Since Time Immaterial [ Private]

Blade was a little surprised by how quickly everyone left. "I cant stay either sir. I have to take up my shift for the patrol." He said as he waved off to the teacher. "You can join the others though. I think that Ician might be a while as well." Blade then started to trot towards the barracks. He actually had about an hour until his shift actually, but he still liked being early. He had left his armor at the barracks like he amused most guards did and would start his patrol near the castle and then out towards the rest of Canterlot.

Ician hummed to himself as he donned the full suit of golden armour and orange-plumed helmet, complete with all the ceremonial trappings like the white sash across his chest, the half-body orange cloak, and so on, that he'd gotten used to in his frequent attendance in the Day Court. It was tedious, it was time-consuming, but he did have to admit that he looked pretty good in it. Still, the time/appearance ratio was severely tilted in a way he wasn't quite fond of, but in the end it wasn't exactly avoidable either, if he wanted to continue appearing in the Court.

Eventually satisfied, he picked up his weapons - a large array of knives which he slid into his armour, and four gleaming swords that he hung on the side - and proceeded back to the castle. On the way, he met Blade and gave him a nod of acknowledgement. "That was an interesting lecture just now, don't you think?"

"Thanks." Sitting next to the dog made Jon realize just how large the dog was. He realized that he wasn't exactly the largest pony. Scratch that, Jon was downright tiny. But still, Krix was a big dog. If Jon was June... well, but he wasn't. He was Jon. So that was that. Jon then realized he had been staring at the dog through the whole mental debate, and turned away quickly to focus on his donuts. After a moment of silence, he spoke up. "So, what did you think fo the lecture?"

Krix finished the doughnut he was eating and took a drink of coffee before responding. "Good, little pony, lots research. Krix, probably go, find artifacts, soon," the dog responded in his choppy speech. The dog then went about to finish his meal, easily downing the last of the doughnuts that were comparatively small to his stature before delicately sipping the comparatively small cup of coffee.

"What of, little pony," Krix asked gesturing towards Jon. "Lecture, opinion," he specified his inquiry before taking another delicate drink from the cup. When he set it back down, Krix pulled out a rather tightly rolled up piece of paper and unrolled on the table. It was actually a large, and surprisingly detailed map of the continent Equestria sat on, only there were numerous additions and markings on the map with neat writing detailing what each addition was. Most of the markings were of old ruins, forgotten or forbidden areas, the larger dog dens, and of anything else Krix had found of interest in his travels.

"Pony say, relic north," Krix continued pointing to the top edge of the map which had several of his own markings alongside the normal ones like the Crystal kingdoms. He pointed to some of the spots that didn't yet have any markings on them. Then he pointed to Jon, "pony, guess relic, location?" He asked calmly before taking another sip of coffee.

"I rather liked the lecture. History is fun, except for the names and dates." Jon talked as he looked over the map. He was okay with maps, he really had more experience with diagrams. Even so, anyone would be able to tell that this was a good map. "Now, as for the artifacts, the teacher said they'd be... Hold on." He took a small notebook out of his pouch and flipped open to a page covered in small triangular symbols, scanning the page for several seconds. "He said they'd be somewhere far north. Crystal Empire, or further."

Another pause as he scanned his notes. "I'm probably the wrong pony to ask. But based on my limited experience, the artifacts are somewhere really dramatic. A temple or something."

Pariah glanced around, now entirely alone. "... Whelp, I guess I might as well head to th-" He was cut off by an armoured body crashing into. He grunted as he hit the ground, the pony ontop of him giggling. She bent down and kissed him and he sighed. "Hello Silv~" The mare, Silver Star, purred and cuddled into him.

"Hello Pariah~ How are you today?"

He chuckled, and stood up slowly. "Oh, you know, not to-" The rest of his sentence was cut off as something large slammed into Canterlot, sending shockwaves throughout the city, shattering windows.

---

Inside Joe's Donuts, a glint was visible in the sky, seconds before an enormous chunk of ice, larger than most buildings, slammed into the city.

---

Whilst the ice meteor was not visible from the barracks, it's effects certainly were, with the ground shaking violently and the windows around them exploding.

The stallion thought about the tale that they had heard for the day and took a notebook and a pencil out of his bag and scribbled a few notes into it. He would research more about it after his shift was done. The library would still be open by this time and he could find some more about the ponies in the story. After, he finished his notes, he placed the two back into his pack and kept trotting towards the barracks.

