//------------------------------// // Tick, tock, the slowing clock // Story: Out of my Element // by TheLostwriter //------------------------------// Out of my Element Chapter 18: Tick, tock, the slowing clock         I sat in the laboratory leaning against the work table my eyes darting between the suit of armor I had acquired, the rig setup and several monitor screens. My mind however was still back in the war room. Some of the decisions had been obvious such as moving the foci for Elements of Harmony to Ponyville. Other decisions were not as easy to live with.         Since the lab complex was still for the most part unknown and hidden from magical detection the choice to hide the foci here made scene. It even made sense for a group of guards to be assigned to them. I did find it a stretch that the princesses would be taking a rotating guard duty as well, all together though I found the whole thing damn inconvenient. I let lose a ragged sigh and started back to work on the Armor. While the suit that I had been given was nice it had been forged from low quality steel. I would prefer a variant of a titanium tungsten alloy but it did make for a good place to start.               "Jack, it's time we got back to work," I said signaling the A.I. that the break was over. "What have you been working on?" The screen in front of me lit up as designs flashed on the screen and Jack's voice echoed through the lab, "I have worked through several designs based on that suit and I think this one will be the best." One simple design filled the screen as he continued to speak, "This one has the most potential for future upgrades. The addition of mechanical hands, thrusters in the boots and the hologram projector can mounted as well, then there is my personal favorite," when he pause the image changed to include two shoulder mounted square cannons. "Magic powered rail cannons." I was silent for a few moments as I formed my thoughts. "First I don't plan on using this monstrosity once I've fixed this mess I created. Second, what the hell man? I'm not going to put railguns on my shoulders. Do you have any idea what kind of headache that would cause? Anyway this is going to be a one trick pony that when I'm done with it I'm done with it, no going back." Jack laughed and said, "Fine what are you going to do once this is over? I can't see you settling down in this world." I looked out into the lab as I spoke, "I don't know I'm a little more focused on trying to make it through the fight to worry about that. Anyway if I make it I'll have plenty of time to figure that out." I grumbled as I turned back towards the monitor and I was struck by another flaw in Jacks design. "How the hell would I have been able to use all of that additional garbage anyway?" "That's easy and already taken care of," he replied as machinery began to activate and the mechanical hands from above dropped down to the table delivering a small black rectangle. Before I could ask he said, "It's a solid state hard drive with a copy of me loaded on it. With some tuning the appropriate hardware, software and magic I should be able to help you with casting and similar issues."           I looked at the display my skepticism plain on my face as I rolled my eyes and said, "Right Skynet but this time you're not limited to organic things for time travel." "Come on, I'm not a programed A.I. I don't have three law issues. I'm an extrapolation based upon a high detail MRI with chemical analysis capability. So I'm me with a deviation starting at the copy point." "So you're a neural copy of a madman trapped in a ponies body who want's access to a magitek battle suit? That screams bad idea." "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? Anyway just think of me as Jarvis and you Tony Stark." I closed my eyes with a long slow sigh, I knew I had lost this argument, he had a point. In that little black box was more experience with magic than I could ever hope to gain and I would need that. "Fine," I grumbled, "I'll go with this design and if we have time to finish it we will." "Shall I throw it up on the holoterminal?" "Sure," I replied as I lifted up a hand, hoof, damn it, to rub my sinuses behind my forehead. A simple gesture and something I had done countless times before but now the novelty of the hooves was gone. I missed my thumbs. Looking away from the hoof and towards the terminal I saw it. It's a strange thing when you see the truth; I can't explain it better than that. When I saw the schematics open up from seam that ran chin to tail and the legs unwrap themselves, the whole thing looking like a skinned horse, I knew this was right. It was a gut feeling but it was all I had. "Well let’s get to work," I announced as I walked over to the circlet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------           The dancing lights played over Firestorm as she braced herself for what would undoubtedly be a very painful debriefing with the pony that ran Dressage. Silent Watcher or at least that was what he was known as, would not be happy with her report. Five days out of contact with nothing to show for it, so much for being a command level field agent.              