Equis, Equestria, Canterlot
Tuesday, 22nd June 2551 CE Celestial Standard Calendar

“That will not be necessary,” Princess Luna responded to the Master Chief after a long thirty seconds of arching her brow at everyone present. With what was tantamount to a new species having just appeared before them, the medical staff present were regarding Luna with mixtures of amazement and close analysis. They continued to peer up from their data pads at her frequently, plugging away at the handheld devices.

Trixie found her eyes rolling at their sudden machine-like behavior in response to what they, likely, saw as a new gold mine of scientific and medical discovery from visuals alone. Meanwhile, the Master Chief still had his own eyebrows raised, personally thankful that he had absolute control over who could and could not see his facial expressions.

“Very well, Your Highness,” Chief replied with a simple nod. The present situation was one of a handful of moments where his military bearing had ever been on the cusp of breaking. In this case, his jaw would have either fallen, or his mouth would have pulled into a grin at the response of the medical staff.

Only Nurse Redheart was currently not glued to a datapad, and seemed to have been the most flustered from the surprise change in the alicorn’s appearance. “Right … I believe that marks the conclusion of your medical exam.”

Luna smiled, having took the past several moments to go through several spells in her head before finding the one she desired. “So it does! Thou hath Our gratitude for having made this process expedient yet insightful all at once.”

“Of course,” Redheart responded with a half genuine, half-forced smile through her bemusement as Luna’s horn ignited. “Have a nice rest of your day, Your Highness. Like your sister you may have a unique metabolism that ours can barely even compare to, but like all patients, I encourage you to eat healthy and exercise as much as possible! As an old Ministry of Health advert always said when I was a filly: a healthy body is a happy body!”

“We could not agree more!” Luna enthused, her aura enveloping her newly-assumed body and transforming it back into her previous pony form. She then turned with a thoughtful expression to Master Chief and Trixie, not needing to catch their attention as she tested standing on hooves rather than feet again. “Speaking of the remaining portions of today … Master Chief, Miss Lulamoon?”

“Yes?” the Praetorian officer and Spartan both responded at the same time. They each exchanged a curious glance at the other before returning their gaze to Luna.

“During Our brief time in a different form mere moments ago, We have come to a new personal consensus as to today’s schedule!”

“And what might that be?” Trixie inquired with mounting suspicion in her eyes.

“The rest of the day shall be dedicated to museum-going and whatever that may entail. The other appointments can be done at another date. This demonstration of magic on Our part serves as a suitable ‘change of circumstance’, We feel. Sister will understand.”

Trixie mentally cheered both Luna and herself on upon hearing that. Yet another soul had been rescued from the trap Kibitz had fallen into long ago. In contrast to the unicorn mare, Chief simply shrugged as he was fine with either course of action

With Luna’s new proclamation, the trio promptly took their leave of the hospital wing and made ready to depart the palace, returning to Luna’s new suite and then checking in with Celestia before vanishing into the waiting wonders of Canterlot outside.

Outwardly, Celestia was serenely understanding of her younger sister’s sudden change of plans. Inwardly however, she had been expending great amounts of effort in preventing herself from demonstrating her outright urge to burst out laughing. It was from both relief and what had occurred at the end of Luna’s examination that such an urge originated.

The former was mostly due to Celestia’s observation that Luna’s sense of humour and penchant for mischief had survived intact despite all that had happened in the past millennium. Moreover, the latter was her own personal recollection of a similar event happening with herself several centuries ago.

The then-Princess Celestia had been in the middle of magical demonstrations with the likes of Star Swirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, and her fellow unicorn scholars. To describe the now ancient event as awkward would have been a grave understatement.

Eventually Celestia did in fact break into a chuckle, if only a minor and brief one. She elaborated to her sister in regards to her feelings of relief, also adding that the royal portrait commission in particular was something that the aristocracy in both the Imperial Court and the Senate had bothered Celestia incessantly over into including in the list of suggested things for Luna to do.

“One last thing before you go though, Luna,” Celestia then said in parting, brandishing a medium-sized tome in her golden aura.

Luna’s ears pricked as she looked between her sister on her throne and her waiting companions behind her. “Oh?”

“While you are at the museum and indeed many places, you will encounter a great deal many things that you will wish to confront with questions. Your retinue is of course your greatest resource, but in the event that they are ever not, and for when you wish to study on your own, I give you this book.”

Accepting the durably-bound book in her own aura, Luna flipped through its pages rapidly in a cursory inspection of it. “What beeth the sum of its contents?”

“Knowledge. My knowledge, to be exact. With the exception of certain classified materials and private records, This codex is enchanted to produce whatever knowledge is available to the Empire and the Concordat as a whole onto its pages on demand for your personal reference. In addition to this is the more mundane enhancements that ensure that this book can survive any conditions short of being within the center of a star.”

“I thank thee, my sister.” Luna smiled warmly, placing the codex into a saddlebag she had retrieved from her bedchambers. “Once again thou places a great boon upon us to guide our path of acclimation!”

“What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t?” Celestia said with a small smile that was growing by the second. She eventually giggled and gestured towards the nearest exit. “Go on, have fun little sister.”

Luna said nothing further, only returning her sister’s beaming before promptly taking her leave with excited strides towards her waiting group.

“Perhaps you’ll stumble into an adventure on the way,” Celestia said as her mirthful yet thoughtful eyes followed their forms until they fell out of sight.

After having consulted with her sister, Luna and her present companions were in the process of traversing the bustling streets of Old Canterlot, drawing more than a few curious stares their way. Those that were in enough circles to immediately tell who the new alicorn was had expressions a step further than curiosity: sheer wonder.

“Trixie thinks we ought to start charging admission to gawk at your presence, Your Highness,” Trixie stated in a low growl, growing a bit tired of the constant stopping of pedestrians to gander at them.

“Hmm … a fascinating proposition, Miss Trixie,” Luna replied, actually considering it if her thoughtful eyes were any evidence. “Assuming thou are not simply using sarcasm as comedic relief. What beeth thy thoughts on the matter, Master Chief?”

Since he often, but not always, spoke only when it was needed, the Chief decided to make his response short but still long enough to be satisfactory. “It’s something you could likely pull off, but just because it’s possible, that does not mean it would be prudent, Your Highness.”

The Spartan’s taciturn response and perfectly even-toned delivery was rewarded with a hearty fit of giggles from the alicorn. This was enough to cause Trixie to grin in turn. “Well spoken, Spartan. Well spoken indeed. But come, my companions, for the Museum of Equisian History awaits us in this direction!”

Luna began trotting excitedly down the street to the party’s immediate left, only to pause awkwardly when she noticed that neither of her companions had moved to do the same.

“Actually, Your Highness, it is in that direction,” Trixie said, pointing to a wide, tree-lined boulevard crowded with ponies that lay to their right. “Towards where the headquarters for the Ministries of Information and Technology are.”

“Curses!” Luna exclaimed. “Damn this oft strange modern calligraphy!”

“It’s what we’re here for, Your Highness,” the Chief pointed out.

“Chief’s right, Princess. We have your back,” Trixie said with a smile.

Returning their smiles, Luna did a hundred and eighty degree turn, leading Trixie and the Chief down the boulevard and towards the museum they sought out.

The building was something the likes of which Trixie and the Chief had seen before both in person and in pictures. For Luna however, its polished marble colonnades and highly detailed exterior ornamentation of pony, human, minotaur, zebra, and griffon statuary was a true wonder to behold. The bronze-capped rotunda was simply the jewel in the crown.

When they slowly ascended the steps guarded by the crested helmet-wearing statue of an ancient pegasi soldier leading up to the front entrance, Chief noticed something immediately different about the building. “It looks … deserted.”

“Currently closed to the general public on account of some new exhibits being moved in, and a few old ones being worked on,” Trixie explained to the them as she stowed her datapad she had been perusing back into her satchel bag. “But luckily for the motley likes of us, we’re not the general public. The museum curator and some of her colleagues should still be working inside. She’ll probably take one look at you and give you a personal tour herself, Princess.”

“Wondrous! And what is the name of this curator, should we happen to chance upon her?” Luna inquired as she read the marble pegasus’ plaque.

“A.K. Yearling, of course! Systems-renowned archaeologist, adventurer, and author of the Daring Do adventure novels! She was appointed curator of this museum by Prime Minister Fancy Pants for her literary and archaeological achievements!” Trixie replied with enthusiasm.

“Adventure … novels?” Luna’s muzzle was scrunched in puzzlement.

“Fictional literature, about travelling and escapades,” the Chief said curtly.

“Travelling and escapades … right,” Trixie deadpanned. “How very descriptive Trixie considers that! How very helpful!”

The Chief tilted his head to the right, then nodded. “Travelling and escapades,” he said again, “Not to mention discovery, peril, fantasy, myth, and sometimes romance and conspiracy. We studied some literature and fine arts during our training, even as super soldiers.”

Trixie’s deadpan became a smile. “There’s the man beneath the armor! Much better than your recent compatriot!” The smile quickly fell away, leaving Luna to look between the unicorn and the human with her mouth forming a bewildered ‘o’. “Sometimes Trixie wonders what being is truly under Johnson’s armor in comparison.” Her voice took on a sarcastic edge once again. “Not a man, surely? More like a deity incarnate that wears said body armour just to humour the enemy. Pffft.”

“We believe that might be something … thyself and the Sergeant should discuss at a later date; away from public scrutiny methinks,” Luna said slowly before cheerfully approaching one of the four pairs of entryway doors. “Shall we?”

“Of course!” Trixie replied, snapping her gaze back to focus on Luna after staring thoughtfully at some of the statues. The Master Chief had already begun following the alicorn inside. “And Trixie would agree, if there was only actually something to discuss in regards to that topic. Now, Trixie believes we shall.”

With that, the unicorn fell in behind the Chief and the trio was now inside the museum proper.

The interior had been constructed with just as much detail and ornateness as the exterior had been. It possessed everything from wrought iron-lined walkways that held the uppermost exhibits and galleries on the two floors above, to skylights and murals, marble floors like a massive black and white chessboard, and a whole country’s worth of statues of ponies and other races to compliment their counterparts outside.

Luna strode across the chessboard tiles towards the circular admissions and information desk. It held multiple booths and terminals but seemingly no attendants. That was at least, until Luna used her magic to ring the little silver bell that sat on the desktop next to the closest terminal, deeming it impolite to simply barge on in and begin wandering out of nowhere. All three of them looked around the cavernous room as they patiently awaited a response.

To Luna’s delight, their wait lasted only thirty seconds by her approximation.

“Apologies, apologies! I was in the middle of sorting … blessed primary sources!” a stallion swore, materializing from around the bend of the desk. He was an earth pony of posh academic dress over a stout body with gamboge-gray fur and black hair.

“We beg your pardon?” Luna responded in surprise.

“By all that can be uncovered with tools of archaeology!” he swore again. “Can you possibly be …”

“Aye, fairest citizen. We are Princess Luna, thy senses do not betray thee.”

The pony bowed his head, then said, “Stupendous! By the sacred papyrus … pardon me, sometimes I get so carried away with my work that it leaks into my speech. Ahem. I am Doctor Caballeron, and it is a privilege to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Likewise.”

