Begin Monologue
Digging tunnels. The more we dig the more our village can expand, and the more out village expands, the happier our chief is. When she's happy she feeds us manticore steaks. Not everypony digs in the village. Most everypony that does dig only does it for the extra food, but sometimes when I’m digging, I find stuff. When we find stuff, we're supposed to tell the chief, but I like to keep what I find.
End Monologue
As the young pegasus digs, she is stopped by a clank in the ground. She digs around a little and finds a small golden ornament, shaped like the tool she used to dig it up, a drill. It pulses a dim green color a couple of times when she picks it up. She puts it in her pocket and tunnels her way back up to the village.
The village is dark and the walls are made of rock. As the filly exits the hole an older gray maned gray mare is keeping the other diggers working. She walks away and puts her new found treasure on a string after some hard work. The sounds of the chief yelling can be heard throughout the village and the dim glow of the center of the village gets brighter as one proceeds closer to it. The young filly pegasus finds herself at the central chamber, where the light is the brightest. It comes from the ground, as if it were a lake of light.
“Ew, look. It's Scootaloo, the digger.” she looked and saw two other fillies standing in front of her. A pink one with light purple mane and white streaks in it, and a gray one with a mane of a lighter gray. “Geez what's the point is getting all dirty every day?”
“Yeah, and she, like smells too!” pointed out the gray one.
“And she's totally weird. Look. She's got something strange right there.”
“Maybe we should go, we might catch whatever she's got that makes her so weird and strange.”
“Totally.” the two fillies walked off, laughing as they did.
Scootaloo hung her head, walking away. No one likes being laughed at especially in their face. She kept walking blindly until she bumped into something and stopped.
“Walk with your head up Scoots.” Scootaloo looked up and saw a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane. Wore pants and pointy sunglasses.
“Rainbow Dash.”
“Don't call me Rainbow Dash, call me Sis.”
“B-But I don't have any sisters...”
“Eh, it's not about blood or anything like that. We're sisters of the spirit or soul. Now don't let those stupid ugly fillies get you down.” she grabbed the small drill from Scootaloo and looked at it. “Hm. This looks pretty nice on you, kid.” she gave it back. “Remember, drills are your soul. Now let's go.” Rainbow Dash led young Scootaloo to the manticore cages, where three young colts were waiting. They had broken the rope that held the cage shut, not that the manticores were terribly dangerous. They were relatively quiet. “Gentlecolts, sorry to keep ya waiting! Are you ready?”
“Yeah, just about.” answered one of them.
“W-What are we doing?” Scootaloo asked.
“Listen up Scootaloo. That drill you have isn't the village chief's. That drill is who you are, like I just told you. It's your soul, and with your drill you're going to break through the heavens themselves! No doubt!”
“Um, why would you say that?” the young pegasus asked.
“I've got it figured out. No worries. Don't ask questions.” Dash assured her.
“Which means you can't explain it?” Scootaloo's question went ignored.
“All right. Bozos! It's time! We're done with being stuck underground and forced to do the chief's bidding! We're the super invincible Team Gurren, and no one can stop us now!” Rainbow Dash rallied her troops. The three colts gave a pathetic, half hearted “Yay.” and put their hooves in the air. “Hehe. Yeah. No more being stuck where there's no room! We're going up to the surface and right out of this dumpy little place!”
The village central chamber was quiet and peaceful. The villagers were going about their every day lives, as boring as they may be. They were content with the way things were more or less because they were alive and fed. The peace and quiet was abruptly shattered by a hoard of stampeding manticores. The villagers shrieked and ran in their panic. To those that were paying attention, Rainbow Dash and her little gang were riding them.
“Hey, outta the way! The awesome Team Gurren is coming through!” the manticores kept running around and gaining speed.
“What now, sis? This is gonna get us hurt!” Scootaloo was on the same manticore as Rainbow Dash. She was scared for her life and holding on desperately.
“We're going to have the manticores smash the hard ceiling after climbing the walls with their claws! If that doesn't work then you can use that drill there!” she pointed to the one given to Scootaloo to use for digging tunnels. The manticores were climbing up the walls successfully, but they saw the village chief come out of one of the nearby holes. She had that sword she always carries around.
