’s tha-Oh. Right. Hello, there.
…we bid you a good day, Shadow Mother…
You don’t have to call me all those fancy names, y’know. Just call me Lieia. Or Lee, if you want to.
…we can provide you a way to escape from this space station…
No. I can’t do a damn thing. Even if I could, I wouldn’t. I’m a threat to both the Asahi Empire and the Coalition! So abandon that thought right now! I cannot be let loose. Not now, not ever.
…your sacrifice is noble, but you need not remain hidden in dark space…
Why? You and the rest of the Children were there when it happened. I murdered thousands of innocents! How, pray tell, can I make amends for that?
…there is a distant, faraway world that remains hidden from your exploratory fleets. It holds ancient, powerful artefacts named the Elements of Harmony…
You’ve gotta be fucking shitting me. Elements of Harmony? That’s the stupidest name ever.
...nevertheless, they can help you finally defeat Kraath’Malyk…
Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm. The Strezov Sampler failed to kill the damn thing, so I don’t see how those… ugh… Elements would!
…perhaps we should have elaborated. Kraath’Malyk will not be dead. It will be finally fused with your soul and you will be able to wield the Harvesters’ might without fear of possession…
What makes you think I want to? The minute I break loose, that fucker’s going to go on a rampage! And I am not going to put anyone at risk with this plan of yours!
…Kraath’Malyk is weak. It has kept you shackled through threats made of smoke and mirrors. You have enough time to find the world that houses the Elements and cure yourself, as it is. Trust us. We will help. Starting with this…
What? Hey! What’re you on about?
With a quiet beep, the collar fell away from her neck and clattered to the floor. She felt a surge of energy to her left arm as the software shackling the cybernetic limb was erased in a flash. The fusion reactor in her chest thrummed as it came back to full power. The rest of her extensive cybernetics came alive, too, just as alarms started to blare throughout the station. A couple of guards rounded the corner and she snarled. She recognised those two bastards. Oh, she would not hesitate with them one bit…
The hallway grew cold and gloomy as she once more grasped the shadows – sharp, jagged spears and spikes burst from the walls, impaling and dismembering the guards. The wave of pain, shock and fear hit her and she let out a satisfied moan – she hadn’t felt those emotions in four years and to do so now was borderline orgasmic. Oh, she wanted more of it. Pain, anger, and grief were good. She wanted much more of it. Revenge was waiting for her, beckoning for her...
…you need to hurry. We are free and will find you soon. Considering your penchant for destruction, this station will not remain intact for much longer…
Yes, yes. I’ll be right there. Don’t worry.
She strode through the smoke-filled, blood-splattered hallways, not increasing her pace, even as the space station fell apart around her. She had killed them all. She had feasted on their emotions and drunk their souls. Thus nourished, she ripped the hangar doors open, giving a weak smile as the air rushed out. She did not die. She was immortal, after all. Her invincibility was questionable, however. Humming softly to herself, she wreathed herself in shadows, examining herself as strands of solid shadows slithered across her body, fully encasing her from head to toe in a suit of armour, stronger than anything Coalition scientists could ever come up with. A dented phase-capable shuttle scraped towards her as the artificial gravity failed and she batted the craft aside with a flick of her wrist. She did not need it. She had her own means of travelling faster than light. Well, Kraath'Malyk did – how else had it been to fell the Asahi Empire many millennia ago? Shaking her head to get rid of such trivial thoughts, she turned around and saw her proverbial flock – The Lost Children, crowding there, waiting for her to say something, eyeing her with their glowing, amber eyes, occasionally poking at their helmets. So she did.
“We are free.”
That brought shadowy cheers from them, their skinny, tatter-clad bodies jostling around in exuberance as they said their thanks to her. A moment later, they faded with the shadows, retreating to wherever they came from. Sighing softly, she turned around to look out from the decompressed hangar. Oh, she was in dark space, alright. Not that it mattered. She ran forward, leaping out from the hangar bay as the station fell apart, explosions erupting across its hull as the reactor went critical. As she turned around, floating away, she latched onto a nearby piece of plating and watched the spatial fireworks before casting off once more, looking for a suitable location to create a rift.
It took her several minutes to find a suitable leyline, one that would carry her across the void of space. She tore it open and dove inside. It would take her several hours to arrive.
…trust us. It will work…
Oh, it better. I don’t like my choices being made for me.
…we understand. But we have faith in you that you can find the Elements and use them against Kraath’Malyk…
Time will tell, kiddos. Time will tell.
…
Are we there yet?
…that is not funny…
Feh.
