https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KnYXCrpCF6u2fhzWOFifIfaY5F2EHtf4ZWhewKjd09w/edit?hl=en_US

The chariot ride, was, despite the context, very dull. The five ponies made idle small talk as they sat in the carriage. It did not take long for Ponyville to fade, and they had scarcely seen any other cities or towns since. All that lay below them were vast forests, grasslands and farms. Out of boredom, as well as a burning curiosity, Twilight inspected the two objects of war she had recently been gifted. They were, despite their bulk, surprisingly light.

Not surprisingly light. Impossibly light.

Luna had mentioned that they may or may not have been made from magical power in solid form, though even she had expressed her disbelief of that claim. The meaningless chatter from the farmers had ceased, and, with nothing better to do, Twilight’s horn began to glow as she started to magically probe the armor and the blade.

Nothing seemed unusual at first. The armor was composed of some sort of metal, though she was not able to identify what exactly. Metallurgy never was her strongest field. She remembered a spell she had learned back in school at Canterlot. An identification spell; useful for determining what a material was composed of. It could tell her what the metal was.

Her horn flared as she cast the relatively easy spell. For a unicorn as gifted as her it was about as draining as blinking. A ray of light emitted from Twilight’s eyes down to the armor. The light reflected back a submicroscopic image of the material. The spell had the added advantage of helping her decipher whatever image she saw. And the image surprised her.

Carbon. That certainly wasn’t what one usually considered to make armor out of.

She continued her magic probe of the gear. There was a faint trace she picked up on a bit earlier. It was weak, but it was definitely there. A golden apple being waved before her face. She took the bait and followed the magical stream.

It led her to an enchantment. A spell designed to passively effect the target in some way. It was archaic; ancient. The most notable aspect of the spell, however, was the raw power it exuded. This was no ordinary enchantment. The pony who cast it must have had extraordinary control over their abilities; Perhaps more so than Twilight herself. And, judging by the design of the spell itself, the caster was likely far older than even Celestia and Luna.

She pulled her probe out of the armor. A chill ran down her spine. These were questions that could be answered later. For now, she continued with her analysis. Twilight held up the armor, drinking in the sight.

The Armor of Boreas. An ancient treasure from times before the Princesses. It certainly looked the part. There was something off about the armor; as if it shouldn’t belong in this day and age. It lacked the grace and refinement of the armor

of the royal guards. Here, in her hoofs, was a tool of war. It was built for blood. For intimidation. It spoke not with benevolence, but with authority. Despite it being lifeless, it seemed as if it was about to pounce on her.

It was composed of many separable plates, all made of the same matte black carbon material. From what she could tell, it adequately covered most of the body and legs, but left a lot of joints fairly exposed. Twilight concluded that the armor was meant for more nimble fighters. A full range of motion allowed by sacrificing some protection. While the neck had some reinforcement via a flanged collar, the head was completely exposed, save for a rather frightful crown. The whole set had an angular look to it. It gave of a vaguely reptilian vibe. The fact that the carbon plates fit together like scales certainly added to the effect. She visualized a warrior in this armor charging at her with blood on their mind. The mere idea was terrifying.

“Where’d you get that from?” it was Mane.

Twilight realized she had been completely entranced with the armor. By the look on Mane’s face, it seemed he had been trying to catch her attention for some time.

“From a friend.” She was intentionally vague.

Mane looked at her, then back at the other farmers. He shrugged. No point interrupting her; she had been staring at the black suit for over an hour, occasionally casting a few spells.

Twilight quickly brought herself back to the task at hand. She rotated the crown in her hooves. It didn’t look like a traditional one. It was completely dark and rather than sit straight up, it was slicked back like the feathers on a birds head. Carvings swirled all about its strange shape. It menaced with spikes.

I suppose I should try it on. the unicorn thought. She slipped it over her head. It fit pretty well, all things considered. Actually, it fit perfectly. Well, that wasn’t so hard.

Indeed it was not! Hello there!

She ripped the crown off. The voice was unfamiliar; it felt like it had resonated throughout her entire body. Twilight looked around the chariot to see who had spoken. The farmers seemed oblivious.

“Uh, hello?” Twilight said.

Pan glanced at her. “Huh?” he said.

Twilight blushed. “Sorry, nothing.” She put the crown back on.

Well that as weird.

I think you will find you can communicate with me better if you think rather than say. If you get what I mean.

Okay, that was weirder.

She didn’t take the crown off this time.

You know I can hear your thoughts, right?

What in Celestia’s name is going on?

Oh, Princess Celestia? Do you know her? She’s an old friend of mine. Did you know that? No, of course you wouldn’t. No one would know that.

WHO ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU IN MY HEAD?

Who am I? YOU IMPUDENT, MERE MORTAL! You cannot possibly comprehend the infinite power of the almighty alicorn, BOREAS!

