For several moments no one is able to speak. Finally Arc turns to Ember.
“Is… is that… really her?”
Ember nods grimly. “Yes, Arc. That’s Princess Celestia.”
Rose looks the mare over momentarily. "Scans show this is indeed the missing alicorn princess."
They cautiously approach the creature at the center of the room. A single bright light hangs over her, emitting a warm light in the otherwise cool room. Heavy chains hold down and apart all four of her legs. A heavy duty helmet-like device is wrapped around most of her head leaving only her mouth and nose partially exposed. Innumerable bruises, welts, scabs, and scars cover her body. Celestia does not stir as Arc and company walk carefully over to her. Arc turns to Rose.
“Is she alive?”
Rose nods. “Yes. Using Princess Luna’s vitals as a benchmark, she’s doing very poorly though. All bodily systems appear to be in heavy distress.”
Auriel looks Celestia over. “She looks heavily emaciated! Haven’t they been feeding her?!”
Ember clenches a fist. “As valuable a prize as she is, you’d think they would!”
Sereb growls. “Perhaps they intentionally weakened her physically to protect themselves.”
Arc frowns. “Well, let’s get her loose and figure out the details later. Rose, can I safely cut her binds?”
Rose nods. “It would appear they are merely chains. However something is amiss from my scans.”
Arc calls forth one of his Magic Blades and slashes at the closest chain. However it does not yield. Ember raises an eyebrow.
“That was unexpected.”
Rose frowns. “The material absorbed the magical energy from your blades, Arc.”
Sereb groans. “Have we really come all this way to be stopped by an inanimate object?!”
Auriel shakes her head. “I don’t believe so. There must be a way to free her.”
Rose looks down at the chain. “We need a more focused attack.”
Ember holds up her weapon. “Like my spear?!”
Ember slashes at the chain but does not make any headway. Rose shakes her head.
“As I was trying to say, any blow would have to be VERY focused as well as insanely powerful.”
Arc grins. “This might work.”
Reaching for his ring Arc pulls out the Guardanium Knife. He slashes at the chains but makes no headway.
“Even THIS can’t cut through them?!”
Ember’s eyes light up. “Arc, remember what Sunburst did when he demonstrated that weapon’s power?”
Arc shrugs. “Worth a shot.”
Channeling his magic through the blade, Arc raises the knife high and brings it down with everything he has. The chain parts like a hot knife through butter. Repeating the process for the other three chains Princess Celestia is finally freed from her bonds. Arc kneels down and carefully takes her fetlock
“Her joints aren’t working.”
Auriel sighs. “They’re so stiff from lack of use.”
Rose shakes her head. “To say nothing for her muscles.”
Ember turns to Rose. “Can she walk?”
“Not a chance.”
Arc looks to the others. “First things first. Everyone take a leg and start moving it. We need to get her muscles loosened up and the blood moving again.”
Doing as they are told, Arc’s friends get to work. In a few minutes Celestia’s joints begin to move more freely. She cries out in pain from their efforts. Ember winces.
“Sounds like she’s finally awake.”
Arc puts a gauntlet on her side. “Princess Celestia?”
She attempts to look around but can see nothing through the helmet.
“If you can hear me, I’m Equestria’s Hero of Light. We’re going to get you out of here and back home again safely.”
The large mare lets out a wracking cough as she weakly nods. Auriel turns to Arc.
“What’s the plan to accomplish that though?”
“This…”
Stretching out a gauntlet he casts the Matter Compacting Spell on Celestia. Before long she is roughly the size of a small filly. Arc carefully picks her up and frowns.
“That helmet contracted with her too.”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t do that on purpose?”
Arc shakes his head. “No. I figured I could pull it off when she shrank.”
Auriel shrugs. “This is a rather surprising development.”
Rose turns and look toward the door. “Indeed. However our original objective remains unchanged.”
Arc nods. “Right.”
He looks down at the mare in his arms.
