//------------------------------// // Suiting Up // Story: The Infestation of Equiss Prime // by Jest //------------------------------// The dull boom of a distant spell made Twilight’s heart quicken, and she gazed nervously to the source of the sound. Despite her worry, the door held firm, the thick oaken wood unmarred, though the pony knew it wouldn't be that way for long. Nightmare Moon was coming, and no matter what obstacles they put in her way, there was nothing they could do to stop her. Looking around, Twilight found that Celestia was standing next to her, the alicorn deep in concentration. Her horn burned brightly, and after a moment an ethereal golden armor surrounded her body on all sides. Twilight wondered why she didn't have real armor, but decided to stow that question away for the moment. They had bigger problems. Like how they were completely alone against the most powerful being in Equestria, with absolutely nowhere to run. The walls around them didn't even have windows, and with only a single entrance, there was no chance of escape. This fact bothered her slightly, but Twilight couldn't exactly figure out why it vexxed her so badly. “What do we do?” Twilight asked her mentor. “We fight,” Celestia declared sternly. “We fight with everything we have and hope we can defeat her.” Twilight nodded and lit her horn. “Right. Together we can do this.” “I don't think so,” exclaimed a deep booming voice that seemed to come from every direction at once. “Your power is insignificant when compared to my own.” “You’re wrong!” Twilight shouted. “We have each other, and that will be enough to defeat you!” “My student and I are more than a match for you, sister!” Celestia added. “Sister? You are mistaken. I am no sibling of yours,” replied the rumbling voice of Nightmare Moon. “After all, you have been drained of nearly every last speck of magic while my own abilities have grown exponentially. At this point I am a god, while you are a mere ant.” “Quit your posturing and fight us, coward!” Twilight yelled, her horn glowing brightly with barely contained power. “So be it, child,” replied Nightmare Moon. “Hold fast, Twilight. Together we can do this,” exclaimed Celestia, who briefly pressed a reassuring hoof against the smaller pony’s shoulder. Twilight nodded. “I know, Princess.” Together the pair stood ready, their horns blazing with magic while they stared intently at the door before them. All of Twilight’s training and Celestia’s experience was about to be put to the test in the most brutal fight imaginable. Twilight knew the possessed alicorn was stronger, but she was certain with Celestia beside her, this was a fight they could win. All of her bravado vanished the second she felt the room rumble, a crack forming at the point where the wall met the roof. A second larger tremor nearly knocked Twilight off her hooves, all her unspent mana turning into a wisp of energy as she lost concentration. “What was that?” she yelled in surprise. “I don't know, but be ready!” Celestia warned. Another rumble was followed by a crash, the crack widening as the roof was torn straight off the building, revealing an empty black sky, which hung ominously above them. The darkness was devoid of any stars or even the moon. In its absence there was only the infinite abyss of space which stretched on into infinity. In the face of such a sight Twilight couldn't help but feel small. “Do you understand now, worm? You fight not a mortal mare, but the void itself!” boomed Nightmare Moon’s voice which was loud enough to make the ground shake. “You shall not defeat us without a fight!” Celestia shouted, the alicorn firing off a burst of magic. The bright gold flare shot up into the sky and exploded high above their heads, illuminating the towering figure of Nightmare Moon herself. The alicorn was massive, her great body so large that compared to her Twilight and Celestia were the size of insects. The possessed alicorn didn't even flinch when Celestia’s spell went off near her face, merely smiling wolfishly as the magical energy was quickly swallowed by darkness, obscuring her form once more. “Now, Twilight!” Celestia shouted, firing another spell. Pushing down the fear she felt, Twilight shot a fireball up at where Nightmare Moon was last seen. Her attack as well as Celestia’s did nothing, the golden ray and bright red flames hitting the great alicorn to no effect. With a wave of her hoof, Nightmare Moon deflected a bolt of lightning and sent it flying off into the void. “You struggle not against an enemy, but the one true god of Equestria!” Nightmare Moon bellowed before reaching down into the room. Twilight leapt to her right, avoiding the enormous black