//------------------------------// // Chapter 51 // Story: Hostile History // by Jest //------------------------------// “What the fuck are those things?” Rainbow Dash demanded, pointing up to the sky. “Changelings, but they seem to be starving,” Sunset Shimmer remarked. “And coo coo crazy too!” Pinkie Pie pointed out. The changelings came through the portal screaming and thrashing, as if just being on earth was akin to being dunked in an acid bath. As they fell they contorted themselves into knots, their bodies lengthening and distorting with each twist of their body. Their teeth grew long, their insectoid features overwhelmed their equine ones, and their limbs became malformed. Some grew, others shrunk, and though most stayed the same size all became more monstrous and warped. Though they had yet to do anything offensive, by the time they had begun to hit the ground they were no longer changelings. The features they had been born with were gone, ripped away by the act of being suddenly thrust into a world without magic. Some didn't survive the shift, their bodies plummeting to earth with enough force to rupture their carapaces and spill their warm innards across the ground. A series of gem shields kept any of the corpses from hitting Sunset, her friends, or their teachers. “Omg are they dead?” cried Fluttershy. “If they weren't already dead before, they are now,” Rainbow Dash muttered. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of those changelings who didn't perish immediately upon arrival. These maddened individuals had just barely enough sense to open their wings, and glide enough that they didn't die on impact. Most didn't have the mental capacity to arrest their fall completely, landing hard enough to shatter limbs and break bones. “Goodness, what's happened to them?” Rarity asked. “They are creatures of magic that rely on the consumption of love. This world is likely poisonous to their very existence!” Sunset replied. All around them the mass of twisted bugs screamed and thrashed, clawing at their newly altered body parts. Their confusion and pain slowly gave way to agony and the unthinking rage of a beast threatened and cornered. Their eyes became dark, the light of sapience behind them flickering and growing weaker with every passing moment. “Sunset!” Perfect Tempo barked, grabbing the attention of the stunned young woman. “You and your friends reinforce our auxiliaries. Then convene with us near those buildings. Go!” “You heard him girls, move!” Sunset Shimmer ordered. There was only a moment's hesitation before the six began to move, with Applejack striding ahead of the pack. Shoving aside the confused creatures, she made a path that her friends could walk in. Rarity created a wedge of shields around Applejack, turning the towering girl into a plow that shoved aside the mass of creatures. Behind her the rest of Sunset’s squad ran on, their weapons drawn but yet unfired. Sunset could see the indecision in her friend’s eyes and the worry in their eyes. They were already tired both physically, magically, and emotionally from what they had faced so far. Yet Sunset also saw that they were determined to see this through to the end, no matter what that end may be. “Sunset what do I do?” Pinkie Pie called. “I’m almost out of supplies. I won't be able to make any explodey bits!” “Hold onto what you have and wait until absolutely necessary,” Sunset replied. “And that goes for all of you. I know you’re tired and that you’ve likely burned through most of your ammo be it physical or magical but we aren't done yet.” “Conservation is going to be key,” Rarity interpreted. “Exactly. If you can, avoid spending anything you have a limited number of until there is no other choice. Changelings aren't inherently evil so hopefully not all of them will be hostile,” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed. Though her statement was made clearly and confidently, Sunset Shimmer held little stock in such a hope. They were being driven to madness by this world's lack of magic, creating a powder keg that was ready to blow at a moment’s notice. Already Sunset could tell that changelings were beginning to fly off, making a break for the tree lines. In the distance she could see a perimeter forming, created by the blocking units Perfect Tempo had left behind in order to ensure operational security. Meant mostly to keep the public out, and any stragglers in, they weren't terribly numerous. Sunset Shimmer knew that if a concentrated effort was made by the changelings to escape they would be successful. For now, though, the individuals who chose to flee were being shot down by quick bursts of automatic gunfire. Though this had yet to agitate the swarm, the deaths of their brethren had a visible effect on those closest. Their madness turned to rage, and they attacked the closest living creature which didn't look like them. A glance over her shoulder confirmed that Perfect’s group was taking down as many of the changelings through nonlethal methods. Those physically endowed amongst them were knocked out with well-placed strikes, while Platinum and Ghost used their abilities to subdue the changelings. Frozen in ice, or rendered unconscious by a carefully applied curse robbing them of their strength, the horde was starting to thin. Then a cry went out, and Sunset turned her gaze skyward once more, alerted to more by a scream from Rarity. Above them the emerald door continued to hang open, another wave of changelings falling from the gaping portal. Like the ones that came before, they were twisted and slowly driven mad, only at an increased speed for reasons unknown. Evidently, the darkening of the sky prompted a wave of panic amongst the blob of human auxiliaries under Perfect Tempo’s control. For a sudden gunshot was heard followed by a torrent of fire aimed at the encroaching hordes of crazed changelings. The first