“Okay, princess. We’re going to be leaving now. I don’t know what awaits us out there, but please know that all of us will do our very best to get you past it and safely home to Equestria.”
She nods weakly and grunts in pain Arc looks up to his friends.
“Let’s get back to the vault door.”
Ember rolls her eyes. “Yes, by all means. I’m sure the guards have been given enough time to mount a proper… reception.”
Celestia looks around fearfully. Arc frowns.
“Ember! You’re scaring her!”
Upon hearing that name, Celestia looks around frantically. Auriel raises an eyebrow.
“That’s strange.”
Sereb frowns. “She became much more active when she heard your name, Ember.”
Ember nods. “I think you’re right.”
Celestia looks in the direction of Ember’s voice. Shakily she reaches out a small hoof weakly. Arc looks to his friend.
“Ember, I think she wants you to hold her.”
“But what about those guards out there?! I have to be ready to fight!”
Sereb growls. “Do not forget our original mission. The princess’ safety must come first.”
Auriel sighs. “Yes. Or all of this will be for naught.”
“Fine.”
Ember walks over to Arc. He carefully puts Celestia in Ember’s arms. The mare immediately appears more at peace and nuzzles up to the dragon’s chest plate. Auriel smiles.
“That worked.”
Arc nods. “Agreed. Now let’s go.”
Heading back the way they came Arc and company return to the vault door. Arc turns to the Rose.
“Are you completely sure of the soldiers out there?”
“Yes. They’re all androids. Of that I am certain.”
Sereb bears his teeth. “Good. Then they may be readily slain!”
Auriel glares at him. “Sereb! Those are Rose’s own kind out there! Show some compassion!”
Arc turns to his friend. “Rose, if you don’t want to fight them, I understand.”
Rose shakes her head. “No. They’re just like me inasmuch as they don’t feel pain. However I believe that’s where the similarities end. Ultimately they’re just slaves to their master’s will. While I would like to free them from such a fate, we don’t have time for such things right now.”
Auriel bows her head sadly. “Rose…”
Rose turns to the door. “All I can do now is to stop them from hurting any of you.”
Arc nods. “Thank you, Rose.”
Sighing, Rose walks over to Arc and steps behind him. She gently pushes him toward the door as she calls forth her L-Blade.
“Let’s see if we can fool them again.”
Arc nods. “Fine. But be aware that this probably won’t go as well as getting in did.”
Auriel sighs. “I’ll stick by your side, Arc. It’ll make it that much more convincing.”
Ember frowns. “You sure?”
Sereb bears his teeth. “That is quite risky.”
Rose looks to Arc. “Auriel’s right. It’ll look suspicious if she stays behind me.”
Auriel takes her place next to Arc. He holds the general’s card to the reader and inserts it as Auriel does the same with her mother’s badge. Both panels shine with a green light as the door slowly opens. Before them stands roughly a hundred soldiers. Auriel calls out to them menacingly.
“Stand down or she’ll hurt the general!”
The soldiers keep their weapons trained on the group. Rose presses her L-Blade against Arc’s back.
“I’m warning all of you! Back off!”
A voice rings out nearby.
“How about not.”
The soldiers part as General Mustang himself steps forward. He looks at the hooded figure in front of Rose and smiles. Celestia pushes herself deeper into Ember in an attempt to distance herself from her abuser.
“Did my troops actually think that was me? I’ll have to upgrade their sensors.”
Arc steps forward.
“So you admit these aren’t really soldiers?!”
Mustang chuckles. “Of course not! Watch!”
Pulling a sword from his belt he takes a mighty swing at one of his guards, literally cutting the android in half. Blood-like substances splatter everywhere. Rose’s eyes grow wide as she gasps.
“Wha-why did you DO that?!”
Mustang chuckles as he wipes the red liquid from his sword with a handkerchief. “What does it matter? I can build a thousand more to replace it. Machines are here to be used, abused, and discarded when they reach the end of their component’s lifespan.”
