//------------------------------// // Bonus: My Little Sentry // Story: Meet the Team: Pony Fortress 2 // by The Usurper //------------------------------// The events of this story are canon to Meet the Team: Pony Fortress 2 and occurred before Meet the Scout. Inspired heavily by and based off of Story of a Sentry from the 2012 Saxxy awards. The few hours just before a battle were some of the best. When everypony was gathered together, legally, since the Administrator couldn't object to battle preparations. That was when they could really be friends, without having to worry about another RED-Demoman-and-BLU-Soldier case. Best of all, nopony had to worry about the battle. The worst that could happen was humiliation. Nopony was really in danger, after all. There were respawn points for a reason. In a way, it gave everypony a glimpse of immortality. Who would hate that? Ordinarily, Applejack would have been hoof-wrestling with Rainbow or joking about Fluttershy with her brother, which always brought that oh so significant blush to his cheeks. But not today. Today, she was going to do science. The day before "Looks like friendship to me." A hovering purplish-pink earth pony mare with rotating swirls for eyes and a baseball cutie mark stared at the computer screen that displayed the interior of RED base's resupply room. "I know." The Administrator gripped the edges of his chair's armrests tightly. "And that is unacceptable." "Then why don't you just cancel their preparation time?" The earth pony asked. "You can do that." "I can't!" He growled. "They have to have time to prepare for battle. There's no reason I can give that will justify that." "So what are you going to do?" "That, I don't know, Screwball." He shook his head. "And it drives me absolutely crazy! I don't know how many of them are capable of using those blasted Elements of Harmony, and I have no idea where the Elemental necklaces are either! All I know is that Luna has three and Celestia has the other three." "Do they know that they are potential stewards of the Elements of Harmony?" Screwball asked. "No. Why?" "Then I have an idea." The Administrator raised his head. "What is it?" "I'll show you." She removed a box from seemingly nowhere and placed it on the table. He gave her a quizzical look. "A box?" "A gift." She clarified. "It's from Valve." "What's inside?" He flipped the box open. Slowly, as he registered what he was seeing, a sinister grin grew on his face. "Thank you, Screwball. I know just what to do." Present "What are you doing, Applejack?" Twilight asked. "Science, Twi." The earth pony replied as she hammered a screw into an incomplete sentry tripod mount. "Ah'm doin' science." "Uh... right." She glanced at the rest of the assorted parts lying around the engineer. "Are you building a sentry?" "No." Applejack replied, fitting the last bolt into the stand. "Ah'm building a masterpiece." "Looks like a sentry to me." "Technically, it is. But it ain't no ordinary sentry." She gestured to the nearby cardboard box that leaned against the wall. "Take a look." Twilight gripped the box in her telekinetic field and lifted it up to her eyes. "Personality Construct Kit?" "From Aperture Science. Whatever that is." Applejack dragged the main body of the sentry over and positioned it gently on the tripod mount. "What is it supposed to do?" "It has everything ah need to make a Personality Construct." "...what does that have to do with anything?" "Everything, Twi. Everything." "Why?" "Ah'm building the first Personality Sentry." Twilight blinked. "What's that?" Applejack fitted the muzzle onto the the almost-complete sentry and turned to Twilight. "This'll be the first sentry to be, effectively, a living thing with a personality." "Why do you need a sentient sentry?" "Do ya know how lonely it is all the way at the back lines, Twi? Nopony to talk to except you, but ya'll are always aimin' through that scope a' yours, and ah wouldn't want ta disrupt yer concentration, ya know?" "Well, nowadays I use a huntsman, but that's irrelevant. You're right." "Ah'm sure this sentry here'll be good conversation. Ah even installed a vocabulator, which should allow it ta talk." "Wow." Twilight scrutinised the sentry. "Impressive." "And she could be like the little sister ah never had. Since Big Mac's always off with Fluttershy now, she'll be mah family that ah keep close by." "She?" "Definitely." Applejack responded. "Ah even gave her a name." She smiled as she lifted a remote and pressed the sole red button occupying its surface. "Welcome to Equestria... Apple Bloom." The little light beside the sentry's muzzle began to glow with a red light, and it spun three hundred and sixty degrees on its stand before coming to a rest. "Confirming the proper functioning of the Aperture Science Personality Construct systems." A mechanical voice came from the sentry. "Critical systems operational. Vocabulator operational. Automatic electricity generator operational. Power at one hundred percent. Scanning for additional attachments..." The sentry's light blinked. "Weapons system detected. No transportation system detected. No outside controls detected. Mobility at ten percent efficiency. Downloading weapons system information..." The light flashed again, and the sentry bobbed up and down. "Download complete. Weapons system RED Team Level One Sentry Gun is now recognised by all Aperture Science facilities. Transferring control to the Aperture Science Personality Construct now." The sentry's light flickered before darkening, and for a few moments, all was silent. Then the sentry reactivated, releasing a shower of sparks as its head moved to face Applejack. The engineer sighed. "Ain't she a cute little gun?" "Um, yeah, I guess." The sentry, evidently curious about its surroundings, rotated on its tripod mount to survey the resupply room, her gaze eventually settling on Applejack's more familiar face. Despite the fact that she knew sentries couldn't display any emotions, Applejack could have sworn that Apple Bloom looked was far more relaxed with her maker in her sights. Twilight smiled. "I think she likes