The Fangs and Star Striker looked at each other. They sat in silence for a while, only noises being the wagons wheels, and the occasional grunt when they went over a bump.
Zenex was sat across from the pony, giving him a shy glance every so often. Star smiled at him, passing him a chocolate bar. “Here. This’ll calm your nerves.”
Zenex’s eyes quickly locked to the chocolate and he grabbed it, nibbling on it. Star smiled.
As Zenex nibbled on the chocolate bar, he peeked outside, noticing several other wagons trailing them. Zenex blinked. “What the…” he turned to the others. “I thought this was supposed to be a private operation? Why are there RGs trailing us?”
Mitchell looked over. “We need the extra help. I mean, a group of ten changelings and two ponies isn’t doing much for us.”
“I guess…” Zenex sighed, looking around. He felt cold, as if he knew something bad was gonna happen. Before he could open his mouth, an explosion rang out.
The Fangs jumped, looking outside. One of the wagons was destroyed in a ball of flames.
“Ah crap!” Tempest cursed, gritting her teeth.
Brokenwing looked at the driver. “Faster! We can’t let those Blade soldiers get a lock on us!”
The driver looked over. “We’re only a couple klicks out! We can— argh!”
The Fangs and Star looked over to see the guard duck down beneath the wagon.
Mitchell’s eyes widened. “Hang on!!”
The wagon tipped forward, rolling down the hill and throwing the group around like rag dolls.
Mitchell almost flew out, barely managing to grab onto Broken’s hoof.
“Mitchell!”
“Ahh! Pull me in! Pull me in!”
Broken felt his grip loosen. “I’m trying! I got you Sargeant!”
Mitchell tried to hold on, but another slam into the ground sent Broken flying into the wall, causing him to let go of Mitchell’s hoof. Mitchell flew out of the wagon.
The last thing he heard before hitting the ground was someone calling out for him.
~~~
Nighty…
Nighty!
Mitchell opened his eyes, looking around. The grass tickled his face and sides, making him itch.
Nighty!
Mitchell looked around, noticing three figures moving towards him. They were dressed in Blade armor. He reached for his sidehoof, but the leading member kicked the weapon away.
Mitchell groaned, watching the soldiers surround him.
“Sir, we got on—”
He was cut off by a rock to the back of his head. Mitchell looked up to see the other two leaning down to him, removing their balaclavas to reveal changeling faces.
Mitchell’s eyes widened. “M-Midnight…? Fortuna…?” He groaned, before going unconscious.
~~~
Mitchell awoke several minutes later. He looked around, noticing his sidehoof a few feet off. He crawled over, grabbing it and limping off. The changeling felt his legs stagger. He felt off balance, like at any moment, he was gonna collapse with every step he took.
Mitchell looked around, before collapsing. He groaned, looking up. He noticed more Blade soldiers charging him. He growled and raised his weapon, firing at them. The terrorists dropped dead.
Mitchell chuckled, a small smile appearing on his muzzle. He stood then noticed a figure running towards him. Was that… Brokenwing?
“Mitchell! Mitchell!”
The changeling reached a hoof out. “Broken! Broken, I’m—”
Mitchell was suddenly knocked off his hooves by force. He did one-eighty and landed his side. He groaned and looked up to see another Blade soldier standing over him, hold something. But he couldn’t get a good look at it before Broken shot him dead.
“Mitchell! Mitchell!” Broken called, running over to him. He grabbed the changeling and began dragging him away. It was at this point that Mitchell noticed his wooden leg was detached.
“Nngh… Broken… my leg…”
“I know Mitchell! Let me get you to safety!” Broken called out.
Mitchell grasped his sidehoof tightly, feeling the grass itch his back. He looked up, noticing the other Fangs sat up in the wagon.
“Stinger! Mitchell’s hurt! And badly!” Broken called out.
Stinger looked over, then ran over. “Mitchell?! Where’s your leg?!”
“Long story Sting…” he groaned, feeling Broken sitting him against the overturned wagon.
Stinger ran over, digging through his medical bag. “Crap… don’t have any way to fix your leg.”
Zenex looked over. “I can fix it, but I need duct tape and some wood.”
Stinger blinked. “How—”
“Don’t ask.”
Mantis reached into his bags, pulling out a roll of duct tape. “Here.” He tossed it over.
Zenex caught the tape. “Thanks.”
Broken looked at Tempest and Pharynx. “You two got any ideas?”
Tempest shrugged. “I mean, we could call in an artillery strike.”
“No, no… Ponyville will be torn by the shrapnel…” Broken replied.
Blue chuckled. “May we?”
Broken and Pharynx smiled.
“Well… okay.”
“Buck yeah!” Blue’s eyes turned sharp blue, several tendrils extending from his back.
