//------------------------------// // Chapter 38: For My Queens // Story: A Rift Between Worlds // by Cinders of War //------------------------------// “Why are they all over the school?” Applejack asked, punching a Grineer in the face. “Ah know they wanna get to Equestria and all, but why the school building?” “Whatever their reasons…” Rarity nocked another arrow and fired it into a Grineer butcher’s abdomen, downing him. “They shall not touch this school.” “I think they already have, Rarity,” Mag said. “They are all over it.” “Not what I meant, Mag!” the violet haired girl wailed, pushing a wave of Grineer down with her ability. “Well, we just gotta show them this is our turf.” Applejack pounded her furax’s together and stomped on the ground, sending the floor of Grineer floating up, becoming easy pickings for her charge attack. “So how many do we have left?” Rainbow’s voice appeared on their comms. “I think I’ve taken down fifty of them at least.” “Surely you’re exaggeratin’.” Applejack tipped her hat back and charged into another Grineer, flattening its chest armor with an elbow. “There are at least fifteen more,” Rhino answered. “Not long before we finish them!” “Then let’s burn away!” Ember said as she took control of one of Sunset’s arms, lobbing a few fireballs ahead as the fiery haired girl panned her glaxion across a squad of Grineer lancers, freezing them on the spot. “Good work, Sunset Shimmer. Time to set the world on fire!” Then Ember created a single flame on her palm, pressing it to the ground with a punch. Soon, fiery towers burst from the ground, launching the frozen Grineer up as they were set on fire, burning to crisps almost instantly. “Wow, Sunset!” Pinkie flew over, dropping down beside her friend. “You took them all out! It was like wooosh and then vwooossshh! Like Kaboom!” “Yeah, you said it, Pinkie.” Rainbow joined them, landing with a puff of air. “But why didn’t you use it sooner, Sunset?” “Well…” The fiery haired girl put a hand to her chin. “I don’t know. Guess I just didn’t.” “Wouldn’t be much of a fight scene if you did, right?” Pinkie smiled happily, reloading her boar shotgun. Then a rocket blast knocked her on her face, spreading grass and soil up into the air around the Rainbooms. “What the hay was that?” Applejack had raised a hand to protect her armored face. “Bombards,” Vauban said in their ears. “Watch yourselves.” “Vauban? Home Run, where are you?” Sunset called over the radio as she froze an incoming rocket in mid air. “Just… Over to the left side of school,” the baseball player’s voice replied on their visors, with a picture of Vauban’s helmet. “Taken two bombards down. Eclair’s with me, but I think there’s more up top.” “Up top?” Rainbow spun her guns in her grip. “I’ve got this.” The Zephyr-clad girl blasted up into the air, spying the crew of rocket-wielding Grineer near the school’s dome. She had only started firing down at them when there was a bright flash of light from the side as the Grineer flew in different directions, speared by radial javelins. “Sorry I’m late.” Mr. Loregiver popped up on their visors. “I had some papers to mark.” “Glad to see you, Mr. Loregiver,” Rainbow said as she landed beside her history teacher on the roof, clad in his shining Excalibur Prime Warframe. “Though, I’m pretty sure Zephyr and I could’ve handled it.” “Right, Rainbow,” Applejack grunted and chuckled. “I think it would’ve been Eclair and I that would’ve handled it,” Home Run said as he and the the grey-skinned girl joined them on the roof. “All clear?” Mr. Loregiver nodded. “For the time being. Let’s go down and join the others.” Each of them flipped and spun off the roof, landing down in front of the school in a crouch. “Nice entrance.” Rarity downed her helmet. “I’m glad it’s all over with. These dreadful Grineer just don’t know that it’s rude to interrupt a meeting.” “I have to wonder though…” Fluttershy walked over, her bo staff gripped tightly in both hands. “What was their plan? Why’d they attack the school?” “Good question, Fluttershy.” Sunset walked forward and looked at their school building. “Why’d they just throw their forces away like that?” “Maybe they thought they could beat us?” Rainbow Dash flexed her arms. “But we were just too awesome for them!” “Or maybe it’s a diversion?” Applejack shrugged. “As to what they might be divertin’ us from, Ah have no clue.” “Could they h-have already gone through the portal when we weren’t looking?” Fluttershy shook at the thought. “Are they after Princess Celestia