“What brings the returned sister of the Empress to our most humble museum?” Caballeron took a seat next to the solid golden bust of a Roaman emperor from ages past that held imperium over a jar of candies and a wicker basket full of freshly-printed museum information pamphlets. He awaited the Princess’ response eagerly.

“Why to observe its exhibits, but of course! Well, those that can currently be observed, that is.” Luna grinned in a filly-like manner.

Caballeron nodded before tilting his head to the right and peering over his shoulder, a brow raised as he looked back to them. “Ah. And I presume that one of mankind’s most capable warriors and one of the renowned liberators of Balaho are tagging along with you instead of out fighting on the distant planets, for the same purpose?”

“That’s correct,” Master Chief replied in his usual neutral-sounding fashion. “Empress Celestia and Allied Command have ordered us to be her personal guards for an indeterminate amount of time.”

“Her Highness is very eager to leap at every opportunity to learn more about this new age, and for that matter, Trixie does not blame her,” Trixie added.

The combined responses merited a beaming expression from Caballeron. “A most noble endeavour! And here I was assuming such high figures as yourselves were simply here to join up with that Ministry of Technology-lead expedition my colleagues here keep trying to rope me into participating in. It’s doomed to fail, just like all previous attempts.”

“An expedition, thou sayeth?” Luna’s ears sprung up in their alert position, clearly conveying her interest to the earth pony archaeologist. “Could one of your colleagues perchance be one A.K. Yearling?”

“Indeed one of them is. Our museum’s most distinguished curator, nonetheless! Shall I wait to tell you about them and the expedition after the tour, if your curiosity is so great? This is assuming of course that we do not bump into Miss Yearling or one of my other aforementioned colleagues.”

Luna looked between her group and Caballeron. The others nodded at her, and she nodded in turn at the archaeologist.

“Very good! Let’s not dilly-dally, now!” Luna, Trixie, and the Chief followed Caballeron as he left the desk’s circle and stood in the middle of the reception area. “Hmm, now where to begin?” He scratched at his stubble-covered chin as he looked from one corridor entrance to the other before settling on the more obvious first choice: the museum’s grand atrium right behind the welcome desk they had just walked away from.

“The … atrium?” Trixie offered.

“Ah yes, the atrium! Home to some of our most high profile exhibits. Everything from Star Swirl’s wand collection, to ancient Anugyptian mummies and the landmarks of our remarkably diverse planet’s ventures into space!”

The ensuing tour lasted approximately two hours. During that time, Princess Luna encountered more than a few quite noteworthy artifacts, displays, and pieces of artwork. Caballeron, walking and firing out barrages of facts as they went, seemed to have started them in the most recent exhibits and had them moving forwards and backwards in history at random.

Exhibits that were lined with such things as scaffolding or protective tarps were obviously avoided, adding to the random proverbial jumps Caballeron made through time. A small part of Luna wanted to be annoyed by this, but she was simply enjoying herself too much. And, being a sponge for all the information as she presently was would have rendered it nigh impossible to begin with.

One memorable exhibit depicted very recent history, at the turn of the last century. This era was when, as explained by Caballeron, Equis’ denizens turned their eyes and hearts to the stars once again after having given up before, and went beyond simply setting hoof on another nearby planet. This time, with the boon of human slipspace travel, they permanently secured the ability to walk amongst the stars.

The exhibit in question was a diorama of a pastoral scene of rolling green and amber plains. Scale models of what Luna’s companions identified as a Horizon-class colony ship and various unpacked equipment lay on the flattest regions of the terrain, while small and highly detailed figurines of the crew placing one of Equestria’s flags and conducting other work surrounded the ship centerpiece.

As Luna interfaced with the museum exhibit’s computer with Trixie’s assistance, a recorded audio log began playing, augmenting the information already provided on the screen.

“ESS Springtide beginning post-planetfall initial status check, Manehattan Mission Control. Timestamp: May 7th, 2499, 14:52.”

“We read you, Springtide. Crew status? We hope nobody gets caught taking a nap during the big event!”

“All personnel are reporting statuses as green across the board.”

“Diagnostics?”

“Slipspace drive is green. Thrusters, engineering, and life support are green. Communications and power, green. Vital colony components, green. Planet Elysium… well there’s lots of blue, but green as well! We made it.”

Luna heard what sounded like cheering from Mission Control’s side of the recording before there was finally a verbal response. “Damn good news. Are the Stars and Alicorns ready to be planted?”

There was a curious narrowing of Luna’s eyes as she heard an unfamiliar nickname for a flag that had been familiar to her in her time.

“Affirmative. We’re setting first hooves on the ground in five to partly cloudy skies. Hope you have a sunny day as well, Control. Springtide signing off for now.”

“How awe-inspiring, to have set equine hooves upon another world, to walk in the light of another star!” Luna exclaimed, practically radiating primal awe. “We shall read more into this and similar events later. Now pray tell, what beeth that over there?”

Another exhibit displayed preserved melee, ballistics, and directed energy weaponry, miscellaneous war equipment, and photographs from the 2380’s, when Equis had suffered its first and only deployment of super weapons by any nation on its surface. They were fierce weapons, nuclear explosives in which both Equis and Earth had perfected in their history, as well as another unique only to the former: the rainbomb. A devastating, weaponized and violent interaction of bright energies that produced a signature mushroom-plumed emission which shimmered across the entire visual spectrum.

Some of the photos – the majority of them in colour – depicted dour-faced soldiers of a number of humanoid dragon subspecies in ballistics armor that was a less advanced form of some armour Luna had seen in the past two days. Also included were stills of heavily damaged cities, squadrons of living and heavily armed wyverns, and a single photo taken high in the sky that centered the exhibit and depicted a series of mushroom-shaped clouds on the far horizon.

Luna was almost as surprised as Trixie and Caballeron were when the normally quiet Chief took up the role of stoically explaining that particular museum exhibit.

“Events like this are a primary reason for museums in the first place, as you know. Two of three great dragon nations, some of the most advanced nations on this planet, devastated each other over minor disputes. Equestria is spacefaring, yet those two have not yet fully recovered. Many lives were wasted, rather than spent in that war.”

“And wasting the lives of those under thy command, those who have placed utmost trust and faith into thee, is akin to putting the blade through their hearts thyself,” Luna added.

“Precisely,” the Master Chief responded, giving a quick nod. “True words again.” The pair shared a gaze of mutual respect. Chief’s body language also indicated that it was all he currently had to say.

With the somber note now passed, Luna had a new thought surface in her mind as she observed Chief’s armored form while Caballeron lead them onward. Hath the Spartan reached a daily word capacity? One thusly self-imposed? The Princess shook her head lightly at such a silly notion, mentally scoffing.

The next exhibit they saw consisted solely of one large painting that stretched three meters wide from end to end. It’s frame was laden with gold filigree to a heavy degree and the contents the frame contained were even grander to behold. An inscription card in the middle bottom portion of the frame read:

It was a painting of Celestia, standing tall with a serene smile in a prominent position on the amphitheater stage of the Canterlot Royal Botanical Gardens. She brandished three sets of scrolls in her golden aura, and behind her was a multi-species group of Concordat soldiers brandishing their respective flags, with Equestria’s blue and white and the then newly-inaugurated gold and crimson sun flags centered behind Celestia.

The entire meeting and performance hall in the scene was meanwhile crowded with delegates, ambassadors, and heads of state from a multitude of governments of races.

Master Chief was able to make out the likenesses of Admirals Cole, Fairweather, and Margaret Parangosky, as well as that of the unicorn Svelte, General of the former Royal Army of Equestria. A small part of him filled with pride to have been there, as he quickly took note of a familiar but more youthful figure next to a teenaged Princess Cadance. He was depicted clothed in his UNSC Navy dress uniform as part of the Concordat Allied Command’s honour guard in attendance, and in truth it had been one of the only times he’d ever left his Mjolnir armor since the start of the Great War.

Luna recognized the entire place thanks to three reasons. The first was Trixie’s input. The second, was her having seen the vast structure’s glass dome on the way to the Museum of Equisian History. Third, and most importantly: Luna had been told about the entire event and its significance to Equestrian history by her sister over dinner the previous night before proceeding to binge-listen to the miracle of modern broadcasted sound.

With that fact, it was Luna this time instead of Caballeron who took the time to explain their knowledge of the current exhibit.

“Declaration of Empire. This was when sister signed the documents she called ‘The Celestial Accords.’ The three scrolls are the Accords in question. The first enacted her office as Empress and organized the Equestrian Ministries under said office as the Celestial Bureaucracy. The second is what created the Imperial Legion, and shaped the modern Imperial Armed Forces. The third fashioned the Equestrian Senate from its predecessor in Royal Parliament, and outlined the details of the new empire’s diplomatic, warfare, and inter-Concordat procedures and roles.”

Luna resembled the stereotypical over-achiever of the proverbial classroom. It was a look she deliberately projected for dramatic effect. “The Concordat needed one of the founding member states to become the central foundation of its authority. That is to say, a steward power to lead and assist in keeping organized the Parliament, Allied Command, and the Concordat Systems Tribunal branches of the alliance.”

“Oh gods, Trixie hopes her mannerisms are not contagious,” Trixie whispered under her breath as Luna was finishing the first half of the quasi-lecture. “There can only ever be one Trixie in this galaxy!”

Doctor Caballeron was astounded at Luna’s rather ostentatious display of fresh knowledge, his eyes wide with excitement. “Impressive, so soon you have been in this era of ours and yet you have learned so much! Please, continue!”

Luna smirked in spite of herself. This moment was one of the first tangible demonstrations of her rapidly growing grasp on her new world, and like being in the museum itself she was enjoying every second of it. “Equestria in its contemporary state as a vast terrestrial kingdom with rapidly growing interstellar holdings was deemed a suitable model for the projection of Concordat power on an eventually galactic scale. However, many of the other heads of state at the time agreed to the notion with one stipulation: that Equestria adopt the political mantle of an empire, in order to lend weight to Equestria’s new role in name as much as it already was in reality.”

“Bleh, Trixie takes little stock in politics,” Trixie remarked with a frown of distaste as soon as Luna finished. “Long story short, some politicians that weren’t Celestia wanted Celestia’s government in a high position so they didn’t have the burden of responsibility. Political laziness allowed for the birth of Imperial Equestria. We now stand as the most powerful equine civilization that ever was. Don’t tell Roam or Nimbus that Trixie said that.”

Caballeron chuckled in amusement, while the Chief simply stood and listened, feeling completely out of place in the majority of the new conversation. Despite this however, his interest was still for the most part piqued.

“Well … essentially. Although of course, Celestia was far more verbose with her usage of words than thee, fair Trixie,” Luna informed her. “Let it be known that Our delivery of this information rivals but does not surpass my sister’s in verbosity!”

Trixie nodded and prepared to go, but it would seem Luna was not yet done with her quite yet. “Fear not,” the Princess whispered. “We were not emulating thee, for there can only be one Luna in this galaxy as well!”

The group then proceeded onto viewing such miscellaneous things as the advent of products like carbonated beverages and the notoriously still ongoing ‘war’ between the Moonbeam Cola and Sunburst Soda varieties. There was also as part of a broader cultural exhibit an article about the colloquialism for pony symbols known as ‘cutie marks,’ technologies that both took off and remained novelties when they were invented, and the travelling and supply kits of the first pony pioneers to settle Equestria’s west coast.

