Quann, and Cooper stood in front of their team with princess Celestia, and shining armor off to the side.
“Ok our mission is to check out the abandoned crystal mine.” Cooper said to the eight troopers in front of him.
“What kind of resistance should we expect, sir?” private Cowboy asked sarcastically.
“That’s unknown private. But how about you ask them when we get there.” Quann said with just as much sarcasm. Then Gunfodder raised his hoof, gaining a response from both Celestia and Quann.
“What is it private/what is your question my loyal pony?” Both aunt and nephew asked at the same time, albeit with Celestia sounding more kind.
“Is this going to be a stand up fight sir, or a bug hunt?” He asked. Oh, if he only knew the full extent of what was to come. (The word Bug being used as a term defining anything that is not the species saying it.)
“All we know is that diamond dogs might be involved.”Quann answered
“It’s a bug hunt.” Gunfodder said to the others who gave a chuckle.
“Ok, we will be doing this strict and by the numbers I want the throne room outfitted with the model command center and everypony prepped and in the drop ship in three hours. Dismissed.” Cooper said, earning a salute from the troopers who slowly started to trot out.
“Well, you heard the man and you know the drill. Assholes and elbows move it out.” Quann said/yelled causing them to almost run out of the room.
“Heart, stop.” Quann said causing her to stop and face him.
“You will not be going on this mission. We need to have eyes on the outside and keep an eye on the princess. Understood?” Quann said.
“Yes sir, you can count on me.” She replied.
“Good” Quann said as he and cooper walked past her to get ready themselves.
“Ma’am the elements have arrived” a guard said with a bow to the princess as he entered the room passing the two evolved on their way out. And Jack jumping off of Quann’s back and running to Celestia’s side.
Blackwatch armory
All anypony could hear were the sounds of armor being clicked into place and weapons prepped as they sharpen their hoof bayonets and load magazines into their crossbows and Shockjock and Cowboy loading batteries into their large crossbows.
Quann used this time to come to peace and find calm.
He took a can and sprayed ‘el riesgo siempre vive’ (the risk always lives) on to his left hoof bayonet. He proceeded to don his gas mask and goggles, picked up his weapons and used his magic to tie a red ribbon given to him by Applebloom to a bullet hole in his armored collar. Finally, he reached down into one of his pockets and took out a picture of Rarity and Twilight and, after looking at it for a bit, put it away.
“Not this time.” Quann said to himself.
Meanwhile, Frost and Ash were exchanging bullshit that could be boiled down to the proverbial dick measuring contest. Doc was gearing up his medical supplies. Shock Jock and Cowboy were doing pull-ups somehow. Crysoch was writing a letter who from what anypony could only guess was either to his parents or to his special somepony. Cooper and mech were double checking the weapons and gear and last, but not least, Gunfodder was sitting next to Quann, also meditating.
All of a sudden the alarm blared and the nine of them scrambled into the Drop ship, Quann screaming orders all the while.
music end
Elsewhere
Twilight and the rest of the mane six were inside of a kitchen with Twilight preaching about how this was not Cadence who had just left. When they heard some pony scream outside and they all ran outside and the mares saw the form of Raptor’s drop ship scream overhead. Immediately getting concerned Twilight suggested they go to the princess, to which they all agreed.
Castle throne room
The main six entered the throne room to see both princesses and Shining Armor watching some kind of video feed along with the mare in Raptor’s guard.
When they got closer they could see nine video feeds, each with names above them, from Raptor to Frost. And they could see what looked like heart monitors monitoring there vitals under each screen.
“Um princess, if you don’t mind me asking, what is going on?” Twilight asked.
“Well Twilight, I have sent Raptor and his team to investigate the activity around the abandoned crystal mine.” She said with a smile, turning back to the screen.
“They’re there.” Shining Armor said.
Crystal Mine entrance
"ALRIGHT! weapons check!" Cooper yelled and they all pulled the actions on there weapons yelling "check" one at a time.
