Upheaval: Reckoning
Chapter 16: Triumvirate
From her room in the Royal Palace, Princess Luna watched with a mixture of satisfaction and apprehension as a group of legionnaires made their way through the streets of Canterlot. It had been six days since her siblings' public address and reunification was finally on its way. She could only dream about it as recently as a couple of months ago. Now, it was beginning. She glanced at the piles of reports by her desk and smiled wearily. Just a few months ago, her only duty seemed to be raising and lowering the moon as well occasionally mingling with her subjects. Now, she was up to her neck in reports.
Luna walked over to the most important pile: the one which contained the medical reports. As early as before she even left the Barrier Lands for the Heartland, Terrato had discussed the health of both his legionnaires and the chosen with her. Though the Legion had strict health practices, especially down south where spreading plagues was an ophidite fixation, her brother suspected that many legionnaires still carried some disease or another that didn't affect them anymore. Once they reach the populated areas in the Heartland, these diseases could run rampant among the ponies who never had to deal with them before. "Take as many unicorns from both realms as you need," he had said. She indeed took plenty. She had to teach all these unicorns some cleansing and resistance boosting spells. It certainly didn't help that healing magic in Equestria had suffered because of her time in the moon. Every single legionnaire had to be magically inoculated and cleansed before stepping anywhere near a Heartland settlement. Even then, reports of legionnaires falling sick with Cutie Pox, which they called "Chosen Disease", and chosen coming down with cases of Hiderot trickled in.
Luna read through every gristly detail with each report and mentally noted the necessary spells she was going to have to teach her new division. She glanced occasionally at the pile of reports she wanted to read. She knew about the Special Operations ponies that her brother had brought along with him. When she saw them reporting to him, she had made a request of them: send her some reports on how the interactions between the Barrier Lands and Heartland ponies went. It didn't have to be formal or extensive, she just wanted to hear the initial thoughts that the legionnaires had of their long lost brethren. She had found some time yesterday and saw that most of the initial reactions had been good. She remembered a particularly interesting one about the first arrivals to this very city.
When the first legionnaire recruiters entered the city of Canterlot three days after the public address, the first thing they noticed was the strange manner by which it had been built. The Heartland's capital city hugged the sheer cliffs of Mount Unicornia. The effect was a truly grandiose sight that served as a gigantic testament to unicorn aesthetics: tall and stately towers, pristine white walls, luxurious amenities, and a touch of fancy over practicality. The earth ponies and pegasi legionnaires were quick to agree that Canterlot must have been designed by a unicorn's unicorn: a stallion or mare who weighed the danger of plummeting down the sheer face of a cliff against visual appeal, then decided that visual appeal mattered more.
Comparisons to Arcanotropolis, Canterlot's equivalent in the Barrier Lands, were inevitably made. Even the unicorn magi had to agree that Canterlot was grander and better maintained. They added, however, that Canterlot had no Grand Arena like Arcanotropolis had and likely did not have a tradition as wonderful as the annual Mage Battle tournaments. They also added that Canterlot served as Princess Celestia's choice of dwelling, which clearly added to its importance. That translated to better funding. It likely also served as the reason why no earthquakes had touched the city. Arcanotropolis, on the other hoof, was not the capital of the Barrier Lands. That honor belonged to the Great Delve, which was primarily an earth pony city. The mention of the Barrier Lands capital piqued Luna's interest. She hadn't found the time or excuse to see what kind of capital city her brother had and how he managed it.
While she had yet to lay eyes on the Great Delve, Luna did get to see some of her brother's management. Barrier Lands ponies were now trickling into the Heartland as fast as her medical divisions could get to work on them. Not all of them were legionnaires: craftsponies, engineers, even scholars were already on the move to integrate Barrier Lands and Heartland technology into a unified whole. Terrato also gave them the same stern warning he gave to the Legion: any abuse heaped on the chosen will be considered sabotaging the reunification effort and will be treated as treason.
The movement wasn't one-sided either. Terrato had asked Celestia to pick out "ponies of integrity and influence" among the chosen to be brought to the various Barrier Lands so they can assess the situation there. It was his hope that these ponies would see the danger and speak out among their fellows, allowing for a smoother reunification. That was Luna's hope too. That and that the chosen would not suspect that the frightening and stern alicorn had sent these ponies to a far off land, killed them, then replaced them with clones. When her brother later added that he wanted Prince Blueblood among those ponies, even she had to be suspicious.
"I like that one," Terrato had said. "His mouth says he's a coward, but the rest of him says otherwise. He should see the truth as I want him on my side."
