Anon takes on the Culling

>You couldn't help but feel nervous upon entering the Canterlot throne room
>Not that this was your first time here but, it was the first time you'd been called in for an 'urgent' matter
>The doors shut slowly behind you
>"Good evening Anonymous, I see you've received our message."
"Well Luna, it's kind of hard to miss when it appears in a puff of smoke in front of your face."
>Looking around the room it occurs to you that Celestia is not present
>The room was much dimmer than usual, the only light present cascading in from the many stained glass windows that decorate the walls.
"Is Tia not joining us?"
>"Sister is occupied with more pressing matters and will be unable to join us."
>What could be more imp-
>"As to why you are here, we need ask your assistance with an international matter."
"My? Aren't you two supposed to handle these kinds of things?"
>Luna looked downtrodden
>"Well... yes but, as you'll soon find out we are unable to interfere-"
"And I'm just supposed to take that and do your dirty work? Luna, I don't even know what this is about yet."
>Judging by the look in Luna's eye you must have stricken a nerve
>"If thou would listen and cease thine questions then this meeting would already be over!"
>It would be obvious to anyone with less than even half a mind that that was your signal to shut it
>Luna sighed
>"Sincerest apologies, Anon."
>You simply nod, not wanting to slip up and speak

>"Recently we have become aware of another nation, not to far outside Equestria. Though unlike the many we are aware of, this one too is also inhabited by ponies."
"So what exactly is the problem?"
>"The majority of these ponies heavily resent unicorns and the use of magic."
>You shrug
"So there's some racism, why are we getting involved?"
>"That's not the problem, the problem is that they are far more advanced than Equestria when it comes to pure technology."
>Luna levitates a picture of a small dragon that you recognized into view
>The realization hit you immediately and Luna could tell
>Spike was revered for his heroic act during the Equestrian games
>An act that would not have been necessary had a single unicorn or alicorn been able to use magic
"So they..."
>"Yes Anon, they are stripping not only unicorns, but other magical creatures of their abilities as well."
"So... how am I supposed to stop this?"
>"You won't be alone this time Anon, you've been assigned a partner for this one."
"Partner?"
>Whenever you were doing a job you always worked alone
>It was usually a waste for others to work with you as they only succeeded in slowing you down or getting in the way
>"We find it necessary that you have one this time around, as a navigator if nothing more."
>There is a knocking at the door just behind you, the sound echoes throughout the large room
>"That must be her now."
"Wh-"
>You aren't even able to finish one word before the door begins to slowly open

>"Sorry I'm late."
>In walked a blue unicorn, her mane also blue streaked with white, or was it white streaked with blue?
>You could never tell
"The dentist, that's my partner?"
"Well, at least I'm safe from cavities I guess."
>The mare rolled her eyes
>"I'm not just a dentist, Anon."
>Luna decided that enough time had been wasted
>"You both are already running late, the train will be arriving very soon. You best be on your way."
>You were still clueless at this point
"But wait, where are we-"
>In a flash of light you and the blue mare find yourselves at the Canterlot train station.
"...going."
>The mare nudged your leg
>"From what we know it's called the Cull."
"The Cull? What kind of dumb na-"
>"Their foreign Anon, we don't know."
>Anon
>It just occurred to you that she knew your name, but you didn't know hers
"What did you say your name was again?"
>She looked pretty surprised
>"You don't know? Well I guess not everyone has a reputation like yours
>Apparently you had a reputation
>"The names Minuette, try not to forget it okay, big guy?"
"No promises, and don't call me big guy."
>"No promises."
>You both laugh as the train pulls up
>"Buckle in big guy, we've got a long ride ahead of us."

>"Next stop, Ponyville!"
The train starting slowing to a halt
"So where are we getting off at?"
>Minuette looks out the window and waves to passerby
>"Were getting off at Dodge junction, just north of the Badlands."
"And from there we go?"
>"From there we will take a quick trip through the Badlands and the next station should be right there."
"Next station?"
>"Yeah, they have there own trains. Much faster than any of the ones in Equestria I'm sure."
>Luna did say they were very advanced
>The train had once again began to move
>You notice Minuette had begun quietly humming a soft tune to herself
>It wasn't until you looked at her that you noticed she looked kind of nervous
"Something on your mind?"
>She jumped, humming halted and back on equestria
>"Oh nothing, just bored."
>It wasn't until she jumped that you remembered
>She is a unicorn
"Hey, isn't this a little dangerous?"
>She looks up to you
>"What do you mean?"
"I mean, your a unicorn after all."
>She blows a raspberry and swats her hoof in front of her
>"I'll be fine! You only need worry about yourself big guy."
>She cracks a grin
>This was going to be an interesting