The beams of light opposite her coalesced into the familiar face and chest of her boss as soon as the connection was fully established he began to speak. "We don't have much time something big is going on and out of all of our agents you are in the best position to act on it."         Firestorm felt her eyes widen in uncontrolled surprise as she stammered, "Yes sir." Silent Watcher continued as if he hadn’t heard his subordinate. "My contacts in the Canterlot Castle have informed me that something has happened with Discord and that the statue that is in his place is not him. I have also been informed that the Steel was at the castle that night and the following day the Elements arrived. The seven of them left that evening taking with them one suit of earth pony armor and a full wing of guards. Neither the armor nor the guards have returned. I have also been informed that only one Princess is in the castle at any one time." Her brain spun as it tried to keep up with the new information while trying to figure out what his point was. Eventually she found a break in his monologue to ask, "Sir what am I to do?" "Ah, yes you do tend to be more to the point and seeing as you are new to the role of field commander I will not hold that against you. In your new role should you not gain as much knowledge as you can before making decisions that could end poorly for your team?" He sighed and rolled a half smile around on his face as he continued, "Since you are in a hurry, your primary mission is to try to find out what is going on and to help as much as possible. Secondary objectives include gathering as much information on the technology in the lab and returning our lost lamb to the fold." "You want Logia," growled Firestorm. Watcher wore a full almost toothy smile as he said, "Yes she would be an excellent Commander even if she doesn't realize it. Well then unless you have anything left to report," he paused to look her over waiting for her to speak but she only shook her head. "Well then, For the future of Equestria," he raised a hoof to his chest as he spoke and Firestorm followed his lead with the verbal salute. Just before the transmission was cut he spoke again, "and this time don't get caught by the security system." The transmitter cut off and Firestorm could feel the rage building in her. Who told him, she demanded to herself, it had to have been Flash Bang. Who else could have told him?  She shook her head as she walked out of her room, there was no proof and with as extensive of an information network that Dressage has there would be no way of tracking down where that knowledge came from. -------------------------------------------------------------------------           Luna smiled to herself the sun would be rising soon and it was time for her and her sister to switch places. It was nearing the ending of the first week of this guarding rotation. While Steel had been extremely busy with his own project he had not failed as a host. Open access to most of the facility had been given with the actual laboratory being the only restricted part and that was still open to her. However her favorite part was the media room, the stories that humans had come up with were amazing. But what was truly fascinating was that for all the differences between them and the beings of this dimension they were quite similar. The same drives to improve oneself and their surroundings were in all beings.         Out of all of the videos she had watched the Science Fiction was the most enjoyable but there was something to say for the animated musicals as well. Specifically the one about Anastasia, The Princess of the Night skipped down the hall humming the along to the tune of In the Dark of the Night. She came to a stop as she came across a wide eyed castle attendant and realized she had begun to sing along with the song. "Oh no," she said as she felt herself blush, "It's from a musical about a fictional land called Russia." The servant returned the smile with a little more teeth his eyes wide and rapidly searching the hallways as he backed away saying, "Sorry Princess I didn't mean to intrude."  Eventually he had backed away far enough to feel comfortable and turned around breaking into a run.   Luna cursed herself silently, after all the work trying to get the ponies of this time to trust her singing songs like that wouldn't help her. Why do the villains always get the good songs though, she asked herself as she shook her head. At least I won't need to worry about this happening once Celestia gets back, she thought as she once again headed off towards the caverns. Part of the final plan developed during the meeting in the war room was to expand the caverns under the castle to be used as a massive bunker as a plan B. Before she headed to the rooftop to lower the moon she needed to check on the progress. Soon she reached the back of the castle grounds and walked down the surprisingly packed hallway full of ponies carrying supplies. She continued past the war room eventually reaching a wide spot with a unicorn wearing a hardhat and reading a map. "Are you in charge," she asked as she approached. He nodded and looked further down the tunnel, "No, no, no Silver Saddle what in Celestia's flowing mane do you think you're doing. That equipment goes in the room on the right, not the left can't you tell the difference?"   