NL Vol. II: No Longer Alone

Written by Sober + Wing

No Longer Alone - PR2, © 2020 Sober and Wing
You're the sun to my sky... and always will be.

.NLA Chapter 34 - OPERATION COBALT

Tail paced around her laboratory in a violent, vigorous frenzy. The day had come to put the firing range in her Canterlot space to use. Dubbed OPERATION COBALT by the physics powers that be, the test would, hopefully, demonstrate Tail's ability to rapidly destroy targets using the magical auras of Celestia, Barrier, Luna, and herself. The entire page of Tail's academic log for Day 133 had been meticulously reserved for all of the data input, and the rambling pegasus had already labelled the table on the sheet.

At the far end of the range, about two meters from the rear wall, Tall had placed four cubes of iron, with edge lengths of about fifteen centimeters, atop a stage frame. "Now all I've got to do is wait for the princesses and show that their incredible investment was worth it! Hurray! Not panicking at all!"

The mare scrunched her muzzle before she twirled around and hurled her sights towards Workbench 10. She halted, frozen by the reflective stainless-steel contours that culminated years of effort. The beaming claw-like partitions of the gauntlet contrasted nicely with the dark augurite-infused sleeve that lurked behind the metal legwear. The rubber brackets, which Tail had screwed into the top of the revolver to cover the extra contacts, created a similar effect. Her work looked damn beautiful.

With her attention wandering all over her invention—the capped RC elements, the added input leads on the gauntlet, the revolver as a whole—the mare vocalized one thought. "When science fiction becomes reality."

She turned towards the entryway when that notorious clunking sound hit her perked ears, and she anxiously smiled as Barrier escorted Celestia and Luna into her lab.

The younger alicorn seemed particularly pleased as she used her magic to play with her lab coat and goggles. "She's going to make you put them on too, Sister," Luna teased in a singsong voice that drove Celestia to visibly roll her eyes.

Barrier snagged the collar of his own coat with his magic and gave it an affirmative tug. "You don't think she will, and yet, you see both your sister and me wearing them. They're your own safety regulations, Celly. Of course Tail is going to make you wear the gear."

Tail pressed her lips together and held her breath to suppress the giggle fit that yearned to break free. The humorous entrance did wonders to settle her nerves, and the uplifting sensation that sent her namesake swishing was only bolstered by Celestia's retort.

"But they're so scratchy!" the Princess of the Sun complained. "And I doubt she has one in my size any—"

Finally surrendering to the need to laugh, Tail chortled as she stretched one of her forelegs towards the coat rack. There, an extra set of goggles dangled from one of the rungs along with the largest lab coat the mare had ever seen.

Silenced by the gesture, Celestia nervously followed the invisible ray projected by Tail's limb until her own gaze fell upon the enormous white apparel. The alicorn lowered her muzzle and sighed. "Ugh, she's a professional. Of course she would thoroughly prepare for a demonstration of this magnitude."

"Damn right, I prepared," the pegasus quipped before she trotted forward to give her coltfriend an affectionate nuzzle. "Thank you for the escort, Captain, and yes, Princess, if you would be so kind as to put on the lab coat and goggles, it would be appreciated. After all, one of my aims with this demonstration is to use your magic, and that requires taking a sample. I already have a leftover shell from Barrier that I can use, and Princess Luna gave me an ample supply to help with the construction tests."

Shuffling over to the rack, Celestia relented. Her golden aura swept over her long horn, and at the behest of her magic, the gigantic coat levitated off the stand and dropped over her withers. For a moment, she fussed with the fabric, shifting and tugging the material to slip her wings and legs into the appropriate slots and sleeves.

Tail took the opportunity to readjust her own lab attire—especially the googles, which she had worn up on her forehead during most of her pacing and note-taking. She wandered over to the Magic waveguide, opting to use this particular apparatus to bottle Celestia's energy since the name felt appropriate. She yanked the bulbous output lever into the open position, picked up an unsealed round from the adjacent bench, and smirked at the Princess of the Sun.