hoof by mere inches. Scrambling back onto her hooves, Twilight lit her horn and searched for her companion, anticipating that Celestia would have a plan. The golden alicorn was nowhere to be found, however, and Twilight looked up in horror as Nightmare Moon held her sibling far above the ground. “Your magic means nothing. Your experience means nothing. You are nothing!” Nightmare Moon exclaimed. Celestia tried to escape the other alicorn’s grip, but her spells flickered and died before completion. “Twilight, hurry, do something!” Celestia cried in desperation. “Save me!” “I’m trying!” Twilight shouted back while chaining one spell into another, all to no avail. Lightning bolts dissipated on contact, fireballs didn't even leave a scorch mark, and not even buckets of conjured acid left so much as a blemish on the pony’s leg. In desperation Twilight tried to grab the enormous black hoof in her magic, only for her telekinetic field to slip harmlessly over the alicorn’s limb, unable to find purchase. While she struggled, Nightmare Moon lifted Celestia higher and higher until she was mere inches away from the black alicorn’s face. “Say goodbye, sister,” sneered Nightmare Moon before opening her mouth wide and swallowing Celestia whole. Twilight screamed in rage and panic, falling to her hooves as Nightmare Moon began to cackle madly. She had failed, Celestia was gone, and now there was but one alicorn left in the world. An alicorn who would doom that world all to spite a mare who was already dead. Then it was gone. The infinite blackness was replaced by a slate grey ceiling, and the teleportation room was completely gone. In its place was the small officer’s space that Sunset Shimmer had secured for Twilight, the small bed sagging under the infested woman’s weight. The insane cackling of the mad god was mercifully gone as well, leaving behind a silence which seemed to stretch on into for hours. Realization hit the woman like a ton of bricks, knocking her back into her bed and forcing the very breath from her lungs. As she lay there, struggling to breathe, Twilight ran a hand down her sweat-slick forehead, noting how hot she had become. “It was all just a dream,” she murmured to herself. As that realization fully settled in, and her muscles began to relax, Twilight stared up at the ceiling, wondering what to do next. That question was answered for her when the bed gave out beneath her, shattering into a thousand pieces and depositing her on the ground with a thump. For a moment her entire body became as rigid as a board, her fight-or-flight response kicking into high gear. “Just my luck,” Twilight muttered to herself. Glancing to her right, Twilight looked over to find that the small radio she had been given displayed the numbers nine forty-five across the front. The woman sighed once again and began to extract herself from the shattered remnants of her bed. With that done, she donned her clothes once more and for a moment, considered rebuilding the piece of furniture with her magic. Then she shrugged and decided she didn't care. Exiting the small room, the infested woman glanced up and down the long narrow hallway, noticing that a few soldiers were moving about. Most seemed to be about thirty or so, but there were a good number who were either much younger or much older. This fit with what she had been told about recruiting from among Canterlot’s survivors, though it was still a little startling to see. She also noticed that most of them gave her a wide berth or wary glance, though not like Twilight could blame them. She towered over these diminutive humans, and they no doubt knew about her abilities both psychic as well as magical by now. Twilight didn't care in the slightest and merely made her way towards the mess hall in order to find some food. She had been told that the cramped eating area had initially been built when the base was half its current size. Which explained why the majority of the soldiers took their meals with them back to their room or sat in the hallway. Unlike six girls who sat at a table near the edge of the room, plates, half assembled weapons, and pieces of armor littering the area. Twilight ignored them for the moment and walked over to the back of the line, waiting patiently as the few people before her grabbed food. The short, red-headed woman before her stepped as close to the person in front of her as possible, while the cook merely eyed the towering woman with cold, dead eyes. Evidently the man had seen some unpleasant sights as he didn't even flinch as Twilight dished out her plate with a flourish of telekinesis. Now with a plate stacked high with what was probably oatmeal as well as a few dense