//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Shadows and Secrets (Part 2) // Story: Ponygoyles // by Alphamon_Ouryuken //------------------------------// "It’s time to purge your wretched kind from this world..." The Hunter stated firmly, his words practically dripping with contempt as his weapon fully charged. “Now DIE” Not wasting a second, Rarity grabbed Fluttershy and dived behind several steel crates as their assailant began firing upon them. "Of the times for one of them to show up..." Rarity whispered in anger before turning her attention to Fluttershy, who was still in somewhat of a daze. "Darling? Darling come on. Please we do not have time for this!" Rarity said rapidly as she carefully peeked over the edge of the crate.... and saw their opponent had suddenly vanished. "What the-? Where di-" "Pathetic." A voice whispered as the Hunter reappeared behind her, grabbing her by the neck and lifting her off the ground. "I expected much more from you, considering the trouble your brethren gave my siblings..." "PUT. HER. DOWN!" Fluttershy shouted, having finally snapped out of her daze, she quickly grabbed a discarded crowbar and attempted to hit the Hunter from behind… Only for him to blast her right in the face with a noxious gas. "I take it she doesn't really fight that often? If she does, then that was.... very underwhelming."  He scoffed dismissively as Fluttershy fell to her knees couching. Rarity glared at the Hunter with pure malice.... only for that glare to become a smirk as one of the steel crates was enveloped in her magic aura and slammed into him, forcing him to drop her as he was sent flying across the docks. "It's called a distraction, genius." She taunted before helping Fluttershy to her feet. “Com’on Fluttershy, we need to get out of here-” However as they ran the two felt something wrap around their bodies, pinning them together and locking their wings in place. "Oh you have to be joking dear!" The white Ponygoyle snarled as she turned around... and saw that the Hunter had launched two long metal ropes from his gauntlets to bind the two together. "A lucky shot. Won't happen again I assure you." He growled as he began reeling them in... Unbeknownst to any of them however, a pair of green, menacing eyes watch from below the surface... and just as the Hunter had gotten close enough, a large figure out of the water and sliced through the wires before he could react. “What the-?!” Letting out a menacing roar, the figure slammed its fist into the Hunter's chest before he could react, sending him flying straight through a wall. "Some Hunter you are..." The figure snorted as it cracked it's neck nonchalantly. Rarity and Fluttershy could only stare at the being before them in shock as he turned his attention to them. He was about as tall as Applejack, his body was covered in purple scales, he had a lime green underbelly and emerald spikes going down from the back of his head to the very top of his long, slender tail, his body was slim yet surprisingly muscular, and he had two large lime-green wings. The two Ponygoyles eyed their supposed savior a few times, making sure their eyes weren't deceiving them... He was a Dragon. "A dragon in Manehatten.... okay, I must've gotten hit harder than I thought or something..." Rarity said as she rubbed her eyes again. "This is.... this is impossible. There's no way a dragon is still alive in this day and age." “You'd be surprised how long out kind can live…” The Dragon smirked as he approached the two… only to notice Fluttershy flinch and hide behind Rarity, who had a more…. uncertain look on her face. “...something wrong?” “My apologies Mr. Dragon….” Rarity said as she wrapped her wings around her shoulders. “But while we're grateful that you stepped in to help us… we don't exactly know who you are…” "’Mr. Dragon’? Well that's a first.... I was basically a youngling the last time we met." The Dragon said with a chuckle. "You two haven't aged a day though it looks like, I mean WOW." "A youngling?" Rarity repeated in confusion. "We've never-" "Wait!" Fluttershy interrupted, pushing past Rarity she walked right up to him, much to the white Ponygoyles' surprise. She stared at him intently, taking in the Dragon's appearance... The scales... The spikes... That innocent look in his eyes... Fluttershy's eyes lit up with joy as it all came back to her. "Oh my goodness! You're-" "-in for a real world of hurt!" The Hunter yelled as he rushed out of the hole in the wall and tackled the Dragon. "Stay out of this, dragon!" He shouted as he tried to wrestle him to the ground. "This is MY fight!" The Dragon roared as he kicked him off, spreading his wings and took to the air. The hunter reacted by pressing