Chapter 25-
Shattered
“CHRIS!”
The ghost-like figure in the doorway seemed to shake with rage before stomping into the room. Samson’s form shimmered and wavered as if fighting to stay in its avatar form rather than revert to just a ball of energy. “Sam,” Chris breathed, stepping forward to put himself between his marefriend and angry sibling. “Please let’s just talk-”
“TALK!” The spirit yelled, the snarl on his face transferring to his voice. “Yeah let’s talk about you lying to me! I thought you said we would never keep things from each other! That we were in this together!”
“Look, Sam, I’m sorry-”
“Sorry doesn’t fucking cut it!”
“Samson,” Sweetie spoke up, stepping out from behind the blonde man. “Chris only had the best of intentions-”
“Butt the fuck out, Sweetie,” the avatar growled, throwing the mare an angry look that made her take a step back and Chris put an arm in front of her. “How long have you known, huh? You're just as guilty as he is.” He turned his gaze back on his brother. “Is that what all this is? You trying to get rid of me?”
“Excuse me?” Chris questioned, a confused look passing over his face as his heart pounded in his chest.
A scoff echoed from the enraged brother. “Should’ve seen that coming,” he murmured, a dark and angry smirk flashing over his form. “Pretty little mare strolls in and takes your heart. Suddenly, you’re keeping secrets and hiding shit.”
A deep frown cut into the gray-eyed man’s face, his brows falling. “You might want to watch what you say next,” he warned, embers beginning to ignite within his eyes. “Sweetie warned me about this. She wanted me to tell you. She was on your side.”
“Was she now?” Samson replied, arching an eyebrow. “Then where was she? She could’ve easily told me what was going on. But no… her loyalties stayed with the perfect brother.” Chris’ brow twitched at that, but his sibling was far from done. “The man who can’t make a single mistake. And where would you be without me? That’s right. A ditch. Crying and balling your fucking eyes out because the whole world is against you and nobody would be there to help you! I. Saved. You!”
“YOU MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!”
Avatar and mare alike flinched at the roar of rage that shook the room. Sweetie stepped back from Chris, the heat of his anger practically palpable as he stepped closer to his brother. “My entire life,” he seethed. “People were afraid of me. Called me a freak. You think I wanted your help? I only wanted to feel like I belonged! And over and over again, you would rear your ugly head and throw that all away! And you want me to thank you for that?”
Sam stared in shock at his brother as he stepped forward again. “You took everything from me. If it hadn’t been for Andrew, I would be in that ditch, dying, alone and scared. And it would be all. Your. Fault!”
The avatar stared at Chris for a long while before his shock turned to anger. “All my fault, huh?” He growled, taking a step towards the physical man. “Who is it that fought off the bullies? Who was it that helped you develop your powers?”
“You put me in a gottverdammtes coma with those powers!” The blonde yelled in response.
“Who kept Psycho off your goddamn back!”
“You want to talk about Psycho?” A dangerous look crossed Chris’ eyes. “Why don’t we talk about the fact that you’re using his powers? You want to talk about keeping secrets and lying when you’re hiding the most dangerous thing from me! We agreed to lock away those powers because they were too dangerous! But what do you care? The all-powerful Samson can handle anything, can’t he?”
“I can take a whole lot more than your pansy ass!” Sam shouted in response, the pair less than an inch apart.
“Du Huren-”
“ENOUGH!!!”
Everyone in the room slammed their hands over their ears, Sam’s form imploding into a sphere in an instant as the voice boomed through the room with enough force to move some of the furniture. Chris shook his head as his ears stopped ringing, looking up at the door to find Artemus stalking into the room, fists clenched at her sides. “You are both acting like children,” the Alicorn stated as she stopped in front of the boys. “We have bigger concerns than a few hidden truths between brothers.”
Chris looked at the mare with a hand still held to his head. “What kind of problems?” He muttered, fighting back a forming headache.
“We have a team on the ground fighting back a group of cogs,” Artemus explained, the mood of the room beginning to simmer down. “We sent a group out earlier and they’ve been doing well, but, after receiving no word from them, we wanted our best fighters ready to go. Of course, that was three hours ago.”
Chris blinked his eyes. “We were gone for three hours?” He questioned only to look towards Sweetie as she spoke up.
“Actually,” she chimed in sheepishly. “You were gone for six.”
Both brothers stopped at that. “...We’ve never been gone that long,” Chris eventually breathed. “We’ve always returned from our calls within a few moments, even if we’ve been gone for days on the other side.”
The silver mare frowned at this. “Then what changed?” She wondered out loud before the jingle of their communicators interrupted the conversation. “Finally,” the mare muttered as she lifted the small device. “You have Artemus.”
“Artemus!” Came the frantic voice of Rushed Leaflet. “Oh, they’re back! It’s-it’s- Oh, sweet Celestia.”
“Leaflet?” The Alicorn questioned, concern rising in her voice. “Ms. Leaflet, calm down, please. What is happening? Who’s back?”
“The assault team!” The mare cried hysterically. “They’re back and- and- it’s horrible!”
Every eye in the room widened in shock. “Leaflet,” Chris started, practically jumping next to Artemus. “Where is the assault team now?”
“The- The infirmary,” the mare quivered. Chris simply nodded his head and turned tail towards the door.
“Chris….” The young man jerked to a halt and glanced over his shoulder to find Sweetie’s eyes filling with tears and Artemus’ overshadowed as she looked to the ground. “The other rangers….” The young man’s eyes widened and without a second thought rushed the door, slamming through it as Swift Static exploded around him.
The man became little more than a blur of orange and gold, the air behind him cracking every time he took a corner. Only seconds passed before he came to a screeching halt inside the medical hall. He widened his eyes as medical personnel bustled about, running from patient to patient trying to help as many as they could. The man’s eyes surfed the room, shock and horror freezing him in place.
“Let me go, damn it!” The shout drew the blonde’s attention further down the hall to see a hoard of doctors trying hold back a battered and bloodied Cobalt Steel.