“Rainbow Dash you featherbrain! You're always causing trouble!”
“Outta the way you old hag! We're coming through” Dash yelled at the chief.
“You moron!” she took the sword in both hooves and whacked the manticore down, and thus every manticore behind it lost momentum and fell as well.
The strongest villagers were recruited to gather and lock up the manticores. While they were doing that the village chief took Rainbow Dash and her Team Gurren into custody, putting, primitive but effective, restraints on them. The five of them were marched out into the bright central chamber, onto the central platform over the light source for all to see. The entire village was staring at them.
“Don't you ponies listen at all? Time and again, I’ve told you that this so called 'surface world' doesn't exist! It's nothing but a lie! A fairy tale! Nothing more!” declared the village chief.
“No! It does exist! On the surface there aren't any walls or ceilings! I’ve seen it! All there is is a big blue sky that goes on forever!” Rainbow Dash retorted defiantly.
“You're a liar, just like you're father! He was the biggest one of them all!” the chief got right in her face. “Like father, like daughter I guess, spouting nothing but crap, and now he's dead under some rocks some place.”
“You're wrong! He got to the surface! I know it because I was there!”
“Yeah? So how come you're here with us then? Huh, smartypants?”
“Well...um...I...” Rainbow Dash had no words.
“Okay, now listen up everypony! This village? It's all we have! Since long before my time we've been told to never unseal that ceiling up there, for it's said to keep us safe from danger! Ponies who don't understand and obey that rule don't get to eat.” she said.
“We're sorry ma'am! Please forgive us! Please!” the three colts said in unison as they groveled on their knees. The chief just chuckled and gave Rainbow a sideways glance.
“You little cowards! You betrayed me, for food!” she yelled.
They got released. “Sorry, sis.”
“Yeah, but no dinner is just too high a price.”
“So swallow your pride and apologize so you can eat with us, sis.”
Rainbow got in their faces now. “Don't you dare call me 'sis'. I wouldn't want to be called that by disloyal backstabbing losers like you! Get out of my sight before I puke!” they looked shaken.
“Looks like loyalty is in short supply these days, especially in your little team.” remarked the chief as she released Scootaloo. “Come along Scootaloo. You shouldn't get mixed up with this featherbrain. I’d bet you got dragged along, and your job is too important here. Come on now.”
“But...” Scootaloo started.
“It's fine. Get going, I’ll be fine.” Dash stood there. Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash, and just at that moment the entire village started to shake uncontrollably. Villagers panicked and screamed.
“It's an earthquake! Run for cover!” the chief called out to everypony. They did, except for Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, who tried to get Rainbow to run.
“Come on! We've got to run! It's an earthquake!”
“No.” she said.
“But-”
“I'm not running away.” she said defiantly. The younger pegasus looked at her with shock, awe, and a little confusion mixed in with the current fear.
Scootaloo began to panic and have flashbacks of her parents and the rocks falling. Earthquakes make rocks fall and falling rocks kill innocent ponies.
“We have to move or we will die!” she shouted at Rainbow Dash as she pulled on her tail. She looked at the younger pony.
“Oh yeah. I forgot for a second.” she wrapped her wing around Scootaloo. “It's almost over.” soon after she said the words, it was indeed over. The villagers peeked out of their homes, which were holes, cautiously. Rainbow sighed. “Are you ponies gonna be afraid of earthquakes forever?! On the surface there isn't a ceiling to worry about and earthquakes are nothing!”
“Oh will you stuff it for once? You little foals were all alone and depended on me, but I didn't raise you out of the kindness of my heart! If you can't listen to me then you don't belong here!” the village chief shouted. After that outburst the chief took Rainbow Dash to a room and locked the door. The village recovered from the fear and terror of the earthquake.
Begin Monologue
My parents. When I was younger they died in an earthquake like today. Even though we dig to expand the village, no matter how many tunnels I dig, the ceiling will eventually fall, killing me, the chief, and everypony I know in the village. I don't like thinking about it, but I know it's a fact, a given. There's nothing I can do abou-
End Monologue
Scootaloo's drill had hit something hard again. Uncommon for twice in one day. What she saw was a metal thing with a pulsing green slit. Her drill necklace was doing the same thing in sync with the thing. The pony began to dig with fervor around the object.