>"But enough about me, What about you anon? Whats it like?"
"Whats what like?"
>"Being you, you've done like everything!"
"Hardly, this is like my first time heading outside of Equestria since I got here."
>"Well duh, that's because this is the first problem we've had outside of Equestria."
>You scratch the back of your neck, all of this attention wasn't really your thing
"But still, I'm jus-"
>"Anon, you wear a suit literally everywhere you go. You even look important!"
>The suit did make you stand out, not that you didn't without it but the suit did nothing to help

>You hadn't been to Dodge junction in several years, only ever being here to supervise an annual competition
>That hadn't interested you enough to ever return
>The competitors were plain and mediocre in performance at best
>Other than that, Dodge Junction had the only notable cherry orchard in all Equestria
>The whistle blared as the train pulled off from the station
>The look of the small village was nothing like Canterlot, nor Ponyville
>Even compared to Appleloosa it looked like a ghost town
>This is basically what their technology was capable of without magic so that brought about the question
>How advanced were these..
>Cullanians? Whatever, just how advanced would they actually be.
>Compared to home Equestria really didn't hold up a candle when it came to technology
"..so perhaps it'll be like home."
>"What was that?"
>You'd been talking to yourself
>Again
"Oh nothing just, are you sure you want to come along? You can still turn back."
>She shoves passed you
>"Again, I'll be fine. Besides you'll be the one needing me big guy."
>You laugh
"Yeah we'll see about that."
>Next stop the Badlands Station

>The trip across the Badlands was hardly much of a walk
>The way Minuette made it sound you expected to at least be wanting to rest your legs by the end of it
>To be fair you had much more endurance than the average athlete
>It came with the job
>The walk had been mostly quiet, aside from the tune the mare had been humming since it began
>Speaking of her, you just realized she looked unscathed in the slightest by the walk
"Say, aren't you tired?"
>She stops humming
>"From that little walk? Nah, don't tell me you're tired already?"
>The look in her eye told you that she knew you weren't
>You didn't bother answering
>Sitting down on one of the wooden benches that scatter the platform you felt generally unimpressed
>The planks making up the flooring of the station were old and more than a little damaged
>Cups, cans, boxes and other trash littered most of the platform
>You assumed this pole next to you was a lamp of some sort at sometime but now, it was just a part of this seemingly abandoned station

>Your companion had once again began humming that same tune
>You'd never admit it aloud but, it was nice
>The evening had given way to a marvelous night
>The stars that fill the sky here easily outnumber those in Canterlot, it was quite the sight to behold and Minu's humming had added to it all
>You want to ask her about the tune but before you're able the train arrives
>If you can even call it a train
>This train was centuries ahead of Equestria's
>The train was a rustic gray, it was covered in many lights that made the shape of each car distinct even in the dark of the night
>The glass of the front car was tinted and was also outlined in lights
>Stepping inside the train, it looked much like any other but, something immediately made itself known
>It was air conditioned

>"Don't get to comfortable, we'll be there in 5 minutes, tops."
>Besides the two of you the train is seemingly empty
>There may have been passengers in the other carts but you certainly couldn't see any from here
>"I'll go confirm our tickets."
>You had tickets?

>The ride was uncomfortably smooth
>Uncomfortable in the sense that you hadn't known until Minu told you
>Halfway through the ride
>"Enjoying the ride?"
"Wait, what?"
>You look out the window and see that you are indeed moving
>It didn't feel as if the train were even touching the ground
>You shrug
"As much as you can enjoy sitting around, I guess."
>The rest of the ride was about as enjoyable as the first half
>Nothing really happened, you could only tell the train had stopped because you glanced outside as it did

>For the second time today you step out of a train and take in your surroundings
>This station was more than just a little improvement from the last
>The flooring wasn't in shambles, trash was collected in bins and there were even ponies awaiting their trains
>Though these ponies were unlike any that you've seen in Equestria
>Many of them wore clothing and some headgear
>Some, mask that resembled the material that the train had been made of
>Others something that you couldn't quite understand, it looked as if the head wear was growing over their faces and in some cases, their bodies
>One pony that had caught your eye wasn't even completely a pony
>One of their legs were prosthetic from the hip down
>"Come on Anon, we don't have all day, the others are waiting on us."
"Others?"
>Instead of answering you Minuette just makes her way through the crowd

>The city was breathtaking if nothing else
>It was reminiscent of Manehatten though with many more large buildings
>if you could believe it
>You hadn't seen a car since you left home
>...How long ago did you leave again?
>Never mind that
>Glancing into the sky you could see that they weren't only limited to ground transportation
>The many vehicles that fly across the sky may not moved as swiftly as the pegasi beside them but they sure got the job done