Rose glares at the man. “Why you…!”
Arc turns and puts a hand on Rose’s shoulder.
“Don’t listen to him.”
Rose nods as Arc turns again to face the horde before them. He calls forth his Spear of Righteousness and points it at Mustang.
“I’m taking the princess home now.”
Mustang smiles. “Back to Equestria?”
Ember gasps. “How did you…?!”
Auriel quickly turns to the dragon. “Ember!”
Silence again reigns over the room before Mustang speaks again.
“Oh I know quite a bit more than you realize.”
Arc narrows his eyes. “How? Your little pet, Diva?”
Mustang smiles at Arc. “She told me some things, yes. But one should not gather all their information from one source, lest you come to rely too heavily on them… Lord Regent.”
Ember looks to Arc. “We HAVE to take this guy out! He knows too much!”
Sereb growls at Mustang menacingly as Auriel takes up a battle-ready position. She looks to Arc for direction.
“It’s your call. What should we do?”
Mustang points his sword at the group. “Yes, by all means… TRY to take me on! But should I fall, which is unlikely, you’ll be left in the dark on a great many subjects, Arc. What I’m really up to. Why. And who exactly told me… everything.”
Arc grits his teeth. “You mean you have mole in Equestria?!”
Mustang nods. “That I do. Several actually. And they’ve been very helpful in gathering information on your comings and goings over there, LORD Arc.”
Arc narrows his eyes as Mustang chuckles.
“I’m sure you have many questions for me, my boy. However they will have to wait for another day.”
He turns and walks away. Auriel mutters to herself.
“My… boy? Is he…?”
Ember glares at him. “Hey! Get back here!”
Mustang chuckles, but does not look back as he opens a portal and steps through. “We’ll meet again. Until then do try to stay alive, won’t you kindly? Soldiers, escort the Hero of Light topside after you return the Secret to her cell. Feel free to kill everyone else.”
Auriel gasps. “NO!”
Lunging in front of everyone, she uses her Dark Magic to create a barrier. The soldier’s shots bounce harmlessly off it. Arc gasps.
“Lasers?!”
Sereb growls. “What else would they fire?!”
“I dunno?! Bullets?!”
Auriel looks back as she strains. “Arc, we need a plan! I can’t hold this up forever!”
“All or nothing time! Sereb, help Auriel strengthen the barrier!”
“At once!”
His horn aglow Sereb channels his magic into the barrier.
“You too, Ember! Do the same!”
Rose frowns. “We won’t make any progress this way! There’s still the need to advance our position!”
Arc clenches a gauntlet. “Trust me, Rose.”
Ember adds her power to the barrier as Arc plants his feet firmly and slams the Spear of Righteousness into the ground.
“On the count of three everyone channel your mana outward to expand the barrier as fast as you can!”
He takes a deep breath.
“1… 2… 3!!!”
The barrier’s circumference expands outward wildly. Every soldier around them is pushed backwards as they make contact with it. A moment later they are slammed against the perimeter walls, crushed between them and the barrier itself. Arc calls out to his friends.
“Cease!”
Everyone stops. Rose steps forward and surveys the damage.
“All targets have been… eliminated.”
Arc puts a hand on her shoulder. “Sorry.”
Rose nods soberly. “It had to be done.”
Auriel looks to Arc as she breathes heavily. “We… still need to get out of here!”
Sereb turns to her. “Are you alright?”
“Yes. Just let me catch my breath.”
“Sorry, but we don’t have time.”
Arc grabs Auriel and hurriedly puts her in Sereb’s saddle as an alarm klaxon goes off all around them.
“Just rest. You’ve earned it.”
Rose gasps. “I’m detecting more soldier androids being brought online! They’ll be on us in just a few minutes!”
Arc calls out. “Let’s go!”
They run down the corridor as the alarm klaxon continues. Auriel grimaces.