Luna let a sigh out of the corner of her mouth as she waited for the engineer to finish shouting at his workers before asking, "How far along are we?" "Decently the labyrinthine mines gave us a nice head start but we had to shore up over half the tunnels. We're going twenty-four seven and we just started moving in the non perishable supplies." He glanced over his shoulder with a grim face and continued, "From my understanding if we need this we were starting when we needed to be done. Taking that in mind we are catching up." He looked back at his map jotted down a few notes and rolled up the paper as he said, "Excuse me Princess but I have to go check on the drilling team for the water well."   Luna watched him disappear down the hallway into the mass of moving ponies before turning around and making her way through the flood of workers. Once outside she left the ground behind her as she flew up to the astronomy balcony. She sat down beside her sister’s telescope and watched the sky while waiting for Celestia to return. She didn't have to wait long as a blue vortex of energy appeared beside her. Glancing over her sister she knew something was wrong, even after all the years apart she hadn’t changed enough to hide irritation. "What is wrong sister," she asked as she stood. "Nothing serious Luna, I've just discovered how irritating my apprentice can be when you can't escape her." Celestia's brows were pinched and she squeezed her eyes shut as she sat down, "the worst part is it's not her fault. It's the damn thing, that monster it's worse than Discord, Chrysalis, even Nightmare." Celestia's eyes began to water, “It’s worse than anything we have encountered before. Look at what it's done to me and it's not even here." Luna smiled her most comforting smile as she wrapped her sister in a tight embrace. She felt a pang of pain in her heart with every soft wimpier from Celestia. It was an inverse of that night so long ago after being bathed in the focused light of the elements. "Sister," Luna swallowed her throat dry as she repeated Celestia's words back to her with the appropriate changes, "would you help me with lowering the moon. I'll help with the sun, but I don't think I can do this alone tonight." Celestia looked up tears matting the coat under her eyes and with a weak smile nodded. The two closed their eyes and allowed their magic to mix as the magic flowed into the planet and the moon continuing there orbit and rotation.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash opened the door to her collectible room. Twilight would have called it an office and Rarity a den. Both would have been accurate descriptions it had everything ether required but to Dash it was more. This room was hers more so than even her bedroom, only she had ever been in here. She smiled as she looked over the walls her flight school class photos hung in a neat group Gilda and her both had strange faces in all of them. Her Wonderbolt Academy uniform and Flight Leader pin were on a mannequin that she had gotten from Rarity. It had been a long time since then and every time she looked at it she felt for Lighting Dust and wondered whatever happened to her. The similarities between the two of them had always struck Dash hard and she knew if it hadn't been for her friends in Ponyville the similarities would have been much more.   This was what her life had revolved around, in the end though she had learned that some dreams never come true. Sometimes this was painful but other times it was for the better. On the other side of the room was a small collection of pictures mostly of her friends and she felt a pull in her heart that had been absent since the dreams began. She lifted one of the pictures off the wall with both hooves and sat it down on the desk with the stand out. Then she sat down and looked into the picture and remembered. The night when Nightmare Moon escaped and the Elements were granted to them played in her head. The taunting of Fluttershy as she stalked towards her just before the cliff collapsed and the gift of leading the Shadow Bolts. That night had haunted her because just for an instant she had thought about accepting the offer. She was stronger now and slightly wiser.  Twilight's party with her friends at Canterlot when they crashed the garden party, this memory brought a slight smile to her lips. Then she thought about the camping trip with Rarity and Applejack, their sisters and Scoots, and her smile widened. She moved the group picture of all of her friends to the center of the desk and thought, Even if I never make it to the Wonderbolts I'm part of something just as good and more important. I may never get the fame but. She paused and looked to the side of the desk at another picture. This one of a young orange pegasus and said, "but I'm known to the ones that matter."          