She ripped the crown off, again; less because she was frightened by the voice but more because it was extremely loud. At least, it had the illusion of being loud. She found her ears to be quite intact. Whatever mental trickery this entity was employing was limited to the crown. Intrigued by the change of events, she replaced it on her head.

That was rude.

That was loud. Now, who are you?

If I could sigh, I would. I am Boreas, the legendary alicorn of ancient times.

Twilight just then noticed that the voice was decidedly male, and if ever a spirit was capable of expressing sarcasm,

this Boreas fellow was a master at it.

Boreas? As in the name of...

Boreas, as in the name of the armor whose crown you are now wearing. And yes, I do as a matter-of-fact live in this

crown, before you ask.

I believe there are a lot of other questions you need to answer.

Filly, I have been waiting for this moment for stars know how long. Allow me to start from the beginning...

And how long will this take?

I’ll be done before we land. Trust me.

* * *

The last time Boreas existed in physical form had been some untold thousands of years in the past. In his own words, it could have happened “one, two, three, maybe even four-thousand years ago. Likely even more.” He had, in his isolation, lost track of time. It would be important however, to describe Boreas’ life as it was prior to being an insane old alicorn in an antiquated suit of armor.

He was, as all alicorns are, a member of the Equestria royal family. The family was much larger, in his days. Some of his fondest colthood memories were of him playing with his alicorn siblings and cousins. But Boreas had never been much of leader. If you asked him, he would say it was because he didn’t want to, not inability to do so.

It was no shock, then, when his cutie mark appeared and it was of an anvil. He always had a fascination with metal, and in particular armor. It was no disappointment to his parents. Plenty of alicorns in the royal family did not have the panache and talent to be the next kings or queens. They usually just used their pre-destined gifts to service Equestria in other ways, mostly in the form of various bureaus and departments. Boreas, given his exceptional skill with metals, decided to metaphorically take the reins of the Department of Technology. His main focus was the advancement of material sciences. It had always been his dream to create the ultimate metal: Minimum weight with maximum strength.

Equestria always had rivals, and ancient times were no exception. The mere thought of the land of alicorns possessing an indestructible metal was terrifying to them. Over his long life, Boreas had escaped his fair share of assassinations. Most were unsuccessful. Some left their marks. He had gotten close to a breakthrough on numerous occasions, and without fail an attempt was made on him every time. It didn’t matter in the end. All of his ‘advancements’ ended up failures. Too brittle. Sheared easily. Financing nightmare. Thousands of formulas and techniques never amounted to anything.

Frustrated with his constant failure, the nearly predictable attempts on his life, as well as a growing distance between him and his family, Boreas threw all he knew out the window and tried a different approach. Perhaps the miracle metal he was searching for was not a metal at all.

Diamonds. Super-compressed carbon atoms. Surprisingly strong, considering what they were made of. In a mixture of boredom and self-pity, he relegated himself to manipulating carbon atoms with magic, seeing what interesting allotropes he could devise. An easy feat for a creature as powerful as him. That’s when he found it.

His masterpiece. The ultimate material. He had no name for it. It was above names. Here was the sum of all his anger, his fears and his wrath. They had tried to stop him. They had nearly ruined his life. With a delicate flash of his horn, he prodded the sheet of carbon. It didn’t warp a nanometer. His life’s work had become his outlet for rage. Now it was his turn.

Boreas did not head back to the Department of Technology facility. He could not trust anyone with this. He fled into the wilderness. There was safety in isolation. Here in the untamed lands his fury could fester and grow. In the foothills of the mountains, he drew upon nature to provide his resources. Plants and animals withered as he absorbed their precious carbon. Slowly, before his eyes, the armor took form. Years of malice, of torment, poured into the ghastly black suit of war. A hollow spectre of death, waiting for its creator to step into it.

But this was not what he wanted. He did not want to harm anyone. He looked about himself. At the extinguished life that had been squashed around him. The assassins were right. He was a monster. This... thing in front of him was an abomination. There is only one choice.

He must destroy it. But he cannot bear to.

He can only protect others from it. His horn begins to glow.

Boreas falls. His body, lifeless, collapses on the mountainside.

But he is not dead.

The Armor of Boreas lives, its crown a testimony to the sins of the creator.

Boreas the Royal Alicorn lives, an eternal guardian against his own evil.

* * *

They had been walking for an hour. Equestria’s pleasant green flora had given way to the borderlands dry and dusty browns. True to Celestia’s words, they had been deposited at the northern edge of the golden plains. She already had the plan memorized, but out of worry she double-checked the intel folder. The first page, as expected, was the rendezvous schedule.

1. Iron S., Break,

Hoofall Town Square, NE

1200 D.N.S.

“Sixteen Pigeons”

Who, where and when. The last line was the challenge to assure they were the correct contact. They were to meet Iron Shod and Break at the north east corner of the Hoofall town square at noon on any day. They were told to be there every day at that time to watch for them. And, of course, the challenge was “Sixteen Pigeons.” The chariot drivers had told them that Hoofall was a straight shot south. They couldn’t miss it. And so south they went.

