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Spectrum: Redux

by Jed R

Chapter 8: The Call of the Concordia

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The Call of the Concordia

SPECTRUM: Redux

Six
The Call of the Concordia

Written by
Jed R,
RoyalPsycho.

Revised by
TheIdiot.

Dedicated to RoyalPsycho, whose contributions to everything I’ve done on this site and elsewhere cannot be underestimated.


“How do you use a weapon of ultimate mass destruction when it can stand in judgement on you?”
The General, Doctor Who: “The Day of the Doctor”.


…the world it is weak it is soft it is and here I am the past is freed I am the future I am the power I am the king I am and they will bow they will see they will understand and…

…wait.

Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait

Sonskinsonscumsonstinkingslimyfilthputriddiseasedfailuremyfailuredisgustingdiseased…

Not. Dead. Yet.

Where are you swarm of my flesh, son of my skin, scum and stinking, putrid and pathetic and

Wait.

Who are you familiar yet stranger kin yet not kin thin blood smells of -

“Now, just who are you searching for?”


Canterlot Palace Vault, May 4th, Year 3 Era Harmonia.

Celestia and Luna had arrived at Canterlot with all haste, and immediately Celestia had led the two of them down to the palace vault. The vault – so Luna understood (having never visited it in her short time being back amongst ponies) was a repository of ancient and forbidden magics. A place where, according to Celestia, a lot of the magical flotsam that had populated the world a thousand years ago had been placed to protect the world from the harm they could cause.

“Would that we’d had a place like this in the old castle,” Celestia commented with a wry smile as they went down several flights of stairs.

“What are we seeking?” Luna asked. “Some sort of weapon to aid Alexander Reiner?”

“I wouldn’t dare use the weapons down here,” Celestia said with a snort. “Most of them were Sombra’s.”

Luna scowled. “I see. Better to keep them here, then. But what could be down here that could help us, if not a weapon?”

Celestia led her down a corridor at the base of the stairs, towards a set of large, brass double doors, before opening them onto a small room, a single box in the centre. It was covered in arcane symbols and runes.

“What… what is this?” Luna asked, frowning at it. “It can’t be…”

“The Concordia Maxima,” Celestia whispered. “The summons of Equus.”

“But this was a myth,” Luna said. “A myth, older than -”

“I found it, a long time ago, about two centuries after your banishment,” Celestia said, cutting her off. “I wanted to give it to Sint Erklass – of all the beings in Equus, I thought he would be worthy. But he refused. Said it belonged with me.”

“You’re going to summon the entire world,” Luna whispered. “To war.”

“To meet, and if they agree, to war,” Celestia clarified. “They won’t all answer. The box may not even recognise my moral authority. But if it does…”

“It’s true, then,” Luna said. “About the box’s mind.”

“Oh, yes,” Celestia said with a wry smile. “Very. I strongly suspect it was given a mind precisely because of its power. The moral authority of the world. Beyond kings, beyond Alicorns, beyond anything living. Made by the lost Old Ones, long before the first pony, before any history remembered by any creature. No wonder they gave it a soul.”

“Do we have the right to use that power?“ Luna asked.

“If by doing so we may save another world?” Celestia asked in turn. “I have to try, Luna, or I may prove to stand idle over an atrocity unlike any we have ever heard about.” She paused. “I won’t ask you to stay with me.”

“I’ll stay,” Luna said at once.

Celestia gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you, sister.”

She sighed, before resting her horn on the box, letting a soft glow envelope it and herself. Luna tensed, wondering what might happen – no creature had ever used the box, not in living memory.


There is…

… something.

Who calls/Who summons/Who probes me/us?

There is an awareness of your presence and you pause, uncertain how to respond, what to say.

Who asks/who would question/who would enquire of me/us?

What does it/unknown seek/demand/ask for?

Why does it/unknown touch my/our mind/enter my/our soul/commune with my/our essence?

“Hello?” you try to say, not even sure if words are coming out of whatever you perceive to be your mouth.