Eventually, the group found itself in exhibits hearkening back to a more familiar era for Luna. She found her eyes glued to everything from actual former scientific possessions of Star Swirl the Bearded as well as his fabled wands and trinkets, to scenes of Hearth’s Warming Eve and the founding of Equestria, and even tools in a display case accompanying a diorama of a half-constructed Canterlot.

During the tour Luna also noted, much to her own surprise, that there seemed to be no sign of exhibits that hinted at the existence of what she remembered to be the Crystal Empire. Like herself and the circumstances of Nightmare Moon, it appeared that a couple of decades of neglecting historical preservation, on Celestia and others’ parts, had lead to complete ignorance of such topics and events even when a century was all that had passed.

The fact of it all made her sad more than it induced any form of true vexation. However, that feeling too faded away for now as Luna saw another living being in the museum besides the three others with her in the halls.

A unicorn mare with a coat the colour of violet and lavender and a fringed three-tone mane was gazing up one of the taller exhibits covered in scaffolding and obviously in the middle of being worked on. From what Luna could see, it was some kind of aircraft replica, if the silver wing jutting out from a curtain of protective tarping was any indication. The mare herself had nothing on her person but a sizeable satchel bag that would not be out of place on some far flung trip through wilderness.

“Hail!” Luna greeted with a large grin. “Beeth thou the person known as A.K. Yearling, the curator of these fine halls of history?”

The unicorn turned around to regard Luna with complete shock. “M–me? A.K. Yearling?” The mare’s reaction proceeded to leave mixed reactions; Luna, Trixie, and the Chief were frowning, but Doctor Caballeron was grinning from ear to ear.

She was rolling on the ground, shedding tears from her laughter as it echoed throughout the building. Her satchel bag jostled enough to open and spill out its contents, including a copy of an actual Daring Do novel that Luna’s eyes rapidly inspected with close detail. The group continued to watch her antics for an entire minute before the unicorn at last calmed down enough to speak in between giggling fits.

“I’m sorry … I’m so sorry! The irony is just … oh, brother!”

“If thou are not Yearling, then who beeth thee?” Luna inquired with an arched brow that could likely prop up a building.

“Princess Luna, it’s me, Twilight Sparkle! Did the Empress seriously not tell you what I looked like?” Luna and Trixie ignited their horns and began assisting Twilight in returning the contents of her satchel to their proper places.

“It would appear not,” Luna replied as the last of the items were returned and Twilight put her pack back on.

“Thanks for the help. But that is odd! Empress Celestia must be so caught up in her duties that she forgets minor details like that. Can’t say I blame her,” Twilight said as she drifted into a brief musing spell. “Pardon me, Your Highness! I am Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s pupil and an advisor to the crown. Please tell me you were at least informed as to my new role, I worry about my teacher sometimes in her ability to spread even her great reach too thin.”

“We do, Lady Sparkle.”

“Please, feel free to call me Twilight,” Twilight replied with a * blush, also relieved to a minor degree.

“We do know of your role … Twilight.” Luna corrected with a friendly smile. “And as you imagine, just as We have entered into this era with bountiful curiosity, it is with that same sentiment that we roam these halls this afternoon with fair Doctor Caballeron.”

“As anticipated!” Twilight said. “I’ll admit though, Princess, answering your many questions and helping to guide you through the modern world will be a bit surreal to me early on. Not that it will affect my ability to impart knowledge to you, of course!” She then finally took full note of the presence of the earth pony, Trixie, and Master Chief as well. “Oh hello, Doctor, everyone!”

“Hello again, Miss Sparkle,” Caballeron replied, his green eyes still shimmering with amusement. “It would appear I do not have to speak of the expedition afterall.”

“Again with the mention of this expedition. One of you will tell Us of this venture, right this moment,” Luna said, in a faux-authoritative tone. Were it not for her accompanying smile, Twilight would have stood no chance in being able to tell that Luna was simply being playful. “Our curiosity grows by the day.”

“Oh right, the expedition! Minister of Technology Doctor Anders, myself, and A.K. Yearling are collaborating on preparations for full archaeological investigation of a site on Fenris.”

Luna’s interest only soared, and her ears pricked up in a most cat-like manner. “Fenris? There are objects of archaeological interest on the fourth planet from our Solaris?”

“Indeed there are.” Twilight produced her datapad from the satchel bag and used it to conjure a holographic projection of Fenris to illustrate her words.

Luna leaned her head forward a bit and narrowed her eyes to behold a world largely painted in whites and blues, with occasional bands of green and large swaths of red from immense volcanic and tectonic activity.

“The Capricorn species, one of whom Celestia told me you’ve met in the form of Chieftain Rurika, have anomalously inhabited Fenris for at least the past five hundred thousand years,” Twilight said. “During that time they must have formed many civilizations.”

“Anomalously, you say?”

“Capricorns as a largely unchanged species identical to their counterparts on Fenris also show up in the fossil records of Equis, going back at least two million years. We suspect this to be their true homeworld, but they vanish from Equisian records approximately eighty thousand years ago, with the last and most recent remains being discovered in Western Equina, between the shared borders of Tayros and Nimbus.”

“Fascinating, if rather suspicious,” Luna said, nodding as she processed the information.

“But I digress, back to the expedition. How about we discuss it during its main briefing at the IMTECH headquarters? You could even join up if it's of no issue with yourself and the Empress.”

Luna looked between Twilight and her companions for a moment. “Sister has placed upon Us no restriction with our dealings. With that said, this obviously intrigues Us greatly! We seek the input of Our retinue before proceeding, however. What say you, Trixie, Master Chief?”

The Chief was the first to respond. “I follow you wherever, but contact with the Capricorns on Fenris as part of this expedition could be a great opportunity for your introduction to semi-modern warfare. The Capricorn Houses are some of the most proficient fighters in the Concordat by reputation.”

“While Trixie agrees that it would be a great way to introduce Your Highness to contemporary warfare, she sees the Capricorns as nothing special. Though she must admit that this prospect of alien ruins somewhat excites her.”

“Well we haven’t verified them as such yet. We’ve only picked up from orbit very likely signs of artificial structures beneath the snow and constant cloud cover,” Twilight replied to Trixie as she tapped at her datapad for a moment.

Luna then beamed at Twilight. “‘Tis settled, then. Doctor Caballeron, what of yourself?”

The entire group now focused on the earth pony, who now wore a resigned scowl on his muzzle that was framed by stubble. “And thus I have been roped into the expedition. By the founders of anthropology, fine! I’ll leave the museum in the charge of Fancy Pant’s wife in lieu of Yearling. But do not expect me to save any of the expedition’s chocolate rations. They are my fee for getting me caught up in this, as well as any alien baubles of value.”

Twilight snorted in one half derision, one half amusement at that. “Gorge yourself for all I care, but you’re going to be hard-pressed on the latter then, Doctor, because I have no doubt that what we’ll be finding will be beyond priceless.”

Canterlot, Empire Boulevard

The trek further down the boulevard to Star Swirl Plaza was brief. The plaza itself, a grand and expansive park that housed the headquarters of several major corporations and imperial organizations, was the least familiar to Luna of the entirety of Old Canterlot.

As Twilight lead them to the headquarters of the Ministry of Technology, families and groups of people talked, played, ate, and wandered leisurely about the flagstone pathways and manicured gardens.

While a mundane sight to the others, Luna and even the Master Chief considered the plaza to be an exceptionally idyllic sight to behold.

This in turn made the sight of otherwise unremarkable posters on some walls and storefronts turn into glaring beacons for the eyes of both the alicorn and Spartan. The only thing that rivalled the posters was the lingering figure of a single grey, fedora-wearing earth pony in business attire that the Master Chief could have almost swore would stop on occasion to nonchalantly observe them. Luna noted the stallion’s presence as well, but wrote it off as nothing but a curious onlooker.

One of the posters depicted likenesses of Equis, Earth, Eayn, Balaho, and Fenris in a pentagonal formation in a star-filled backdrop. The center of the pentagon was occupied by a caption that read: The Grand Solarian Concordat. Prosperity, Unity, Opportunity. It, however was not the poster that was in such sharp contrast to the location in which it was posted.

The poster that was depicted the Chief’s comrade, Avery Johnson. Its contents as well as its slight weathering indicated it was far older than its companion on the wall. Johnson was shown garbed in UNSC marine armor from the prior half of the century. A battle rifle was held barrel-up over his right shoulder, and his left index finger was pointing at the viewer. The poster’s caption read: The Concordat wants YOU! See the galaxy, enlist today!

Having depleted her interest in the posters for the time being, Luna turned to take in the sight of the five-story ministry headquarters they were about to enter.

Like the Museum of Equisian History and many other Equestrian government buildings Luna had yet seen, it seemed to follow a similar architectural style that blended Canterlot ascetic with that of other parts of Equestria. The building also possessed a colonnade, but lacked the museum’s distinctive dome.

On the roof of the colonnade were letters proclaiming the name of the organization that owned it, and above them were the insignia of the Ministry of Technology. It was a sleek, geometrically perfect arc superimposed over Equestria’s sun banner that was reminiscent of a planetary limb as viewed from orbit.

“We assume we have reached our destination?” Luna inquired, beginning to grow perplexed by the modern world’s apparent fetish for oftentimes ostentatious signage.

“Almost, Your Highness,” Twilight answered, looking chipper as she telekinetically opened the nearest set of doors for Luna and her entourage.

Twilight lead them into a similarly exquisite entry hall as the prior locale, although it possessed a far more elaborate array of computer terminals, holography, and similar equipment at the reception desk.

A few short hallways and security guards that saluted the Chief and Trixie later, the entire group stood inside an oval-shaped conference hall that was dimly lit and smelled oddly of fresh leather. The large room was already considerably filled with occupants.

A short stage was occupied by two labcoat-clad women and a beige pegasus mare that appeared to be in the midst of a heated debate. The trio’s colleagues and trans-organization counterparts as indicated by their clothing and/or insignias, scientists and engineers, were in groups around the room, quietly chatting amongst themselves or observing the arguing going on up on the stage.

What it was about, Luna could only speculate, but the Master Chief held a gaze in their direction that indicated he recognized one or more of them.

The Princess also recognized almost instantly, with some enthusiasm, that the likes of Sergeant Johnson was accompanied by a motley assortment of armored soldiers scattered across the hall’s assorted seatery. Two human men and one pegasus stallion dressed in black combat armour were beside a human woman, a unicorn stallion, and several earth ponies of both genders garb in white-gold legion armour. Their loose group was joined by a further seven bipedal beings around the room of generally squat build whose appearance surprised Luna.

They had frames vaguely reminiscent of lesser primates, but their skin was chitinous and arthropod-like where it was not covered by modified versions of the armor worn by the two other legionaries in the room. On their backs were cylindrical cerulean canisters full of methane connected to rebreather packs that covered most of their face. She had never seen creatures with any comparable appearance in her waking memory.

“How?! Trixie demands you tell her how you’re everywhere!” Trixie yelled from beside Luna, her obvious displeasure focusing on Johnson, much like her armoured hoof.