Blade had not reached the barracks just yet and was on the path towards it when he met up with Ician. He shurgged at Ician's question. "It's something that'll have to do more research on, but outside of that it's something that keeps you on your hooves. The Nightmare Moon thing was only a story until Luna showed up again. Who can say something like that can't happen with anyother-" Blade was suddenly cut off by the giant meteor crashing down. "Da fuck? Did Luna mess up the shooting star event?" He asked, thinking the only why that would happen was because of Luna. The event did occur once or twice before though that had been shortly after she returned.

Blade groaned and guessed he had about thirty more mintues to spare before he had to finally clock in. "Let's go check the damage and pray that no one was hurt." He said as he moved towards crash site. "Hopefully, this comet didn't hit anything this time." He grumbled.

Krix's ears had turned towards the noise of onrushing air as the massive projectile was still approaching. Quickly, he positioned himself between Jon and the windows. "DOWN!" he bellowed before raising his shield to cover the parts of him that weren't covered by his armor and Jon as well from the window glass as it shattered. When the glass settled, the dog rolled back up his map and shoved it into his pack before offering a paw to help up Jon. "Ponies, okay?" Krix asked loudly as he adjusted his shield and brushed some of the glass off his cloak.

The sudden crash, coupled with what felt like an earthquake and all the windows in his line of sight shattering simultaneously, shocked Ician, but he recovered quickly.

Tactical analysis of circumstances. Possible causes: Unknown. Hypotheses: Earthquake, large pulse of ultrasound, powerful impact of meteor-like object nearby. Conclusion: Investigate. Have other guards secure the area and assess damage, and bring an escort.

He blinked. Half a second had passed.

"Guards!" He shouted in the direction of the barracks. "Emergency procedures, your work start early today. I want two of you following me. The rest, fan out through the city and perform damage control operations. See to any injured parties and be on the alert for attacks."

With that, he swept off in the vague direction of the site of origin of the effects, using severity of damage to the surrounding structures to find his way towards the core.

Two squads of guards raced after Ician, moving in close formation as they approached the ginat ice meteor that had replaced one of the larger buildings outside the castle walls. As Ician and Blade had approached from the same direction, they were greeted by the same horrible sight of a blood-stained chunk of ice, and mutilated corpses around it. Already however, the ice had began to melt away, revealing a throne of red ice that seemed to pulse with an internal light. Sitting atop the throne was an exceptionally beautiful mare, only a little larger than an old foal.

---

Similarly, from the donut store, corpses and blood coated the ice meteor as the dust settled, the ice beginning to melt away.

---

Pariah staggered to his hooves, brushing glass out of his mane before helping Silver to her hooves. "Are you hurt?" He asked quietly, his ears ringing.

She shook her head, and he sighed a breath of relief, before turning, his jaw dropping at the sight of the meteor. He blinked, his blue coat paling. "Oh... shit..." He pulled his backpack out, and pulled out a knife. "This... is not good."

Jon took the paw and pulled himself to his hooves, reaching deep into his backpack and removing a metal briefcase emblazoned with a red cross.  He then saw the meteor, and froze, taking it in.  There were many ponies dead.  That was bad, very bad, but he had to minimalize casualties.  There were still ponies living, too.  Jon's mindset immediately switched into full 'war doctor', and he shouted into the store.

"I am Doctor Kings.  I am a trained army doctor, so listen."  A small fib, but he was a doctor.  It was a helpful lie.  "Firstly, if you want to freak out, do so later. We need to handle this now. Anypony who is uninjured or minimally injured, start finding more survivors.  Apply pressure to heavily bleeding wounds and apply ice to bruising through a cloth.  Unless you have training, do not attempt to set a bone.  I am coming around with medical supplies.  Most heavily injured first.  Go!"  He would have laughed at the thought of instructing donut store patrons on how to treat wounds, if there weren't so many wounded.  He quickly refocused, heading over to a bleeding pony and carefully cleaning and bandaging the wound.

Ician winced and shook his head as he beheld the array of corpses. Disgusting.

He whipped around and addressed the guards. "Alright, this is what I need you all to do. Spread out and surround the meteor. Let nopony in and nopony out." He frowned, his eyes sweeping across the area. "I'll need more guards for this. We don't know if that mare," he pointed at the mare on the throne, "is hostile or not, but I'm willing to bet on the former, given her entrance." He allowed himself a small smile. "Granted, I'd bet on the former anyway. So be ready for anything."

He turned to Blade. "You're part of Blueblood's personal guard, aren't you? I'll assume that you specialise as a bodyguard and escort." He paused and mused for a few moments. "I don't quite know if I can use your specialisations. Not yet. So employ your disciplines at your own discretion."

