-Equus, Ponyville, Sugar Cube Corner, Gallant-
This was a nice land locked vacation from the Island of Turtle Toga. The giant bees there were getting a bit ridiculous when it comes to dancing, but the pirates sure had fun with befriending them.
I sat there watching the earth pony and the yak act shyly around one another, it was cute. I really should try to talk to them and tell them of my experiences with Eir. Getting up from my table, I made my way over to the two.
“Excuse me, my name is Gallant Bluster and I’m sorry to interrupt your day, but may I know you’re names?” I was a griffin that was married to a Valkyrie named Eir.
My lovely yak was still trying to keep a lid on the whole being from Yakhalla thing, but she’s not very good at hiding it considering the things she and her pet ‘Ragna the Rock’ gets up to.
“I’m Sandbar and this is Yona, did you need something mister?” Sandbar seemed like an easygoing fellow, which was a good thing since yaks could be a little… high strung.
“Just to tell you that your relationship is adorable and that if you need any help then my wife Eir or I would be willing to lend some advice while we’re here.” It wasn’t that I was asking them to go anywhere, I just wanted to talk and get to know them. Relationships like this has their challenges.
“I am doing fine great husband, nothing to worry about or be paying attention to, Eir will be done by the time the snacks are ready!” Looking over to Eir she got dragged back out the door by a tentacle. Ah my wife, she was quite a beautiful and big yak.
She was fighting a Giant Velocipuss with Ragna. Those things tended to get quite aggressive, why there was one shrieking in the middle of Ponyville was anybody’s guess. I heard this place was crazy and known for its friendship school, also this nice little place for snacks.
“Uh, aren’t you going to help your wife?” Sandbar asked after a second.
“Yona think she is being in grave danger.” Yona followed a second later staring out the nearest window.
“Eir will be fine, she’s a big strong yak and she’s fought worse.” The fact that she has does worry me somewhat, but I loved her enough to not interfere in whatever she’s doing unless she really direly needed it. Upon looking at the situation, I decided to do something about it. I turned to one of the owners of this snack house, the earth pony behind the counter. “Hey, your Carrot Cake right, Can I borrow a spatula for a second? I’m sorry, but you will need to clean it afterwards.”
“Sure thing.” Mister Cake went into the kitchen in the back and came back with a spatula, I took it and walked to the front door, opened it slightly and hurled the spatula to watch as it flew true. Barely a second later after a roar of pain, Eir came rolling through the door explosively holding the gunge covered spatula. I calmly took the spatula back and gave it to Mr. Cake. “Nice throw, also yuck... how am I going to get this sticky goo off the spatula?”
“Thanks. Quickly douse that with baking soda and the stuff should harden enough to peel right off. Word of warning, wash it thoroughly.” I walked over to my wife and hugged her big fluffy form tenderly, before helping her up. “I got used to throwing things like that at rowdy pirates in my portside bar. Also no, a knife would not have worked as well as that did. So… anyone want to play me in darts?”
-Earth, Saint Canard, Construction Site, Pom-
We stopped at a construction site on the way to the power station, I needed Dolly to scout out the area ahead and she did so by climbing the nearby buildings. Dormarch was currently having problems getting a connection to Ms. Shuttle, so Ocellus was now coordinating between the two.
“What are we waiting on again and why is Caper Canine howling a lot?” Our biped deer friend Fawn was very nervous, but she was a medical officer and would see to our injuries provided we don’t get too hurt to the point that her life gets threatened. We would need to protect her as well as push forward.
“I’ll let you know in a second.” Frankly I could use the World Wide Woof too, but I preferred that Dolly do it given she’s adept at it at this point.
Dolly eventually dropped into the construction yard we were using for cover, where she did an acrobatic flip and swirled in the air majestically before lightly landing on the ground.
“Okay, so I’m sure you heard, but let me reiterate, the moles are blockading us from the power station. They know we’re coming, but not from where. There aren’t many Bark Brigade members in the city, no Rescue Aid Society help either. The Bark Brigade don’t want to draw attention to themselves so they are trying to lay low with all these thugs are running around.” Motioning for Dolly to continue, she does so by pointing a paw across the street. “The guys say we’ll have an easier time if we go over there and then force our way through the narrower street, a blockade hasn’t been set up there yet and is only guarded minimally. The polarity mole guy has two traps for us if we go deeper in the city or along the coastline.”