Johnson did not turn around in his chair as he replied, “Legate McIntosh had to vacate his position as head of expedition security on account of being urgently needed in the Meridian system. So, Allied Command offered me the posting, and I was happy to oblige!” He was no longer wearing his usual UNSC Marine Corps hat, and had the default helmet of his Mark IV Mjolnir armor on the ground at his feet.

“He is everywhere! Posters outside in the big city, you see, you see?!” one of the odd-looking alien soldiers beside him remarked in a high-pitched voice. “He’s a God of War! Big superhero on Balaho!” This earned him the piercing gaze of Trixie in turn.

“Yayap, I recognize you! Way to point out the obvious. Perhaps Trixie should petition the Empress herself to grant you highest honours for such a distinguished feat!”

Luna frowned at Trixie as they each took seats beside a now irritated-looking Yayap. The latter two were to Luna’s right, while the Chief sat to Luna’s left alongside Doctor Caballeron. Twilight had continued onward to meet the people on stage. Yayap regarded Trixie with a piercing gaze of his own, his beady yellow eyes all but radiating his annoyance. Trixie looked between the two on either side of her and rolled her eyes.

“Trixie apologizes, Your Highness.”

“Thou hath Our appreciation, Trixie,” Luna replied with a satisfied nod. Yayap huffed through his rebreather, also satisfied.

“Many thanks to Her Highness! Sister of the Great Empress is a friend to the Unggoy?” the alien inquired.

“There exists no quarrel between thy people and Ourself; thou may consider us as friend,” Luna said with a smile. Yayap nodded and his happy eyes conveyed what his mouth could not due to his mask. Trixie, seated between the two as she was, seemed prepared to offer more snark but was interrupted by the occupants of the stage finally greeting the new arrivals.

“Princess Luna, Master Chief, Trixie Lulamoon and Dr. Caballeron, how interesting. Welcome,” the eldest-looking of the three on the stage greeted with a professional voice carrying the slightest hint of warmth. She walked towards the edge of the stage to regard them more closely.

Even from the distance, Luna was able to make out the features of all three perfectly. The woman whom had just spoken possessed straight, short black hair that had since mostly turned to gray, the usual slender build of a scientist, and blue eyes that burned with pure calculated intellect.

Luna had seen eyes like hers before in others: Sombra, her own sister, and the queen of the Changelings being amongst that group most notably.

The pegasus mare straightened the collar of her khaki shirt as her features brightened up from a previous frown of indignation. She possessed a two-tone silver and black mane and tail, and her violet eyes possessed the same degree of intelligence as the two women, although with slightly less of a haughty edge, in Luna’s private opinion.

The other woman on the stage seemed to be focusing all of her anger on the older scientist, her arms folded and her posture defensive. Like her older colleague, her build was slender and lithe, but her face was far more youthful. She wore her raven hair in a neat bun and her brown eyes shimmered in the same vein as the pegasus’ did.

“We are pleased to be here,” Luna greeted warmly after those few seconds of analysis. “We were invited by Twilight to this undertaking after imposing upon her Our vested interest! Gramercy, Twilight, why doth thou assume the shade of the common tomato?”

A quiet uproar of chuckling broke out amongst some of the humans, ponies, and Unggoy in the room at Twilight’s expense.

“Erm, well … that is more or less what happened,” Twilight confirmed, as she stood beside the brown-eyed woman. She rubbed at the back of her mane with a foreleg stiffened by embarrassment.

“‘Tis simply in jest, fairest Twilight! We deeply appreciate your willingness to indulge Our curiosity, as well as aiding in the bridging of the gap between eras,” Luna reassured the unicorn with a fun-loving grin. Seeing that her words seemed to settle the mare down a bit, Luna turned her attention back to the human scientists once more. “We hope that Our sudden impromptu presence here is of no burden to thy planning of the expedition to Fenris.”

“Quite the opposite, Your Highness” the older woman replied, tilting her head slightly and putting her right hand at her hip. “In fact we were just about to begin our briefing, and you arrived just in time. But pardon me, we’ve been quite rude.

“Oh?” It was Luna’s turn to tilt her head curiously.

“We haven’t even yet been introduced. I am Doctor Catherine Halsey, researcher with the Office of Naval Intelligence, as well as a number of other career accreditations of little relevance to present affairs.” She stopped at that, giving her and Twilight’s companion an opening.

“I am Doctor Ellen Anders, Minister of Technology under the Empress’ office. It is an honour to meet you at last, Princess Luna,” the younger scientist greeted. “And greetings to you as well, everyone.” Doctor Anders added as she turned to look at Trixie, Caballeron, and the Chief. “I admit your presence here is a mild but more than welcome surprise.”

“Charmed,” Luna replied, while Trixie and the Chief nodded. Caballeron gave a dismissive wave. “We see by your demeanors that you are eager to begin. Please, do so. Do not let Us keep you.”

Doctor Halsey smiled lightly. “It would be my pleasure. Professor?”

“Halsey,” Doctor Anders replied somewhat coldly.

“Would you do the honours of preparing the screen, please?” Halsey inquired before turning to Twilight and offering her a small square-shaped object with a warmer, more genuine version of the smile she already wore.

“On it,” Anders said as she vented the remainder of her present frustration with a drawn out sight. She headed over to a readout for a large, flat display screen that spanned the width of the wall behind the stage floor.

Meanwhile, Twilight took Halsey’s item in her aura, which Luna saw possessed a curious-looking crystalline matrix within its center, and inserted it into the same readout that Anders was busying herself with. The screen flashed to life, and any murmuring or chatter that remained in the room was snuffed out by a now undivided attention.

“Now, any of you present here that are well-versed and well-studied in the fields of history have no doubt heard of the renowned Capricorn mythology of the First Great Wolf,” Halsey began. “The tribes’ stories of a legendary warrior figure that lead their species to glory more times than have been recorded has been given parallels with the likes of the human figures of Beowulf and Gilgamesh, Hurricane of the pegasi, and even the great warrior-king Arbiters of our enemies, the Sangheili. It can be assumed that this mythos is the origin of the title for the leader of the Fangs of Fenris. What draws our interest is not those meagre parallels alone however, but the contents of the legends themselves.”

“Stories of celestial powers descending in great ships to steal the technology of their ancestors’ ancestors. The Great Wolf casting his spear high to strike at Fenris’ moon, Sæmundar. War poems describing a time when the Capricorns were once part of ‘the great clan that stood above all others,’” Twilight elaborated.

“Those are but a few in this mythology that we overall aim to investigate,” A.K. threw in, being reserved in demeanor and keeping quiet for majority of the briefing.

Twilight exchanged smiling nods with both Halsey and Anders before the latter picked up the presentation. “And investigate we shall. Our aim is nothing less than finding the root of this suspiciously familiar mythology, which will prove to have great significance to galactic history. Doctor Halsey’s Smart AI Cortana will now go in depth. Cortana, if you would please?”

“With pleasure, Doctor. Good afternoon, everyone.” The sudden appearance of a feminine voice from no discernible source struck a wary chord in Princess Luna.

“Hark, where beeth the source of that most pleasing voice? Reveal to Us your sorcery!”

“And good afternoon to royalty in present company as well!” the disembodied voice sounded nervous. “No pressure, Cortana, no pressure. Your Highness, as an artificial intelligence, I am not bound by the limitations of physical existence. There are exceptions of course, like of when I am kept in cramped chips such as what you saw Twilight insert into the holotank beside the display monitor.”

With that spoken, Cortana took the liberty of manifesting before everyone on the holotank previously referenced. Her avatar was that of an unclothed human woman consisting of blue, elaborately-linked strands of code with facial features nigh identical to that of her maker when she was in her early twenties: Doctor Halsey herself.

“Oh, We see. ‘Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miniature purple human woman.”

“Now, this expedition will not be without substantial risks.” At this point, the display that had been showing blank white the entire time now showed a still image of planet Fenris in the exact same form that Trixie had showed Luna earlier in the day. “In the northern polar regions of Fenris lies a series of very distinct anomalies each collectively attributed to one of the final recorded accounts in the Great Wolf mythology: a so-called ‘place of guarded slumber’ containing the most tangible evidence of the myths’ events.”

“Those anomalies are as far as any of your predecessors have ever reached,” Caballeron jeered. “Something is very-very wrong about that region, I have even heard human sailors refer to it as a ‘Terrestrial Bermuda Triangle’. Like the eponymous Earth region, what goes in there does not always come out.”

“All previous expeditions were called off, because they were simply looking in the wrong location, and proceeding any further from that point would have meant certain death.” Cortana’s simulated lips pulled into a playful smirk. “We know the exact location of where to begin. Now ladies and gentlemen, shall we get to the outlining the details of this expedition?”

Fenris, Boreas: 1.5 Thousand Kilometres from Aurora Continent, Above Ankring Spaceport
Wednesday, 23rd June 2551 CE Celestial Standard Calendar

Luna’s first voyage on a starship leaving her home planet was, to be expected, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She reflected on that fact as she peered out of a cabin window, watching thick banks of gray-white clouds that were undoubtedly vast and sweeping blizzards go by as the ship descended through the Fenrisian atmosphere.

Observing one’s home from the thousand year angle of its moon wore off after awhile in terms of wonder, even if it had been done so from within the mental bars of her own occupied mind. Travelling from Equis, pass Selene, and to the neighboring planet further down system was an whole another beast for the alicorn to process.

The expedition’s ship was, according to Twilight and Trixie, an Orion-class surveying ship of Nimbian pegasi manufacture. Luna had noted the vessel’s name to be Star Dancer as they’d boarded it back in one of Canterlot’s four spaceports, and the pony or person it could have been named after completely, for the time being, eluded her. What had mattered though, was that her cabin had been considerably comfortable and opulent for a ship such as the Star, the food of sailors was for the most part an acquired taste, and that she had enjoyed almost every moment of the brief trip between planets.

Now was the time for her to refocus her mind back on the situation at hand. It had been roughly three days since she had returned to the modern era, and already Luna was part of an expedition to seek out the source of the myths behind a legendary figure that at least three prominent intellectuals were convinced was going to be further tangible proof of a ‘precursor civilization’ of whose ruins the Concordat had already encountered in a limited number on other, far more remote worlds.

As the captain sounded over the intercom to all passengers that planetfall was imminent at Ankring, the nearest spaceport to the target destination of the expedition and one of the most remote of its kind on the planet, Luna wondered if she would ever have a single mundane day in the foreseeable future.

Seeing the Chief in the metal corridors half-standing at attention caused her to come to the conclusion that she would see at least a few mundane days, but they would be quite sparse at best. The duo joined up with the others and made their way to the cargo bay where the rest of the expedition was already in the process of gearing up.

The expedition’s military complement was mostly in full armor, with the Unggoy legionaries having already geared up first. The majority of the crustacean-like aliens were gathered in meditation in one of the corners, where the one called Yayap had set up an impromptu and quite bizarre little shrine adorned with a royal portrait of Empress Celestia as its centerpiece.

Luna made a mental addendum at the sight. Nay, mundane days shall be as rare as … something very rare! What occult happenings are the little crab people conducting thither?