Twilight thought back to earlier, to Boreas’ story. He had been quite thorough in his explanation of how he ended up in her hooves. Once he saw the horror created by his own magic, he cast a very special spell on himself. A soul transfer. The power the armor could potentially give somepony was too terrible to imagine. Thus, he sacrificed a normal life to make sure the armors evil could never reach its potential. No pony could use the armor without him allowing it.

Boreas was no fool. Along with the soul transfer he placed a massive assortment of enchantments and binds on the suit. Among the many other abilities he boasted about, Boreas was most eager to point out that he could adjust the measurements of the armor to fit anyone, that he could telepathically communicate with the wearer, and that the suit acted as his eyes and ears. Anything that the nigh-indestructible suit could see and hear, he could as well.

He didn’t say much beyond that, other than prior to being given to Twilight, he had been sitting in the Canterlot palace vault when Luna suddenly remotely teleported him and the Horn of Ceros to Ponyville. We’ll talk more later. For now, I want my thoughts to myself. were the last words he communicated before requesting that Twilight take off the crown. True to his words, they were just pulling in to land at that moment. With nothing else to think about, Twilight tried to recall all the information she could about where they were headed and who they were first meeting.

Hoofall. The largest settlement in the borderlands, and the closest thing one could compare to the real Equestria. It was relatively safe, if rustic. Pegasi didn’t manage the weather here. Earth ponies didn’t watch over their cows and pigs; they systematically herded them like lesser beings. It all seemed so backwards, but it was not her place to condemn them. it was their choice to live here.

She thought about the first two mercenaries they were to join with. Iron Shod and Break. The dossier files on Iron Shod were sketchy at best. What wasn’t classified tended to be very vague. From what she could tell, he had had some previous run-ins with the Ministry of Intelligence, and had in fact received numerous commendations from Celestia herself. There were also hints that he had done some undercover work in Umala. His bio seemed to paint the picture of a war hero. His record indicated such.

Break’s profile was more straightforward. He was actually an Equestrian citizen prior to relocating to the borderlands. Break did high-altitude surveillance for the MoI before quitting and joining the Hammer Hoof Private Military Corporation, one of the more reputable companies of such trade that had a presence in the borderlands. Officially, his reason for quitting was frustrations with the chain of command. Unofficial questioning of his former colleagues indicated that he was in fact dissatisfied with his line of work, and became a mercenary to satisfy his thrill-seeking urges. Additionally, he had apparently served under Iron Shod for some extended period of time.

It was approximately eleven-thirty in the morning. They were supposed to meet with the two ponies at exactly twelve. As they crested a small hill, they saw the town in a distance. It wasn’t particularly impressive.

Strangely enough, The Armor of Boreas started to vibrate. Twilight, unsure of what it meant, levitated the crown and put it on.

Nice little trick to get you’re attention, wouldn’t you agree? Not to admonish myself, but I must say I thought of just about everything with these enchantments.

Yeah, sure. You need to tell me something?

Just a warning. Hoofall isn’t a town meant for Equestrians. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Be careful in there, and don’t trust anyone but those mercs.

I’ll keep that in mind. You have anything else to say?

Nothing at the moment. Now, if you would so kindly remove me...

She tugged the crown off and replaced it on her back.

“Say, Twilight, why do you keep wearing that crown?” It was Rise.

The question caught her off-guard with its timing. “I don’t know. I... I guess I just like it.”

Rise’s next question nearly made her trip. “Can I try it on?”

“I... well...”

“Please?” Rise was giving Twilight her best puppy eyes.

“Well, I don’t know...”

The armor vibrated.

“Come on, Twilight!”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt...”

The armor vibrated again. Hard.

“...buuuut I promised my friend I wouldn’t let anyone else touch it. So sorry, Rise.”

Rise huffed and gave her best pouting face, but didn’t say anything else.

The vibrations stopped.

* * *

True to Boreas’ words, Hoofall didn’t live up to any expectations. The first pony they saw was piss drunk and relieving himself in an alleyway. The streets were fairly devoid of life, presumably because everypony was off working. The town square wasn’t hard to find. The main entrance road led right to it. Despite how empty Hoofall had seemed earlier, the plaza was bustling with life. They didn’t have time to sit and stare, though. They had some ponies they needed to meet.

They would be waiting somewhere in the north east area of the town square. She would recognize them from their dossier pictures. Since they had entered from the northern side of town, Twilight led the group over to their left.

The square was just a large, dusty clearing with a busted fountain in the center. On top of the fountain was a vandalized statue dedicated to the Liberty Trotters, who had founded Hoofall hundreds of years ago. Not wanting to get boxed in by the milling crowds that dominated the center of the square, she and the farmers skirted along the edge, on a wooden walkway. They reached the northeastern corner with no problem.

