“...And then I said: Oh no! Anyway!” Zoom finished his joke, which…really annoyed the rest of the squad, which was flying back to Appleloosa.
“Rainbow? Why didn't we turn off his transmitter?” Surprise asked by Rainbow’s left.
“Safety protocol.” Light blue mare answered calmly.
“Fair enough…”
“Zoom, when I say shut up, I think I speak for everyone.” Wind said into the transmitter.
“…”
“That’s what I thought.” Surprise said, then looking little to her right.
“Appleloosa, two O'clock."
"Ugh, finally."
As the pegasus squad finally entered the Appleloosa town, what they noticed right away was…literally nothing. The town was in the same shape, as they left it. The only thing that was different, was a ‘Wonderbolt Field Base’ right behind the train station.
"Alright, after we land, you all are free to go take a drink or something. But Zoom, follow my lead." Rainbow said, slowly landing on a train station.
"I understand, I switch and over." Surprise landed first and then trotted to the only bar in Appleloosa.
When they all landed, Rainbow and Zoom still had to go to Soarin to report the enemy losses.
The field base was quite modest. Five large tents were the main shelter for headquarters, mess and ammunition. But Rainbow was only interested in one tent. The one with headquarters.
"Ah, Rainbow! Good to see you again! How was the patrolling?" Fleetfoot said as she strolled past.
"Oh, well...we're about to give a report to Soarin'. Is this headquarters, right?" She stopped and then pointed at the big tent in front of them.
"Pretty much. So...was it successful?"
"You will see." Rainbow said, as she continued her way into the tent. Zoom went right after her.
"Okay..." So she starts to follow them too.
The pegasus trio passed by many ponies that looked like they were in a hurry.
Then, they heard a voice behind a thin curtain.
"Wha- Of course I know! No! I know this is an emergency, but until I don't get information about OUR problem, I don't want to risk lives, just BECAUSE it's coming to Ponyville! Until then, Celestia with you."
After this, a hard bang with a clink was heard.
"That's Soarin'?" Rainbow asked, surprised.
"Yes. But don't worry. His anger never lasts very long."
"Well duh, but...he never was THAT angry."
"Girls. You know that, I can hear you right? This isn't an office, like back at Cloudsdale." Soarin' said, as he stood up from his seat and walked to the thin curtains.
"Well...can we go in?"
"Yea, yea." He just sighed and raised the curtains, so they could enter his little field office.
"Well? Why are you here Rainbow?" He asked.Rainbow smiled, looked at Zoom and nodded.
"We got one."
At this information, his eyes went full open.
"Wait, really?"
"Yes, really. Look." Zoom said, giving him a photo he took today.
"Oh my... How did you all do it?"
"Speed, canyon and luck."
"That's good news! Hah, better than the-! Wait... Rainbow! If I am not mistaken, your mission is complete, right?"
"Yes?"
"Well. I have a new mission for you and your squad!"
"What?"
"By some resources, the first Tripod has been destroyed near Ponyville! And another one is going to replace it. There is a chance that it already replaces its fallen friend, because this information is few minutes old, but I want you and your squad to take the first train and go to the Canterlot. What do you think?"
"Wait, 'replaces'? How many of them are in Equestria?!"
"Rainbow. Yes or no?"
"I- Well...I don't know! Uh...what do you think, Zoom?" She looked at her squad member.
"Wh- Me? Uh... Well, Canterlot for sure. We know the 'Ponyville-Canterlot' air space better than any other, so... Ya?" Rainbow then looked back to Soarin'.
"Well, okay then. Pack your belongings. The train will arrive soon."
"Roger that, Captain!" Rainbow saluted, as Zoom did that too. After that, they left his office with Fleetfoot by their side. However Fleetfoot, she was a little confused.
"So...you destroyed the machine by gravity?"
"Yeah. It fell and went 'boom'." Zoom said.
Fleetfoot looked at Rainbow again.
"Pretty accurate." She just shrugged.
The Appleloosa Desert. The most dangerous place on planet Equus. Then how could somepony live right in the middle of nowhere?
Easy answer; Train.
And in one and only train, Rainbow Dash and her squad were on their way to Canterlot.
"How many...how many...?"
"Uh...you okay, Rainbow?" Surprise noticed her. She looked like she was in stress.
"Eh. A little bit. Although, one thing is stuck in my head; how many of the Tripods are walking on Equestria now, when two of them are destroyed?"
"Hmm... I bet at least three are still active, but..." Wind wanted to find the right words.
"It would be ridiculous for aliens to have...ten machines, just to take over Equestria and only Equestria." Surprise finished her point.
"Heh, yeah. But...why Equestria? More like; why are they here?"
"No one knows, Dash. And... Wait a minute."
"What is Wind?"