“I guess the general made it to wherever he was going!”
Sereb growls. “And now he wants our hides!”
Ember grits her teeth. “He can’t have em!”
Arc grins. “Agreed. So let’s finish the job and get out of here!”
As the approach the Maintenance Bay Arc scans the general’s badge and opens the door.
“Ember, get the princess to the Landmaster!”
“But what about you?!”
“I have to save the Shards, remember?!”
Ember shakes her head. “There’s no time!”
Sereb grunts. “Ember is right. We should get out with the princess while there’s still time.”
Arc shakes his head. “I won’t leave them here! We’ll never have another chance at this!”
Ember grits her teeth. “Then I’m going with you!”
“No! Stay with the princess! Keep her calm and safe until I get back!”
“But…!”
Auriel steps forward. “Please, Ember. I’ll go with Arc.”
Rose nods. “As will I.”
Sereb bears his teeth. “I’m with you to the end as well.”
The squad’s voices ring out over Arc’s earring.
“Take us too, sir!”
“Yeah! You’ll need all the hands you can get!”
“Especially with all the noise out there right now!”
“And the extra guards!”
Arc sighs. “Fine! Open the Landmaster for Ember and get over here!”
Max grins. “Yes sir.”
Ember hurries toward the vehicle as Arc’s squad jumps out. They are clad in their custom made body armor and spears. Xenos helps Ember inside as the others run for the door. He glances at Celestia’s battered form a moment before looking Ember in the eye.
“Take good care of her.”
Ember nods soberly. “I will.”
Xenos nods, closes the door, and hurries after the others. Ember sits down on the floor and leans against the cold wall. Celestia raises her head and sniffs the air. Ember strokes her mane nervously.
“Don’t you worry about a thing. You’re safe in here.”
Celestia’s breathing becomes erratic and her body twitches.
“Princess Celestia? What is it?”
The mare struggles to open her mouth. She utters something inaudible. Ember leans in closer to listen.
“What was that?”
“T-T-Twi…”
“Huh?”
“T… Tw… Twi… light…”
Ember frowns. “Twilight? The Element Bearer?”
“Twi… light.”
Ember shakes her head. “Sorry. She’s not here.”
“Twilight?”
Ember sighs. “Um… I don’t really know…”
“Twilight, Twilight!”
“Great. Is that all you can say?”
“Twilight.”
Ember rolls her eyes. “I guess so.”
Meanwhile, Arc’s squad joins him. Max is the first to reach him.
“Reporting for duty, sir!”
Xenos grips his spear angrily. “Let’s kick some flank!”
Hugh grins angrily. “And quickly!”
Viktor nods soberly. “Yes. The Shards have waited long enough.”
Auriel turns and heads for the door. “I’ll go first!”
Arc grabs her wrist. “No. That disguise isn’t fooling them anymore, remember? I’ll take point.”
Rose steps forward. “Actually, I will.”
Sereb frowns. “Rose?”
“My body is the most durable, after all. That and I have ranged offensive options.”
Cherry calls out to him. “She’s right, Arc.”
“Very well. Lead the way. But I’ll be right behind you.”
Rose jogs down the corridor as Arc and the others follow closely. A squad rounds a corner and charges at them. Not slowing down, Rose blocks most of their shots with her L-Blade while still more whiz past her defenses and burn her synthetic skin. She raises her other arm and counters with her R-Cannon. Making short work of the androids she and the others pass by their ruined forms. Before long they reach the Research Lab. Arc swipes the general’s card and opens the door. Rose covers them with her cannon as they run inside. Entering last she slams the door shut and smashes the door controls. Max calls out to her.
“Rose! Are you okay?!”
“Yes. The damage is merely superficial.
Arc grimaces as he looks at her wounds. “Good! Just be careful from here on out! Even you’re not invulnerable!”
Xenos nods soberly. “Yeah! Those guys are shooting to kill!”
Arc turns to Auriel.