you." "Of course she does! After all, she's mah-" "Attention. Mission begins in ten seconds." The Administrator's voice cut her off, echoing through the room. Applejack turned around to see the room for herself, and finally noticed that she and Twilight were the only ones left. "We had better get going." Twilight gestured to the door. "Those control points aren't going to defend themselves." Applejack nodded. "Yer right. Come on, Apple Bloom." She hoisted the sentry up into the air, much to the machine's chagrin. She let loose a flurry of annoyed beeps before deciding that the engineer wouldn't let her down. Ah suppose that vocabulator ain't workin'. Applejack mused. Best get that fixed as soon as possible. "Phase one is complete, Administrator." Screwball watched the monitor as the RED Engineer carried the sentry out onto the war-torn lands of Gorge. "Excellent. How are the preparations going for BLU Team?" "Almost as smoothly as we hoped." Screwball nodded. "They are gearing up for a full assault." "Gearing up? They aren't ready yet?" "Not yet. We've still got a few problems with the Pyro." The Administrator frowned. "What kind of problems?" "Apparently she refuses to fight. Something about how killing is wrong." "Ugh." He facepalmed. "Why must she bring this up now?" He stood up. "Keep monitoring things while I go and take care of her." "How?" Screwball asked. "I'll think of it on the way." The Administrator said dismissively. "Maybe I'll slap her with a personality shift spell, or a hallucination spell." He paused. "Or both." "Are you sure it'll work?" "Yes. It's never failed me before. Just... tell some of the BLU team members to attack and keep RED distracted." "Got it." There was something about the metal floors of Gorge that irritated Applejack. Maybe it was the way that it revealed her location with a loud, echoing noise every time she took a step. Maybe it was the fact that it should have been used to make functional, useful machines, like Apple Bloom, instead of making up the floor that could easily have been replaced with wood or stone. Whatever it was that gave Applejack these sentiments, her sentry didn't seem to share it. Apple Bloom's head turned rapidly as she observed the very substance she was made of being used for a different purpose altogether. No doubt she was analysing it with her sensors and gathering as much information about her surroundings as possible. "Well, we're almost there." Twilight said, taking the engineer's mind off of the annoying surface. She pointed at the outcrop of the main building which gave a clear view of the control point. "That's where I usually snipe enemies from." "Yeah, ah bet that everypony's already setting up their..." Applejack caught sight of the rest of their five-pony team hiding at the outcrop. "...defenses." "Should we get going, maybe?" Twilight called out to them. Instantly, all three RED team members at the scene, Zecora, Big Mac, and Fluttershy, turned to the two and simultaneously hissed, "Shh!" "Uh... what?" Applejack asked. "Just trust me, do not go out." Zecora told her. "You will soon know what this is about." "But the point is completely undefended!" Applejack protested. "We need to go!" "Look more closely and you will know, why right now we need not go." Applejack scrutinised the point carefully, gently placing Apple Bloom on the ground as she did so. The sentry gave a beep of relief when her tripod mount touched the ground again. Like ah said, there's nothing there. She thought. No sentries, no Heavies, no Medics, nothing but the point and... Applejack stared at the point for a few seconds, hardly believing that she had missed that. ...of course. She facehoofed. Ah'm such an idiot sometimes. "Look!" Big Mac whispered. "There's one." True enough, a lone soldier was making his way to the point. To his credit, he was cautious when he saw that there was nopony around. He looked everywhere, trying to catch a glimpse of the defenders who were doubtlessly preparing to kill him. Finally, after a few minutes, he decided that nothing would happen unless he moved first, he stepped onto the point. beep The entire control point erupted in a fiery explosion of death, engulfing the Soldier instantly. Zecora risked a glance outside, and when all she saw was an expanding smoke cloud, she fired a few grenades into the fray and waited for a scream. Nothing. "All clear." The zebra confirmed. "There are now no enemies here." Everypony cheered. "Good job, Zecora." Big Mac laughed, patting her on the back. "Thank you. I should probably replace those sticky bombs before more arrive, otherwise I may not be able to take their lives." "Wait." Fluttershy held a hoof up in front of Zecora. Her uncharacteristic resolve gave out a few seconds later. "Um, I mean, if you want to." Big Mac looked at her curiously. "What is it, Fluttershy?" "Not to bother you or anything, but there's an incoming Scout." "I'll take care of this." Big Mac lifted his minigun. "Actually, big bro, do ya mind if ah take care of this one?" Applejack asked. He studied his sister for a few seconds, then turned his gaze to her sentry gun, which was now beeping frantically as it bobbed up and down. Whether in excitement or fear, he couldn't tell. "Uh, sure, sis. Is your sentry up to it, though?" "Of course she is!" Big Mac raised an eyebrow. "She?" "Long story. Ah'll tell ya later." Applejack trotted over to Apple Bloom. "Okay. Crash course. Do ya know how to shoot?" The sentry nodded, firing a shot into the ceiling as she did so. "Good. Do ya know how to aim?" Apple Bloom shook her head. "Ya got a targeting system. Just... uh... try and download the specs." She nodded again, and the light beside her muzzle blinked a few times. Her head then turned to face the Scout on the control point. Applejack could practically see the metal gears in her head turning as electricity coursed through her wires, all contributing to a single purpose. A bright flash at Apple Bloom's muzzle temporarily blinded the engineer, but a pained "Augh!" from the control point confirmed that the bullet had indeed found its mark. "Good shot, Apple