changeling corpse hit the ground with a thump, its death sending a shock wave through the entire swarm. An animalistic cry somewhere between a scream of anger, the hungry hiss of some bug, and the war cry of something alien was bellowed from somewhere nearby. It was mimicked and copied by nearly every one of the changelings, creating a wave of noise that drowned out all sound. As the wave passed over the shapeshifters, their madness gave way to murderous intent, and they charged the human lines. “Fire, fire fire!” Sunset Shimmer shouted. Their march halted, and the group closed ranks with Fluttershy at their center. The shields that had so far been used as a plow shifted, becoming a series of triangular-shaped wedges. Though it didn't protect the small squad, it wasn't supposed to, rather it funneled the changelings into tight corridors. Corridors that were filled with gunfire, literal fire, or the occasional explosion of an antipersonnel grenade. It took only a second before Sunset and her squad had turned from a slow-moving snow plow to a tiny immovable fortress. Applejack loomed over them all, using her incredible size and bulk to cover an entire flank by herself. Great sweeps of her club sent rows of changelings into the air, limbs shattered and green blood spraying wildly. Pinkie Pie’s hands were a blur, with one digging into her pack of glitter before tossing the newly formed bomb into the other. She then tossed the explosive toward the densest mass of changelings, killing dozens with every dull boom. Twilight used her telekinesis to send waves of the bug-like creatures back into their fellows, creating masses of tangled limbs and confused shouting. While using her magic, she continued to fire her pistol into the mass, aiming at whatever changeling had managed to get closest. Rainbow Dash emptied her pockets of knives in only a few short seconds, sending a storm of the things into the mass of changelings. Once spent, she became a blur, reappearing a moment later with two different brands of submachine guns, one in each hand. Without the need to aim, she emptied clip after clip into the rushing horde, spraying wildly and mostly hitting her targets. Fluttershy had in her hand the radio and was speaking rapidly into the receiver. Sunset didn't know what was being said, but she didn't care, she trusted the other girl to help when needed. This trust extended to and from each member of her squad, who trusted the other to watch the side that they could not do so themselves. Sunset ensured they stayed cohesive by keeping the changelings far enough back to let her friends work. She did this with focused blasts of fire so hot that they melted whatever unfortunate changeling they hit. She also tossed in the occasional fan of flames that was less deadly, but covered a much wider area, signing and burning any that got too close. Their quick thinking and perfect coordination bought the small squad breathing room, but that was it. There were simply too many of them, and even when the changelings were forced to fly or clamber over the dead, they continued their attack. Sunset knew it wouldn't be long before they got bogged down in their current location and wouldn't be able to complete their mission. “Twilight, give me a wide area blast, I need to focus!” Sunset shouted. “Got it!” Twilight replied. Though sweating and caught mid-reload, the other girl did as she was ordered, calling forth her magic for a grand attack. After a moment of focus, Twilight unleashed a rolling mass of twisting blue energy that upon impact sent changelings flying. The churning energy grabbed whatever was closest and tossed it in a random direction, sewing chaos across the changeling line. Sunset didn't see how effective Twilight's spell was as the former unicorn was already focused on her own magic. Calling forth more energy than normal, the girl’s fiery hair danced and embers danced around her fingertips. The small motes of flame soon coalesced into twin masses of heat eager to leap out and strike down Sunset’s foes. “Get ready to run!” Sunset Shimmer shouted. The squad leader trusted that her order was being headed, as she could no longer afford to turn away from her spell. Focused completely on the magic she was shaping, Sunset Shimmer threw her hands forward and called forth the flames. Fire erupted from the earth and rose high into the air, creating a corridor of heat that went all the way to where the human auxiliaries were held up. “Go, go go!” Sunset shouted. Applejack was first to move, with the girl shrinking down just enough that she could fit through the passageway. She led the charge, knocking aside any unfortunate changeling too slow to escape before the fire walls had been erected. Everyone else fell in behind, with Pinkie Pie taking up the rear, the girl tossing grenades over her shoulder as she ran. Sunset grimaced as she dodged around a pile of changelings that seemed to have been crushed by their fellows during the confusion. The former unicorn didn't even want to think of the moral implications of her actions or the actions of her squad. It was too grim and would distract them, yet she couldn't help but think about if what they were doing was right. No, Sunset Shimmer thought to herself. It was not right, but it was necessary, and the moment they saw a better way to end this conflict they would take it. Until then they had to continue to remove the changeling threat in as expedient a fashion as was possible. Though mostly done for their own safety, it was also as merciful an action as they could take given the circumstances. Brushing aside such concerns, Sunset Shimmer charged forward, conjuring a blast of fire to destroy a stray changeling that had flown over the fire walls. By then they had reached the end of her spell and were near where the human auxiliaries were holding out. As her squad fell in around her, Sunset Shimmer inspected