"Raptor a few words!?" Cooper said making every pony look to the prince.
"What ever deity may guide my life... dear lord don't let me die tonight. But if I shall before i wake." Quann started
"I except my fate" he finished
"Hell ya!?" He yelled
"HELL YA!" they all yelled in response.
"Hell ya."
“Everypony out!” Quann shouted as he and the others ran out of the dropship and made their way into the mine. Everypony watching was on edge.
They soon reached the mine shaft, took out their rappelling equipment and climbed down into its depths.
“Alright Reaper, take point with tracker, Cowboy, stay on him.” Quann ordered as they all proceeded further into the mine. The only thing that could he heard aside from their hoofsteps was the sound of Cooper’s motion tracker.
As they went further into the depths, they noticed that it was getting hotter. Shining Armor had to respect the deliberate movements of the soldiers, they seemed to be so bonded as a team that they became a single body, moving to help each other and covering all possible blind spots.
“What the hell man, it’s hot as buck down here.” Frost said.
“Yeah, but it’s a dry heat.” Gunfodder said.
“Stow it you two.” Quann said
‘tick’
‘tick’
‘tick’
“Check those corners.” Quann ordered, not noticing that the video feed from the team was getting static.
‘tick’
‘tick’
‘tick’
“Check those corners.”
‘tick’
‘tick’
‘tick’
Quann and Cooper suddenly noticed that they could not access their Blacklight powers after they stepped on some green stuff. Stopping the team, Quann reached down to touch it and found it was rather thick, but not sticky.
‘Strange I can't feel my connection to the virus.’ Quann thought as he moved his hoof blade through it.
“Aunty Celestia, have you ever seen this kind of shit before?” He asked
“No Raptor, I ‘static’ say I have” She replied.
“Then what the hell is it?” Quann asked
"Hey, maybe it's a new element….. Up-your-tainium" Frost joked, as the rest of the troopers joined in the chuckles. They stopped just when they all heard the whine of the motion tracker gaining everyone’s attention.
“I’ve got movement!” Cooper said, causing them all to raise their weapons.
“Talk to me, Reaper.” Quann said.
'Whine'
'Whine'
“You’re just reading us” Cowboy said.
'Whine'
“No I’m not man, look! I’ve got movement in front and behind.”
“I’ve got it to. Range twenty meters... they’re all around us!” Mech said putting every pony both in the mine and in the throne room on edge.
'Whine'
'Whine'
“Steady.” Quann said with an edged calm.
'whine'
"whine'
“15 meters.” Cooper said.
“I’m not seeing anything on infrared.” Quann said holding his SAW and standing on his hind hooves, followed closely by Gunfodder, Cowboy, and Cooper.
‘Whine’
“Steady!” Quann said again.
‘Whine!’
“Ten meters.” Mech said. Everyone in the throne room could see their pulses skyrocket.
"steadyyy!" quann repeated
'Whine'
'Whine'
“Maybe they don’t show up on infrared at all!?” Ash said, backing up. Then it happened.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” They all heard and the ponies in the throne room, saw Ash’s life signs flare and flat line, and looking back they could see the blood on the walls. Turning around Quann gave the universal signal to engage.
“LETS ROCK!!” Quann shouted as they all started firing at anything that moved and wasn’t a pony, but it was too dark to tell what he was hitting. He knew that he was hitting something by the screams of pain and death as bolts, fire and bullets flew through the air.
Just then in the throne room, the video cut out, and all they could here was the sound of the battle. The sounds of an enemy they could not see and of the nine remaining troopers fighting back filled the air.
“Please be alright, Raptor.” Rarity said tears forming in her eyes. That is when they all heard Raptor’s voice again.
“Mech, flamethrower! Catch!” Quann shouted as he threw the weapon to the unicorn, who grabbed it in a telekinetic grip and began to burn everything in sight. They all heard Quann shouting.
“YEAH YEAH, get some!” They all heard from Shock Jock’s screen
“YEAH, how about you?! Oh you want some too? Here, HAVE SOME!!” Quann shouted as he kept firing doing a half-skip backwards .