It/unknown speaks/communes.

“I…” you swallow, trying to calm yourself. You feel something akin to fear. “I am Celestia, Princess -”

Princess Celestia/Leader of Ponies/Alicorn/Ascended.

It/Celestia/Alicorn wants/demands aid/succour.

It/Celestia/Alicorn wants/demands my/our support/assistance. It/Celestia/Alicorn needs/requires judgement/evaluation.

Begin

There is pain, and pressure in your mind. Everything you were, everything you are, everything you could be, is laid bare before whatever it is that you are with, every deed examined in minuscule detail. And then –

Judgement/evaluation rendered/complete.

There is a flash of light.


The Kirin Imperial Palace, Kyiroto.

The Imperial Palace, as usual, was quiet, despite being situated within the middle of the massive and noisy city of Kyiroto. Only the sound of shuffling hooves and the scratching of quills disturbed the silence of the palace’s great halls.

Mikado Toshiro Kane, esteemed ruler and emperor of Ryuppon and the Kirin race, kept his face impassive as he looked over the parchment in his hands. Business never ended in his empire, no matter what happened and even the emperor had his place within the labyrinthine bureaucracy that defined his empire and every aspect of life within its borders. His eyes roamed back and forth behind his glasses as yet another proposal lay in front of him, ready to be approved or dismissed depending on his judgment and his ability to discern the meaning behind the words written on it.

“Minister Kurama’s proposal will be dismissed today,” the mikado mumbled to himself, taking an ink and stamp and pressing the ‘denied’ symbol onto the stapled parchment stack.

An attendant, who had been waiting in the shadows then stepped forward, took the stack in their magic and whisked it away to be processed.

Toshiro then pulled another collection of parchment proposals from the large pile on one end of his desk and put in front of him for review. It was yet another request for prioritisation in shipping for one corporate group over all of the others who wanted access to Kyiroto’s docking facilities.

He was in the middle of reading through the opening proposal when an almost indescribable sensation washed through him, jarring him from his professional equilibrium. Toshiro straightened in his throne, his eyes wide and focused on the other end of his cavernous throne room.

The bizarre feeling was there for a moment and then it was gone but a lingering sensation remained. Toshiro knew, from the moment he first felt it, what the feeling meant.

The Call, Toshiro thought to himself, his unsettled expression returning to it’s usual, austere frown. He knew what it meant, and who it had come from, and his mind began working. The Call… the summons of the Concordia Maxima.

I always suspected that Celestia had it: curious that she should choose to use it now. I wonder what has happened…

Regardless of things he did not know, Toshiro knew that he must immediately react. This situation required appropriate planning, and appropriate response.

Glancing at the distant, shadowed ceiling, Toshiro reached up with his magic, his forked horn lighting up as he reached and pulled a hidden bell-pull. A second later, two other attendants stepped out of the shadows, hurried over to a gong and rang it.

A rich, brass note echoed through the throneroom and out into the chambers beyond. Seconds then passed as Toshiro schooled his face into his naturally stern expression. Finally, the enormous, carven doors of the throne room swung open with barely a sound and a single, richly dressed Kirin stag stepped through.

“Kuno,” Toshiro greeted in an even tone, the slight quirking of his lips the closest thing he could usually muster to a smile.

Prime Minister Kuno was an elderly Kirin stag, seemingly weighed down by his ornate robes of office and the various badges that were expected to be hung from it. Despite this seeming frailty he possessed an almost unnatural endurance, keeping apace with his almost endless duties and executing them with a dry professionalism that shocked even the most experienced bureaucrat.

“Blessed Mikado,” Kuno said, bowing his head with a grace that his age did not hamper. “How may I serve?”

“The Call of the Concordia Maxima has been sounded,” Toshiro announced.

For an instant Kuno’s professionalism disappeared as his eyes widened and his mouth opened a little in shock. A second later this surprise disappeared and his placid expression returned, a raised eyebrow of curiosity the only concession to his emotions.

“I understand,” Kuno stated. “By whom?”

