//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Reclaimer I 
// Story: Reclaimer 
// by SigmatheAwesome 
//------------------------------//

This is it. The last day of the war.

Probably.

Well, one can hope, right?

Cadence found herself in a large, black void. She daren't move, just in case the ground under her wasn't always solid.

She heard nothing. Nothing except... Sobbing?

She looked around for the source. Nothing.

She let her ears guide her. It was somewhere behind her. She turned to see a ghostly white figure, sprawled on the ground, twitching with pain. Cadence took a cautious step forwards, and fortunately the ground was solid. Next to the white figure, a lavender one appeared. The lavender figure shined brighter than the white one. Emerging next to the bright lavender pony was a massive beige one, flickering in colour. The base of its neck was notably dark.

The lavender pony looked up at Cadence. Silence.

"Hello?"

The lavender mare took a step over the white one, a small glowing red pooling at the base of its leg. The forehead of the lavender one grew brighter, and is a sudden rush of sound, colour and light the black void changed into the temple's main room. The lavender glow became Twilight, the white Rarity and the beige into a hulking monster of a pony.

"Hello, Cadence."

"What's going on? Is this a dream?"

"It is for you. I am testing out a spell of mine, one where I can make a dreamscape for another pony. What you see here is reality."

Cadence's gaze fell onto Rarity's wounded leg, then onto the monster. "Can they see me?"

"No, they cannot. Hell, I doubt that Genome can really see any more..."

"What did you do to him?"

"I balanced out his network and biology, and then enhanced it. His mind broke independently."

Cadence looked at Rarity, who was twitching with sobs. "What happened to her?"

Twilight lifted up a broken and bloodied crossbow bolt. "As you know, she was shot. I fixed her horn up and..." She examined the bolt with the pinprick eyes she had since she first appeared. "I used a little force to get some answers."

"You monster."

Twilight grinned menacingly. "No, I believe you're the monster."

"What?!"

"Rarity risked her life to save you." She placed the tip of the bolt at Cadence's throat. "She was this close to dying. You could've taken her with you. Instead, you left her there for Trixie to drag here and be nearly executed.

"She told us to leave her."

"And you did? How foolish. I know you're more than capable of lifting an entire pony with your magic. You could've taken her with you, brought her to her sister and let her live. You left her for dead."

Behind Twilight Cadence saw that Rarity was rising to her hooves.

"And if you're not the monster, then Genome will take that place."

Rarity gripped Twilight by the neck for support. "Cadence, if you can hear me, tell Sweetie Belle I still love her, and that I owe her that ice-cream..."

"She can't." Twilight magically gripped Rarity by the neck and threw her across the room. 

Rarity hit the wall hard, but still tried getting up. "You're lying..."

"You're right, I was."

"Twilight!" Cadence yelled, loud enough that somehow Rarity managed to catch it. Even Genome reacted. "Look what this power has done to you! You threw one of your best friends into a wall!"

Twilight paused. "S-she broke my trust."

"But she's still your friend!"

"She's right, you know, dear..." Rarity limped forwards. 

"I though you couldn't hear-"

"I guess I broke that barrier." Cadence smiled.

"The Twilight I know... The real Twilight... is still one of my best friends..." Rarity fell to the ground, her wounded leg giving up. "And I'd be damned if I let her be taken over by you..."

"I am the real Twilight Sparkle!" Twilight's horn flared up.

"It was a metaphor, darling..." She picked herself up slowly. "There is only one Twilight, but I'd rather you from three years back to you now... No delusions of grandeur."

Twilight's magic still stayed active. "That Twilight is gone, and you are this far from death. Do you really want to go on with this?"

Cadence felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Rarity remained silent for a moment. "If there's the chance that I'd get you back, then I'd gladly give my life."

Another sharp pain, this time in her muzzle.

"How generous. There's no chance."

An irregular, dull thudding on the back of Cadence's head.

"Oh dear, it looks like someone is trying to wake you. Ah well. I'll let you go before they kill you by accident." She turned to Rarity, who was healing her own leg. "Why didn't you do that before?"

Rarity refused to comment.

Twilight's magic snapped Genome alive, his eyes glowing a bright violet. He turned to face Rarity, who looked up and faced the monster in the eye.

Genome snorted, and charged Rarity head-on. Rarity screamed and charged herself, before a sickening crunch was heard apon impact.

Then Cadence woke up, drenched in sweat and screaming. She breathed heavily, feeling the pains in her muzzle and chest in full force, seeing Scootaloo on top of her, hoof raised for strike.

