//------------------------------// // 233. Unafraid of the future… // Story: Baa-Ram-Ewe! // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// -Equus, Ponyville, Rainbow Dash- “Ah yeah, that was fun! Let’s do this again sometime Jade!” I waved the Abyssinian off and she smiled mischievously as she and her familiar Snickers left. “Okay Rainbow Dash, what did you, Jaded and Pinkie get up to?” Applejack asked as she trotted up to me. “Well Jackass Jack the jack rabbit, Snickers, Gummy, Tank and a few other familiars were in on it too, but I’m sure you’ll hear about it soon enough in the local news. I read a book about familiars and learned some pretty interesting stuff.” I waved and before I flew away I suggested something. “Familiar Friends For Foals is a good start!” Sure it was a children’s book, but it explained a lot of unusual things about Tank and my extra toughness, since I haven’t broken any bones since bonding with him. Even Silver Stream being immune to petrification was neat. Yona had that wolf pack spider Spindle and was learning to speak to insects. I know Sandbar was thinking of actually acquiring a turtle to talk to since he’s been getting lessons from Snickers the Turtledove, dude could use a little more excitement in his life. I wonder if Gallus was going to find a cool familiar too? It was absolutely fascinating what having a 'tiny ewe' specifically as a familiar said about Fizzy! Didn’t know she was a closeted pervert, probably why she married a Chimera and an Abyssinian to begin with… I mean beyond the obvious reasons of being both really cool and awesome. -Applejack- Now if only I can ask that cider loving, tree bothering, varmint out… “What are you thinking about Applejack?” Sugar Belle asked as she came up to me, she and Big Mac were going to have a lot of foals at the rate they were going. “Rainbows… er… I was just suggested a book on familiars and was wondering if you might be interested in reading material?” I grinned. “A half-truth without actually lying… really Applejack? Everyone already knows about you and Rainbow, the whole town is betting on when it starts and what actually kicks it off. Also Coloratura has been sniffing around town recently… are you going to tell me she isn’t on your radar for a herd?” Well that was mighty embarrassing Sugar, I tipped my hat down to hide my blush. “Also some people are betting on you getting a sire, others are saying you’ll just go to Kuril, Zecora or even Twilight about having foals. There’s no end of volunteers to help you.” My face grew redder. -Saturn Asteroid Base, somewhere above bottom floor, Shanty- Even in the dim lighting, I somehow managing to strap the unreactive Dolly to my back using her the strap and skateboard. The device in Dolly’s Paw was firmly held, she was not letting go of it even when I tried to put it away even in her blank look she wasn’t relinquishing it for anything. Didn’t honestly know much about technology, but I didn’t think it be should shifting its shape like that normally. Curious as I was about seeing the literal meaning and interpretation of ‘death grip’ now, I be needing to get out of here. I wanted to be able to taste real food and not this gum again. I stood up on my hind legs and was a little unbalanced by the weight of Dolly on my back and the various things I was carrying. Three sticks of Oxy-chew lining my bandana, Smolder’s combat ribbon around my neck, Smolder’s newest weapon burrowed into the ribbon, my weapon be in my front hooves ready for swing and now a dog and a skateboard on my back. Must be looking pretty ridiculous right now, not going to lie to myself, but I be knowing that the people that be getting us out here wouldn’t be leaving me behind. I would be getting myself out of the bowels of this place just fine even if the eyes of the robots glowing in the darkened halls be quite creepy. I immediately charged forward, I couldn’t turn my back to any robots nor could I be allowing them to pincer me or else they might be able to hurt Dolly. I wasn’t afraid of these robots, but I was being afraid of actually dying down here! It be a good thing they suck at melee attacks, despite having sharp pointy bits for such purposes. They be obviously having a size advantage and were a bit difficult to cut through with my bare hooves, but they weren’t very good at hitting small targets with their ranged attacks either. It be a good thing I be armed with a weapon that be enhancing my cutting ability, but would it actually last longer than the sword under stress? I kicked off the floor with my right hind hoof and then skidded along the left wall to being almost by the Hunter Drone. Swinging down vertically I be taking off its right arm and dropping to the floor as two shots splashed at where I was. With a sweeping spin I separated two upper torsos away from their legs entirely, then I be spinning back in the opposite direction and forward to take the third one from left hip to shoulder in a single slash. The last one took aim at me then it toppled lifelessly. It be unfortunate that there be more coming, I be preparing for the five that be charging me in the dark with my weapon that I could feel was becoming stressed from my usage of it. It be holding well enough, maybe I could get this thing changed and reinforced? Three of the robots went down from explosions happening in their back and the other two turned to look at something else. I immediately charged them from behind and swung twice and the two angled arcs of