Terrato had also made good on his promise to Luna. Just two days ago, he had his high command meet through magical projections, then had them acknowledge the authority of his sisters. Luna could tell that some of the commanders were uncomfortable with this decision which was what she had predicted. Still, she now had a grip on the Legion and planned on making good use of it. In that same meeting, Terrato also gave more specifics on his plan with the draft. All draftees were required to serve for a minimum of four years and would be allowed to go home if that was what they wanted. They were to be held in reserve and sent to the rear lines until they racked up some experience. He had done all of this while he managed the Legion still in the Barrier Lands. FangBreaker Fortress still had to be converted to a proper launching point for an offensive. Great amounts of resources and a lot more ponies also had to be transported.
As for Celestia…their eldest had her own duties. She continued to speak with the chosen, reassuring them that times will get better. Luna knew that their brother would be content with just having Celestia rest, but she would have none of it. There were problems to be dealt with and the two of them weren't enough to take care of everything.
First, there was the money problem. Incidents had arisen where legionnaires would attempt to buy something with Barrier Lands bits only to have the chosen storeowner refuse to accept it. The legionnaires took it as mocking Terrato's authority and reacted violently. A new form of currency had to be adapted by a reunified Equestria. At the very least, values had to be assigned so money changers could get to work. Celestia had elected to deal with the matter.
Then there was the growing booze problem.
Alcohol was not a complete unknown in the Heartland. It just happened to be a very scarce commodity for a very small fraction of the population. Sweet Apple Acres, for one, produced about a small crate or two of applejack each harvest time to be shipped to Canterlot and sold at ridiculously high prices. A lone bottle would last a noble a year as a sipping drink. That was about as much of a presence alcohol had in the Heartland and Celestia preferred it that way. When the legionnaires heard about the scarcity of such a familiar comfort, they were more than happy to bring their own supply. When the first legionnaires arrived in the Heartland, barrel after barrel of cheaply-made, highly potent booze poured in with them. With the health concerns, it was natural for the Barrier Lands ponies to prefer their homeland's booze over the local water. This wasn't bad in itself. Legionnaire have had a lifetime to deal with booze. Faced with especially harsh penalties should they get rowdy and drunk in the Heartland, it was easy for them to moderate their drinking.
The trouble, however, started around two days ago. A group of legionnaires, in a commendable but ultimately misguided attempt to ingratiate themselves with the locals, shared some of their booze with nearby curious chosen. Ordinary chosen did not have the same sort of incentives the legionnaires had to moderate their drinking. They knew almost next to nothing about the stuff. They drank, enjoyed the drink, then proceeded to besot themselves. In the following days, the Royal Guard found itself swamped with having to quell the drunken antics of chosen around the streets. Terrato refused to have the legionnaires get rid of their booze as Celestia asked, stating that it was one of the few comforts they had in such a strange land. He did issue orders to the legionnaires to avoid sharing anymore booze, but Luna doubted that would be enough of a measure. It wouldn't be long until the chosen applied their resourcefulness to support their newly acquired habit. It was up to Celestia and the Royal Guard to temper that habit with moderation lest even Canterlot turn into a drunken orgy.
Luna sighed as she set down the reports. With so many things to take care of, she hadn't even put a hoof on the problem of Black Rose. The usurper was out there somewhere, planning something involving the Blasphemous Rift, as her brother had mentioned. The Legion's Special Operations division had made good use of the hidden archives. It was a secret only known to her and her siblings as well as Lexarius. Terrato seemed confident that Black Rose had not gained access to them yet, but doubted the likelihood of things staying that way. With her former teacher actively looking out for her with his magic, it would be difficult for the newly ascended "alicorn" to move about personally without revealing herself. Hopefully, she would be forced to rely on minions. The movements that Terrato asked of his Special Operations ponies concerned her a bit though. She decided to speak to him about it.
That led to another issue that Celestia insisted on taking care of. Luna left her room and strode through the halls until she stood outside the room she was looking for. Even as she opened the double doors, she already heard her sister's patient and imploring tone.
"All we ask for is unhindered access to Sky Mirror Lake," Celestia said to the magical image of Queen Chrysalis. "We have no intention of attacking your people, but it is imperative that we are able to go there."
"The changelings owe you nothing, Celestia!" Chrysalis spat. "Tell me why we should bow and part before you and your pathetic little ponies while you make your way through our territory?"
For a moment, Luna stood outside the room and looked on quietly. Her brother was also inside, using his magic to facilitate the meeting with Chrysalis's projection. He had his eyes closed and forelegs crossed while he listened to the negotiations. Luna could understand why. Celestia had been reluctant to tell their brother about the Canterlot Wedding Incident, knowing the sort of action he would recommend. Even Luna didn't want to bring it up even though what had overcome the changelings was, perhaps, the greatest sign of the barrier's inadequacy. When access to the Blasphemous Rift became necessary, he eventually had to know.
"No pony will set foot on our territory!" Chrysalis said defiantly. "Those who try will be sucked dry!"