Rainbow Dash was sitting in her confinement. The chief had just called for lights out in the village. She was snoozing while her front hooves were chained above her head. Dirt was disturbed between her legs and then a large drill appeared, waking her up. The drill was moved and there was Scootaloo. The light from her goggles was enough to see well in the room.
“Scootaloo?” she asked.
“Rainbow Dash.”
“What's up, Scoots?”
“I found something you've gotta see. You won't believe it!” she said.
“Yeah? I would, but that would be a jail break, and that's bad.” as Rainbow said that she pulled her hooves apart and the ropes binding them broke. Scootaloo's eyes betrayed her surprise. They left the room and Scootaloo led the older pegasus to her find.
“You do know if the geezer finds out there'll be hell to pay for both of us, right?”
“I-I wasn't thinking about that at the moment. I just wanted to show it to you.” she told Rainbow Dash.
“Eh it's fine so long as we're back by morning. She'll be clueless as a newborn foal.” Rainbow said. They kept walking and walking. “Um, can you tell me what's so important to show me that I had to break out of jail just to see it?”
“Yeah! It's a giant red face! It's awesome!” she exclaimed with the vigor of youth.
Bright spot lights came on in their direction and they looked, seeing the chief before being blinded momentarily. “You've got some nerve breaking out of jail on my watch!”
“Is this the that giant face Scootaloo, because it sure isn't awesome at all.” Dash said. The younger pegasus was shaking her head furiously.
“Don't mock me! I’m the village chief so I’m always watching! Don't think I’m not! That goes for you too Scootaloo! Don't think I don't know about the things you keep!” the chief shouted.
“Leave her alone! I broke out, so I’m guilty. She's done nothing.”
“Yeah, you're right. You are guilty!” the chief grabbed that sword in her hoof and hit Rainbow Dash three times, one on each side and once on the head. She merely stood there unwavering and unflinching. The chief grew angry at this and went for one giant swing, but was interrupted by the ground shaking again, and then something crashed through the ceiling. It was giant. A light came shining through the hole in the ceiling. It was sunlight. The villagers were scared stiff and looked at the light and thing in fear.
“So Scootaloo. Is this it? The thing you were going to show me?” Dash asked while grinning and donning her pointy shades. She shook her head again. She turned to the villagers and pointed to the sky. “There it is everypony! There's your proof! That's the surface and sky! This thing fell from it, right Mrs Egghead Chief?” the thing behind her began to move, and with that the villagers started to run when it attacked one of the walls with an arm. Rainbow Dash went to the Chief, who was now on the ground. “So Chief. Go protect us from the big bad surface. Isn't it your job or something, or were you the liar all along?” she asked. Rainbow snatched up the chief's sword and hovered above the ground a few inches with her wings.
“Hey, sis! Come on! Over here!” Scootaloo said, but Rainbow didn't listen. She flew over closer to the thing.
“Hey you! Yeah you! You've got some real guts to come waltzing into my village and just start breaking stuff all willy nilly like, but I’m ending that right now, buddy!” she told the thing. It was now fully in view. It was a giant face with horns and a giant mouth, and teeth that would rip through anypony easily. There were also arms and legs.
“Who the hell are you?” it asked her.
“It can talk?” asked the surprised Scootaloo.
“Look, I’ve got to tell ya something so listen up!” she took the sword out of it's sheath. “The reputation of Team Gurren echoes far and wide! When ponies talk about it's bad ass leader, a mare of unbreakable spirit, a pegasus of total awesomeness, they're talking about me, the mighty Rainbow Dash!” she held the sword toward the large thing.
“Ugh, she's such a featherbrain.”
“A complete dumb ass if you ask me.”
“Just... wow...”
“I’m not going to let you do any more damage to this village!” she declared.
“Ha ha ha! So what's a lone miniscule little pony going to do to stop me?” as the large face spoke those words, blue shots of light hit it accompanied by loud noises. A pony swung down and shot the thing while doing so, landing in front of the two pegasi.
“Hey, you two! Y'all hafta run!” this was an earth pony, crème in color with a vibrant red mane in a ponytail. She wore a pair of short shorts and long pink stockings, with shoes of course. Her most prominent feature was the long barreled gun she carried. It was longer than any pony. In fact, the mysterious pony was carrying it via two sets of straps. One around her neck, and one around her back, where saddlebags would normally be placed.