"If you'll step this way, we can get started with the first section of the demo. This"—Tail raised her leg to show off the unassuming brass cylinder—"is an augurite-caged thaumium round. Using the waveguides in this laboratory, I can take gifted magical energy and contain it within the thaumium crystal. An augurite cap at the base of the metal shell contacts the thin cage that surrounds the thaumium, and it's through this cap that, well, all of the fun stuff happens."

The pegasus slotted the open end of the round into the exit aperture of the waveguide before she shifted the lever again to lock the brass in place.

Still uncomfortably fidgeting with her lab coat, Celestia curtly nodded in response to Tail's explanation and trotted towards the lavender scientist. She shot a short glare at her sister once Luna's continued conniption reached her ears. The flat expression could have shouted volumes at even the most apathetic of creatures, though a simple, "Are you done now?" may have sufficed.

Instead, the regal mare pivoted her focus to Tail after silently delivering her point. "Pardon the interruption, Professor. Please walk me through what it is that you need me to do."

Moving to the input side of the waveguide, Tail double-checked all of the knob positions before she pulled the lever closest to the opening into a horizontal position. "I would like for you to channel a spell through the inlet that you believe will have the power to put a dent in one of those iron blocks at the end of my makeshift range. Once you've done that, let me know, and I'll complete the shell. We'll repeat that process five more times, just to have a full set, and then we can proceed with the exciting part of Operation Cobalt."

"Operation Cobalt?" Celestia questioned, fashioning a perplexed expression. Once she reached her destination, she lowered her head towards the ground and took a peek inside the contraption. "And a spell that could put a dent in an iron block, hm?"

"Mhm! Celestia, Barrier, Luna, Tail are the four shell types I plan on showing you this evening. Cebaluta sounded weird, and Celebarlunata is just too long. Cobalt is a word we already have and kind of fits. Bullshit acronyms, initialisms, and names are definitely physicist things." Tail tweeted as she eyed the alicorn peering into her device. "Feeding a spell of that magnitude into the waveguide is exactly what I would like the cutely curious, lab-coat-wearing Princess of the Sun to do."

Straightening her posture, Celestia blushed. She scrunched her muzzle as another round of Luna's laughter filled the cavernous expanse, and a snort swiftly fled the towering mare before she mumbled, "You have been hanging around my sister for too long."

The distraction did not stop the princess from fulfilling Tail's request. With her horn alight once again, a golden ray trickled from Celestia's spire into the tapered opening. Luminescent bands dripped from the aperture until Tail shoved the lever back into the vertical state. A familiar buzz ran the gauntlet of the audible spectrum, and once the scientist had heard enough of that delightful purr, she lifted the second lever as well.

After walking to the output side of the setup, Tail released the jacketed round from the waveguide and held it up so Princess Celestia could see. "Just like that, one down, five to go."

As Tail worked the controls to make the hoofful of additional rounds, Celestia's demeanor shifted from intrigue to appreciation. "This process seems rather efficient. I have to say I'm impressed. I did not know what to expect, but given what I just experienced, I believe you have made a good use of your resources."

"Well, thank you for the compliment, Princess. Though, I hope the next part is equally impressive. You can rejoin Barrier and Luna now. Probably best to keep a little distance as this will be the first time I'll put your power to work." Tail collected one of the C-shells and maneuvered to Workbench 10. The newly created ammunition joined its already-fabricated counterparts on the tabletop once the pegasus retrieved the other shells from the bench's lockable drawer.

Like a mother cradling a newborn infant, Tail carefully lifted her revolver and made sure that the caps covering the RC loads had remained secured. Pushing her lab-coat cloth aside, she released a steady sigh as she shimmied her right forehoof and leg through the sleeve and gauntlet. The fabric and metal claws pressed snuggly against her limb, and she stretched the weighted appendage to verify the barrel's alignment—and to make sure that the trigger was in its safety position.

The unusual actuator looked as though Tail had cut a piece of tubular chrome railing out of a random stairwell. The polished, curving crescent, with its rounded ends, sat between the muzzle of the gun and Tail's wrist. Like an incomplete bracelet, the arc of metal hovered—waiting to be used.