"Am I...the only one, who feels the train slowing down?"
"Uh..." Zoom was about to answer, but without a warning, the train came to a sudden stop, throwing him into the side seats among the others.
"You okay?" Surprise asked in a worry.
"Mah bose horts." He said on the floor, holding his bloody nose.
"Heh, I will take that as a yes."
Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, was looking all around. They were not alone, who were confused why the train stopped. Some passengers were opening the wagon's windows and looking around too.
Rainbow opened the carriage window too and peered out. She noticed a few ponies standing and talking by the steam engine.
"I'll go take a look. Until then, everypony stays in your seats." Rainbow said, as she stretched out the window.
After that, she flew to the steam engine, where some ponies were looking at...something?
"What is going on here?" She asked.
"Ya should look by yourself. It's on the tracks." Said blue earth pony stallion, who has a train driver hat.
Dash raised an eyebrow, then looked at the railway. What she saw shocked her.
"What in the world...? Is that a body?!"
A pony body, to be more specific. But this body was...different. The body's coat color has faded purple. For some reason the body didn't have a mane or tail at all! But one thing could not be overlooked.
"A unicorn?" Dash said confusedly, as she slowly walked over the body.
"How could a unicorn get here?"
"More like; how long is it here?"
Rainbow put her hoof on body's front leg.
"No pulses. And...it's not covered in dust..."
"What does that mean?"
"That means this unicorn was dead before it appeared here somehow." After she left the body's leg alone, she looked around.
"What?"
"We have to go."
A loud and deep horn-like sound sounded from the left side of the train.
"Because THAT is a problem!" She said and pointed at a tall three-legged machine, that was...WAY up different.
"EVERYPONY ON BOARD!" Train driver screamed, as he jumped back inside the steam engine.
As everypony was getting inside, panicking, the train slowly started moving.
Rainbow helped some ponies to get inside, until she looked back at the different Tripod.
This Tripod wasn't gray, like the one earlier that day. Its color was pitch black and did not have an oval head! This head was larger and had sharp edges. Another thing this machine had that was different was...two lasers?!
"EVERYPONY DOWN!" Rainbow screamed into the wagon through the window, as she flew in seconds later.
*Bzzt! Bzzzt! CRACK!*
Two laser beams hit two wagons. One ignited and the second one lost its roof and wooden wall.
Dash founded herself on the wagon's floor with wooden debris and glazed glass all over her.
Then she looked up, seeing everypony ducked.
"Everypony okay?" She said, looking around and noticing that, their wagon didn't have a left wall and a roof.
"Yeah!"
"Yes, Rainbow!"
Dash stood up. She had some cuts on her body, but nothing serious. Then she noticed how the train slowly got faster, but it was still slow, because the 'different' Tripod started to move towards them.
"What now, Dash?!" Zoom panicked.
"I don't know! And- Wait...why do I smell something burning?"
"Is that wagon on fire?" Said one earth pony mare pointing behind Rainbow.
"That's a bucking ammunition wagon, what is on fire!" Wind said more specifically, as she peeked her head out the destroyed wagon's wall.
Just then, Rainbow's pupils narrowed. Only Rainbow knew how many bombs she put in that car. Only she knew what else was there. And if one bomb was hit, it wouldn't be long before the whole train would be blown up!
It would be dangerous to try to get into the ammunition wagon. Well, it would be dangerous to even approach it!
The best solution? Split the train.
So she climbed onto the roof, looking at the machine that just fired another lasers.
*Bzzt! Bzzzzzt!*
"Ek!" One laser beam just flew over her head.
As the train slowly accelerated, Rainbow felt the aerodynamics. Her hooves slowly slid across the rest of the roof. She had to take a step forward every third second to keep from falling back into the wagon.
She noticed a dark gray ammunition wagon that had a hole through the construction. Smoke was coming out and in a few moments, even sparkles!
As she gets to the gap between the wagons, she notices a piece of steel that was somehow stuck in train coupling.
"Alright. I'm just gonna borrow this..." She took a piece of that steel and headed straight for the middle of the train coupling.
"Yeet!"
She struck the train coupling once. Nothing. She struck it twice. Still nothing. Until she struck it a third time.
*CRACK!*
"Yes!"
Finally, on the third attempt, the train coupler broke, freeing the burning car from the rest of the train. Thanks to this, the speed of the train immediately increased.
"Piece of cak-"
However, before Rainbow could finish her sentence, one laser hit the burning car again, but now it hit the gunpowder stored in the crates.
*BOOOM!!*
The blast wave was so strong and very close to the light blue pegasus that it threw her to the other side of the car through the walls.
"Rainbow!" Surprise screamed. But Rainbow didn't respond. Her whole body hurt and her eyelids were harder to keep up.
Until...
She passed out.