//------------------------------// // A Plan? What Plan? // Story: Drill Through The Heavens!! // by Zaki //------------------------------// Flaring her wings at the last possible second, Dash stifled her yelp as pain screamed through her limb. She landed shakily in front of the Shades and glared up at the tall hulking creatures. They hadn’t slowed and she guessed that they hadn’t seen her. She drew her sword and held it tightly in her teeth as they approached. Well, she could change that. “Hey!” She yelled, her voice muffled by the sword’s handle. There wasn’t even a glance as they strode over her towards the village, dust billowing over her and obscuring her vision. The thick dust set her to coughing and she struggled to get her bearings. A metal foot slammed less than five feet away, nearly knocking her off her hooves and into the broken rocks. Applejack and Fluttershy watched as the Shades continued on their way as the pegasus tried to regain her balance. The earth pony sighed and nodded towards Fluttershy, indicating for her to get moving. Typhoon glowed with familiar energy and Fluttershy urged it into motion, her eyes on Dash down on the ground. “Dammit!!” Dash spun around and spied the shadowy hulking figures, walking away from her. She quickly cast her gaze around and spotted a fair-sized rock lying on the ground. Seizing it, the pegasus hurled it with all her might towards the departing figures. The rock quickly flew out of her sight and after a few seconds, the clang of stone meeting steel echoed through the narrow valley. The beast stopped and turned, the red eyes focused on the cyan pony. She grinned and stood her ground. “Where the hay do you think you’re going?!” She shouted her mane and tail wavering in the breeze. “She who has left her home and torn her way out from the center of the earth never runs away, never retreats, but instead bolts towards her future! She’s fast! She’s awesome! She’s the coolest damn mare alive! And I’m talking ‘bout me! The mighty-“ She never finished her speech as the silvery blue fist smashed in the ground she currently occupied, boulders tearing loose and flying skyward. The Shade looked curiously at the crater and at its own hand, surprised there was no blood or body. Looking at the dust trail, he spotted Typhoon sliding across the ground, the pegasus held firmly in the grip of the small mech. Roaring in anger, he kicked at the pair, the force behind the blow sending them flying through the air. Fluttershy managed to flip open the cockpit and get her friend inside before they slammed headlong into the wall. For a long moment, the world tumbled violently but the cockpit stayed shut this time. It kept the ponies inside from being flung out across the dirt but didn’t stop them from being thrown around inside the small cockpit. Fluttershy was in the pilot seat and strapped into the controls but Dash tumbled end over end again and again, limbs becoming tangled around each other with each rotation. As the duo finally came to a stop, they stayed in their respective positions for a moment until Dash spoke. “I am getting really tired of being kicked around.” Fluttershy opened the hatch after Dash kicked it, her rainbow mane disheveled and covered in dirt. She glared at the smaller pony whose wings were trembling from her previous exertion. Climbing out, Dash glanced at the gouge in the earth created by their crash. She wiped a trickle of blood off her muzzle and picked up her sword from the ground. “What were you doing?!” Fluttershy panted, the mech mimicking her movements, their shoulders heaving. Dash shook the dust from her limbs and ignored the question, straightening her glasses as she went. As she walked around Typhoon to face the lone approaching Shade, Fluttershy heard her speak. “You can’t spend your life running from conflict. Sometimes you need to face the challenge head on.” As the beast came closer, Fluttershy closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. She thought of her fear of her dragons, a fear of something she hadn’t even seen. Beasts that dug massive tunnels and appeared in villages to consume them all… This thing reminded her of the stories told around the fires. A monster of nightmares but… she could change that. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the blue and gold creature coming ever closer. Dash had stopped and was waiting for the Shade to reach her, her tail waving in the breeze rolling off the rocks. Everything was wavering from the heat and Fluttershy took a deep breath and manipulated the controls, sending Typhoon into a brisk walk towards Dash. Drawing level with her sibling, both ponies gazed at the lone Shade, gunfire echoing in the distance. Their earpieces buzzed with unintelligible voices but they ignored them. It didn’t matter what the others were up to at the moment. They had something in their path that needed to be uprooted. “Do you have a plan?” Fluttershy asked, her voice magnified by Typhoon. Dash looked sideways at her and grinned. She held out a leg and the mech bumped its fist to her hoof, its hand easily dwarfing her hoof. “I always have a plan.” Dash looked back to the Shade who was now picking up its pace, the impacts of its feet shaking the ground. “The plan is this: hijack that thing.” “That’s it?” “That’s it.” Dash slid the sword back into its sheath and took off without warning towards