She swallowed slightly and felt the panic from the dreams grab at her mind and the tears of loss built in her eyes but she shook it away. "No I won't cry," she mumbled, "I haven't lost anyone and I won't let that happen." Dash closed her eyes and breathed in deep, her body calm. As she stood she smiled her old over confident smile the one that had been described by others as cocky. "That thing will not set foot out of the Everfree as long as I breathe," she said as walked towards the door. She opened the door to go through and paused. She looked back towards the desk specifically at the back of the picture of Scoots saying, "I promise you that kid," as she let the door close behind her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia growled to herself it was the end of another day, her headache continued and Luna would be returning from her watch soon. It had been almost a full month since Discord had been released and unlike the others Celestia's nightmares remained. Sleeping was getting annoying and while she had not been suffering from the same level of night terrors that the elements had her nightmares did begin to wear on her mind. Fear, she thought, I haven't felt that emotion in a long time, I thought it had been lost long ago. That thought  could be called confidence or arrogance but naming it didn't matter. True she had been caught off guard before but even at its worst during the Changeling invasion she still had faith in her own strength and that of her subjects. This was different it wasn't even the dreams that frightened her it was the possibility becoming a monster because of them. That combined with the unending work preparing for if the gambit failed was wearing on her. Developing the underground bunkers in secret had been excruciatingly difficult as had managing the excavations. She was waiting on her balcony for her sister to return from Star Swirl's Laboratory. That was another irritation; she couldn't interact with Steel or verify any of the reports from him on the armor suit he was building. She trusted Twilight and her sister but still the inability to doing anything made the whole experience painful. She gritted her teeth and looked up at the sky. This was not supposed to happen, she thought as she pinched her eyes shut and jerked her head towards the floor. I am strong, my sister is strong, the Elements are stronger how with all that can something exist that threatens life and we can't stop it. From what Star Swirl had told her there were infinite possibilities of infinite variation and at every point something beyond imagination could exist. Aliens, demons, gods, angels and beasts unknown all as powerful or more than she live somewhere out there and if the breach isn't closed anything could follow. If the dreams were any guide the approaching creature didn't even notice the beings of this world unless it was challenged and in that it only defended itself. However the idea of an intelligent malevolent entity with the level of power that the creature displayed made her shudder. She was lost in thought as the vortex of blue energy delivered her sister. "Sister," Luna shouted causing Celestia to jump in surprise. "Luna," she said as she put on a fake smile. "How was your stay at the laboratory?" "Entertaining and informative," replied her sister with an earnest smile. "Steel is almost done with the armor. However something needs to happen soon the tension there is taking its toll on both the elements and the guards. That Firestorm pegasus was back again today wanting to help along with her friend," she continued to relay the day’s information as a yawn overcame The Princess of the Sun. Luna looked over her sister and asked, "When was the last time you slept?" "Is it that obvious?" was Celestia's reply. "That or you've been crying and while both may be the case, I know you haven't been sleeping. Is it the dreams?" "Yes," replied Celestia through gritted teeth and this only made her head hurt more. "You need to sleep Tia, it's not good for you not to. If you want, I can rest tonight and let you join me in my dreams, whatever that thing is it can't follow you there." Luna said with a warm smile, "you have always protected me and this land, let me take the burden of protecting you this night." Celestia sighed and let her smile fall, "alright I don't think I could win this argument anyway." "Go to sleep sister, go to the lab and sleep. I will take care of the sun and the moon and will be asleep soon as well." Luna smile carried her emotions as a blue vortex enveloped Celestia and transported her away. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Finished and I would say it's a damn fine job," I said as I stepped back from the suit of armor. The last piece of rigging was mounting the potestatum crystals. Each joint on the legs had one, the new wings and circlet required the same amount to operate but for extra fuel a line of them ran down the back of the neck to the wings. All that was left was the casting of spells and the suit would be functional after a month of work. "It's not done yet, the shoulder cannons aren't built and the arms aren't either," commented Jack. "I told you those are last priority I'll think about them once I get the hang of using the fool thing," I answered. He started to say something in reply but was cut off by the sound of the laboratory door opening. I turned around to see Twilight, Rarity and Firestorm behind me. "So I take it you couldn't convince her?" "No," reported the red pegasus, "she still wouldn't leave the hospital or the little filly she has started taking care of." I grimaced and said, "I guess I'll have to go talk to her soon, you can leave now." I waited for Firestorm to leave before turning back towards the suit and looking it over, I couldn't help but feel pride as I looked over the intricate details. "Rares, Twilight I'll leave you with Jack he can walk you through what needs to be done. I'm going to go rest and decide I'm going to do about Logia." As I left the room I overheard Rarity say, "Honestly he's a fool, what he's going to do about Logia, he should do nothing but apologize. It might even be too late for that." I smiled as I walked out of range of their conversation. She was right in some aspect though, I would need to apologize but how is what I needed to figure out. My stomach sank as I thought about the last  part that it might be too late and shook my head, Logia was smart she knew what I was doing was important. She was still in town for goodness sakes there had to be a reason why, more than taking care of a filly.  Anyway all this could wait I needed to get some sleep.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------   It took him a full month to apologize, a month to even talk to me, Logia raged in her head as she stalked around the hospital waiting room. It wasn't like he ignored her though he had sent Firestorm to find her at least twice a week and he had been working on a suit of armor that could potentially save the planet. It wasn't fair he was being selfish not me, she frowned as she thought to herself, no I'm being just as selfish. Why can't this be easy? He didn't even do a good job apologizing. "Big sister!" The yell of the little filly broke Logia out of her self analyzing stupor and she looked up to see the gray pegasus stagger out of her room. She ignored her little sister as she walked slowly down the hall towards Logia. Her nose, still swollen, wept from an infection barely held at bay and her eyes froze everypony that met her vacant gaze.  She had the same eyes Steel had, like a swarm of armored black worms enveloping the iris and blocking the pupil. Her face was completely relaxed and serene as two large orderlies approached.   "Miss Hooves please return to your room," asked one, but she ignored him. Each step forward was unsteady but the pegasus was moving at an increasingly solid rate. Both orderlies stepped forward in an attempt to block her forward travel but the smaller pegasus was not slowed. Logia stood in her path ready to push the mare back with her magic. She wove a spell that should have locked the pegasus in place but she continued on as if the magic had no effect. "Stop, please," begged the little unicorn her hooves wrapped around her elder sisters back leg but within three steps she had been shaken off. The two orderlies stumbled backwards and then fell to the ground. Logia didn't fair to much better as she tried to hold the mare back with magic spells. The energy in the magic seemed to fizzle as the spell reached the mare even environmental magic faded back as she approached. Nothing could be done as the gray pegasus pushed her way past all obstacles in her way and out of the hospital. "Dinkie," Logia shouted, "stay here! I'll follow her and will try to bring her back." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------         I paced around the lab looking over the computer monitors my mind caught up in thought. What am I going to do, that was a terrible way to apologize. I need to do one better but how? "If you’re going to stew why don't you start work on the modular systems while you do so?" asked the electronic voice of Jack. I felt myself for longing for hands once again, and not for the first time it was to rub away the pain in my forehead from stress headache. He had a good point the suit was built for the additions, more weapons meant more options but still it bugged me. This suit of armor was built to fight it would be stupid not to put as many options on as possible and most of the pieces would be easy to build. Just capacitors, magnets and a tube but part of me was against it and I didn't know why. So I did the only thing I could, I started construction.   