Both Celestia and Luna noticed the slight twitch in Terrato's eyebrow. Sooner or later he was going to lose his patience and recommend exterminating the changelings as both retaliation for their previous attack and as a precaution against any more interference on their part. It was for that reason that Celestia insisted on taking charge of negotiations. Despite what the changelings had become and what they had tried to do, she didn't want them destroyed like pests.
Luna still remembered what the changelings were like before the…change. They were strange hybrids of pony and butterfly gifted with amazing powers of transformation. They delighted in mischief through impersonating others, but never meant any harm. Indeed, those who displayed good humor towards the changelings' pranks were often rewarded. That was why Celestia had no problem with their remaining inside the barrier. Sometime during her banishment, the changelings had started becoming more and more withdrawn. Celestia admitted that, while she had found it a bit odd, she believed it was simply a slight shift in their lifestyle and continued to have faith in the changelings' immortal queen.
Even when the changelings settled around Sky Mirror Lake, there was little cause for concern. The seals laid down by Lexarius and the other stewards ensured that the power of Oceanus did not infect Equestria. What happened after that was difficult to pin down. By Celestia's account, the changelings isolated themselves further for the next three hundred years. Though she had the Royal Guard keep a vigilant watch, she was loathe to use more militant methods in preparing. At that time, she still hadn't believed that Queen Chrysalis could have changed so much or go so far. After her return, Luna had grown suspicious and worked with one of the royal nieces, Princess Cadance, to investigate the changelings. Cadance confirmed what Luna had suspected. The changelings had turned into the dark, emotion-feeding creatures they were today and Chrysalis had taken great measures to hide that fact from Celestia. It seemed that even the seals of the Eternal Herd's stewards were not perfect or, perhaps as more rebellions took place, the power of Oceanus grew.
Unfortunately, Cadance had not been subtle enough and caught the attention of Chrysalis herself. The changeling queen learned of the wedding plans and chose that time to make a move.
It was only during the Canterlot Wedding Incident did Queen Chrysalis reveal the full extent of what she and her people had gone through. The surprise attack allowed for a Canterlot invasion even with Shining Armor's powerful barrier. The combination of Celestia's hesitation to reveal any great degree of fighting prowess to her subjects, her underestimation of the threat, and the sheer surprise brought about by the boldness of Chrysalis's attack nearly resulted in complete disaster. It was what convinced Luna to finally go to the Barrier Lands to talk to her brother, ironic given that it was the incident she hesitated in mentioning.
"You are flirting with disaster here, Chrysalis!" Celestia said with a snort and a stomp of her hoof. The sudden angry gesture surprised both Luna and Terrato. "You seem to be ignoring that I chose not to retaliate after your attack on Canterlot. Do not exhaust my options for settling this peacefully!"
Luna took more than a small bit of satisfaction at seeing Queen Chrysalis visibly flinch. The changeling quickly recovered, however. "Your little tantrum does not impress me, Celestia," Chrysalis replied. "But it's easy to see that this means a lot to you. I'm willing to negotiate safe passage in return for some tribute."
Celestia allowed herself a slight smile and Terrato relaxed. "Name your price," she said.
"I will think it over first. This meeting is over. I will contact you once I've made up my mind." With that, Chrysalis's image dissipated and Terrato opened his eyes. "I still think we should just destroy them," he said flatly.
"Equestria has more than enough enemies," Celestia replied as Luna entered the room.
"Which includes them already," Terrato insisted. "They attacked first, remember? You may have cowed them for now, but they're still a disaster waiting to happen."
"The changelings were turned into this. There is still hope in turning them back, but that will be impossible if you wipe them from the face of Equestria."
Terrato glanced towards his younger sister. "Luna?" he asked.
Luna cleared her throat as she found herself in the middle of her two siblings. "The changelings will have to be dealt with soon," she said, eliciting a frown of disappointment from her sister. "But I think we should bide our time until the reunification has settled some more."
Terrato let out a snort. "So what did you come by here for, little sister?" he asked. "Just passing by to see how negotiations went?"
"I just wanted to know why you're moving Special Operations around," Luna replied. "You've sent a couple of squads to Ponyville of all places. Now, you've got more working with the Royal Guard to delve Mount Unicornia. What for?"
"If Black Rose plans to open the seals to the Blasphemous Rift, there should be two ways to do it," he replied. "She can break them externally which would require more power than she has at the moment. She'll have to somehow siphon it from the Eternal Herd, which I doubt. She can also break them internally."
"What do you mean by that?" Luna asked.
"Oceanus's…weapon possesses immense power," Terrato continued. "It's certainly enough to break any seal Lexarius and the other stewards can come up with. If Black Rose can slip in just a small amount of magic through the seals, she can coax that power to go off. This is the same plan as Clover the Clever was likely trying to accomplish before Lexarius struck her down."