With her opposite wing, the scientist flicked a latch on the side of the revolver, lowered the freed cylinder crane, and loaded her rounds so she could fire in C.B.L.T. order. Once the cylinder was stowed, Tail lowered her hoof and started walking to her predetermined firing line. "The trigger is currently being held with a pin and spring in a way that the weapon can't fire," she explained, tilting her head towards the trio. "This gives me the confidence to trot around without fear that I could accidentally hurt the hoof that's close to the barrel."

Tail veered her path so Celestia and Luna could observe how the barrel stopped just above the ground. "I measured things out so, when I have this limb planted, the muzzle is half a hoof length away from the tip of said hoof."

When the princesses responded to her description with nothing more than a broad smile and an intrigued stare, Tail settled herself about fifteen meters from her line of iron bricks. "Operation Cobalt, C-shell demonstration. Going hot." Tail lifted her right foreleg and clutched the left side of the trigger with her left wingtip. The pressure produced by the securing pin surrendered to the tug, and the tube slid until it wrapped around Tail's fetlock and snapped into place with its extended end floating beneath her hoof.

Cast damage to Target 1, the pegasus thought as she began to channel her innate magic through the resonator circuit. Cast damage to Target 1. Her memories drifted to days spent under the summer sun and the warmth that Princess Celestia offered to everyone. More personal moments surfaced in her mind when the mare remembered their muffin-filled rendezvous. Happiness, camaraderie, magic… Her lips curled upward, and her hoof depressed the trigger.

In a heartbeat, and to the click of the augurite hammer, a blazing golden bolt tore across the lab, shot straight through the leftmost block, and dissipated when it hit the enchanted wall that served as the range's backstop. The gaping hole left in the iron was surrounded by a uniform orange glow, and Tail's narrowed eyes homed in on the spectacle through her protective eyewear.

Celestia did not say a word. Luna even gently nudged her flank, but all the Princess of the Sun did was stare onward with her mouth hung slightly agape. Barrier, of course, wore the shit-eating grin of an incredibly proud coltfriend.

Tail did not look over to gauge their reactions. Tests were not aced by answering only one question, and successfully shooting one alicorn-grade round represented only a fraction of her plan. "Operation Cobalt, B-shell demonstration. My aim with this one, Your Highnesses, is to dispel the notion that only your auras are useful. I can take Barrier's magic, or that of any unicorn, and hit a target with the same degree of force."

Cast damage to Target 2. The process started again as Tail kept the electromagical current flowing through the coils. Resonating with Barrier's aura proved to be an exceptionally easy affair. A fountain of possibilities exploded across her thoughts as though her filly self had gotten into the family photo album and just scattered the pictures everywhere.

'I can't quit, Captain.'
'Sweety, shut up and drink with me.'
'That little stunt makes you my sweetest cadet too, Rookie.'
'Fucking Agincolt.'
'You really are the best cadet I've ever had, so stand down, Colonel.'
'Thank you, Magic, for everything…'
'I don't know how I got so lucky. Your attitude, your personality.'
'Your intelligence and fucking dedication, the signs of a perfect blanket.'
'Can't you hear me screaming as I try to outlast the edge in your voice that tells me I just gotta stay?'

'I love you…'
An amber inferno swept across Tail's irides as she stared down her target. Thin, barely visible arcs of electricity crawled up the fur of her stretched limb. Determination, love, and affection gave her spirit the type of resolve that turned dreams into reality, and with this state of mind, Tail pressed the trigger.

The targeted brick evaporated from existence before the four ponies registered the blistering brightness that bathed the entire lab in blue light. The other three blocks tumbled from the stage in a thunderous clamor as a shock wave reverberated from the backstop. Several of the diodes in the ceiling blew out in the second when it felt as though Mt. Canterhorn itself was shaking.

The mages snapped their heads around, tracing something unseen to Tail, once they realized that the volley had shattered two of the three magical laboratory barriers. Celestia and Luna made it clear to the pegasus after they turned to one another, blinked, and simultaneously spoke, "The only one left… is Cady's."

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With her eyes closed, and with her forehead gently propped against a wall, Tail stood beneath her bathroom's showerhead and allowed the falling water to wash away the sweat and grime of Day 134's session with Barrier. The mare let her mind wander in that meditative space while silently reflecting on the outcome of Operation Cobalt and the progress of her sparring skills.