"Thank everything you're awake." Scootaloo relaxed and fell on Cadence, pushing her back to a lying position. "Don't do that again."

Cadence still had the crunch in her head. "What time is it?"

"One in the morning."

Cadence groaned. "Damn." She sat up, Scootaloo still gripping her tightly. "Did you hit me?"

"Well, when I shouted in your ear and you didn't respond... Yeah, I did."

Cadence chuckled dryly. "It's ok. You actually got me up before it could get worse..."

The two of them sat there in silence for a good few minutes.

"Scoots?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I go back to sleep?"





Cadence opened her eyes slowly. It was daytime, the sun shining brightly.

"Blech..." Cadence felt as if a cat had died in her mouth. She checked to make sure. It was cat-free.

"Morning, Cadence." Spike called out from the kitchen area. "Sleep well?"

"No..."

"Ah well. Do you want pancakes?"

"Yeah..."

Cadence stepped off the bed and her hoof immediately collided with Scootaloo's chest, waking the teenager up.

"Ow! Cadence! Watch your step!"

"Sorry."

After a bit of mucking around the two of them were sitting at a table eating pancakes. For a moment it was just them eating.

"So, what was your scary dream about?"

"Long story."

"We have time."

"Actually," Spike said. "We don't."

"Huh?"

"I heard there's going to be an offensive from the Order this afternoon, and I'm going to make sure nothing happens."

"I'm coming too!" Both Cadence and Scootaloo yelled in unison.

"I was going to let you come along anyway..." Spike said as he grabbed a random jacket from a coatrack. "So, shall we get going?"





Sweetie Belle sighed. Today was a lovely sunny day. She sat on the top of her makeshift war machine, watching clouds pass by. 

A knock on the metal of the walker snapped her out of her trance. She leant down and saw Lyra standing there, dressed in a white-and-red body suit, the same as her own. 

"Can I help you?"

"We're moving out."

"It's a whole day away. Why-?"

"They've got modified Power Loaders. We'll need to strike them before we can safely attack our intended target."

"How long do we have until they reach our target?"

"An hour, so suit up, load up and meet up at the bay."

Suiting up: Easy. She zipped up her bodysuit, which she was already wearing.

Loading up: Easy. She slid a large drum into the gun arm, both of which were ready to load.

Meeting up: Easy. She leapt into the cockpit and started up the machine, and stomped her way beside five other walkers. One had a cloak and four arms, which turned when she came into view.

A speaker switched on in the walker, and spoke in Lyra's voice. "That didn't take long."

Sweetie Belle flicked her own mic on. "Of course."

Another voice broke through the comm systems. "Lyra, honey, I think Octavia might be right in staying back."

"They've got Power Loaders. We'd be screwed without the element of surprise."

"Aww yeah!" Vinyl called out through the comm channel, her walker fistpumping. "We're gonna get the jump on these bastards!"

Ironstorm and Crystal Waves equally cheered.

"Now, Vinyl, you know how stealth works?" The four-limbed walker turned to the blue and brighter blue painted walker. "Don't play any music until we've hit them, ok?"

"Got it, boss."

Lyra cracked out of the comm system on Sweetie Belle's end, and her mecha faced Bon Bon's. Both of their cockpits opened, opening like twin doors instead of a raising plate. Two sheets of metal stuck out, and the two pilots met each other on the ends. Lyra pressed her lips against Bon Bon's, and they both pulled each other close. Sweetie Belle turned out of respect, as did Crystal and Ironstorm, but Vinyl, who had a good position, remained looking. Lyra noticed and shoved her left foreleg into a rude gesture. Vinyl laughed and turned.

The embracing ponies returned to their walkers after a few more moments, and Lyra's mic cracked into life. 

"Vinyl, remind me to kick your sorry rump when we get back."

"I'd totally win. But sure."

"Alright, let's go!"





Applebloom looked at the gleaming Power Loader in front of her. High-calibre cannon armed with explosive shells mounted on the right arm, a sharpened claw on the right. 

"Impressive, ain't it?" She said to her sister, who was equally rapt.

"Y' ain't kiddin'. Are y' sure y' be ok controlin' this thing?"

"It's ain't that hard."

"Yeah, you ain't been in one before."

"Ah have!" She stepped in and kicked the thing to life.

"Since when?"

"Since Ah started workin' on them. Duh. How else am Ah gonna be able t' test if they'd still work?" She swung a claw around to test the joint.

"If y'know how t' pilot this thing, then grab mah hat."