“Sir, you need to calm down!” One of the nurses cautioned, attempting to pull him back without disturbing the stallion’s limp left arm.
“I’m fine!” The Thestral insisted, flaring his wing and throwing off two more nurses while showing off a bleeding hole in the sail. “I have to find Firefly!” Chris’ eyes widened and he rushed forward, dodging around the hustling professionals.
“Co!” He shouted, getting in front of the stallion and putting his hands on his shoulders. “Co, look at me!” Cobalt strained against him, eyes void of acknowledgment as he struggled to get through. The man grit his teeth and, using the extensive strength he’d been gifted, began to push the pony back towards the bed behind him. With some effort, he forced the struggling stallion to sit on the edge of the bed, holding down his uninjured arm before bringing a hand up to the side of his neck. “Cobalt Steel, listen to my voice! Stop! Right now!”
The stallion thrashed for a moment longer before his eyes began to clarify. “...Chris?” He questioned as he calmed down. “Chris… where were you?”
“I got pulled into another dimension,” the man answered, slowly relaxing his grip. “It wasn’t like anything we’ve ever encountered before. But we can worry about that later. Cobalt… what happened?”
The Thestral stared up at him for a moment before he dropped his gaze. “It was all a setup…” he muttered darkly. “And we walked right into it.”
Cobalt Steel gasped as his hands fell to the edge of the sink, water dripping off his chin as he listened to the running water. He looked up into the mirror in front of him. He stared into his own yellow eyes, eyes combing over his still messy mane, searching the dark blue fur of his face. And the entire time he couldn’t help but ask himself that same stupid question. He sighed and turned the water off before turning himself towards the door. He took a few steps and opened the door only to stop at the sight before him.
He looked over the figure still lying in his bed. His eyes gently went over her figure, the sheets draped over and accentuating her curves. Her colorful mane splayed out on the bed behind her as she slept, her gentle breaths causing her torso to rise and fall in a perfect rhythm. A soft groan reached his ears before she curled up a little on herself, drawing in even more of the thin sheets. He continued to watch over her for a moment before that same stupid question burned through his mind.
A familiar jingle made his ears stand at attention, his eyes going wide. He lifted his hand and hastily unleashed a hand of shadow, grabbing his communicator from his nightstand and drawing it to himself. “Cobalt here,” he answered in a hushed whisper as he turned back into the bathroom and closed the door.
“We’ve got a problem,” came Firefly’s voice. “One of the patrols spotted a group of cogs making their way into the forest. Artemus wants us to provide backup for the others.”
“I’ll be right there,” he muttered, straightening up a bit.
“Right,” the Pegasus replied before a shift in her tone came up. “So, uh, after we get done with this little mission, are we still on for that picnic?”
The stallion blinked for a moment before he closed his eyes and grit his teeth for his own stupidity and forgetfulness. “Of course we are,” he answered into the communicator. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Great!” The mare chirped. “I’ll see you at the front gate.”
“...Yeah,” the Thestral murmured, the line cutting out. He let his hand drop and let out another sigh as he looked to the ceiling. After a moment he looked to the mirror again, his reflection glaring back at him. “...Idiot.” He looked away and left the bathroom, gliding across the room quietly to his small wardrobe and getting dressed in his usual tan combat pants and boots, long sleeved muscle shirt, and his ever-present canvas jacket. He slid his communicator onto his wrist and clamped it on before he looked over his shoulder at another quiet groan.
His eyes once more drifted over Aria Blaze’s sleeping form, noticing not for the first time that she slept with a scared grimace on her face. The stallion allowed a second tick by before he looked away and walked toward the door to his room. “What am I doing?” He finally asked aloud as he left the room and closed the door behind him.
Cobalt stalked through the forest, his light armor put on over his normal combat attire. His metallic shin guards tinked against each other every now and again, his chest piece muffled by the jacket covering it. He shook his wrist as an itch developed underneath his left bracer. He stopped alongside the rest of the troop he and Firefly had been assigned too as Shining Armor lifted his raised fist. The pink Pegasus stopped next to him, her laser blade already out of its sheath. The Thestral glanced at the mare for a moment, Firefly flashing him a quick smile before they looked forward as Shining signaled eyes forward.
With a signal to hold steady, the sounds of metallic marching reached the group’s ears. Cobalt waved a hand over the charm hanging from his belt, his great sword forming before he took the handle. The large Thestral tensed up, the mare beside him doing much the same, simply waiting for their commanding officer to give them the signal. The squad waited until finally, the head of a cog peaked into view. Shining Armor dropped his hand and, with a mighty war cry, pushed himself up and rushed the cog as his magical, magenta armor flashed around him. The rest of the group followed suit and surged forward with a roar.
Cobalt Steel saved his breath as his wings flared and flapped, launching him from the ground and over his compatriots. He landed well within the enemy forces, eyes beginning to burn with light as shadows poured from the sails of his wings. The Thestral gave a feral snarl and became a whirlwind of destruction, slashing to and fro with his greatsword, launching out waves of deadly shadows, and quickly drawing his laser pistol to fire bolts into any opponent that dared rush him. So wild was his attack that he didn’t notice that the cogs he damaged were simply getting back up.
“GRAH!” The stallion roared in pain, the sound of metal on metal grinding against his ears before he turned and swept his shadow-wrapped blade upwards to slash the cog that had gotten behind him. The machine staggered back, smoke rising from the new wound that formed a large ‘X’ before the sparks stopped flying. The robot lifted its head as Cobalt’s eyes widened and rushed forward, raising its spear. The stallion drove his sword up, blocking the downward strike, and as the two weapons locked together, the pony finally got a good look at their new opponents.
These cogs were far different from the others they had faced, octagonal patterns running over their entire form. The metal plating covering their fists, boots, and faces gleamed in silverish blue and looked more like glass than steel. Pointed spires jutted at a backward angle from the disk-like objects on the side of their heads and belts, which now shimmered in gold. “Oh,” the stallion grumbled as he grit his teeth. “Shit.”