brilliant light be cutting them down to size. “Earth goat? I’ve been looking for where everyone went, is there anything down that way?” It be Penumbra, the Moonlander be looking about with her weapon raised. “I do not know what is going on anymore, though it has been quite exciting to be this far out from the moon and earth.” “No, there nothing be down there, also I be an Equus goat! I’m not being from earth, but you can also be calling me Shanty.” I moved past her and looked at the carnage, she is being quite a warrior. “We be needing to get out of here if you be knowing the way out, I can be telling you what occurred on the way. Unless there is anything you want to be saying?” “No Equus goat Shanty, I believe there’s not much to be said, but we do need to find the rest of my… the McDuck family before we can leave and there are lot of those robots running around.” Penumbra wasn’t hiding the fact that she cared about them, still I be following her lead. “I’m not hiding it very well am I?” “No, but if they be family, then they ‘be’ family.” It was that simple to me, Pom and my friends are being family even if we all be getting into many odd situations. “Good enough for me, now let’s see… it’s this way…” Following Penumbra up a slope, apparently one floor had collapsed into the next due to the damage Smolder caused on the way out. Penumbra be shooting any Hunter Drone that came across us and eventually be asking. “Is the earth dog okay and can I use that other gun?” “Sure, but I will be wanting that back, my friend stole it from our enemies fair and square.” I be handing her the pistol Smolder be taking. “Thanks, no point in letting a weapon go unused. It also looked a bit cumbersome on you and you need the freedom to wield your weapon. You seem to have been doing well enough without me though.” Penumbra be leading us down the hallway where we heard some fighting and that’s when we saw Rufus tear the arm off a machine and then beat it down with it. “Huh? Oh hey hey!” Rufus said waving to us bouncing back and forth jovially. “Hairless Earth mammal pet thing… form up with us. The earth has the weirdest yet great warriors… as does Equus.” Penumbra be adding that last part quickly while turning to me as a brilliant flash of lightning be flashing past over Rufus and in front of us, we moved forward to the intersection to see it be flash frying a bunch of robots coming down the corridor from the right. To our left we be meeting up with more allies. “My goodness this is place is crazy… can we get out here, please? I thought this adventure would be far easier than this… this place is a death trap. We almost died when several of those large robots cornered us, but then the countdown and everything shutting down. Am I even breathing oxygen anymore or is it just the Oxy-chew that is allowing me to hear my own voice?” Penny, wielding a flashlight, be coming up to us with Bolt, Mittens and Rhino. Mittens be scooping up the hamster and throwing him to take off a single standing robots head and that be making Rhino bounce around wildly in a blur for a few seconds. “Mittens, can you stop throwing Rhino around like that?! I know he’s ‘kind of’ indestructible, but really?” Mittens just meowed innocently, Bolt seemed to be chuckling given huffing noises he was making as Rhino came bounding back to us. “Are you okay Rhino?” In response to Penny, Rhino just started bouncing up and down squeaking happily, he even be taking a moment to high five Rufus. “I don’t care if you enjoy it, you could cause a lot of accidents if you don’t keep your bouncing under control, also it would be kind of hard to keep a lid on the whole secret identity things in a public space if everyone knew I owned a living rubber hamster. Bolt don’t encourage Mittens like that and Mittens… nice throw at least. Penumbra, Shanty and… hey, what’s wrong with Dolly?” Mittens, Rhino and Bolt be mirroring Penny’s worry as she came up to me. “Dormarch be dying to save us all from the countdown. She is being literally heartbroken about losing her little brother like that, the device is being something he left to her.” Silently watching as Penny be crouching at my back, she caressed Dolly’s cheek softly with a sad frown and watched as Bolt be whining at her being a shell of her former self. She still didn’t respond to anything and all she was doing was holding onto the device tightly her grip was quite clearly where all her strength was currently going. “We be needing to get going, there be nothing left for any us here.” “Who were you last with Earth Penny?” Penumbra asked, given the second ship probably had everyone exit at the same time. “Huey, Dewey and Louie. Don’t know what they are doing, but they were okay the last I saw of them.” After having said that Penny watched as Penumbra motioned to us to follow her. “Also did I seriously witness Rufus take down an entire group of robots with his bare paws?!” “Mon’key’ Mojo hi-yeah!” Rufus intoned while hopping onto my back, as did Rhino excitedly. I grunted and be rolling my eyes as they sat on top the skateboard across Dolly’s chest and my back. “I can tell he is having magic himself and is being very talented in almost being able to speak. If he is surviving down this far by himself, then we are not to be worrying about his safety.” I could feel Rufus poking at Dolly and her continuing to be unresponsive is having me quite worried about her, it be understandable… I be getting like that too when I be personally suffering a major setback