Bloom!" Applejack patted her on the head. "Heck, you're an even better shot than ah am!" The sentry beeped cheerfully. "Of course, if ah had a targeting system too..." Applejack grinned mischievously. "Want to try it again without usin' it?" Apple Bloom nodded her head in a way that somehow broadcast the phrase "Challenge accepted." "Let's get on with it then." Applejack whipped out her pistol from her belt. "Ready?" Apple Bloom beeped eagerly. "Then..." Applejack paused. It didn't take long for a fresh wave of BLU team members to rush out to the point. "Let's go!" "Phase two is underway." Screwball spoke into a small microphone on the desk. In the Administrator's absence, she had decided to occupy his room so that she could observe the scenes of the battle and alert him about any unforeseen occurrences. The fact that the room included one of the most comfortable chairs in history was purely a coincidence. "Are you sure?" The Administrator asked, his voice being muffled slightly by the crackling of the speakers. "Yes. Everypony moved pretty quickly when you showed up in BLU's supply room." She chuckled. "Except the Pyro, of course." "Good, good. Have they been told about the sentry?" "Yes, they have. They are all on strict orders not to touch it on pain of permanent 'accidental' malfunctioning of their respawn points." "Then all is ready." The room quietened, with only the crackling of the speakers keeping the silence at bay. Finally, the Administrator spoke up again. "It is done. We should have no more trouble with the Pyro. Just in case, though, I'm going to bring her here and test if the spell worked." He continued. "Oh, and while you're at it, do you think you could call the BLU Spy here? She and I have some... issues to discuss." For some reason, Applejack was slowly getting more comfortable with the metal floors. That was probably because Apple Bloom was so thoroughly fascinated by it. A good thing, too. She thought. Ah'd hate to go crazy defending the final point. "Hoo boy. You're a mite heavy, Apple Bloom. Ah still don't know how ya'll are still so heavy even though ya have no ammo left in ya." Applejack panted heavily, removing the sentry from her back and lowering her gently to the floor. No matter how much she liked the metal floors, Apple Bloom certainly seemed to like her creator's back better. She beeped in annoyance when her tripod mount made contact with the ground. "It's just for a minute." Applejack assured her. "Ah'm gonna rush over to the resupply room and grab some more metal. You just stay here, okay? Besides, ya got a great view of the..." She glanced to her right. "...control point. So just look out for any enemies. Can ya do that for me?" Apple Bloom nodded vigorously, her little light blinking as she did so. She was obviously eager to carry out an important job - or at least what she saw as one - for Applejack. "Good girl. Ah'll be right back." Without another word, the engineer dashed off to the resupply room. In the instant right after Applejack left, many thoughts rushed through Apple Bloom's mechanical mind. The first was a concern about her ability to execute the task that had been assigned to her. The second was a reassuring thought that her maker wouldn't give her a job that she wouldn't be able to complete. The last one was not so much a thought as an analysis as to how to handle the situation in the most efficient manner. Eventually, after much deliberation, Apple Bloom decided to go with the most advanced, deadly and crafty manoeuvre she could think of. She settled into her role of rotating at a ninety degree angle at regular intervals pretty quickly. It was standard operation procedure, after all. For some reason, she always imagined that she would be sliding along a command rail of some sort instead of being nearly completely immobile with nothing but a tripod mount to support her, but she wouldn't trade her time with Applejack for anything else. She was like a big sister that she never had. The sounds of hooves trotting across those metal floors she loved so much made Apple Bloom beep in anticipation. Now that Applejack had returned, she could show her what she had accomplished on her own. She would be so proud of her little sentry! Apple Bloom turned to the source of the noise and came face to metal face with a BLU Demomare. It took only a second. Virtual targets locked onto the enemy. Weapons systems whirred to life. A new cartridge slid into place behind her muzzle. She fired. click Uh oh. That wasn't good. click click click The Demomare was quick to realise that Apple Bloom was defenseless. A wide smirk appeared on her face as she advanced, Eyelander in hoof, towards the helpless sentry. Her beeps, which for the past few hours had been of excitement and joy, had now been replaced with ones filled with panic. Subconsciously, invisible robotic arms within her reached for other weapons systems - neurotoxin, remotely controlled turret, anything - before succumbing to the same panic when they found nothing there. Her short life flashed before her eyes. Just like her firing sequence, information came near instantaneously. What had it been, just a few hours? Not even a day. Barely enough time to scratch the surface of her creator's complex personality. In a sense, she didn't know Applejack. Not yet. But then again, this might have hurt more if she knew what she was losing. In a sense, she was lucky. In a sense. The Demomare was almost upon her now. The Eyelander, that cursed blade which had taken the lives of many, was raised in the air above her head. Apple Bloom quickly shut down her sensors, and awaited her fate in complete darkness. A shot, a scream, and all went silent. Seconds passed, and Apple Bloom felt a twinge of hope in her robotic heart. Tentatively, she restarted her short-range scanners, searching for a living being... And a pair of hooves wrapped themselves around her tightly. "Apple Bloom." Applejack hugged the sentry close to her chest. "Are ya'll alright? Did that mean Demomare do anythin' ta ya?" Apple Bloom wanted to cry with joy and tell her just how scared she was just