The two pegasi were staring. “Something else from the surface?” Dash asked.
“Mmhmm, and it's a filly this time...” Scootaloo said.
The filly pulled the jutting lever on the gun and fired a couple of times, pushing the face back, then ran. The other two took her lead, and Rainbow got right next to her.
“So you're from the surface, I mean you've got to be! What's it like up there? Eh, never mind, tell me later. I’ll help you out with this first.” Rainbow said. The two of them ran behind a wall and took cover. “So that's a surface weapon? What is it?” she looked the pony up and down. “Actually you're pretty cute yourself. Must be a surface thing.”
“Are ya an idiot or are ya just tryin' to get killed?” she shouted. A large foreboding shadow loomed over the two of them for a moment before the face smashed it's large arm down upon them... but they found themselves fallen into a small pit dug out from under them, saving them in the nick of time.
“Scoots! Quick thinking!” Rainbow said.
“Come on!” Scootaloo began to lead them down a tunnel she had made.
“So, um, where exactly am I?” asked the stranger.
“This dump? It's Ponyville. A complete backwater pit.” Rainbow said.
“Oh, the place next door.” she said.
“Next door?” Rainbow questioned.
“Yeah. I’m from Appleloosa, the village next to this one.”
“Seriously? What the buck? You said you were from the surface, but you came from a pit!” Rainbow Dash was obviously angry.
“I was raised underground, but I came from the surface just now.”
“Whatever. Move you're fat flank.” she told her, pushing the stranger out of the way.
“Gee, you sure change you're attitude real fast.” she got out of the tunnel. “Where are we going anywho?”
“To the awesome giant face.” Scootaloo said.
“Do y'all mean a gunman?” she asked.
“What's a gunman?” Rainbow asked.
“That!” the filly pointed to the giant horned face attacking the village when they came to a window. “Give me a second. I think I can hit it good.” she aimed out the window and used the scope this time, but Rainbow went over as well.
“Hey you! You're going down you ugly bastard!” the gunman moved away, and the earth pony missed her shot.
“What'd ya go an' do that for?” she yelled.
“Only cowards attack an opponent from behind! True warriors look their opponent in the eye when they strike!” Dash told her.
“If they don't want to live long you featherbrain!”
“Hey, over here.” Scootaloo led them down another tunnel, and shortly after they came to a place where they could gather around. She turned on the lights in her goggles and they suddenly saw a giant face. It was red and gray, and it's eyes were closed.
“Woah. Looks like you've dug up two cool things today, kid.” Dash said.
“Do y'all think it's with the other gunman above us? You know, friends?” asked the sharp shooter.
“It's smaller that that ugly thing, and I like the looks of it's face, like a good vibe.” Rainbow Dash said.
“And look at this!” Scootaloo climbed over and got into what looked like a cockpit.
“No way. Ponies can ride in it?” asked the earth pony.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, sis?”
“You bet!” Dash said.
“With this you can definitely take the giant thing up there out!” Scootaloo's drill necklace began to pulse simultaneously with the small gunman's closed eyes. “Is it on?”
“I dunno? I don't think so.” said the gun toting filly.
“Go on. You can do it!” urged Scootaloo to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, however seemed deep in thought for a moment.
“Nah. You're gonna do it, Scoots.”
“What?!?!” was the reaction of the other two fillies in unison.
“But I...” Scootaloo started.
“You dug it up, so it's yours. You think I would steal from my own sister? Just who the hell do you think I am?” she told the young pegasus.
“B-But I can't do it!”
“Don't be a dumb ass! Just remember. Kick out logic and do the impossible because that's just how Team Gurren rolls!” Dash said.
The ground shook a bit more. “I'm not sure... I’m scared...”
“Look here. Don't believe in yourself. Believe in me. Believe in the Rainbow Dash who believes in you.”
“Was that supposed to mean somethin'? I don't get it.” asked the earth pony.