She looked around. A grey earth pony and a light brown pegasus. They were nowhere in sight. Behind her was a large, brick building with a simple sign that read:

Her gut told her they were in there. Her instinct told her to get as far away from the building as she could.

“You four wait here.”

The farmers nodded and shuffled off to a spot that wasn’t in the way of the traffic.

Twilight stepped inside the fine establishment.

* * *

Dank, loud, muggy, putrid, dirty and distasteful would all have been adequate words to describe the Hoofall Tavern. Decency seemed to have no meaning in the bar, judging by how the ponies behaved. Fights broke out every few minutes, bottles shattered against skulls and stallions belched their most impressive gas collections.

It was all overwhelming to Twilight. She spent a full twenty seconds standing in the doorway, just staring at the scene, before she came to. Careful not to brush into anypony, she made her way to a corner. She hid in the darkness, not bringing attention to herself. From here she could try and identify her two mercenaries. Her eyes started to scan the crowd.

A hoof was suddenly pulled over her mouth. She tried to scream as she was dragged out of the bar via a backdoor down a hallway. The perpetrator kept her mouth sealed. The alleyway she found herself in was deserted save for a dumpster, a few rats, and of course the stallion that had ponynapped her. Or two stallions, as the case was, because another one walked out of the backdoor to join them.

“You can let her go, Break.” the one that just joined them said. He was a hulking grey beast of an earth pony. His mane was white; not by birth, but by age. The gravelly voice confirmed his time in the world. Twilight gasped as her ponynapper released her. Iron Shod and Break. The mercenaries. “Consider this a fair warning. You’re new in town. Carrying all that gear, your a prime subject to rob. You’re lucky we got to you first.

“Sixteen Pigeons.” she said, still panting for air.

Iron Shod gave her a blank stare.

The voice behind her spoke.

“Are you fucking kidding me.” Break said.

Iron Shod, disregarding Break’s comment, replied to the challenge. “Sixteen Pigeons, Eight Nests.”

“She’s our contact?”

A siren blared in the background.

“This isn’t the time for this. We’ll grab your friends and head back to the safehouse.”

Break muttered something to himself, then shot up into the sky over the tavern to grab the farmers.

* * *

Rise watched Twilight disappear into the tavern.

“You think she’ll be okay by herself?”

Pan turned to face her. “She’ll be fine.”

They stared at each other for an awkwardly long time.

Her throat tightening, Rise broke the gaze. “If you say so...”

Pan let out a very long, silent exhale.

A strange winged pony suddenly landed next to them and herded them off to an unknown location. They didn’t bother resisting.

* * *

Iron Shod was peeking out the blinds onto the street below. Their safehouse certainly lived up to half of its name. They
were in an abandoned home, but given the way it creaked under their hooves, Twilight wouldn’t have been surprised if it collapsed on them. The siren passed by them.

They had wordlessly grabbed the farmers and the two mercs more or less dragged the four of them through back alleys and side passages to the edge of town. The seven of them now sat around an old wooden table, dead silent.

Break was the first to say anything. “So.”

“What was that, earlier?” Twilight asked.

“A bit of trouble with the fuzz.”

“No, before that. The ponynapping thing.”

Iron Shod answered. “Our version of a Hoofall welcoming committee.”

“What kind of welcoming committee strangles a guest?”

“It’s our way of showing newcomers to town that they need to be careful. Teach them a lesson and such. We meant no harm.”

The farmers were confused. Pan had long since concluded that there was no point trying to make sense of these Equestrian ponies.

Iron Shod gestured at Break and himself. “We need to speak to you in private, Miss... uh...”

“Twilight Sparkle is my name.”

“The fuck kind of name is Twilight Sparkle?” Break said, cracking up.

Iron Shod just grinned and covered his face with his hoof.

“Well, Miss Sparkle... we need to talk.”

Iron Shod and Break led Twilight to a separate room. Break closed the door behind them. It was a small space; it
barely fit the three of them. Apparently, it was an old storage closet.

Iron Shod started the questioning. “So, Miss Sparkle, would you mind telling us who the fuck you are?”

The coarse language grated against her ears, but in an effort to stay diplomatic, she did not show her distaste. “I am the contact sent by Princess Celestia.”

“Bullshit. The messenger told us that our contact would be the most powerful unicorn Equestria has to offer. If I had to guess, your magical prowess is floppier than a bag of donkey dicks.”

Break snickered at the crude imagery. The pegasus flapped his wings.

“I make no habit of bragging about my talents, Mr. Iron Shod.”

“And I make no habit of having my ass covered by some prissy-ass Equestria unicorn that can’t levitate a fucking fork. Do you have any actual combat experience?”

“Well... sort of... there was this thing with an Ursa Minor...”

This seemed to catch Iron Shod’s attention. “An Ursa Minor, huh? Big talk from the little shit. How’d you do it? Choke it with a boulder? Club it with a tree? Rupture the veins in its eyes?”