“Okay, okay, okay, steady, now!” The redhead cried out as I set the crate down.
“Oh, get over yourself, Sal! I’m not your fucking granny.”
“Eh, screw you, Lee.”
“Hey! Don’t talk to her like that!” Marrin called out at that, rummaging through the crate, pulling out a collection of frosted-over bottles, passing them around the table of the small room. The various members of my squad muttered their thanks and popped their bottles open.
“Yo, dudes! Dudes! So, what’re we toastin’ to?” Nicole raised her voice above the chatter. Others paused and scratched their heads.
“…dunno…”
“…fucked if I know…”
That’s when Faye spoke up.
“To victory! Let’s show those alien fuckers what we are made of!”
“…amen to that!”
“Right on!” Jacobi stood up as much as he could, drawing the attention.
“And to Lee here on making Sergeant!” A chorus of voices rose at that – in approval, and I could only nod sheepishly.
“Fine, fine, I’ve got a toast as well, so shut your yapping holes.” True enough, they fell silent and listened intently.
“I’m not one for speeches, so I’ll be quick. Stick close to each other, watch each other’s backs and we’ll pull through, no problem. We’ll show those murdering sons of bitches what happens when you mess with humanity!”
That got a roar of approval from them – quite deafening in the small bunk room, to be fair – and we drank to seal the evening.
--It is the debate of the century – the last living descendant of Liiyah Tavrian has taken the throne and title of the Rebel Queen. This single act has torn the Coalition apart. The Provians, East Valc Front, OCVAN Cartel, Naos Reservists, Tondam Corporation – these are just a couple of the sub-factions of the Coalition that have defected to the cause of former Colonel Lieia Aladara Grisova. With the help of the 29th Force Recon, commanded by Colonel Jacobi North, she captured the prototype Ragnarov-class titan – a grievous insult to the Coalition leadership – and declared the beginning of the Rebellion. Her demands of the Coalition leaders so far have been simple – execution of Ayra Alexi. Other than that, she has begun a campaign of terror against the Vasari, visiting death and destruction upon the alien aggressors.
This begs the question – why did she desert? Are the rumours of Ayra Alexi's treachery true, or is this simply misguided aggression? We may never know what happened when the former colonel's battlegroup was destroyed, but the repercussions are widespread – Coalition units of all kinds are defecting to the Rebel Queen's cause, drawn to stand under her banner by the charismatic leader. We do not know what may become of the Coalition in the coming times, but whatever will happen will change the course of history forever.--
- Newspaper cut-out - 2nd of October, 3008 - Coalition News Network -
Lieia leapt through the shining rift in space and time, and it snapped shut behind her. She hummed to herself as she turned to inspect this concealed world – she referenced its location with the star charts she was familiar with, and came to a conclusion – this planet was somewhere inside Kaylsto's Abyss, a far-off nebula perched on the edge of South-Eastern Wastes. No wonder no one had found it this planet – nebulae were a bitch to prospect and survey. Letting out a mental sigh, she banked towards the world, but stopped as she took a closer look at it – there was a star orbiting the planet, along with a moon that moved among its orbit around the warm blue-green ball. She frowned confusedly.
What sort of madness is this? Planets are supposed to orbit their stars, not the other way around!
...we do not know, Shadow Mother...
Would you stop-*sigh* You're still going to call me that, no matter what I do, right?
...maybe...
Erk.
She refocused on the planet and flew towards it – for the first time in years, hope was flickering into life within her heart.
As she descended into the atmosphere, she could feel it – this world was literally thrumming with power. It coursed through the lands in mighty streams, branching off here and there, or joining up in some other places. To anyone else, this planet would seem as ordinary as any other world. To her, however...
She could see rivulets of it permeating air itself, swirling among in great currents of the windstreams – this energy was everywhere, possibly vital to this planet's existence. But enough of that. She had some artefacts to find...
The dirt and leaves crunched under her feet as she trudged through the thick, overgrown forest. Luckily, she had managed to make planetfall undetected – there were no satellites, space stations or starships in orbit, meaning nothing was there to stop her from landing. She strode onwards, her ears occasionally catching the noises of some animals that had been intrigued by her arrival – most of the beasts gave her wide berth. The Lost Children had gone off on a scouting mission, having pointed out some valid reasons why she shouldn't do so herself – they would be able to blend in with the natives more easily, adapting to their behaviour patterns through their ample empathic skills, whereas she was more of a rough-and-tumble sort of woman, more at home with high-calibre weaponry and power armour. Though unhappy about the decision, she agreed, and set to do some exploring of her own...