slices of bread, Twilight made her way back to the table. As she approached, all eyes were on her, and the infested woman raised a hand politely. “Morning,” she offered. “Mornin’,” replied Applejack before stuffing a slice of jam-covered toast into her mouth. Rainbow Dash merely waved while guzzling what was likely a protein shake of some kind. “Good morning, dear,” remarked Rarity who continued to polish a rather large revolver. “Did you have a good sleep?” inquired Fluttershy, who had just put down her data pad. “Could be better,” Twilight murmured diplomatically. “Nightmares?” whispered Fluttershy in a gentle tone. Twilight merely nodded as she sat down and stuck a spoon into the thick porridge. “If you need a sleep aid, let me know, I have plenty,” offered Sunset Shimmer in a knowing tone. “Or you could always join me in my room for the night,” added Pinkie Pie, who shot the other infested woman a wink. Twilight chuckled. “I’ll consider it, though something tells me you wouldn't stay on your side of the bed.” Pinkie Pie giggled, the girl wrapping her long tail around her body. “Noper doper! I’m a cuddler. What can I say?” Sunset Shimmer blushed and pointedly looked away while sipping her orange juice. “So,” Rainbow Dash began, slamming her cup down against the table. “What can you do?” Twilight eyed the girl curiously. “What do you mean?” “That was pretty vague there, RD,” Applejack remarked. “Sunset said you had magic, right? Well, what can you all do?” Rainbow Dash pressed. “I admit I am rather curious,” added Rarity. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like if I could do more than make simple shields.” “You’re asking for quite a list, you know,” Twilight began, putting down her spoon. “How many spells did you know before you left, Sunset?” “A hundred and thirty or so? Not counting all the derivative versions of other spells like Tenser’s disk and Tenser's floating disk,” Sunset Shimmer replied, scratching her head. Twilight grinned. “I know about six times as many, a third of which are combat-oriented.” “R-really?” Sunset Shimmer murmured, mouth agape. The infested woman chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “There are a lot of utility spells I’ve memorized, so it's less impressive than it sounds.” “Still,” Sunset Shimmer remarked, “that's quite something.” “That's soo cool,” Pinkie Pie gushed. “Could you turn my hair green, or give me laser eyes?” “Yes to both, though the laser eyes can't actually hurt anyone.” Twilight chuckled. “I made that spell mostly as a test due to a foalhood obsession.” “Maybe with your magic and our technology, we could reverse the infestation process,” Fluttershy offered gently. Twilight sighed. “I don't know about that, and unfortunately I can't stick around to find out. My world needs me.” “Don't you worry none, we’ll get ya back right quick,” Applejack confidently exclaimed. “Speaking of which, when are we supposed to leave for this mission of ours?” Rarity inquired, turning to Sunset Shimmer. “A half hour from now,” replied the red-headed girl. “We have just enough time to clean up here and get sorted before heading to the helipad.” “I suppose I should meet you at the elevator then?” Twilight half asked, half stated. Sunset shook her head. “R and D managed to cook something up for you, so you’ll be coming with us.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What is that?” “You’ll see soon enough,” Sunset Shimmer replied cryptically, smirking knowingly at Fluttershy. Twilight hummed thoughtfully, but decided to drop the subject, focusing instead on her food. “Soo, is there a reason you smell like, super sweet?” Pinkie Pie whispered, leaning in close. “From what I’ve gathered, more important zerg bioforms exude a sort of primitive scent marker encouraging lesser zerg to gather around them,” Twilight explained with a shrug. “I’m not sure why it comes off as sweet though. I’ve never smelt it before.” “That is soo freaky,” Rainbow Dash declared. “It's like you're some sort of big ant laying down pheromones.” “Don't make it weird, Rainbow,” Applejack remarked, punching the other girl in the shoulder. “It's fine,” Twilight interjected. “I’ve been different since I was very young, and I’ve been called much worse.” “How young?” Sunset Shimmer asked curiously. “Ten, or so? Those early years were a bit of a blur though, I must admit,” Twilight replied before swallowing another mouthful of food. “Oh, darling, that is absolutely dreadful,” Rarity exclaimed. “To think you would have had to deal with that while you were a little more than a child.” “I don't feel quite so bad about my own circumstances anymore,” Pinkie Pie whispered. Twilight snorted. “Please, spare