“Get those guys out of the tanks!”
“On it!”
Viktor joins her. “I’ll help you!”
The pair run over to the main terminal. Auriel inserts Doctor Rieper’s card and begins typing as Viktor takes up a spot at another station. The soldiers outside bash on the door as Rose puts her back against it and plants her feet firmly. Joining her, Arc does the same as Sereb pushes with his magic. Arc calls out.
“How long will this take, Auriel?!”
“About three minutes!”
Hugh looks at the door as he clenches his spear. “I don’t think we have that long!”
Rose frowns. “My sensors show this door will suffer catastrophic structural failure in thirty seconds.”
Max grits his teeth. “Sir! Your orders?!”
“I’m open to suggestions!”
Rose turns to him. “I have one.”
With a wave of her hand she knocks Arc away. Rose turns, throws the door open, and plows into the soldiers in the corridor. The sound of laserfire rings out as she slams what’s left of the door behind her. Arc gasps.
“ROSE!”
Sereb gets to his feet. “I will assist her!”
Arc nods. “Right! Let’s go!”
Sereb blocks his path.
“No, you must stay with Auriel!”
“What?! But I…!”
“She must be protected! If harm befalls her, none of us has the technical know-how to save the Shards! You must be the last line of defense!”
Sereb runs toward the door and lunges through it, literally ripping it from its frame. The massive wolf turns and runs down the corridor to stand with Rose. Arc clenches his spear angrily as Max turns to him.
“We’ll help them, sir!”
Xenos holds up his weapon. “Yeah! Let’s show those tin cans what the might of the Equestrian Military can do!”
Hugh grits his teeth. “They won’t know what hit em!”
Arc nods soberly. “Give em hell you guys.”
The trio runs out the door as Arc takes up a defensive position in front of Auriel and Viktor. Several androids make it into the room, but are quickly dispatches with a few blasts from Arc’s Hand Cannons. Another enters with a strange looking device in his hand>
“A grenade?!”
Pulling the pin the android throws it mere moments before a shot from Arc blows him to pieces. Knocking the grenade back into the corridor, Arc leaps forward to stand in the doorframe as it explodes. The shrapnel hits his armor and bounces roughly off it with sickening screeches, leaving heavy gouges in the white armor. Cherry gasps.
“Arc! Are you okay?!”
“Y-yes. My ears aren’t too happy though.”
He turns to looks down the corridor to see Rose and Sereb fighting back to back with his squad doing their best to lend a hand. Turning to look the other way Arc spots reinforcements rushing forth. He gasps.
“They’re going to be flanked!”
Stepping out into the corridor Arc raises his spear over his head and concentrates. Magic energy courses through his spear as he brings it down hard.
“SONIC BOOM!!!”
A wave of pure magical energy rushes forth from the spear. It knocks back the androids whom appear to be damaged but not destroyed. Cherry gasps.
“They’re tougher than they look!”
Arc grits his teeth as he rushes toward them. “Anything can be broken!”
Cherry screams out. “No, Arc! You have to stay with Auriel and Viktor!”
“But Rose and Sereb will…!”
“Just guard them from the doorway! Don’t advance!”
The androids raise their weapons and open fire. Arc holds out a hand and channels a Barrier Spell. Rose calls out to him from the other end of the corridor.
“Arc, don’t use up all your mana! We’ll need it to get out of here!”
Cherry shudders. “She’s right, Arc! You can’t keep this barrier up for long!”
Arc looks over his shoulder. “Auriel?!”
“Ten seconds!”
A few moments later the capsules rise and dump their fluids. The Shards stumble out and fall to the floor coughing and vomiting fluid from their stomachs and lungs. Snake is the first to get to his feet as he looks to Wolf and Jackal.
“What the…?”
“Where the heck ARE we, Snake?!”
Jackal spits. “Looks like hospital.”
Arc hurries over to them with Auriel and Viktor. “No time to talk! We need everyone who can stand on their feet!”
