Chapter Thirty Four: Research.

***

Plymouth Extraction Zone, March 16th 2030.

Twilight Sparkle stood on the lip of the doorway of a transport helicopter. She checked and double checked everything to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything important. All of her gear was safely in place, her helmet and her bayonet all where it should have been - not that she'd need it where she was going, she thought to herself ruefully.

She had spoken at great length with Elliot about what she thought she could accomplish with the spell Well Spring had inadvertently taught her in his madness. Used correctly, and with a bit of research, she was certain she'd be able to utilise that knowledge to create a modified portal that would allow human forces to enter Equestria and take the fight to Solamina herself. Elliot, to her surprise given their initial discussion on the matter, had agreed that it was an avenue worth exploring - and had immediately ordered her to report to Scotland, where Rupert Giles and other scholars were constantly researching anything that could possibly give the last humans an edge in this war.

She had never really considered the consequences of having this idea: she had known it would require research on her part in order to develop it into something usable, but she had half expected her friends to be allowed to come with her instead of having to leave them behind. Elliot, however, had pointed out that here in Plymouth, Everfree team would still be necessary - every soldier would be necessary.

She had explained the fact that she had to leave the group behind with a heavy heart, but they had all been enthusiastic (Pinkie Pie had even offered to throw a party, with such a manic gleam in her eye that Twilight was convinced she wanted to throw it as much for the sake of throwing a party as for her benefit in particular, which made it especially heartbreaking to have to decline).

"You mean you're not angry?" she had asked them.

"Angry?!" Applejack had said. "Sugarcube, you might find a way for us to go kick Solamina's flank personally! That's the best news we've had since we came to this world!"

"And it's the best news we've heard in a long time too," Desert Wind had added, a feral grin on his face. He and Sapphire Steel were both - perhaps understandably - ecstatic about the idea of taking the war to Equestria, though for different reasons. Most ponies, Steel included, just wanted to go home, even if they'd have to fight once they got there. Desert Wind, on the other hand, wanted to kill. There was no higher motivation in him, nothing left but the promise of almost-divine retribution for him to visit upon those who had wronged him, Twilight's counterpart included. Twilight was fairly certain he hadn't really considered what came after that had been achieved - and she was equally certain that he really didn't care.

"You realise that if I can't find a way to modify the spell, we won't be able to do this?" Twilight had pointed out to her friends.

"We all have faith in you, darling," Rarity had replied, and the others had nodded, smiling encouragingly at her. "We know you'll do your best to make it work."

Twilight returned her attention to the here and now as Elliot walked up to her, a grin on his face. Behind him came the Doctor and Hell Blazer.

"You'll be taken up to the government cultural repository," he said as he reached her. "That's where Rupert's got most of our books on magic."

"'Cultural repository'?" Twilight repeated, frowning in confusion. "What do you mean a 'cultural repository'?"

"Sort of a last holdout for the best parts of human culture," Elliot explained. "We've got it buried a thousand feet underground, and we've put some of the best literature mankind's ever written all safely locked away, behind a few of the best warding spells people like Hell Blazer know."

"Do those work?" Twilight asked, trying her very, very best to not be too overly excited about all those books (you aren't there to read all the books of an alien civilisation, Twilight, you aren't...).

"It'll hold up to everything, including the barrier itself," Hell Blazer replied, confidence in his tone. "I bloody guarantee it."

"It's also the place where the last humans will hold out if we fail," Elliot added, a more serious tone in his voice. "It's got room for about eighteen or nineteen hundred people and enough stored food to keep them for a couple of centuries, and we've already selected a fairly racially diverse bunch of people to send down there to maximise the genetic diversity."

"Which means we're less likely to have eighteen hundred baby troglodytes in a hundred years," Hell Blazer added, a sort of grim gallows humour in his tone. "But that's besides the point."

