Chapter 2
Discovery
Ow. That was the only thing I could say. First the pain of the body that got smacked around in the cockpit. As I got up, the pain of a headache decided to join. Waiting for it to stop a bit, I opened my eyes. Since I was still in my mech, there were no blinding lights.
“Rider, are you OK?” asked the mech, its monotone voice bringing me to my senses.
“Yeah, just a bit bruised, that's all. How are you DB?” I said, hoping there in no damage.
“Map, offline. All other systems online. Repair drone operational, but it cannot fix the map. It short circuit instantly every time.” it replied.
“OK, well let's look around. Can you bring up the display. I also want a scan of the area for any living animals, just in case of any predators. If you find a town or something, even better.”. I hoped there was a settlement because that means intelligent life or human. If I found any predators, I could use them as food if worst comes to worst.
The display lit up and showed a forest. The ground around me was scorched from the arrival. The forest itself wasn't that bad. The trees were dense and crooked making it dark, perfect for animals to hide. But aside from that, it was a normal forest. The audio started and now I could hear the birds chirping, bushes moving in the wind and the river that I could see to my right.
“Scanning...scanning...scan. Three life forms engaging on our position. Average size of a big dog or wolf. Likely hostile, caution warranted.” DB informed me. I raised the machine gun to ready myself, just as I saw the multiple sets of glowing green eyes. I used my thrusters to make a roar sound to try and scare them off.
One of the wolf's, probably the alpha, barked and two of the wolf's jumped at us. Not thinking about it, I fired and disintegrated then with bullets. I soon saw that they were made out of wood. Wooden wolf's. Before I could question it more, the other two and the alpha attacked. I locked on to the wolf in the centre and fired my missiles. It blow up with sticks and splinters flying everywhere. The the alpha and the other wolf were knocked down. The other wolf got up and started to circle me. The alpha did the same in the opposite direction trying to get behind me.
The wolf's both jumped at the same time, hoping to now double team me. I dashed forwards them 180 thrusted to turn around as they fell to the ground. I shot them with my rockets before dashing in to grab one. The grunt wolf shattered, leaving a injured alpha left. It could barely stand. I grabbed it, lifted it up, then slammed it into the dirt. For safe measures, I crushed it under my foot, before turning to where I saw them enter.
Them remaining eyes quickly vanished into the bushes.
“That's new. Hey, DB, could you file them down, just in case we encounter anymore of them.” I said, looking at my work.
“Yes sir. Warning new life forms detected. Average size of a small horse. Eight of them moving in a group, suggest hiding.” warned DB. I quickly ran towards a dense area of trees and bushes and got the mech to crouch.
--------------------
1 hour earlier, Ponyville
--------------------
Twilight was frantically dashing around the library, packing stuff for the trip to the Everfree forest. Her friends Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow dash and Pinkie pie, were waiting for the guards to get here while trying to calm Twilight, which seemed impossible.
“Twilight, if ya keep acting like that, ya gonna blow a fuse harder than a buck trees.” Applejack said, her country accent showing in everword.
“Yeah! If you carry on, you'll be too tied to help at all. And if this another threat, we need you to do that awesome thing with the elements.” added Rainbow dash as she nodded in the air.
“But girls, this could be big. I did my research but all possible legends say that the next catastrophic event isn't till next two months after and if Celestia sent royal guards, this must be important. It's in the Everfree forest as well which means it could be dangerous. An if it's dangerous, I need to prepare and I -” Twilight sparkle didn't get to finish the sentence as there was a knock on the door.
“Ooh, ooh, I got it, I got it!” said pinkie enthusiastically as she bounced towards the door. As she opened the door, the royal guards stood up straight.
“We have come to escort you through the forest. Everyone ready? ” asked the guard to the left. He was a earth pony stallion with a brown coat and a red mane and tail with white lines streaking through them. He wasn't as big as big Mac but had just as much muscle. His cutie mark was one of a shields overlapping to make a heart.
“The sooner the better so we have longer to look for whatever it is. We don't want to be out too long otherwise we could run into unwelcome company.” said the mare. She an pegasus pony and was like Applejack in build but had a pitch black mane on a solid white coat. Her cutie mark was of a sword with a wing instead of a blade.
This stopped Twilight as she walked towards the door.
“OK, let's go girls.” she said, walking with the guards.
---------------------
After a while of looking, Rarity started complaining ”Uuhhh, this mud is staining my hooves. At this rate, it’ll never come out.”.
“Well, if I knew what i should be look'n for, we could find it.” said Applejack.
“Um, I could ask my...um, animal friends.” peeped Fluttershy, who was timidly stayed away from the trees.
“Darling, that's a lovely idea! We should be able to find it faster and get out of these horrid woods.” said Rarity, now looking at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy quickly found one of her animal friends and asked it if it had seen something appear.
“Oh, my...really...OK…thank you birdy. Now fly back to your next little nest..” said Fluttershy, as the robin flew off.
“What did he say?” asked Twilight.
“It was a she, not a he. But she said that there...um... was some kind of...um… metal monster.” said Fluttershy.
As if on queue, sound of explosions started to rattle through the forest. After some time, they all saw three TIMBERWOLVES run off. They all stood there slacked jawed except Fluttershy, who was hiding behind Twilight.
“What was that!?! It came from this direction, come on. Let's go!” said the stallion, running into the forest with the others in tow.