Snake looks around. “Where’s the boss?!”
Arc helps Wolf up. “Don’t worry! He’s safe and sound at the rendezvous point! You’ll see him soon!”
Viktor looks back toward the corridor as Max, Hugh, and Xenos run pas the door to engage the androids Arc damaged earlier. “Right! But we’re not!”
Auriel nods as she point to laser shots whizzing past the doorway from both directions. “There’s no time to lose! We have to fall back to the Maintenance Bay!”
Viktor turns back to the Shards. “Right! But some of these guys are still kinda punchy! They need a few minutes to regain their senses!”
Arc frowns. “A few minutes might be all we have! Stay with them and help get everyone walking! I’ll be right back!”
He tosses his spear to Auriel as he hurries out into the corridor. Arc spots Max, Hugh, and Xenos fighting back a large group of fresh androids. Turning, he sees the other defenders facing similar odds. Activating his Magic Blades he rushes to aid Rose and Sereb first. Reaching them, he knocks an android off Sereb’s saddle and slashes at another as they aim at Rose. Together they beat back their attackers and stand there for a moment breathing heavily. Rose concentrates for a moment.
“More are incoming!”
Arc turns to her. “How many?!”
Sereb pricks up his ears. “Too many to count!”
Rose aims her R-Cannon down the corridor. “We need a new plan!”
“Fall back!”
Sereb frowns. “We can’t just…!”
“DO IT!”
As Rose and Sereb do so Arc turns to see the next wave of attackers coming at them. Looking around he frowns.
“We have to stop their onslaught!”
Cherry gasps. “But how?! That horde’s nothing but a wall of troops coming at us!”
“Wall… wall… that’s it!”
Reaching out a gauntlet, Arc latches onto a wall panel with his magic. Ripping it out, most of the wall follows and collapses cutting the androids off. Running back to the room he finds Rose tending to Sereb’s wounds. The smell of burnt flesh fills the air.
“You okay, big guy?!”
Sereb nods. “Mostly just burns from the heat of the lasers. I’ll be fine.”
Rose steps back. “There you go, Sereb. That should help.”
Sereb nods and bounds down the corridor to aid Arc’s squad. Arc turns to Rose.
“How are you holding up?”
“My superstructure is taking a lot more of the blasts than I thought it would. I’m mostly undamaged, save for a few burns.”
“Good. Go help the others and tell them we’ll need to be ready to cut a path back to the Maintenance Bay. I’ll be there as soon as I get the Shards moving.”
“On it!”
She runs down the corridor as Arc reenters the room. Viktor runs over to him.
“We’re ready to move, sir!”
“Everyone?!”
Viktor shakes his head. “Not quite. A few had trouble walking, so Auriel matched them with some of the bigger members. Everyone is partnered with a buddy to make sure we all get out of here.”
“Good. How about you, Auriel?”
Auriel calls out. “Ready!”
Arc turns to face the Shards.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but we need to get out of here. We’ll head back the way we came and escape via a tunnel that leads to the lake. Don’t try to fight any of the forces sent against us in your conditions. We’ll take care of them. Everyone ready?”
Jackal nods happily. “Uh huh!”
Wolf grins. “Yeah! Let’s blow this popsicle stand!”
Snake turns to the others. “Move out, fellas!”
Arc leads the gang out the door and down the corridor toward the others. Lending their aid Arc, Auriel, and Viktor help to defeat the current wave of androids. He turns to Rose.
“Guard our flank! Make sure no one sneaks up behind us!”
“On it!”
“Everyone else stay behind us!”
Auriel runs up to him and holds out the Spear of Righteousness to Arc.
“I think you’ll be needing this.”
“You hold onto it.”
Auriel gasps. “What?!”
“Trust me, you need a weapon.”
“O-okay. I’ll try not to let you down.”
Arc and Auriel lead the charge down the corridor as the Shards follow behind them as best as they are able.