"If you succeed, Sparkle, we won't need to worry about keeping a cultural repository, or saving anyone from the barrier," Elliot said, confidence in his tone. "If you succeed, we might have a chance to end this."

Twilight smiled slightly. She looked up at Elliot.

"I'll get you a way into Equestria, Commander," she said, sounding as earnest as she could manage. "I promise."

"I believe you," Elliot replied, smiling back. He walked over to the stiffly stood-to-attention ponies of Grey Squadron, who were stood by the helicopter waiting. "Your mission is to get Sparkle to Scotland and then to return. Can you do that?"

"Yes sir!" the disciplined voices of the Squadron replied. Twilight couldn't help but glance at the faces of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Ditzy, feeling a wave of sadness at the thought of her friends being so... comfortable with this military life. Not just Rainbow and Fluttershy, but Applejack too: they were all becoming used to this, like it was an everyday thing. She kept thinking to herself about the possibility of returning home: what would happen? How would they fit back in to a society that had never even begun to consider a conflict of this magnitude?

Life however, as she was quickly (and none-too-happily) learning, was full of such problems, such terrible questions that had no answer. They were the prices that had to be paid in order to do the right thing. Twilight had a brief flash of memory, blood splattering over her, spilling from an artery, and she closed her eyes, trying not to relive it.

"Alright, Sparkle, in you go," Elliot said. Opening her eyes again, Twilight nodded and got onto the copter.

"Don't worry Twi," she heard Rainbow say over her comm. "We'll get you where you're going!"

"I trust you, Rainbow," Twilight replied, a smile forming on her face. No matter what horrors they had all seen, she knew she could still count on her friends.

The seating was comfortable at least. She fidgeted slightly as the copter's engine started whirring, a loud noise roaring outside, though considerably dulled by the metal door of the vehicle. The noise disturbed her, but not as much as the pony who was sat opposite her, eyes blank, wide and staring.

Well Spring was sat opposite her. Elliot had insisted the damaged pony should go with her: not only was his broken mind a source of information, but only the researchers in Scotland, with their access to rare, arcane materials, had a chance in hell of ever putting his tormented soul back together again.

"Never forgive me," he was muttering to himself, almost too quiet to hear. "Never forgive me. Never forgive me. Never forgive me..."

"We set?!" the pilot asked over the comms, his voice tinged with an unfamiliar accent. Twilight was grateful for the interruption to Well Spring's muttered mantra.

"You're cleared!" Elliot shouted back. "Good flying!"

"Alright!" the pilot yelled, grinning to himself. "Let's get this dame in the air!"

Twilight risked a glance out of the window, where she saw Plymouth slowly disappear as the helicopter ascended. She sighed, praying to whoever was listening in this world that her friends would be alright, and then she sat back, closed her eyes, and tried to go to sleep.

***

Elsewhere in Plymouth. March 16th, 2030.

Applejack didn't enjoy being a fighter. Not. One. Bit. In fact, she hated every second of it.

She had always been proud of her strength, her resilience. They had been things that helped ponies, helped her family. She had been dependable, loyal, honest, a pony that ponies could go to in order to solve their problems - whether problems of the physical nature, or even to an extent problems of the philosophical, though anyone asking Applejack would most likely get her simple home grown brand of philosophy (and she certainly would never call it that: far too fancy a term).

Now though, being here and fighting in this war, she felt like a murderer. Every time she looked down at her legs, her strong hooves, all she could see was them crushing a pony's skull. Every time she fought, she had to fight to keep herself from vomiting, from screaming, from crying, from breaking down and screeching to the heavens about just how wrong all of this was, because it was wrong. Ponies were good creatures. Sure, there might be one or two bad apples, but the worse you'd ever get from a pony was liars like the Flim-Flam brothers, showoffs like Trixie, arrogant ponies like Blueblood... you didn't get murderers. You didn't get insanity like she had witnessed here, where ponies mutilated and destroyed instead of preserving, growing, healing...

