Rise of the Age of Steel
Meanwhile, back onboard the saucer, the Controller and it’s Cybermares had recovered after Celestia attacked Luna.
The Controller looked up as the dust cloud settled, revealing a damaged hole in the saucer’s hull.
“What of the Princess? Should we intervene?” asked the Leader.
The Controller turned around to face the drone. “Negative, the Princess is no longer a concern for the Cybermares. She has already played her part, and provided us with an equine-filled world that will be able to supply us with greater numbers.”
“Affirmative!” The drone slammed its chest in salute.
“Inform our forces that they are to prepare for mass-processing.”
“I obey!” all the Cybermares slammed their chests in salute.
“Order a shuttle to be dispatched for retrieval of the humanoid. He will be returned to the Crucible for experimentation. He could be a great asset to the Cyberiad,” the Controller instructed, holding up its fist.
“I obey,” the Leader responded before slamming its arm against its chest. This time not in salute but establishing close-range communication with another Cybermare.
Elsewhere, a Cybermare standing in front of a control console received the incoming transmission.
“This is Cyber-Leader speaking. Cyber-Controller orders a shuttle craft be dispatched to its position for the retrieval of one humanoid specimen.”
“I obey. A shuttle will be estimated to arrive in ten minutes.”
“Excellent, continue with approach.”
“Affirmative.”
Lowering its hoof back to the floor, the Leader ended the transmission. Looking back up to face the Controller.
“Shuttle estimated arriving within ten minutes.”
“Satisfactory,” the Controller nodded back.
Raising its head, the Controller stepped forward towards the door. “While the Princesses keep each other occupied, there is one final hindrance to our conquest of this world…” said the Controller as the door opened up for it.
Walking out of the room, it turned and followed a corridor down towards a particular room…
*****
In his private quarters, Frost stood with his arms folded across his chest as he hovered in front of the giant observation viewport. Outside his saucer, he silently the observed the legions of Cybermares that hovered in the air, and the long rows of grounded Cybermares that…have begun to surround the saucer, what?
Narrowing his brows, he not only watches the Cybermares on the ground turn to face the saucer as they surround it, but also the ones hovering in the air are doing the same. Every one of those black, emotionless eyes staring back at him.
Raising his wristband, he presses a button with his finger, “Come in, Controller! Come in, Controll-!” he nervously speaks into microphone before hearing the Controller immediately respond.
“How may I serve you, Lord Frost?” replies the Controller.
“Controller, your drones, something seems to be wrong with them. They’re surrounding saucer!” Frost replies, nervously looking out at all the silver faces staring back at him.
“Do not concern yourself with such trivial matters, ‘’my Lord’’. They are merely securing the landing site.” Confused by his response, Frost raises a brow.
“‘’Securing the landing site”? The landing site is already secured.”
“True, but they are not surrounding the landing site of your saucer…” he said as the door to Frost’s quarters opened, and a dark figure with glowing eyes cast a long shadow on the floor, “but my fleet!”
Turning around and looking down, Frost’s eyes widens at seeing the Controller stepping into the room with its arms behind its back, and a horde of Cybermare drones accompanying it. All of whom have their wrist-canons aimed directly at his chest.
Tightening his fists, he scowls looking back at the Controller.
“Why?! Why betrayal?” he asked.
“Betraying you was my original intent. After your liberation, you promised such power and control to those that choose to follow you…and to bestow upon your enemies. I originally served you out of fear of death, but as the years progressed and you awarded me with more power and control within your empire, I came to realize that you would turn a blind eye to my personal affairs as long as I claimed that it was to serve and expand your empire; the Iron Legion, the Cyber-Planet, all devices that you were lead to believe served you when the reality is that they served only one master, one controller; me!”
“You used me to serve your own ends!?” He abruptly stopped shouting, regaining his composure as he put a hand to his chin in thought. “Now that is clever, mind if I use that when I replace you?” he asked striking another battle-ready pose.
“For all your power, “Emperor” …I have been upgraded to where you no longer pose a threat to me or my Cybermares,” he said, holding up a partially clenched fist.
“Your empire has been most beneficial to the Cybermares, Frost, but now…you, your conquests, and all your resources belongs to the Cyberiad!” Tightening his hand into a fist.
Turning away from the Controller, he shifts his focus towards the drones that have all their weapons fixed on him.
