//------------------------------//
// Season 1, Episode 3- Depths of Fear 
// Story: Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Crossover Go! 
// by Dragonfire2lm 
//------------------------------//

“If Princess Celestia controls the sun, you’d think she’d turn the heat down a bit.” Sparx said as he and Chiro sat under the shade of a tree by Ponyville’s local lake. 

“Still, it was a pretty cool idea for Pinkie Pie to throw a party here for everyone to cool off.” Chiro replied as Nova, Otto and Gibson splashed around in the lake alongside many of the locals from Ponyville. Several other ponies were lounging on towels or picnic blankets set up under the shade of large umbrellas or trees.

“Hey Chiro why don’t you come in, the water’s fine!” Nova called out.

“Nah it’s fine, I-I’m good here!” the boy replied nervously.

“Heh, don’t sweat it kid, we’ll beat the heat our own way.” Sparx stated.

A shadow fell over the yellow monkey and she looked up just in time to see something quickly plummeting towards her.

“Oh no…”

“Pony tsunami!” Pinkie Pie cried out joyfully as she landed in the lake with a large splash.

“I don’t know how you lot have the energy to run around in this heat,” Fenneca said from her spot sprawled atop a large rock, the bandages around her legs were gone as were the holes. “In my opinion there’s nothing better to do on a sunny day than lounge around and take it easy.”

“I couldn’t agree more darling.” Replied a white unicorn mare with a purple mane and tail styled in elegant long curls and sapphire blue eyes. The mare was wearing a large straw sunhat and was sharing a towel with Fluttershy, a pitcher of lemonade between the two.

“I know lot of my animal friends enjoy the warm weather Rarity,” Fluttershy replied. “Everyone just has different ideas of fun, that’s all.”

“You got that right, there’s no way I’m getting in the water and end up smelling like wet monkey,” Sparx replied, the end of his tail transforming in to a small fan he pointed in Chiro’s direction. “We’re cool as cucumbers, right kid?”

“Yeah.” Chiro replied.

“Hey, everypony out of the water!” Everyone looked up to see Rainbow Dash flying down towards the gathering, a flock of other weather pegasi flying behind her. “This is official Wetherpony business. Show’s over folks.”

“Is something wrong Dash?” Fluttershy asked.

“Ever since the water tower got destroyed last week, Ponyville’s hasn’t had as much water reserved for weather management and the waterways have all dried up so we have to store as much water in clouds as we can to hold out until we get the big rainstorm next week from Cloudsdale.” Rainbow replied.

“I wonder whose fault was that, huh Gibson?” Sparx asked sarcastically.

“Clearly the Skeleton King’s minions have grown more formidable, targeting a key structure like that during the attack.” Gibson said.

“Suuure.” Sparx replied.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Chiro asked.

“Well I think the water shortage is caused by a blockage in Ponyville’s underground waterway and as Lead Weathermare of Ponyville it’s my job to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it,” Rainbow stated. “The waterway is a huge network of tunnels that carries water from an underground lake in the Everfree Forest all the way to Canterlot’s aqua ducts. I could use some help looking for the blockage, it’s like a maze down there.”

Antauri floated up from where he was meditating beneath the surface of the water. “The Super Robot’s scanners should be able to map out the subterranean waterway and pinpoint the cause of the problem.”

“Someone will need to stay behind to relay the information back-” Gibson explained and Chiro latched onto the idea.

“Me, pick me! I’ll stay!”

“Somepony mind explaining what’s going on?” Rainbow asked.

“With Chiro staying behind, Rainbow will need a way to communicate with the rest of the team.” Fenneca pointed out.

“You could come with me.” Rainbow suggested.

“I don’t like being underground any more than you like being grounded.” Fenneca stated curtly.

“What’s the big deal? You live in the basement.” Rainbow retorted.

“A basement I dug out myself, know is structurally sound and ludicrously reinforced.” The fae replied.

“You know, we could give Rainbow a communicator and have Fenneca wait with Chiro in the robot.” Otto suggested.





“This is where you guys get your water, talk about creepy.” Sparx stated as he and the other monkeys looked around the large cavern 

Rainbow Dash hovered down from the entrance, a large pony sized manhole, a Hyperforce communicator hanging around her neck via a piece of cloth.   “I only come down here to do maintenance, this place is creepy.”

“Chiro, have you located the source of the water blockage, the high mineral composition of these tunnels are interfering with my scanner.” Gibson explained.

“The Robot’s scanners have detected a blockage down the main tunnel you’re in now, just keep going straight and you can’t miss it.” Chiro replied over the communicator.