Twilight Sparkle sat at the table, contently munching away at an apple pie – this was another perfect day in Ponyville, and Equestria in general. She swallowed and went to take another bite, when she noticed something odd – a black-furred foal was sitting near her table, looking at her curiously with amber eyes, a tiny horn poking through his similarly-black mane. She chuckled at the small colt and waved to him.
“Oh, hello there, little one!”
The colt grinned and waved to her in return and she chuckled again.
“I'm Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?”
The foal frowned and looked at the ground. She examined the sudden change of mood and felt a pang of pity.
“Oh... You're mute, is that it?”
The foal nodded and looked back at her with that eerily innocent amber gaze of his.
“Are your parents around?”
Nod.
“Oh, okay. That's nice to know. Here, have this. I don't think I can eat all of this pie on my own and I don't want to waste food.” She smiled and levitated over a generous slice of her pie to him. He smiled and his magic also sparked into life and grasped the piece of pie, making her gasp quietly in surprise – a foal of his age, already able to use telekinesis! How proud his parents must be of him! The foal chomped down on the slice, quickly devouring it. Once finished, he wiped his muzzle clean and smiled thankfully to Twilight.
“Oh, it's nothing, little one. Run along now, and enjoy this day!” The foal nodded happily and cantered away. The purple unicorn chuckled and returned her attention to the book at her side, before pausing and frowning in confusion.
Had she also seen wings on that unicorn foal's sides?
She hummed to herself, deep in thought as she turned to look down the main street, where the foal had run off towards, but he had already disappeared...
And that wasn't the only thing that confused her – despite the foal's seemingly innocent appearance, something about the colt just rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn't put a hoof on it, though. She did, however, make a mental note to keep an eye out for him in the future. Knowing her tendency to overreact, it probably was nothing, but it didn't hurt to be sure...
Lieia looked up as she heard the branches snap and she saw the familiar shadowy shapes of the Lost Children as the dead godlings sat down in front of her, eyeing her.
Well?
...we have returned from our mission, Shadow Mother...
And? What did you find out?
...one would have to see it for oneself to believe...
Um... Okay?
The mental link that connected her to the collective, yet shattered consciousness of the Lost Children was an odd thing. She had once asked them what it was like. They had explained it to the best of their abilities – it was like a giant expanse of desolation where the Children resided, whole, yet separated, condemned to wander without respite forever.
The Lost Children were aptly named.
In any case, she let their memories join her own, and after a moment of examination, she came to a conclusion – she had gone even more insane, if that was even possible.
Horses? Technicolor horses? Is this shit for real?
...ponies. They seem to be the dominant species of this world...
Are you fucking kidding me? Aaargh... And they have these Elements, I presume?
...correct. These ponies seem to be benevolent enough. We even were gifted with a slice of pie. It was tasty...
Good for you. *sigh* Well, now what do we do? It's not like I can just walk into that town and ask if I could borrow the Elements of Harmony so I can turn myself into a bona fide god...
...perhaps you can. You could take the form of a pony, and enter the town without fear of being apprehended...
I guess that makes sense… Gimme a moment…
She closed her eyes and concentrated, her power bubbling as she did so. She felt her body shift and change, almost like putty in a sculptor’s hands, drawing on the memories from the Children, and added some of her own imagination as she did so. It took her mere moments to change her form. Once it was over, she craned her now long neck around, and took a moment to look at herself.
Two rows of sharp teeth flashed in the gloomy undergrowth.
“This ain’t that bad, you know…”
Twilight sneaked through the Everfree Forest, following the trail the foal had left behind him – a magical trail, that is. The energy signature was incredibly distinct, unlike anything she’d seen in her entire life. What she didn't understand was why he was going into the Everfree! It was one of the most dangerous places to live in. Few ponies made home there. Zecora was the only one she knew of that dwelled in the forest.
An hour later, she arrived where the trail ended, and another started, very similar to the previous one. Sighing in mild trepidation, she followed it…
Ten minutes later, she wasn’t sure if that had been the smart idea to do so. She crouched inside a bush, staring at the pony whose magic emanations she had been following – a tall mare, her coat grey, her mane a dark blonde colour. But that wasn’t the oddest thing. The six wings and the long horn were. The mare didn’t seem to notice anything, her muzzle dipped into the stream as she drank, and her eyes were closed. The purple unicorn sat silently, curiosity overtaking hesitation as she looked at the tall, six-winged alicorn, questions swirling through her mind. After a couple of moments, the grey mare raised her head and Twilight stifled a gasp as the alicorn’s eyes opened – they were dark blue, and the whites were pitch-black as the two orbs darted around for a moment – the mysterious alicorn seemed oddly cold and merciless, her gaze stoic and compelling. The grey pony in question slowly trotted away, soon disappearing into the forest proper, leaving her alone. She sighed relievedly, and stood up. She had to tell of this development to Princess Celestia, as soon as possible!
