Marksaline chapter 29 preview

As soon as the herd walked into the maintenance room was clear that the lights worked in the wide room, but that this would be a ugly confrontation non the less. It was very open and there are more ventilation shafts as actually needed, since there was a huge part of the room exposed to open air. It was frankly a redicules design.

At least they noticed that the larger open air doors which allowed the transportation platform to be taken from the tracks and be later fixed, if this all wasn't a huge dream construct that would dissappear in a few hours when Sunset Shimmer woke up...

While to their surprise a new one was put in place, ready to be exchanged already.
Discord was apperently rather viligant in making Sunset Shimmer mind accessible for them to fix it together.

It was clear once they opened the area to make large changes it would produce enough sound and trembling to send a few waves of Necromorphs their way.
They entered the area and take a hard long look before they even thought as to approached the main console.

After a short discussion did they started to literally drag everything they managed and that was not bolted to the room to be collected towards the middle of the walkway on their right side. It looked the most defensive position to hold.

Fluffelpuff spotted a box on the wall and opened it. Discord remarked it to be a 'upgrade node'.
Everypony pet Fluffelpuff for her great contribution to the team on her head.
With exception of Luna who was only a head.
Fluffelpuff pet Luna instead.

While Fluffelpuff keep herself busy by petting Lunas head despite her admittedly rather damaged helmet, did everypony else constructed a rather solid construct of metal cases and boxed, tools and spare parts with unknown purpose.
How many Necromorphs would be coming for them? The barricade would hopefully stop them long enough to deal with them one by one.

Once they are reasonably ready, did they ask Fluffelpuff to use the consoles on the middle of the room and than to book it back to their position.

Fluffelpuff had no idea what a book had to do with anything, but she used both consoles before wall walking toward her herd.

The left grappling arm connected, but the right one refused to connect.
No Necromorphs so far.

They ask Fluffelpuff to try the right consoles in the middle of the room again.
Same result.

This time did two Necromorphs showed up on their right side and they were rather easily dealt with, one by Marksaline ripping it apart and one cut apart by Sunset.
After Sunset reload her magic cutter, did Fluffelpuff turned the Slashers to crimson cookies and they collected the bone blades.

Than they tried to use stasis on the right grappling arm. It worked like a charm.
When Fluffelpuff used the middle console, did a mechanical voice sounding like
'Eris - The old goddess of Chaos and change'
Told them to please waiting for personaly fixing the problem in a moment.

That was when all Tarterus broke lose.
6 Slasher in short succession come out of the vents of their right side and Sunset as Cadance were rather hard pressed to keep them busy by shooting them to pieces.

At least Nightmare Moon managed to counter all the vile bile projectiles coming from them by deflecting them with metal plates collected befire hoove further did she interfere in their enemys attack by throwing tools at them that staggered the attackers long enough for Sunset and Cadance to finish the last of the six to be neutralized.

Sunset had used up all her ammo and Cadance was down to 25 in her currently used magazine.

But before Nightmare could direct them to loot the corpses of the not really dead enemys, did their reinforcements arrived. There was simply no time to do it at their currently used configuration.

Nightmare take over Cadance nail gun and take her spare reloading unit, than she let the Necromorph come closer while pelting them with spare tools and what ever they had to spare.

Cadance and Sunset had still not looted everybody by the time the first Necromorph reached the barricade. Fortunately was it more solid than expected and Luna managed to shot two of the 8 attacking Slashers the arms of before the barricade started to give in.
By the time Nightmare Moon had two other relieved of their bladed arms, did the barricade finally collapsed.

To the bad luck of the Necromorphs did Luna pinned one unharmed Necromorph to the ground once Nightmare *yeeted* Luna through its chest to the wall.
That one would not come lose in time to help the others.

Which had to struggle with Sunset having finally reloaded her magic cutter. While Nightmare sniped the heads off the previous dis-armed enemies, did Sunset focused to remove one leg and one arm eatch of the other Slashers.

Unfortunately did Sunset run out if ammunition, while Nightmare reloaded, did Cadance told them that they only had small medical gel packs salvaged from the bodys left.

That was when Marksaline started to rip and tear them one by one apart.
By the end of the confrontation was Marksaline hissing in pain, down to one life bar.
But fortunately had they exactly enough small healing gel packs to get her back to full.

Their currently relatively good health that has everypony topped of, was greatly upset by Sunset being totally out of anything.
The other are the same with only Nightmare having now 40/50 shots left in her nail rifle after a reload.

Marksaline gestured to the two glowing screens that were to their right and left, both being inactive and the middle one waited for confirmation to release the platform.