or loss in my life. Rufus, Bolt, Mittens and Rhino all be making distressed noises, but Dolly is alive and that is not what we should be focusing on right now as we continued by following Penumbra straight through the intersection. “She is not what we should be focusing on at the moment, we should be focusing on getting out of here.” Penumbra led the way and we were up another floor, this asteroid place is being bigger than it looks on the outside. We would be getting lost if Penumbra not be retracing her steps. “This is Penumbra, Scrooge, Della, find the boys and get back to the hangar. We’re practically done here.” Penumbra be talking into a device on her wrist. “I’ve found the team that went to grab Ocellus, we’ve had a casualty of Dolly’s little brother. Dolly’s not taking it well and she’s unresponsive.” “Right we’ll get on that, we’ve picked up a few things and the girls are currently holding the hangar under a siege, these Hunter Drone things are all over the place. Whoever shut down all the big armored ones should be praised for their sense of timing, almost took a rocket to the face here.” Della responded letting us know she was alright “I’m with Uncle Scrooge and we’re moving for the hangar.” “Keep on my tail lass, I do not want to be losing you again. Boys, Gyro, if you can hear me, then move your tail feathers back to the hangar we’re all pulling out! If you can grab something on the way or have something already then make sure it’s nothing we can’t store away in the ships, it’s going to be a long trip back to earth and we’re going to be dealing with this Oxy-chew the entire time on the way back.” As Scrooged was talking we ran across a large group of Hunter Drones that started firing on us, Rhino was instantly through, Bolt blasted a few, Penumbra started firing the two weapon in her hands and I charged and started to reap them with several quick swings. “I’m not sure if we should really be leaving any of these blooming robots behind or active, but if we haven’t a reason to stay any longer, then we’re leaving!” “Right Uncle Scrooge, we’ll get right on that, just have to blow up a number of robots in the way.” Something sounded like it was fizzing loud and then an explosion happened we felt a tremor near us. “I’m really liking this rocket launcher!” “Who in the blazes gave Dewey a rocket launcher?!” Scrooge shouted angrily. “That’s right up there in bad ideas like giving Della a car!” “OH come on Uncle Scrooge, I’m not that bad…” An explosion immediately sounded off. “Uh… oops… we’ll meet you guys at the hangar, we might need to detour to go back for Louie and Gyro… heh.” “Uh everyone, we might have a problem getting back to the hangar… there seems to be a large section of collapsed base in the way.” The flat tone Della spoke in could be physically felt. “Huh, I was wondering what made all that noise… so what do you think made all that noise that caused this?” Asked Nosedive from the communicator on Penumbra’s wrist, she rolled her eyes and continued to charge forward and gun down the robots ahead of us. “Gah, what the… when did you guys get behind us!” As Della exclaimed this I took the leg out from under one robot then slashed one behind it vertically. “So not the drama Della, though we’re going to need another way out of here.” That fox, Kim, stated in a calming manner. “We’re done with making sure the Hunter Drone factory is kaput, almost got killed by five of the larger guys, you seriously do not want to be stuck in a small space with those things like we were!” One could hear Nosedive cringing about it. “It almost ended the episode early for us.” “I be knowing what be causing all the damage. Smolder be getting a bit angry!” Saying this kind of be leaving me breathless, like I was not taking down seven Hunter Drones one after the other in quick succession at the moment. “I not be knowing much about how she did it, just Smolder be mentioning something about letting her greed flow unhindered. She then be growing big and tearing apart two of those large ones in seconds and then she tore a hole through the place and kind of left us stuck down here what with everything collapsing behind us.” “Yikes, what kind of greed could lead to this much damage?” Asked Della. “Her love for Ocellus after she was taken away by the old lizard with the magic.” It was being somewhat sweet to me that Smolder would go so far for Ocellus. “This is Baymax, I will be mapping out the base based on our teams movements and will guide them into helping lead you to ramps and this will get you all back to the hangar in a timely fashion… before another fatality or serious injury can occur.” Now there’s one robot I liked hearing from, the balloon robot Baymax is being a good friend. “Also it would appear that Smolder is dealing with The Raptor and is slowly tearing it apart piece by piece with her claws looking for Ocellus, the Mighty Duck are engaging Siege, Chameleon and Wraith, alongside numerous energy contacts that might each be an active Hunter Drones all at once. Chameleon and Wraith appear to be fighting at a highly diminished capacity. Two life signs suggests that Dragaunus is preparing for a last stand and is currently holding Ocellus as hostage, he appears to be currently experiencing shock and heavy amounts of denial after losing the electromagnetic worm that was meant to destroy the Mighty Ducks ship as well as the damage that was dealt to his ship.” “This is Nosedive, you hear that Wildwing? Dragaunus has Ocellus, so be careful