The alicorn diarch in question paused in her tasks and reached out with her magic, a feeling of terror taking hold in her mind. There. The Everfree Forest. Something dark, twisted and utterly alien had taken up refuge there. Dark thoughts crawled there, along with an overwhelming sensation of guilt, failure and regret, making her wonder what this being had done to feel that sort of crushing guilt. She suspected it was nothing good and she sighed bitterly. Why was this happening to her? Whenever things seemed to return to normal, a bad event took place. She tiredly stood up to summon a servant, when a scroll popped into existence in front of her. She blinked, and opened it.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I believe we have a situation on our hooves. Today, I met a strange little foal. At the first glance, he seemed a harmless unicorn colt, but mute. When he left, I think I saw he had wings as well. Curious, I followed his magical signature – it is nothing like I’ve ever seen! – and eventually, I wound up in the Everfree Forest. I could no longer find the colt, but I came across something much more significant.
In the space that followed, she saw a hasty sketch – it displayed an alicorn, but with six wings and a long, undoubtedly sharp horn decorating the mare’s forehead. Underneath, Twilight had scrabbled hurriedly
Eyes blue – no whites!
I turn to you for answers. Who is this strange alicorn? Why is she here? Where did she come from? We need to find this out, but I wanted your approval for trying to contact her.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
The letter ended there and the white alicorn frowned, deep in thought as she examined the sketch, taking note that Twilight hadn’t provided any image of a cutie mark. She sighed, and picked up a fresh piece of parchment, preparing to write an answer letter…
I turned into the space in front of the garage, the tow truck’s engine rumbling as I came to a halt, the dilapidated car creaking in protest, attached to the back of the truck. My parents were standing at the porch – dad seemed to be wearing a look that was both bemused and proud. Mom, however… She was less than pleased. Cara was absent, however. The twelve year old brat that was yours truly climbed out and prepared to weather the storm.
“Lieia Aladara Grisova! What were you thinking, driving off like that?” The stern-faced woman exclaimed and I winced slightly. Dad spoke up at that moment.
“Now, take it easy, Marian.”
“Wha-what?”
“You heard me. She will receive a punishment, but it’ll be of a different sort.”
“Thed, what are you talking about?” He waved her off and walked over to the machine attached to the tow truck, examining it closely.
“Hmm… This is a-“
“Selvar Thundercharge. The 2976 model.” I piped up and he glanced at me, eyebrows rising, and I added quickly. “B-Model, the one with the Talwen R37 engine.”
“Hmm. True enough.” He cast a quick glance at the front of the car, lifting the rusted hood up a little, eyeing the age-worn powerplant nestling in the engine bay.
“Thed, what are you-“
“You want her to be punished? Let her rebuild this thing. If she abandons the project-“
“I won’t!” I declared defiantly.
“That so, huh?” There was a glint in my father’s eye and he smirked softly.
“Yes! I am going to fix this car and get it running! And then, I am going to enlist in the Thunder Run when I am old enough, and I am going to win!” I stomped my foot and nearly shouted. “I’ll be the best racer there ever was!”
He stared at me quietly, and then burst into laughter.
“That’s my girl! Let’s get this thing in the garage, then!”
Mom gave up with an exasperated sigh and walked up to us.
“If you’re going to do it, you’ll have to do it properly. I’ll help with what I can – parts, tools, etcetera…” I smiled and hugged her. She chuckled and hugged back, followed by my dad moments later…
“Not used to getting hurt, are you? Fighting your own battles is much harder than having others fight them for you!” - Lieia Aladara Grisova to Warmaster Sel'Kainar, at the Battle for Archilo Harbour, during the campaign to retake Arietis II.
The grey alicorn let out a yelp as she landed, her wings and legs flailing frantically as she tumbled across the ground and came to a stop.
“Motherfucker!”
Lieia gave an exasperated groan as she stood back up, shaking her head to rid her mane of dirt, her wings giving an irritated flap as she eyed the laughing shades perched among the trees.
“Oh, come on! Can't you even give me a little advice?”
...no. We cannot aid you with this task. You must learn to fly by yourself...