a button on his left gauntlet, resulting in a sharp arm-length blade shooting out of it. Not wasting a second he aimed his right arm at the dragon and shot the same wire that he'd used on the Ponygoyles. The Dragon however had other ideas, as the wire wrapped around his right leg he immediately exhaled a huge fireball at the water underneath him. Less than a few seconds later, the entire room was filled with thick steam. "You girls came here for something right? Get it while I hold him off!" The two Ponygoyles heard him yell out. "But... we can't just let him fight that pony! He'll be killed!" Rarity screamed as she tried racing towards his voice. However Fluttershy grabbed her and held her back. "Let me go! He needs our help!" "I don't like it any more than you do. But we still have to get the artifact!" Fluttershy stated in a surprisingly more assertive tone. Sadly right as she said this, the alarm system immediately went off, sirens blaring and red lights flashing. "If we don't get it now we'll be dealing with a lot more than just that Hunter!" "But he'll die if we don't do something!" Rarity snapped as she ripped her hand out of Fluttershy's grip. "I failed to protect the last Dragon I promised to look after! I won't let this one fall as well!” Fluttershy winced as she watched Rarity run towards the fighting duo.... and glanced back at the boxes stored in the docking bay... specifically the one where she saw her vision. 'I hope I'm right about this...' She thought as she pulled out the device Fancy Pants had given her and quickly twisted the top half. Immediately after she did so, the orb started beeping and the smallest box in the back began glowing, a yellow aura of magic shooting out of it and being absorbed into the orb. Seconds later the beeping stopped as a powerful pulse of electricity erupted from the device, resulting in all of the lights going dead and security alarm abruptly shutting off. The entire base had lost its power. "O-oh my." Fluttershy gulped, she tried looking around for her sister, now the darkness becoming her enemy thanks to the steam for earlier, causing her night vision to become all but useless. "R-Rarity?! Where are you?!" As the Hunter continued to face off against the Dragon, he quickly summoned a shield of magic as his opponent exhaled another fireball at him. "I don't know how you got here Dragon, but whatever you and your master are up to... the Hunters WILL stop you!" He stated as he drew his own blade. "What we WANT is just to be reunited with our clan! Something YOU won't stop!" The Dragon roared as he readied his own claws. "You and your family have hunted us down for eons! That blood feud ends today!" Just as the Hunter was about to make his next move, a powerful pulse of electricity spread across the entire room, killing all of the lights and causing several sparks to start erupting from his suit. "AGH!" He screamed as he suddenly fell to his knees. "What the-OOF!" "Get away from the Dragon!" Rarity roared as she then kicked him across the dock, sending him crashing into a pile of boxes. "You're not touching him, do you hear me?!" "Hmm.... you don't have a connection to this Dragon… yet you feel the need to protect him." The Hunter groaned as he slowly picked himself up. "You are.... definitely unlike the ones I'm used to." "And what, pray tell, do you mean by that?!" Rarity growled as she bared her fangs. "You and your family assaulted my sisters unprovoked, then you attack us for no reason other than our species being different?!" She snarled as she stormed towards him, her eyes glowing and her claws extending. "I should finish you off right here..." "Yes well... maybe that'll be next time then." The Hunter smirked under his mask as he grabbed some small black orbs and threw them down, detonating the smoke bombs which caused her to start coughing and lose focus on where he was. "That was a cheap shot, you coward!" She shouted, hacking and coughing as staggered backwards and fell to her knees. However before she could regain her bearings she was unexpectedly lifted up bridal style and carried away from the smoke. By the time she could see properly again both the smoke and steam had cleared… the Hunter was gone... and it was only at that point she realized she was in the arms of the very Dragon she was trying to help. "Hey there." The Dragon said with a smile the melted her heart "Thanks for the help." "....it would be nicer..... if you weren't stepping on my tail." Rarity said with a strained smile on her face. "Please darling, it's REALLY hurting right now." "GAH!" The Dragon yelped as he lifted his foot off of her tail, earning a sigh of relief from the Ponygoyle. "Sorry, sorry, I'm SO sorry!" He apologized