Movement caught his eye and with lightning reflexes, he drew his laser blade and parried another incoming blow from a separate cog. Feeling the pressure building, Cobalt forced his shadows around himself, dissipating into smoke and flying away from the aggressive automatons as five combined strikes passed through him. His shadow form snaked to the edge of the battle and the stallion reformed, panting as sweat poured down his face and blood ran down his arm. His eyes widened him as all around him the Resistance fighters were being brought down one at a time. Panic rising, the Thestral searched the battlefield, intent on finding any flash of pink or light blue he could. In a blink, the colors he was looking for caught his attention and with all the rage of an angry bull, Cobalt threw himself back into battle, fighting like a pony possessed.
He forced himself through cog after cog, not bothering to try and finish them as he simply created a path towards his target. Shadows and sparks flew until the Thestral spun with one last attack and warcry, finding pressure meet his back. “These things aren’t going down!” He shouted, blocking another thrust before blasting three holes into an onrushing machine.
“I’ve noticed!” The stallion let out a surprised breath as Shining Armor answered him, the white stallion grunting as he used his short sword to parry a cog’s spear. “We need to get some back up here, ASAP!”
The dark pony blinked a moment before he tsk’d, raising his greatsword just in time to stop another blow. “I’m going to need some cover!” He shouted, slashing the robot and kicking it away.
“I can do that!” The captain answered, lifting his glowing fist before bringing it down into the ground. A shockwave of magenta magic threw every opposing cog away from them before a bubble of the same color surrounded them.
Cobalt immediately stabbed his sword into the ground and lifted his communicator. “Artemus!” He yelled. “It’s a tra-” The stallion clamped his eyes shut and grit his teeth as the small device suddenly let out an extremely high-pitched screech. Both stallions were brought to their knees, ears pinned to their heads as the magic shield around them wavered. The Thestral opened one eye and brought his other hand up, removing the screaming device before throwing it to the ground and stomping on it.
Both stallions panted as the sound died and the pain subsided only for the shield to burst. Shining and Cobalt raised their heads, each yanking their respective weapons from rest to avoid being overtaken. “We need a new plan!” The dark pony cried, pushing back against yet another adversary.
“I noticed!” The Unicorn answered again, his voice turning to anger. “We need to get everyone out of here!” He slashed through the cog in front of him with both blades crossed before tilting his head back, horn glowing. “EVERYPONY, RETREAT! FIND A MAGE AND TELEPORT TO THE CASTLE!” The white stallion barely had time to dive out of the way as several beams of light raced passed his head.
A slash of shadows quickly downed the lineup of cogs that had fired their eye lasers on the captain. “Thanks,” Shining grunted, straightening up and swinging his magical greatsword through another cog. It was only a split second, but Cobalt noticed that the machine didn’t get back up.
“Don’t mention it,” the Thestral replied as lights flashed all around the battlefield, fewer and fewer Resistance fighters on site to fall. All the while, Cobalt continued to fight, hacking, slashing, and blasting his way through the ocean of opponents, still looking for that hint of blue or pink.
“C’mon!” A sharp yank on his arm staggered the dark stallion, drawing his gaze behind him to the captain as the older pony kicked away another machine. “Everyone else that’s getting out is out! We need to go!”
“Not without Firefly!” The darker stallion answered, yanking his arm from Shining’s grasp before slashing down on a rushing cog. Cobalt reared back his blade with a snarl, ready for his next… only to stop as the machines stopped running forward. Instead, they had formed a ring around the two ponies, some occasionally running back and forth along the frontline. The Thestral eased back, bumping once more into Shining Armor’s back as even the seasoned captain drew back in unease.
“What in Tartarus are they doing…?” Cobalt questioned, watching the machines around them fidget.
“I…” the older pony started, eyes shooting to a cog that danced a bit too close. “Have no idea.”
“C… Co… balt….” The weak voice and the sound of heavier footsteps drew the stallions’ eyes to the edge of the crowd, the Thestral’s eyes widening as his mouth gaped open. Midnight Sparkle stepped forward, saber in hand as a Machine Captain marched beside, towing a beaten and battered Firefly behind him by her wing. The machine itself was covered in blue armored plating, stud-like crystals jutting in pairs out of each plate. Gold plating circled each joint, leading to the stubby silver head that stuck out of the torso, the four, glistening white claws that formed each hand and the three that formed each foot shining in the Everfree’s dim lighting.
Cobalt stared in horror at the state that Firefly was in before his stare contorted into a feral snarl. “Let her go!” He growled, starting to rush forward only to stop short as the monstrosity jerked Firefly up. The mare yelped in pain as she was hauled off the ground, Midnight’s blade resting just under the pink mare’s chin.
“Now, let’s not be hasty,” the dark Alicorn purred, shifting the tip of her blade to scratch at Firefly’s chin. The Pegasus yelped as a swift jerk nicked her chin, the small cut oozing out a drop of blood. “We wouldn’t want this pretty little thing to come to harm… would we?”
Cobalt grit his teeth, taking a step back only to start as the stallion beside him stepped forward. “Twily?” Shining breathed, his armor dissipating away from him as he drew the dark mare’s attention. “Twilight, it’s me, Shi-”
“I know exactly who you are,” Midnight spat, interrupting the stark white Unicorn. “And trust me when I say I have special plans for you.” The mare steadied herself and gave a sinister smirk. “Now, let’s talk about sparring your lives. You will follow these instructions to the letter. If you don’t… well,” the mare paused and nodded towards her machine who responded by roughly shaking Firefly.
Cobalt’s teeth ground together as the mare gave another gasp of pain, her body tensing up for a moment. “...What do you want from us?” The Thestral growled, Midnight’s smirk growing a bit.
“It’s very simple,” Midnight answered. “You will return to the castle, tell Artemus that the problem has been neutralized, and make it so not a single soul sees my forces approaching. You do that and we don’t tear your little friend here limb from limb.”
Cobalt looked between Midnight and the injured Firefly. “We-”
“We can’t do that.” The Thestral froze as Shining Armor put a hand to his shoulder and stepped up. “There must be something else. What about me?”