And the worst thing was, she - or at least, something so close to her that the difference was all but negligible - had been part of it, a willing part! She somehow couldn't manage to bring herself to believe that, even though she knew it was true, had seen the mane of her own hair that telling had worn like a trophy in Elliot's jacket...

"Ma'am?" a soft voice spoke. Applejack blinked, and found herself looking at True Grit.

"What's up, Grit?" she said with a smile.

"We're ready to move out now," the former Guard-pony said, speaking quietly. "We're about a hundred metres from the next objective."

"Right," she said brightly. "We'd best high-tail it out of here!"

True Grit nodded, turning to go speak to the rest of the squad. Applejack shook her head, clearing it of her grim thoughts. She had no time to have her thoughts of horror and worry - ponies were relying on her. When ponies were relying on her, she couldn't dare let any weakness show: she couldn't let them down.

"Alright, Everfree team!" she said loudly, forcing a grin onto her face. "Let's go buck these Royal Guard plotholes! Twilight's relying on us to hold the line while she's gone, and I ain't gonna be the pony that lets her down!"

With that, she bounded forward, quickly reaching the head of the squad, a determined expression on her face as she lead the squad to their next objective.

She couldn't worry about killing, for any worry - any uncertainty - would be unacceptably weak, and she had to be strong.

She had to be strong.

***

"No Spike, we need to get up early..."

Twilight blearily opened her eyes, frowning at the remnants of the dream she had been having about home. She missed Spike. She could only hope the little purple dragon was alright without her. Thinking about him made her wonder what had happened to this world's Spike but... no. Best to not consider it. There were too many horrible thoughts to contend with as it was.

Her frown deepening, she blinked as she stared at the blue sky visible out of the helicopter window. She moved closer to the window, marvelling at what she could see. She looked out, seeing mountains and white clouds drifting. The mountains were green, entirely untouched by war, violence or the hand of man (or hoof of pony). The whole scene seemed entirely idyllic, and was for the most part foreign to her. She hadn't been so high up before: not even Cloudsdale tended to be quite this high. None of the mountains seemed as high as the Canterhorn... but at the same time, she had never taken the time to observe the sight while she had lived in Canterlot, too engrossed in her studies as she was, and since then there just hadn't been time, what with the invasion and the various other crises that had erupted. Now, she could see this scenery, and it took her breath away.

In the distance was a purple glow, the only hint that maybe there was something amiss about this world. She frowned at it: a reminder that she was here for a reason. All of this idyllic landscape, all of the ponies and all of the people, might soon be lost forever to the iron grip of a tyrant monster - a monster, she reminded herself with a sickening drop in her stomach, that had once been exactly like her beloved mentor.

She shook her head, clearing the troubling thoughts away. There were so many things that she just couldn't bear thinking about.

"Never forgiven, never forgiven, never forgiven..." a quiet voice spoke. She turned to look at Well Spring, who looked as sane - or not sane - as he had since he had been freed from Solamina's influence.

"Are you alright?" she asked, but there was no reply or acknowledgement from the pony, who kept rocking to himself over and over.

"Twilight!" a voice came through the comm. The purple unicorn blinked in surprise at the voice.

"Rainbow?" she asked.

"Finally, you're awake!" her Pegasus friend said, sounding at once amused and impatient at the unicorn's tone. "Anyone would think you'd been in a war zone."

"Funny," Twilight said, trying to sound amused but only succeeding in sounding faux-grumpy. "How far off are we?"

"We'll be beginning our descent soon," a new voice - Errant Flight - said, sounding half amused and half annoyed at the exchange. "And I'd appreciate it if everypony could keep focused until we do. We aren't safe yet."

"Sorry lead," Rainbow's voice spoke sheepishly. With that, she fell silent, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts once again.

A few moments later, the transport copter began it's descent, lowering through the clouds to find itself descending into a small village. The little stone cottages seemed the furthest from the big cities Twilight had seen that she could imagine, though the stonework vaguely reminded her of Pontefract castle.