“Fuck!” Quann shouted as his SAW Jammed. He threw the now useless weapon to the ground and looked up to see one of the... whatever they were, coming at him from above. Acting quickly, he stabbed it in the throat with his left hoof bayonet.
However, he failed to see the other five coming at the same time until it was too late for him to draw his sidearm. At the very moment he was about to be killed, he was grabbed and thrown out of the way.
“Crysoch, NOOOOOO!” Yelled Quann as he saw the trooper suffer several wounds at the hooves of the monsters.
At the castle they saw Crysoch’s vitals flat line.
“Where’s Crysoch?!” Frost shouted into Cooper’s camera.
“Where’s Ash?!” Gunfodder shouted.
“Fuck this! Fuck the Princess! And Fuck our orders! TROOPERS! We. Are. Leaving!” Quann shouted, shocking everyone in the throne room at the thought that he was just leaving his friends and badmouthing his aunt like that.
"Alright people, move! Double time, hell even single time will do!" the lieutenant yelled loudly in a voice that seemed to almost rival the royal Canterlot voice. The ponies in the hangar were watching with bated breath.
As they all turned to run their attackers pounced on Cowboy who had pushed Mech out of the way. They kept running, only sparing a brief look back at Cowboy who had sacrificed himself for Mech and they and the ponies in the throne room saw a mass of black, and they saw Raptor stop running and hold a hoof out to Reaper.
"Reaper. Grenade." he said with a sad tone. As the pegasus gave him one of his Frags.
"Go well." and with that they saw him pull the pin and roll it into the writhing pile.
'thank you sir.'
'boom!'
Every pony inside the thrown room had a shocked look on there face at the action they had seen. and when they all looked back to reaper they saw him slowly but crisply salute the fallen solderer.
"Go." quann said as he drooped the salute.
The troopers turned away and kept running, but Cooper kept watching as did the ponies in the throne room. Cooper saw the once positive pony cease to exist in the explosion. Turning around Cooper focusing on keeping the remaining seven, including himself and Quann alive.
“AGH!”
They all turned around and saw that Quann had fallen and was grabbing his left hind leg, which was bent at an awkward angle.
"HOW THE FUCK!" Quann shouted to the world
Hearing their attackers behind them, Cooper ordered them to lay down a suppressing fire which they did while he secured the alicorn to his back so that he could still use his weapon.
Finally they reached the cliff they had entered at and they started climbing out, the pegasi helping the non Pegasi by pulling their ropes until all that was left was Cooper and Quann, the latter firing away with his pistol at their adversaries below. Cooper was struggling to hold onto the rope while still not being able to use his powers.
“Tell Rarity and Twilight I’m sorry. Tell them I love them.” Quann said.
“You’re not going anywhere Quann, you understand me!? Tell them yourself.” Cooper said seeing that they were almost to the top. Suddenly, Cooper felt Quann squirming.
“Hey, what are you doing back there!?”
“Make sure you take care of your mare, Cooper.” Quann said in a clear voice, meaning he had taken off his mask and goggles. Just then Cooper felt even more weight on his body.
“Agh, get off my hoof bitch” He shouted as the thrashing made Cooper’s grip loosen
Suddenly the thrashing stopped, and they saw Quann reach into his pocket and take out the picture of Twilight and Rarity.
“Sorry girls.” Quann said, shedding a tear for the first time in years. He put the photo away, pulled off his tags and handed them to Cooper.
“Give them to the crusaders.”
“Fuck that man, what are you doing?!” Cooper asked when he felt Quann/Raptor bring up his two forehoof blades.
“I guess I’m always saving your ass, huh Cooper?” Quann said.
“It’s been an honor. Raptor out.” Quann said and they all saw him do the unthinkable; he cut the straps holding him to Reaper/Cooper. As he fell back into the black abyss below they all heard him make one last transmission.