After they salvaged the torn apart Necromorphs ammunition did they had one full load for Sunset and one completely reloaded nail rifle.
The rest was just stuff that the inventory space called to be expensive components in yellow and gold and ruby red.

If they had one more big confrontation they be very hard pressed to make ends meet...

They than bludgeon the last activ Necromorph that Lunas head was holding pinned through the chest valiantly near the ramps top, until it was roughly consistent as thick soup.

The royal Necromorph Sisters had a very well deserved crimson cookie feast, while everypony take a 5 minute break to relax.
A well earned victory.

Once they collected all bone blades, they had in total: 47 bone blades.

They really hoped Discords promised use for the bone blades come very soon...

"Alright herd, that was the easy part." Luna grumpy about missing out on all the fun, further pissed because her helmet just disintegrated from overuse and knowing her usefulness had reached a end as a stabbing or blunt weapon replied:

"Unfortunately i doubt i can last any longer...
One attacker at most and i am out completely.
When do i get my respawning ?!"

Discord told them they are supposed to do one more major task, but could delay it for the respawning objective.

Everypony agree on Luna coming back to action.
Discord let's them know they have to return to the Kellion to respawning Luna.
Following by everypony cursing foal friendly and Sunset wanting to go home already...

---

Celestia almost asleep got woken into alert when something was teleported into her bed room.
A impossible feat unless someone not making sence did so regularly...

Celestia gently levitated the fillys to bed and moved to see what was important enough to disturb her peace.

Celestia got very intrigued by the description of the memory crystal ball containing memory.

Celestia got a second memory crystal popped into existance in her bedroom.
Celestia watching the containing memory uncensored and without context.
See her new daughter to be put through a horrible traumatic experience.
Than see her sisters accidentally cursing a Fillys looking exactly like the Cult filly...
Being decapitated by a 'undead monster'. . . . . . .

Internal panic sets in and after the fillys still all breathing confirmed, are surrounded by sound and protective spells not in use for a few centuries.

Following by High Princess Celestia Solaris Stellar calling all guard and defenses to full alert.

Solar Nova/-Celestia Solaris Stellar:
Best Alchemy expert to exist currently.
Current leader of Equestria.
Guardian of the Day.
Shepard of the Sun.
Just declared MARSHALL LAW and to arrest all Necromancer of Light members temporarily until the rouge faction members are determined and apprehended to be put in interrogation and be punished as needed.

One Diamond Dog with description about doing...unforgettable, unforgivable crimes.

The hunt was finally on.

---

Nightmare Moon was in thought. Deep down she was pleased to hear that this was going to be an easy task and not something that was complicated to restore her sister, but her herd survivel was in doubt to get alive through a area most violently evacuated.

But because she had no sort of training like her sister studying the Mura layout and functions was it imperative to restore Luna fully and keep her bedides the Fillys second highest priority.

Luna was not a engineering prodigy, but had a lot of time spend and knowledge collected walking the Mura. If anyone could fix it, it was Luna.
While she herself unfortunately was pretty much useless in that respective fields.

In this scenario Luna was a engineering and she was the security guard keeping the area safe-ish...

"We can go and find that data board Discord told us about later-" did Nightmare explained.
"- we need Luna restored to get through this all, no arguments?"
Nightmare ask with a stern expression.
Cadance and the fillys fully agreed.

---

Discord was fixing Sunset magic pathways when the dancing Discord finished rearrange Sunset locked memory to be solved and teleported into parts unknown because chaos levels near the Castle was unexpectedly raising.

Something just gone unexpectedly wrong...

---

As the herd regroup they started to separate items to one another. They had one medium healing left. That was given to Nightmare, while all valuable components are stored with Sunset Shimmer for safe keeping.

Nightmare Moon now permanently keeping the nail rifle as her precision was the highest, since it was originally from Cadance did she had to g8ve a short nodded acceptance before it permanently switched from Cadance o Nightmare Moons weapon slot.

While Cadance keep Luna in her telekinesis ready
for one last use if no alternative was given.

The Fillys give each other a short hug before returning to Filly doom formation.

However before they moved together into the still darkness swallowed corridor, did Nightmare suggested with Marksaline on her back once to walked though the hole corridor. They had better cleared it out before the hole herd committed.

Nightmare heard the sound of Marksaline telekinesis keeping a bone blade ready to try parry a surprise attack.

So the two brave warriors moved on alone for the safety of the herd.

Both ready for action yet wary of packs rushing them if they got unlucky. But better them than the others...

Whenever they hear something crawling or bumping outside the corridor, did the pretty mutch expect a attack. But apperently was the enemy playing on time or on mental warfare because noone actually started a attack.
As they retrace their steps back to the area just past the first split in the path.

In a unclear cable shaft that was above their heads was a enemy, but that thing was not interested in fighting it seems. Not yet at least...