"So you had some squads sent to Everfree Castle," Celestia said. "But why Mount Unicornia?"
"Haven't you been reading from the hidden archives?" Terrato asked.
"I hid it away and put it out my mind, remember?"
"Mount Unicornia's mines contain the Crystal Grave, a by product of the unicorn massacre that occurred there before Lexarius came. Even though she lost the mine's use, Princess Platinum spent a lot of resources modifying that giant mana crystal with Oceanus's power. Fortunately, after she retreated to the Old Kingdom's capital, Lexarius found it and sealed it away."
"So Black Rose's plan is to break through the seals using the various projects of the Six Companions?" Celestia asked.
"If we're willing to believe Blue Moon entirely," Terrato added. I think it's the best way to open those seals. Even if that's not her goal, controlling these dangerous sources of power is important." He paused for a moment. He had already mentioned in earlier meetings that Black Rose may have deliberately allowed Blue Moon to betray her with that much knowledge of her plans so that the Legion did most of the legwork in breaking the seals. He spent a great deal of resources monitoring his own Special Operations to ensure that none of them were spies for her, but he mentioned that he was banking more on one thing that even she wouldn't be expecting. When Luna pressed him about what that was, he refused to say anything more.
Luna looked out a window which had, fittingly enough, a good view of Mount Unicornia's summit. Her brother had not mentioned which squads he had sent, but she had found out earlier. The First and Third squads, along with a group from the Royal Guard were currently spelunking in that abandoned gem mine. She could only hope for their success.
Though they were already quite deep into the mine, Vanguard and the rest of the Special Operations ponies sent with him found it easy to navigate the tunnels of Mount Unicornia. The walls were lined with luminous gems that served them better than any torch. Nevertheless, they moved slowly. One of the ponies with them was mapping everything down.
The presence of the gems begged the question, however. The mine clearly had plenty of resources. Why was it abandoned? Not even Canterlot's residents knew why. The mines were off-limits and they weren't the sort to pry. Vanguard could understand that part. A sense of wrongness permeated the mine's tunnels like thick fog. The walls, the scattered mining tools and abandoned carts…this mine wasn't abandoned because it was depleted. Something happened here a long time ago.
"I spent my entire life reading about how Princess Platinum was an insufferable snob who eventually learned the importance of friendship," Unicorn Guard Captain Shining Armor said grimly. "Now I get to find out that she was up to some horrible things down here."
"You're welcome," Vanguard replied. It was a bit unusual working with the Royal Guard, but Special Operations was low on ponies in the Heartland. He suspected that Princess Celestia requested it to foster better relations between the Legion and the Royal Guard and her brother had agreed. He empathized with Shining Armor despite the differences between the realms they came from. He had thought that the Heartland was a place clean of the grim incidents that happened often in the Barrier Lands, but it turned out that there are still niches of such things carefully tucked away beneath a veneer of peace.
The group descended a particularly steep slope as they followed a large tunnel, carefully making sure that none of them started sliding down one of the chasms around them. Vanguard could see stalagmites and pointed crystal formations at the bottom of those chasms, ready to meet any pony unfortunate enough to fall.
"So what happened here anyway?" Scarlet Rabbit asked as he hovered next to Vanguard. When his captain looked at him sternly, he grinned sheepishly. "Hey, I didn't get to read from the hidden archive!"
"After the Windigo Crisis, Platinum ran a gigantic mining operation here with a city's population of earth pony slave labor," Vanguard replied. "Eventually, these earth ponies developed a magic of their own and started an uprising. Led by Rock Maven, they massacred the small army of unicorn overseers watching over them and fled to the outskirts of Equestria."
"Rock Maven…I've heard of that name before," Scarlet said.
"Rock Maven, the first leader of the True Earth Ponies."
"Well if I-!"
Before Scarlet could say anything else, Vanguard raised a hoof which caused everypony to stop. "Did you see that?" he asked. He focused his gaze at the far end of the tunnel. The ponies with him readied spells and weapons.
At the far end of the tunnel, a dim figure, about the size of a pony, was approaching the group. Vanguard's ears perked, but he couldn't hear a single sound despite all the loose rocks and gems around.
"Who goes there?" Shining Armor called out.
"Get back to work…" came a faint reply. Shining Armor tensed.
The figure came closer and into better view. Vanguard heard one of the royal guards gasp briefly. He could understand why. Standing before them was a dark, pony-shaped blob of shadow. They could make out what appeared to be a horn and a mane, but the rest of its features were too indistinct.
"We're not workers here," Shining Armor told the thing.
"Not yet…" the thing replied.
Before anypony else could react, the thing gave a loud wail and charged. To the group's horror, more followed as shadows burst from the walls, the ceiling and from the ground itself.