The dark Alicorn raised a brow at that. “What about you?” She questioned, a sneer forming on her face.
“Just take me,” Shining answered, taking another step forward. “Take me prisoner and do what you will. You’ll remove a leader from the Resistance’s hierarchy and….”
“I’ll get to thank you for everything you, mom, and dad put me through?” Midnight finished, a growl starting to radiate from her throat. “I fully intend to give you what you deserve. Mom and dad already got theirs… I’m just disappointed I didn’t get to do it my- WILL YOU STOP THAT GODDAMN MUTTERING!” The Alicorn jerked her rage-filled eyes to the pink Pegasus only to widen her eyes as a ball of lightning leaped into her hand.
Firefly smirked weakly. “Should’ve paid attention,” she muttered before she reared her hand back and tossed it into the air. The ball of magic only made it to the center of the clearing, hovering just a few feet above both stallions. Spears of lightning shot out in a circle, striking cog after cog down with a bolt of lightning until over half the force was obliterated.
The machine behind her gave a shout of pain, dropping her now broken and mangled wing. The Pegasus hit the ground and tried to launch forward. “You little bitch!” Firefly screamed in pain as the armored robot raised its gleaming claws and slashed down with them.
“Fly!” Cobalt shouted, his wings flaring as shadows poured out. The Thestral rushed forward, greatsword flaring with the smokey haze of his powers as he sent a wave of shadows slamming into the Machine Captain as it towered over Firefly. An explosion of sparks drew another cry of pain from the robot as it stumbled back, Cobalt sliding next to the ground next to the pink Pegasus. “Fly!” He cried, wrapping her in his arms as her blood stained his brown coat.
“Move your ass, kid!” Shadows flared around the ponies, wrapping around them before dragging them back as a burst of vicious flame scorched the earth where they’d been sitting.
“I’m going to take great joy in tearing you apart,” Midnight growled as Cobalt reformed next to Shining with Firefly in his arms. The Alicorn’s mane and tail flared like pillars of fire, magical flames licking at her fingertips.
“Not today, Twi,” Shining Armor replied, putting his hand to Cobalt’s shoulder as his magic began to flare around his horn.
The corrupted pony’s eyes flared in angry, teal magic. “I. Am. Midnight!” She roared, thrusting both hands forward and launching a spear of flame at the group. Shining’s eyes widened as the magic raced towards him, his head jerking out of the way. He let out a cry just as his rose-colored aura enveloped his horn fully, the trio disappearing in a flash.
Another flash and a rough landing found Cobalt on his back, clutching Firefly to him as Shining lay on the ground beside him with a hand held to the side of his face. The staff rushing around them stopped at their sudden appearance as other Resistance fighters were being hurried away, either limping or on stretchers. “We need stretchers over here, ASAP!” Cobalt vaguely recognized Apple Bloom’s voice, his eyes locked on the mare in his arms. There was so much blood staining the both of them and the cobblestones below and now he could see why. Firefly’s once glorious and beautiful wings had been reduced to one….
Chris grit his teeth as he stood at the foot of Firefly’s bed, Cobalt sitting next to her as the beep of the heart rate monitor broke the silence of the small space. An oxygen mask had been placed over the mare’s muzzle, an IV stuck into her arm that led to a hanging blood bag. Bandages wrapped all around the Pegasus’ seemingly frail frame, especially around her left shoulder and the stump that had once been a wing. “...I should’ve been here…” the man muttered through his teeth.
This only drew a sigh from the Thestral across from him. “You couldn’t help it,” he replied quietly, his eyes never leaving Firefly’s unconscious face. “You said you weren’t pulled away like you normally are. If you had you would have been back a moment later. Instead, you were yanked away without your permission and gone for several hours.”
The man only lowered his eyes to the floor, fist clenching until his knuckles paled. “All the same…” he said quietly. “You guys are my team, my responsibility….”
Cobalt’s ear twitched and for the first time since they’d entered the curtained-off area, he looked up to the Ranger. “What are you going to do?”
Chris looked up and leveled a look filled with fire at the stallion. “I’m going to tear them apart,” he answered before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the small green bean he'd been given.
“Feed this to her when you get the chance,” he murmured, passing the Sensu to the Thestral. “I was told it would heal any wound. Not sure if that applies to limbs but… it's worth a try.” With that, he turned on his heel and made his way out. He didn’t make it very far through the overflowing medical hall before Sweetie Belle came running up to meet him, worry etched on her face.
“I heard what happened,” she breathed as she stopped in front of him and got her breath back. After a moment, she stopped panting and a sad look took over her features. “How is she?”
Chris looked down at the mare before he looked away with a sad frown. “She’s… not good,” he answered in a low voice. “The Machine Captain did a real number on her…. It-” He stopped as his voice threatened to betray him. “...She lost a wing in the fight.” The man winced as his marefriend let out a small gasp of surprise, his lips still down-turned as his eyes opened again. “You should… you should probably go see her… just in case.”
Sweetie stared up at him, tears already threatening to spill out over her cheeks. “What about you?” She asked, worry deepening in her eyes.
The blond turned his eyes back on the mare, gaze softening as he reached out and took her hand, rubbing over her knuckles with his thumb. “I’m going to go talk to Artemus,” he finally answered. “Midnight and the rest of her forces are probably marching this way as we speak and whatever she did to her cogs has made them practically immune to the Resistance’s weapons.”
“You’re going out there alone?” The mare asked, her eyes turning to pinpricks. “Chris, you’ll be slaughtered! Look around you!” She raised her free hand and gestured to every closed curtain around them. “If this is what happened to all of them, what do you think she’ll do to you?”
“She’ll try to kill me,” the man replied simply, eyes already tired. “She can try, but we both know that I’m stronger than almost everyone here combined. If anyone has a single chance against them… it’s me.” His argument didn’t seem to assure the mare, her green eyes still staring at him with fear. Without warning, the mare surged forward, grabbing the sides of his head and kissed him deeply. Chris closed his eyes and brought one hand up to hers as his other fell to her waist.