Twilight didn’t answer, in part due to shock at the graphic nature of Iron Shod’s suggestions, but also because she had
a feeling telling them she rocked the bear to sleep wouldn’t help her cause.

Break took over from there. “Nothing, huh? So you’re a liar, too? Probably how you got that fine-ass bitch Celestia to send you down here, too! Told her you were good at magic and shit! Wanted a free tour of the south, with some state sponsored baby-sitters, didn’t you!”

That was too far. No one, NO ONE referred to her teacher with such derogatory terms.

“You. Take. That. Back.” Twilight stated with all the fire she could muster.

“Or what? You’re going to go tell mommy on us?”

“I’m warning you!” Already, her horn started to shimmer.

“Oooh, Shod! She’s starting to cook up a spell! I wonder if it was that comment about what damn nice flanks Celestia’s workin’ that got her hissy like a bitch in heat!”

“YOU ASKED FOR IT, YOU GET IT!”

One moment, Break was standing next to Iron Shod. The next, there was a pegasus shaped hole through the wall behind him. And the wall behind that. And the wall behind that. Her telekinetic blast had sent the pegasus flying a hundred feet into the street.

“NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO INSULT MY TEACHER, YOU BETTER DIG YOURSELF A HOLE!”

The farmers burst through the door behind Twilight.

“What the hell happened?” asked Mane. One glance at Twilight’s horn and the holes in the walls answered his question.

Iron Shod began to laugh.

“Something funny, Shod?” Twilight spat at him.

“Funny? That was hilarious! Seeing Break get his ass beat by a little filly is the best thing I’ve seen in years!”

He turned to look out the holes.

“YOU OKAY, BREAK?” he yelled.

No reply.

“He’ll be fine.” Shod said, turning back to the others. “Don’t worry about what we said earlier. We were just testing you.”

“Testing me?”

“Just making sure ‘fine-ass’ Celestia was telling the truth about you.” he said, holding in laughter. Turning his attention to the farmers, “Could you four please leave? We’re not done in here.”

Without protest, they went back through the doorway.

Iron Shod looked back at the unicorn. “You’ve demonstrated your power. I have no doubts of your ability.”

Break stumbled his way back through the holes in the walls, covered in dirt.

“...but that doesn’t mean jack shit. I know your type. Equestria, born and raised. The most blood you’ll ever see is a scrape on the knee. Is this true?”

Twilight thought back to Koi breaking the stallions arm in the alleway back at Canterlot.

“...I guess?” she replied.

“I read the intel; looked at the surveillance. That village we’re going to is a death trap. A shit-hole surrounded by forests, mountains and rivers.”

“It’ll be dangerous. I know.” Twilight said.

“Yes, it will.” he replied. “But not for you. You’ll be fine, I can almost guarantee it. A unicorn as powerful as you won’t be taken down easily. It’s the rest of us I’m worried about.”

“What do you mean.” she asked.

He was silent for a moment. His tone darkened. “Dirt, mud, the stench of death. Your hearts pounding, your ears are ringing, your vision is tunneling. Your best pal got his leg ripped off by a shoulder cannon the other day. It’s showing signs of gangrene. Your insides are failing on you; dehydration, hunger, disease. Your about to collapse, but you need to keep fighting. To collapse is to die. Your enemy charges your position. You stay glued to your stinking trench, waiting for them. They come. One falls, a blade in his throat. Another, his skull cracked open. Your covered in blood; your own and that of the pony you just gutted like pig. No mercy. To show compassion is an invitation to get shot.”

Iron Shod menaced over Twilight. “When the shit comes rushing at you, when my ass is backed up against a wall, will you be able to do what you need to save my life? To save your own?”

The implication was obvious. Was she ready to kill?

No.

“I... don’t know.” was all she could manage.

Shod snorted. “You better figure it out soon.” With that he left the room.

Break walked over to Twilight. “Have no doubt, unicorn. The decision will come, and it’s coming soon.”

* * *

Mane was lying in the cot. It was a bit short for him. Not as if he could sleep anyways. Him, his friends and Twilight had been shoved into a spare bedroom. It was stuffy, and Pan was snoring. He glanced about the dark room, trying to make out his companions.

Koi was absolutely still, but obviously still awake. It was a tad unnerving. Rise had shoved her pillow over her head, trying to block out Pan. The black and white pony himself was comfortably asleep.

Twilight, on the other hand, appeared to be wide awake. She had the crown on again. He had seen the armor and blade Twilight was carrying around. They gave him the shivers just looking at them. There was something about that crown
that she was wearing that Mane found unsettling. Why was she wearing it? It didn’t look very comfortable for sleeping in.

These were mysteries Mane had no answer for, and thus decided to sleep on them. He found himself staring at Twilight as he faded into unconsciousness. The things I’d do to that mare.

* * *

Tell me about the armor.

I've already told you.

