Cameras zoomed in on a sea of pink clouds, tornadoes rising out of them and approaching a delicate array of platforms hanging above the clouds, various housing groups and resource collectors hanging from the platforms. Screams could be heard from within the housing sections as lightning flashed from the windstorms.
Dallas began his introduction. "Welcome, Dreadzone fans, to the planet of Bigspins, the City in the Clouds. This city gathers resources and energy from the constant cloud storms of the gas giant to build itself up, power its weather shields and anti-grav units to keep it afloat, and run its industry! However, the weather shields have tragically been disabled, the primary anti-gravity generator is malfunctioning, and the city and its inhabitants run the risk of being obliterated! Can Twilight Sparkle disable the jamming devices, reactivate the weather shields, and repair the anti-gravity generators without falling to her death in the acidic storms of the planet?"
"She'd best work quick," Juanita replied. "The Dreadzone armor can only handle the acidic content of the storms for so long before it fails, and then she'll be eaten from the inside out as she inhales the acidic vapors."
"And she'll have to balance the power until the power collectors are back online," Dallas pointed out. "If she puts too much power into any one system, the others will fail...but the power collectors can't draw the lightning unless shielded from the acidic winds."
"Thankfully's she's been given a Landstalker to work with for a time," Juanita continued. "She can customize it...but she isn't allowed to do so once she finishes ducking inside, and-"
"And she's already fully customized it to draw power from the storms to fly around the city, break the jammer units, and repair things from the remote position," Dallas pointed out. "I have no idea how she made it do all that, but after seeing that chain lightning barrage she used to obliterate all the attacking robots, I want one!"
The cameras zoomed in on a frozen wasteland, the only buildings large grey blocks erupting from the ice and snow, covered in bars and energy fields. The frigid winds howled as they blew across the wastes, cold hardened killer robots patrolling the streets.
"Welcome Dreadzone fans," Dallas chattered. "This is the frozen prison planet Hura Pentre. Patrolled by killer robots programmed to obliterate anything not themselves outside the cells, Twilight has her work cut out for her. Her battle bot companions are sealed up in cells somewhere on the planet, and Twilight will need to free them, fight through the killer robots, and make her way to the escape shuttle to return to Dreadzone."
"In addition to that, the weather itself is against her," Juanita added. "The Dreadzone armor is only so effective against the cold and wind, and her wings are especially sensitive. If she's not careful, she will freeze to death."
"However, heat oases are scattered around here and there," Dallas explained. "She can hide out there to recover from the cold...if she can deal with all the vicious wildlife that also congregates there to deal with the cold."
"You know, I'm a bit surprised she's functioning at all without her battle bots," Juanita commented. "As I understand it, she does not do well alone, and those bots are the only things keeping her from breaking down like she did back on Attica Seven."
"A rather interesting story behind that," Dallas explained. "See, we've all noticed from the out of battle footage that the Dreadzone Champion, Ace Hardlight, has developed something of a soft spot for the little filly...so he went to Vox when it was her turn to face this challenge without her bots. For this challenge only, Ace Hardlight is acting as Twilight's spotter, coaching and encouraging her as she faces the challenge to recover her bots so she won't feel all alone."
Juanita gasped in surprise. "I had no idea Ace Hardlight had...such a compassionate heart. I can only imagine what could have possibly happened in his past to have made him such a cool, collected, merciless Exterminator as he's been in the past of Dreadzone."
"No idea, Juanita. He won't let us talk about it. Perhaps a secret shame?"
"What part of 'not talking about it' do you not get, Dallas?" Juanita demanded, smacking Dallas upside the head as Twilight pursued the challenge.
"Is...is she snuggling a Frost Beast?" Dallas asked as the cameras zoomed in, showing Twilight cuddling with a creature that looked like a cross between a polar bear, a lion, and a gorilla, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth pulled into a goofy grin and two hands full of claws gently stroking Twilight's mane. The creature was also the size of the Dreadzone transport ships.
"That is just too precious," Junaita cooed.
"And now it's stuck her in its mane and is rampaging through the prison," Dallas replied. "It's the grue all over again, but on a larger scale."
"I guess she's just too cute for wild animals," Juanita allowed.
Back in the Battledome alongside Barb and Owloiscius, Twilight faced off against the Liberator Tournament. The first round was another Cycling Weapon challenge in the arena, which Twilight handled easily. The following round caused her armor and weapons to function faster and faster the more enemies she killed. Towards the end, she was having difficulty keeping up with her own tech, but she managed to clear the challenge.