again?” “We should radio back and check with the Lotus.” Trinity activated the little screen on Fluttershy’s visor. “Lotus, the enemy has been dispatched. Is everything okay there?” There was no reply. “Lotus, do you copy?” Still, no face of the pony princess came into view. The screen remained dark. “We’ve got to go. Now. Through the portal!” Trinity yelled and took control, rushing through the statue’s base in a flash. “I saw Velvet Breeze walk in when I left the dojo,” Home Run said, realizing he might’ve sent her to more danger instead. “Let’s go!” Sunset led the way in, followed behind by the Rainbooms and Home Run. “We’ll stay here and rally the others, just in case.” Loregiver waved to the Rainbooms, Home Run and Eclair as he headed back to the school. “Protect the princess.” Velvet Breeze crouched down by the wall, watching as a group of strange armored humans returned back out the portal, a sack held over one with orange armor and a single eye in his helmet. “They’re gone…” she sighed and wiped a hoof across her head. “How are you holding up?” She turned to her companion, who had a gaping hole blown into her side, allowing Velvet to see right through her armor and out the other side. “I’m down for the count, Velvet Breeze.” Nyx clutched her damaged side. “But… I don’t normally say this, thank you for saving me. That one, the orange one, he is strong.” “Yeah. Are these the aliens?” she asked the Tenno. “The ones I’ve heard about from Sunset and the rest?” “Yes. They’re called Grineer. Clones long deformed by time. They seek to destroy our worlds and the Lotus. I fear they might have already achieved one of the two. We need to save her…” Nyx tried to get up, but something in her circuits sparked and she fell back down on her back. “I don’t know what you are or what you’re made of, but you’re clearly hurt.” Velvet eyed the huge hole. “Is there… is there like a doctor for your kind?” “Yes.” Nyx weakly nodded her head. “But she’s not here… We’ll have to go to Canterlot.” “T-There must be something I can do.” Just then, the mirror shimmered again as a group of armored humans ran into Princess Twilight’s castle, their heads set on Velvet and Nyx. “Velvet? You’re safe!” A silver and orange Warframe came over, lowering her helmet to reveal Sunset Shimmer. “But what happened to Nyx?” “Those, uh, Grineer were here.” Velvet recalled the name. “They just left. Did you see them? They took Princess Celestia.” Sunset looked to her friends behind her. “No. We didn’t see them. Not at all.” “But how is that possible?” Another one folded her helmet to reveal Rainbow Dash’s perplexed face. “There’s only one way in. We would’ve seen them.” “They must have another portal,” Sunset mused. Velvet inspected the armored group. “So you girls dress up like this to fight aliens all the time?” “Guy.” Home Run lifted a hand and lowered his helmet. “There’s a guy here too.” “Right, sorry Home Run.” Velvet looked to her friends. “So what do we do now? We need to save the princess.” “We’ll save her.” Sunset placed a hand on the blue-skinned girl’s front leg. “You get back to Canterlot where it’s safe.” “You heard what they just did.” Velvet waved a hoof to the castle’s entrance and the portal. “No where I go is safe! Let me help you. I’m trained, remember? I can be of great help.” “She’s got a point, you know?” Applejack lowered her helmet. “She’s more cut out for it than Ah am. Hay, she’s more cut out for this than Rainbow Dash.” “Hey! I’ve gotten better.” Rainbow Dash spun her guns in her hands and raised them up. “You don’t see me missing my marks much these days.” “That’s not the point, dear.” Rarity lowered her swirling helmet and patted at her violet hair. “Velvet won’t start out as, umm, badly as we did. She’ll handle herself just fine, especially with a Tenno partner.” “Umm, girls?” Home Run interrupted with a raise of his hand. “What are you talking about? Velvet Breeze has done this before?” “Oh, Home Run!” Sunset yelped, rubbing at her head. “I’m sorry. Kinda forgot you were here. Uhh… It’s hard to explain. We’ll tell you another time, perhaps, when aliens aren’t giving us any problems.” “So you’ll let me help, right?” Velvet trotted up to Sunset and frowned slightly. “I’m not going to take no for an answer.” “I see no reason why you can’t, Velvet, except that it’s going to be really dangerous.” “Hey,” Velvet shrugged. “If you girls can do it, then so can I. Where do we start?” “There, all better Nyx,” Stardust said as she placed the tools back on her table, finished with patching up the Tenno’s armor breach. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help when the Grineer attacked. They hit so sudden. I didn’t even hear them.” “None of the guards were killed,” Princess Twilight Sparkle told her human friends. “It’s like they just got in, got Princess Celestia and got out. Undetected.” “They must’ve created new portals,” Vauban suggested. “But as to how they’re powering them, I have no clue. The Grineer couldn’t possibly possess another void key, could they?” “Maybe it’s something else entirely?” Velvet Breeze suggested. “I’m sure there are other forms of power these aliens could use.” “Do you think they will return here again?” Eclair looked around Stardust’s workshop. “If they could simply walk into Canterlot Castle, then we have a big problem.” “Maybe you should go back and find Mr. Loregiver.” Sunset Shimmer folded Ember’s helmet back. “Maybe protect the place and keep an eye out for more Grineer around school. We’ll return to the human world too and find a way to rescue the princess.” "As you say, Sunset." “I’ll come, Sunset,” Velvet flapped her bat wings and smiled. “Besides, I think I’ve already made my choice.” She floated back towards the rows of Warframe pods by the wall and stopped at the one, second from the left. “He’s called Ash. It says here that he’s good at sneaking and subterfuge. Just the Warframe for me.” “That’s good, Velvet, but how are you going to get in it?” Pinkie Pie stopped behind her and patted the batpony’s head. “You’re a pony right now, and these things only fit people! Would it turn into a pony form just for you? Ooh, ooh, that sounds cool! I’ve never seen one before!” “She just needs to activate it.” Stardust joined them by the pods. “Then when you’re back in your world, just do as you would.” “I wish I could go with you girls, but I still have some duties to attend to before I can go,” Twilight looked out a window as a yellow bird flew by. “But please, save Princess Celestia. Don’t let the Grineer do as they please with her.” “You can count on us, Twilight,” Sunset patted the alicorn’s shoulder. “We’ll get things done. Trust us.” Twilight smiled and nodded. “There’s no one or nopony I trust more than you girls.” “Umm… and guy,” Home Run sighed and waved his hand. “There’s a guy here too…” Princess Celestia was tossed violently to the ground, feeling the cold metal hit her cheek as she slid to a stop against a row of crates. “You. Foolish. Lotus,” the orange armored Grineer sneered at her, flame exiting its gun arm. “You. Thought. The. Tenno. Would. Protect. You. But. Grineer. Are. Smart.” Celestia looked up, but a foot connected with her muzzle and sent her back down. She still had no idea how they had managed something like that. She was still a pony, so they must have constructed another one of their special portals, but she couldn’t guess how they could find something to power it with. Void keys were rare, and she had the only known ones back in Canterlot. “My. Queens,” she heard the Grineer say before silence took over. “Lotus,” she heard a high pitched female voice, followed by a squeal of laughter. “Finally, we have you. You don’t know how long we’ve looked forward to this. A pony. A pony with wings and a horn. How interesting.” “Enough, Worm,” an older voice stated. “Lotus, do you know why we have decided to bring you here?” Celestia tried to look up, but she felt a metallic fist connect with her face and she was down again. She winced, unable to get up again, her consciousness slowly fading. “What… You brought me here… to kill me, right…?” “No, not yet,” the one with the elderly voice cackled. “You see, Lotus, with you here, your precious Tenno will be coming to save you. Kill you? Yes, we will take our time with that when your pathetic world is destroyed, but for now, no. You see, we need one of them.” “One… of them…?” Celestia groaned as she rubbed her muzzle with a hoof. “Yes, one of those humans your Tenno work so closely with. They will come for you and that is where we determine who will suit our needs the best.” “No… You can’t…” “Oh, we can and we will,” the voice laughed again. “But for now, you will rest.” “Rest, meaning you’ll suffer for what you did to us,” the higher voice squeaked. “We won’t kill you, but it doesn’t mean we can’t hurt you.” “General, will you take the honour of beginning?” the older queen asked. Celestia saw the feet of the one who had kidnapped her as he stood over her with a wicked grin on his mouth. “My. Honour. To. Do. So. My. Queens.”