Once the copter's blades had stopped whirring, she slowly stepped off the transport, her eyes scanning the village. There were a scant few soldiers, a handful of civilians, and barely any ponies wandering around. She could see Grey Squadron hovering nearby on a patrol route - she caught Rainbow's eye, and the cyan Pegasus threw her a quick, amused salute. She saluted back, a wry grin forming on her own face.

"Twilight Sparkle?" a softly spoken voice called out. Twilight's attention turned to a thin-haired man in a tweed jacket who was standing nearby, a nervous smile on his face.

"Yes?" she replied, trotting up to the man.

"Rupert Giles," the man said, smiling warmly, "chief researcher at the Archives. We've been told to expect you."

He held up a radio, and spoke into it. Twilight had the odd double effect of hearing his voice over the radio and in front of her.

"Archive Head to Grey Leader, we can take it from here, over," he said, sounding remarkably professional given the general nervousness he seemed to portray.

"She's all yours, Archive," Errant Flight's voice replied. "Grey Squadron will return to Plymouth, over."

"Understood, over," Giles spoke.

"Good luck, Twilight!" Fluttershy's voice spoke. The sentiment was echoed by Ditzy, as well as a few other members of Grey Squadron.

"Knock 'em dead!" Rainbow concluded, throwing Twilight a grin.

"Alright, Grey Squadron," Errant Flight spoke. "Let's move!"

With that, the Pegasi squadron flew off, soon disappearing into the clouds and leaving Twilight alone with Giles.

"I understand you brought the captured Converted with you," Giles said after a moment.

"That's right," Twilight replied. "Well Spring..."

Her thoughts turning briefly to the pony, she turned, to see a handful of humans and ponies escorting the broken looking former-human away from the transport helicopter. Well Spring's eyes briefly glanced up, meeting Twilight's, and she suppressed the urge to shudder at how empty they were, how devoid of hope.

"Can you help him?" she found herself asking, the plight of the poor Converted stirring an odd place in her heart - a combination of pity, revulsion and anger.

"It is one of the tertiary goals of the Resistance and primary goals of the British and Human Defence Forces to find some way to reverse the effects of Conversion," Giles replied, sounding tired and heavy-hearted. "But having seen the magic of the potion at work, I must admit to some doubt about our chances, and as I say - tertiary goal."

Well Spring hobbled along with his escorts. He seemed to still be muttering to himself, eyes not really focusing on anything anymore.

"It's horrible what's been done to him," Twilight commented absently.

"There are many horrors in our world," Giles replied tiredly. She turned to look at him, and only noticed now how defeated he looked, as though he held no hope for the future in any form. "In any case, Miss Sparkle, you are here to research a particular problem. I suggest we get straight to it - if you will follow me."

He walked off, leaving Twilight to follow. She did so, wondering exactly who she had found herself working with.

***

Equestria, Twilight Sparkle's research centre, Ponyville.

Twilight Sparkle, one of Empress Solamina's high commanders, was on edge. She paced through her small office, the various papers full of military requisition orders, various tactical appraisals and proposals for military operations requiring her personal stamp of approval as high commander all lying forgotten. She was normally on edge anyway - it came with her rank and her (very hefty) responsibilities, but today was something more important. She had just received word by artificial dragon-letter (and there was a brief, quickly suppressed pang for the time when she had still had Spike here) that Empress Solamina was coming here on an urgent errand.

It wasn't often that the Empress came to Ponyville these days. In simpler times - before the portal, before the traitors (oh Spike), before the humans, before the war - it had been her wont to come and speak with Sparkle, or to engage in correspondence. Now, it seemed, there was something entirely different about their relationship: something more of the subordinate and her superior. Still, she couldn't complain: she had more responsibilities, sure: thousands,mif not millions, of ponies relied on her - and that wasn't even counting the many billions of new ponies who had been born from the ashes of humanity, the so called "converted" - and oh, how she hated that term: it seemed to draw a line between the ponies who had been born that way and those blessed with conversion...