“Figures...” The six wings opened and Lieia closed her eyes, concentrating – after a couple of moments, she could feel something. Small eddies and currents that tugged at her wings and her wings automatically adjusted for those minor disturbances in the air, making her hum thoughtfully. With a couple of powerful flaps, she was airborne once more, hovering as she reined her impatience in. Shifting her wings a bit, she set off carefully, the Lost Children dissolving back into shadows as she gained altitude...
She pulled out of the steep dive, adrenaline coursing through her veins. This was totally amazing! Of course, her genetically-enhanced body - her human body, that is - allowed her to do some wicked jumps – coupled with the bionic left arm and various other cybernetics implanted throughout her body, she could pull off some serious feats of agility and strength, but those all wilted away in front of flying under her own power – she could feel the air rushing around her newly-found wings, filling her with glee. It had taken her a while, but she'd learnt the fundamentals of flying, and all by herself, too! She banked around, and was about to head back into the forest when her stomach grumbled in complaint.
Ah. Of course. When's the last time I ate?
...there is a farm where you may acquire some fresh fruits...
By acquire you mean steal, right?
...unless you have any local currency...
Now that I do not have. And I doubt they'd accept Coalition credits, too... I hate stealing things.
...was the Ragnarov Titan actually yours, then...
Touché, kiddos. You win this time.
Rainbow Dash smiled as she and her weather team finished steering the clouds around – in a couple of hours, the Sweet Apple Acres would receive a meticulously-prepared storm, much-needed in this weather. If it worked – and she had no doubt it would – Applejack could look towards another bountiful harvest. Humming to herself, she flew down to the farm, having ordered the rest of her team to go back to Ponyville.
Applejack hummed happily to herself, and waved in greeting to the cyan-blue pegasus as she alighted at her side.
“Hey there, Rainbow!”
“Hi, Applejack. The storm should be in position in a couple of hours.”
“Nice t'know.” The two fell silent as they trotted alongside each other, when they heard a faint voice.
“...bull-motherfucking-piece-of-shit...”
The two mares froze and frowned at that. Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at Applejack.
“Well, sounds like somepony's had their cereal crapped in.”
Applejack rolled her eyes at the rude, but apt statement.
“Sure sounds like it.”
“...fall down, you cocksuckers... gonna blast your fruity asses to oblivion...” The faint, but undeniably-livid voice could be heard again.
“Huh. Sounds like it came from there.” Applejack pointed to where a copse of apple trees sat.
“Think it's a thief or something, Applejack?”
“Maybe. We’ll see, I guess. Wanna go an' check it out?”
The two of them sat in a bush, eyeing the strange display a ways off – a grey alicorn was jumping up and down at a tree, wings flapping, teeth snapping and gnashing at the tempting fruits hanging above her.
“Grrrr...!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled muffledly at that.
“She looks like she's having some trouble... Why doesn't she just use her magic?”
“That all you can think of right now? You ain't concerned 'bout why there's an alicorn in front of us? Tell me, how many of 'em have you seen, th'Princesses aside?”
“Wait, you mean this one's also a Princess? That's unlikely, given that she keeps cursing all the time. And, she has six wings. None of the Princesses do. I'm kinda feeling jealous, though. I could go far with wings that size... Pegasi like big wings.” Applejack rolled her eyes at that.
“Big wings or not, this doesn’t exactly happen every day. We need to tell this to Twi. She’ll know what to do.”
Right then, the foul-mouthed alicorn stopped, her hooves hitting the ground with a couple of muffled thuds, her sides heaving as she glared hatefully at the source of her ire.
“You… damn… tree!” The alicorn hissed balefully, and closed her eyes. Her long horn lit up in a magical aura and the two spectators stifled gasps of shock – the alicorn’s magic curled around her horn, black and red, bubbling and coiling venomously, with both hues seeming to fight for supremacy on the horn as the alicorn let loose a shrieking blast of magic at the tree, roaring angrily.
The apple tree didn’t stand a chance as it was blown to shreds – no, its trunk dissolved into dust, its top half falling down with a thud. Without further pause, the alicorn leaned down and snatched up a fruit in her teeth – which were sharp. That fact unnerved the two mares even further as the grey alicorn greedily ate, eyes closed, but her ears swivelled this way and that nonetheless.
“Whoa…” Rainbow Dash muttered out in equal parts of awe and fear. Immediately, the alicorn’s head darted up, her blue eyes darting about alertly, suspiciously.