---------------------
Present time
---------------------
I sat there as I saw the eight technicoloured pony's. Three of them had wings, two had horns and the other three had neither. They all had little pictures on their butts and two of them had gold armour.
“Is that real gold. If I had that much gold I would be set, although it's an awful choice for armour. I mean, its heavier, weaker and harder to work with the than Iron or steel. It's just too flashy as well.” I whispered.
The pony's looked like it was made by a five year old. Coming from a fifteen years old, that's something. They were looking at the smoldering remains of the wooden wolf's.
“Where's it gone, something that can make timberwolves run wouldn't run from us? It can't have gone far.” said the purple horned one.
I just sat there replaying that in my head. That pony just talked! Pony's can't talk! This can't be real! This can't be real!. I suddenly saw that the cyan and rainbow haired pony was getting a bit to close. The orange and blonde one was also a bit too close for comfort. As it search the bushes, I heard the metallic clang of their hooves on my mechs feet.
Then everything happened at once.
At that, I sprang into action. Using the mechs hand, I grabbed the orange pony thing and ran. It screamed which now destroyed any stealth I had. I started to run into the forest, pony in hand, and occasional dashed to the side to avoid a tree the appeared in front of me.
I used the boost as much as possible as the cyan pony was slowly catching up on me before I suddenly turned and continued to move. The orange pony in my mechs hand was holding on for what looked like dear life. Behind the next row of trees, I saw a clear area, perfect to lose the pony's.
As I came to a clearing, I saw a huge canyon. I quickly hovered up with my remaining fuel then pointed my thrusters up to send me falling to the bottom. The pony in my hand had fainted due to the fall and had stopped giving my location away. After landing, I turned and saw a little cave in the rocks which was big enough for the mech. I quickly hid in there and stopped, trying to be as quiet as possible.
“Where's it gone!?! Something that big can't just disappear. We need to find it and Applejack.” one of the pony's said. So her name is Applejack, heh. Sounds fitting. I thought, now looking at the pony. The picture on the orange pony's hind quarters were three, red apples.
“How can a thing of that size just up and move, even Rainbow dash here struggled to catch up on it with those heat jet things on its back? And I don't think it could survive a fall like this!” came a male voice which likely came from the only male, the brown and red winged one, if he was correct.
“It could have gone down this way! Come on, let's see if we can find this metal beast!” and after that he heard the sounds of their hooves run off.
“Holy crap, that was close. You OK DB? I know you hate using all the fuel but it was the only way to out run the rainbow haired pony.” I asked, letting the thrusters cool off and the fuel recharge.
“Affirmative, no damage done. What should we do with the orange “pony” here?” inquired the AI.
“Well, since your too big, you should stay and make sure the ponys OK and doesn't escape. I'm going out to find food. Some fruit and veg for her and me and some meat for later.” I said, now considering having to feed the pony herbivore and myself.
I climbed out the hatch and jumped to the ground. I had a quick stretch because my legs had gone stiff due to not moving them for at least 6 to 7 hours and my arms due to having the work the controls rapidly. At least 7 different areas popped and cracked.
“Ahh, much better. Alright, I'll be back in 2 hours, 3 tops. Try to not make any unnecessary loud noises. Remember the taser is the pony escapes or screams, just in case.” I said as I left my water bottle with the pony and went off in search of food.
---------------------
1 and a half hours later.
---------------------
I had my small minigun on my back and the silenced pistol in my hand, looking for any meat. I had more than enough fruit and vegetables for me and my guest, enough wood for a fire but no meat to cook. In a forest of timber wolves and perfect hiding places for predators, there was not an animal in sight anywhere.
I soon found something, a large lion,bat, scorpion hybrid, which was feasting on a badger corpse, unaware of my presence. It was bigger than a normal lion, had big bat wings that were not proportional to the weight of the beast and a scorpion tail the length of its body. Like a scorpion, it probably had a poison in it. The claws on the beast were the huge and it probably had the muscle to dent the mech, if it was really trying.
I slowly aimed the gun, not wanting to miss my shot at dinner.
BANG
The beast's head pretty much exploded out the other side. Looking at it now, I would need both hands to carry this, so I put my gun in its holster and heaved the beast over my shoulder. As i started to walk back, I thought. That dinner sorted, I should get back before it gets dark. I'd have to be lost in here at night. The clearing was ahead as I saw the sun in the sky.
Then it just fell.
I nearly dropped the beast as I saw this. WHAT THE FUCK!!! The sun just fell…I thought as the moon suddenly moved up the in the sky...and now the moon is raising!!! What is this wacky place! I'm still considered a child and even I wouldn't come up with a world as messed up as this!
For the sake of my sanity, I decided to ignore it. I continued to the cave. I just jumped down a few rocks and landed near the entrance to the cave. The mech, standing in front of the entrance, was on low power mode, recharging. I dumped the wood and food to the side, deciding that I would set it up later.
The pony was still out cold. She had curled up and layer on the floor where the mech had placed her. The big bottle of water I left wasn't touched. From where I was standing, she looked like she was shivering. This, I wasn't surprised by as we were in a airy trench in a freezing cave. I took of my jacket of, leaving my protective gear on and placed it over her
I took this as a chance to skin and dissect the beast and start a fire.
“This is going to be a long night, isn't it?” I said to myself as I made a fire.
End of chapter 2