in embarrassment. "It's... fine dear." As Rarity took a deep breath despite the pain. "It's.... just fine.... could have been much worse." “Rarity! I found what we came for!” Fluttershy called out as she flew towards them holding a small box. “We need to leave before the security systems come back on!” Just as she finished explaining, they started hearing the sounds of ponies banging on the locked doors. A clear sign that they had to make themselves scarce. “Oh great...” Rarity groaned. “Back into the sewers” "I know a quicker way out. Just.... do you trust me right now?" The dragon asked the two. "Well darling that's hardly a choice right now so for right now? Yes we trust you." Rarity sighed, Fluttershy simply nodded, the Dragon smiled at this as he lead them towards a shortcut he made himself... which basically amounted to a hole in the ceiling. Just as they left, the emergency power finally fired up and the door shot open as several security guards rushed into to the room…. only to find the docking area a complete mess with no intruders in sight… “And we're out!” The Dragon proclaimed as he flew out of a hole in the wall of a large drainage pipe with Rarity still in her arms, the claw markings a clear indication that he'd dug his way in. "My oh my,  you have quite the tenacity dear." Rarity said with a small giggle. "Your claws being strong enough to able to cut through steel and rock so easily..." The Dragon blushed at this bit of praise as Rarity carefully got out of his arms. "W-Well, I’ve had  several years of practice..." He stammered... only to suddenly find himself being hugged from behind by Fluttershy. "I'm so happy you're alive!" She whispered as she wrapped her wings around him. "I... I... missed you so much..." "Darling.... what are you talking about?" Rarity asked as she looked at the two with a confused look in her eyes. "I mean it's great to see another dragon but I don't exactly remember this one." Fluttershy simply smiled. "Rarity, remember how he said he was young when he last saw us? this is the same Dragon we lived with back at the castle!" She explained gleefully. Rarity blinked for a moment before taking the time to get a better look at him, disbelief written all over her face as she realized the Dragon they'd adopted into their clan had grown so much. "Y-you... you're the-" "It's me..." He said as he grabbed the two and gave them an EXTREMELY tight hug. "You have no idea how much I missed you girls!" "Sweetie... I'm glad... to see you too... b-but, too tight..." Rarity gasped, the pressure from his grip nearly causing her to pass out. "Ch-choking.... not breathing..." Fluttershy wheezed. In another location, a lone figure sat in his chair with three seperate screens in a triangular formation in front of him. The lower left screen displayed Rainbow Dash and Applejack breaking into the island base. The lower right screen had footage of Rarity and Fluttershy’s encounter with the Hunter, right up until the EMP was set off. And the top screen showed footage Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and their azure sister flying towards the aerial base. “So they managed to get their claws on one of the artifacts… but we can’t let things get too easy...” the figure mused to himself as he pressed a few buttons, the screen lower right screen changed to display a creature with glowing red eyes. “Your real targets have arrived, be sure to only incapacitate them.” [UNDERSTOOD MASTER.] As the screen turned off, the figure turned his attention to the top screen. “Computer, deploy unit Alpha to the aerial base, do not engage the target until the EMP is activated.” He commanded. Back on the island base, the two Ponygoyle weren't exactly having the best luck... "GAH WHAT KIND OF ALERT BELL IS THIS?!" Rainbow yelled as she covered her ears. "SERIOUSLY WHY AT THIS INTENSITY?!" "LESS YELLIN'  AND MORE MOVING!" Applejack snapped at her as she whipped her upside the head. "Hey, I'm not the one who-what the..." Rainbow stopped herself mid-retort as they turned the corner and came across a rather... confusing sight. The hallway was littered with the unconscious bodies of several security guards, most of them were covered in cuts and bruises, alive, but badly injured. ".... holy..... do you think they're gonna be alright?" Dash asked as she looked over one of them. "I mean I would've fought them all but.... there's no sense in doing this to the death, you know?" Applejack remained silent as she stepped around one of the guards, if there was one thing their Clan was strict about, it was killing. In their family such an action was seen as only a last resort, and even then it was only remotely considered when the situation absolutely called