the Shade, leaving Fluttershy behind for a moment before she realized what was happening and took off in pursuit. The Shade began a full out sprint as well, the larger entity moving far faster than them. As Fluttershy began to overtake Dash, she scooped up the cyan pony and set her on Typhoon’s head. The cyan pony crouched low to keep her balance, her magenta eyes focused on their enemy. She was calculating how much farther they were and what was the best way to get the thing under their control. It didn’t have as long as fangs as the last one they had fought, its snout much smaller and practical. The whole thing seemed flawless in comparison to the others. She looked down at Typhoon in desperation, thinking furiously. “Dash! What are we going to do?!” Fluttershy yelled, Typhoon enhancing her voice far louder than normal. Then she had an inspiration. “Hey dragon face!! We’re gonna crush and eat you!” She yelled at him, determined to test her idea. “What do you think about that?!!” “Shut up, you stupid pony!!” It yelled back, its mouth forming the words. It raised its foot in anticipation to crush them. Dash held on for dear life as Typhoon nimbly dodged and darted between its legs before grinding to a halt and facing the turning Shade. “What’s the plan?” Dash yelled, her glasses flashing in the sunlight. “Throw me!” “Wait, what?!!” Fluttershy looked up through the transparent cockpit. “Do what now?!” “At its mouth!” Dash yelled as the Shade roared again, unlimbering a giant sword from its face plate. “Hurry before it squashes us!!” “But you can’t fly!” Fluttershy protested, her limbs shaking in anxiety. Dash pounded her hoof hard on the top, causing the yellow pegasus to flinch. “Details, details! Just throw me already, for buck’s sake!!” She winced as Typhoon lifted her, the digits on the mech’s arms digging into her side. As Fluttershy angled to throw her at the Shade’s maw, the metal beast slashed at them. The impact threw off her aim and Dash went off to the side. She forced her wings open, a strangled cry of pain escaping her as she angled her wings to guide her towards the maw of enemy. The momentum from the throw kept her aloft, sparing her the needs to flap her wings. Fluttershy spied Dash speeding towards through the creature’s open mouth seconds before it closed. A shadow descended over her and she raised her gaze. The creature had lifted its foot over the stationary Typhoon and was bringing it down with all its strength. She barely managed to raise Typhoon’s arms in time to prevent herself from being crushed. Dash blinked in the darkness, her hooves slipping on the slippery metal. She set her teeth as her wing throbbed with intense pain, her knees weak from the feeling. As she began climbing higher, Dash could hear the sounds of cursing and controls being manipulated. “Why won’t you just die?!!” The voice was undeniably male, the controls being forced forward as far as they could. Looking around, she spied a glimmer of light in higher up and she forced herself higher up, her hooves clanging against the metal. The sound was lost in the sound of the Shade’s efforts to crush Fluttershy. “Dash, hurry up!!” She cried, the arms on the little mech slowly giving into the intense pressure and allowing the foot to draw closer to crushing her. The green spiral of energy on the screen in front of her was slowly depleting each passing second, growing dimmer as time went on. She swallowed her fear and forced Typhoon to push harder, arms straining and the metal beginning to groan under the pressure. She heard Fluttershy’s scream and hastened her efforts to reach the cockpit. After a few close calls of slipping down the roaring maw, she pulled herself into the fairly large cockpit. The pilot had his back to her and she took a moment to recover, panting. Unfortunately, the figure heard her and spun around in his seat to investigate. For a split second, Dash stared at the creature. Its beak turned into a snarl and he lunged at her, his talons lashing out at her. She yelped and jumped to the side, the monster slamming into the cockpit wall. He spun around, his red eyes glaring at her. She bumped into the wall as she tried to gain room to maneuver but realized it was too fight for a prolonged fight. “Die, pony!” He roared before lunging again; this time she was less lucky. His talons raked along her side as she ducked the blow. She yelped and slammed her hooves into his stomach, the force behind the kick, sending him crashing into the controls and causing the machine to tip over, freeing Fluttershy. The tilting machine caused the fighting pair to tumble into each other as they fell, each biting and kicking to get the upper hand. “Dash!!” Fluttershy yelled into her earpiece as the Shade slammed into the ground, a massive tremor radiating outwards. Moving Typhoon was second nature now and she sprang to her feet instantly, rushing towards the fallen machine. An explosion came from the direction of the village and she slid to a stop, turning towards the plume of smoke in horror. Then her earpiece beeped loudly, static and yelling cutting across her thoughts. “Fluttershy! As don’t know what you two are up to but we really need your help right now!!” Applejack’s voice was cut off by a scream and the sound of gunfire. She heard a sharp curse before the earth pony spoke again. “There are three more Shades who came