A second or two passed and Sweetie pulled back, looking him in the eye. “You had better come back to me, you hear me?” She ordered, the corner of her lips moving up slightly as the man gave her the first grin he’d had since coming back.
“I promise,” he answered, the mare dropping her hands once she had her answer.
“Then go,” she stated, a flash of rage crossing through her eyes. “And show that bitch what happens when you mess with our friends.”
Chris gave a chuckle before he hardened his gaze. “Yes, ma’am,” he said before they stepped around each other, one racing to a closed curtain and the other towards the end of the hall. The man’s small smile faded away into a look of contained anger as he sprinted down the aisle, intent on only one thing.
“Artemus!” He called out as he reached the end, the Alicorn turning to face him alongside Chrysalis.
“Chris,” the mare replied evenly. “How are your Rangers?”
“Cobalt’s fine,” the man answered his frown deepening a bit before he continued. “Firefly has been patched up but she’s pretty bad.”
“I see,” Artemus muttered, sighing as her eyes met the ground. “I’m sorry, Chris. I should’ve been more careful.”
“None of this is your fault,” the man said, stopping her thoughts dead in their tracks. “All we can do now is make sure that no one else gets hurt.”
The mare looked at him for a moment before movement drew her to Chrysalis. “What do you plan to do?” The Changeling questioned, raising her brow at him.
Chris looked at the queen, his eyes hardening ever so slightly. “I’m going out there,” he answered, his tone dark. “Midnight and her machines are headed this way, that much we know. I also know from what Cobalt said that normal weapons aren’t going to do jack to these things.”
“And your weapons will?” Chrysalis asked, shifting her head to the side a bit as she scrutinized him.
“They’ve been able to get through everything else we’ve faced before,” the Ranger replied. “Even when I had to finish the giant Mean Screen, the Psycho Silverizer was enough to pierce his armor. The Chrome weapons should be more than enough.”
The Changeling looked him up and down before her eyes narrowed. “And if they’re not?” She pressed.
The man fell silent for a moment, looking away from the insectoid and towards the ground. “...Cobalt said that Firefly’s spell was able to take down quite a few of the new cogs,” he finally murmured, his thoughts pulling themselves together. “And it was even enough to injure the Machine Captain. If my weapons can’t make it through, then my magic should be enough to do so.”
The Changeling queen finally nodded, leaning back in her wheelchair. “Good,” she stated in finality. “It sounds like you’ve got enough of a plan to not get yourself killed in anger. Now,” her pupils turned to slits and an eldritch green flashed through them, “go out there and rip them apart.”
Artemus looked between her lover and the young man as he nodded, a lost look taking over her expression. “Wait wait wait,” she interrupted waving her hands in front of her as her eyes scrunched closed. “That’s it? You’re just going to go out there with a half-cocked plan and a pocket full of rage and you think that’s going to be enough?”
“Well,” the man started, looking to the mare. “You’ve seen me in battle, even faced me before. You tell me,” a look crossed his face as if hell itself had come to imprison his eyes, “whether that’ll be enough.”
The Alicorn couldn’t help it. She stepped back. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the look in the man’s eyes disappeared as he took a breath. It all happened so quickly that the mare was still trying to determine whether or not what she had seen was real when the castle’s emergency alarm system went off for the very first time since their installation.
“Chris!” Artemus shouted only to feel a rush of wind ruffle her mane and clothing. The young man ran, rage bubbling in his veins as Static raced and crackled all around him.
“Go,” he growled, bringing his arm up as his morpher flashed into existence. “Psycho.” Chrome Aura burst around him, his form flashing in light before it shattered, leaving him as Psycho Chrome as he approached the front doors. Countless fighters lined the entry hall, firing whatever projectile or magical attack they could to keep the new cogs at bay, the machines attempting to rush in and claim more ground.
The Ranger only snarled. Light flashed in his hand, grid lines of silver, red, and blue forming the shape of the Chrome Blaster as he rushed by the Resistance fighters. With a roar of pure, feral rage, Chris ripped into the oncoming automatons like tin foil. Blaster bolts ripped straight through the machines, leaving clean holes in the foremost cogs only to explode into the chests of those behind them. The Ranger only stopped firing to sweep his weapon over his head and slash with it, cleaving through several automatons as a new type of Static jumped out around him, the reddish-purple color quickly joined by flames of the same colors. As Fiend Fire surged around him, strength flooded through his veins and pushed him forward.
It wasn’t long before the man became a burning blur on the battlefield, hacking, slashing, thrusting, or blasting through large groups of cogs at a time. For those within the castle, the only thing that could be used to follow the Ranger’s progress was several small explosions of mechanical and devilish flame and brief glances of the Ranger himself. “What are you all doing!” The sudden shout made a lot of the soldiers suddenly wince, turning their heads to find Starlight and Trixie standing at the top of the steps of the main hall, full battle attire adorned. “Get those doors sealed,” Trixie continued, her eyes glowing with red light as the Alicorn Amulet shone at her throat. “NOW!”
The warriors jumped to action, those with magic preparing to fire off whatever spell they had learned as those without rushed to close off the entrance. As the reinforced doors started to swing closed, several of the machines outside the castle turned to face the defending forces. Several of the resistance fighters widened their eyes, freezing in place as the cogs rushed forward, masks sliding up to reveal glowing laser lenses. Bolts of blazing red light lanced out towards the forces only to find themselves splash against a rose-colored shield.
“You heard the mare.” Almost every fighter in the room including Trixie and Starlight turned around to see Shining Armor standing a little way down the hallway. “Get those doors shut. Mages! Support your comrades! Keep them safe and hold back those cogs!” A wild cheer ran through the crowd before a barrage of elemental and magical lances raced through the gap in the doors. Cogs slamming their fists and weapons into the rose-colored magic were launched backward as the attacks slammed into them, laying them out for good even as more magic poured out of the castle. The doors creaked and groaned as they were pushed closed, the opening growing narrower as the barrage flowing out of it only grew denser.