“Be careful everyone, we’re picking up additional life signs down there but they’re spotty at best. It could be the local wildlife or it could be whatever caused the water to stop flowing in the first place.” Fenneca added.

“Does anyone else feel like we’re being watched?” Nova asked.

“Be on your guard Monkey Team.” Antauri advised as the group walked down the tunnel.

The darkness of the cavern forced the monkeys to use their head lamps for light while Rainbow flew above them, her head turning toward every strange sound that echoed through the tunnels.

“She’s certainly jumpy today.” Sparx commented.

“Rainbow? Are you alright?” Fenneca asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be? Did that monkey say something?” Rainbow replied.

“There’s nothing to worry about, you’re almost there.” Chiro stated.

They group turned a corner to find themselves staring at a dead end. A lumpy, twisted mess of something that resembled rock towered over them from floor to ceiling and prevented them from going them any further.

“What the? There wasn’t a wall down here before!” Rainbow exclaimed as Gibson inspected it with his hand-held scanner.

“This ‘wall’ appears to made of wood pulp and hardened… mucus, disgusting,” the scientist commented. “I’m also picking up a large volume of water on the other side of this structure.”

“So, you think something built this?” Sparx asked.

“Who cares, let’s just smash it and get out of here.” Nova said, her weapons at the ready.

“Wait! Chiro, this is why there’s no water right?” Rinbow asked.

“Yeah.”

“This thing’s obviously been here for a while, we last checked the waterways the week before the Summer Sun Celebration so if it’s been like this since then…” Rainbow explained.

“The water’s been blocked for at least a week.” Chiro realised.

“We need to let it drain out slowly or Ponyville could be flooded.” Rainbow stated.

Something moved in the shadows, Nova whirled around in search of it but was met with only the darkness of the tunnel. Something impacted her back with enough force to send her flying into the wall, something sticky that prevented her from using her fists and kept her body pinned to the cavern wall.

“We’re under attack!” Antauri warned just a green glob hit him square in the chest and leaving him stuck to the ground.

“It appears to be bioluminescent mucus with highly adhesive properties, Otto, can you cut them loose?” Gibson asked.

“I can- uh-oh!” Before Otto could do anything he too was stuck to a wall by a glob of glowing green goop.

“Oh, just great, we’re stuck underground and trapped by a pile of snot!” Sparx snarked, stuck upside down to the opposite wall.

“My wings! They’ve gummed up my wings!” Rainbow moaned from her place glued next to Antauri

“Gibson get us out of here!” Nova exclaimed.

“it appears Fenneca was right, we aren’t alone down here…” Gibson stated fearfully as hundreds of blue, bulbous compound eyes stared at the group from the shadows, the sounds of chittering and buzzing roaring in their ears.

A large, deep sounding crack followed by a dull boom echoed from the fake wall, the creatures in the darkness scattered into the depths of the tunnel as water began to pour from cracks in the wall.

“The water pressure is too much for the structure, it’s breaking down.” Gibson stated.

“The wall’s broken! We gotta warn Ponyville!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Forget Ponyville, what about you? You’ll drown!” Sparx said. 

“Monkey Team to Chiro, come in!” Antauri said. “We’re trapped in the waterway and it’s flooding, we need help immediately.”





“Chiro?!” Antauri called out as the leader of the Hyperforce stared numbly at the screen.

“I…I can’t!” Chiro forced out. “I can’t swim!”

“Chiro, go issue an evacuation order, I’ll go down and rescue your team.” Fenneca stated.

“But aren’t you-?”

“Afraid of being buried alive? Yes, but I’m more afraid of losing someone when I could have done something to help them,” Fenneca replied. “I’ll make sure everyone comes back safely Chiro, I promise.”

 

Chiro activated Hyper Mode and ran out of the Super Robot with Fenneca, the fae heading in the direction of the waterway’s entrance while Chiro sprinted into Ponyville.

“Everyone, get to higher ground!” he called out, waving his arms to get everyone’s attention. “The town’s about to be flooded!”

He ran from street to street as ponies galloped to a hill outside of town. Chiro checked every store, every house and worked with the weather team to shepherd the citizens away from town. Just as the last few ponies reached the safety of the hill, water sprung from pipes and manhole covers, rushing through the streets and transforming Ponyville into a miniature mockery of the waterways beneath it.

He activated his communicator. “Monkey Team, come in!”

He sighed in relief as he got a response from Nova. “We’re alright Chiro, Fenneca got us out and rescued Rainbow Dash.”