Not everything.

There are some things I’d rather keep to myself.

Very well. Tell me more about what happened between binding yourself to the armor and now.

You know, you haven’t even looked at the Horn of Ceros, much less try it on.

It... scares me. I’ll have to at some point, but as of right now, I’d prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist.

Don’t like the implications of wearing the weapon?

Such as?

Such as it would truly make you a machine of war.

I suppose. It seems wrong for a unicorn like me to wear it.

You know you’ll have to, at some point.

Then I’ll just wait for that moment. Now, could you answer my question?

Not much of interest, really. The armor was found about a century later, my corpse long since decomposed. The
explorer pegasus who found it recognized the Royal crest on the shoulder of the armor, and returned it to my family in Canterlot. From then I remained in the vault for who knows how long.

You didn’t try to communicate with anyone?

Though many tried on the armor at some point, I made a point to make sure it didn’t fit them. I only allowed the King and Queen to properly wear me. They were the only ones responsible enough to know the truth.

Something tells me that didn’t happen much.

You guess correctly. Before Luna and Celestia, I had talked to a grand total of two others before that; a King and a Prince.

Wait, Princess Luna?

Long before that whole Nightmare Moon fiasco, little Princess Luna was quite the curious little alicorn. She had been exploring the vaults when she encountered me, and later introduced me to Celestia. I, by my own discretion, decided to open a mental link to them.

She knows about you?

Well, of course! I’m the one that asked her to send me to you, after all!

You knew about me before?

Conversations with Celestia. We can talk about this later. Goodnight, Twilight. You should get some rest; You’ll need it.

* * *

1. Jutsu

Hangbuck’s Folly

2400 D.N.S.

“Flash”

They left in the early morning, before the rest of the town had waken up. Iron Shod and Break packed fairly lightly. Just survival necessities and and their weapons. They deemed armor unnecessary weight. They were sitting in the safehouse, making final preparations to leave.

“What is that strange saddle you’re wearing?” Pan asked, the question directed at Break.

The pegasus was wearing a strange device over his back. It looked like a secondary set of wings that sat behind his real ones. On the bottom of the extensions, attached were dozens of hoof-sized cylinders and canisters.

“The SH12 F/B.” Break said, with overwhelming smugness.

“What does it do?”

“Well...” he pulled out a strange device mounted on the harness and held it in his mouth. He clicked a button and a beam of light emitted from it. “Whoever has this laser points it at their target. I select whichever of these little tube things I want. They fall to the exact spot of the laser with the help of some magical enchantments.”

Pan had a blank expression. The technology was beyond him, and magic was completely out of his realm.

Break sighed. “Whoever is in the area of the bright red dot is becomes very, very dead. You get me?”

Pan could understand that. “And what about those?” he asked. This question was for Iron Shod. He pointed at the two metal... things he had slung over his back.

He looked at Pan. “Bludgeons.” he muttered.

“What do they do?”

“Turn my hooves into bowling balls. You wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of these if I kicked you.”

Pan didn’t say anything. Break seems to have far more versatile equipment. he concluded.

Iron Shod looked over at Twilight. “We were told there are three more to pick up, but not who or where. I’m assuming you know?”

Twilight, recalling the information in the intel folder, gave him the answer. “A mare named ‘Jutsu.’ We are meeting her at someplace called Hangbuck’s Folly.”

Break, who had been taking a swig of water at the time, spat it out. “JUTSU? Did I just hear that right?”

Twilight was taken aback. “Um... yes? Is that a problem?”

“A problem? No. At least, not for us. I must say I feel sorry for those bandits, though.”

“I’m assuming you’ve ran into her before?” she asked.

“Me? No. Not in person. She keeps herself too secluded for us common ponies to regularly see her. But she has a reputation...”

“For what?”

“Being the best damn mercenary in the business.” Iron Shod finished for him. “Come on, we should go before the townsponies notice us leave.”

Without complaint, Twilight shouldered her saddlebags and lashed down the armor and horn on her back. The farmers
hefted their supplies. The seven of them stepped out of the door and into the streets of Hoofall. The sun hadn’t risen, but it’s glow was steadily becoming brighter on the horizon.

“Hangbuck’s Volley is half a days travel to the southeast. What time are we supposed to meet with her?”

“Midnight.” Twilight answered.

“We’ll make it before sundown. Let’s go.”

No one stopped them as they walked through the cold streets to the southern edge of town. Hoofall seemed almost pleasant without the usual traffic. One could even call it peaceful.

“Drink the sight in, everypony. It’s the last real civilization you’ll see for a while.”

They stepped onto the dirt road and followed it south until it ended just out of sight of Hoofall. Without hesitation Iron Shod began to lead them through the untamed grasses, single file. They had walked for a few minutes without conversation.

Twilight trotted up to Iron Shod, who was in the lead. “So, you’ve worked with the Ministry of Intelligence before?”