Just as the doors were about to close a single lance of red magic sped out, taking a final cog’s head and scattering it on the ground behind it. “Nice shot, Trix.” The blue mare smirked as the huge metallic drawbars used to reinforce the doors slid into place.
“I know,” she replied, glancing at Starlight before giving her marefriend a soft bump with her hip. The two shared a small smile before the red-eyed mare’s smile faded. “Now,” she added looking towards the barricaded doors, “it’s all up to him.”
Outside, the cog that had lost its head continued to twitch and spasm, electricity arcing over its body before a black boot crushed its chest, forcing it to lay still. Slow clapping made Chris look up towards the forest, the already manic visage of his helmet made even more sinister by the sheer force of his rage. Out of the treeline stepped Midnight and her newest Machine Captain, claws glistening in the light… except where red stained silver.
“You’ve certainly managed to surprise us,” Midnight called, drawing the ranger’s attention from the blood on the robot’s hands. “Sombra and I thought for sure that the new crystal cogs would offer up much more resistance than what they put forth. I suppose it’ll be back to the lab for a little more reinforcement.” There was a pause as the darkened mare stared at the armored man, a cruel grin spreading across her face. “...What? No witty retorts? No threats? No heroic promises to end the war and save everyone? That’s almost disappointing.”
Midnight’s grin twitched as the Psycho Ranger jerked his foot out of the crater he’d left in the machine beneath him. “No more,” he growled, starting to stalk forward. “No more wit, no more threats. Just soldiers fighting battles and getting revenge.”
The mare’s grin grew into a sneer at that, a hiss sheering through the air as she drew her saber. “Sounds good to me.” Before she could even raise her blade, hellish flame burst from the ranger before he rushed forward. Midnight stepped back, her grin disappearing as the point of the Chrome Halberd filled her vision. A loud crack rent the air before an explosion of sparks and a scream of pain threw the ranger backward. Chris his the ground with a thud, the field of Static smoking at his chest directly over his heart.
The man groaned as another thump reached his ears. Chris looked up as he got into a kneeling position, watching as a new and improved Staroid stepped out of the shadows on the other side of Midnight. The black plating covering the majority of the machine’s body had been replaced by semi-translucent dark blue, a pair of crystals jutting from the pauldrons on his shoulders. His right arm had been completely replaced, the sniper rifle configuration folding back into the now seemingly oversized limb that ended in a glass cone with three circular tubes protruding from the sides, an orange bulb glowing within.
“You’re going to have to do better than that, ranger,” Staroid growled, the bulb glowing even brighter before a beam shot from it. The light scattered upon hitting the glass cone only to contract back in on itself and form a menacing scythe blade.
Chris took several deep breaths as he pushed himself back to his feet, halberd still in hand. “Noted,” the man muttered before Gray Static surged around him. A pair of clones appeared to either side of him, his clones lowering into a ready stance before blurring out of existence. Smears of chrome, orange, and yellow flashed in front of the villainous trio, each one struggling to keep their eyes on even one of the dashing figures.
Midnight grit her teeth, her mane and tail beginning to flare out in anger. “Enough of this!” She shouted, eyes shining as she stomped on the ground. A dome of magic expanded from the impact point, painting the area in a disturbing purple color. The three Psycho Rangers froze in midair, one aiming a kick at Staroid’s head, another ready to slam its fist into Mace Face’s face, and the last striving to drive the point of his halberd into the mare’s sternum. The Alicorn’s eyes flashed with magic again as she snarled, raising her saber and slashing down. The purple color rushed back to her blade, launching a triplet of energy waves into the trio of rangers.
Chris shouted in pain as he shot back away from Mace Face, his clones disintegrating in clouds of smoke. He grit his teeth and began to pull his core up over his head only to stop as a pair of lights flashed around him. A spikey blue ball flew above him as a red star flew under him. The man barely had time to widen his eyes before Staroid and Mace Face converged on him, each one striking opposite points of his body and showering sparks across the ground. The pair of machines made several passes on the young man, hitting several times to drag him further into the air. Finally, they collided with his chest and back, launching him dozens of feet in the air and leaving him for gravity to drag back down. The ranger’s clamped eyes finally opened in relief as the pain of continuous collisions was finally allowed to dull only to widen as teal magic engulfed his vision.
Midnight unleashed the full force of her magical attack, the swirling purple and teal beam slamming into her target and sending him rushing back into the ground. The earth shook with the impact, the force creating a crater with Chris forced snuggly into the center. The Alicorn flapped her wings and descended back to the forest floor just as the man managed to turn over and grab the edge of the hole, slowly dragging his smoking visage out of the bottom.
Chris raised his eyes as he panted, sweat dripping inside his helmet as his vision wavered. No, not his vision. His gray eyes squinted and he looked down at his hand to find the field of Static shimmering and waving, a constant torrent of vapor rising from it as it struggled to repair itself. “Shi-GAHK!” The man felt his body fold back as a force slammed into the small of his back. The Ranger went limp, Mace Face lifting his foot from his back before viciously kicking his side. The kick punted the young man several feet away, landing him directly into the center of the triangle his opponents had formed. The armadillo-like automaton stomped forward as Chris dragged his limps back in, putting them under him as he tried to get back to his feet.
The Ranger slumped as he stood, panting heavily as he eyed each of his opponents. None made a move as he summoned his weapon, the Chrome Blaster materializing without so much as a twitch from his enemies. Several more heavy breaths entered and left the young man’s body before he steadied and straightened up, machines and dark Alicorn tensing into differing fighting stances as he did so. Though, still, no one made a move, giving Chris enough time to get his gears turning. Slowly, a plan formed in his head and his features hardened in his helmet. Crystal and Explosion Static burst out around him, his foot stomping towards the ground as he raised his blaster with one hand and thrust the other forward. Crystal started to form over his body as he fired his weapon in Midnight’s direction, spires of pink crystal racing towards Staroid as an orange ball of condensed explosive energy launched towards Mace Face. Each of the villains responded in kind, Mace Face unleashing blue lightning from his eyes, Staroid firing his own blue lasers from his new arm cannon as Midnight flashed out of existence. Before any attack could even make it halfway over the battlefield, Chris felt a very wrong tug in his chest.