“Make it count.” And with that he disappeared into the depths.
music ends
castel
“NOoooooooo!” Cooper shouted as the other troopers pulled him up, got into the Dropship and hauled ass back to the castle.
“Oh... no...” Rarity pleaded, looking at Raptors now active video feed going darker until it suddenly burst into static, followed by his lifelines flat lining. They all knew what she was talking about; they saw the screen and the flat line and it hit them; Prince Raptor had gone down saving his team. Rarity and Twilight broke down crying, seeing their love die again. They all felt for them, Celestia especially. The guilt at the fact that ordering them in there had gotten her nephew and his friends killed, it tore her up inside.
Just then they all heard the cry of engines. They all ran outside to see the Blackwatch drop ship landing and the remaining six stumbled out meaning frost, Gunfodder, Mech, Shock Jock, Doc and Cooper. They all quickly ushered them to the throne room. Once there the troopers got scared and angry, and Cooper was the first to speak his mind.
“Why the fuck would you send us in there!?” Cooper yelled
Just then the others decided to speak their mind to.
“Well now that the prince isn’t here anymore. We are in some real pretty shit now man! Game over man!” A very tired and scared Shock jock said.
Just then Mech stepped over and glanced at the monitors And saw something that amazed him.
“Hay look guys.” Mech said gaining every ponys attention.
“What is it Mech?” Doc asked.
“It’s he LT he aint dead man.” Mech said earning a ghasp from them all and giving hope to Twilight and Rarity.
“Ya. . His life signs are low but they’re there.” Frost said looking over Mechs shoulder
“Well then you have to go get him.” Shining armor said
“Fuck that man! Im not going back in there!” Gunnfodder yelled scared
“I have to agree with gunnfodder.” Cooper said
“How could you say that he is your friend.” Rainbow dash said.
“she is right you know.” Celestia said
“Im not sending my troops back in there.” Cooper said with the lights on his armor, eyes and goggles flashing glowing Orange before going back to normal.
“We the…” She tried to counter
“I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with current events. But we just got our asses kicked Ma’am!” Shock Jock said to the princess.
“Dis-assemble the command station. Mission failed.” Cooper said earning a nod from the other guards who took it apart.
-
Darkness it was the only thing quann could see and the heat of the mine. He groaned and felt like all of his joints were stiff. He tried to move but found that couldn’t.
“Well well you must be prince Raptor.” A beautiful voice said in a sultry tone
‘my my he is a very handsome stallion. I may just have to make him my mate.’ She thought
“Ya I am. Who wants to know?” Quann asked. Finally opening his eyes and seeing possibly one of the most beautiful creatures he has seen in his life.
This Creature that looks like a pony with a twisted unicorn horn, a beautiful pair of tattered insectoid wings, and stood as tall as Princess Celestia. Unlike a pony however, she had a sharp pair of fangs and dark green eyes with elongated oval pupils. She had a teal mane and tail, blue-green what looked like armor plating over her midsection, and she wears a small, black crown tipped with blue orbs. Her legs, mane, and tail are full of holes and her limbs and torso are very slender.
If there was ever such a thing as love at first sight quann was down. And he cursed his lack of his gasmask because it showed his furious blush that was redder than his infection mark.
“Well since you asked allow me to introduce myself I am Queen Chrysalis. And I have a proposition for you.” She said putting a hoof on her chest
“What kind of proposition?” Quann asked trying to keep his emotions under control.
“Why that’s simple my handsome stallion. I will give you the power you so greatly desire.” She said
“What are you talking about.” He replied
“Don’t try to hide it. You want power to protect the ones you love. And I can give it to you.”
“ok then what do you have in mind.” He replied.
“Well I give you the power and make you my mate.” She replied.
“Why would you do that?” Quann asked.
“Easy we changelings feed on love. And I can already feel it from you directed towards me and another two so I would not only be gaining a mate but a permanent food source that I would not have to drain.” She said with a smile
“But the catch is you have to help me in the upcoming attack on canterlot. So do we have a deal.” She said using her magic to cut him down from the wall and let him fall to the ground with his eyes closed.