While he may be bluffing I don’t dare chance it in case he really is telling the truth about getting stronger. That damn cyborg is not stupid, and wouldn’t dare challenge me unless he knew he could take me down…, he grumbled in thought, however, while he might have gotten stronger, I can still try to escape. His drones are still regular drones.
Releasing his grip slightly, he started charging a ball of energy…
The Controller tilted its head slightly…
“And what if I refuse to bow down?” he asked looking back at the Controller.
“Your mind will be deleted, and your body will be upgraded with a Cyber-suit. Your new purpose will be to serve the Cybermare’ cause.”
Angrily narrowing his brows, Frost glares back at the Controller. Nearly tightening his fist and igniting the ball of energy.
“Unfortunately, Controller, there seems to be something preventing me from surrendering to you…”
“What is that?”
“Me…escaping!” Frost shouts as he reels back his arm, showing the charged ball of energy in his hand, before he sharply throws it down towards the drones.
The thrown ball of energy exploded upon impact with the drones, seeing smoke and fire erupting throughout the room.
A smile curved on his face as the smoke and flames enveloped the drones. Breathing softly as he held his hand outstretched.
Ha, take that, Controller! He cheered in his head.
I guess your drones weren’t good for shi-AGH!
BAM
He thought as he looked back at the Controller, when he suddenly received blaster bolts to the face!
Huh!? What the-!?
Despite the majority of the blaster bolts hitting him, he raised his arms, protecting his face from further attacks…however, he was so focused on the blaster bolts that it left him to attack from another enemy…
Jumping up into the air, the Controller reeled back its fist before delivering a powerful uppercut punch to Frost’s face!
The overwhelmed him. Sending Frost flying back towards the glass, which shattered as he crashed through it.
Flying through the air, he plummeted towards the legion of stone-faced figures. However, before hitting them, the drones moved out of the way, allowing him to merely crash into the ground, blowing up a huge dust cloud.
The surrounding Cybermares all turn to look inwards to the impact zone.
Through the cracked hole in viewport, the Controller hovers down towards the impact zone. Planting its feet on the ground in front Frost as the cloud settles, revealing the collapsed Emperor.
“Your hearing must be impaired since you failed to comprehend when I informed you that you do not pose a threat to neither me or my Cybermares!”
Raising his head, Frost growled back up at the Controller.
“Just you-…wait! Y-you won’t-…succeed!” he spat back.
Gesturing with its hand, two drones trotted up towards the fallen Emperor and grabbed him by the shoulders. Lifting him up, despite his head hanging down.
“Take him to be upgraded,” the Controller ordered.
“I obey,” the drones replied, slamming their arms against their chests in salute.
The bottom of their hooves then ignited, and they started hovering in the air as they carried his body back towards the saucer.
Turning back around, the Cybermare legion immediately stood at attention as their Controller looked back towards the world before it.
“Iron Legion will advance, gather all Equestrians for processing!” the Controller ordered thrusting out its arm in front of it, holding its fingers outstretched.
“We obey!” a loud, singular voice said as every one of the Cybermares slammed their chests in salute.
The Cyber-conversion of Equestria begins!
At the exact same time, all the Cybermares looked up as they all took flight. Their hooves igniting as they all flew off to complete the harvest of Equestria.
Meanwhile up in space, a shuttle flew out of the spaceship heading the fleet. Igniting its engines, it flew down towards the surface of the planet below, speeding towards the planet faster than any of the larger capital ships.
However, it was not the only ship to begin descending upon Equestria, as swarms of Attack and Transport craft soon flew out of their docking bays.
A mass descended upon Equestria, with the blue light from the shuttle at its head!
Back on the surface, the skies darkened as the Iron Legion flew across their previous conquests. Looking up, one was greeted to a Cybermare’s wrist canon.
“You will be taken to Cyber-conversion!” echoed across Equestria. Always in the electronic, emotionless voice of the Cybermares, as they began herding Equestrians to await Cyber-conversion.
The primary conversion facilities available are onboard Frost’s saucer. Until the fleet arrives they will wait!
While the Legion spreads to the lands beyond Equestria’s borders, a separate unit flew straight towards a large mountain that was not far from Ponyville…
The Controller stood atop a hilltop overlooking Equestria with its hands behinds its back, silently watching as its Attack and Transport craft penetrated the clouds.
The large mass of ships separating as they flew down towards the ground, landing close to a group of Equestrians and Cybermares.
