//------------------------------// // Act I, Ch 2- The Cutie Mark Crusader // Story: A Royal Insanity: Act I - A Metal Gear Christmas // by Fluttersnake31 //------------------------------// Chapter 2 – The Cutie Mark Crusader After Snake got done explaining his dream to the CMC’s, they all decided to meet up at Apple Bloom’s tree house, mainly to prove that Snake could sneak his way to the other side of town. After doing so, they got to business sketching out the mission. They gave Snake a somewhat poorly drawn map of Castle Celest, Princess Celestia’s castle in Canterlot. Snake convinces the CMC’s to get everypony some sort of codec/radios and puts everyone on different frequencies. One frequency at the tree house, one in Sweetie Belle’s room, and one sent with Scootaloo. Snake sends the fillies out to get supplies for Snake to build a gun and a knife. On one of Scootaloo’s trips to get supplies from a weapon facility on Cloudsdale, she finds an old tranquilizer gun fit for ponies to use. Snake heavily modified it for human hands and with a good luck was sent on his way. Finally, I made it to Castle Celest. Now I have to find my way into the meeting room and find out what’s going on in there. Snake was sent in with a notepad, pencil, his knife, the tranquilizer gun, and his custom-made handgun. Using Sweetie Belle’s magic, the gun that Snake built never runs out of ammo as long as someone is singing, humming, or making music of any kind. Snake found an unguarded entrance and ended up in a back hallway that only was a few rooms down from the meeting room. He entered into a larger room that led to another hallway where from which he could access the meeting room. There were no ponies in this room so he figured he could take some time to find some kind of vents to crawl through. It took him a good ten minutes, but he made his way into a vent that was on the ceiling. He made sure to make it look like there was nobody that got in the vents, but he figured if anyone noticed the stuff in the room moved around a bit, it wouldn’t be too big of a problem. Not even a filly could fit in these vents, and Snake was just a tiny bit scrunched for space as it is. However, he continued on until he was over the meeting room. There was a grate in the bottom of the vent that allowed him to clearly see the events of the meeting. He got there just in time. “Alright, now it has been decided that I, Princess Celestia, need your help, the Mane Six, to defeat Nightmare Moon once again. We believe that the source of her power is coming from a planet far away in the middle of the universe. The planet is named Ninsoare and its only continent is shaped like a crescent moon. The beings there are all under the rule of the Tungl Queen, who has recently passed away. We believe it is one of Nightmare’s agents of darkness that killed the Tungl Queen and now Ninsoare’s subjects are being forced into worshipping this new Tungl Queen, which is Nightmare Moon’s agent. We found that this agent is transferring the power from the subject’s prayers to Nightmare Moon, making her stronger here every second. We must establish a base there and destroy the cold darkness that envelops this little planet and save ourselves from Nightmare Moon.” Twilight Sparkle, a purple pony sitting in the front row, agreed. “Yes, Princess, as head of the Mane Six Forces of Friendship and Magic (M6FFM), we accept this responsibility to defend Ninsoare from evil and to protect the throne and daytime of Princess Celestia of Equestria.” “Agreed!” The other five of the M6FFM exclaim. Snake had wrote down all of the key points in Celestia’s little speech and waited until the room below him was empty before opening the grate and quietly jumping down. He then turned on his radio and called up Sweetie Belle, who was still at the tree house with the other fillies awaiting news. He relayed the information he learned to them. “What in tarnation? That don’t make any sense, I told you guys that Luna just left for a while and this is a fake Nightmare Moon!” Apple Bloom exclaimed after hearing this news. Scootaloo offered her thought, “Maybe it’s the other way around? A fake Nightmare here and the real one is on Ninsoare?” “Could be, but we have to find a way to get to that planet. Without a way there, we can’t really find out what’s really going on.” Snake said. “Well, I think we all should find out how my sister and the other ponies are getting there, so until then, find a way there Snake. If you find one, tell us about where, and how, and if we can make one ourselves. Good luck Snake.” Sweetie Belle said before ending the message. Snake snuck out when the guards got up to follow the princess and the six ponies. He cautiously followed them to the basement where there was a room with large device that looked like a portal of sorts. He hid behind a failed prototype in the corner to not be seen when Celestia turned around. “This is the portal I will send you in. By the time you get there, the scout I just sent should have built a pony-made island to the northwest of the main continent. Once you arrive, there will be a tower on that island that has a room in the top floor to contact me. Press the big button with my face on it and it should work,” “YAAAAAAAY I LOOOOOOOVE PRESSING BUTTONS!!!!!!” A pink pony exclaimed super-loud. The rainbow maned pony replied, “Calm down Pinkie, and if anyone’s gonna press it, it’s me cause I’m awesome!” “Um… Rainbow Dash I… uh…. Wanted to press the button….” The shy yellow pony said. Princess Celestia interrupted the playful arguing, “Girls, you all will have your chances at pressing it, trust me, now can you all do what I ask of you until I give you more instruction on facing the agent of Nightmare?” “Yeah…” All the ponies replied. Then Celestia turned on the portal and let the six ponies trot in and disappear. She turned it off and whispered a quiet ‘Good luck’ to herself and left the basement room. After she left, Snake got up from his hiding spot and studied the portal. He found plans to build it in a desk near the portal and put it in his pocket. He carefully made his way back to the tree house after leaving the castle and awaited the CMC’s. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Right on time of their now daily meetings, the CMC’s arrived at the tree house. Snake showed them the plans on constructing a working portal, and they got started copying them immediately. “Hey Snake, I know that now, you have no missions, but how about you sneak back to the castle and try to set us up a base in Ninsoare? Or at least get good coordinates for one to be established.” Sweetie Belle offered. “Hmmm… Sounds like a good idea, and by the time I’m back, the portal should be ready.” Snake agreed and gathered his things. As he was leaving, Sweetie Belle stopped him. “Wait, I want one thing before you leave, remember you still are my pet.” Snake really didn’t want to deal with that again when there were things that needed to be taken care of. “…… What is it?...... Nothing like before right?” “Oh you silly, I just want a kiss!” Snake honestly couldn’t resist the cute look on her face, but was confused at the request knowing what happened to him earlier. “Um… Alright…” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Snake arrived at the castle for the second time this day, and now it was getting dark. Princess Celestia was on a balcony on one of the towers keeping watch over Equestria. She should be pretty busy up there, so I won’t have to deal with accidentally running into her on my way. Snake thought as he snuck his way inside. He took a different path to the basement but there were hardly any guards anywhere even if he took the same way as before. When he got to the basement he realized he needed to make his way to the same hangar as the portal, which was three hangars down from the one he was in. He effortlessly made his way through, but then was distracted when he got to the third one. Immensely sitting in front of him was the same Metal Gear as the one in his dream. Even in the same room. The only difference was that it was hooked up to a large computer and there was what looked like another portal in front of the main railgun. There was frost covering the entire thing but if it came alive, that wouldn’t stop it. He then remembered his mission and continued into the portal room. He approached carefully and found the map of Ninsoare sitting on the desk. He put away the original copy of the production plans and studied the map. In a short call to Sweetie Belle, he gave her coordinates of what appeared to be a run-down town that would be perfect for them to set up there. After finishing the call, he returned to the room with the frost-bitten Metal Gear. He was jotting down notes about it when a soft voice popped up behind him. “That is Luna’s winter machine. She found it using my portal and turned it into a machine to spread darkness and frost. She’s automatically set it to fire once every day at Ninsoare. She plans to freeze the life from it. She’s the only one with the password to shut it down. That’s why I sent my most trusted task force to defeat her. I know she managed to split her two personalities Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon. She left Nightmare here as a distraction, while she prevents the people of Ninsoare to realize what’s happening. It’s only a matter of time until this device affects us here.” Snake was startled, “Princess Celestia, how did you get here? I thought you were busy watching Equestria?” “Oh, haha, that is just an illusion so that people like you don’t try to help my sister’s evil plans. Yes, I know you are an agent of Luna’s, and I’ve been looking for you. You must die, agent of darkness.” Princess Celestia’s tone was now very serious, and the look she gave Solid Snake could have made anypony fess up to anything bad they ever have done in their life, but had no effect on this soldier. “I just want to know what is going on, I don’t want to leave Equestria!” Snake pleaded, he didn’t want to go back to being an old man. He also just realized that he is gaining feelings for Sweetie Belle. When they kissed before he left, Snake felt something he never felt before. He felt a sense of belonging, something that if lasted, he would never have to aimlessly walk around to soothe his soul. He didn’t want to lose what could possibly be a long lasting relationship. Princess Celestia replied, “I’m sorry, but it’s what must be done to ensure Equestria’s safety.” Celestia rammed her shoulder into Snake sending him flying into the wall. Casually, she walked up to him and lifted him up on top of her and walked over to the portal. “Nobody will find you here… And your dead body will freeze in the icy snow of my sister’s machine; serves her right for trying to send her spies here to take my throne from me.” Then dropping Snake down right before the portal in the portal room, she took her horn and stabbed him straight through the heart and kicked him into the portal. His body appearing right in front of the location he sent to Sweetie Belle.