"What? But that's impossible!"

"Go on 'n' try."

Applebloom swung a claw at Applejack, who deftly dodged out of the way. Applebloom took a step forwards and swung again.

"Easy there. That thing's sharp."

Applejack ran between the legs of the walker, as Applebloom turned to face her. Another swing missed its mark.

"Come on, y'all can try better than that."

Applejack ran onwards. Applebloom, in her Loader, followed, cracking the concrete beneath each step. Applejack was fast, but the Loader was faster. Only, Applejack didn't have to build up speed.

After a few seconds, the loader was moving faster than the workhorse. Applebloom swung again, missing again.

"Try thrusting!"

Applebloom thrust the claw forward and clamped. The sharp metal cut through the hat, but didn't get a grip. Applejack ran between the legs of the walker as it slowed down and turned to face Applejack, looking at her hat with annoyance.

"Luna damnit, 'Bloom. That's mah best hat."

The speakers of the suit opened up. "Ya shouldn't have worn it if y' were gonna challenge me."

Applejack laughed, and gestured for Applebloom to walk alongside her. "Well, Ah know you can pilot this thing."





Scootaloo landed on one of the many thatched roofs of Ponyville. This one gave her a height advantage, and she was able to see the location that was being fortified for the defence. There was a little rise above it, and a stack of makeshift firing platforms for the Clan to use. Cadence landed next to the pegasus and noted much the same, except the rising cloud of fumes slowly approaching that location from her left.

"It seems you've been right, they are actually attacking."

"Damn. The Loaders aren't here yet."

"Loaders?"

"Walking machines designed for loading equipment onto vehicles. These ones have been modded for combat."

"What are you two doing, pashing?" Spike called out, much to the embarrassment of the two ponies. "We've gotta get there ASAP."

"I'll take the air." Scoot took off, leaving Cadence to follow Spike.

"That wasn't necessary, Spike."

"But it's more fun." He said with a grin. "Up for a sprint?"

Cadence prepared herself for the race. "Love to."

Spike crouched for the take-off. "Ready... Setgo!" He took off immediately, with Cadence reacting almost as fast. They reached the battlements in no time, out of breath and equal in position. Spike stuck out his claw, and Cadence took it in her hoof and shook it.

"Good race..."

"Thanks, Spike..."

Scootaloo landed in front of them, kicking dust into the air. "Have fun?"

Spike stuck his thumb in the air.

"Good, because that contingent of Order Walkers aren't heading here."

"Huh?"

"They're heading up the road a bit." She turned to a group of sharpshooters. "Anypony wanna come with us?"

A few packed their weapons and left their stands, then ran off to the next location. Cadence and Spike walked quickly, too tired to actually run.

A brisk walk later, they found themselves at a similar, but smaller, location. Up the road were gleaming steel walking machines, trudging single-file up to them.

Then the front one was knocked to its side as an explosive round hit its side. The other five stopped and prepared for a fight.





A few seconds earlier, Bon Bon's Walker crouched behind a building, aiming with a scoped version of the main gun. She bit the trigger, and the whole arm rocked back. This signalled the charge.

Vinyl leapt, or as best as one can do on something that heavy, out of her hiding spot, and kicked on her speakers. Loud, bass-heavy music roared through the whole area, and Vinyl charged in time with the music. The speakers started glowing as Sweetie Belle, who operated a lighter walker, charged into the next lot of cover.

As Crystal emerged the whole sky was filled with shells, ripping apart Crystal's Walker with fire and a barely-noticeable mist of red. Ironstorm opened fire with his own walker, raining down more shells than any other could put out, and hit one of the silver walkers square in the chest.

Applebloom saw her sister's walker hit by the first round, then as the other four had opened fire, a huge salvo hit Carrot Cake's Walker, knocking it to the ground. She leapt out of the cover and fired a single round at the machine gunner. The gun arm of Ironstorm's Walker exploded violently, knocking the walker to the ground. Big McIntosh leapt up to her younger sister's aid, only to be lanced by glowing bolts of magic from the speakers of the loud Walker.

"Eat Bass Cannon!" Vinyl roared over the sound of music and bursts of magic searing the air. McIntosh stood there, taking the impacts, as Applebloom and Fluttershy opened fire, hitting the bass-throwing walker square in the speakers. As the walker charged, music ruined, Fluttershy hit it in the leg, knocking it down.