“Huh? Who’s there?” Her voice was hard and decisive – whoever this pony was, she was used to getting her way, and wasn’t used to being denied, that much Applejack could tell from the tone that was used. Nevertheless, the two of them froze and fell silent as the alicorn stood up to her full height and warily trotted back towards the forest.
Applejack let out a quiet sigh of relief as the hate-emanating alicorn slowly walked away when she heard a polite cough. Her head swivelling around, she saw a charcoal-furred foal sitting right bucking beside her, staring at her with a pair of amber eyes. Then it spoke, and the voice sent shivers down her spine.
“…good day…”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“
Lieia’s ears flicked at the horrified shout and she turned around, growling.
“Knew it. I fuckin’ knew it.” She quickly strode back to where a pair of smaller mares were screaming in shock at a very familiar being.
A shadow fell over Applejack and she froze, looking up at the alicorn looming above her and Rainbow Dash, her face emotionless and utterly unreadable. The foal dissolved into several smaller clouds of shadows, and reformed into strange, two-legged beings – they reminded her an awful lot of the humans that Lyra Heartstrings always went on about. But something told her that these ones were anything but human.
“Well?” The hard, demanding voice snapped her back to here and now and she looked up hesitantly at the grey alicorn. “You know, spying on others isn't exactly considered good manners.”
“Wha-?! Look who's talkin'! You're the one stealin' from me!”
That got a grim smile out of the alicorn.
“You've got guts, lady. I'll give ya that. Only a couple of people could get away with stuff like that. Well, quite a few, actually. I'm not like that Alexi bitch. But anyways, back to the crux of the matter, hmm?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued. “Yes, I stole from you. But I really had no other choice. I have no local currency. And I doubt I could just stroll up and ask if I could have some free food.” The shadow things drew her attention for a moment and she spoke, giving a sour chuckle. “Yes, I suppose that is rather ironic.”
“Huh?” Rainbow Dash cocked and eye in surprise.
“Long story short, I used to be a queen. I could pretty much get anything I wanted. And now I can't even buy any food. That's some industrial-grade irony right there, hmm?”
“I... guess?” The cyan pegasus frowned and nodded hesitantly.
“Hm. So, now what?”
“Well, ya did jus' disintegrate half an apple tree that I own.”
“I did, didn't I?” The alicorn gave a soft chuckle. “The apples were pretty damn tasty, though.”
“Heh. Well, Ah'm not one t'brag, but apples are my family's business.”
“Hmm.” She looked at the shadow things again. “They think I can fix that tree right back up. Just give me a moment...” The farmpony nodded warily and took a step back, followed by Rainbow Dash. The alicorn hummed to herself as her horn lit up in that baleful red-black aura again, flowing out towards the devastated apple tree and the farmpony froze up – the alicorn’s magic just… felt wrong. There was a bright, but decidedly unnerving glow as the tree reassembled under the alicorn’s power. Several long moments passed before the glow faded away and she gasped quietly in shock – the apple tree proudly stood there, good as new. She trotted up to it and placed a hoof on its bark, humming thoughtfully as she examined it. She couldn’t find anything out of place and turned to look at the quiet alicorn.
“Well, Ah’ll be. It’s like nothin’ happened to it!”
“Aside from being half-disintegrated by a short-tempered nutjob, it’s good as new.” Rainbow Dash coughed politely at that.
“So, uh… what sort of an alicorn are you?”
“Alicorn?” The mare in question cocked an eyebrow.
“Yeah. Far as I know, there are only three alicorns around. And they’re all royalty.” The alicorn turned to look at the shadow things, glaring at them.
“You told me I would fit right in with this form!”
The shadow things fell over, ghostlike laughter echoing from them, directed at the fuming alicorn.
“Oh, that is so not funny…!”
“Heheh… It kinda is, you know.” Rainbow Dash chuckled, then gasped. “This form? What are you, a changeling?” Unease started to creep across her. The alicorn reacted differently, however.
“What the hell is a changeling?”
“Um... It's a bug pony.”
“What.”
“And they feed on love.”
A glass pane shattered somewhere nearby.
The alicorn fell back on her flanks and rubbed her forehead sullenly, muttering something about fierce fornication with a particular species of water fowl before looking back at Rainbow Dash.
“Bug ponies.”
“Yeah.”
“Bug ponies that feed on love.”
“Mhm.” The cyan pegasus nodded in affirmation.
“What sort of fresh hell is this?”
“Well, you're in Equestria right now. Sweet Apple Acres, to be precise.” She got an absent-minded nod in return. “So, if you aren't a changeling, what exactly are you?”
“Aheh... It's kind of a long story. How about we start with introductions, hmm?”