“What makes….” Quann started
“Think about it you will finally be able to keep your friends safe.” Chrysalis said cutting him off seeing him smirk at the last part.
“fine. I’ll do it. Just one question.” Quann said.
“What is that?”
“What will you do to give me the power.”
“Just a spell that will give you your darkest desire.”
“DO it.” He finally said with a sigh
“As you wish prince Raptor.” She said as her horn glowed with a green aura and she shot a beam of green magic at
Quann causing him to scream in pain as his body began to glow white and his body to stretch and warp.
He became taller as the joints in his fore legs reversed and his hind legs changed. His wings began to recede into his back and his horn shrunk into his head, his tail receded until it was nothing. And then there was a blinding flash of light as Chrysalis finished the spell causing her to close her eyes off from the light if the spell.
And when she opened them she couldn’t believe her eyes there in front of her was a creature that was only mentioned in ancient legends. A creature of the ancient bipeds that inhabited the planet millennia ago before even the first modern race that inhabited equestrian were conceived and prospered with no magic at all. But had brought about its own end and paving the way for the modern races to take root. It had light milk chocolate skin and had furry only on its eye brows and on top of its head. But then she remembered who this was and gasped.
“Raptor?” She asked the creature finally stood up to its full height easily eye level with herself meaning he was as tall as celestia. And flexed its fingers earning a cracking from them and popped its neck and back the same way and rolled its shoulders and judging from all of the cracking she would say that he was very stiff and knew this creatures form well if he was able to move it and stay balanced on only two legs. Also while he was doing his stretches she could see how the armor he was warring looked more intimidating than it did before meaning that THIS is how it was supposed to look and the thought of a group of soldiers dressed like that coming after you would not be pretty.
And finally after a deep inhale He stopped moving. And opened his eyes and she saw his right eye was a dark brown, But the other one surprised her because his left eye was glowing the same green as her magic a side effect of the spell. Then he him smirk.
“Look out Reaper cause im coming for ya. And I guess this means we are pulling out most of the stops.” Quann said.
Then she saw him reach into one of the many pouches on his armor. But what caught her eye about this pouch was that it looked older than the rest and when he reached in she saw him take out what looked like goggles of some sort while they looked almost like ski goggles IF a little more angled. But two things stood out the most to her the first was that the frames were made primarily of some silvery metal and looked like it was meant to go with some kind of face mask, And the second was that they were almost completely black to the point she couldn’t see through them making her wander how he used them. But apart from that they looked like regular goggles. That is however until he put them on and she saw the corners of the goggles start glowing red from some source inside of the frames casting light through the rest of the goggles that stopped near the middle of the lenses.
music ends
‘Visor online. Suit functions disabeld’
“What are those?” She asked
“These?” quann asked gesturing to his goggles and she nodded.
“They are a part of my past life if you will. It’s called a Nano visor.” Quann answered
‘well that serenely makes him look more intimidating.’
“I will. Need a new weapon though Because I can’t just use my pistol.” Quann said finally looking directly at her. And he could tell she was thinking hard at that question but then a sense of realization hit her.
“There is one weapon that comes to mind. You!” She said pointing to a small group of changelings in a dark corner.
“Yes my queen?” they all said at once.
“Bring the item.” She ordered and they disappeared leaving just Quann and Chrysalis.
“Well I must say You are very beautiful Chrysalis.” Quann said making her snap her head toward him With a completely new expression than the one he had seen not two minutes ago. While that one was more proud and even slightly conceded. This one was full of sad ness and fear almost like when Fluttershy first saw Cooper and him.
“What?” She asked her voice shaking confirming his previous notion. But that is what puzzled him.
“What about what?” Quann asked confused
“What you said.” she answered
“What I said you were beautiful. Why you act like you have never heard that from anybody before?” He asked pulling up his Nano visor.