After three minutes of Luna and the Chief gawking at the Unggoy and watching the rest of the exploration team ready themselves and ready equipment and supplies, they were joined by Trixie, and Twilight Sparkle. Twilight lead them to the already waiting trio of Halsey, Daring Do, and Anders, and with the other personnel and military complement lead by Johnson in tow, they emerged from the starship bay doors and out into the awaiting tundra and snowdrifts beyond.

Luna nearly gasped, the cold air hit almost like a solid wall. The sights to behold consisted mostly of the spaceport’s tallest structure,the icicle-lined dish of a satellite array, a small ice lake dotted with huts, and a sheer wall of towering mountains. As of the moment, the only other notable sights were the deep blue sky above with lazy gaggles of clouds partially covering the view of Sæmundar, and snow dunes that concealed hills beneath their wind-sculpted surfaces.

The expedition broke off into two primary groups. The first was the one Luna belonged to, which was heading to the spaceport buildings themselves. Meanwhile, the other group, including Johnson, Trixie, and the Master Chief, were remaining around the heat of the sleek and angular Star Dancer as much for warmth as their immediate duties of preparing the ground equipment and other resources.

It was no surprise to her that the rest of her now many companions were keeping warm in either armor or thick ensembles of parka, scarf, balaclava, boots, the occasional set of snowshoes, and thick gloves.

Luna herself had no need for such things, for her magic already provided a residual warmth as they all treaded their way over to the assemblage of over a dozen timber and concrete structures that composed Ankring’s spaceport terminals, hangars, support buildings, and control tower. Likewise, the Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson were both unfazed by the frigid conditions thanks to their power armour and helmets.

Chills did still manage to seep in through her magical barriers on occasion, however, such was the primordial biting strength of Fenris’ winds. Despite this, some of the expedition members nearest her often gravitated closer to the warmth of the fluctuating bright energy fields on instinct, or one of the small number of unicorn scientists in the large party. After enough time had passed, all the magical capable members of the party began casting spells of warmth for the whole expedition, to moderate avail.

Snow crunched beneath boots and armored hooves, and all the while the wind continued its constant moaning and howling.

“This wind surely plots against us!” Luna grunted as they trekked to the entrance of the nearest building.

“I’m sure you’ll manage, Your Highness,” a feminine voice replied in amusement telepathically from somewhere in Luna’s pack.

“Manage We shall, fairest construct,” Luna replied bluntly via the same telepathic link.

“Must you call me that?” the voice said with her tone dripping annoyance.

“We shall call thee Cortana, only after thou ceases the ‘Your Highness’ mantle. Thou art now in symbiosis with Our mind at the present moment at Halsey’s insistence, so it would be proper.”

“Aye, screw the wind, it’s the whole ruddy planet that wants our foreigner blood, ya hear, Yer Highness?” an earth pony, one of the expedition’s engineers stated to Luna. “How it howls our bloody names! This world must be gods-forsaken.”

“Watch that superstitious nonsense around the Capricorns,” A.K. Yearling interjected, raising her voice to be audible against the wind in question. “Weather and what we’ll find up there are more than enough for this expedition to deal with, and I’ll not be adding enraged women-warriors and tribals to our list of obstacles!”

With that having been said, nobody had to raise their voices any longer, for the party had reached the threshold of the entrance to the port’s command center. Many sighed in relief and a few with added surprise from the sudden influx of warm air, while Luna and her immediate company approached to be greeted by the spaceport’s welcoming party.

A familiar auburn-maned Capricorn awaited them with her arms folder in a patient and stern posture, although her facial expression was far warmer. Rurika was accompanied by a trio of fellow House of Winter soldiers clad in the same white and gunmetal light ceramite armour plating. The armour consisted of a set of pauldrons, an ornate cuirass emblazoned with the Fangs’ insignia, bracers, and leg greaves over simple grey and yellow leggins.

All three were female; indeed, Luna noted with some curiosity that the vast majority of the Capricorns in the large room everyone now stood were mares as well.

Both of their pauldrons were painted a distinctive yellow, and each one had a symbol that depicted what Luna had been informed was the symbol of the Fangs of Fenris. A standing wolf that was dubbed ‘The Wolf that Stalks The Stars.’ As for each of their left shoulder plates, there was a picture of a wolf looking towards a red shining sun.

As the four leading figures of the expedition moved forward in front of her, and Luna now observed from behind them, Rurika spoke. “So you two mares and you two women are the ones leading these group of ‘adventurers’ to a place said to be insurmountably treacherous to all but the most blessed of Capricorns?”

“It would appear so,” Halsey replied as she produced a small device from her satchel bag, all the while politely gesturing to Princess Luna and their other companions. “Although we do not come without substantial help,” she added in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone as she gestured to the alicorn present.

Luna batted a loose silver lock of her now wind-battered mane away to peer at Rurika. She held out her hoof, the bottom of her hoof facing the ceiling as the blue avatar of Cortana appeared, her arms folded at her chest and her expression quizzical. “This construct will guide our steps.”

“Ah ... artificial intelligence, how curious. Welcome to Fenris, Princess Luna and all of you. Now pay heed, you will need more than substantial help if you wish to get any further than the first sets of weather-based anomalies,” Rurika retorted. “In a joint decision between the Houses of Fenris and the Tribal Alliance, I have been granted the authority to dispatch with your expedition a company of twelve of my people to serve as your proper guides.”

“Concerned about the possibility of looting or cultural vandalism on our part?” A.K. Yearling inquired with her brow raised beneath a winterized version of the pith. From her position, Luna almost wanted to narrow her eyes at the pegasus.

The character she had seen on the cover of Twilight’s novel looked uncannily similar, and had worn a khaki version of the same hat design. Regardless of if she was in fact the character Daring Do in the flesh, Yearling casted an aside glare at the likes of Doctor Caballeron after speaking, who waved her off dismissively.

“We have no need for any further corpses of off worlders polluting our snowdrifts,” was Rurika’s answer as she gave them all a fanged grin, while her comrades and many of the Capricorn technicians in the command room broke into hearty fits of laughter. With no armour plating with which to pound their fists into out of amusement, the technicians were garbed instead in hand-woven tunics that covered utility jumpsuits beneath.

Rurika gestured to a much more stoic gathering of Capricorns underneath the room’s central skylight that illuminated the center-most banks of computers. “This, is Chieftain Aela of the Snätare. She and her tribe have hunted in and wandered these northernmost regions of Fenris since possibly the time the First Great Wolf entered their slumber.”

Aela, a raven-maned Capricorn with piercing blue eyes, stepped forward. Most of her white fur that was visible was adorned in swirling patterns, clawing marks, and other tribal symbols of blue dye, while the rest was covered by chainmail and the heavy-looking fur of some native beast. Her eleven companions, two males and nine females, were similarly attired. The group took note that it appeared as if Rurika and her companions were larger than Aela and hers. More than a few of the expedition wondered if it was just the armour.

Rurika appeared as if about to say more on Aela’s behalf, but one of the technicians approaching with some paperwork interrupted her. “Leaders of the expedition, Princess Luna, you must please pardon me, but I have urgent business elsewhere to attend to. The introductions are yours to make, Chieftain Aela.” She took the documents in one furred hand before taking her leave of the room.

Aela meanwhile, gave her more modern-garbed counterpart a terse nod with her ears flattened against her skull before meeting the gaze of humans and Equestrians in front of her. She remained silent for a few seconds, sizing up the portion of the Concordat expedition that had entered the command center. Her fellow tribe members did the same.

The seconds proved long enough for Doctor Halsey to venture the first words between both parties. “Snow-eaters. A fitting name for a tribe such as yours, if I may say so,” she said with an arched brow.

The face of the Capricorn chieftain was impassive for a few seconds longer beyond her ears, still analytical. Then, Aela broke the impassiveness and flashed Halsey and the others the same fanged grin that Rurika had given earlier, ears shooting up. “Well met, expeditioners of Concordat kin,” she said in a flowing, heavily accented voice. “I, Aela, will head the guides that lead you. Your Created companion the Princess bears will serve little more than the role of the token skald in the face of our pathfinding.”

Halsey’s expression and the ever-curious ones of the other did not change. Luna however, looked expectant as she tapped her free hoof against the ceramite-line floor. The composition of the Capricorn-distinct ceramic material amplified the sound slightly. “It would appear that Our ‘Created’ hath commentary for thee.”

“Not to boast, but you may be surprised in due time. So, what threats should we be expecting beyond the mere scope of meteorological phenomena and arctic mirages?” Cortana inquired.

“I second Cortana’s query, and I speak for Ellen as well,” Twilight agreed, rubbing at her right foreleg with the left, the both of which were clad in insulating fabric that complimented her white parka. “We have all the intelligence available to us that orbital analysis and data from previous failed expeditions provide, but it is very little compared to what you could surely share with us to augment our readiness.”

“Threats that will require your martial capability beyond our own. You were wise to bring soldiers as much as you were brazen,” Aela responded, her equine ears flickering with a hint of mischief beneath her stoic surface. “With this moment an exception, we Snätare are the most frugal with words of all House of Winter aspirants and its Fangs of Fenris, so we will depart shortly and speak of this during our journey to Where the Wolves Go to Die as needed.”

Aela already began moving and ordering her eleven warriors about, scarcely even waiting for the Concordat officials’ responses. Being none to waste time themselves, Halsey, Anders, Yearling, and Twilight said nothing further themselves, and all began gathering their people together as well.

Within a few moments, the expedition and their new Capricorn guards were filing back out into the ever-waiting winter beyond.

Boreas Continent, Approach to Fenrisian Terrestrial North Pole

Pressing onward first through tundra, then ice fields filled with various crevasses that threatened to swallow the errant, and finally the rolling white dunes of snow that filled the expanse to the north, the nearly fifty-strong expedition neared closer to the outermost edge of the so-called Terrestrial Bermuda Triangle of Fenris.

Without the aid of the native guides, more than a few things and perhaps even people likely would have been lost to the crevasses alone.

With that in mind, the expedition had spread itself, as well as its sleds and their accompanying timberwolf pack carrying vital equipment, out in a way that enabled it to still be functional and cohesive whilst minimizing the risk of losing most of their essentials in one catastrophic mishap. As such, they consisted of three roughly-formed columns. The two outlying ones were largely composed of the Concordat military complement and Capricorn warriors, while the middle column contained the majority of the civilian personnel.

Also in the middle party were Aela and three others of the Capricorn guides alongside Luna, Cortana, the Chief. and the expedition leaders.

“Is this it, the boundary into the anomalous zones?” Twilight said through the expedition’s magically-enhanced common radio channel as she peered straight ahead through a set of snow goggles that protected her eyes from the wind. “All I see is more of these never-ending white hills!”

“It appears we may already be crossing over it now,” Luna replied as she stepped forward through the almost knee-high snow alongside her. “We are no pegasus, but We believe We see hints of some odd weather patterns above these hills.”

“Actually, the nearest boundary for crossing over to where spatial anomalies begin is exactly one meter ahead. The apparent threshold for where the overlapping meteorological anomalies begins exactly two meters past that … oh.” Cortana’s forecasting of their imminent encounters ceased for the moment as even she became shocked by what the expedition had just come across.

“Everyone, stop and hold your positions!” Johnson shouted, briefly taking off his helmet to do so.