2.16 A.E.U. Tail had concluded after she had time to evaluate the B-shell portion of the demonstration.

As a safety precaution, Celestia had immediately cancelled the L.T. components of the program. "I don't think we need to see any more, Ms. Tail," the regal voice echoed from memory. "You have undoubtedly produced an incredible body of work down here. Using my magic already spoke volumes. Using Barrier's, to that effect"—a smug smile had stretched across the alicorn's countenance at that moment—"tells me a great deal about your character. We will inform the J.C. about this development. Please keep training hard. We'll need you on the line."

Tail's ear quivered to the sound of a squeaking door hinge. Soft hoofsteps followed, drawing a chuckle from the flier as she hoisted her head off the beige plastic backsplash. "If you're trying to sneak up on me, then you're not doing a very good job, Magic Bear."

"I can safely say that sneaking up on you has become a far greater challenge in recent weeks," the sweat-soaked Barrier answered, pushing his voice over the drone of the vent fan. "In this case, I'm here for a far more selfish reason."

Giggling, Tail stuck her head out from around the cheap yellow shower curtain and promptly fashioned a sultry, half-lidded stare. "Dirty boy, didn't Princess Cadance tell you that sex in the shower isn't all that?"

Barrier blushed and scrunched his muzzle. A short sigh quickly followed as his tail sheepishly flicked. "She's the Princess of Love, so naturally, it was one of the first things she told me. Your roommate, on-the-other-hoof, told me armor wasn't allowed on the couch, so I took it off. Then, she complained that I looked gross and mentioned something about actually having hot water…"

"Conniving and rude, typical Amora," Tail huffed, pulling the shower curtain back as she stepped away from the stream of water. "Why am I not surprised? The boiler in this apartment is pretty large. There's plenty of hot water left, but since you're here, come on in, Sweety."

The unicorn stood still for a few seconds before he was beckoned into the tub by Tail's reaffirming nod. He closed the curtain with his magic once he crossed the rim, and his haunches soon settled by the drain.

As the warm water rained upon Barrier's neck and withers, Tail watched the stallion's muscles relax. Deprived of her main source of external warmth, she shivered and ruffled at evaopration's behest, but the marginal discomfort would not deter the mare from her self-acquired mission. She corralled her bottle of shampoo with a wing and applied a glob to a primary feather on the opposite appendage.

"Close your eyes, Magic Bear. Get your mane a little wet, and keep your muzzle pitched up."

"Yes, ma'am," Barrier answered, craning his neck to dampen his mane without complaint.

Once he had finished, Tail went to work. Depositing the Drunkberry-scented shampoo, her wingtips brushed against the blue hairs before they retreated to allow the mare's forehooves to work up a rich lather. She massaged his scalp with gentle kneading motions that pulled quiet moans from Barrier, and when two of her appendages meandered to rub the back of his neck, a tiny blue spark popped along the length of the stallion's horn.

"Such a sweet captain, training a crazy pegasus and putting in all that overtime in her lab. The perfect assistant and the perfect coltfriend—would be two statements I could make regarding one Magic Barrier."

A deep, throaty purr rumbled in Barrier's throat. "One Magic Barrier could get used to this. Kind of a shame we're about to spend three weeks trekking around the wilderness. Then again, it'll build skills you might need—"

Tail tapped her nose against Barrier's and hummed while her hooves continued to work the shampoo into his mane. "Three weeks alone with you on a trail, while learning, by the stars, sounds like a disaster." The sarcastic delivery drew a chuckle from both of the ponies.

"We'll have to get our supplies in order tomorrow," Barrier added after Tail guided the top of his head into the falling stream, "but tonight, lots of Pop's Place and diner celebration fit for a successful scientist."

Smirking, Tail pressed into a kiss. Her legs drifted from his rinsed mane to settle over his withers, and an approving murmur swelled. "Mm, that delicious gravy. We're going to keep Trot late again," Tail replied after obtaining the bare-minimum distance required to comfortably speak. "At least now I know that gravy is nothing compared to yours."

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Celestia and Luna spent the early hours of the night enjoying a combined dinner-breakfast together in their private estate. The two sat across from one another at the midpoint of a long mahogany table. Wrought-iron candle lanterns, with dangling stained-glass charms, illuminated the homey space, and gentle waves flowed in the grain of the walnut panelling that covered the wall.