now, and how happy she was now that Applejack was by her side again. Instead, she just gave a couple of relieved beeps before relaxing and enjoying her maker's warm and loving embrace. She'd pick it over a command rail any day. The door creaked open, and a dishevelled Administrator stepped into his room. "Screwball, how's it going?" "Well." She replied. "Phase two is progressing just as well as we hoped." She waved a hoof at the computer screen. "Take a look." The Administrator stared at the scene before his eyes and grinned. "Well, looks like our dear engineer is getting quite attached to her sentry, isn't she?" "As expected, of course." Screwball agreed. "How are things going with the Pyro?" "She's a bit... unstable... but other than that there shouldn't be a problem. She can be back on the front lines in no time." "That's good." Screwball turned her attention back to the screens. "Looks like BLU's out of time. RED wins this round." "What's the next battlefield?" The Administrator asked. "Badwater Basin." "You sure the engineer's going to bring that sentry with her everywhere she goes instead of disassembling them like she usually does?" "I'm quite sure. She's grown rather fond of the little thing." "Then we're all done here." The Administrator turned to leave. "I see you've taken a liking to my command chair." "I-" Screwball protested. "Don't try to deny it. Though, for your hard work, I think I'll let you stay there and take care of things for me." He yawned. "Dealing with that hyperactive pony's made me really tired. Tell me if anything major happens." "Can do." Screwball waited until the Administrator had left before sagging back into the chair. "Phew. That was a close one. You're all mine, comfy chair." If she had thought that trying to haul Apple Bloom all the way back to the resupply room was very tiring, the trot over to Badwater Basin made that seem like a walk in the park. But Applejack wasn't going to leave her dear sentry alone any more. Not after Gorge. Applejack's legs wobbled like jelly as she lowered Apple Bloom to the ground as gently as she could in her current state. She'd chosen a spot directly behind a huge rock formation close to the enemy base where she, or more accurately Apple Bloom, could surprise any BLU invaders who decided to come their way. Of course, now that she fully understood just how tiring lugging a complete and functional sentry gun around was, she wished she'd picked somewhere closer to the resupply room. Apple Bloom, having been taken off her creator's back again, beeped in frustration. At least the floor at Gorge was made out of relatively comfortable metal. The dirt from the ground here was getting into her systems. "Hush, Apple Bloom. 'Taint so bad workin' out here. At least it's brighter." That, Apple Bloom had to agree with. The sun cast its rays of light down onto the battlefield, illuminating everything that wasn't blocked by an object. Unfortunately, with the light rays came heat rays, and dirt tended to accumulate in dry, arid, and badly maintained areas. Like here. She bobbed up and down a few times to expel the grit that had made its way into her tripod mount. "Well, that's mah little Apple Bloom." Applejack chuckled. "But right now we got a bigger problem ta take care of." She pointed at the BLU base. "See that building?" Apple Bloom nodded. "That's where they'll be comin' from. Ah need ya to provide coverin' fire fer our allies. And don't worry," she smiled, "I'll be right next ta ya." Apple Bloom gave a few beeps of gratitude. "Well, now we just need ta wait." Applejack watched her teammates on the field prepare for battle. She waved at Big Mac as she passed by. "Hey, big bro! How's it goin'?" "Just fine, sis." Big Mac assured her. "Good luck!" "Right back at ya." Applejack looked around. "Say, where's Fluttershy?" "Ah think she's takin' care of her animals or something. She ain't gonna be joinin' this battle." "Oh. Well, we'll just have ta do without a medic then." Apple jack motioned to her sentry. "Say goodbye to Big Mac, Apple Bloom." She beeped at him. "Well, ah guess ah still have ta get that vocabulator of yours fixed, huh?" Applejack grinned. Apple Bloom nodded. "In that case, ah better-" "Begin!" For the second time in as many battles, the Administrator's voice interrupted her as it echoed through Badwater Basin. It took only a few seconds for Apple Bloom to lock onto her first target: A Heavy. A bullet slid into the firing tube. "Wait!" Applejack said. "That's Big Mac!" As if on cue, he shouted back, "Applejack, help! I got half a dozen BLUs on my tail!" Apple Bloom wanted to apologise, but all she would do was beep in morse code, so her head followed the fleeing Heavy across the plains, wondering how best to convey her message. "Apple Bloom! Look out!" The sentry suddenly felt hooves on her head, rotating her muzzle so that it came to face- *bang* *bang* *bang* Three BLU soldiers fell to the ground, dead. "That was a close one." Applejack breathed a sigh of relief. "That's lesson one of war fer ya, Apple Bloom - don't take your eyes off the enemy. It ain't yer allies that are goin' ta hurt you." Apple Bloom gave her morse code equivalent of Thanks for helping me, Applejack as quickly as she could before turning back to the conflict. Several well-timed shots took down even more invaders before the wave ceased entirely. With the sound of battle now conspicuously absent, an uncomfortable silence took root. Minutes passed, and nothing happened. "Hm." Applejack looked around. "Ah'm pretty sure they've all respawned now. Where are they?" "Oh well." She shrugged. "If they're gone, that means we win. Feel good? Ya stopped them all on yer own. Good job..." A smirk grew on her face. "...little sis." Apple Bloom beeped triumphantly. She'd not only actually done something important, she'd done it all on her own. And best of all - Applejack was proud of her! If she could have jumped around shouting "Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!" she would have. But nestling against her maker - her sister - was good enough. "I'm telling you, we can't get past that