“So this is what you wanted to show me?” Dash asked, peering closely at the machine that Fluttershy was sitting in. Fluttershy nodded, the light bobbing with the movement. Angel yawned and snuggled into the pegasus’ mane, promptly falling asleep.
“Yeah, isn’t it great?” Fluttershy smiled, wiping dust off her goggles. “I think its been here a very long time. At least twenty years, I’m willing to bet.”
“It looks like its still in great condition.” AJ replied, peering inside at the console. “We can use this to get outta here.”
“But we can’t leave that… thing inside the village. We have to help them!” Fluttershy protested as the two other ponies climbed in next to her. “Dash, come on.”
“She’s right. We can’t run and leave the village to be destroyed.” Dash replied, her eyes taking on that familiar fiery look. “We’ll take Typhoon and make it regret coming down here in the first place!”
“Typhoon?” AJ asked, looking confused. Dash slammed her hoof into the side of the machine.
“Of course! A beauty like this needs a name! And nothing else suits her better than Typhoon of Team Hurricane!” Dash turned to look at Fluttershy. “Let’s get going!”
“Right!” Fluttershy climbed out and waited for Dash to take her place behind the controls. The pegasus frowned at her.
“What are you doing?”
“A-aren’t you going to drive?” Fluttershy squeaked as Dash pulled her back into the operator seat. The cyan pegasus shook her head at that. AJ looked at the two of them, slightly confused. She settled into her seat as Dash spoke again.
“This thing is yours. Its your claim and your destiny. It wouldn’t be right for me to take that sort of thing from you. Something is telling me that you are the one meant to defeat that thing and to do dig us out of here.” Dash pressed a hoof to Fluttershy’s chest. “That’s what I believe.”
“But… I can’t…” Fluttershy whispered, shaking visibly.
“Shy.” Dash locked eyes with her. “Don’t believe in yourself. Believe in me.”
“Huh?” Fluttershy asked, confused. AJ looked perplexed as well. Dash ignored their expressions and continued.
“Believe in me, I said. Believe in the Dash that believes in you.”
“What the hay does that even mean?” AJ demanded, raising an eyebrow. To Fluttershy however, it made sense. She took a deep breath and looked down, examining the screen.
“Right…” She spotted a soft green glowing light and looked down at the drill around her neck. Lifting it, she spotted a small hole in the center of the screen and raised it, hesitating for a moment before pushing it in and turning it.
The effect was immediate, the energy on the screen spiraling outwards from the drill. The whole machine quaked and stood, energy humming gently. Fluttershy took a deep breath and pushed her hooves into the controls. The bracers locked, allowing the pegasus to move the machine as easily as her arms.
“Alright, Shy! Now let’s go get that ugly monster!” Dash yelled, pointing towards the tunnel.
Fluttershy took a deep breath and shoved the controls forward as hard she could, the machine instantly charging forwards. It tore through the dirt with ease, its arms digging far more efficiently than her drill.
In a matter of moments, the machine flew out into the wrecked cavern and slammed into the opposite wall, dazing the ponies inside and nearly throwing AJ loose.
“Well that wasn’t as smooth as I hoped…” Fluttershy mumbled. “Sorry…”
AJ took aim at the Shade and fired, the shell slamming into the exterior. It spun around and spied them, its fangs gleaming in the light. A large growl echoed throughout the cavern, low and rumbling.
“Bet you weren’t expecting that, huh?!” Dash taunted the creature as it raised its giant club. Fluttershy cried out and urged the machine out of the way, dashing between the Shade’s legs. The club hit the area they had previous occupied, shattering granite and sending a shockwave that sent the small mech upwards.
“This is insane!!” AJ yelled, holding onto the side to prevent herself from falling out. Fluttershy was both fighting the urge to be sick and to regain control of the machine. Dash was beside herself with exhilaration.
“I know! Isn’t it great?!!” Dash let out a whoop as the club narrowly missed them again, slamming through a support pillar. “Is this how it is up top?!”
“Pretty much!!” AJ yelled back as Fluttershy screamed out in fear as they tumbled through the air. Reacting instinctively, Fluttershy pulled back on the controls, flipping the machine upright. She realized suddenly that she was the only one sitting in the cockpit.
“Dash?! AJ?!” She yelled, looking around frantically. Spying the duo on top of the Shade’s head, she didn’t spot the enemy’s fist flying towards her. Moving the mech’s arms to protect herself, Fluttershy held on for dear life as she was slammed into the wall, the sheer force embedding the terrified pony into the cavern wall.
“Fluttershy!!!” Dash yelled, dropping the sword from her mouth. AJ merely glanced in her direction before firing straight into the Shade’s head, the bullet ricocheting off harmlessly. Dash went to take off but a wild swing from the Shade prevented her from doing so, the rush of wind flattening her to the metal. Dash held on for dear life, the force behind the motion nearly tearing her off.