“All company, hold!” the human and unicorn captains of the Imperial Legion relayed. All three columns complied near-instantly as they peered ahead with widened eyes, all movement grinding to a full halt.

What had previously appeared to be a continuing expanse of rolling hills revealed itself to have been a total facade. The large-scale visual illusion concealed beneath it a clearly unnatural and violently swirling maelstrom of snow and sleet that unlike a cyclone, undulated at apparently random intervals.

“Fie! This obstruction appears nigh impenetrable,” Luna said, cursing. “Have we not pegasi whom could tame it?”

“We can’t use our magic to manipulate something of that magnitude, Your Highness!” the sole pegasi soldier of the black-armoured group replied, those Chief had informed Luna were called ‘Orbital Drop Shock Troopers’. “Such a thing would take hundreds … thousands of pegasi to even begin to sway in our favour!”

“Fie thrice over!”

“Does this mean I came all this way only for chocolate rations?” Caballeron shouted, throwing a semi-mock pout. The noise triggered a few and eventually all of the timberwolves present to begin a low, mournful howl.

“That … wind is madness in physical weather-based form!” one of the scientists declared. “Crossing it would surely mean an unpleasant end.”

Despite immediate appearances, some of the expedition knew better in regards to the meteorological monstrosity that had currently halted them entirely.

“What you need is the path through the storm, one sees,” Aela remarked, reaching out to the nearest timberwolf and petting its snow-covered oak muzzle to quiet down the whole pack. “And the willpower to tread it to its end.”

“Luna, everyone, I think the Chieftain might be right,” Cortana interjected, her voice thrumming with urgency.

“Explain please, Cortana! Post-haste!” Luna said into her hoof, despite Cortana’s avatar not having appeared yet. After a few seconds, she did, her arms folded and her expression analytical.

“That undulation you see? It appears random, but it’s actually not. There is a pattern to it, if subtle, which means this weather is artificial in nature. Based on the models I’m analyzing, there should be points in between these undulations where the wind is significantly diminished in its impact. One would have to brace themselves but they should be able to make it through relatively unscathed.”

“There’s our solution,” Halsey stated.

“Wait, but what about our equipment?” Anders asked with more than a little bit of concern while she all but hovered around the middle column’s three sleds. “There’s no way it can survive something like that intact, and without it our studies will be almost impossible to conduct!”
“Perhaps there’s a way to temper the surfaces of the machinery against these winds by magical means?” Twilight suggested.. “Although even I cannot think of a spell that would not damage our equipment internally as much as it would protect it externally.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Johnson said as an effort to stimulate further resourceful thinking.

“The solution is a lot simpler than you might think. You wouldn’t need a Smart AI to figure out, but of course you would still need one to get through the maelstrom in question.” Cortana interjected. “With Luna carrying me around, I could lead ourselves and three others through the blizzard to what lies beyond. I’d wager that what is controlling it lies just beyond, and can be deactivated.”

“Hmm … yes. We approve of this course of action,” Luna agreed.

“Cortana, Your Highness, are you both certain you can carry this out?” Halsey asked with her face a dour frown of concern for both the AI and her present bearer.

As Luna analyzed the human woman where she stood in a tense posture, she was somewhat reminded of a worried mother. A mother that was reluctant to express their nature as such.

Luna put an emphasis to her next words by adopting a stalwart posture, unfurling her wings to their full length and assuming the military bearing of her past. She waved the Chief over, who immediately stood by her left. “We shall enlist the aid of the Master Chief and two others in our vanguard crossing, Doctor Catherine Halsey. Fear not. Thy AI is in strong, protective hooves.”

After a few seconds of musing on Halsey’s part as she peered straight through the lightly-falling snowflakes at Luna and Cortana in her hoof, then to the Master Chief, she finally nodded. “Very well. Luna, John, who are you taking with you to get Cortana to where she needs to go?”

“Be there any volunteers?” Luna asked in reply to the expedition.

“Should go without saying,” Johnson replied, already moving to take up position on Luna’s right side.

Luna smiled at him before looking back to the rest. “Anypony else?”

“Yayap and Unggoy would volunteer but high wind makes us like dead weight,” Yayap remarked in a tone of disappointment.

“Trixie will ensure that Johnson’s booming voice will not get the rest of you eaten by the Windigos that are probably lurking within that storm,” Trixie declared haughtily as she teleported from her current position near a sled and appeared next to the Chief.

“Ah, very well then. Cortana?” Luna said.

“You see where that claw-like rock protrudes from the snow near the edge of the vortex wall? It’s best if we proceed through there.” Cortana disappeared and Luna set her hoof back down into the snowpack.

They began advancing towards the beckoning wall of snow and near-wind given mass. Luna casted a light spell that projected from her horn, while the others drew their rifles and shotgun. Johnson gritted his teeth behind his helmet instinctively as they neared closer and closer to the edge of the vortex.

“Wait for it to undulate just right … there we go … move!” Cortana commanded via the radio.

As they finally entered in a quick dash, the maelstrom greeted them instantly with the sheer pressure of its swirling air. It made their movement akin to molasses even in their armour, as if they were deepsea divers of yore treading a seabed in search of a shipwreck.

“Stay together!” Luna shouted, nearly employing the Royal Voice. “One unit, full advance!”

“I’m gonna enjoy having a quick one-on-one with whatever mechanism is responsible for this blizzard,” Johnson muttered into the radio. “I don’t care how sophisticated ancient tech is, the twelve gauge is the ultimate negotiator!”

“What part of priceless alien artifacts and archaeological expedition have you forgotten, Johnson!” Trixie retorted.

“I value history as much as the next man, but practicality is the king of survival,” Johnson countered, to which Trixie unsurprisingly huffed at in response beneath her balaclava.

“Stay focused,” the Chief reminded them, using the light of Luna’s spell to aid in his perception of any solid shapes that may appear.

Centimeter by centimeter, the party managed to advance forward as Luna urged them on further, and Cortana guided them in the right directions to avoid the strongest onslaughts of sleet and heavy snow flurries from the maelstrom. They passed by a handful of weather-beaten boulders, tree stumps, and even the remains of an ancient creek bed before they at last emerged into the calm air of the storm interior beyond.

“I … well Trixie thinks we just found the winter wonderland that holiday songs have lied about for centuries with their false sugary promises,” Trixie breathed with wide eyes.

The rest of Luna’s companions as well as herself were clearly in agreement, as all their eyes drank in the sight before them.

The maelstrom turned out to be housing within the confines of its roughly circular walls a large complex of artificial stone and metal structures that completely encapsulated a prominent hill. Unlike the half-barren expanses of hills that lay outside of the artificial cyclone-like blizzard, the two square kilometer region and the structure complex was host to a sea of white-green. A forest of lush and thriving conifers and a semi-frozen lake that was fed by the creek Luna and her team had followed were amongst the natural features of the region.

Besides unidentifiable metallic, crystal, and stone debris that occasionally littered the outermost peripheries of the interior region and was mostly buried in snow, the architecture

Of the structures, the stone ones appeared to be vastly more ancient, with their newer and metallic counterparts built near and around them in a seemingly defensive and honourable fashion. The style of the massive stone buildings – semi-submerged rectangular and dome roofs, open-air galleries, and henges – consisted of great arches and thick, flowing walls adorned with swirling artistic patterns. The stone workings were framed by some alloy of mithril that formed an elegant network of spires, solid and energy shield walls, as well as walkways all decorated by sharp geometric angles, crenelations, and struts whose reach varied from the highest peaks to the middle base of some of the spires.

“Amazing, it is as if their builders had seen fit to revere the older structures by accenting them with their own, placing them as to bear the brunt of the elements, even,” Cortana mused. “Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to bore you with architecture, I say to all present but Luna.”

Chief only shrugged, while Johnson chuckled and Trixie gave out an offended “hmph.”

“It just so happens that these ruins do fascinate Trixie, Cortana!” Trixie protested. “Just because I wear the armour like them does not mean that I lack a sense of culture unlike one of us, here. And … Gods, look sharp!” The unicorn mare cut herself off mid-snark, drawing her bright rifle and aiming down its sights at something airborne.

“Movement, from the east!” Cortana said just as Trixie had drawn her weapon. Sure enough, a trio of angular robots roughly Trixie’s size were speeding towards them.

“What are those … machines?” Luna asked tensely, charging her horn in anticipation.

“Unknown, Princess,” Chief said, aiming down his assault rifle.

“You’ve all got the right idea,” Johnson said, drawing his magnum for better range. “With something like that storm, I’m taking no chances with these things, readying!”

The group’s suspicion proved well-placed, for after only four seconds of scanning the two humans and two ponies, the machines turned on them. They unfurled from their more compact forms and exposed a small particle beam emitter they promptly discharged against Luna’s team after a series of communicative beeps between themselves.

One of the three beams glanced off the right pauldron of the Chief, who fired a burst from his assault rifle at the chassis of the automation before sprinting behind the nearest rock, damaging the machine’s visual array.

Another beam missed Johnson, who dodged out of the way just before the machine could fire, receiving several golden bolts of energy from Trixie’s rifle in response. The directed energy rifle boiled through its shell and sent the machine crashing and burning to the ground in a small explosion.

“Oh-hoh, it is so on, now!” Johnson declared, clearly meaning business as he fired off some shots vaguely in the machines’ direction.

“Just shut up and get behind me,” Trixie demanded. “Trixie has the superior range!”

Simultaneously, the beam of the third emitted against Luna’s right foreleg before continuing on to burn a linear path through the snow next to her. The alicorn let out an enraged growl as steam arose around her, the burned fur and tissue already beginning to repair itself automatically. The automaton became helpless as it was suddenly enveloped in cobalt before being casted clear across the land and into the abyss of the maelstrom, which tore it to pieces in an audible blast.

Blinded, the final remaining machine was made short work of by Luna as well. She took flight towards its randomly hovering form as Trixie levitated Johnson into a spot in the snow where she and the Chief could clearly see him, and the three terrestrial-bound soldiers formed a rough circle to defend from any further machines. As they had done so, Luna zipped up behind the automaton and gave it a swift kick into the ground, littering the snow with more smoking metal debris.

The decision to form a defensive circle proved wise, for five more of the flying hostiles emerged from glowing hatches that had opened up on the shorter spires of the complex nearest to them. Now aware of the machines’ inherent fragility, the four became quick to dispatch them with precision.

Brief experimentation from a destruction spell on Luna’s part revealed the glowing hatches that dispensed more enemies to be vulnerable to explosive damage. All that could be found were quickly silenced with respective blasts from both magic and well-chucked grenades.

They began charging farther into the complex in search of a means to access the controls that could cull the maelstrom and allow for the arrival of reinforcements from the expedition. Another seven were encountered in a central plaza overlooked by the towering disfigured statues of unknown beings, and once a few of their freshly smoking debris piles were scanned by Cortana, she gave an assessment.

“Hmm … those humanoid statues with the wings have their features conveniently too destroyed for proper inspection. Curious … oh, sorry! Try for the tallest spire of this complex, my schematics of the facility indicate that it should house the weather controls. These ‘sentinels’ will be a bother, though!”