The cannon were simple in its design. Rings of magnets ensnaring an oval tube, the action based off of a sliding block. It was so simple but powering it would be costly, every magnet would need a crystal and every shot would take time. It was a pointless weapon meant for a single target with very little push back. Unfortunately I would need that push back ability. The first gun was built and ready for mounting in less than two hours. It would need to be tested before use, I didn't fancy an explosion that close to my head. I looked over at the suit and thought, I might as well see what it looks like. As I held the rifle up to mount I felt it. It was a sudden sickly sweet presence of the creature that had only been in my dreams. As my mental gates fell to the flood of emotions and power I felt lost in an unending sea. How could we beat this thing, I asked myself as the sea turned black like when I was swallowed in the first dream. My body began to itch and I felt a whisper in my mind. I have arrived traveler, you have guided me here. What will I find?   I screamed against the darkness in my mind, and tried to swim against the current as it began to spiral in on itself. I had no chance but I tried anyway it was too strong. Then I saw myself reaching down from a platform, one instant it was me the human, then me the pony and it spoke. "Grab on, I don't intend to let my vessel die when I can do something about it."     I reached up with every last ounce of strength to try and grab on to this arm. I felt contact and in the distance the sound of the rifle falling to the floor along with Jack shouting for my attention. It was enough to pull me out of the darkness. I was panting and covered with a cold sweat as my mind returned to reality. "Its here," I whispered then shook myself free of my foot holds on the floor. "It's here," I repeated in a firmer voice as I pulled the old circlet off my head. "Are you sure," asked Jack. "It's been in my dreams I know that feeling," I said as I walked over under the suit. As it began to lower onto my body I began to shout orders to Jack. "Get the PA system up and running we need to let everyone in the base know it's here." As the suit came in contact with my body it began to wrap itself around me like a full body hug. However the helmet stayed open allowing me to continue once I had the go signal. "Attention everyone the day we have been waiting for is here, good luck and Godspeed." "Godspeed, really? You use that here in this world?" commented Jack. "I'm not much for speeches and it felt right. Anyway can you send me to the position or not," was my impatient reply.          "There are some disturbances in the area but I have a lock close by." "And the Elements?" "The bearers are on their way." "Okay," I said with a sigh as the helmet wrapped around my head. After a moment a LCD screen lit up and filled my view with one of the lab but with a heads up display laid over the top. "Do it" I shouted and soon my vision was filled with spinning blue lights.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------            Rarity leaned over and pulled the sheets up over Sweetie Belle. Ever since the night of terror none of the crusaders had been allowed out of sight of a guardian. "Sleep well Sweetie, don't let the dreams get you." She turned to walk out of the room and looked at the setting sun turned back towards her sister a smile on her face. "No," she whispered as she thought, she is my only sister. I'm not leaving her alone, not until this is settled. Rarity walked over to her sisters bed Sweetie Belle had curled up taking a small section of mattress. There was plenty of room for the older unicorn to curl up beside her and Rarity did so. As her head fell towards the pillow a feeling touched her mind and she froze. It was more a pulse of feelings and raw emotions coated with a sweet yet toxic power on a connection she thought had been taken away. "No," she whispered in a harsher tone, not now, not yet. A vortex of blue energy spiraled around them both and the room twisted and stretched morphing into the cavernous first room of the laboratory. The two unicorns were deposited onto the floor gently enough not to wake the sleeping filly. Around them family members, close friends and community leaders were arriving. Across the room was the Apple family and when Rarity met AJ's eyes the earth pony mouthed the words, "you felt it?" The unicorn nodded and the two began looking for the rest of the elements. As they began their search Celestia walked into the room and announced, "I need you to stay calm my little ponies, and we have recently been made aware of a malevolent being that is approaching the town. This bunker will hide the population of the town. I need you to help organize the evacuation effort as well keep everypony calm." Applejack walked up close and asked, "any of ya'll see Twilight," as Dash and Pinkie approached. "Nope," replied Dash. "Nope, nope, nope," Pinkie almost sang her reply. "Twilight is with Elements in the media room waiting for you," said a voice from below. Looking down the four saw a small projection of Jack looking up at them. "Fluttershy is already there, and Steel has already headed out."