“It is in the possession of Celestia, Princess of Equestria,” Toshiro said bluntly.

“I see,” Kuno said quietly. “How are we planning to proceed?”

“We have far too many investments with Equestria to ignore them,” Toshiro declared, the words laden with additional meanings.

Kuno nodded, the small gesture setting off a flurry of activity in the throne room’s periphery as the attendants and petty courtiers noticed the subtle signal to begin making arrangements with the rest of the government. It took only a minute for them to leave the throne room to perform their duties. Alone with his prime minister, Toshiro moved his desk aside and got up from his throne.

“There are things to be considered for the Concordat to come,” Toshiro said as he descended from his throne’s massive stepped dias.

“Of course,” Kuno replied, the older stag looking Toshiro in the eye. Both of them relaxed a little, their stances becoming less rigid and Kuno drooping a little as he finally showed his age.

“I want a list of personnel, equipment and products to be drawn up,” Toshiro declared, taking off his glasses. “Everything that we have, everything that we can provide at the Concordat and everything we can ask for in return. I want multiple contingencies drawn for: we do not yet know what circumstances dictated the necessity for the Call to be made.”

“Of course,” Kuno agreed. “I already have everything prepared.”

“Very good,” Toshiro said in response. He paused briefly. “We can’t let an opportunity like this to pass us by.”

“As you say,” Kuno agreed.


Taur Alpharius

Darkhoof of the Minotaurs scowled as he sat in his chambers, pondering a scientific conundrum. Notes were scattered across his mahogany desk, scribbling and scratchings that combined to form a tapestry of frankly inarticulate gibberish to anyone who did not happen to be Darkhoof himself.

A knock sounded from his heavy wooden door, but he paid it no mind. Standing to his full, somewhat imposing (even for a Minotaur) height, Darkhoof crossed his chamber towards his telescope. By the grace of the Alicorn sisters, the sun was already setting in Taurus, and the city of Taur Alpharius was illuminated by the orange glow of the fiery orb as it descended.

So, Darkhoof said, pointing his telescope at the darkening sky and calming himself. Let us begin again.

The knock at the door returned, and Darkhoof scowled.

“Whoever it is, go away!” he yelled. “I am preoccupied with important matters and am not to be disturbed!”

“Forgive me, wise Darkhoof,” a soft voice came from the doorway, “but I come from the Ekklesia. They have requested your opinion.”

Darkhoof closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying his best to remain calm.

“Hold on,” he said quietly. “I’ll be there presently.”

He stepped away from his telescope, before going to his door and unlocking it. Without bothering to open it, he went back to his telescope.

“Enter as you will!” he said irritably. “But do not disturb my work!”

A small, timid looking bull likely no older than eighteen – the minimum age for serving the Ekklesia in any capacity – entered the room, carrying a scroll.

“W-wise Darkhoof,” he began, holding out the scroll, but Darkhoof simply ignored him.

“Do the Ekklesia know what they are interrupting?!” he barked irritably as he returned to his telescope. “I am but a few short weeks work from proving beyond the shadow of doubt’s clutches that the stars we observe in the sky at night are suns all their own!”

“W-wise Darkhoof,” the young bull began again.

“Imagine the implications!” Darkhoof said as he continued to mess with the telescope. “Suns that sit solitary without an Alicorn or a Unicorn sorcerer caste to move them! Or stranger yet, suns with their own Alicorn, their own Unicorn castes!”

“Oh wise D-Darkhoof…”

“And stranger yet, I could have sworn that these stationary stars have the shadow of worlds circling them,” Darkhoof added, his voice becoming quieter, filled with awe. “More than one or two. Indeed, mayhap there are no other stars within our sight that move at the behest of an Alicorn.”

“G-great and w-wise Darkhoof, please…”

“Just think of what that could mean!” Darkhoof continued unabated. “Imagine what this could mean! Perhaps our own sun once stayed still, and we once travelled around it!” He grinned. “This could tie in to my theories about the precursor -!”