The Princess of the Night flatly stared at her older sister as Celestia shoved a piece of vanilla buttercream layer cake into her muzzle. The enthusiastic smacks and chirps that followed only prompted Luna to double down on her deadpan expression.

"Do you need some help with that, Sister?" came the obligatory inquiry. "It would be a shame if ponies everywhere learned that their beloved Celestia routinely confused eating with inhaling."

"Oh, hush!" Celestia countered after finishing the dessert off with a hefty swallow. "The only ponies who would care come from nobility. If the Elements of Harmony can dine at Donut Joe's in peace, then I can certainly enjoy cake in my own home without judgment. Besides, we each have our favorites."

Luna snorted and leaned into the velvety cushions on her high-back chair. "You should write that one down. It sounds like a lesson you could have Twilight learn."

Chortling, Celestia placed her emptied dessert plate atop the table. "Oh, that actually is a good idea. I could hit her with a real zinger like, 'There's no wrong way to fantasize.'"

Suddenly, the door to the dining room flew open, revealing a bright orange light that overpowered the chamber's muted ambiance. Philomena immediately leapt from her current perch and swooped in, planting herself amidst the ethereal tides of Celestia's mane.

"Geeze, you're not even going to say goodbye?" a stallion's voice carried across the threshold and utterly ignored the scrunched, startled states of the royal mares. "Travel on a guy's back for ten days, build some memories together, then whoosh, right back to Callie's mane."

The phoenix pushed her head through the blue band of said mane and glanced at her travel companion.

"I am not being a little colt," Wing rebutted the silent statement. The lavender pegasus finally stepped through the doorway. A dark cloak wrapped around his frame, but it didn't fully hide the manner in which his jet-black tail swished about. His brown-eyed gaze remained firmly affixed on Philomena as though he expected some sort of elaborate reply.

Philomena merely shrugged and gestured with her beak towards the Princess of the Sun.

Wing pressed a hoof against his forehead before he dragged the appendage across his swept-back mane. "I don't think sacrificing a polite farewell makes that much difference in time savings here. Delaying my report delivery by five seconds to say, 'See you later, Wing,' is not going to change anything."

"Speaking of being polite," Luna interrupted, turning her attention to the Director of the Equestrian Intelligence Service after she overcame the officer's incursion and relaxed, "should we be surprised that a member of the House Guard did not announce you, or?"

"We didn't use the front door," Wing answered immediately, "but that's not what's important right now. As you feared, Princess, the Temporal Drecht is definitely failing, or maybe I should say that the city is reaching the end of the canal. Either way, I give it a month before the spell collapses, but it could happen sooner if there's a nonlinear decay. We could also get lucky and it might last five full weeks, but that's the timescale we're looking at before the Crystal Empire resynchs with our reality. Regardless, we left a long-range thaumium emitter up there, so the comm relays will get triggered when it happens."

"I see," Celestia said in a reserved tone. "First thing's first, I am happy that you both returned safely. The North can be as untamed as the Everfree. While I know you are both skilled in the field, it is good to have you home. All the same, your calculation is troubling. Were there obvious indicators in the terrain, or am I to presume that you were able to observe the Drecht for yourself?"

"Observe the Drecht—" Luna's muzzle recoiled. She watched as Wing closed his left eye, and she gasped when a fiery auguric seal appeared and began to slowly revolve in front of his opened right. Hovering, the glowing circular construct mimicked a glass lens—at least in terms of its location. Meandering glyphs of an ancient text floated around the vibrant crisscrossing bands that formed the edge of the ocular spell. "You gave him Aurora's Eye?"

Celestia greeted Luna with a small smile when the younger alicorn finally turned her head. "Indeed I did, Sister. Who better to carry the ability to see all magics than the pony we placed in charge of the E.I.S.? Still, we should probably not keep our faithful director here any longer than necessary."

"Not that I oppose the decision," Luna offered. Her massive wings fluttered against the sides of her towering chair. "I am just surprised, especially to see it wielded by somepony other than you."