“Good job Dolly.” I whispered to her while nuzzling her heard and she nuzzled me back. “Okay, Caper Canine got us some information, moles are building barricades to stop us from reaching the power station. They likely know our group composition and our end goal, they are expecting us to take a circuitous route to reach the power station. We need to go one street over and then plow straight through the zone where they haven’t been able to set up yet. We can reach the power station, but the problem is getting back out if the moles are still there.”
“So we can do something like take the power station, but we’ll be stuck there with our backs to the wall.” Gandra was looking over a display on her visor. “So we can at least fix the power station and prevent them from tampering with it further.”
“We’ll be crossing a burned bridge, then we’ll might have to stand or fight our way back out… we can at least hold out long enough for those Terra-Firmian things Lena told us about to show up and take care of the mole problem. Also I got a confirmation that the third pillar is down, Bushroot is MIA and Darkwing is heading for the hospital with some injuries.” Dormarch announced. “The canopy over the city is barely holding, we need to bring down that fourth pillar.”
“Actually, dealing with the fourth pillar generating and holding up that canopy would solve the mole problem. The mole army really can’t handle sunlight which is the reason for them to put up a city wide canopy.” Fawn pointed out. “We just need to get by them and then destroy that pillar while fixing the power station.”
“We don’t have the numbers to split up to deal with the pillar and the power station at the same time, while the eggheads may have change to looting and robbery they are still very present and there’s also the other random thugs and villains running around to worry about like that Hotshot and Flygirl pair. We take the power station first, then worry about the other problem of how to get out of the area or going for the pillar if it’s close enough.” I started to move forward and looked to everyone. “There’s also the fact that we need the power station to be entirely intact at the end of this, so that’s another thing to worry about. Let’s move!”
A second later I heard something being hit above me, the sound made me look up. I quickly rolled to the side as a pallet of bricks slammed into the ground and I flexed my wool as the bricks went flying everywhere. My body weathered the bricks slamming against it and I eventually loosened my stiffened wool.
“Oh my goodness, are you alright!?” Fawn said as she started running up to me, I was feeling a bit dazed.
“I’m okay, even if I do have… get back!” I then flipped backwards as a wrecking ball slammed into the pile of bricks, Shanty leapt up and slashed the wire connecting to the large metal sphere before turning to look at the dog biped already in the process of running. “An assassin out to get me.”
“Are you sure we can’t be going after him?” Shanty said as she glared after the guy. “He be trying really hard to kill you there.”
“Bigger priorities Shanty, also I don’t those weren’t kill attempts, more like disabling or distraction attempts. We don’t exactly have the time or resources to run him down.” I grumbled and turned to continue on the same path that Dolly indicated. Dolly barked something offensive in Tobias Rieper’s direction. “We’ll figure something out about him eventually don’t worry about it for now Caper Canine.”
Dolly grumbled and growled, but she still followed and took the lead towards the narrow street.
-A street change later-
Trying to travel the coast was too much open space, plenty of good places to shoot at us from while barricading the road. Open space with their weapons was a death trap for us.
Going deeper into the city to go around is a different problem as they are more concentrated there, plus they had large vehicles with drills. Drill tanks were something I’d eventually expect a Diamond Dog to invent, Fawn told us how dangerous they were to be in front of. She’s seen them in action in a previous invasion the last time the moles came up to the surface. Thankfully drill tanks didn’t have ranged weapons, but they did have spots in said vehicles that the range weapons can shoot from and were heavily armored all around to handle the pressures of traveling underground.
The moles were meandering around and not in any position to stop us, did they really think we would not look before we leaped? At least twenty or so in the way, best odds we’d probably get.
I was looking around the corner at the first mole I’d take down, before I turned to the team with me. A fast and direct approach was the best option in this situation.
“We need to rush them, quick takedowns and if we can prevent any of them from shooting at us that would be great. Cut-Lass protect Fawn and our backs. Caper Canine, Gizmo Gal, your with me!” We had to hit them fast, so it was probably a surprise to the others that I bolted out of the alleyway hopped up the wall on my left and then proceeded to leap forward horizontally across buildings.
I managed to get into a good position on a window to leap for my target, that’s when one noticed me.
“It’s Leap…” I leaped on to the mole with an axe kick to his helmet and pushing off with my other leg, I landed on my front hooves and immediately bucked out to the guy on the right straight in the chin. His weapon flew up in the air as he toppled over, I spun around into a bipedal stance and caught the front of the weapon by wrapping my hooves around it.