“She created a semi-permeable forcefield around Rainbow to allow her to breathe underwater, quite ingenious really.” Gibson added.

“It’s a modified shield spell…” Fenneca corrected.

“Can you two not do this right now? We still need to get out of here.” Sparx commented.

“Uh guys, I just saw something move down there.” Otto said.

“Wait, is that?” Nova asked.

“TV Monster! Monkey Team, move!” Antauri commanded.

“Rainbow, head to the surface-“ Fenneca ordered and Chiro heard her yelp over the comms.

“it’s got Fenneca, after it!” Sparx shouted and Chiro’s blood ran cold as the voice of the Skeleton King came in through the commlink between him and the Monkey Team.

“You pathetic primates, did you really think you could stop me! The Psychion Fae is mine!”

The sound of laser weapons being fired filled Chiro’s ears, his body moved on his own as he ran down the hill, his teammates, his friends crying out in pain as the Skeleton King cackled in his ears.

“You are nothing without the boy! Just mere stepping stones on my path to universal destruction!” The Skeleton King gloated.

Chiro grabbed his helmet from his room inside the Super Robot and slammed it on, it covered his head entirely with a glass panel around his face so he could see. He heard hiss of the helmet connecting to his Hyper Mode uniform, adjusting both the pressure inside the helmet and supplying a continuous stream of oxygen to Chiro even as he dashed out of the robot and ran towards the nearest manhole cover. 

He waded through the water, feeling around for the cover and quickly pried it off, more water spraying out like a geyser until it petered out into a weak gurgle. He stared down into the water depths, his heart racing, his breathing shallow.

“What are you guys doing? Help her!” Chiro heard Rainbow shout over the comms. “That thing is getting away!” 

Chiro found himself staring at the unnatural, horrifying visage of The Skeleton King as the dark lich projected his form onto the water’s surface.

“You’ll find me wherever you find fear, boy.” 

Chiro glared at the image and stepped through it, wading deeper into the water. “I’m not afraid of you.”

Chiro could hear The Skeleton King’s roars of fury as he dove into the water and started swimming. He moved awkwardly at first, a weak dog paddle but some small, instinctual part of mind, or perhaps The Power Primate, kicked into gear and he found swimming to be as simple as walking.

“This isn’t so bad,” he cheerfully said, confident in his new aquatic ability. “Now, where’s Fenneca?”

“Hello, is anyone there? I could use some assistance!” Fennec shouted over the comms in a panicked voice.

“Fenneca? Where are you?” Chiro asked.

“I triggered a cave-in, it was the fastest way to keep this thing from kidnapping me…I’m stuck, that monster was blocking my radio signal and I don’t have enough strength to clear the rubble!” The fae replied.

Chiro looked around and saw a pile of rocks on the floor nearby, a few of them glowed blue for a moment, shuddering slightly before the blue aura flickered out. He swam down, one hand clenched into a fist that glowed with energy.

“Thunder Punch!” Chiro exclaimed and struck the pile of rubble; the force of the attack crumbled the rocks and left a cloud of dust in its wake. When the dust settled, he spotted Fenneca, the bulbs of her antennae lighting up the tunnel as she paddled towards him.

“Thank you…Just thank you.” Feeneca said gratefully, relief palpable in her voice.

“Any sign of TV Monster?”  Chiro asked.

“No, it was damaged in the cave-in so it fled.” Fenneca replied as the comms crackled to life.

“Fenneca? Are you alright?” Antauri asked. “We Spotted TV Monster fleeing the area.”

“She’s fine guys, I rescued her.” Chiro explained.

“Chiro? Underwater? Nice going kid!” praised Sparx.

“That was very brave of you Chiro.” Antauri added

“I’m glad you guys are ok, what happened to Ponyville?” Nova asked.

“Hey, is anypony there?” Rainbow asked over the comms. “The weather team and I are working on cleaning up the flooding so you guys can come up now.”

“Yeah, I say it’s high time we got out of here.” Sparx added.

“Indeed, whatever attacked us could still be down here.” Gibson stated.





In the void of space, hovering above Magian Prime was The Citadel of Bone. Deep within the heart of the ship, on a throne as vile and twisted as he was, sat Skeleton King.

“the Hyperforce think they’ve won? This is only the beginning!” the undead king growled. “they think they’re safe, that they can protect thepsychion fae with their new pony allies…”

He smiled evilly as things scurried and moved about in the shadows of his ship. “The Hyperforce aren’t the only ones with allies on this world and one day the boy and those filthy primates shall face my wrath!”

To Be Continued…