for it... ".... so what? Call the mission a bust?" Rainbow asked as she looked around. "Because right now? I get the DISTINCT feeling that whatever we were here for? It's long gone by now.... AJ?" "No..." Applejack replied and she began walking down the hallway, being careful not to step on any of the fallen guards. "It's still here... Ah know it is..." "How could you possibly-" "Ah felt it RD...." She whispered back to her sister in a serious tone. "The moment we got close to the base I felt some sort of.... pulse of magic. Ah don't know what it was, but Ah know for a fact that it came from what we're looking for... this feeling was... just like back in Everfree all those years ago..." "Wait, y-you're telling me that...  the artifact has Avalonian magic in it?" Rainbow asked with a gulp. "Then we have to get it NOW. That stuff is like.... end of the world type stuff." "....well look at you, reading up on magic." AJ said with a smirk. "Hey I can read when it suits me.... anyways seriously we have to REALLY hunt this thing down NOW." The two heard a scream from down the hall followed by an explosion as the entire base shook. Both of them shared an uncertain glance before they took off in the direction of the noise.... "Please don't be some kind of demon, please don't be some kind of demon, PLEAAASE don't be some kind of demon." Dash whispered to herself as they arrived at the spot, seeing a guard held up by what looked like a metallic Ponygoyle. "Er..... excuse me?" "They look like... livin' suits of armor..." Applejack whispered and she got into a defensive stance. The two metallic creatures immediately turned their attention to the new arrivals. [PONYGOYLES: PRIORITY ONE] One of them stated, dropping the guard to the ground before charging at Rainbow Dash. "Okay tou-OOF!!" Rainbow gasped as the strange metal being tackled her into a wall, knocking the air right out of her. "A-any help now would be fine AJ." She gasped weakly before the creature threw her aside. AJ just growled as she pulled readied her claws. "Come on then ya ugly bastards! Let's see what ya got!!" [BATTLE MODE: ENGAGED] The second one announced as it spread it's metal wings and extended its own claws in retaliation... only for Rainbow to recover and deliver a sharp kick to the back of its head. "Not today you jerk!" Rainbow said with a smirk as the robot was sent flying backwards into a wall. "You're gonna need something tougher than that to keep me down, I can keep going all night long!" Unfortunately for Rainbow, the armored Ponygoyle was a lot more durable than she anticipated, less than a second after after it hit the wall it got up, barely any damage visible on its body as it's eyes began to glow. [TARGET RECONFIRMED. SIGHTS LOCKED ON BLUE PONYGOYLE.] It stated as its claws retracted into its arms and were replaced with what looked like miniature cannons.... aimed right at her. [FIRE!] "Oh please small cannons like that don't-" Was all she managed to say before the cannons shot electricity of some kind and zapped her. Causing her to scream in pain before trying to fight back.... only for the voltage to suddenly increase forcing her to her knees. "RAINBOW!" AJ called out in concern, sadly her own opponent took advantage of this momentary distraction and slammed it's fist into her stomach, sending her flying into one of the nearby computers. While her durable scales protected her from any serious damage, she was still somewhat dazed from the impact. "Ok... now you've gone and made me MAD!" She growled as she picked herself up. [TARGET HAS ENTERED COMBAT STATUS. MISSION STATEMENT REMAINS. DETAIN BUT NOT KILL.] The armored being said as a strange small cannon popped out from it's wrist but AJ was ready for this one. As it fired an arc of electricity at her she dodged it just in time.... only for it's OTHER ARM to pull out a similar cannon and blast her with a bright red light. Applejack's scream echoed throughout the room as she fell to the floor, red sparks of electricity dancing across her twitching and convulsing body. Unfortunately, this had a bit of an opposite effect on their other captive. "AJ!!" Rainbow called out upon hearing her sister's screams. Her eyes glowed blood red as she forced herself to stand up, despite the immense pain she was in. Desperate, she lunged at her opponent, slamming her fist into its chest area, hoping to at least do some damage. While it did manage to send the strange being back a few steps, due to her exhaustion and the electricity still disorienting her it did as much as a pebble thrown at a dragon... annoy it. "....come on you rust bucket.... I can tear you apart… with one arm behind my back." [Turn up the voltage... about 50% should do.] A voice commanded from within the creature. [UNDERSTOOD. INCREASING VOLTAGE.] The armored Ponygoyle stated before shooting a more powerful pulse of electricity at Rainbow Dash, forcing her to the ground. ‘Crush them..... CRUSH THEM!’ A small voice spoke to her in her mind.... these.... hunks of metal.... dared to hurt her sister..... and threaten to take her away?! They should have chosen a different spell to subdue her for no lightning bolt on the planet will save them now! "RRRRRRAAAAAAAAGH!" Rainbow roared as her body was engulfed in an aura of light blue electricity sparking and brimming with power. "Wh... what the..." Applejack gasped as she struggled to pick herself up despite the immense pain she was in., sadly she was barely able to get on her knees. "R-Rainbow...?" [CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE UNEXPECTED PARAMETERS.] The second armored Ponygoyle stated as it turned its attention away from Applejack. [ENGAGING INTERCEPT MODE.] "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Rainbow yelled as she launched herself at it at breakneck speed. And while the creature's armor was tough this new aura allowed Rainbow to tear through it like cheap cloth, causing it to explode in a fiery inferno..... however this sudden power boost didn't last long and soon Rainbow felt her consciousness fade from her, collapsing less than a second after she stopped moving. "...how... how did... you...?" Was all Applejack could whisper out before passing out, her body no longer able to endure the punishment it had been put through. [Hmmm, unexpected but not completely unpleasant.... now then, bring the specimens back. We have what we need.... oh, and be ready for repairs.] A voice in the remaining creature’s comm said as it picked up both of it’s targets and flew out of the building…. Back on the air-carrier, Twilight screamed in pain as she held her arm, the aura around it extending up to her shoulder as strange patterns began to spread across her skin. 'Why... why does this power... feel so familiar?' Twilight thought to herself as she gasped in pain, the vision she had seen earlier suddenly flashing across her eyes yet again... as of it were calling out to her... "Sister?!" Her sister shouted as she rushed to her side. "No no no no! Y-you have to be okay! Come on please calm down! Y-you can't be done now! We've come so close!" "I... I'll be fine... but this... this power..." Twilight gasped as her sister helped her to her feet, the markings on her arm slowly receding as the or began to die down. "It's... it feels the same as... as that magic from Everfree...." Pinkie gasped upon hearing this, giving the door a cautious glance before hurrying over to her side. "You don't mean... Avalonian magic?" "I think it is... sisters whatever is in there we HAVE to get it out. NOW." Twilight said as she tried again.... only to receive a similar, if less intense, response. "H-how do we open this thing?!" "It must be constructed from some sort of magic-resistant steel..." Their Azure sister elaborated as she inspected the door, glancing at the small sphere Pinkie was keeping in her satchel. "Maybe if we use that device...." "Uh are you sure?" Pinkie asked as she rolled the sphere around her satchel a bit. "I mean it's kinda risky and we've already seen what it can do to Twilight..... but I mean if it's the only way-" "Pinkie." Her sister began, giving her a hard glare. "We don't have much of an option here, it's only a matter of time before they ponies start getting wise to their subordinates getting knocked out." She stated firmly, holding out her hand. "We need to finish this mission NOW." "..... y-you're right." Pinkie said as she pulled out the device. "Okay so um... what do we just put it on the door or something?" "I believe he said to twist it like so...." She replied as she grabbed it and proceeded twist the top half. Soon, just like the one Fluttershy used, the orb started beeping.... however, as it continued to do so a bright flash began emitting from behind the door... yet at the same time Twilight's aura began to flare once more... "Wha-what's happening to m-AAAAAAHHH!" Twilight suddenly screamed as a powerful pulse of magic erupted from her body, sending Pinky and her sister flying across the hallway, the magic briefly swirled around her body before being absorbed into the device, followed by an electric pulse that spread throughout the entire ship. As a result, everything within the Airship abruptly shutting off.... including the engines keeping it airborne. "Oookay me thinks this was SUPER dumb!" Pinkie said with a gulp as the place soon began turning red from the emergency lights. "Oh crap oh crap oh crap! What do we do?!" [EMERGENCY