I spun, turned and swiftly brought it around and into the face of the mole to the left of the one I axe kicked to the ground, breaking the butt of the weapon and bending the barrel out of shape. This also took off the moles helmet and knocked him out, I readied a heavy overhead blow for my next opponent.
It was around this point that they were aware enough to try and aim their weapons at me, only for five of them to go down in quick succession to electric bolas thrown by Gizmo Gal who distracted them. I finally brought the broken weapon down on the nearest mole snapping it completely in half as I knocked the guy out cold from the force of the blow.
I kicked a gun upwards with my left hind leg and the shot just flies off into the sky as I pivoted and put my right hoof into the moles face. These guys all kind of looked similar, mining helmets, green coats, guns and generally big noses.
I put my hoof into my next opponents gut and then gave him two painful hoof slaps when he bent over.
That’s when Dolly blew through them on her skateboard, using her momentum control to build momentum to painful degrees as she bounced off the chests of several moles in rapid succession sending them flying with each push off with her skateboard.
The moles slammed into walls or were simply got scrapes and cuts from bouncing off the streets.
I bullet whizzed by may face and I was already in motion for one of the remaining threats as Gizmo Gal swept in with her zap staff to disable quite a number of the ones already downed in a spinning flourish. Making sure to hit them either end of her staff before they could get off another shot.
The moles might have weapons and numbers, but they sorely lacked in reaction times and close up combat ability. They had hands meant for digging, not for combat.
I quickly grabbed a panicking mole by the coat, pulled him towards me and slammed the hardening wool at my forehead down into his face. He simply crumpled in my grip and I let him go, we were almost done breaking them.
A mole tried to run only they were struck in the back by a small shock pistol shot that paralyzed them and they dropped to the ground.
This was followed by Shanty launching a flying buck into the last mole standing that had been trying to aim his weapon my way, making them stumble back then she lead that into an upside down hoof spring buck that ended with her standing on the unconscious mole.
“Check them over quickly Dormarch…” I stated as I pulled him out, I waved the device around slowly.
“Beaten, battered, maybe a minor crack in a skull and a broken bone or two, but none of them are in mortal danger and none of them are crippled or are otherwise permanently harmed.” That was good for my conscience as much as that of the others. “Keep moving, I can detect several life signs coming this way.”
I didn’t need to be told twice, I ran forward down the street with Dolly, Gandra, Shanty and Fawn trailing after me towards the power station.
“You didn’t have to stop and do that.” There was something of a somber relief on Fawn’s face when I looked her way, she continued to look about worriedly as she wielded her small shock pistol. “I appreciate that you did though, goodness knows heroes don’t check on the health of those they defeat often enough.”
“Hey, we may be committing violence against an army load of felons, but I don’t want anyone to die because of us.” Not that they were making it easy, I was nearly shot twice there.
We were rushing for the power station, I could even see it in the distance as we passed a crosswalk, when I felt my ears twitch. I ducked and hardened my wool into a full body shell as something impacted the ground and exploded violently ripping up the street.
I took the brunt of it, but the explosion still knocked the others back or over. The only other one still standing was Dolly who managed to cover herself with her board and redirect the momentum of the force that slammed into her downwards into the ground. I know this because the street had two holes in it.
“Next time redirect it upwards Caper Canine.” I said as I stood up shakily and looked to where the explosive had come from, wasn’t hard to guess the drill tank that just rolled onto the street behind us.
“Hey, I panicked okay, I did the best that I could do given the sudden circumstances.” Responded Dolly while looking behind us at the tank. “I don’t think we’ll be able to cover this one in raw sewage and then sneeze it over.”
Something that big shouldn’t be so quiet.
“Did you honestly think you can get by someone of my brilliance without facing at least some trouble? I can see you’re admiring my personal drill tank, built for efficiency and stealthy movements above or below ground!” Presuming the mole to be who I think it is by the image Ocellus sent to the PET, it was Moliarty riding a drill tank while wielding an explosives launching device. The mole was a smartly dressed one, definitely not in the military style clothing that his fellows wore. He wore a jacket, pants, shoes, even a vest and tie. I haven’t really seen many bipeds with pants in recent memory. “Why the very nerve of your ignorance in thinking you can get by me uncontested. Prepare to face the wrath of the genius mole mind of Professor Moliarty!”
“Keep heading towards the power station, Caper Canine and I will slow him down.” It shouldn’t be too hard to do. Not questioning us, the others continued towards the power station as Dolly and I turned towards the tank to see Moliarty talking on a communication device.
“Start converging on our position, they have bypassed our barricades. Turn on the drill, we’ll run them down!” The drill started spinning up as we backed away, Moliarty pointed his weapon at us.