“Wise Darkhoof!”

“Oh, what is it?!” Darkhoof yelled, turning to look at the cowering bull, who was holding his scroll out at the scientist almost in a warding gesture.

He paused when he saw the scroll, and blinked at it dumbly for a moment before grabbing it and unrolling it. He frowned in confusion at the contents.

To Darkhoof,

The entire Ekklesia has felt what can only be described as a ‘Call’, coming from Equestria. We have surmised that, given the nature of it and the absence of other potential options, it may be an effect caused by the Concordia Maxima of legend. Knowing your interest in these matters of myth, we ask you to go to Equestria with an honour guard, first to ascertain the truth of this apparent effect, and secondly to act as our ambassador to the Equestrians.

Signed,
Speaker Thoughtful Response, the Ekklesiasterion.

“And the Ekklesia is sure about this?” he asked.

“T-they did not tell me what was on the scroll, sir,” the bull said apologetically.

Darkhoof sighed, before grabbing a scroll of paper and scribbling down a note. “Deliver this to Steadfast Resolve of the the citizen militia posthaste, and then return to me with his reply.”

The young bull grabbed the note and nodded. “At once, sir.”

And then he dashed off, leaving Darkhoof alone with his contemplations. The Concordia Maxima, indeed: one of the key artefacts of the Precursors, long since thought lost (or even nonexistent), revealed to be in the hooves of Celestia of Equestria (because of course it was).

Well, the scientist thought, scratching his chin thoughtfully. This might prove to be an intriguing mystery.


Queen Chrysalis’ Hive.

Deep within her personal cavern, Chrysalis, Queen of the Hive, lifted her head, her eyes widening. She stood, her insectoid wings spreading out, feeling her chitin click and crack as she walked.

That feeling, she thought, sniffing the air. It is a call, is it not? But from whom…

And yet the answer was apparent even as she thought it, lancing through her mind and heart with the power and deadliness of an arrow. She grinned maliciously.

So… Celestia has called for help, has she? she thought. The irony of it was delicious, almost as sweet as the taste of love in the air.

With but a thought, she summoned attendants to her side, a host of Changelings surrounding her. Without a single word, she instructed them as to their roles and tasks in the hours ahead, and with silent acknowledgement they zoomed off, to do the tasks their Queen bade them to.

Well, then, if Celestia truly needs help, Chrysalis thought, let us see what help she will take from we Changelings… and what she my offer in return.


The Imperial Palace, Adlerdorf, The Griffon Empire.

Queen Hedwig of the Griffons finished her note off, scratching her signature out and smiling as she finished. Her desk at was a fairly simple one, with none of the gold decorations or ostentation that some of her ministers preferred. That was alright, though: she preferred the simplicity of it all.

She picked up a small bell from her desk and rang it. After a moment, one of her attendants entered the room.

“Ah, Garrett,” she said with a kindly smile. “Have this note copied at the printing room, and then deliver the copies to General Archibald Garson and Prime Minister Gillard, please.”

“As you wish, your majesty,” Garrett said, bowing. “It will be done at once.”

“Marvellous, Garrett,” Hedwig said, still smiling. “After that, if you could arrange for my private airship and guard to prepare for a sojourn.”

“Of course, your majesty,” Garrett said. “May I ask to where?”

“Equestria, Garrett,” Hedwig said simply.

Garrett, to his credit, didn’t pause for more than a moment. “Of course, your majesty. I’ll have extra fuel prepared for the journey.”

“Thank you, Garrett,” Hedwig said.

He left, and Hedwig returned to write another note. After all, she had to let her family know that she would be going on a trip. No doubt Prince Tobias would enjoy the excursion, and he and his dragoons would certainly be prudent guards to have around.

Let us see what Celestia has to say, Hedwig thought, that is so important as to require the Concordia Maxima in order to say it.


You feel lightheaded, and stagger where you stand. There is a dull silence on the air.

“H-hello?” you say. “What happened?”

It is done. The Call is sent, Celestia/Ascended. Prepare yourself.