If still capable, the Controller would’ve grinned at the whole situation. This was its final victory!
******
Back onboard the saucer, the drones continued carrying Frost’s body down the hallway towards the special conversion chamber that the Controller had installed onboard his ship long ago. Even back then the seeds of betrayal were prominent, but not as potent as now.
At the same time, Kami is held within a hovering coffin as several Cybermare drones escort him through the ship. His eyes widen as he sees Frost be carried by the drones.
“Frost…! Frost!!” he calls out as he begins banging against the translucent hologram in front of him.
Weakly raising his head, Frost looks back at him as they pass each other. His eyes begin glowing, but soon return to normal as he hangs his head while the drones carry him off.
“Frost…! Frost!!” Kami calls out again, banging loudly on the hologram…
******
Back outside, the ground started rumbling and shaking. Dark silhouettes growing larger as they drew closer. A loud noise coming from the skies as Cybermare and Equestrian looked up to see massive shapes descend upon them…
The Controller silently stared at its fleet as the large vessels pierced the clouds. Their large, glistening forms hovering loudly in the air above the various cities that large numbers of Equestrians have been herded.
Some of the ponies started to panic at first glance of these vast, terrifying shapes that hovered overhead, others were taken aback, either from shock or fear that these massive things blotted out the sunlight with their immense size’!
One ship in particular hovers over a large, titular mountain in the distance. Several Transports are flying back and forth between the mountain and the ship.
“Move!” a Cybermare drone orders as the Transports land in front of the herded Equestrians.
Frightened by the ships’ arrival, the Equestrians begin forming lines as they begin boarding the Transports.
“Now…begins the Age of Steel! With the resources from Frost’s empire, the Cybermares will rise(‘’anew’’) and the entire universe will be upgraded!”
******
*Meanwhile, in the Changeling Kingdom*
Across a vast, desolate plain a large, black pyramid hovers high in the air. Around it, black bricks hover randomly.
Inside the Fearamid, its halls are empty, silent. Devoid of any life.
However, inside a central chamber, a hooded figure sits in its throne. Its fingers folded as it stares out a stained-glass window depicting Bill Cipher and watching Celestia and Luna fight each other.
“My victory is already secured. I need just wait it out till one stands victorious over the other,” he said.
Suddenly, though, a wrist device on his right arm started beeping. Pressing the button, he spoke into a large dome that had an ethereal glow inside it.
“Yes, what now?”
“F-forgive us for interrupting you, but there is something that you should be aware of…” a nervous voice replied echoed.
“B-Bill Cipher is coming for us!”
“WHAT!?” he shouted, almost releasing his finger from the button on the wrist device.
The victorious grin he had earlier slipping away, contorting into a concerned frown.
“H-he is here now! W-we need you to return immediately!” demands the voice.
However, the voice is then cut-off by the connection suddenly going dead!
“Hello, come-in! Come-in!” he screams into the orb as he stands up from the throne. His shadow falling upon the wall behind him, though, he doesn’t notice due to being distracted from the light in the orb glowing dimmer.
Nervously gulping, he quickly rises from his throne.
“I have to help them-“
However, turning around, he freezes in place at seeing Bill Cipher’s shadow on the wall behind him.
“I warned youuu…!” Cipher’s voice echoes around the chamber.
“Retribution is innevitableee…!” The voice echoed all around the chamber, making it difficult to pin-point. It also seemed to almost through the walls, themselves.
Breathing heavily through his nose, the hooded figure stands alone in the room. His wide eyes sharply darting back and forth.
“AHA HA HA HA HA HAAA…!” Bill’s voice echoes throughout the room.
Stretching its arm, the shadow reaches out to grab him.
“No!” he screams jumping out of the way of Bill’s hand.
Catching himself in mid-air, he turns around. Facing Bill as he quickly floats away from the dark shadow on the wall.
From amidst darkness, a flaming eye stares back at him as another arm reaches out, but instead of grabbing him plants it on the floor.
“I wasn’t asking for permission!” Bill says before beginning to pull himself out of the wall.
Terrified, he turns around and hastily flies down the hallway behind him. His robes fluttering in the air as he tries putting as much distance between himself and the throne room.
He nervously looks behind him as he zooms down the hallway. His robes fluttering in the air, obstructing his view of Bill as he pulls himself free off the wall. Finally forming legs as he begins standing up.
His lone eye snapping towards the fleeing figure, only managing to catch a short glimpse before his robed figure rounds the corner.