"Two kills, one wound." Applebloom called out through the comm system. Big McIntosh walked forwards, but a fast-moving mint-green four-armed walker blocked his path, and grabbed him by both the shoulders and wrist. McIntosh tried clawing Lyra's walker, but couldn't get any movement. Lyra threw the walker back towards the road, the Walker colliding with Fluttershy's in a cacophony of twisting and clanging metal. 

Sweetie Belle stood up and charged Applebloom, each claw locking with the other's gun. The two wrestled as they kept going.

Applejack stood up, with Cake following suit, the holes in the front plate worrying. Rose, who had otherwise remained out of the fight, leaped out of cover and gestured to Lyra. Cake opened fire on Lyra's walker, which absorbed the impacts. A shell hurtled through the air and jammed itself in Rose's visor before detonating, the silver form collapsing.

Lyra opened her comm. "Sound off!"

"Belle... Here... Damn this one."

"Bon Bon here."

"Ow my bucking head..." Vinyl was alive.

"Iron*bshhhht* -ere."

Carrot Cake opened a hail of fire at the damaged Ironstorm, causing the volatile engine to erupt in flames.

Lyra cursed. "Bonny, cover me."

"Will do, love!" A streak of fire hit Carrot Cake in the leg, knocking it down.

"Nice shot."

"Thanks, darl."

Spike and Scootaloo crouched behind a barricade, praying to Celestia that it would hold if shot at, as Scootaloo pulled out a series of explosives.

"Spike, take this one to the Order one that's wrestling the Peacemaker one. I'll take this one to the Peacemaker one."

"What'll they do?"

"Destroy the engine."

Meanwhile, Bon Bon had stood up in order to get a better shot at Applejack. Lyra glanced back.

"Glad you could join us."

"I aim to ple-" A beam of magic struck through the armour plating of Bon Bon's walker. Bon Bon scream was cut short as the bolt pierced the battery which powered the comm system and the cockpit doors, and straight out the other end. The walker recoiled, and then raised a shaking hand to the small hole in the front, before falling backwards.

"Bon Bon!" Lyra screamed, then again in external mode. She barely noticed another beam bounce off her walker's front.

The entire battlefield went silent. Even the wrestling walkers stood still for a moment, before the steel one moved again.

Lyra trudged up to the fallen tan walker, and fell to her knees. "Bon Bon..."

"No good, Lyra. Her comm's dead."

"Bon Bon, if you're still alive, let me know."

Silence.

"Bonny...?"

Silence.

Lyra stood up, and turned to face the sniper posts. If the walker could glare like Lyra was, then everypony would be terrified.

"You..." The claw arm switched to a gun that was hidden in the arm itself.

"Fucking..." The two upper arms changed as well.

"BASTARDS!" All four guns opened fire, decimating the sniper post in the first second. Lyra still kept firing, screaming at the top of her lungs.

The backs of the two wrestling walkers blew apart, and both fell to the ground, claws and guns still locked. Applejack made sure not to stay in the path of the hail of shells that were tearing apart everything it hit.

Eventually Lyra ran out of ammo. She collapsed, and the cockpit opened. She scrambled out and stumbled to Bon Bon's cockpit, banging on the front.

The cockpit of Applebloom's walker burst open, and she stepped out, pistol in mouth. She kicked Sweetie Belle's walker's cockpit controls until it forced itself open. Sweetie Belle levitated a pistol up to Applebloom, but neither of them fired.

Scootaloo flapped up, only to have the guns aimed at her. She raised her hooves in a gesture of peace.

"Hey girls."

"Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle sat up, lowering her pistol.

"Long time, no see."

Applebloom looked at the two of them. "This can't be coincidence."

Cadence landed gracefully next to them "Nope."

The comm in Applebloom's walker opened up, and Applejack's voice came through. "Sound off!"

"Carrot Cake here."

"Eeyup."

"Um... I'm here..."

Applebloom trotted up and pressed a hoof to the comm. "Applebloom here."

"Thank Celestia... Wait, Rose?"  Applejack asked, concern muffled by the comm static.

All four of the ponies looked at the remains of Rose's walker. "She's gone."

"Damn, she owed me twenty..."  She quietly muttered, her voice sorrowfull.

"Excuse me..." Fluttershy's quiet voice rang out. "But, um... Can I have a hoof here?"

Applejack walked up. Fortunately for her, the fusing of the walkers wasn't as bad as it could be, and the two could be pried apart easily. McIntosh kicked his door open before opening up Fluttershy's. Fluttershy flew into the air, and then drifted over to Lyra. She placed a hoof on the mint-green pony, who looked up sadly, then back down. Shortly after, the surviving ponies and dragon walked around the site.