“Fluttershy, we could use a hand here!!” AJ screamed as the metal fingers scraped towards the ponies. Raising her gun and firing wildly, the force behind her shot sent the hand backwards a few meters with a horrible screeching sound. As AJ continued to fire, Dash tried to get up and force the blade into the Shade’s head.
“Dammit Fluttershy, get out of there and give us a hand!!” She yelled as the blade slipped, slicing into her back leg. Blood dripped onto the metal exterior as the two ponies continued to try to break through.
Fluttershy heard the scream and stirred gently. Angel shook her, the pegasus moaning and opening her eyes. She saw Dash and AJ desperately holding on as their enemy attempted to dislodge them. Her eyes hardened at the sight, anger beginning to stir in her gentle heart.
“How dare you….” The spiral console glowed brighter, another spiral wave spreading outwards from the center. The top of the mech closed over the pony, sealing her inside. She squeezed the two handles hard, her eyes fixated on the giant mech. Angel settled onto her shoulder, balling his paws up into tiny little fists and urging her forwards.
“How dare you!!”
Fluttershy shoved as hard as she could and the acceleration nearly threw her back, but she recovered quickly. So intent was she on the Shade, she didn’t realize that something was coming out of the arm of her mech. Aiming for the fist descending towards Dash and AJ, Fluttershy pushed even harder; her arms were beginning to burn with the strain. The console was glowing nearly white with energy now when she slammed into the fist, sending it backwards and splintering the metal.
Landing with a solid thud, she opened the hatch as Dash and AJ sprinted towards it. They leapt in and Fluttershy promptly closed it. It was a bit cramped but not unbearably so. A sudden swipe from the club sent the group smashing into the ground, creating a small crater. Shaking her head, Fluttershy spied the massive weapon descending towards her and reacted instinctively.
She forced the mech to its feet and swung the right fist forward to meet it. With a burst of emerald energy, a drill came shooting out of it and began boring through the weapon, the vibrations shaking the smaller mech violently as metal was torn apart with a shrill screeching noise.
“Way to go, Shy!!” Dash yelled, leaning over the seat. “Now lets finish this!!”
Fluttershy barely glanced at her, her concentration on destroying this monster. Dash set her hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder and pointed straight at the creature’s face.
“Straight ahead and straight up!! That’s the way we do things!!” Dash yelled. Fluttershy didn’t understand how she knew what to do but she willed the drill to spin faster. As the low rumble became a screaming hum, she shoved the mech forward, the spinning tool into her enemies face, causing teeth to shatter and splinter.
“You do not hurt my friends!!” Fluttershy yelled, as underneath the mech began to glow green before launching itself deeper into its ugly maw, thrusters firing with green flames. Dash and AJ were holding on for dear life as the Typhoon simultaneously drilled through and lifted the Shade off the ground. A howl of fury burst from the monster’s maw, echoing through the cavern.
AJ held on for dear life as the entire machine shook with the force behind the drill, Fluttershy and Dash urging Typhoon faster, the Shade being slammed into the ceiling with the power behind the smaller mech’s thrusters. With twin yells, the thrusters fired up even higher and began shoving their enemy straight the stone.
“Surface here we come!!” Dash yelled from the back, having been thrown back from the force of the acceleration. AJ looked green and had a hoof pressed to her mouth to keep herself from puking. Fluttershy was urging the machine through the ground at a sickening speed, determined to make sure this thing would never torment her friends again.
With the loud screech of rending metal, Typoon blasted the Shade out of the ground along with a cloud of dust. As the broken shell began falling back to the earth, the hatch opened and the rush of wind startled the trio. A blinding light assailed Dash’s and Fluttershy’s eyes, the pegasi quickly shielding their eyes from the glare.
Fluttershy gasped, seeing nothing but land for miles without any walls or ceilings to contain them. Leaning her head back, she spied nothing but blue and white strange floating things. Dash was grinning ear to ear, her mane rippling in the breeze.
“Told ya it existed.”
“Wow…” Fluttershy murmured, peering over the edge at the crater in the ground and the broken body of the Shade. “It’s even bigger than I imagined…”
“Well, looks like y’all kept your end of the deal, so I have to keep mine.” AJ smiled as she pulled herself back up into a sitting position. “Name’s Applejack.”
“Great to know your name… but I think I like AJ better.” Dash replied, gazing out at the sun. The trio sat in silence for a moment before realizing something.
“We’re not going up anymore…” Applejack stated, looking over the side.
“Nope.” Dash replied as she laid back and basked in the sun, eyes closed.
“Um… Dash…?” Fluttershy asked as Angel yawned and rubbed his eyes, waking up from his nap. “We’re falling…”
“Yup.”
Applejack and Fluttershy looked at each other and for the first time in her life, the pegasus said a word that perfectly summed up their situation.
“Buck.”
________________________________________________
Pinkie groaned and shoved the rocks off her, her poofy mane deflated and straight. Stretching her limbs out, she winced in pain but apart from large bruises and a few sprains, everything seemed alright. As she cast her gaze around, the pink pony noticed the destruction and chaos in the cavern as well as a golden light pervading from the ceiling.