The Princess of the Sun softly grunted to acknowledge her sister's reaction. "Much as you were persuaded by an inquisitive pegasus poking around, I found a kindred gamer in Wing. Speaking of a certain scientist"—Celestia pitched her sights in Wing's direction—"Tail demonstrated her latest design and provided an unmitigated success. I believe we should meet with the J.C. tomorrow, perhaps around this time, to discuss our preparations. You should factor her presence into your options.

"I do sincerely hope you'll be ready by then as well, Sir Wing. I visited Ambrosia in the bakery this week, and she seemed quite keen on having you home. Something about toys from Bit and Bridle."

The stallion's ears perked, and his face flushed. Sheepishly, Wing rubbed the back of his head and returned the princesses' grins with a smile like that of a sly foal being caught at the cookie jar. "Well, I guess that means I'll be trotting into an ambush tonight. Woe's me."

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A day and a half had passed before Tail and Barrier met in front of the palace estate with their full collection of gear. Of course, the unicorn had opted to wear his entire armored ensemble, and a large, camouflaged saddlepack currently rested at his side.

Having been instructed not to bring her armor for this trek, Tail simply toted an enormous saddlepack of her own. She had loaded the dark-blue waterproof sack with rations, water, purification tablets, a few cups, some tools, cordage, clothes to handle the elements, and a sleeping bag—just to name a few things. For her own sanity, she had also tucked away another notebook, a bottle of ink, and a small caffeine supply—the latest of which had definitely gotten strange, yet understanding looks from Barrier.

The surprise of the morning came when a message from Princess Celestia reached the pair requesting their presence before they departed. Now, Tail anxiously eyed the gold-plated doors as she waited, wondering why exactly the alicorn wished to see them. It gave the pegasus an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach akin to how she felt as a child when a classmate got called to the principal's office. Except this time around, she was that classmate, and the principal was one of the rulers of the entire nation.

Tail squeaked as Barrier delivered a nip to her ear. Her wings splayed, and she huffed as the affectionate gesture shredded her nervousness with the power of distraction. "Was it really that obvious?" she quietly asked, promptly drawing a smirk from her coltfriend.

"Flicking tail, pawing the ground, idly staring at the door. I'd say so, Blanket, but I don't think you should get too worked up. We've got a lot to tackle with this trip. Knowing Celly, she probably just wants to give some regal words of encouragement."

The two house guards standing off to the sides of the grand entryway stood up a little straighter as a metallic clank preceded the doors swinging open. Trotting hastily in front of Princess Celestia, Dr. Batsy emerged from the darkened interior, shuffled down the steps, and marched right up to Barrier and Tail.

"Colonel Tail, it's great to see you again," the petite purple batpony spoke as she gave a casual salute. "Captain Barrier, it's also a pleasure. Don't think we've met before, but oh my, have I heard a lot about you. I'm Dr. Batsy, Colonel Wing's lab associate. Anyway, sorry to delay your travels, but Wing would like it if you would keep these on you at all times during your journey."

The blue-maned mare lifted one of her leathery wings and swiveled her head to look under the appendage. She quickly retrieved a set of plain-looking black boxes with a forehoof before holding the flat, plastic rectanguloids out to the couple. "Uh, they're a pair of teleport transceivers—in case we need to recall you to Canterlot."

Tail took one of the devices and tucked it under her wing for the time being. She curiously peered into Batsy's yellowish-green eyes until the mare shuffled to the side once Barrier collected his transceiver.

"Thank you, Batsy," Celestia spoke, drawing the trio's attention with her calm, steady tone. The royal methodically stared at both Barrier and Tail, making it clear to the latter through a soulful gaze that something had changed since the revolver test. "Colonel Wing returned from his trip north the other night, and he believes we have a month. Nothing is certain, so this is a precaution in the event that it returns while you're away.

"I pray that it doesn't. I believe you will both learn a lot about one another during these next few weeks. You each have much to gain. I believe you'll both grow stronger, and I hope that you get the closure you need, Barrier. I already gave you the cemetery section, but you should know that she left something there for you too."

The stallion's armor rattled as he stiffened to the declaration, and Tail immediately scooted closer to offer some degree of comfort.

"Please be there for him as well, Tail. I have a feeling that you will soon come to understand some of the sacrifices those ponies of old had to endure."

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