You step back, uncertain, and then –


Celestia stepped back from the box, looking shaken and breathless. The Concordia glowed for a moment more, and then was silent. She blinked in surprise.

“I…” she whispered, looking at Luna. “I’m back?”

Luna frowned in confusion. “You never left, sister.”

Celestia blinked again, trying to recall what had happened.

“Did… did it work?” Luna asked her quietly.

Celestia smiled tiredly and looked to her sister. “Yes. I do believe it did.”

Luna looked from her to the box and back again. “What… what was it like?”

“Indescribable,” Celestia whispered, “just… it was like communing with something beyond our perception of time. It felt for a moment like everything I have done, everything I will do, was being judged.”

Luna smiled. “I knew you would have the purity of heart to do it.”

“Then you knew something I did not,” Celestia replied. She turned away. “Come. We have much to do.”


You little thing you little fool you do not see but I see I see it the written and unwritten the lies and the truth the sisters hidden and unhidden-

“You never shut up, do you?”

Your blood is thin, thing, thing of thin shade shadow, echo of design, purpose forgotten, weapon without a wielder, unwielded unwrought.

“Yawn. Alright, time to make this -”

“Oh.”

Foolish feeble thing. You would always have happened. My magic simply let it be. Mistake it was, monster, scum, scum, scum. I am Master of matter, manipulator and moulder, mesher and masher. Unworthy of the swarm you were. All things bend break snap, twist turn torment, before my wrath. I am all things and all things are mine. I am Whisper, Emperor, God.

“I know what you are, and yes, I know what I suppose I owe you. You’re the father of all Draconequii, after all.”

Stop me stop me stop me. Yes, that is what you said. Stop life? Foolish. I make it. You call me killer. They accuse me of destruction, destroyed, destroyer, destitute and diminished, once a lord of mighty armies and mightier magicks, now nothing, nothing, nothing…

“Yeah, I know. That doesn’t mean I can’t stop you.”

Stop me stop me stop me but I was the saviour, saver, saving, saved, made to save but didn’t, destroyed, destroyer, destitute and diminished, once a lord of mighty armies and mightier magicks, now nothing, nothing, nothing…


“So,” Luna said quietly. “With the call sent… who will it have reached?”

“In theory, every leader of every race and nation,” Celestia said quietly.

Luna nodded slowly. “And do you expect them all to come?”

“The Kirin will,” Celestia replied, “and hopefully the Minotaurs as well. I’m… less optimistic about the Changelings…”

“They’ve always had mixed relations with the rest of Equus,” Luna said quietly. “It’s their nature.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said quietly, “and Chrysalis is the most prominent of the Queens in our part of the world. She and I have a ‘difficult relationship’, shall we say.”

Luna snorted. “That is certainly one word you could use.”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Celestia called.

Astron Blueblood entered the room, looking perhaps slightly less dishevelled than he had when Luna had come to see him. He looked between his two aunts for a moment, before frowning.

“Sorry,” he said, “is now a bad time?”

“Not at all,” Celestia said quietly, smiling at him. “I need your advice on something.”

“Something to do with this war business Auntie Luna mentioned?” Blueblood guessed. “Can’t possibly imagine what I could tell you that you don’t already know, Auntie C.”

Luna scowled at the informal address, but Celestia merely smiled indulgently.

“How about, ‘how to get half the aristocracy to help fund it’?” she said with a dry smile.

Blueblood blinked, before chuckling. “Ah, yes, bits. Always comes down to that, eh?”

“Surely a tax would be sufficient?” Luna asked irritably.

“Not quite,” Celestia said. She motioned to Blueblood. “The aristocracy and the upper classes get… antsy, I suppose you could say, if you don’t bribe them, butter them up, or generally attend to their more petty demands before you start asking for more of their ‘hard earned’ bits.”

“Hence,” Blueblood said, “why I've become an expert at attending their petty demands.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Indeed?”