Star looked over. “What the—”
“You get used to it.” Tempest shrugged.
“We’ll clear a path to the school,” Blue Rage said.
“Alright, we’ll hold up here,” Pharynx replied.
Rage smiled widely, leaping off.
~~~
Stinger wrapped Mitchell’s head in a few bandages. “There. You’re bleeding should stop soon.”
“Thanks… got a drink?”
Stinger sighed, grabbing a canteen. “Here. For the pain, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I just need to… think for a bit… I saw something back there. Probably from the concussion, but…” Mitchell fidgeted slightly. “It might have been a hallucination… but I just… need to think.”
“Okay Mitchell.” Stinger gave the canteen to him.
Mitchell began drinking, feeling the effects kick in. He closed his eyes and lit his horn.
“Middy…”
~~~
Mitchell opened his eyes. The world was dark and still. Mitchell stood, his wooden leg reattached. He chuckled, looking around. The Fangs were still behind the wagon, their weapons grasped close.
Mitchell began walking, stepping past the frozen statues that were the RGs and Blade soldiers. He’d been here. It was a subsection of the Void, called the Abyss. It was a dark space, where natural lights had no effect on the surrounding area, and only a few feet of ground were visible. The surrounding area and creatures were frozen. The one upside to entering the Abyss was that it used Physic magic, so Mitchell could see and hear everything.
Mitchell began walking through the grassy plains, stripping his armor off. He wouldn’t need it here.
He trotted back to the spot he encountered “Fortuna” and “Midnight”. He soon noticed a figure approaching. He pulled to a halt.
Midnight’s face soon became visible. Mitchell stared at her. “Middy?”
She smiled slightly. “Hey Nightbite.”
Mitchell chuckled. “No one’s called me that in years…” He trotted over to her. “So… you’re alive…?”
She shrugged. “I may be, I may be not.”
Mitchell shook his head. As much as he loved cared for Midnight, he never understood her snarky tone.
“Sooo… that’s a no?”
Midnight chuckled. “Sure, why not?”
Mitchell rolled his eyes. “So… Fortuna’s dead too?” he asked. She raised a brow. Mitchell sighed. “Damnit…”
She looked around. “Why are you…?”
“Fighting a bunch of terrorists? Long story.”
Midnight’s eyes widened. “Oh… I thought you were…”
“What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. You okay?”
He shrugged. “I ain't dead. That’s something.”
She smiled. “True. Hehehe, I should let you go. You seem busy.”
Mitchell looked over to where he was originally sitting. “Heh… you have no—” ge turned back to her, but she was gone. “Heheh… see ya around.”
He began his walk back.
~~~
Mitchell’s eye opened, back on the battlefield. Where were they? The outskirts of Ponyville?
Mitchell stood, using his crossbow as a cane, noticing a changeling tank, a Scorpion, roll past. He chuckled and limped behind them. The Fangs and a few RGs were taking cover behind the large metal beast.
“Hey Mitch, you good?” Broken asked.
Mitchell nodded. “Yeah. I-I should be good…” He looked over to Stinger, who was holding the wooden leg. “Can you reattach it?”
“Mm-mm…” he sighed sadly. “We can build you a makeshift leg, but… I can’t reattach it till we get back…”
“It’s okay Sting…” Mitchell looked at the tank. Mantis was driving. That gave Mitch an idea.
~~~
“Woohoohoo!!”
The Fangs held onto the tank as it sped past the advancing force. Mitchell chuckled, then looked at Star, who was not having a good time.
“Hey Star! You good back there?” Mantis asked.
“Y-Yeah… I just… ugh…” He groaned, holding onto the tank hard.
“You’ll get used to it!” Hive said.
“Easy for you to say!”
The others chuckled as the tank plowed through the Blade defenses. Literally. The small wall of wooden spikes was demolished by the metal machine.
Mantis chuckled. “Driver, drop us off by Twilight’s castle!”
The tank shifted slightly, moving towards the castle. The Fangs groaned at the sight of the large crystal tree.
“Heh Mant! You sure we can’t ram that thing too?!”
Mantis looked at Dagger. “You wanna pay for Bessie’s damages?”
“Well… no, but—”
“Exactly!”
Dagger pouted.
Soon pulled to a stop, and the Fangs dismounted. They turned to the school, watching as Broken stepped up. He turned to them. “Alright Fangs, this is our stop.”
They nodded, looking at the school.
Hive sighed. “Are there… civilians?”
Broken gave him a sympathetic look. “I… Yes…”
Hive sighed, then growled. “Then let’s kick the Blade back to the hole they crawled out of.”
The Fangs nodded and marched into the school, a roar of thunder following them inside.