Blessed? She shook her head. She needed to be careful - using language like that was the first step to becoming a fanatic like Sol Invictus, and while she greatly respected the leader of what was informally referred to as, among other things, the Solaminan militia, the Equestrian militia, and even the Cult of the Sun, she still found his fervour... unsettling.

"Commander," a quiet voice spoke. She turned, to find one of her adjutants looking nervous at her door. "Her majesty is here."

"Then show her here immediately!" Sparkle snapped at her, sounding more angry than she had intended.

"No need, my ever-faithful student," a calm voice spoke. A moment later, the radiant figure of Empress Solamina appeared, looking resplendent as ever. Unlike in the palace, where she could afford the luxury of going without, here she wore her golden battle-armour, an ever-present reminder of her status as not just Empress, but supreme commander of all Equestrian forces. Though Sparkle had never had the honour of seeing her go into battle, she was sure such a sight would be as magnificent as the sun itself - and just as deadly as it would be beautiful.

"My lady," she bowed to her Empress. "You honour me with your presence."

"Alas, Twilight, if only I were here merely as a visit of courtesy," Solamina said, sounding almost troubled. "Leave us, attendant."

The adjutant bowed and left quickly, almost scrambling to obey, and the door closed behind her, leaving Sparkle and Solamina alone. The Empress turned to Sparkle, a sad, almost mournful look on her face.

"I come," Solamina began, "with news, and with a task for you."

"I will do anything you need me to, your majesty," Sparkle said at once. "What news?"

"It is most distressing," Solamina said quietly. "I do not know if anything I can say will adequately prepare you for this."

Sparkle tensed: something in Solamina's tone told her that this truly would be bad.

"There are rumours abound," the Empress continued slowly, "that the bearers of the Elements of Order fight now with the traitors and the human allies."

Sparkle blinked. "That's... that's not possible." She began pacing. "I assure you your majesty, I would never..."

"I know, Twilight," Solamina said, her tone an attempt to placate her student.

"And we know for a fact that Pinkie, Rainbow and Rarity died - we found their bodies!" Sparkle continued. She paused thoughtfully. "But... we never got Applejack or Fluttershy's remains back... I mean, did the reports specify...?"

"The reports specify seeing ponies matching the description of every single bearer of the Elements," Solamina said quietly. Her gaze seemed to pierce Twilight where she stood, and the pure unicorn gulped.

"Your majesty, I would never betray you, and neither would any of the others," she said. "I swear to all that is sacred in Equestria."

"And I believe you, my most faithful student," Solamina said, a small smile developing on her face that at once filled Sparkle with relief and yet also unsettled her somehow, though she did not know how or why. The smile disappeared a moment later. "But that leaves an entirely different possibility open."

"What possibility, your majesty?" Sparkle asked, frowning in confusion.

"The fact remains that these ponies are, in fact, the spitting image of yourself and your sadly deceased friends," Solamina said slowly. "Commander Scootaloo of the Wonderbolts confirmed when questioned that one of these ponies identified as Rainbow Dash, which as you know..."

"Is patently impossible," Sparkle finished. "I saw Rainbow buried myself."

"Do not interrupt, Twilight," Solamina said lightly. Sparkle bowed hurriedly, murmuring apologies. "In any case," the Empress continued. "There is something at work here beyond the mundane. Necromancy, magical duplication... the possibilities are numerous."

"What do you need me to do?" Sparkle asked.

***

Author's Notes:

Taken me a while, but here I am, back again. Next chapter will probably take something resembling the same amount of time. Hope it was worth it.

As a side note: we're getting a little more of the Equestrian side of things in the next few chapters. That's important because of where this is all going. You'll hopefully see what I mean. The next chapter, Heart of the World, should be - if you'll pardon the plug - especially interesting...