We turned and started running as the vehicle started slowly for us and was picking up speed.
“How exactly are we supposed to deal with that Pom?” Good question Dolly, even I didn’t know how to deal with it.
“Can you do an ‘aero’ on command and not overdo it, or would that be too much for you?” She looked offended that I even had to ask.
We both jumped forward as an explosive hit the ground behind us, we rolled and kept running down the street.
“Hey, doing things is how I learn, especially when going overboard!” The spinning drill machine was getting slightly faster, I figured that’s because it was slow to build up momentum. Moliarty was aiming his weapon for us again. Dolly refused to speed ahead, thankfully enough, because I needed her at my side for this. “Though I kind of see why that’s what you’re worried about when we’re in danger like we are and all.”
“Can launch both of us when I give a signal? Also, I’ll send you an image to focus on while doing the magic so you’ll get what I’m going for.” Concentrating, I sent Dolly a specific idea of what I wanted her to do.
“Couldn’t we just run it into a building?” Dolly asked a second later as we continued being chased by the vehicle getting closer and closer, we were also getting closer to the power station where the others have stopped around the corner and were now staring back our way.
“Can you please stop arguing with that dog?!” Moliarty yelled as he aimed his weapon, exactly what we wanted to happen. “You have much more to worry about than whatever’s got you two in a tizzy, you can’t outrun my tank so what do you think you’re going to accomplish here!”
“I just don’t want to actively be a cause of immense property damage, even if it would benefit us to do so Caper Canine!” That’s when I noticed Moliarty fired again, doing exactly what I wanted. Speaking of which… three… two… “Wind us!”
“Aero!” Dolly shouted, her body flashed slightly as a specifically angled small swirling green vortex of wind appeared around us. We crouched down in tandem and then launched high in the air by flipping backwards over the tank, boosted by the vortex pushing us to safety.
“What the?!” Moliarty followed us with his gaze, then turned to look forward with wide eyes.
That wasn’t the only thing the swirling air did. The swirling air had caught the rocket and the tanks drill rammed right into the rocket as it was hovering in tight circles in the wind. The tank was rocked by the explosive device, taking a bit of damage to its body and the drill was slightly mangled.
Moliarty fell over on the tank and then sat up shaking his head in a daze.
“Come on.” We both ran towards a souvenir store and climbed the stone portion of the building until we were on top of it.
I looked down at Moliarty who was trying to come to grips with what just occurred, he turned around and then started looking around for us.
“Follow me. If I miss, then you’ll have to knock him off.” I leapt and pulled back my left hoof.
“Well get it moving, they got behind…” Surprisingly I was not the only one who was confused by the fact that Moliarty managed to perfectly dodge my left straight in the middle of a sentence when I leapt for him going pretty fast.
I rolled after hitting the ground and turned back to look at him with a glare expecting him to shoot at me, he wasn’t even looking my way.
Instead of aiming to fire at me, Moliarty had turned and fired on Dolly who was sent flying high up in the air by the rocket impacting her skateboard. She yelped slightly, but I could feel that for the most part she was okay if a little singed.
I immediately started moving for a nearby car, one that was missing its wheels and someone stole all the glass off it, but the metal made for good cover at least.
“I have already surmised that you two are going to be more trouble than I can handle with just my tank or by myself. I’m sure you’re intelligent enough to notice we are not good in a close up fight, but I’m not about to let you take me out so easily.” Moliarty said as he straightened his tie and started loading his weapon with fresh ammunition as he spoke calmly. “It is quite unfortunate for you that I owe Negaduck approximately ten minutes of my full capacity, furthermore my reinforcements are arriving and yours are already inside the power plant to face down the one named Megavolt. I’d like to see you actually try and take down my forces with a just a skateboard wielding dog… an impressive one nonetheless, but you are still quite outmatched Leap Lamb.”
He was right, I could already see two more drill tanks and a gaggle of mole soldiers gathering in the street back the way we came and we’d be blocked off from escape like we predicted would happen. They were marching in our direction.
“Dormarch, tell me we can pull on some help from somewhere.” We kind of needed all the help we could get.
“Sorry, no help can come our way, everyone is too busy. We got nobody that can be present except… wait… locking coordinates.” Domarch paused. “Triangulating targeting area… Caper Canine and you need to hold out for three minutes.”
-Ms. Bunny Shuttle-
"Huh? On it Ocellus!" I turned and immediately started speeding down the road.