The crystal crawling over his body suddenly crumbled away, his spires reaching a max height of three feet and stopping several feet from their target as his sphere of Explosion Static began to fade, dissipating in a puff as Mace Face’s lightning passed through it unabated. Chris’ eyes widened as he realized all too late his mistake. He was fighting solo. There was no one with him to pick up the slack of casting multiple Static attacks at once. Fear turned his blood cold as he realized that, at the moment he truly needed him, Samson wasn’t with him. And it was his fault.
The Psycho Ranger roared in agony as lightning coursed through his body, forcing every limp to go rigid just in time for Staroid’s laser fire to slam into his, explosions of force rocketing him back before a blink of light found Midnight turning to drive the heel of her armored boot down into the side of his helmet. The sound of shattering glass filled the air as Chris’ head was forced into the ground. The man reflexively closed his eyes as part of his visor shattered, letting unfiltered light shine into his eyes for the first time since he’d donned the Psycho Ranger powers.
The man grit his teeth in pain as electricity continued to arc around his body, the invasive energy pulsing through every muscle as he watched Midnight crouch down in front of him. “Well, would you look at that,” he heard the mare purr before she grabbed the side of his helmet and roughly yanked his head up and to the side to get a better look at his shattered visor. “Looks like that armor of yours isn’t impenetrable after all.” As if to emphasize this point, Chris felt a small tug at his chest before the dark mare lifted a piece of chrome colored armor that had begun to crumble from the impact site of Staroid’s attack. The pony grinned maliciously as she watched his eye narrow before she reared his head back further and slammed it back down into the ground.
Stars burst into the man’s vision as his helmet connected, the sound of cracking eggshells filling his ears before he felt something slam into his stomach. The air rushed from his lungs and his eyes bulged as he was tossed over the crater by Midnight’s kick. He slammed into the ground and rolled, finally coming to a stop less than a dozen feet from the door to the castle. Chris lay for a moment on his side, his armor cracked and flaking in several places before gridlines crisscrossed over his body before the Chrome Armor shattered in a flash of light. All at once, pain rushed through the demorphed Ranger’s body and he let out a groan of pain, curling up slightly as his fingers strained to dig furrows in the ground.
With a gasp, the rest of his nervous system caught up with the immense pain, allowing him to look up and prop himself up on one arm. He panted as each of the three monsters stomped to a stop at the opposite edge of the crater from where he lay, a manic grin on Midnight’s face as she stared at his bruised and battered form. “Finally,” she hissed, leveling insane eyes at him as she started to raise her hand. “You’ll die and victory will be mine at last.” Chris’ eyes widened as magic surged into her palm, swirling like a ball of razors even as Staroid’s scythe reappeared and Mace Face began to glow and form a ball. Three attacks launched towards the man, a slash of blue energy, a beam of burning black, purple, and teal magic, and a large ball of solid, spiky metal.
Images flashed in his mind’s eye. Helping his father write a program, rebuilding his first computer and learning about the difference between a stepper and a servo. He saw his time studying a pack of wolves in Yellowstone Park. He and Andrew in front of the courthouse holding up his adoption certificate. Then came memories of Equestria. Waking up to Apple Bloom’s temper. His special training with Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, and Shining Armor and the meals that followed with the stallion and his budding family. The Elements of Harmony taking him under their wing and making him feel welcome. The feeling of comfort and confidence he drew from Artemus and Chrysalis’ counseling. The first time he’d clashed with Cobalt Steel and the brotherhood that had bloomed from it. Firefly smiling and cracking a joke. The twins running around his ankles as he tried to work his lab, the clunk of wooden paws hitting the floor interrupted by a metallic clink. Finally, he saw Sweetie’s beautiful face in a flash of light, urgency, and fear engulfing her green eyes.
Wait.
The Unicorn wrapped her arms under his own, horn starting to glow in her magic as she tried to heave him away from the oncoming carnage. Blood splattered against his face as a scream of agony pierced his ears, finding his body falling through the air as the mare tossed him away. He hit the ground and rolled over his shoulder just in time to watch the magic beam meant for him shred through her leg in a shower of blood. The young mare’s eyes widened in pain and fear as she looked up at him just before half her body disappeared against the mass of steel and crystal. A sickening crunch sounded before the off-white pony was thrown away, thudding against the large metal doors of the castle. Chris watched helplessly as she wilted to the ground in a disfigured pile, mouth gaping as his pupils shrank.
Not a word left him as he struggled to get to his feet, only managing an awkward, dysfunctional crawl as he scrambled to the mare’s side. He stopped next to the mare, hands hesitating just over her body as he looked over her. Her right arm and leg bent at unnatural angles, puncture marks covering the same side of her body as her eyes were clamped shut, blood pouring from the stump in the middle of her forehead. “Sw… Sweetie Belle?” The mare turned her one good eye towards him, blood dripping from her lip with every heavy stuttering breath she took. “Oh, god…” he whispered, putting a hand under her head to comfort her as he gently put his other around her body. “God, Sweetie… please, just hang on. We- We’ll get you help. This is nothing we can’t heal. You just have to hang on. Sweetie, plea-” His desperate ramblings were quieted as a soft touch lighted on his face.
Tears trailed down the man’s face as he lifted his hand to press her’s against his cheek. He looked down on her as she drew in another haggard breath, moisture gathering in her own eye as she gave a weak smile. “...I love you,” she gasped before her smile faded and her head lolled to the side, eye closing as her hand went limp in his grip.
The man’s eyes widened and he clutched her hand in his own, leaning over her as he brought his other hand up to cup her face. “Sweetie?” He breathed, his heart pounding as he began to panic. “Sweetie, stay with me!” The man squeezed his eyes shut and clawed at his magic, trying to draw out his Pink Static only to find nothing there. His tank was empty, and as he opened his eyes to stare down at the dying mare in his arms he knew there was nothing he could do.