“Huh. Wonder what that could be.” She trotted over to where several stallions were shifting through rubble as they looked for surviviors.
Trixie was nearby, staring up at the ceiling. The bemused mark on her face puzzled Pinkie. She tilted her head in confusion.
“What’s wrong, Trixie?” She asked cheerfully as she plopped next to the unicorn. The village leader barely spared her a glance before responding.
“I thought she was always full of it… but I guess there is a surface. She’s gone now but so is Fluttershy. I hope for Fluttershy’s sake, they stay safe up there. Perhaps we can-“
“Whoawhoa!!” Pinkie cried out grabbing the unicorn by the shoulders and shaking her. “What do you mean they’re gone?!”
“They attacked that….thing with a smaller machine of sorts and took it straight through the ceiling.” Trixie pushed Pinkie Pie off her and brushed herself off. “They’re gone, Pinkie. Shame they didn’t take you.”
Pinkie’s grin slowly transformed into a ferocious snarl, the joyful eyes filling with dark vengeance. Her mane and coat seemed to turn to the color of ash as the unicorn watched. As she stalked away, Trixie shuddered at the sudden change. She was about to turn away and depart right when the words spoken with malevolence rang in her ears.
“Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise… Nopony…”
Trixie could only hope that Dash and Fluttershy would survive the storm of vengeance headed their way.
____________________________________________________
“I can’t stop it!!” Fluttershy yelled as Angel frantically pushed buttons on the console in a desperate bid to make it fly. They had been falling for a solid minute but none of them wanted to look over the side to see how close they were getting to a sudden stop and a very long sleep.
“Just do what you were doing before.” Dash replied, waving a hoof dismissively. “We’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know what I did!” Fluttershy yelped as she pulled on the controls, spinning it in a sharp circle. Applejack chose that moment to be sick and vomited over the side, the smell being blown away in an instant. As she pulled her head back, she managed to say: “Not to worry you two, but we’re getting mighty close to the ground.”
The yellow pegasus bit her lip and pushed the controls forward, slamming the hatch shut. Finally! A step in the right direction. Now all she needed to do was find what she had done to make it-
Her next thought was obliterated as Typhoon slammed into the ground full force and bounced, the hatch opening unexpectedly and sending the trio flying. Fluttershy rolled across the ground before slamming into a rock, crying out in pain as a stabbing pain flew through her wing.
Dash didn’t fare any better, trying to regain control of her fall by flying helped her a bit but the speed of her descent combined with her closeness to the ground resulted in her smashing into the ground with a yell, a cloud of dust being thrown up in the process.
The earth pony known as Applejack fared the best, having dealt with falls before although not of that altitude. When Typhoon launched them, AJ had tucked her legs in and managed to roll with the impact only earning a few cuts and bruises as she did so, the gun on her back making her landing less than graceful.
As they lay there panting, Fluttershy opened her eye through the haze of pain to see some ponies blotting out the sunlight. She struggled to get up but she was too weak. Angel pulled himself out from under her and brandished a dead stick at them, spinning it in his paws faster than they could see. When they hesitated, he charged and smacked the nearest one in the head.
“Ow!” The stallion said, rubbing his head. “Maybe we should just leave em?”
“No, you heard Sparks. She said she had caught AJ’s signal. These two have gotta be with her.” A mare replied. Fluttershy managed to make out a mint green pony standing there arguing with a brown stallion.
“What about the bunny?” A grey pegasus asked, her eyes staring in two different directions. She leaned down and smiled at the bunny that hissed and spun the stick again. “He’s cute!”
“I’m guessing he’s a pet of hers?” The brown stallion asked, staring dubiously at the creature. “Maybe we should ask Sparks about these guys?”
The wall-eyed pegasus spotted Fluttershy’s eyes open and rushed to her side. “Are you alright? Can you get up?”
“I-I think so.” Fluttershy managed to get her feet under her but her wing was bent at an odd angle. “I think my wing is broken though…”
“I still say we leave her and the other one out here for the Solaris unit.” The brown stallion said, eyeing the pegasus with suspicion.
“Like hay you are!” Applejack replied as she approached an old worn hat on her head. “Thanks Lyra for getting my hat from that last fight. I was worried I’d lost it forever.”
“No problems, AJ.” The mint unicorn lowered her head in response and held out her hoof out which AJ promptly bumped.
“Ditzy. I need you to get the crew out here to get these two back to the village. We took a bit of a nasty fall. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Ditzy sprang onto her hind legs and raised a hoof in a salute before taking off in a cloud of red dust. As Fluttershy was about to speak, a wave of dizziness overtook her and she fell over again. Looking up into AJ’s face, she saw her mouth moving but didn’t hear a word she was saying. A cold feeling was becoming prevalent throughout her body. She suddenly became aware of her side being warm and she turned her head to see a shard of stone about four inches long protruding from her body.
She tried to stay awake as the ponies over her tried to keep her attention but the ground was so comfortable… A nap sounded nice… She had already more than enough tunnels for today… Fluttershy deserved a break...