sentry!" The BLU Soldier shouted. Screwball couldn't believe her ears. "You couldn't get past... a level one sentry." She'd known from the beginning that there was no way the Engineer could upgrade her sentry without messing up the internal wiring of the Personality Core. It even said so on the side of the box. She also knew that there was no way she would put her little creation in extreme harm's way. Then why couldn't these morons just get past one lousy un-upgradable sentry gun without getting themselves killed? "I don't know how that sentry gun works, but for some reason its bullets are thoroughly overpowered." The Soldier growled. "It can kill any of us in just one shot!" Must be something in the Aperture Science wiring. Screwball thought. An unfortunate turn of events. Of course, it could always be worse. If the spell in her microphone which broadcast her voice across the field didn't also make her sound like the Administrator, she'd have a hard time explaining why he had suddenly turned into a female. She was also grateful for the authority it lent her, of course. It gave her the ability to do things she wouldn't be able to do otherwise. Like what she was about to do now. "Well, I don't care whether that sentry is ridiculously powerful. If you can't beat those bullets, then don't win any battles." "What?!" Everyone in the resupply room cried out. "This is madness!" "No, this is not madness." Screwball said. "This is an order! Now get back out there and fight! And whatever you do, do not destroy the sentry!" "But this is insane!" The Soldier shouted. "How long is this going to last?" "As long as it needs to." She responded. "Trust me, it'll be over soon." "It had better." He marched out angrily, followed by everypony else. "At this rate, nothing's going to happen for a month!" One month later "...and then, the Headless Horse approached the poor, tremblin' mare with anger in his eyes. He leaned closer and said ta her..." Applejack leaned in closer. "'Ya know that ya owe me somethin'... don't ya... sis.'" Everypony, except Apple Bloom, gasped in unison. The little sentry just cowered in terror and wished she could hide somewhere. Too bad Badlands' resupply room had nowhere that could house a sentry like her, and even if it did, she wouldn't have been able to move over there anyway. "'No, please!'" Applejack waved her wrench around in the air with her right hoof as she spoke in a higher-pitched voice. "'Please don't hurt me!'" "'Ah'm afraid not.' The Headless Horse said as he drew ever closer." Applejack now made the item in her left hoof, her construction PDA, bob up and down. "'Now ah think it's time to-'" *bang* Suddenly, the PDA flew out of Applejack's grasp and fell to the floor. Everypony turned towards Apple Bloom, who was still shaking like a leaf in a storm and had a wisp of smoke rising from her muzzle. "Uh... Maybe ah ought to continue later." Applejack trotted over to her sentry and lifted her onto her back, an act which had become much, much easier over the past month. "Maybe one of ya'll can take over with somethin' else first?" "Okay then." Big Mac turned to the others. "Who's next for the 'We haven't lost any battles for a month' party?" Zecora stood up. "How about me? I can be sure, you will feel my story's allure." "Alright, Zecora, you're next." "Thank you, now let me tell you a tale of times unfair. This is a story... of monsters and mares." As everypony leaned in closer to listen to what would no doubt be another one of Zecora's entrancing stories, Applejack carried Apple Bloom out of the room and placed her beside the control point. "Shh... it's okay, it's just a story..." Applejack comforted the little sentry, who was still quivering. "Besides, there ain't a Headless Horse strong enough to get through me!" Apple Bloom lightened up a little. "So ah take it that ya don't want ta hear any more of those stories, huh?" The sentry nodded. "In that case, why don't we just sit here fer a while until they're done? It's not every day ah get to spend some quality time with mah sister." She touched her hoof to her chin. "Well, it has been every day for the past month, but more couldn't hurt, right?" If Apple Bloom had had a face that could display emotions, she would have been beaming with joy. The tone of her beeps said as much. "Well alrighty then." Applejack lifted her wrench. "Let's try target practice first!" She flung it as hard she could. "Fire!" *bang* "Good job!" Ah suppose ah have ta get a new wrench soon, if this keeps happenin'. Applejack trotted over to the entranceway and retrieved her spanner. Ah think ah can almost see through a dozen of these holes now. "Ready fer round two?" Applejack grinned. Apple Bloom nodded assent in her normal, silent manner. "Go!" *bang* "You got it again! Good job. Wanna do it one more time, sis?" Apple Bloom brightened even further at the last word. Sisters. Nothing would change that. "So?" Screwball moved aside to give the Administrator a perfect view of the computer screen. "What do you think?" "Perfect." He told her. "And the Pyro's ready, too. Just in time." "I take it that phase two is complete." "Yes, it is." The Administrator turned to his assistant. "Commence phase three." "Alright." Screwball pulled the microphone across the desk and positioned it where it would pick her voice up the best. "Attention, BLU team!" All of the BLU team members, who were moping around in their resupply room, immediately stared at the speakers which the Administrator had installed. "Your period of waiting is over. Now is the time to strike!" Instantly, the room was filled with excited chatter. "Are you sure you aren't tricking us again?" The Soldier asked suspiciously. "Yes." The chatter intensified. "And to make it better, I will give you the element of surprise. I won't announce anything until you start capturing those points. I think you can take about two of them before they are organised enough to make a proper defence." A pause. "And also, you can destroy the sentry now, should you happen to encounter it." "Finally!" The Soldier roared. "Come on, BLU team! We're not dead