“Classified.” he responded.

“No, really?” Her sarcasm was well-refined.

He sighed. “Direct action. Search and destroy type stuff. Understand?”

Twilight gave a loose nod.

“What about Break?”

“Eyes in the sky. Remote destruction.”

“I read that he served with you a couple times.”

“Some MoI and mercenary joint operations. I was his commander on numerous occasions. We’ve saved each others asses more times than either of us could count, too.”

She paused to consider this. “Why’d he leave the MoI?”

Iron turned his head to look her in the eye. “Not sure. I guess once he saw me and my teams in action he found it more exciting than regular intelligence work. You’ll have to ask him.”

Twilight looked behind her. Break was hovering a few feet off the ground, bringing up the rear of the group. “I’d rather not.” she said.

Iron Shod didn’t reply.

“You two travel together frequently?” she asked.

“You could say that.”

“By your choice?”

“Not really, but I know the importance of good friends.”

Twilight changed the subject. “What do you know about Jutsu?”

He cleared his throat. “Not much. She’s a top-tier mercenary, though. I pride myself on being able to demand large payments, but she is on an entirely different level. A pony could save up for their entire life and not be able to afford her services.”

“She sounds good at what she does.”

“I wouldn’t know. She doesn’t make a habit of leaving survivors.”

Twilight dropped back to her original place in the group, her questions more-or-less answered. She levitated the Horn
of Ceros off her back and held it in front of her face. It was a wicked looking blade that would slot over a unicorns horn; an extension of their own body. Twilight was no swordspony; she doubted she would have the skill to properly use the weapon.

Like she had done with the armor a day before, she probed into it with magic. There was no anomaly with the material. Just plain steel.

No. There was something. A familiar feeling trace. An enchantment. She followed it deeper into the ether. A strong vibration on her back pulled her out of the probe. She put the crown on.

Yes?

Were you going to try it on or just stare at it?

There’s an enchantment on it. I didn’t have a chance to look at it, but it felt a lot like yours. There won’t be three voices in my head if I put it on, will there?

I’m not sure. The blade was forged many centuries after my passing. It was one of my favorite weapons to stare at when I was collecting dust in the vault. It never spoke to me in my thousands of years sitting across from it, so I doubt anypony is in there.

The pony who created it; Ceros, I’m assuming?

That would be correct.

Do you know what she was like?

I don’t know much. All I know is that she was a unicorn, and that she acquired her cutie mark at an exceptionally young age. News didn’t exactly fly around in the vault.

Should I try it on?

Might as well see what this enchantment is. I can probably help you decipher it.

Well, alright.

Twilight put the blade unto her horn. It, like the armor, fit perfectly. The Horn of Ceros was made of no miracle material, though. Twilight felt her head being pulled down by the metal weight on her skull.

Well, let’s take a look here...

Waiting for Boreas to finish up, Twilight took a look at her surroundings. The sun was about midway up the sky. The plains gently tumbled in endless hills.

“Scary lookin’ horn you got there.”

The voice made her jump. It was Break.

“That and the armor aren’t exactly standard Equestrian equipment, If I had to guess.”

“You need something?” she asked, mildly annoyed with him.

“Oh, nothing. Just wondering why a pony as...” he coughed. “...well-mannered as yourself would use a weapon like that.”

Uh... Twilight.

“It was gift from a good friend of mine.”

“Your friend collects weapons?”

Twilight.

“...sort of. It’s a... family heirloom of sorts.”

“A bit of a brutal looking thing to pass down.”

“Yeah, I guess. I didn’t ask.”

TWILIGHT!

“What?!” she said.

“Huh?” he asked, surprised.

“I... ah...”

What?

The horn!

“You know what it is?” she asked.

Break looked at her with a blank stare. He looked to other ponies, but they seemed as lost as he was. “Uh... you okay, Twi?”

Yes, I’m fine!

That was in your head.

She sighed.

It would appear you need more time getting used to this.

He sounded like he was laughing. she pulled the crown and the blade off. She could find out what Boreas had discovered later, when she wasn’t distracted by an impudent pegasus.

* * *

Hangbuck’s Folly was not the most welcoming place. It was essentially a massive rocky pit surrounded by pine trees. True to Iron Shod’s words, they had arrived there before sundown. They started to set up camp against one of the cliffsides. It offered little cover.

“I don’t like this.” It was Break.

“Neither do I.” replied Iron Shod.

Their eyes scanned the top of the cliffs. They were fish in a barrel.

“That bitch better show up soon. Every minute we sit here is dangerous.”

“Give us a read on the land.”

Break nodded then shot into the sky. Iron Shod watched him become a speck in the vast blue. As he did so, he
removed a device from his pack and looped it over his ear. A communication device.

“Feed me, Break.” he said as he walked back over to the others. They were throwing up mobile shelters. Koi was gathering wood for a fire. Iron Shod walked over to him and knocked the kindling off his back. “No fires. We don’t know who is watching.”