>"This is the place."
>The two of you finally arrive at a shop on a corner
>Even if you hadn't seen the sign you would of known the owners the instant you laid eyes on them
>The only two unicorns to have shown any technological prowess in Equestria
>The yellow coated stallions jumped to action as the door opened, ready to sell whatever it is they offered
>Only to stop mid stride
>Their usual smug grins also disappearing
>The two glanced at each other, then you and then to Minuette
>"What's the password?"
>Flim and Flam spoke in unison
>The change in their usual demeanor was slightly unnerving
>"Anon is right here, we don't need the password anymore."
>Minu looked annoyed
>"Minuette you know as well as we, you never know who is who."
>"Besides..."
>Flim continued
>"Whose idea was the password anyway?"
>She practically mumbles
>"Mine..."
>"Close enough."
>Flam looks to you his smile returning
>"Anonymous, it's always nice to see a familiar face."
"I don't have a password?"
>he shakes his head
>"Even we couldn't build a bipedal machine, not to mention they couldn't access your brain."
>Access your brain...
"What?"
>"I'll explain later, we should get moving or you'll miss it
>Why did 'you' specifically have to see it, whatever 'it' is
>More importantly will you be sleeping tonight?
>All good questions
>... and no answers

>You all arrived at what seemed to be a stadium
>It was much larger than the one in the Crystal Empire
>The place was absolutely packed
>The crowds cheers seemed endless
>the show hadn't even begun and you already wanted to leave
>Needless to say, you stuck out
>Drawing the first dirty looks since you arrived
>It was about time, you were feeling ignored

>The crowd dies down as four pegasi and four earth ponies walk onto the field
>They surrounded cloaked figures bound in chains, presumably ponies as they made their way to a platform in middle of the field
>The figure in the middle towered over both the escorts and the other forms in cloaks
>If you had to guess, they were nearly as tall as you if not taller
>That's when it hits you
"No way"
>Sister is occupied with more pressing matters...
>Luna's words from earlier come back to you
"It couldn't be..."

>A fifth pegasi stallion descends through the sky, landing in front of the group of ponies
>His coat was a seemingly metallic gray, it was hard to tell where the coat ended and the gear began
>His mane was black, below it were wires that seemed to protrude from the back of hi neck and spiraled to a device on his back
>All of which matched his coat
>His appearance demanded attention
>His stance demanded respect
>He looked to the three cloak covered ponies
>He grew annoyed when he had to look up to the tallest of the three
>"Bow."
>His voice was deep, raspy and demanding acknowledgement
>It played throughout the stadium through well hidden speakers
>When a moment had passed and the figure still had not followed orders he spoke once again
>"I recommend you listen, what a shame it would be if your subjects were to die because of you."
>With those words the figure hesitated only a moment longer, before paying respects to the gray pegasus
>You could now clearly make out the impression of wings through the cloak, the horns impression also painstakingly obvious
>It couldn't be Celestia, that would be grounds for an all out war
>Though they did send you
>This time they, or Luna at least, had not give you any restrictions
>You simply had to get it done
>With that thought you felt a smile begin to form
>How long had it been since you let loose?

>There were only a couple hundred guards, give or take
>The stallion began speaking
>"Would you look at what we have here."
>"Found her outside of her kingdom."
>You reached for your back pocket and prepared to leap from your seat, the instant they lifted Celestia's hood you'd go for it
>"Says she didn't have a hive."
>You hesitate
"Hive?"
>Your brain began connecting the dots
>You passed the Badlands
>The only other being you remember passing the Badlands before now is-
>"I present to you all, a queen of the Changelings!"
"...Chrysalis."

>As he flipped her hood back the crowd roared, even louder than before
>You catch something blue shift in your peripherals
>It was Minu, and even further down were Flim and Flam
>You had forgotten they were here
>Minu looked tense, actually she looked nervous
>You try to grab her attention, even if only for a moment
"So who is that?"
>No answer
>The device on the stallions back began to glow green
>A matching green essence seemed to leak from the queens horn and seemed  to dissipate as it got further from her
>She attempted to stand but failed, falling to her side
>The two changelings that accompanied her attempted to rush to her, but immediately had their paths blocked by the remaining eight guards
>Even over the roaring crowd you swear you could hear Chrysalis scream
>It was sickening, how easily he could take glory in attacking something defenseless
>But you had to calm down, saving Chrysalis wasn't exactly part of the mission
>No matter how much you couldn't stand it

>Five seconds
>You couldn't hold still for five seconds
>You look to your guides you stand
"You three should leave."
>"What? Wh-!"
>Minu starts but is cut off by Flam
>"Hold on Anonymous, the others are almost here."
>More partners, no thank you
"Tell them to reschedule then, their safety isn't my job."
>"And this is?"
"I never said I was doing my job."