yet! We've still got one more control point. Let's make it five." Screwball shut off the microphone. "It has begun." "Yes." The Administrator agreed. "Is BLU team up to it, though? After all this time..." "They are. I have returned the Pyro to their ranks. Their offensive push will be more powerful now. Especially with RED completely unaware." "In that case, then we're done here." "Technically, yes." The Administrator said. "But I'd like to be around to watch the fruits of my labour." "So then, she walked up to Celestia, for on her she'd spied, and then she told her, 'I was never on your side." Everypony was transfixed by Zecora's story. She had always been one of the best storytellers in the group. "So with her knife the pony had, Celestia's throat she slit, and after all was said and done she trotted back to-" "Attention. Our control point is being contested!" "...shit." Applejack, whose wrench had acquired a fresh new set of see-through holes, heard the announcement as clearly as everypony else in the resupply room had. "What?!" "We've lost the control point. The enemy has been awarded additional time." "Impossible. How could they move so fast? Fer that matter, why now?" She spied Big Mac leading the group out of the resupply room. "Big Mac!" "We've cancelled the party, Applejack." His eyes hardened. "We might not win every single battle this month after all." "Got it." She nodded. "Ah'll be right there." "Alright." Big Mac turned to the rest of RED team. "Get your weapons! We're going to war!" Instantly, Applejack began to wonder what she should do. Seeing how quickly they capped that point, we definitely got a lot of them out there. Which means it ain't safe for Apple Bloom. But if ah leave her here, she might be attacked again. She shook her head. But there's no reason fer any of them BLUs to come here if they haven't capped our previous points. Which means that if ah defend mah point, she glanced at the sentry, Apple Bloom with be safe. "Apple Bloom, ah need ya ta do somethin' fer me." She beeped happily. "Ah need ya ta stay here." Now Apple Bloom was confused. "Ah need ya ta stay here because..." Think, Applejack! She won't want ta be told that it's fer her own good... "...well, just in case we lose the forward points, ah need ya ta be here to defend immediately. Got it?" Apple Bloom nodded. "Thanks, little sis. Ah just remembered that ah need ta fix that vocabulator of yours, though last I checked there weren't no problems with it. Strange." Applejack mulled over that for a few seconds. "Anyway, ah'll be back soon. And if things like these happen again in the future, ah got a plan fer that." Applejack smiled. "How does a new friend sound ta ya, Apple Bloom?" A new friend? She thought. That would be awesome! Her excitement was again expressed in morse code. "Heck, why not make two friends! Then when ah'm not around, ya can spend time with 'em! Ya can make yer own little group. What about... the Capture Point Crusaders?" At this point, Apple Bloom was bobbing up and down on her tripod mount enthusiastically. "Good girl. As soon as ah get back, ah'll get right on it." Applejack patted her on the head. "See ya later, Apple Bloom." As she surveyed the area around the control point on the spire, Applejack ran through a mental checklist of things she should have brought. Shotgun... check. Pistol... check. Wrench... She looked down at the bullet-ridden piece of metal. ...as good as it'll ever be. "All set here!" She called down from the top of the spire. "Good!" Spike, who was one of the first to arrive, shouted back. "This is the best place to entrench for now. We've pretty much lost the other two points to BLU already." "It can't be helped." Applejack said. "We'll try to repel them as best we can from here." "I'll help." The engineer turned away from the edge to see Twilight aiming at the ground with her huntsman, waiting for enemies to turn up. "Thanks, Twilight. At least we'll-" "No time to talk." Twilight released the bowstring, which propelled her arrow forward. She was rewarded with an anguished scream seconds later. "We've got company." True enough, the combat at the base of the spire had begun. The sound of rockets and grenades being fired and subsequently exploding shook the ground hard enough for Applejack to feel the tremor. "Incomin'!" She shouted. "Let's hold them off!" It was a boring job, having to guard a place nopony was likely to attack soon. It was too quiet. Only the thought of new friends to play with her and her sister kept Apple Bloom awake and more importantly, on alert. Hoofsteps behind her made her swivel her head around to see... Just Big Mac. Apple Bloom breathed a sigh of relief. My allies aren't the ones who want to hurt me. Just stay alert. I survived last time with no ammo, I can do it this time with it. It just occurred to her how slow her brother - since Applejack was her sister - was moving, even for a slow pony. After all the time she'd spent thinking to herself, he hadn't even moved far enough to come into her field of vision yet. Unless... A sudden blast shook the ground especially hard, and Applejack turned back towards the edge just in time to see a descending sticky-jumping BLU Demomare. She let her reflexes guide her actions. In a second, the shotgun was in her hooves and aimed at the enemy. *bang* Without a sound, the Demomare dropped to the unyielding ground like a stone. Applejack turned and fired at an enemy Scout preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Twilight. In the two seconds it took for the Scout to realise where the bullets were coming from, Applejack had finished her off. She reloaded her shotgun, getting ready for the next wave of opponents, when she heard a noise emanating from her construction PDA. *beep* *beep* *beep* It was so terribly familiar, but the month she had gone without hearing it dulled her memory. *beep* *beep* *beep* Where had she heard it before? What was its significance? *beep* *beep* *beep* And why did it fill her with a feeling of dread? *beep* *beep* *beep* Finally, she remembered. And the feeling of dread increased tenfold. "Twilight." Applejack