“Then We shall deactivate this monstrosity ourselves,” Luna declared, flaring her wings once more. “Trixie, Johnson, ye shall be Our aegis from afar, if thine aim remains true! Chief, We see a lifting mechanism cloistered in the heart of the spire; clear out any of the machines guarding it while we enter from above!”

Her companions quickly complied, and within a minute and a half, the spire had fallen under their control. The wide array of holographic readouts obediently responded to Luna’s input, and in mere seconds, the storm faded and died out. Through the few pathetic flurries of snow that remained, Luna could see from her high vantage point the shocked postures of the expedition members that stood still as the rest of their compatriots began a forward charge into the newly-revealed region.

With the full might of the expedition now lending them aid, Luna’s group quickly dispatched the remaining surface defences, and all were now gathered at the entrance to the facility’s interior itself.

“Cripes, this architecture is like Frank Lloyd Wright’s wet dream,” one of the pony engineers remarked in a quip, shining a light about the large subterranean opening that laid in the center of the plaza at the foot of the hillside. “This cave is definitely not a work of nature.”

Beside Luna, Johnson, and the Chief, Trixie’s internal radar kicked in. Unfortunately, one of the scientists beat her to the punch.

“Way to point out the obvious, genius,” a unicorn scientist jeered.

A further shining of the various hand and hoof-held lights showed the passageway that laid out in front of them to be composed of very distinct and very alien design identical to the newer surface constructions. The walls, floors, and ceilings all were the same mithril-like silver material with the occasional symmetrical networking of glowing yellow lines broken only by pillars and other decorative pieces.

A short walk down a ramped entryway corridor lead the expedition into an entirely interior space.

The gallery-like antechamber that greeted them was, with the exception of a subtle and almost naturally-sounding hum that pervading throughout the entire facility, entirely quiescent. Crenellations lined the ceiling regularly, providing the majority of the illumination where artificial lights did not already burn, still bright even after countless millennia thanks to some as of yet unknown process.

With the aid of both natural and ancient artificial lighting, the expedition did not have to expend time in setting up arrays of miniature lights for the later Concordat teams that would be establishing camps and a base in and around the facility.

Many stayed in the antechamber and the plaza outside to begin preparations for the landing in-atmosphere of the Star Dancer, while Luna’s group was joined now by Halsey, Anders, and Twilight, the Capricorn guides, and half of the Concordat security attache in venturing deeper into the facility.

What was found were winding corridors and rooms of varying sizes containing everything from sealed containers and arrays of holographic terminals, to security stations and armories filled with ancient weapons, and chambers filled with machinery of unknown function.

As anticipated, more of the hostile automatons were encountered, and this time in new varieties besides simply the flying sentinels.

Timberwolf-like quadrupeds, easily dispatched by small arms but plentiful in number with orange boson-photon projectile weapons mounted where the construct’s ‘snout’ was were able to overwhelm four of Yayap’s Unggoy storm legionaries due to the latter’s liberal usage of fragmentation and antimatter grenades. Cortana identified them as ‘crawlers’.

Two of the earth pony legionaries were also lost as well. The first was lost by blundering into a chamber that had been filled with nothing but more of the glowing hatches. The mare suffered fatal energy burns before the room could be neutralized by a rather enraged Yayap that had equipped himself with a Covenant-manufactured heavy weapon informally known as a fuel rod cannon.

The second legionary was lost to impalement by a sword wielded by an argent-coloured and humanoid construct, an ‘armiger’ with a fierce design on its face that maniacally taunted the intruders in an ancient dialect not even Aela could understand. It called them “Helkhati” as it attempted to use its mechanical allies as distractions while it attacked with its hardlight blade.

By its spasmodic demeanor, the machine appeared to be malfunctioning severely, yet was still capable of effective combat. While Luna, the Chief, and the expedition members dealt with the straggler sentinels and crawlers, Aela’s pack of female warriors formed a shield wall that gradually advanced, while the more lithe duo of male Capricorns would leap above them every few seconds to let loose a mithril arrow or fire their bolter.

The armiger and any that came to its defense grew increasingly damaged until the shield wall advanced close enough that Aela herself advanced against the humanoid machine, who met her in turn. She raised her shield and used the armiger’s own momentum to slam it hard into the floor behind her.

With a rapid spin, Aela took the rim of her circular shield and rammed it against the machine’s head before it could roll out of the way. This decapitated it cleanly in a small shower of sparks, before the Chieftain followed up by burying her axe in a crawler that was in the middle of leaping towards her.

Luna observed the dispatching of the machines with an internal awe beneath an adopted stoicness as she approached with the Chief, rifle still drawn, beside her. Cortana scanned the automaton for a further data mine, and pointed the expedition to a specific master security station that housed the means to silence the defences completely.

Several destroyed sentinels, crawlers, and two more armigers later, the security station was reached and the controls interfaced with, this time by Twilight Sparkle.

“Dammit, by the Empress I hope these machines will finally go to sleep for good!” Twilight swore as she panted from the previous engagements.

“Don’t jinx us, now!” Johnson chuckled. “Or else will have to end up overwhelming every last mechanical bastard here with the glory of the Concordat and the UNSC!” While Trixie face-hoofed and Luna and the Chief watched impassively, the comic relief nevertheless served to brighten up many of the other soldiers present despite the losses, and they were now felt prepared once again for anything else the alien ruins had yet to throw at them.

Fortunately, with the remaining automatons in the entire facility now in state of complete deactivation, the expedition was now clear to explore with impunity.

They approached the largest door they had yet seen in the complex after exiting the security station. Unlike most of the architecture previously seen underground in the past several minutes, it and its accompanying wall that was exposed by the massively-cut gaps in the natural bedrock were comprised of ancient onyx-black stone that was to many of the engineers presently viewing it the epitome of permanence.

The argentine door was framed in a massive archway, and inscribed upon its center was a slightly faded sigil of what was presumably the previous owners of the complex.

Luna with Cortana were joined by Aela, as well as Halsey and her four immediate colleagues in studying the entrance. Aela raised a finger to point at the sigil, her eyes wide with both wonder and a deep-seated fear. Peering at her out of the corner of her right eye, Luna inwardly tilted a proverbial head. The chieftain's stoic personality appeared to have temporarily given way to the sight Luna was now observing.

Curious. She appears akin to a foal caught rummaging about their parent’s bed chambers while they were away, Luna thought.

“See the mark, the wolf that raises its talons to the unseen foe!” Aela cried out, voice quivering in reverence. “The foes of those who came before! It is the Wolf that Stalks the Stars!”

“Those who came before,” Twilight echoed, sharing in Aela’s wonder as she took in the door and its accompanying symbol.

True to Aela’s word, a taloned wolf was depicted in a distinctly bipedal stance, with the distinct background of a six-pointed star behind it.

“The spherical anomaly is through this way. It has to be the single most prominent energy signature in the entire facility. This must be the point of origin for it all. The Great Wolf,” Anders mused, her voice trailing as she looked between the screen of her datapad and the door in front of her.

Upon utterance of the mythical figure’s name, Aela and the other Capricorns crouched for the moment on one knee, their foreheads resting on the pommels of their axes and broadswords, or against the ends of their heavy boltguns in a display of abject reverence.

“But who, and what, that is what we are here to determine,” Doctor Halsey concluded, keeping her own wonder mostly under wraps as she payed the Capricorns little attention. “Now to open this door. Cortana?”

Everyone turned to Luna as she held out her hoof, now by reflex at this point.

“I’m on it,” Cortana’s avatar replied, before winking back out of view. A few seconds passed before she said anything further. “Huh … well this is new. The system daemons are now completely rejecting my input as foreign ‘ancilla’. They keep demanding for ‘Reclaimer input’ before locking me out of the subsystems for the door and everything beyond. Interpreting now …”

“Input?” Luna inquired for everyone else, her face contorted in puzzlement.

“From what I can gather, only equine or human interaction will work this time.”

“Say no more,” Twilight said. She immediately stepped towards the door and a holographic readout appeared before her from a projector hidden in the floor. After three seconds of manipulating the display, there was a loud din of machinery in response as the door slid open on both sides. “Open sesame?”

“Pretty much,” Trixie replied.

“We have not the time for the idle talk of bakers,” Luna stated in exasperation. “We must enter now, the anticipation of sating even a fraction of Our curiosity is too palpable!”

“By all means, Your Highness, proceed,” Halsey replied, waving towards the waiting threshold. “Afterall you are mostly here for our protection.”

“So we shall. W–” Luna was caught off before she could even take another step forward, as Twilight had already shot past everyone in a glee-like state in her mad dash to discover what lay beyond the threshold of the now open archway.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Chief shouted cautiously and breaking his usual quietude. He equipped his assault rifle and turned to Luna and the others. “If there’s any remaining defenses in there …”

“We are after her,” Luna replied simply, already stepping through the doorway.

“After all that fighting, and still capable of being in mood like that?” one of the Unggoy muttered from further back. “Strange, strange unicorn!”

“She wouldn’t be the Empress’ pupil if she wasn’t,” Johnson stated. “Let’s move, people! Time’s a burnin!” He and Trixie then went in after, followed by Halsey, Anders, and Yearling.

Aela and her warriors at last followed behind them as well, and the Chieftain produced a holo-communicator that displayed the form of Rurika, giving her a view of the great chamber from the other Chieftain’s perspective.

“We should begin investigations immediately! Lights over there, up there on that walkway, towards the ledges too … what am I saying? The illumination in here is already more than sufficient!”

Luna and the Chief at last caught up to her at the terminus of the central walkway that overlooked a vast and enclosed metallic sphere. The sphere hovered a meter from the edge, and like the glowing lines that regularly criss-crossed its revolving surface, positively thrummed with latent energy.

Whatever it was, and whatever was inside it, the fact that it was reacting to the expedition’s presence was unmistakable.

“Twilight, what has gotten into you?” Anders inquired, stuck between wonder at the anomaly before her and the bizarre behavior of her once-pupil.

“So this is the place of slumber for the First Great Wolf. No wonder the mare has gone berzerk. Their sheer presence is nearly too much for the mortal mind,” Rurika conjectured.

“She is clearly not in total grasp of her senses. Due to the sights around us, We can scarcely lay any blame upon her for that fact. Leave her for now,” Luna suggested. “Keep her away from any technology until she has gathered her wits. Cortana, the Chief and Ourself will approach the consoles to this machinery and inspect it first.”

“I see a receptacle where you can insert me back into the system,” Cortana added as Luna and the Chief slowly approached the holographic terminals. Beside the terminals as they hung and chimed in the air was a short pedestal that reached up to Luna’s lower chest.

Luna carefully levitated Cortana’s crystal matrix into the pedestal while the Chief surveyed the surrounding area, pointing his rifle on occasion.

“All clear to approach,” the Chief stated, gesturing towards Johnson, Halsey, Yearling, and the others. “But stay sharp, things might change without warning with a place like this.”

“Already in progress, Chief. Luna, Doctor, you all might want to see the data I’m encountering right now,” Cortana interjected. “Something inside that … cryptum … it’s alive, and conscious. I think they’re under the process of reawakening!”

“Well be better be on our toes and hooves then, people,” Johnson remarked.