with approaching him or Smolder while she’s on the warpath big brother.” It sounded like Nosedive understood what was going on. “We’re not losing anyone else today, you hearing me!” “Copy that, we’re trying to take the Saurians alive… even if we’d rather end them as a threat permanently.” Wildwing grunted loudly. “Being PG rated hero’s sucks sometimes.” “I know that feeling bro… but at least we can destroy evil robots without impunity or people thinking too hard about it!” Nosedive said brightly, then his mood be taking a him as we met up with Wheel Cat who took down a pair of Hunter Drones from behind. “We’re basically Swat Kats with more members and less biological violence.” “Do I even want to know what they are talking about anymore?” Mallory asked as I heard the sound of Chamelon screaming in pain in the background. “That was for that poor little puppy!” “Probably not.” Duke responded, I be hearing the sound of the wizard lizard being battered by the clanging sound of a sword. “The fourth wall does not exist for Nosedive or Wildwing.” Mysteriously stated Grin. “It is something we should not fathom too deeply… lest we all end up as insane as Nosedive.” “Cut the chatter Grin, start taking down Siege and make it hurt while we’re doing things off screen!” We were quickly making our way back up. “Normally I am opposed to great acts of violence, I’m however making an exception for the next thirty minutes that would have gotten our show cancelled much earlier.” After that I be hearing the sounds of a lizard I did not be meeting and it sounded painful. “Apparently Grin knows about the fourth wall as well, but I don’t think they are ever going to explain it to us Mall.” Duke said lazily. “Nosedive seems to be the one that knows the most about it, judging by how he acts.” “Wait, wait… you're heroes, you're not allowed to do stuff like… AGGHH!” That be sounding like that Siege guy, I can hear the snapping of bones and gurgling continue for the next few minutes and Penumbra be smiling. “Yikes… remind me to never tell Grin that his usually peaceful nature is unappreciated.” The nasally voiced Tanya sounded sick to her stomach, because we could all hear the continued screams for mercy. “Can we clear the communication lines to just those in the asteroid base please?” Several sounds and affirmatives were heard from Wheel Cat’s helmet. “Baymax we’re on our way up, how are the other retrievals going?” “In a moment Wheel Cat. Fredzilla is currently with Nosedive Flashblade, Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible. We’re currently assisting Huey, Dewey, Louie and Gyro. Plasma Paladin and Bazooka Bunny are meeting up with Scrooge and Della.” Baymax responded in the same tone he always spoke in. “The evacuation of the base is proceeding with low chances of another fatality occurring here. Chances of a fatality occurring at The Raptor are much higher, Smolder cannot currently likely distinguish between friend and foe and is almost upon Dragaunus. If you wish for him to survive then you will need to stop Dragaunus from using Ocellus as a hostage quickly.” “We’re working on it Baymax, how many Hunter Drones did these lousy lizards make?!” It be sounding like Wildwing and his team be having their hands full. I’m being quite tired, but at least I’m being safe on the way out with Dolly. I just be hoping that Ocellus and Smolder will be being okay. -The Raptor, Lord Dragaunus “The last free Saurian Overlord that has bitten off far more than he could possibly ever hope to chew.”- My asteroid base has been invaded. My Hunter Drone factory was going to be destroyed anyway, so the self-destruct would have taken anyone inside the base with it when it exploded and the electromagnetic worm we painstakingly captured would have dealt with the ducks. How unfortunate it was that that didn’t happen. It wasn’t too long after I activated the self-destruct that things began to go wrong, I was planning to move The Raptor away to watch the asteroid base explode with whoever it was that allied with the ducks inside. Thirty second was more than enough time to get clear. That’s when things started to going wrong and I had no idea what was caused it. First the countdown on the Asteroid Base ceased, then the computers on The Raptor were torn to shreds from the inside and finally despite unleashing the worm… it didn’t leave the bay and it apparently got a hold of something other than the monstrous beast that started tearing The Raptor apart. The Heavy Hunter Drones being rendered useless due to the destruction of the computer systems left my ship mostly defenseless. At least I knew one thing, I had the cause of my troubles within my claws and she was looking back at me in defiance. I squeezed her neck slightly, I couldn’t kill her as I needed a bargaining chip to escape to the escape pod. In fact, it was the only escape pod and it was thankfully not connected to The Raptor’s computer systems or else it too would be rendered useless right now. I would not mind leaving behind my minions who have ultimately failed me for the last time. It would have only been able to carry me away anyway, but the problem was… it was presently unreachable thanks to those blasted ducks and that monstrous scaled beast. “How did 'you'... lead to all of this?!” I furiously asked the furry nuisance that has almost perfectly caused my downfall by existing, she even had the gall to smile at me! The scaled beast finally tore it's way into bridge roaring loudly and incessantly.