ALERT! EMERGENCY ALERT!] A computerized voice announced as sirens begin blaring throughout the halls. [ALL SYSTEMS OFFLINE! ALL SYSTEMS OFFLINE! AIRSHIP LOSING ALTITUDE! CRASH COURSE IMMINENT!EMERGENCY POWER GENERATOR ACTIVATED! ALL SECURITY SYSTEMS OVERRIDDEN! ALL PERSONNEL ARE TO EVACUATE AND BOARD THE ESCAPE PODS IMMEDIATELY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A DRILL!] As the voice continued to repeat this, several of the doors in the hall, including the one holding the artifact they were seeking, immediately swung open as the sounds of several panicking ponies echoed throughout the area. "Okay, whatever we were sent after?! It's NOT worth our lives sister! We have  to leave!" Pinkie yelled as she went to pick up Twilight.... only to see her Azure sister still trying to look for the artifact. "... ARE YOU  KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!" "You  heard the announcer! The ship's going down! If we lose the artifact  here we might lose it forever!" She responded harshly as she approached  one of the machines, slamming her climb to the safe and ripping out the artifact. "NOW we can leave." "You took a stupid risk." Pinkie said with almost a growling tone. "Oh  please get over it. This thing could do wonders you haven't heard of if..." The Azure sister said with an eyeroll. "Now come on or do you think THAT'S rash to?" Pinkie gave her a irritated glance before they started carrying their weakened sister down the hallway.... only for the entire ship to shake violently, knocking them off their feet! "What's going on!?" Pinkie yelped as the entire hallway became slanted, prompting the sisters to dig their claws into the floor or the walls. "The ship's going into a nosedive!" Their Azure sister shouted as she quickly levitated Twilight onto her back and started flying upwards. "We've got to get out of here now!" [TARGETS SIGHTED.] A mechanical voice stated as a pair of metal claws tore open the side of the ship. Pulling through the hole was an armored Ponygoyle yet it.... seemed to be devoid of anything resembling a soul. "What the heck is THAT thing!?" Pinkie gasped as the strange creature charged at the trio, Pinkie wasn't fast enough to dodge the newcomer while holding onto Twilight and Trixie was absolutely dumbfounded by the creature's presence to react fast enough... And that very moment however, Twilight's eyes glowed as she quickly teleported them outside of the ship, letting the creature crash through the wall. "What... was... that thing...?" Twilight asked between gasps as they watched the ship slowly plummet towards the lake. Several escape pods already being launched from various areas as it continued its descent. "Um sister what was that thing?" Pinkie asked her Azure sister. "Because it didn't seem very friendly." "Oh what gave that away?!" She snapped at her. "THE PART WHERE IT TRIED TO ATTACK US?!" "Nah, it was because he had a really grumpy expression!" Pinkie stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I mean did you SEE his face? It was probably frozen that way!" Her sister rolled her eyes as they descended towards one of the rooftops. Gently laying Twilight against the wall. "Are you okay sister?" Twilight could only watch as the shift finally crashed into the lake, sending tidal waves out from it's impact, small part of her feeling guilty. "I... I'm tired, but fine..." "Tired nothing you look like you're about to faint again! That was REALLY dangerous Twi!" Pinkie said as she looked her over. "Is anything wrong? Do you need a hug-" "We can worry about that later! That crazy creature is coming for us!" The Azure sister snarled. True to her word, the strange Ponygoyle from earlier burst out of the crashing ship be made a beeline for the trio. "Give her the item and tell her to run!" Pinkie nodded, quickly taking off the satchel holding the artifact and handing it over to Twilight. "Wait! You don't have to fight without-" She began, only for Pinkie to place a finger on her lips. "You're in worse shape than any of us, we can handle that weirdo. But you need to replenish your energy. Now go!" She stated as the creature landed on the rooftop. [TARGETS LOCKED.] The monster said as it armed it's cannon. Twilight could only growl at herself as she took off and tried flying away from the upcoming carnage.... only for the second one to see her and fire off a heavy stun laser. Twilight had no time to brace herself as the laser immediately struck her left wing, she screamed in agony as it went completely numb and she spiraled down towards the busy street below. Focusing with what little magic we have left, she teleported to the closest secluded area she could recall at the moment: Manehatten Central Park.