out of nowhere over the back mountains! Get your ass back here and help us take care of them!” “But Dash-“ She protested before being interrupted by another voice. “Go Shy! I got this one!” Fluttershy heard the sounds of growling and hissing, along with the sound of claws on metal. A yell and scream of pain caused her fear to spike once more. “Dash are you-“ “I said, go help them! I’ll be right behind you!” Her voice was muffled, almost as if her face was being crushed against the wall. “Trust me!” The cyan pegasus bit the leg holding her against the wall, earning a scream of pain. As her attacker loosened his grip on her, Dash squirmed free and slammed her hooves into his throat as hard as she could. A sharp crack emanated from the creature and his eyes bulged before he collapsed across the floor. His talons and tail twitched but otherwise he remained motionless. A trickle of red dribbled down his beak and she wrinkled her nose in revulsion before dragging him over to the small hole she had squeezed through. After a few minutes of shoving, the prone figure was finally squeezed through. She listened for a moment as he tumbled down the metal maw and out of the mech. Dash wiped the blood off her muzzle and turned her attention to the cockpit. The layout was similar to what she had seen of Typhoon’s cockpit and she settled herself into the seat, pushing her forward legs into the controls. The two control throttles locked firmly around her legs, allowing her to move her limbs naturally. Dash looked up from the controls and out the glass towards the smoking village. She gingerly urged it forward and the mech promptly fell over, its face slamming into the ground. “How do you drive this thing?!” She growled, frantically pulling on the controls. It stumbled back on its feet and she urged it towards the village, determined to help end the battle. Typhoon slammed into the side of a Shade, throwing it temporarily off balance. The thunder of a rifle ripped through the air as a shell slammed into the larger mech’s face. As it roared in protest, a volley of shots rang out from the resistance and causing hairline fractures in the armor of the enemy. Fluttershy urged the back down onto the ground, her shoulders heaving with exertion. Angel was still hiding in her mane, refusing to poke his head out. “This is too much…” She panted, her head hanging and mane was damp with sweat. “How are we going to survive up here, Angel?” “Fluttershy, come on! There’s just two more left! Come on!” Applejack yelled into her headset, the loudness of her voice startling the pegasus. “No…” She muttered, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes as the sounds of battle continued. It would be so much simpler if she just took went to sleep right now. This was a bit much for her right now. “I’m going to take a nap…” She murmured into her headset, her mind beginning to drift off and the sounds slowly began to fade. Without warning, Typhoon was lifted off the ground violently. It shook her awake and she shoved the controls forward in an attempt to escape. The fingers wrapped around her prevented her limbs from moving and she felt the arm lifting in preparation to throw her. Straining her limbs, she attempted to open the hatch to escape but the grip was too strong. “Now you die!!” The Shade yelled before hurling her as hard as he could, the acceleration forcing her to hold on for dear life. Everything was a blur and she became aware of a screaming echoing in the cockpit. It took her a second to realize it was her. That’s what I sound like when I’m screaming? she wondered in the back of her mind. I’m louder than I thought... With a powerful impact that shook her bones and threw her forward, her face nearly colliding with the console with the spiral readout. Raising her eyes groggily, Fluttershy found herself looking into the Shade from earlier. She felt a moment of panic before the creature spoke. “Hey ‘Shy you alright in there?” Dash asked, her voice magnified by the mech’s audio amplifiers. Her spiral console was glowing a bright green, the glow illuminating the whole of the cockpit. She pulled Typhoon close enough to see Fluttershy staring at her mech. “You… you did it?” “Of course I did. Who the ha-“ A massive impact cut off their conversation, Typhoon dropping from her grip. Fluttershy screamed and slammed the controls, the thrusters blasting her into the sky. Dash reacted instinctively by pulling the controls in and to the side, ending up back on her feet. One of the enemy Shades swung at her, his weapon screaming through the air. The pegasus pulled back on the left throttle and shoved it forward, the fist of her mech slamming into the mace and forcing it to spiral through the air, metal tearing and shrapnel flying through the air. The emerald Shade roared, lashing out at her. Dash responded by catching the blow, their fingers locked together and straining to force the other back. Dash gritted her teeth, blood trickling down her cheek. Behind her glasses, her eyes burned with determination. The spiral console glowed brighter, another spiral overlaying the one already visible. With a fierce yell, she managed to shove the Shade backwards into the rock wall. Dazed, the Shade went to push himself off the wall. Fluttershy forced the controls towards the stunned Shade, gravity and the thrusters moving her at an incredible speed towards