Blueblood chortled. “You didn’t think all my socialising was just for the scintillating company and the copious alcohol, did you? That’s just a handy bonus. Helps that I went to school with half these cads.”

“I didn’t want to ask,” Luna said. “I take it then you know how to… ‘butter up’ the nobles?”

“It’s been my life’s work,” Blueblood said more seriously, before scratching his chin thoughtfully. “I can probably get some favours called in to get an increase on taxes to the richer population through the parliament, but I think it’s important to offer some military building contracts to White Hart Line and Eagle Eye Corp.”

“To ensure their fiscal and political support, as well as to increase airship production?” Celestia guessed. At Luna’s questioning gaze, she smiled. “Spruce Dismay and Snake Eye are both political powerhouses, as well as being owners of airship corporations. They have considerable clout with the parliament.”

“Exactly,” Blueblood said, smiling. “Still, I’ll need to know a little more about this thing to sell it to some of my more… conservative drinking buddies.”

“I will have a report written up,” Luna said simply, sharing a wry glance with Celestia. “In the meantime, we would be grateful if you would begin your work.”

“Can do,” Blueblood said. He threw a little mock salute. “Aunties.”

And with that, he sauntered out of the room.

“He’s so… irreverent,” Luna said after a moment. “We’re talking about war, and he treats it like a game.”

“He was raised by his father, Azure Haven, not his mother, Princess Silverblood,” Celestia said with a sigh. “Haven was… irresponsible with his money, and more irresponsible as a pony. I believe it rubbed off on Blueblood – not having to take life seriously will do that to you. Still, he knows his way around the aristocracy, and his heart is… usually in the right place. Cake incidents notwithstanding.”

“Cake incidents?”

“I’ll explain another time.”


“That’s… it. You’ve… lost. Surrender.”

Lost is nothing. Nothing is lost. Everything comes from nothing and to nothing returns. You… thing. Thing of my flesh, scion of my mistakes, fool. You smell it, yes? Smell the thing, the Abomination, IT is still out there. IT, the abomination. IT… IS!

“What are you babbling about?”

You will see. You will see and suffer and scream and beg for the help but in our past we could but delay it and now we are diminished we are destroyed we are defeated and we cannot stand in its way. Should have killed it. Should have killed it. Should have killed it. Foolish I was foolish I was failure I failed I failed and now everything will be destroyed.

“What are you talking about?”

Choices choice no choice no options no recourse. Malcour moulder moulded, Myrrdin meddler meddled made monsters. Magicks meant for magnanimity made for might, minted monstrosities, forged futile, fodder for the fight, failed and forgotten, the why forgotten, the what forgotten, weapon unwielded unwrought, wielded unwisely. Fools. Fools. Sorry. Failed. Forgotten. Foolhardy.


Celestia sighed as she stared out of her window at the city of Canterlot. Part of her was wondering just how long things would seem as peaceful as they did now. Another part of her accepted that peace was never permanent – eventually, something would always happen.

I've been so lucky over the years, she thought. I should be grateful I had the peace, not churlish at finally losing it. We shall see about rebuilding once the final toll is taken.

She felt a soft breeze at her back, and turned, to see a familiar, mismatched figure standing behind her. She blinked, before taking a step forward.

“Discord,” she breathed. “You’ve returned.”

He smiled wanly. “Hello Celly. How’re things…?”

He slumped to his knees, but held up a paw to forestall any effort to help on Celestia’s part, wincing as he did so.

“Kontagion,” she guessed.

“Imprisoned,” he said, wincing, before holding up a small, faintly vibrating crystal. “He… wasn’t as amenable as I’d hoped, but it seems I was just about… just about able to stymie him.”

“I’m grateful you could imprison him, rather than needing to destroy him,” Celestia said quietly.

“Be grateful Sint Erklass was clever enough to come up with this little trinket,” Discord said, still looking pained as he put the crystal on the floor, where the vibration became more pronounced. “Or I’d have been the one who was destroyed.”

Celestia felt the blood drain from her face. “He was that powerful.”