gasped desperately. "What?" "I have to go." Twilight turned around. "But Applejack, if you leave now, we'll lose the point! Why would-" She stopped short when she saw the answer in the engineer's eyes. The windows to her soul. There was anger and pain there. But most of all, there was sorrow. Intense sorrow. Twilight thought she knew why. "Apple Bloom." She waved a hoof at Applejack. "Go. I'll try to keep them away for as long as I can." "Thanks, Twilight." Without another word, Applejack leapt off the ledge. "Yes!" The Administrator cackled. "It's done! She will never get there in time!" "So... we won?" Screwball asked. "Definitely." He answered. "I doubt she will have enough time to make friends when she's too busy getting revenge on the other team." An evil grin grew on his face. "I even have a finishing touch in store for her. See for yourself..." She could never get there in time. Not in a million years. But she could try. And by golly she would try her hardest. Applejack galloped through the corridors as quickly as she could, knowing in the end that, no matter how fast she ran, she would never be able to make it. Not before Apple Bloom... Her eyes teared up at the thought. Then the pang in her heart that almost tore it apart came when she realised that the outcome wasn't in doubt. Her worst fears had come true. Why... Applejack thought. What did ah do to deserve... this? She rounded the final corner and ran into a nightmare. Everything lost its focus except for that one sentry near the control point. The sentry with electricity arcing all across her body and a sapper attached to her head. "Apple Bloom!" The sentry looked up. Then, with a quivering voice, she said, "A- Applejack?" The thought that her dear sister had learned to talk just when she was about to die broke Applejack's heart. "I'm here now Apple Bloom. I'm gonna save you!" "It hurts, sis... It hurts so bad..." She hung her head in agony. "Can... can ya help me... please..." Never before did Applejack wish so badly she could turn back time. Maybe if she'd known, she might have been able to stop it. Stop the murder of her sister. If she could, she would have given up everything for her. She rushed forward, wrench in her mouth, readying it for a blow that would destroy the sapper even though she knew it was too- *boom* ...late. For a few moments, Applejack didn't move. This has to be a dream. It has to be... She collapsed to the floor on her knees. ...Apple Bloom can't be... gone... The tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "Why..." She hugged Apple Bloom's head tightly - the light beside her muzzle was no longer glowing - and her mind flashed back into the past. All the times she'd cared for her lovingly... All the loose screws she'd had to hammer back in... All the polishing she'd done for her beloved sister... One memory in particular came back the strongest. The day she'd constructed Apple Bloom. When she had left her alone, she'd made a mistake. One month later, she made the same mistake - even after she'd sworn never to leave her alone again - and it cost her sister her life. There was no respawn point for her heart. She doubted there would ever be one. Now she had a choice. She was going to die, anyway. One way or another. The BLUs were likely done capping the point- "We have lost the control point!" -so she didn't have much time. She could either mourn beside her lost sister, waiting for the enemy to finish her off... ...Or she could kill the damn spy who had executed her. Is vengeance what ah really want? In the shattered remains of her heart, she already knew the answer. She closed her eyes and listened. No metal floors. Stone will have to do. It was ironic how she wished with all her might that she could have metal floors for this place rather than stone, which had been her suggestion for building material from day one. She'd hated metal floors. Apple Bloom loved them. Now... Now ah want what ah hated. Life was so ironic sometimes. Now is not the time to think. She reprimanded herself. Now is the time to fight. There. She heard hoofsteps, and they weren't hers. Somepony was coming from behind her. She whipped her wrench around as fast as she could. It struck Big Mac on the side of his head. "Ow!" Big Mac lifted his hoof to rub the sore area. "Applejack, what was that for-" "SPY!" Applejack screamed, and slammed the spanner into the other side of the Heavy's head. "Ah!" Slowly, the disguise dissolved, and Applejack found herself face to face with her most hated enemy. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Applejack. Did I destroy your sentry? Silly me." "DIE!" The Spy dodged the wrench just in time to telekinetically draw her knife from her belt and retaliate. Applejack barely avoided the uppercut from the knife. Ah'm outmatched. She avoided another slash from the knife and swung it in her attacker's general direction. It missed. She's got telekinesis. It's probably not enough to hit me with that knife when ah'm really far away, but she's already got the edge. The only way ah can win... Applejack rolled out of the way of a stab and drew her pistol. ... is if ah fight her mah way. The memories returned. One of the last times she'd had to use that pistol was when she'd been fighting alongside Apple Bloom to take down the BLUs at Gorge. Her skills were rusty. But it would have to do. She fired twice. The Spy ducked, and the bolts ricocheted off the wall behind her. Quickly, she drew her own revolver and fired at Applejack. She just barely managed to move out of the way in time. All this time, it's been Apple Bloom doing all the practice. The engineer fell flat on the floor, one of the Spy's bullets knocking her signature Stetson off her head. Ah haven't done anythin'. There's nothin' ah could use to help me in this fight... is there? As she returned fire, missing her target every time, it finally hit her. A few seconds later, the idea wasn't the only thing that hit her. The Spy finally hit her in the leg. "Ah, dammit!" Applejack fell to the ground. "Well, Applejack, I'm so sorry about this, but it's just business." The