On cue, the farmers and Twilight looked up to the cliffs. A lump formed in the unicorns throat. It was seven in the
evening; five hours until the rendezvous.

“We got something, Shod.” Break’s voice clawed its way through the static. “Mare unicorn, about ten miles to the north.”

“Following us?”

“Maybe. I didn’t see her earlier.”

“Armed?”

“Optics aren’t showing anything. Negative on any obvious weapons.”

“Give me a full sweep of our immediate area. I don’t want anypony or anything sneaking up on us. And keep an eye on that unicorn. Tell me if she gets closer.”

“Aye, Shod.”

* * *

While her companions were sitting outside together, Twilight had retreated into her tent to talk to Boreas again.

Sorry about earlier.

No problem. You want to hear about the horn?

Yep.

Well, I was correct in saying it was made much later than my armor. The enchantments language was... different from mine. Dialect-wise, I mean. Much more modern.

What did the spell do?

Nothing shocking. Mostly practical stuff. I think you’ll be pleased to find that the horn will never lose sharpness. It also seems to glow when you run magical energy through it. Brightly. Like a lantern. Some sort of light amplification, I assumed. There was also something about subsonic vibrations. It was a bit over my head, but apparently by rapidly vibrating it will make slicing and dicing that much easier.

Lovely. That was it?

Well... there was ONE other thing.

What was it?

A soul transfer spell.

I didn’t hear any pony when I put it on.

That’s the thing. The spell was never completed. Or it failed. The entire enchantment was a mess of jumbled traces, likely do to that one bad spell.

So there’s no pony in there?

Doubtful. Even if there was, I don’t think they’d be entirely ‘there’, if you get what I mean. Soul transferring is a fairly complex field of magic. I’m afraid even I don’t know the exact effects of a failure.

Well, that’s good to know. Thanks, Boreas.

My pleasure. Was there anything else you needed?

Yes. You were talking about Luna and Celestia earlier. Why don’t you want to talk about it.

It’s more a matter of if Luna and Celestia want me to talk about me and them.

You’re not sure if you should tell me?

Precisely.

Any idea why that is?

I think they don’t want the idea that they talk to a crazy alicorn soul bound to a terrifying, pitch black crown of virtually indestructible material floating around in public. Just a guess.

Well, since I already know about you, and I’m a close friend of Celestia, and, to a certain degree, Luna, I can’t see any harm in you telling me.

I suppose.

* * *

“Hey Celly! Come check out something cool I found in the vaults!”

“Sister, you really should spend less time down there. When was the last time you went outside?”

“I’m serious! It’s super-duper cool!”

“I’m busy.”

Luna put on a pouty face. Celestia sighed. “Alright, this better be good.”

The blue pony raced down the hallway. The older one, with her longer legs, easily followed after her. After descending many staircases and crossing dark hallways, they stood before a golden door. Luna slid her horn into the key-slot. An ancient spell detected the touch of the royal alicorn, and the vault opened without a sound. She stepped inside and Celestia went in behind her.

“What is it that’s so cool you had to show me right away?”

“Here, try this crown on!”

* * *

I was pretty disheartened to hear about Luna turning into Nightmare Moon a few hundred years later. Celestia was kind, though. She came down and talked to me every few weeks or so. Kept me up to date on the happenings around Equestria and the world. If it hadn’t been for her updating my vocabulary, I’d be trying to talk to you in ancient pony tongue.

Interesting.

Quite.

Yesterday you said you were the one who had asked Luna to take you to me. Care to elaborate?

Celestia often came to me in times of trouble to seek my advice.

What of it?

She had also mentioned her prized pupil in many of her conversations.

...Continue.

I was the first one she went to when those farmers showed up. I may have... suggested a powerful unicorn go in for the rescue.

I don’t know how I should feel about that.

In retrospect, it probably wasn’t the greatest decision. However, now that I have met you in the flesh, so to speak, I have the utmost confidence in your capability to help the Umalians.

Why didn’t Celestia give you to me? Luna said she had ignored the option.

To be honest, I don’t think Celly trusts me.

Any idea why?

Not really.

Well, should I trust you?

You could always take me off.

* * *

The pit was cold. Bitterly cold. Twilight stood in the middle of it, completely surrounded by darkness. The others had taken position across the cliffsides; watching for danger. Break circled overhead, silently making sure nothing was out of the ordinary. It was midnight. Jutsu was supposed to be here. As far as the unicorn could tell, Hangbuck’s Folly was devoid of life. Not as if she could see anything in the pitch black.

Her head was suddenly snapped back, her throat constricted by an impossibly strong leg of a mare.

“You have one chance. Give me the proper challenge or I snap your neck.” the perpetrator loosened her grip enough for Twilight to speak.

“Flash!” she coughed out.

The choking leg slipped away.

“Thunder.” Jutsu replied.

Three down, two to go.