>As you start your way down to the field you reach into your back pocket and grip a soft object
>Finally out in the open it decompresses into a ball small enough to fit into the palm of your hand
>It was just a stress ball
>By now you were starting onto the field and had the whole stadiums attention
>The crowd had quieted and all you could hear were the many questions they asked each other
>"Who is that?"
>"What is that?"
>"Why does it walk around with a toy?"
>Surprisingly enough there were even a few that recognized you
>The 4 earth ponies had made their way in between you and the platform
>"Halt!"
>You continued towards the platform
>One of the pegasi landed in front of the four earth guards
>"If you continue, we will be for-."
"By all means, use force."
>You gave the stress ball a squeeze as you walked
>Weapons were never something you used, you just never needed to
>But an average punch was nothing compared to hooves
>You would hesitate if for some reason your fist was in pain
>Squeezing the stress ball always seemed to take your mind off of whatever pain you were feeling
>Which is why you were able to launch your fist full force at the pegasus

>The pegasus slid across the ground, back to the hooves of the earth guards
>The crowd goes silent
"What did I just hit!?"
>Unless ponies were now made of metal, that was not a pony
>You give the stress ball another squeeze
"Going to really feel this in the morning."
>The remaining guards draw their weapons, firearms jutting from their shoulders
>You had walked onto an open field, there wasn't anywhere you could run for safety
>The one time you jump the gun you end up at gunpoint in an open field
>Good job Anon
>There was one option, commit
>You squeeze the ball and start forward

>With your next step the guards fired but the sound seemingly cut half way through
>The bullets never made contact
>The pain never came
>And right in front of you, many bullets only inches away
>In any other case you'd assume that they were levitating, but they weren't the only things remaining still
>The guards wouldn't budge, The audience was in a seeming freeze frame moment
>Minu was right beside you
>...Wait
>"Anon, I have no idea how long this spell will last so move already!

"Minu, what is this?"
>"I'll explain later, just move!"
>Now, you could move out of the way or...
>You could continue rushing down the guards
>And that's what you planned to do
>"Hey Anon, wai-"
>Rushing passed the bullets you missed completely whatever it is that she said
>With each step towards the guards you were ready to exploit every moment of... whatever this spell was
>Coming into distance of the first guard you draw back yet another fist and squeeze the stress ball once more
>You could still faintly feel the pain from the last pegasus, but that didn't matter to you now
>All that mattered was the impact of your fist against the pegasus just as the world came back to life

>The crowds screams seemed to fade back into existence
>The guards all seemingly confused, immediately looked towards you
>But before they could react you rush to the next closest guard
>With your free hand you grab at the weapon mounted to his shoulder
>You simultaneously yank at it and kick him into another one of the guards, splitting it away from his body
>At this point the crowd is a mixture of shrieks and cheers

>"Anon, we have to go!"
>You barely hear Minu before you start towards the earth guards
>Turning towards where the voice came from you see her, Flim, Flam, and an unmistakable small vanilla colored alicorn
>You were tempted to stay, but there was no arguing against the swarm that was just arriving
>A shadow seemingly engulfs the stadium in darkness
>A cloud of absolute black begins to descend on the stadium
>You begin to run towards your companions
>Glancing behind you, you see the remaining guards submerged into a swarm of Changelings
>The 5th pegasus eyes you down as he turns to leave
>The last thing you see before the doors shut are the Changelings surrounding Chrysalis

[Editing below. Subject to change.]
>You took a deep breath as you stepped into the shop
>The Alicorn spoke up
>"You couldn't wait two minutes? You really never change do you Anonymous?"
>You shrug
"Nope."
>Erroria looked furious
>It was hard for you to take her seriously since she was still so short
>She starts to speak again when you cut her off
"So what was that whole thing back there?"
>The filly looked quizzically towards you
>"You remember why you're here?"
>She doesn't give you a chance to answer her
>"They just took Chrysalis's magic."
>You could have guessed that much
"Yeah, but what was with the stadium and crowd?"
>"They were just making an example."
"An example for?"
>The filly looks to the trio who had been silent the entire way back
>"Unicorns and other magical beings are able to live here, but they are not to use magic."
"And if they were to use magic?"
>Flam stepped foward

[Threads are dead, but I'll get back to this story when I can. -SnA]