Spy aimed her revolver at Applejack's head. "A headshot ought to finish you off." Applejack knew that, at this range, the Spy would kill her long before she could kill the Spy. That was the enemy's advantage: proximity. It's mah advantage, too. She acted quickly and performed a feat that she wouldn't have been able to a month ago. She grabbed the Spy by her waist and flung her into the air. There were two things that Applejack liked about unicorns on the other team. Firstly, their guns had no hoof-straps, since they had telekinesis to levitate their guns. Secondly, and more importantly, telekinesis required concentration to maintain. It was hard to concentrate when flying through the air. Applejack lifted her pistol and took aim. The Spy would travel in an arc, which made her trajectory predictable. So many other things in her life were predictable, too. Machinery was predictable. Science was predictable. Tactics were predictable. Applejack liked predictability. *bang* *bang* The Spy's body, now sporting two fresh bullet wounds, fell to the floor, limp. But the victory was hollow. She will respawn. Apple Bloom won't. She pocketed her pistol and trotted over to her little sentry's remains. There she sat, staying by her sister to the end. Even as BLU team charged in, she remained motionless. And when flames engulfed her, courtesy of the Pyro behind her, she still didn't move. Suddenly, the fire stopped. Applejack could still feel the burn taking its toll on her and knew that she probably only had a few seconds left to live. But why did the Pyro stop? She couldn't predict this. 5... What could it be? What was the reason? 4... Then she heard it. It was a sound that filled her heart with anguish. With pain. With failure. 3... After all she'd done, the entire fight was for nothing. In the end, she still lost. 2... It was the sound... 1... ... of a Dead Ringer. 0. Her world went white. Applejack opened her eyes. Everything was still white. Even the birds were. Wait... birds? She took a good look at her surroundings. A grey sky provided the ceiling to an endless expanse of white that stretched in all directions. The doves around her seemed to be the only other thing in this place. *bang* Applejack took a step back, shocked. One of the birds circling her fell to the ground. Then she saw her. It was often that she found herself trying to predict the unpredictable. So much that she failed to see what was in front of her. "A... Apple Bloom?" "Applejack!" The little sentry bobbed up and down on her tripod mount. "I-" She was cut off as the engineer galloped forward and wrapped her in a big hug. "Apple Bloom!" Memories of Gorge came back to both of them. "This reminds you of the old times, doesn't it, Applejack?" "Yeah. Yeah, It does." Applejack embraced her sister even more tightly. "But now we're together forever." "Forever?" Apple Bloom asked. "Forever." Applejack assured her. "Nothing is goin' ta take ya away from me ever again. Ah'm gonna stay here and protect ya." She smiled. "Mah little sentry." Screwball turned to the Administrator. "Are you going to stop this?" "Not yet." He answered. "I'll let them have a little bit more time." He waited in silence. The seconds stretched into minutes. "Administrator?" He seemed startled, before shaking his head as if he just came out of a trance. "Sorry, Screwball. This just reminded me of a... family I once had. I'm fine now." "So..." "Terminate it." Applejack was sitting next to her sister, enjoying her company, when a loud explosion rattled the ground. "What the hay?" "Prepare to respawn." "Oh no..." Applejack looked around her. All over the place, chunks of white were detaching themselves from the overall landscape and falling into a gaping maw of darkness beneath them. "Applejack?" The engineer turned to her sister, who was now trembling like she was just before the ill-fated battle. A lump formed in Applejack's throat. "I'm scared. What's happening?" She couldn't respond. What could she say? "Applejack?" "Ah... Ah don't know." She lied, not daring to speak the truth out loud. As more and more blocks fell, it seemed like the darkness was advancing. Even the grey sky had morphed into a jet-black one. The doves metamorphosed into ravens that flew around Applejack, as if awaiting her impending doom.. Applejack glanced down at the floor she was sitting on. It was gone. She fell. "Applejack!" Apple Bloom screamed. "No!" Applejack was thrashing wildly, trying to stop her paradise from dematerialising around her. "Let me die! Ah don't want ta live!" Everything went black. "AH DON'T WANT TA-" She opened her eyes. The resupply room greeted her gaze. "...live." She looked around her. It was Gorge. She broke down and wept. "Applejack?" Twilight's voice came from behind her. The engineer turned around. "Are you okay?" "Twilight, ah think ah finally understand what immortality feels like." "Oh." Twilight smiled awkwardly. "Did you like it?" "Ah hate it. Ah wish ah was dead." Applejack grabbed her toolbox and exited the resupply room. The sight of Gorge reminded her too much of what she had lost. She shut her eyes. They didn't stem the flow of her tears. She set the toolbox on the ground and got to work, trying not to look around. Trying not to think. Those control points aren't going to defend themselves. Applejack heard the door to the resupply room open, and hoofsteps across the floor told her that somepony was there. No doubt that somepony was Twilight. "So, Applejack," The Engineer could almost feel Twilight's awkward smile as she tried to cheer her up, "you building a masterpiece?" The engineer looked at her toolbox. She could still build another Personality Sentry. All she needed to do was reverse-engineer the Aperture Science parts. And if her suspicions as to why it didn't work were true, she might even be able to fix the vocabulator. A little bit more electricity should be able to do the trick. She could make another one, better than Apple Bloom ever was. She could replace her sentry. But could she replace her sister? "No, Twilight." Applejack said hollowly. "Ah'm just buildin' a sentry."