her target. The bottom of Typhoon began glowing green, a massive drill forming and boring full speed. “Heads up!!” She yelled. Dash glanced upwards and she seized the enemy, holding him against the wall. The Shade struggled, slamming its fist into the face of Dash’s mech and stunning her temporarily. She shook off the impact and punched the thing straight into its mouth, several metal teeth breaking off from the force behind the blow. Dash pulled on the controls, trying to free her fist from the creature’s mouth. The pony pinned the Shade again as Fluttershy descended from the sky, Typhoon’s drill gleaming in the sunlight. The next thing either of them knew, Typhoon had bored straight through the Shade’s head and dug itself into the pinned hand. Dash pulled on the controls, yanking Fluttershy out of the smoking shell of the Shade. The last Shade paused at the sight, its yellow eyes focused on the pair. As it turned to leave, Dash yanked Typhoon out of the ruined hand and hefted it. Before she could throw her however, a rifle shot rang out and hit the Shade in the center of its back. A small explosion rocked the thing before it collapsed a short way from the village. The guns were turned on the duo before they heard Applejack yell out. “Hey! That’s them, don’t shoot!” The earth pony strode forward, her face hidden in the shadow of her hat. “Well, while these two figure out how to get out of these, I need the rest of y’all to get out there and start stripping down those Shades.” Twilight watched along with Applejack as Fluttershy and Dash discussed the best way to get down from their current positions. “They are definitely interesting.” The unicorn finally said as the two of them continued to look on. “Maybe you crashing into their home was a good thing for them and us.” “Maybe…” Applejack pushed her hat up and glanced at the sun, estimating the hours of sunlight they had left. “I still can’t believe they managed it and all. Stealing a Shade… That’s big.” “Well, those two are something special and it sure seems like they are a great addition to the team.” Twilight levitated a small computer readout and began trotting off towards the two pegasi exiting their respective machines. Applejack sighed and followed, tugging her hat down as she did so. As they neared the large mech, Dash dropped down into the dirt, stained with blood and covered in scratches. “Ya alright there, Dash?” Applejack asked as Twilight began examining the larger mech, muttering to herself and plugging wires into the leg. Both of the ponies looked haggard but triumphant, their bodies conveying exhaustion and pride in equal amounts. The cyan pony was partly supported by Fluttershy, a wide grin on her face. “Nah, I’ll be fine. We’re kind of hungry though. “Dash glanced at Fluttershy who nodded meekly, her bunny Angel poking his head out at the talk of food. Applejack chuckled at that and indicated they follow her. The two ponies fell into step behind her, Dash stumbling slightly on the uneven ground. “After you’re done Twilight, I need you to go strip all the tech out of those wrecked Shades.” The earth pony called over her shoulder. The unicorn waved her off, absorbed in reading the small layout on the screen. “Twi?” Dash asked, stopping and looking at her. “I’ll get to it, darling. Don’t worry your little head about it.” She called out, teleporting up onto the top of Dash’s Shade. “Once I’m done analyzing this beauty and fix it up, I’ll take care of the other Shades.” Dash opened her mouth to surprise but Applejack shook her head, indicating they continue along their way. As they walked through the partially destroyed village, there were ponies all around repairing the damage. Most of the unicorns were melding stone fragments together, quickly putting buildings back together. “Darling?” Dash asked, wavering slightly. “What in the world is wrong with her?” The earth pony grinned. “She gets caught up in her work and then starts confusing her love for machines for her conversation.” “Seems a bit odd if you ask me.” Fluttershy murmured before Applejack laughed, her sides heaving with mirth. “Giant mechanical creatures attempting to kill us and stealing one to fight with is normal compared to that?” She took a deep breath, still giggling slightly. “Yeah, I see what you mean. It is a bit odd but nopony ever has alienated her, if only because she’s the only one who understands the tech.” “In here.” Applejack led them into an intact building where there were several ponies manipulating pots and pans. A blue unicorn looked up at them and smiled. She stepped forward and greeted Applejack; the earth pony indicating the pegasi to sit down at a table. The two of them sat down next to each other and looked around them. “Just the three bowls, AJ?” Colgate asked, raising her eyebrow. “Sure they’ll eat?” “They’re probably starving. The two of them have been fighting all day. They can eat and then rest. I’ll explain tomorrow.” She glanced behind her and felt her smile fade slightly. “Oh…. Well, they have had a long day.” Dash had her head on her front legs and was snoring gently, her ear twitching gently. Fluttershy was using her shoulder as a pillow, her pink mane hiding a part of her face. Angel looked at the two of them and at Applejack before crossing his arms expectantly. She chuckled and turned back to Colgate. “Get the rabbit something to eat too.”