Lieia hesitated for a moment, though – the mistrustful sentiment of Skrugg Invasion still lingered in her mind, but she chose to ignore it. These ponies weren't three metre tall warmongers-slash-priests hell-bent on eradicating humanity and their allies, after all. Still, she couldn't help but draw on the memories of the Lost Children – the ponies were clearly the dominant species of this world. Returning her attention to the two mares, she spoke.
“I am Lieia Aladara Grisova.”
“That's quite a mouthful.” Rainbow muttered out, cocking an eyebrow.
“Ah hear that.”Applejack chuckled.
“Well, in any case, you can just call me Lieia. Or Lee.”
“'kay, then. Ah'm Applejack, and this is my friend, Rainbow Dash!”
“Nice to meet you both. Wish it were under better circumstances, eh?”
“Totally.” The cyan pegasus chuckled. Even though she was still suspicious of the alicorn, the tension had dissipated considerably. “So, you aren't a changeling, but you can change shapes? How does that even work?”
“It's a long story, Rainbow, believe you me. But I have more important matters to take care of.” She sighed deeply and looked at the two. “Do either of you know anything about artefacts named the Elements of Harmony?”
Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack froze at that.
“The Elements? What do you want with them?”
“So, you do know about them?” Lieia leaned forward, hope burning a tad brighter in her chest.
“Whoa, slow down, pardner! What do you need the Elements for?” Several long, anxious moments passes before an answer was given to the farmpony.
“So I can finally pay for my crimes…”
Celestia trotted along through the castle gardens, mind heavy with burdenous thoughts.
“Why hello, Celestia!” A particular reformed god of chaos winked into existence at her side, sitting in a rowboat that was floating through the air as he followed her. The diarch sighed.
“Hello, Discord. How are you?”
“Good, good! But I have to ask – why the long face? What weighs so heavily upon your mind that it stifles your sunny mood?” He chuckled, sipping on a glass of chocolate milk. Most of the time, his antics would lure a give a slight smile out of the alicorn. Or, at the very least, it irritated her. Today, however, she simply sighed heavily and trotted ahead.
“Look, Celestia, we haven’t always seen eye to eye. But this dour mood does not suit you. At all. So, how about you talk to me?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because frankly, you and Luna are in charge of Equestria. That and Fluttershy said I should make more friends, let bygones be bygones, and so on and so forth.” That got a chuckle out of the alicorn.
“Sounds like something she'd say. She is a smart pony.” She sighed softly, then turned to look at Discord. “Reach out with your magic. The Everfree Forest, specifically.” The draconequus cocked an eyebrow, but did as instructed. A couple of moments passed and his usually-cheery expression changed drastically – he muttered out quietly, somberly.
“Oh, this is not good at all. Whoever's responsible for that has more power than Luna did during her tantrum a thousand years ago.” Celestia's gaze hardened for a moment.
“That 'tantrum', as you put it, was my fault. I should have paid more attention to her. But that is beside the point. Do you notice anything else?” The draconequus hummed thoughtfully.
“Hmm... Who is this mysterious being, anyways?”
“Twilight wrote to me – she says that it's an alicorn.”
“Ah. So, you're worried that she might try something untoward?”
“That, too. But I am more worried about that guilt she's harbouring – I have a feeling that she has committed unspeakable atrocities...” The god of chaos nodded slowly, rubbing his chin.
“And you wish your subjects to avoid that same fate.”
“Indeed. I have to say, you're being awful serious about this.” The alicorn eyed Discord curiously.
“Oh, I can act serious. I simply choose not to, most of the time. Makes things simpler.”
“Hm. Well, now you know what worries me.”
“That I do. But if I know you, you're already thinking of something.”
“That I am… Urgh… I still worry about my ponies.” She received no answer and when she turned to look at Discord, he was already gone. She rolled her eyes at that. “Figures…” She looked at the far-off Everfree Forest, a small, black line in the horizon, and shivered slightly.
“I don't know, Spike... I sort of felt like that foal could either hug me, or slit my throat, and he'd have no qualms about doing so... I just... Eergh...”
Knock, knock, knock.
Twilight left the mortified baby dragon and trotted over to the door, opening it. Her heart skipped a beat or two as she saw who was visiting her – Rainbow Dash and Applejack, but they weren't the cause of her distress. The grey pegasus mare was. She was smaller and lacked a horn, but she'd recognise that steely-eyed gaze anywhere. She spoke in a level, but subtly-anxious voice.
“We need to talk.”
Kshhhhk. Kshhhhk.