“What a shame.” The words reached his ears and drew his attention to Midnight as she landed gently on the other side of the crater, Staroid at her side as Mace Face hovered over to her side before returning to his robot form. “I wanted to save her for my own personal enjoyment.” Chris stared at her before he snarled, his agonized tears turning to pure rage as his gray eyes tried to burn into the Alicorn’s smirking face.
“I’m going to kill you,” he growled, trying and failing to get to his feet, his body resisting his attempts. “ I swear I’ll… I’ll rip you all apart!” His eyes clamped shut as he grit his teeth and dug deeper, trying desperately to find some modicum of power. All he needed was some way to keep fighting. But, no matter how much he scraped the bottom of the barrel, he was spent.
“I thought you said there wouldn’t be any more threats.” The man opened his eyes to once more find Midnight Sparkle charging a final magical beam, her mane and tail pillars of flame as a small, sick smirk turned the corner of her lips. “Glad we could make a liar out of you before you died.” Light flashed and Chris’ eyes widened as the blast engulfed his vision. He stopped trying to find the power within, letting time slow as he closed his eyes and decided to spend his last moments in peace.
Not yet! Gray eyes shot open as he felt something grab onto his withdrawing reach and power surged through him. With a mighty shout, he crossed his arm over his chest and swung, backhanding the ray of burning magic. The beam arched away from the man and the mare below him, detonating harmlessly several feet away.
Midnight's eyes widened as she looked at the man in front of her, black, blue, and purple aura burning around him as he panted heavily. The blond drew his arm back, the back of his hand smoking slightly while burn marks charred the skin. The Ranger slowly rose to his feet, a small wobble in his balance as he did so, but that didn't stop him from looking up with burning white eyes. The man opened his hands and held them out to his sides.
Orbs began to form in the air in front of him, Purple Static coursing over his form. One by one, the orbs gained color, archaic symbols forming in their center. Red for fire, black for earth, pink for nature, silver for metal, yellow lightning, navy water, light blue ice, and green wind. Eight orbs formed a circle in front of him, a final, sinister purple orb with no symbol formed in the center. The elemental orbs began to spin as they were drawn into the center. The center grew and brightened, changing colors swirling within ranging from black to blue to purple. Finally, the other orbs were gone and light exploded out.
The trio of villains threw their arms up to cover their eyes, looking back to find only to the body of Sweetie lying on the ground. “Where'd h-” Staroid was cut off as the sound of crumpling and sheering metal ripped through the air. Midnight and the star-themed robot turned just in time to see Mace Face her dragged away by a dark figure. The armored automaton was slammed into the wall of the crater, his attacker blurring up the side to stop on the other side of the hole in the ground. When it came to a stop, Midnight and Staroid got a clear look at what had become of the downed Ranger.
A dark blue and black aura still burned around the armored figure, trailing up the dark blue undersuit, the shin guards, knee pads, waistband, bracers, and collar now pitch black. The metal studs all about the armor now stood out like stars in the night, any chrome color that normally adorned the Ranger was now a dull purple, finishing off the Psycho’s frightening new appearance. The aura died slowly, leaving the new and improved Psycho Ranger standing tall. His head turned deliberately, finally showing off the blood red visor that spread across the front of the helmet.
“You son of a bitch!” Midnight flinched as Staroid jolted his arm cannon up, the bulb within glowing brightly. An ungodly blast fired from the upgrade, slamming into the Ranger’s position and detonating in a cloud of dust and fire. A rush of air blew between the Alicorn and machine, the automaton letting out a cry of pain. Midnight spun around to find their opponent just in time to watch him crush Staroid’s new arm as it leaked oil from the torn end before tossing it away like an uninteresting morsel of prey.
The mare’s eyes widened and she knew. She had made a mistake declaring war on the monster in front of her. “Retre-” She unleashed another pulse from her horn, cutting herself off as she let off another time dilation spell, watching as the black, studded fist still inched towards her face. She glanced behind the Ranger to where he had been, finding a solid image still left behind as the real one charged her. She took one last look into the dead, red visor, her horn lighting before she flashed away. Time returned to normal and a sonic boom cracked the sound barrier as the avenger’s fist met thin air. Staroid took the hint, jumping into the air away from his adversary only to crumple almost in twain as a kick met his mangled arm and side. The Machine Captain was thrown at high speeds by the Psycho’s spin kick, disappearing into the foliage several yards away. The Ranger landed and made to rush after his prey only to stop halfway across the clearing as a red streak shot into the sky. The red glare followed the machine’s progress, watching it disappear before a groan gained his attention.
Mace Face had crawled to the edge of the crater, a hole in its torso leaking numerous different fluids. A loud crunch and the shredding of metal combined with his scream of agony as something slammed into its back. The blue machine’s lower half rolled back down into the crater as a dark blue boot snagged under the Machine Captain’s arm before forcing him over on his back. Mace Face knew true fear as he looked up at the visage on the overshadowed helmet. A small whimper echoed from the machine as it watched the Ranger lift his arm, pointing a finger gun down at him.
“Nebula Pistol.” Dark aura roared to life around the Ranger, racing to the end of his finger as he dropped his thumb. A dark blast roared forward, reducing the machine to nothing but molten slag, the glove still smoking alongside the new sideways crater as it fell to the man’s side. Several seconds ticked by without movement in the now mangled clearing. Gridlines formed over the armor before the armor faded and shattered, leaving Chris standing in its place, a blank look on his bloodstained face. “...SWEETIE!” The man blinked, turning tail and running as fast as he could back across the crater. Sliding to a stop, the young man scooped the broken body of the young mare into his arms, tears already streaming down his face. “HELP!” He roared desperately, looking up at the imposing metal doors. “SOMEBODY, PLEASE, HELP!!!” His shouts were met by the sound of grinding steel, muffled urgent cries and shouts meeting his ears before he buried his head in Sweetie Belle’s neck.
“Please…” he begged hoarsely as he sobbed into her matted, red fur. “Please just hang on….”