“Of course he was,” Discord said, scowling for a moment. “You didn’t think he was going to be easy to deal with, did you?”

“I had hoped he would not be… quite that much of a threat,” Celestia said quietly. “I didn’t want you to risk your life.”

“Yeah, well, shows what you know,” Discord said, sticking his tongue out. He sobered up after a moment. “He was the First. My people’s blood thinned long before I was born. His… his is the fire of a chaos that makes me look tame.”

Celestia sighed. “And now, finally, we can begin to heal him.”

Discord chuckled at that. “Admirable as I’m sure that idea is, you can’t heal him. He’s old and set in his ways, and his chaos isn’t rational or amiable. It’s raw, it’s cruel. It’ll take more than a kind butter-yellow Pegasus to make him go ‘good’.”

“And still, we must try,” Celestia said sadly.

Discord frowned, looking at the Crystal. “Yeah. I guess you must.” He winced in pain again. “So. He’s dealt with. What now?”

“Now?” Celestia asked. “As I said. Provided you choose not to threaten Equestria or the rest of the free world again, I am willing to allow you your freedom.” She paused. “However…”

“However, there’s another mess you need my help with,” Discord said, almost grumbling. “How did I guess. Couldn’t possibly be you using that overgrown foghorn you activated.”

“You felt that?”

“I tasted that. Very minty.”

Celestia suppressed a smirk, and then she sighed. He was grouching, nothing more. He would help: the strangest thing about Discord, at least in her experience, was that he was malicious only in the sense that he rebelled heavily against authority. He did not wish harm, only for himself to have fun… and freedom. It was only the fact that his fun came at the expense of others that had made him and the Alicorn enemies, and for the moment those instincts had been curbed.

“For now,” she said, “rest. And we will speak in the morning.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Discord said, waving a claw. “See ya, Celly.”

And then he was gone, leaving the little crystal on the floor where it still vibrated.

“Ah, Kontagion,” Celestia whispered. “Sint Erklass said you were once of a nobler kind. One is torn between wondering what you were, and wondering what could have brought you so low.”

She felt nothing but malice from the little crystal, and with a sigh, her horn glowed, flashing the crystal to a special cell she had long prepared for Kontagion. For a moment, Celestia breathed easier.

“You've summoned them all, then,” a soft, gently lilting voice suddenly said from behind her. “The Griffons, the Changeling kind, the Kirin, the Minotaurs, even the creature, Discord. That is well. You're going to need all the allies you can get in the war that is to come.”

Celestia turned, to find herself facing a hooded mare, standing by a pillar. She narrowed her eyes at the figure. She was tall, her cloak not hiding her stature.

“Who are you?” she asked. “How did you get in here?”

The figure, in response, pulled down the hood she wore with a burst of ice-blue magic, revealing a shadow-grey mare, equally icy eyes staring at Celestia from within a stern, flinty expression. A black mane flowed behind her, moving not unlike Celestia’s own.

“Who are you?” Celestia demanded again, though she couldn’t shake the feeling she had met this mare before.

“Do you not know?” the mare asked. “We have not spoken, but we came into this world together. Sint Erklass maybe spoke of me in your youth, when I was already old enough to begin mine long vigilance.”

Celestia blinked. “You… you’re…”

“I am the keeper of the plan of our existence, the scribe of our destinies as laid down by our mother-creator, and the last remnant of the works of the forgotten Centauri,” the figure said.

She cast aside her cloak, and a pair of wings flexed, before expanding outward, revealing the full form of an Alicorn. She was grey all over, with a charcoal mane and tail, and a cutie mark that resembled nothing so much as a stylised eye symbol, rendered in black and white.

“I am your sister and keeper both, Celestia. My name is Galatea. And I need your help.”



Author's Note

If there’s one thing I wish actual SPECTRUM actually had, it’s the perspective of the Concordia. I feel like it’s kind of a missed opportunity, and that’s mainly my fault because I wrote that section in the original and never got round to adding the Concordia’s dialogue with Celly in. Still, I’ve done it now 🙂

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