He looked back to the mare on the throne and coughed loudly, trying to draw her attention. "Excuse me? My name is Tact Ician, Head Strategist of the Royal Guard. Please state your name and identity, and your purpose... here."

Krix nodded and wordless started to carry out the 'doctors' orders. After all, what words could the dog butcher in a sentence that would help at the moment. Guard ponies were likely already responding to the meteor, they could likely handle it, which left Krix to simply abuse his strength in helping with the relief effort. Krix proceeded out of the shop and began getting the injured to bring them to Jon, starting with what appeared to be the worst off.

First Krix came to a few ponies trapped under a section of collapsed building, the dog took off his shield to use it like a wedge so he could get the ponies out. Then he put one of the still alive ponies on his shield, improvising it as a stretcher, and began ferrying that one, and all the injured back this way regardless of the number of trips it was going to take. Once the ponies from that collapse were taken care of, Krix moved onto the next injured pony or collapsed structure and just kept repeating the procedure.

Whenever he came across ponies that were still on their hooves and moving, he told them, "doughnut shop, help, doctor," before proceeding on to continue his current mission.

Blade felt his blood boil slightly at the sight of the mare not giving a damn about the ponies she had killed with her entrance. He calmed himself as Ician spoke to him. The green stallion only nodded and dropped his saddlebag to the ground. He wished he had brought his armor, but at the moment he could only hope that his constructs would hold up.

He stood next to Ician as he spoke to the mare in question and hoped that her answer would not be hostile. Blade prepared himself to make a dome around them if it helped defend against anything they would face.

The ponies around Jon stopped screaming and began to calm down a little, partially by his words, and partially by the enormous diamond dog nearby that seemed to be his friend. Several with minor wounds began to spread out, searching for wounded.

---

The mare very slowly turned her head and faced Ician and Blade, getting up off her throne and stepping off the meteor. She walked over to them, each step producing ice as she strutted forwards. She cocked her head briefly before smiling. Her smile however, had no happiness, and held the same cold quality that she seemed to radiate. "My name is above you plebeian. My husband has requested you surrender immediately, and send me your rulers." She paused. "Lest I turn you into an ice block."

For a brief second, Ician's eyes flashed with cold rage, and then his standard look of neutrality returned. If she dares make these threats... she probably means them. And can carry them out to boot, if that meteor is any indication. We'll need somepony of her power level to defeat her, and that means...

"Very well." He acquiesced deferentially. "I am afraid we cannot arrange the matter of our surrender without first consulting our rulers, so allow me to escort you there."

He turned to one of his guards. "Tell the Princess to expect this... visitor." And with it, came the unspoken command of make sure she's prepared for it. Take all necessary precautions.

After that, he spoke to the other guards. "Stay here and support rescue and cleanup efforts." Finally, he left the mare's side and trotted over to Blade, whispering, "I need you to gather every guard you can find and assemble them outside the throne room doors after this mare goes in. Make sure she doesn't see them. Full alert, and move in to kill upon the command. Go in when I say..." Ician paused momentarily. "... When I say 'We surrender'." He trotted away from him. "Now go."

He turned back to mare, a fake smile plastered over his face. "Very well. Let us leave now, shall we?"

As soon as Ician left her side, the mare raised an eyebrow. However, she smiled back to him as he returned. "Certainly, lead the way pleb." She purred with a sickly-sweet grin. Without really waiting for him, she spun and trotted towards the castle, ice spill spreading outwards.

---

The ponies around Krix nodded and hurried to the doughnut shop, still in shock after the meteor strike. Soon, the doughnut shop was surrounded by injured ponies who had taken refuge there.

---

Pariah galloped through the corridors, having sent Silver sprinting in the other direction to the day court. He rounded a corner, and sprinted through the gates, pulling up short as he spotted Ician, and the mare next to him. He blinked several times, before growling and shouting at the top of his lungs. "Shiva!"

With the last of the ponies that Krix could help either laying on the doughnut shop's floor or waiting patiently to be examined, Krix conducted one last search to try and find any others. When his search yielded no results, Krix returned to the doughnut shop. "Pony, Krix, help?" he struggled out throughout his troubled speech.

Glancing towards some of the lesser injured ponies, Krix fished around in his pack for his own medical supplies. Then he began tending towards the lesser injuries that he could actually do something with in hopes that he could get them up enough to assist with those that were in more critical conditions. While he worked, Krix kept an ear turned towards Jon in case he called for the dogs help. At one point, when he noticed that his own supplies were dwindling, Krix looked towards the owner of the doughnut store. "Pony," he said with a point at him. "Get, medicine, help here."