“Ohhh…so you wanna turn this into a chase, do you?” he asks holding out his open hand.
His brow turns into flame, his edges extend outwards until they form curved spires, and four horns grow out.
“BWA HA HA HA HA HA!” he laughs as the bricks on other things on his body become nothing but white lines.
His transformed form then turns into a black mass that falls to the floor and melts into the floor, sending a shockwave of rainbow-ish colors through the entire Fearamid…!
*****
Flying down the corridors as fast as he could, he breathed a sigh of relief that he’s managed to escape from the enraged triangle.
“Now to get out of here and regroup with the others before-“
However, upon holding his fingers to his forehead, he attempts teleporting out of the Fearamid…only to find himself still in the same hallway!
“Huh!? W-what’s going on!? W-why didn’t-“
“Why didn’t your Instant Transmission take your as far away from here…!?” Bill’s disembodied voice interrupted.
Hearing his voice again, he frantically looked around the hallway. Eyes wide with terror whether the Dream demon would try to attack him.
“Well put simply; I’ve sealed off the entire Fearamid, he he!” he chuckled. “Enough time has already been wasted on quelling the Brotherhood, which by the way, if you’re gonna call yourself something, have some class…and now the last thing in my way is you!”
He nervously swallowed. Still remaining observant of his surroundings at all times…
“S-sounds like you’re quite confident in your abilities t-to find me, Cipher!” he stutters. Fear dripping off his voice.
“Oh, I don’t need to find you, Omega…but I require you to remain still!”
Immediately, the floor and ceiling all darken, and several shadow-hands suddenly shot out of the walls!
All reaching with outstretched hands as they try to grab him, but Omega quickly floats out of the way.
Staring at the black mass of the arms in front of him, large slit eyes open up. Blinking as they stare right at him.
“AHHH!” he screams, before quickly begins flying around the arms and down the hall.
Phasing through the floor as they’re lifted back up, the hands now have large eyes in the palms of them.
Each of the eyes batting themselves as they watch him flee down the hallway.
“YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE HERE ALIVE, OMEGA!”
As the Dream demon shrieks, outside the Fearamid, lighting and thunder erupt from the skies!
Fell bolts striking the side of the Fearamid, creating a large in the walls, which is immediately regenerated!
Dark waves spreading across the bricks, turning them from gold-bronze to completely black with white outlines!
Back inside the Fearamid, Omega zooms down the hallway even faster than before.
“YOU’VE ALREADY LOST, OMEGA! THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM MY VENGENCE!” Bill continues shrieking.
Tormenting Omega with the unavoidable that he was doomed. Going even further to conjure massive eyes that seem to slow down time, thus forcing Omega to watch the nightmare-ish eyes as they stare at him. Shooting out tendrils that try to wrap themselves around him, tendrils that have mouths at the ends that try biting him, though, he manages to dodge them.
Further down the hallway, several tentacles shot out from opposite walls and begin merging together into a single black mass. Severing their connection to the walls as they as start flying down the hall towards him, taking on the form of a skull with sharp fangs with black smoke trailing underneath the cranium.
Chomping mad as it approaches him, his brows jump, though, not from fear…but confusion.
Holding out his hand, he begins a ball of energy, which is then thrown towards the chomping skull.
On impact with the skull, the skull dissipates into nothing.
Passing through the smoky remains of the skull, he continues flying down through the hall while the darkness continues overtaking the entire hallway.
Large claws with sharp knives for fingers reach out to try and grab him, but even despite this attempt to grab him, he flies out of the way of the claws.
The eyes in the palms blinking as they watch the humanoid figure elude them.
Suddenly, however, while maintaining a good pace, he looks back, a large, purple energy blast violently hits him hard in the face!
As it hits him, the blast explodes, intensifying the impact and sending him flying backwards.
The impact and explosion sending him. Flying back through several walls (which regenerate themselves after he’s crashed through them…)
*Later, in a room inside the Fearamid*
“Urgh…what happened? Where-?” he groans, raising his head as he looks around his surroundings.
He attempts to stand up, but feels a piercing pain in his chest.
Looking down, his eyes widen at a large fragment that pierced his chest, causing blood to leak from his wound.
“O-oh no!” he gasps, groaning that every movement caused another wave of pain to come over him.
“N-hrnng-no!”
Attempting to claw himself away from the wall along the floor, he groaned as the shard only moved around within his chest.