the small mound of stone that was serving as their last holdout. Already few in number to begin with, Perfect Tempo’s backup had not fared well against the changelings. Without magical powers or otherworldly attributes, they were forced to rely upon technology for survival. Though they had the most advanced arms and armor available, ammo was not infinite and the soldiers themselves were only human. “Keep pushing, go, go, go!” Sunset shouted. She added to her order by blasting another wide area with super-heated waves of invisible energy, frying dozens of changelings in the process. With Applejack still at the front, they charged through the tangled mass of bodies. Half the squad supported their fifteen-foot-tall comrade while the others watched their sides or covered their back. Sunset was part of the latter group alongside Twilight, their magic killing or otherwise brushing aside those changelings that tried to get behind them. Neither needed to speak a word to the other, each using their spells in sync with one another and never getting in the way of their partner. It was an intimate dance of life and death that would have been thrilling had their lives not been on the line. Rarity covered Applejack with shields or knocked aside the odd changeling that latched onto her and tried to bite through her armor. A problem that was growing more and more concerning as time passed, with the odd fang piercing the protective barrier covering Applejack’s form. When this happened Fluttershy was quick to heal the wound or in one rare case, slay the changeling with a lance of necromantic energy. Rainbow Dash was perhaps the most useful of Applejack’s support, with the lightning-fast girl killing dozens every second. Becoming a blur of light, Rainbow Dash zipped around the battlefield, slicing dicing, and shooting any who got too close. Each time a knife was rendered useless, or a gun clicked empty she grabbed another from one of the corpses. She never had to search for long, as between Perfect Tempo’s fallen and Foxtrot’s dead there were many left lying around. Though they took hits in the process of charging up to the hill, there was at least cover here. Large loaders and dump trucks lay scattered about, used recently but forgotten by their former operators. Inert for the moment, they served as little more than barriers with which to funnel the changelings in more manageable lines. Sunset took note of them but didn't do anything with them other than occasionally duck behind one. It was next to a large orange backhoe that she paused and indicated that her squad was to do likewise. They did as ordered immediately, with Twilight and Rarity taking center stage while the remainder took a moment to rest. Applejack sat down upon the vehicle’s track, a groan spilling forth from her lips. “I don't know how long I can do this boss,” Applejack muttered. “If they keep gnawing on my ankles like that, I ain't gonna have any feet pretty soon.” “Don't,” Rainbow Dash paused to catch her breath. “Don't worry babe. I’ll handle them. Just gotta, wait a sec. Don't think I’ve ever gone that fast before.” “Both of you, take a breather. I gotta think about how we are even going to help those guys,” Sunset offered. “Don't take too long darling,” Rarity exclaimed. The woman paused to crush a changeling with a giant gem hammer. Twilight then sent the next wave of changelings flying into the air, their gravity temporarily reversed. “We can't do this forever,” Twilight added. “I know,” Sunset Shimmer replied. “I just… Wait I got it.” “Last mag!” shouted a soldier. His superior grit his teeth, and reached into his bag, producing another magazine. “Here, catch!” he yelled. The younger male caught the offered magazine before slamming it into his gun and shouldering the weapon. The higher-up looked away, already scanning the area in search of someone in need of assistance. His eastern flank was secure, but the north and west were being pressed hard while the south was slightly better off. “Flyer, incoming!” someone warned. Turning his attention skyward, the officer raised his revolver and blew the flying changeling away with two well-placed shots. “Sir, we need evac. We can't maintain this position for long!” screamed the soldier’s second in command. “I know that private!” he barked back. “But unless you’ve got a couple of tanks in one of those pockets of yours we aren't about to get any armored support anytime soon!” “Wait, what's that?” someone asked. Following his incredulous gaze, the commander looked over to where a backhoe lay parked only a dozen meters from the front line. Above it hovered several flaming letters that spelled out ‘Get ready to leave’ for some reason. Not one to trust just anything, the aged soldier knew that if something didn't change soon he and his men were as good as dead. “Pack up, men! Shoulder the wounded, and leave the dead. We are Oscar Mike people!” he yelled. To his underling’s credit, they didn't miss a beat, following his orders immediately and exactly. Those who could be moved were moved, those too injured were either given morphine, or a loaded gun and a couple of grenades. Then, mere moments after the command was issued, the group readied themselves for… whatever was coming. They were just in time, as all of a sudden the half dozen vehicles sparked to life and began to move. As one they all converged on a single location before gunning their engines and charging up the hill toward Perfect’s holdout. As this happened a strange spinning mass of fiery purple energy rolled across the changeling mass, burning and cutting them apart. Like a flaming blender from hell, the spell single-handedly created enough space that the auxiliaries could move once more. “Go go go!” shouted the commander. Charging down the hill with his men, he emptied his revolver into the closest group of changelings before holstering it. Drawing his submachine