me your pity. I’ve long since come to grips with what I am and have even learned to take pride in my unique abilities.” “Let's just finish our food, huh?” Sunset Shimmer offered. “We have a lot to do, after all.” The girls all muttered their agreement, allowing Twilight to eat quietly, her mind consumed with thoughts of what could have been. Twilight leaned against the metal wall as she watched the various soldiers suit up. Fluttershy and Sunset were the least armored of the bunch, with the shy girl wearing only a bullet proof vest over what looked like a black wetsuit. Her clothing had numerous pockets, and the helmet she wore covered her entire head, a large air exchanger built into the side. A few scientific instruments of some kind were belted at her hip as well as a single relatively small pistol and a pair of flash bangs. Sunset Shimmer wore a similar set up, though unlike Fluttershy she had a submachine gun slung across her back rather than the smaller side arm. She also had extra pieces of armor strapped to her arms and legs in addition to a secondary pistol as well as a rather impressive knife strapped to her right thigh. While Fluttershy had numerous pockets, and a small backpack, Sunset Shimmer had only a bandolier of pouches strung across her chest. Applejack wore the same raven black armor she had before, only with the addition of the same full helmet and skin-tight under suit. She also had an axe strapped against the side of one leg, and her chest was absolutely covered in large shotgun shells just waiting to be used. It was very clear that they expected trouble, and that they would require a lot of ammunition as well as backups. Rainbow Dash was similarly armored though much slimmer, the girl wearing the same combo of wet suit and full helmet like the others. She also had two belts of grenades strapped around her midsection as well as a good number of spare magazines. Rarity followed a similar theme to the rest, with the only difference being that she was outfitted with a chrome shotgun, as well as a pair of revolvers. “Soo,” Twilight murmured. “What is this surprise you have in store for me? Also, why do you have those tight suits underneath your armor?” “They stop any accidental infestation,” Rarity explained, her voice sounding slightly off given that it was coming through a speaker. “Ever since our first raid, the black queen has taken to filling the air with spores.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Spores which my body would easily be able to fight off. Right?” “You will be fine,” Fluttershy interrupted, her voice similarly distorted. “I ran your bloodwork last night and found that you should be completely unaffected by them.” “Well, that's good to know,” Twilight muttered to herself. “As for your surprise, well, that should be arriving any moment now,” Sunset Shimmer explained. Twilight glanced out over the small cordoned off area of the main hangar that had been set aside for them. A dozen feet away the rest of the soldiers and pilots were similarly gearing up, most checking the seals in their armor. Watching them test their gear quickly grew dull, but thankfully that ended when the curtain was pulled aside to reveal a massive green box getting wheeled in. Once inside, the nine foot tall crate was pushed off the dolley and the pair of soldiers that had wheeled it in immediately doubled over. Twilight didn't even give the two exhausted men a second glance however, as her curiosity was piqued. Activating her magic, Twilight popped the primitive locks holding the crate shut and physically pulled it open. “I was going to unlock it,” Fluttershy murmured. Sunset Shimmer sighed and put a hand on the much taller girl’s shoulder. “Just be warned, Twilight. This armor was intended for some kind of super soldier program that never got off the ground.” “It's also super heavy,” Applejack remarked with a grunt. “Like sink into the dirt heavy if you aren't paying attention.” “She can handle it,” Rainbow Dash declared. “I mean, come on, look at her.” Twilight heard none of this, as her gaze had immediately set on the set of strange dark green armor contained within. Though it was missing one arm, and lacked any kind of helmet, it didn't take away from the intimidating figure it cut. Large heavy plates were attached to a jet black under armor that held the entire thing together. Each piece fit seamlessly into one another, with even the connecting parts having thicker reinforcement than even the heaviest part of Applejack’s suit. A quick spell told Twilight very little, as the sheer amount of unknown compounds and alloys made the information all but indecipherable. What she could tell was that there was