He needed the wall to support his back or the pain grew unbearable.
Reluctantly, he laid there against the wall while the leaking blood became an ever-swelling puddle on the floor.
“Do you finally realize the futility of your efforts!” Bill’s voice echoed around the room.
Omega could only manage a gasp as he raised his head, frantically looking around the room after hearing the Dream demon’s dismembered voice.
“You still choose to resist me, even as I have you trapped in a room injured?! Ugh, your persistence is starting to annoy me!”
At the opposite wall, a white outline with the image of a vertical line inside a circle and the circle inside a triangle was on the door greeted him.
Turning the knob and pushing the door open, Omega attempted to crawl away at the hovering figure that greeted him in the open doorway.
“Ah ha ha, did I do well, master?” the jester-clad figure asked as it hovered inside the room, closing the door behind him.
“Extraordinarily, Dimentio! Such a good boy you are!” Bill’s voice proclaimed proudly.
“Ah ha ha ha ha. Would you like me to dispense of this trash, master?”
Dimentio holds up his disembodied, gloved hand, conjuring another purple blast about to attack…
“No! While he deserves no less, and it would please me to see him a fall second time…I have something else in mind for this vile traitor!”
Before the jester can inquire what, his master means a wristband hovers into the room with an orb in it that contains a swirling, ethereal mass.
Omega’s eyes widen at seeing the wristband, and tries to crawl away despite the excruciating pain of the shard in his chest tries to get away from the floating wristband.
“I once admired you, Omega, for all the good you did…but now I will see to it that you never rise again to trouble the ones I care about!”
A version of Bill Cipher with the curved edges, horns and flaming eyebrow was seen inside the orb.
“N-no!”
“Time to pay the check, Omega!”
“NO!” Omega screamed.
Letting out a loud ear-piercing shriek as the wristband floated towards him. It’s sides opening as it clamped down on his arm.
Raising his arm, he attempted in a last-ditch effort to smash the device, however, Dimentio suddenly appeared and grabbed his hand.
Attempting a struggle with the jester, Dimentio merely grinned as he forced his hand down and started pressing buttons on the device.
Sweat running down his forehead as he was forced to bring about his own doom.
After the buttons were pressed, Dimentio gently patted his cheek. Staring back with an evil smirk.
“Don’t worry. For all that you have done, master is not so cruel that he won’t allow your passing to feel like falling asleep!”
He was in no way calmed by the jester’s words.
Being patted on his cheek, Omega shook his head as he stared back out at Dimentio.
Watching as the jester’s eyes trailed down. His smile, before returning his gaze to Omega.
“Ciao, Omega!” was the last thing Dimentio said to him, before floating back away from him.
A wave of energy shooting outwards as he teleported out of the room.
Looking down, a pale look of terror moved across his face as he saw the reason for why Dimentio had left.
Staring at the wristband’s orb, a golden light had begun growing in intensity!
A core of crackling energy was at the very heart of the light.
Sparks appearing him where he sat, as well as the golden glow growing brighter as the light engulfed him.
No!
Clenching his eyes shut as he felt it coming, he averted his eyes!
*Meanwhile, outside the Fearamid*
While a crowd of onlookers had assembled. Their curiosity drawn towards the wild activity that was occurring over by the Fearamid, violent bolts of lightning struck the Fearamid.
The floating structure shaking fiercely as random sections exploded as a result of the rampant lightning!
Then, a large tower of fiery, golden energy suddenly bursts from one corner of the Fearamid!
Igniting like a raging inferno, the skies catch fire!
Moving like a wave of destruction above Equestria, drawing everyone’s attention as it passes over them!
Their eyes widening and jaw hanging agape in shock of what just happened.
Back at the Fearamid, the tower of gold energy sinks back inside the devastated structure where it originated from. A second wave shooting outwards that caused the flames to dissipate.
However, having suffered the extensive damage that it has, the Fearamid shook back and forth as it lost orbit. The onlookers on the ground looking up in fear as they either galloped away or flew to get away from the falling Fearamid.
A large explosion erupting as the colossal structure crashed into the earth. Blowing up dirt and dust upon impact.
Once the dust settles, a large pyramid-esque structure remains.
It’s walls sporting large cracks and holes in them as a result of the continuous lightning strikes, which it had been unable to properly regenerate.
Now, an eerie silence hung over the lifeless, creaking structure.