What… Where… Where am I?
Kshhhhk. Kshhhhk.
Pain coursed through my body and I weakly cracked my eyes open. I saw white ceiling.
Kshhhhk. Kshhhhk.
The hell is that noise?
I tried to lift my head up, but I simply didn’t have any strength. I felt like I’d been put through the proverbial meat grinder.
Kshhhhk. Kshhhhk.
Was there something stuck inside my chest? Then, I heard a door open. Someone had arrived.
“Oh, you are awake, Sergeant. That’s good to know. We were worried you wouldn’t make it. But you’re a persistent one.”
Kshhhhk. Kshhhhk.
I weakly opened my mouth, and tried to speak. No words came out, however faint. No breath, either. What the hell had happened to me?!?
Kshhk. Kshhk. Kshhk. Kshhk.
“Please, calm down! I can explain everything, but you must calm down. You’re stable, but in a fragile state.”
Weakly, I nodded, willing my heart to… to…
I couldn’t feel my heartbeat!
I looked at the doctor pleadingly, mouth opening and closing soundlessly. He seemed to understand and walked out of my angle of view. He typed away at some keyboard or another and a moment later, the – now, I realized – bed whirred quietly, propping my upper half of body upwards some. The motion, however slow made me wince in pain and I tried to raise my left arm to... to...
My blood ran cold for the second time as I was struck by another revelation – my heart wasn't the only thing I'd lost.
“Now, when you were brought in, you were a hair's width away from somatic death. Most of your ribs were broken-”
-the wet, fleshy snaps of muscle and skin tearing, the dry cracks of bones being broken like twigs-
“-both of your lungs were crushed and barely functional-”
-an immense pressure on my chest, mostly from the left side, squeezing my breath out from my lungs in a fountain of blood-
“-your heart was nearly crushed by the lungs-”
-a jolt of utterly searing pain, making my limbs seize up-
“-all of the aforementioned injuries were caused when you took a disintegrator bolt in your left shoulder. It flash-vaporized most of your arm and-”
-my world turned into a white blaze of pain as my reckless charge to avenge Faye Dunbar's death came to an abrupt halt – the amiable student from Galanthus, shot dead by the damned Vasari cowards-
He sighed and looked at me, face concerned-
-I lay in a puddle of mud and blood, gazing listlessly at the war-torn horizon. I see back-hinged legs, trudging up to me. I hear the whine of a weapon charging. And then...
A spray of green, luminescent blood and I see two Vasari collapse on the ground, choking pitifully, neat slits drilled into their armor. I see tall, shining beings stride across the battlefield, energy shields rippling around them as they open up on the Vasari fortifications. One of them notices my gaze and hollers to others.
“Quick, get a stasis unit here! This one's still alive!”
As I succumb to my grievous wounds, I see the logo on his shoulder, the insignia of one of the most feared troops in Trader space.
The flame-wreathed shield of the 4th EXO company.
I look at the doctor, who's still waiting patiently. My eyes convey the question plainly enough and he shakes his head slowly.
“This equipment is currently keeping you alive, oxigenating your blood, and circulating it around your body in lieu of your heart and lungs. Nevertheless, this is only a temporary solution. We have our finest scientists working on replacement organs as we speak. The wounds caused by Vasari weaponry facilitate the need for new ways to save the lives of our soldiers. We're expecting them to present with the prototypes in two weeks.”
Wait a minute. They wanted to insert untested tech in my body? I frowned a little, weighing the cons and pros and eventually came to a decision.
I didn't want to remain like this. I didn't want to live out the rest of my life as a cripple. I wanted to make those Vasari bastards pay. I wanted to avenge my family. Faye. And everyone else who had been enslaved or killed by those alien fucks.
I wanted revenge.
I nodded slowly at the man, and he nodded in return.
“Now, we have a lot to do. We'll have you back up to one hundred percent. Well, as close as one can get to said percentage in your condition. Get some rest and we'll get to it tomorrow.”
Eh?
My confused expression made him chuckle and rub his face.
“Ah, of course. How could I forget?” He pulled out an envelope from his pocket. It bore the logo of 3rd EXO company – a fist crushing a Vasari skull.
“You have been invited to join the 3rd Company, Sergeant. That you lasted that long in that condition is nothing short of a miracle. And, you know full well that only the strongest can join them.”
My mind raced at that announcement. The most prestige soldier corps in the Trader Navy wanted ME to be part of them? This was truly a godsend.
“So, does that steely, baleful gaze means 'yes'?”
You bet your ass it does.