supposed to be a series of artificial muscles built into the suit, though they had been mostly removed. With a quick test lift of the crate Twilight gauged that wearing the armor without any kind of hydraulic assistance would be the equivalent of wearing more than a dozen sets of plate at the same time. The infested woman didn't notice the jealous looks the still heaving men gave her, her hand still glowing faintly as she continued to inspect her new toy. The next realization she made was that there was supposed to be some manner of electronic subsystem in the armor, though it too had been almost completely gutted. “Twilight, are you with us? Earth to egghead!” Rainbow Dash shouted. The infested woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, were you saying something?” “I was explaining the history of the armor and its capabilities, but I think I’ll just sum it up quickly,” Sunset Shimmer remarked in a slightly bitter tone as she walked over to the crate. “This is the Mark one Stormbreaker armor. It was built for a theoretical set of genetically enhanced super soldiers which were never made.” “Thank goodness for that,” Fluttershy murmured. “It was supposed to have a super powerful computer built into it as well as a set of artificial muscles which would allow the wearer to pull off incredible feats of strength,” Sunset Shimmer continued. “It was also supposed to have optional attachments like a jet pack as well as a grapple hook, but those were deemed useless due to how heavy the armor is.” “That would be really cool though,” Rainbow Dash added. “Even if it would be kinda stupid at the same time.” “It was even supposed to have a built-n shield,” Rarity offered. “Though nothing quite as amazing as mine. I assure you.” “All of that was scrapped, leaving us with an incredibly heavy set of giant armor no one could wear. Until now, that is,” Sunset Shimmer explained, gesturing to Twilight. “Wouldn't something like this need to be tailor made for the individual?” Twilight asked, picking apart the individual pieces of armor and inspecting them one by one. “Normally yes, but there was a certain group of scientists who were so thrilled to find out a nine foot tall woman fell into their lap that they stayed up all night refitting it for you,” Sunset Shimmer replied. “How did they know my dimensions?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy blushed and raised a hand. “I got them when I was scanning you earlier… I may have also helped them, a little bit.” The infested woman chuckled. “I don't suppose I get to take it with me by chance?” Sunset Shimmer glanced left and right before leaning in close. “Officially no. But it's never going to get used, so if you happen to teleport away while still wearing it, I don't think they’d send anyone after you.” “Not like they could,” Applejack pointed out. “Very true,” Twilight murmured. “Alright, now how do I put it on?” “Allow me, darling,” Rarity exclaimed, stepping up to the towering woman. “I have read all about this piece of artistry.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “It ain't art, it’s armor.” “Armor is merely another type of clothing, which is art,” Rarity replied in a dismissive tone. “Now then, stand here while Fluttershy and I help you into it.” “Wait, me?” Fluttershy replied, pointing a finger to her chest. “Of course, darling. We did study the entire manual together,” Rarity stated. “Oh, right,” Fluttershy murmured, trotting awkwardly up to Rarity. “Don't you think we should have a little privacy though?” Rarity nodded. “Quite right. Sunset, if you would?” “Wait, why do you need privacy?” Twilight inquired. “The armor was designed to be worn in the buff, I’m afraid,” Rarity cautioned while pulling pieces of armor out of the foam molds which held them tightly. “Oh, is that it?” Twilight replied. “Yes, it's just a small bit of--Oh my,” Rarity muttered, staring slack-jawed as Twilight shed her jacket followed by her shirt. Fluttershy’s mouth hung open once Twilight’s chest was exposed, a bright red blush crossing her face. This reaction was shared by nearly everyone who happened to be glancing in Twilight’s direction. Including Applejack, who seemed to be the only one capable of responding before Twilight discarded her pants. “Woah there, pump the breaks,” Applejack cautioned, lifting the girl’s jacket up against her chest in order to hide her decency. “Let's just wait until all the guys leave.” “I think my armor sprung a leak,” remarked a slack-jawed female soldier. “I think mine has a hole,” murmured an equally stunned male soldier. Rainbow Dash got down on one knee and looked up at Twilight. “Marry me?” The infested woman merely blinked. “What?”