“I'll try I guess.” The two other ponies got in with her and Scootaloo put her fore hooves at the controls. The center panel was glowing like her necklace, and there was a hole there. She took it and put it in, turning it like a key. The gunman's eyes opened, and it transformed a bit. It got arms and legs. The central panel now had a spiral like pattern on it. All three of them began flying up in the small gunman. They flew up the tunnels and right into the village. Under the white horned gunman, and then positioned in front of it.
“Yeah! You did it Scoots! Let's get this party started!” Rainbow said.
“What's the plan?” asked the stranger, shaken from the abrupt entry.
“Hey! We're not gonna tolerate your shenanigans any longer, especially now that we've got Lagann here!” Rainbow Dash declared.
“Just what the hell is a Lagann?” the red maned filly asked Dash.
“It's this thing Scoots found. I named it just now.” the gunman slammed it's arm down, but Lagann jumped upward and out of the way. “Hey! Stop running! We're fighting that thing!” then the gunman's other arm made a direct hit with Lagann, sending both Rainbow Dash and the red maned earth pony flying onto it's large head. Scootaloo ended up against the rock wall, above the arm. From high up she saw that it was more distracted with trying to hit the two ponies a top it's head. Now was the time to do something amazing, but fear set in.
“I can't do this! I can't even fly a little bit!” she was shaking. She watched the two of them dodge the large arm and fight it off. “I've got to do this! Kick out logic... and do the impossible!” she had Lagann start running down the arm. “Because that's how Team Gurren rolls!” she kept running and jumped, ramming into the arm, knocking it out of the way. She and Lagann fell on the head, but got back upright.
“Nice work, Scootaloo! Let's get off this thing!” they both got in and a giant shadow formed over them.
“Get away! Go and move this thing now!” shouted the gun toting pony. it was too late to move as the arm crashed down, but Scootaloo seemed to have activated a sort of protective dome or canopy, keeping them safe from the impact. This meant, of course, that they were squeezed in tight together.
“May be a tight fit, but good thinking.” Dash said. The large gunman picked up Lagann and started crushing it with both hands. “Uh oh.”
“This is more than an 'uh oh' you moron! We're gonna die 'cause you're a couple of hotheaded featherbrains!” the crème colored pony seemed distraught.
“Dammit!” Scootaloo was upset too. “We just can't lose! We had a chance!” her head was up against the central panel of Lagann, and she noticed the spiral pattern around her key necklace drill. It was blinking a bit, but she had no clue what that meant. She turned the key again and the gauge filled to the maximum. A drill then came out of Lagann's head and broke apart one of the gunman's hands, freeing them.
“Woah! How'd you do that, Scoots?” Dash asked.
“I dunno. I thought turning the key would work like it did the first time, and that happened.” she explained, not really knowing herself.
“Great, because that's your type of weapon! I told you didn't I? Now show this thing your power! Bust through the heavens with your drill!”
Lagann glowed with a mighty green aura as it's arms produced two drills as well. The cockpit of Lagann was glowing as well. Scootaloo gripped the controls tightly and Lagann took off as both she and Rainbow Dash let out mighty screams. The gunman threw a punch at them with it's undamaged arm, but Lagann broke through it with ease. They connected with the body and a whirlwind was created, the force of the drills was great enough for the villagers below to feel the wind made by the machinery. They then forced the gunman up through the hole it made and began drilling upward into the ground above.
“Ha ha! See ya Ponyville! We're going to the surface, the one I saw as a filly with my dad!” Dash said.
Lagann continued drilling until they busted through the surface and then they pierced the gunman, shooting up into the air, where they saw both the sun and the moon at once. It was a glorious sight, and they were amazed by it.
“Oh, by the way. My name's Applebloom. I never told ya my name, did I?” she said.
“Well I’m Rainbow Dash, and this is Scootaloo. Nice to meet you”
“Same here, but somethin' ain't right...” Applebloom said.
“Yeah... Wait! We're falling! Scoot's! Make Lagann fly again!” Rainbow said.
“I don't know how!” she instead opted for the canopy and they fell to the ground, tumbling out of Lagann. Scootaloo ended up on top of Applebloom. She looked up. “Sorry!” Applebloom didn't seem too upset, but then her face changed from warm and smiling to scared and worried. She threw Scootaloo to her side and readied her gun.
“Just perfect! Take one down, two more pop up!” two giant shadows loomed over them, the shadows of two gunmen.