Followed downwards the shaft along did it leaving the moment it was spotted. Best case it was scouting, worst case it was going to calling its ugly bretheren to rally.
Marksaline and Nightmare with at determination filled expression nodded to each other, it was time to kick some ass.

As they were sure that they hadn't seen the last of that type of creature after only a few packs of Slashers having cased them so far.

Somethings that stand out even in the badly lightened area where they just meet, that this was a slightly different form than the others attackers.
Its build that had a beak for example.
Probably what could happen to a Griffon being turned Necromorph.
Due to Griffons being already dangerous Predators, did the fact that it was now undead and probably making heir survivel ods drop.

If it was using additional body morphed weapons
using its talons to crawl lower on the floor for lower attack angles and most likely going for the legs to immobilized the target before killing it by gutting it with beak and Talons.

Before they managed to headed back to get the herd, did the herd already come their way with the warning that them started to come through
the vents.

Once more it seemed to end in a retreat towards enemy lines!
So they rushed galloping down the ramp that brought them to the malfunctioning door.
After Cadance loosed a stasis charge at the door, did everypony run through.

Good they recharged as common knowledge demanded missing charges. Yet did Nightmare noticed that they forget to use it in its last encounter.
All the better that the enemy probably didn't expected a stasis on mass.
This would ruine their charges on mass.

The Herd as a hole come running back into the area that was below the tracks.
As expected by Marksaline and Nightmare already with the enemy waiting.
Only this time the Ponies would dictate the speed of battle.

Lucky for the ponies and very inconvenient for the Necromorphs did every feral Necromorph around got stopped in their tracks before they could charge.

They were attacked in total by six of the new creatures. Not a singel slashing type that they first encountered.
Would make sence not to mix types to keep tactics back for later encounters.
As they keep the six later named 'Lurkers' stasis locked, did Nightmaremoon spotted them quickly to use their arms to move around as if someone already removed their legs.
So as to keep the enemy in low initiative she focused to cut eatch of the six one arm off.
All had one right arm missing when Nightmare rifle stopped working.

At least they the initiative to move faster around than the crippeld enemy.

Unfortunately did everypony stasis run out.
Marksaline started bravely to attack teeth and bladed bone hooved? That one was new...
While two of the crawling type they had before them seem to focus on Sunset and Fluffelpuff.

Sunset used the recharge station and screaming demanded a full retreat.
A indeed surprisingly sound plan.
While the enemy was screaming their protests against them running away could they do nothing to stop Sunset to stasis with 1of 3 her charges the danaged door.

Cadance Fluffelpuff with Sunset on her back moved first through.
A few seconds later did a half to death beaten Marksaline run right behind Nightmare into the stasis door with Sunset having used up 2 of her 3 charges that the charging station had allowed her.

The enemy had sence enough not to get slaughtered by the door after one tried to time his attack without stasis to keep the door open.
At least 1 of 6 'Lurkers' was disposed off.

More lucky did it drop a 5 shot capacity shot for Sunset magic cutter.

They galloped as fast they could ignoring all possible dangers in the dark corridors to the Maintenance room.

There to their luck did no enemy waited for them.
Probably having left to join the slaughter with the Lurkers.

They managed all to recharge their stasis modules before a singel Necromorph pulled a 'Geronimo' and charged them Sprinting.
This things really could move when they wanted...

Only to be slowed down by slow Sunset before Marksaline dismembered it as it was nearly helpless in its slowed down state.

It dropped another 5 capacity charge for Sunset Shimmer. It could currently hold 7 charges. But Sunset would add the 5 when her currently 5 loaded shots are used up.

They let Sunset refill her one shot on the charging station and galloped to the door, opend it and than to the malfunctioning door.
Nightmaremoon had used the group recharge time to recommend not to use the retreat to recharge tactic in that maintenance room again.
She doubted it workd work twice in a row.

Once they reached the door did Sunset stasis the door as spear of the head in formation of the herd.

Thanks to the combat adrenaline was little Shimmers combat high overriding her fear responses.

As they rushed towards the open area did Cadance got jumped by a Lurker that got pinned to a wall through its chest by Lunas last attack.

Another unfortunately managed to get Nightmare pinned and they struggled in a one versus one, while Sunset with two shots managed to damage one Lurkers remaining left arm enough for Marksaline to rip it off in one go and unharmed.

2 of 6 Lurkers defeated with 1 pinned to the wall.

While Nightmare keep the teeth of her attacker laying on her in check with her rifle casing, did she had to manage to move her head out of the way of some kind of stinger attack.
Apperently did 'Lurkers' didn't lose their legs. They morphed it into some kind of tail blade.