SPD Emergency

by cyberlord4444

Personnel File 9: The Show Must Go On

Author's Note:

Written by RealityDowngrade

Lying on the mat, sweat weighing down her normally lionesque mane to half its normal size, Marri O’ Nette only just managed to fight down a shiver as she continued to breathe.

Cracking open a tired, violet eye she took stock of the training room: a grey-silver expanse of wall and padded floor whose circular area rivaled that of a hoofball stadium, and standing nearly as tall, laid empty, save for her own scattered limbs and torso. Through, that made sense, given how late it was.

Sucking in a breath, fighting back the urge to hack up the painfully cold air, pale strings of magic sparked across her horn, spiraling out to pull the scattered sandalwood-furred torso and appendages back together. Errant pops of poorly channeled magic continued to play across her fur even as she shut off the spell, her flesh sealing seamlessly back together as her horn was once more lost to her bone-white mane. Then, with an all too unfeminine grunt, she pushed off the sweat-stained floor, arms threatening to revolt, until she wobbled into a sitting position.

Looking to the bench nestled between the control-panel and exit door, Marri, as she preferred to be called, contemplated simply levitating the water-bottle to her until her body, hot and tired as it was, gave the tell-tell sign of an oncoming Charley horse lest she stand up and preemptively massage out the oncoming kink.

Silently groaning to her hooves, she slowly plodded her way to the precious liquid, wringing out her sodden mane as she did so, careful to keep any of the chilling sweat from falling onto her.

Dropping onto the bench, she unscrewed her thermos and chugged the ‘heated’ water, though really it was what should have been the room’s temperature. She knew that there was no real benefit to keeping the room at this temperature, not in the long run, other than the mental fortitude for dealing with nearly winter-like temperatures. She very nearly hated it, and might have stopped doing so entirely were it not for the singular fact she could see her breath.

It was… comforting, reminding her of Crimson Jazz the fire-breather from back in her old circus days. At least it certainly felt like the old days, though really it had only been seven months since she’d joined the newly re-established Space Patrol Delta. The long lost Chief, Anubis Cruger, reappearing from some prank of Discord just in time to save the whole of Equus from the power-hungry Tirek. It was still a little intimidating to think that the very building she sat in could, at the Chief’s beck and call, turn into a giant mechanized warrior, the Delta Command Megazord.

Turning her thoughts back just a few months prior to her academy days, housed just a few floors below her in fact. Her body, toned from years of acrobatics and shows, had outperformed many of the royal guards who had been transferred from Canterlot during the physical tests and examinations, easily landing her a spot on beta-squad. Really it was quite the accomplishment, an honor to be actively part of such a legacy that was, as she had learned, the inspiration for such organizations as the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard themselves, but, deep in her private thoughts, she still couldn’t help but feel she might have been able to make Alpha, if only had she but heard of S.P.D. sooner.

Remembering her first, chance encounter with Rainbow Dash, The Red Ranger, and the Element of Loyalty to boot, at her inauguration to the force, Marri could still clearly remember the sudden and conflicting emotions of pride, admiration, and disgust. Rainbow Dash, skilled as she was, talented as she was, moved and breathed with an air of self-important, almost self-aggrandizing, showmareship that rubbed Marri O’ Nette, somepony who had made a living off of boasting, the wrong way. It was just hard to believe that somepony like that had the mental capacity to be, well, the head of Alpha-Squad, but apparently it took all sorts to be in S.P.D., her own fellow troopers had proven that much. Bright Shine, a grown pony, fantastically skilled in light-magic, had a near crippling fear of the dark, and was assigned day-shift for mental-health reasons. Then there was the Walker Twins. They weren’t really twins, just brother and sister, but the they had powers that went far beyond your typical pegasus and earth-pony.

Not one to complain, out loud, the show must go on and all, Marri simply inhaled, pulling down her negative thoughts to where they could be of some use, stoking the dying fires of her drive into new life. Her scheduled two days of R.D.O. were coming up, and that, plus the renewed fire in her gut, was all the excuse she needed to earn one more layer of bruises before calling it a night.

Centering herself, she called on her magic. It came, sluggishly, though two hours of training would do that to anypony. Magic flowing through her, Marri’s limbs detached from her body, splitting again at her knees and elbows, and finally her head as new strength surged through the cold lilac-flames connecting them. Standing, now twice her diminutive height of five foot nothing, Marri’s upper arms and legs began to slowly orbit their respective halves. She could push farther, had pushed farther, but her useful combative capabilities would only allow for so many moving parts.

One more breath, steeling herself, her record stood at fourteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds, a far cry from the score of five minutes that was required to successfully pass this particular trial, but if she could whittle it down to thirteen and a half, she would deem it a victory worthy of gratuitous self-indulgence; two gallon-tubs of rocky-road would likely suffice. All of alpha squad had done this together, and if she was going to show any merit worthy of interest to her superiors with a beat as quiet as hers, then it would have to be from her level of professionalism and preparedness.

Releasing her breath Marii stated wearily, “Activate Hell Week Protocol: Dodgeball.”

Voice command recognized, the hiss and whir of machinery filled the air. Hidden hatches in the walls slid open, pocking the walls with circular black pits, and wooden projectiles the size of medicine balls clacked into their firing positions as the five-pony training simulation began once more.

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Never heard of this character....

[shinigamisparda]

I have a feeling she will be sixth ranger who will heavily butt heads with Rainbow.

[RealityDowngrade]

6865136
Actually, the main inspiration for her 'battle-form' is from the .hack//G.U. series and their Azure Flame Avatar (although, their is certainly something of a reference to Chop Chop Festival from the orbiting bits, clowns and all that :3 )

[Lord_01010000]

Oh my god..... Your OC has the Bara Bara no Mai/Chop-Chop Devil Fruit power of Buggy the Clown from One Peace, with a puppet twist like Sasori from Naruto: Shippuden. I hope you get to be the Omega Ranger. Butting heads with Rainbow Dash would be a funny sub plot.

[RealityDowngrade]

6865151
Who, her?
pre10.deviantart.net/9aae/th/pre/i/2014/237/e/3/marri_o__nette_by_realitydowngrade-d7wmw6c.png
Pfff, you act like she's taking on a training protocol meant for five ponies all by herself or something. :P

[Fluffy-Boi]

Very cool Character. Can't wait to see more of her.

[Hoppa_21]

So Rainbow gets a rival, eh? I find it pretty funny. My character Steam Gear stalks admires Rainbow Dash, and now she even got a rival. I feel kind of sorry for her!