“No I haven’t not in this form at least. My true form.” She said
“Well why the fuck not?” Quann asked quizzically
“Because look at me im hideous and I have holes every ware. How could any pony love me let alone call me beautiful.” She screamed with tears streaming down her face when quann stopped her.
“No you’re not!” Quann yelled
“What do you mean?” She asked crying.
“I mean you are one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen! Your eyes your wings, wings and horn, The way that you were able to actually capture me. Everything Chrysalis I love everything about you! So don’t you ever say you are hideous so please stop crying.” Quann said. And when he finished she gave him probably the tightest hug he had ever been in but returned the hug anyway and hejust stood there and let her cry into his shoulder.
“Nopony has ever said that to me before they all just run away or make me leave. Ive never had somepony actually love me. Thank you so much Raptor.” She said
“Don’t mention it Chrysalis.” He said
“Raptor?”
“ya?” he asked
“This may hurt abet sorry.” She said as she reared back and clamped down right between his neck and his right shoulder. Piercing his clothes. And when she was done she let go of the hug and backed up warily.
“What? I thought you said that would hurt?” Quann said
“Well I was told by a few of the other changelings that it did” she said
“Well I guess I just have a high pain tolerance.” Quann said and the two laughed a bit until they heard the sound of something being dragged on the ground and they quickly put there ‘game faces’ on and Quann put down his Nano visor. As four changelings walked in dragging a huge compared to them box and they dragged it in front of the two.
“What is it?” Quann asked as Chrysalis opened it with her magic.
“I don’t know. But I found it one day deep in the hive in the wasteland. We think it belonged to some long extinct race. And I haven’t let it go far ever since probably to fill some kind of hole. But now that I have you I feel I don’t need it any more so I want you to have it.” She said as the chest finally opened.
The first thing he noticed about the weapon was that it was obviously a riffle. It was easily bigger than his chest in length like his saw if a little shorter. The second thing he noticed about it was the lack of any kind of stock short of a little stub jutting out more of a guard then anything with glass on it. In fact along the riffle there were strips of glass or whatever the material was and on one section there was the shape of a gear with a skull in the center. Then he saw it there under the barrel there was the serrated blade and upon further inspection he saw that it was indeed a saw that went further into the gun looped around and returned making it a chainsaw but the blades were barbed. He also noticed the magazine was rather large and when he took it out and looked at the bullet he saw that they were rather large but manageable. Also he saw two buttons by the trigger which he assumed the safety and the activation for the chainsaw but he dismissed the latter when he saw a lever that had on it the words ‘Lancer Mk2’.
But finally he reached in and grabbed it by the handle in the and took it out of the chest and grabbed it by the handle in the hole between the gun and chainsaw. And when he pressed the button he saw the glass material flicker and turn a sustained blue even the iron sites. And he noticed something else about the gun it was amazingly light for a gun its size meaning it could be fired with one hand if need be.
But then a glint on the side caught his eye upon looking at the blade further he saw scratched into it like runes were a series of words that read ‘Last of the Coalition of ordered governments.’ And on the other side it read ‘COG Onyx Guard.’ On the other side it also read Gears keep turning. And finally he rested it gained his chest and looked over to chrysalis.
“That’s a good look.” She said with a smile.
“Chrysalis.” Quann said
“Yes. Raptor?” she asked
“I Fucking Love it!” Quann shouted with a huge grin and quickly put the gun on his back witch it somehow stayed attached and ran and gave her a huge hug witch she eagerly returned.
“Now then chrysalis I think we have a wedding to crash. And there are a few things I need your changelings to set up for my fight with cooper” Quann said
“Yes I agree what do you have in mind.” She asked
“Oh but there is one more thing no fatalities during the attack.” Quann said
“Anything for you my mate. But there is one thing thow.” She said
“What is that?” Quann asked
“If the attack fails you will be reverted back to your previous form. I’m sorry.” She said.
“Hay you have nothing to be sorry about.” Quann said and their faces only inches apart and they finally moved in and passionately kissed.