It was at that moment that Chief noticed something peculiar on the surface of the cryptum as that region of the sphere came back into view. The unmistakable form of a sword hilt was visible, and the cryptum abruptly slowed its spin as Luna and Cortana activated the systems in tandem, the latter from what she had learned of the systems and the former from a type of uncanny familiarity.

Coming to a full stop on its spin, the cryptum began to form an opening where its shell met the end of the walkway. The hilt of the mysterious sword, its blade obviously been impaled in the shell at an unknown time by something of incredible might, lay to the left of the forming opening.

The new rectangular gap in the cryptum’s shell spilled forth a piercingly bright white light that eventually faded until the exterior was perfectly visible under normal vision once more. The interior of the cryptum however, remained as a dazzling, curving white space beyond which not even Luna’s superior eyes could yet make out anything in particular.

Eventually, the silhouette of a humanoid figure became visible. As the figure emerged into the normal light of the chamber, their true details became visible.

“Alive, and conscious, and very, very big,” Cortana added to her previous statement, caught by surprise.

The features were unmistakeable to Chieftain Rurika. The armor plating they donned conformed to their body in a peculiar way, their muzzle was of the right profile, and their four curling horns were almost enough to invite complete confusion. Despite her expectations and her geographic distance, she had baited breath as she processed the fact that she was indirectly observing an anomalous male example of her own species.

The Capricorn was a towering, power armor-clad figure with a flowing and braided mane of pure gold-amber. The armor was reminiscent of the House of Winter’s capricorn power armour in its general shape and bulkiness, but its surface was a sleek silver and the plating appeared much more angular. The largest oddity amongst the armor itself was the distinct looking small pyramidal spikes adorning the pauldrons, and the large boots.

To add to the unique armor, nearly every sharp edge to the armor had a golden trim to it, especially along the pauldrons. Said shoulder guards had what looked like small carvings, as though there was writing etched into it. Yet there was more adorning the armour, making it obvious to all eyes that it was unique.

Billowing off the back was what looked like a cape of sorts, though the majority of it could hardly be seen from the front. Luna’s eyes caught hints that it was a pelt of something as large as the Capricorn himself. Her reasoning was backed up as she noticed that there appeared to be massive teeth connected along a belt of sorts, running around its waist, held in a fashion that kept them pressed against the armor. Finally, the most glaring thing that stood out was that, nestled around the pelvic area of the being, was what appeared to be a giant furred head, something that resembled a Timberwolf yet it was obvious that said creature was anything but made of wood.

As for the Capricorn itself, his muzzle was short, yet sharp and prominent, and his eyes a deep-set blue; both were framed by a clearly battle-hardened face of silver-white fur. Its eyebrows arched in a way as to produce a constant glare at anyone that looked at it.

He almost stumbled to one knee for a moment as he gradually regained his bearings. When he did, he regarded the strangers in his innermost sanctum with hint of a feral side to his nature in his gaze. As the Capricorn exited the cryptum, he knowingly reached out to his right and gripped the hilted sword, extracting from the metallic shell in a quick flick of it’s wrist. The sound of the scraping metal, grating to most ears, seemed to draw a glinting smirk from the unknown figure. Without hesitation, the unknown capricorn brought the sword to bear, preparing to take on the entirety of the group.

Then there was the sword itself. It was a gigantic thing, the size of a human, almost. Yet he seemed to wield it as though it was as light as air. The silver and blue tint to the weapon drew more than a few eyes to the dangerous item, not to mention the ornate yet deadly design. A golden pommel and crossguard gave way to a second crossguard that looked to be the same metal as the blade itself. Three overlapped diamonds, engraved with runes fed into the blade itself, which seemed to have teeth on either side immediately after the diamonds.

Both the look and the sword caused half of the present company to grow fully alert, Luna and the Chief included.

“All but Trixie and Johnson, step back immediately! It is We who shall be having dealing with this beast,” Luna ordered.

“Beast?” the imposing capricorn question, before letting loose a bellow of twisted laughter, malice lacing the very laugh. His voiced changed immediately after, a deep growl resonating through the chamber. “No, I am Leman Russ. Praetor of the Crystal Imperium; The Wolf that Stalks the Stars! Explain your presence in my sanctum, and your reasoning for desecrating it, or your thread will be cut by my claws.”

All those present with weaponry promptly drew it, and as a whole gave the newcomer a wide berth.

As Johnson and Trixie did so, the latter inquired of the Sergeant in a low whisper, “Well, Johnson, do you happen to know who this one might be as well?”

“Can it, Great and Sassy, before I make you this guy’s supper,” Johnson muttered. “I’d rather not tangle with him right now, not even with Princess Luna and the Chief backing me up.” For yet another rare occasion, the mare had no retort to make.

“Praetor? Crystal Imperium? That which those infernal machines we fought through rattled on constantly about in their war cries, thou wert part of the civilization that built this place?” Luna inquired, her horn ignited as a spell hung in limbo.

Leman Russ seemed to tense slightly at the sound of Luna’s voice. “My ears must be playing tricks on me. That voice sounds too much like my former disciple. It couldn’t be …”

The towering capricorn took a step towards Luna, his eyes curiously settling upon the mare. Yet his body language quickly changed from being ready for battle to a more friendly stature. Russ’ change in demeanor seemed to correspond with a drastic change in the atmosphere of the room itself.

The immediate, thick and preeminent fog of danger had lifted, but tension still remained. Weapons were lowered but not holstered, and wary eyes still outnumbered curious ones like Russ’ own now were.

Luna’s eyes were narrowed from both puzzlement and wonder at this strange new being. “Thou speakest as if thou knoweth who We are. Logic fails Us as to how this is possible.”

“By the frozen tits of a frost giant! Luna, it is you!” Russ exclaimed in sheer excitement, holstering his sword to a magnetic clip on his side. “After all this time, now you visit me! Frakk, it’s good to see you! Though do drop that noble speak, it doesn’t suit you, sister!”

“The frozen … the mammaries of a frost … We, I … again, logic fails Us. I mean to say ‘me’. No … ‘Us’ ...“

“Umm, Luna?” Cortana interjected as she appeared above Luna’s hoof once more. “Your cerebral activity is … well I don’t know what is technically normal for an alicorn since I have no access to your sister’s classified medical files, but I think you might need to take a deep breath or two.”

Russ’ bellowing laugh once more made its rounds through the hall. As he laughed, he kneeled down to Luna and clasped an armoured hand on her shoulder. “Calm yourself, sister. We’ve got all of eternity to catch up and reconquer our lands. As for the rest of you, as long as Luna has your loyalty, consider yourselves my allies.”

“You, how are you possible?” Rurika cut in. Russ’ attention snapped to the hologram image of the chieftain. His eyes narrowed as he finally saw the other capricorns in the room.

“As possible as you are, my dear pup. Hmm, this can’t be right, two horns now? Such a shame, as it seems time has not been kind to my race,” Russ sneered before giving a weary sigh; the holographic Capricorn, as well as the ones in the room, were not as close to his visage as he remembered

“Your Grace, the Great Wolf,” Aela ventured as she took a knee in front of Leman, “we have been shaped by how we have made due with what Fenris provided us, but your return is the highest of honours for all Capricorns.”

Russ cast his eyes over the now kneeling Aela, a frown gracing his face. “Highest of honours, ha! Bjorn is surely rolling in his slumber at such a remark! Now stand young one, I will not have my brothers and sisters kneeling. Our pack is not made of one wolf, so stand with me, not under me.”

“Now is as good a time as any for standing together,” Doctor Halsey declared, finally letting her sense of wonder show upon her face. “We have been studying what little ruins and technology we’ve encountered of your peoples and your empire for just over a century, across a number of worlds. We have so many questions, and your answers could very well save billions.”

Russ’ gaze shifted to the scientist, an eyebrow rising in intrigue. “It has been a while since I have seen one of your kind, let alone on Fenris. I suppose if you must ask your questions then do so but I have no time to lope around, I have not felt the crisp air of my home in millenia.”

“Well, obviously not every question can be asked right now in the interests of practicality,” Doctor Anders stated. “But, can you provide the means for Cortana to be able to override the system daemons’ blockade of your historical archives for academic study?”

“No.”

“May we at least study your cryptum?”

“If you wish, though it acts as a better sword holster than a data mine,” Russ replied with a mischievous looking grin.

Twilight met that remark with a grin. “Time will tell with that. There is one final query from me and Miss Yearling both before we should discuss what happens from here: what are your origins?”

Russ looked at the purple mare for a second before he bellowed out his mirth once more. His laughter was a rolling cascade that the great chamber echoed back with a volume that could induce an avalanche elsewhere, as if the facility itself were sharing in his private joke. The capricorn only began to let up after more than a minute had passed.

As he finally composed himself, he looked back down at Twilight, that feral grin on his face. “No.”

The response was met with a general sound of disappointed groaning from a number of the civilian researchers that were now haunting the chamber, resisting the urge to poke and prod with their instruments at every last demonstration of Russ’ technology.

Before any further action could be taken on the part of anyone however, two spoken words from a suddenly stoic and slightly furious Rurika caused many of the Concordat soldiers present to snap their focus to her immediately.

“Winter Contingency. Winter Contingency!” The proclamation was met with equal degrees of confusion from Luna, Russ, Twilight, and some of the civilians present.

“What does ... “ Twilight began, but she was cut off and Rurika was unable to explain before Johnson pulled a flashing holocommunicator from his combat webbing and activated it.

Lord General Svelte was present on the little platform, her aged expression harder than a granite slate and her eyes a sharp glare. “Now hear this, all Concordat military personnel are to be on highest alert. Early indicators of a Covenant fleet’s slipspace drive signatures have been detected by Allied Command! Home fleets assume defensive and support echelons. All legions and centuries at terrestrial garrisons, mobilize to contingency positions and harden for defensive operations! This is General Svelte, transmission complete.”

“Dammit,” Johnson cursed as he, Luna, the Chief, and Trixie gathered next to Russ. “Nevermind the Inner Colonies. Somehow them squid-headed sons of bitches found Equis first. If it falls, then Earth is not too long after, well we’re not gonna let em’ have it! Am I right, Praetor Russ?!”

Russ simply looked at Johnson, the feral, wolfish, smile split across his face. To some, the air seemingly chilled even more by merely glimpsing the expression alone. With a few strides he was already headed back the way the group came, his destination set. The rest of the group quickly ran after him, most of their strides hardly coming close to matching the massive capricorns’.

Luna took to the air to keep up with him, her gaze peering over at Leman every few seconds. As they neared the exit to the sanctum, Luna and Russ met eye to eye, his grin never having faltered. There was a silent question lingering in Luna’s gaze, ‘why did he look so excited?’ The question was one that Russ was all too happy to answer.

“I’m barely awake, sister, and already there is to be a murder-make! Threads to cut, adjarr to be spilled, and wyrds to be made! The day could only be better with mjord!”

Luna’s eyes showed no recognition of the words that Leman was speaking, nor did she understand his readiness to head into battle. She simply stared at him with uncomprehending eyes.

Leman’s smile faltered for a split second, yet his voice still exuded confidence, “It seems you’re once more my fresh faced disciple. Fates be damned, you will remember yourself.”

Author's Notes:

Codex has been delayed

But as with all content, delayed also means more when it does eventually get released!