She expected to face off against Ace Hardlight after that. In fact, she had been looking forward to it. However, instead, she was simply handed her new Liberator armor in black and gold and sent back to her containment suite.
Back in her suite, Twilight paced back and forth in confusion. "No Ace in the Liberator Tournament?" she asked in confusion. "No contact from him afterwards? Wha...what's going on? Why hasn't he...?" She shivered a bit, cuddling up to Barb.
Barb's communicator beeped. "...Twilight?" she said nervously. "You've...you've been called to Gleeman Vox's office...at your convenience..."
Sounds like Ace might have been replaced...
Keep up the good work!
6319324 And I have an idea of who the final boss is...
... Vox is about to capitalize on the one weakness Twilight has, and discover first hand why no one tries to make her do something she doesn't want to. Quark, Ratchet, Clank, and another galaxy know what happened, and they are terrified of it. Innocent, sweet and incredibly intelligent Twilight carries a galactic level Sword of Damocles in her rage and grief. Vox is going to set it swinging, and be in the same immediate area as her. I predict he will regret it for the simple sight alone for the rest of his brief life.
Vox is going to tell Twilight that Ratchet had to fight Ace and killed him sadly(in the actual game Ratchet had to fight Ace to get his own Liberator status...spoilers?), and given this is Vox's sadistic and twisted game Twilight will go on a rampage for hearing her father had to kill an idol she happily found in a time of need.
Quite the play on the prison planetoid, Rura Penthe, the Klingons used.
Oh damn...Poor Ace.
6319405
Well we don't know for sure if he's dead. Maybe Ratchet went easy on him. Or he gets fixed up like Al. All I know is this author tends to throw curve balls man. It's why I like reading his stuff so much.
6319450 Good point. Tatsu's good with mixing insane twists and best possible outcomes together.
6319450
Rachet knows that Twi would not forgive him killing Ace.
Well, in the original canon, Ace did not die. It was implied that he was still alive in Zordoom Prision in Polaris in one of the announcements stated while there. Though how he got there is anyone's guess. In this version of events, who knows if he survived.
the primary ant-gravity generator
1. Anti.
Why do I get a "I'll make him stronger ala cypernetic enhancements!" From Twilight should Ace be in dire straits?
Hmmm the planet Hura Pentre is this your take on the Klingon prison world Rura Pente because that is awesome
6319610
The Klingon planet is Rura Penthe. I literally just switched letters.
Though I'm surprised the Bigspins/Bespin parallel's been overlooked.
Now, hopefully after this story, we can expect the finest crew in Starfleet!
6319618 wow I didn't even know you put a reference to bespin in there way to go man that is awesome
No Ace? Called to Vox's office?
...
EVERYONE PANIC! RUN AROUND IN CIRCLES AND FLAIL YOUR LIMBS!!!
I bet ratchet already beat ace but didn't beat him so he is still alive but she doesn't know that vox makes her fight ratchet with his armor and twilight doesn't recognize him.
that my guess
6319618 I caught it! The Bespin one.
... i feel like part of my soul is about to be carved out... but at the same time, horribly unspeakable things are about to happen to gleeman vox... HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL ABOUT THIS?!?
6319618 I understood that reference. </cap>
and actually, i was kinda wishing you had used Crematoria from the Chronicles of Riddick for the prison one. She could have tamed the dogs!
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
Best Video Games Ever!
Hmm... here it comes... the deal...
Twilight, your damn too OP.
Twilight's cuteness is the ultimate weapon!!!! It's so awesome to see big scary monsters showering her with love and affection. I'm measuring Vox's remaining life as one grain of sand left in an hour glass with the Reaper ready for it to fall.
Time for my theory.
Twilight is going to be offered the chance to be Ace's partner in the upcoming fight.
Which will be Ratchet.
After that I can only see it going one of two ways, either she accidentally hurts Ratchet, has a mental breakdown, and goes on a rampage. OR, Ace finally finishes growing a heart and tells Twi what's really going on and helps, THEN she goes on a rampage. Or a mixture of the two.
6319679
My Money is on you good Sir.
Also- ..... I miss Ratchet too be honest. I would like to see something from his perspective- anything. Maybe even watching Twilight kick ass? .... It would certainly help me get over her OP Levels right now.... :P Only things I got to say.
6319515 Ratchet didn't. Ace is confirmed alive in Tools of destruction when he was mentioned in a loudspeaker announcement at Zordoom Prison.
And now he wants to make you a champ
6320659
Me too.