gun he began to pick his targets more carefully while focusing mainly on just running. His soldiers fell in around him, their desperation carrying them swiftly down the rocky slope and to the ground. Those who tripped or fell behind were left behind, presumed dead until all of a sudden a rainbow blur grabbed them. Before they knew it they were standing upright and running alongside their companions once more, confused but grateful. The changelings were set further kept at bay by great gem-like walls and flaming barriers that burned hot enough to turn chitin from a solid to a liquid. Mysterious grenades that spat clouds of tear gas disoriented the already confused changelings. At the head of the auxiliaries, the lone remaining officer saw that a small group of young women was waiting for him. The strange welcome party fell in alongside them, taking up defensive positions without a word needing to be uttered. “I assume you are to thank for our rescue?” he shouted, pausing to gun down a flying changeling that had flown over his fellows. “That we are sir!” Sunset yelled back. “Continue your work specialist Shimmer, and let me know if you need anything from me or my men,” he exclaimed. “You got it,” Sunset replied. The woman then gave the officer a quick salute before falling in on their right flank beside a towering young girl covered from head to toe in armor. Though a strange sight, the officer was used to the weird and didn't give it much thought. Instead, he turned his attention forward, to where the group of heavy vehicles were crushing a path through the changeling horde. The enormous treads and tires of the great machines had been made to traverse difficult, bumpy terrain. Large stones and loose gravel weren't that far from the broken remains of changeling corpses. Rolling forward as if due to a mind of their own, they crushed whatever changeling was too slow or too far gone to avoid their path. The destruction wreaked by their advance was immense, and for a moment it seemed like the shapeshifter horde was starting to thin. Only for their numbers to be replenished by another mass of black bodies being dumped through the emerald gate in the sky. Thankfully these newly arrived creatures were able to be cut down quickly, keeping the path relatively clear to where Perfect Tempo and his group were held up. Further up, near the former administrative buildings was a mass of zombified changelings and icey automatons. In their midst, serving as anchor points were the rest of Perfect Tempo’s closest advisors. Harvest Moon, Thevetat, and as well as Perfect Tempo himself were on the front lines while Platinum and Ghost sat further back, focusing primarily on their minions. By then the auxiliaries and their support squad had begun to draw close to the rest of Perfect’s forces. All that remained between them were a few hundred meters filled with maddened changelings thirsty for blood. Though imposing, the officer couldn't help but feel a sense of confidence rise in his chest and he charged ahead, his submachine gun spitting hot lead at what stragglers survived the charge of the heavy equipment. That confidence faltered when he saw a large changeling emerge from the swarm and leap at the closest loader. The creature tore the door from its hinges and with a flash of magic destroyed the controls, leaving behind only twisted slag. While the machine faltered and began to slow, the seemingly lone intelligent changeling moved to the next. In no time at all, nearly all of the machines were rendered inoperable or had turned wildly off course. It didn't matter though, as by then they were close enough that Perfect’s forces were extending outward to meet them. Before the gap was closed and the auxiliaries saved, the officer searched through the horde, trying and failing to find the changeling that had defeated the machines. He never found it, however, as a blast of mana took his head from his shoulders, killing him instantly. Behind him, his soldiers continued to run as fast as their legs could carry them, with Sunset Shimmer taking command. “Throw what grenades you have behind you, but don't stop running!” Sunset shouted as loud as her lungs could muster. She didn't turn around to check if her order was followed but she didn't have to. The dull thump thump of explosions was all the answer she needed. Together alongside her squad, the auxiliaries closed the distance and ran between the ranks of undead and elementals. The moment they were passed, the thoughtless creatures charged, covering their living comrade’s retreat. Once behind the front lines, Sunset Shimmer turned to find that her friends were present and accounted for. Exhausted, and injured they were still standing, though only barely. “Status report,” she barked. “Cuts and bruises but that's it. Ammo is depleted across the board,” Fluttershy replied after a moment to gather herself. “I’m running on empty, Sunset. I don't think I could muster another big spell like that without spraining something,” Twilight muttered. “Same,” Applejack added. “If I grow any bigger than this it feels like I might keel over.” “Alright, just fall in. We need to find Perfect,” Sunset Shimmer replied. The search didn't take long, as Perfect Tempo emerged only a moment later. Covered from head to toe in blood, none of which looked to be his own, the man seemed as implacable as ever. “Good. You survived and you managed to save a fair number of them,” Perfect Tempo stated evenly, as if they weren't in the middle of a battlefield. “Gather yourself quickly. I have one last job for you.” “You can't be serious darling. I’m barely standing as is!” Rarity complained. “Yeah I don't know how effective we’d be,” Sunset Shimmer added. “I have some refreshments that will perk you up but we will get to that in a moment,” Perfect Tempo stated. “For now I need you to stock up, and quickly. You’re going after the queen.”