Vinyl rolled her walker onto its side and bucked the door open. She staggered out, bleeding from the head, trademark glasses broken. 

Applejack trudged up to the forming crowd around Bon Bon, and opened her door. She remained seated. "Hey, Scoots?"

Scootaloo looked up. "Yeah?"

"Does Dash have a comm channel I can use?"

"Sure does." Scootaloo leapt into the cabin and fiddled with a few knobs. "Done."

Applejack pressed a button on the console, and spoke into it. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Who is it?"

"Applejack."

Silence. "How did you get this channel?"

"Scoots gave it to me. But that's not important. What is important is that the leader of the Musician's Order is here. You can have a bit of a talk."

She leapt out of the cabin and trotted up to Lyra. She whispered something in her ear, and the mint-green mare walked up to the silver cabin.

"Heartstrings."

"Hey Lyra. Look, about this alliance we were discussing..."

"Why would I ally with you? You just killed my marefriend."

Silence. "I'm sorry... Ugh, saying sorry won't cut it..."

Lyra took Applejack's seat. "I know. I'll kick your sorry flank as well."

Rainbow laughed a sad laugh. "It's a deal. Look, ponies have died, especially loved ones, thanks to this war. If we ally, we can stop more bloodshed."

Lyra sighed. "If only I allied sooner."

"My fault," Vinyl spoke. "Sorry."

"Ok, it's totally Vinyl's fault we didn't ally, it's my fault for bringing Bon Bon into this, and it's that sniper's fault for shooting her."

"And mine for starting this war." Rainbow sighed. "Truce?"

"No."

"What?"

"We can't. We have to be friends."

"Hey! Lyra!" Cadence yelled. "I think Bon Bon's alive!"

Lyra froze.

"Bonny... She's... SorryRDgottaberightback!"

She leapt out of the walker and dashed up to the vision slit of the downed mecha. "Bon Bon!"

"Remind me... never to follow you into battle..." Bon Bon managed to say.

Lyra pressed her muzzle through the cabin. "Bonny... Thank everything you're alive."

"Yeah... I'm gonna faint now. Make sure I wake up." Thud.





"The... Um..."

Cadence sat at a round table, with Spike, Fluttershy, Vinyl and Rainbow.

"Um..."

"The Wubmasters?" 

"No, Vinyl."

"Um... How about..."

"The Spectrum Alliance?"

"You're only suggesting that because it has your mane colour in it."

"Can it, Spike."

"Um, guys?"

"I think it should be something... noble."

"What the heck could we come up with, Cadence?"

"The... Celestia Alliance?"

"Nah, too similar to the Temple."

"Luna Alliance?"

"The Princesses have next-to-nothing to do with this."

"I'm a Princess, Vinyl."

"Ok, so maybe it should be the Cadence Alliance."

"Actually, that has a nice ring to it."

"We're not calling it the Cadence Alliance, Spike. It'll make me seem selfish."

"Girls?"

"Well, what else could we call it?"

"We could try and not use 'Alliance' in our name."

"Cadence Clan? Nah, that's stupid."

"Anyone?"

"Wub Cl-"

"No dubstep references, Vinyl!"

"Damn you, Spike."

"If I could just have a moment..."

"Ok, let's think here. It's an alliance. So it has to be Something Alliance."

"I like that."

"Vinyl, you're drunk."

"Nuh uh. I've only had, what, five ciders?"

"That cider's quite strong, y'know."

"Aw shuddup."

"*squeak*"

"Say, Spike, why aren't you spending time with Sweetie Belle?"

"I'm doing this. Besides, she needs time to spend with the girls."

"Did she say so?"

"Yeah. She said we could spend time together later."

"Yo, another refill!"

"*inhales*"

"Vinyl, you've had enough-"

"GUYS!"

Everypony and dragon turned to Fluttershy.

"Yeah?" Cadence tilted her head.

"I was thinking of 'Ponyville Alliance'."

Silence.

"I-I mean, if that's alright with you-"

"Bucking perfect." Vinyl said.

"Huh?"

"What I think Drunky here is saying is that name is perfect." Dash grinned and ruffled Fluttershy's mane. "To be honest, I can't believe I didn't think of it myself."

"There we go then." Cadence stood on the table proudly. "The Ponyville Alliance!"





I had almost done it. I had almost saved Ponyville.

But the Temple... It's like the odd one out in any case, except that odd-ones-out don't usually span half the town and have a maniac as their leader.

...

This is going to be a long day...