6319380 6319405 6319515
Ace didn't die in this game. After Dreadzone was shut down, he was sent to the prison in the Polaris Galaxy.
6319331
Vox.
6319356
He can blow up her head with the push of a button. I doubt he's worried about that.
6320964 If I remember correctly, Twilight grew to Celestia size in a second. I doubt Vox has accounted for that sort of rapid growth.
6320964 Wait seriously? I thought he was killed?
6320983
She'd still have a bomb collar around here neck.
6321138 Compression versus expansion, which would lose. Flesh and muscle or sensitive wiring and programming in a metal case. Probably some steel or titanium stand in alloy, which have surprising expansion limits before they crack.
6319380
6319356 I think you're underestimating Vox here. Why tell Twilight it was Ratchet? Why not simply tell Twilight that Ratchet is dead, as is Ace, both killed by the new Dreadzone Division 1 Champion? A simple modification preventing Ratchet from removing his helmet or talking, and the state is set for the now grief filled Twilight to turn her horrifying rage upon the one she thinks is responsible for taking away everything precious to her...
Now all that being said... its STILL A SUICIDAL PLAN. The best outcome is that Twilight figures out it's Ratchet before she does too much damage to him. I don't see Ratchet actually trying to hurt Twilight, and a similar bluff against him will not work, as Twilight is the only known pony. And even if he could be tricked/actually tried to harm Twilight, she will CRUSH HIM. In this case, Twilight will still be very upset about Ace, and even more upset that Vox pulled this stunt. Her wrath will be the stuff of legends.
The worst case, Twilight tragically slays her adoptive father? The Shadow Sector will become a realm of horrors that will make WH40K Chaos look tame. Remember the ONLY thing preventing Twilight from just using magic on her collar is the fact it would kill Ratchet. With Ratchet slain, there is NOTHING capable of stopping her. The Dark Twilight from the Protopet Arc will be a fluffy bunny compared to a full fledged Nightmare Magic. Vox's only chance at mercy is that Nightmare Magic kills him early on and never figures out a way to resurrect him. Otherwise I would predict horrors in store for him that Lucifer would find too extreme. This is a Impossible Gadgeteer Genius with Improbably High IQ AND Reality Warper powers. Hell would be more merciful than Nightmare Magic.
6321755 Okay that's really dark. One Ratchet and Clank games aren't dark in the slightest, two this story isn't dark, three he's going along with what the games are about but changing them to fit with Twilight in the mix, and seriously all that stuff wouldn't work since Twilight's a bit too smart for such a ploy. Vox is an ass hole but not that big of one, and just because she can't see Ratchets ears or tail doesn't mean she can still know it's him. But nice thought either way.
6321755 Magic doesn't really warp reality. It alters it the same way technology does. Though I do agree with every thing else, with the caveat of at least ageless ness, rather than true immortality.
6319618
Nah, you just spelled it out before I could comment on the obvious Star Wars reference.
6321800 Magic may have rules that it must operate under, but it still violates the laws of science as we understand them, hell even as Ratchet & Clank themselves understand science. This does make it a form of Reality Warping. She may not be Discord, who alters reality with a mere snap of his fingers and a thought, but she is still bending/breaking reality to suit her wishes.
6321789 We have had a little girl being forced to mercy kill a being who's very existence caused it pain and suffering, because the only other choice she had was to let the creature butcher and eat her. That was the previous chapter. While there have been bright moments, this entire Dreadzone has been DARK. Do I really expect the worst case scenario? No. I merely pointed out a likely plan by Vox, because so far this Vox has shown himself VERY willing to pull a stunt like this. Hell even the canon Vox is scum. The final mission makes that perfectly clear. The point of my post was to show that despite how well thought out Vox might THINK the plan is, it's a death sentence (or worse) for himself either way.
6322302 Okay, fair enough. Then again, if it was just an energy source, then there is potential for her own projects using the background magic energy.
6320964 Well that changes things. But then again, this is Tatsu we're talking about. All we can do is wait and see.
6322302 Oh anything he does is a death sentence....mainly just putting Twilight and Ratchet in their was a death sentence.
It's like Sidewinder all over again!
6340870 wait are you a Rvb fan too?
6342518 A lot of people on this site are. I'm one of them.
I wonder what she could do with legos....
6319618 I saw it! First time too!
6413370 Make a Ratchet and Clank movie that can be interacted like a game with figurines and a good Rainbow Rocks sequel.
6320127
Crematoria didn't have the dog things they came from the planet "notfuria" in Pitch black