Blade was tempted to tell the mare she wasnt going anywhere near the Princesses unless they visited her with some cell bars in between them and that he didnt give a damn about her husband. Luckily, Ician spoke first. Blade nodded to his follow guard and wondered if it was wise to ask that she stop with the ice stepping. He found it unwise and simply nodded to Ician's plan.

He was about to get the other guards when his teacher suddenly appeared. Blade felt his attention go from the teacher and onto his fellow guard, feeling things were about to go to hell or worse. He hoped Shiva was not there to blast first and not ask questions later type of pony. Blade turned his gaze over to Ician and not even trying to hide his confusion of what was going on.

Ician was more thankful now than ever that the mare hadn't waited for him before leaving. As a result, he'd ended up behind her, and she wouldn't have seen a brief spark of realisation that ran through his eyes when Pariah shouted.

He turned to Blade and mouthed Just go. Nothing's changed. Make sure she doesn't see it coming. He then turned back to Pariah and said smoothly, "Please, good sir, I am escorting this mare to the throne room to meet with Princess Celestia, as per her request." He was thankful again that the mare was facing away from him, because now he could wink at Pariah without being seen. "Please don't obstruct us."

Pariah lowered the knife, raising an eyebrow as Shiva trotted into the castle, not even bothering to check whether they were following her. He sighed and rolled his eyes, before standing next to Ician and following him in. What exactly are you planning he mouthed as he watched the strangely short mare walk through the castle. Should I go assist the others in disaster recovery?

---

Joe blinked at the rather horribly constructed sentence before nodding and hurrying into the back of his store, returning with additional medical supplies. "Thank god I kept these for OHS," he remarked as he passed them around.

'I'm taking her to Celestia.' Ician mouthed back as he followed closely behind Shiva. 'If anypony can beat her, it's the Princess. I'm springing an ambush. Do what you think is best.' He wondered if he should say more, but by then he'd walked far enough away from the gates that he simply stuck to Shiva's side silently.

Ensuring that he was behind her at all times, he did a little check on his weaponry with his eyes. Swords, check. Daggers, check. Armour, check. He shook his head. It won't be enough. But I must try.

Jon was rushing around trying to attend to as many ponies as he could.  But he was careful not to rush too much, as a hasty stitch is a nasty wound.  He was doing the best he could, trying to treat as many victims as was possible.  But healing salves didn't exactly sprout from the floorboards, and his supply quickly ran out.  But the bandages seemed to keep coming, and more always seemed to be there when he opened the briefcase, and he had quite a lot of alcohol. For, er, sanitization purposes. Soon, the cuts had been given bandages, stitches, or tourniquets, and the bruises had coldpacks or had been given a bit of healing salve. Now the truly serious injuries, the broken bones and concussions, could be treated.

Jon looked through his notes of the treated patients, and headed over to the first one who he had listed with a broken foreleg. He looked over to Krix. "If you see any sort of stick we can use as a splint, that'd be excellent. We'll need plenty."

Krix looked up from the slight cut he'd been bandaging and nodded to Jon. After finishing the rest of the bandage wrap, Krix proceeded outside to retrieve some splints. Luckily there were plenty of damaged buildings and splintered wood that with just a little work would make suitable splints.

Grabbing up bundles of the timber fragments, and occasionally creating a few more with a few powerful strikes from his shield, Krix went back into the doughnut shop. He dropped his bundle of wood in a pile that was almost as tall as Jon before returning to his own doctoring. While he'd never been officially trained, being on one's own for a while tends to teach through experience, and occasionally he'd be shown something new by someone during his ventures. He knew enough bandage wounds, apply pressure, and occasionally set a splint.

When he walked up to one pony, Krix realized he must have overlooked her when he'd brought her inside. The pony was bleeding heavily from a large wound on her shoulder that continued across her back and ending right about where her limply hanging right wing was. At first Krix let out a series of barks and other noises before remembering that he needed to talk in pony speak. "Doctor, help now, pony, critical," he said with a point towards the downed pony's slowly rising and falling form that showed she was still breathing before beginning what little work he could do for her.

Blade was completely surprised by the mare. She hadnt even reacted to Pariah calling out her name. The only two reasons he could think of was either her hearing wasn't all that great or she didnt care enough to acknowledge him. Blade was willing to bet on the second one.

He waited until the three left before he started to hand out the orders. "Alright! I want every guard here ASAP! Get each and every rune, crystal, marking, or whatever that you can! We need to make sure that we can back-up the Princess if this talk turns into a fight."