Innavedr

by Imploding Colon


Lock and Load

Up in the hangar, Roarke's ship lit up, beeping with the same steady tone of chirping noises. Its thrusters roared to life as the vessel began hovering by remote. While all of the parked vessels around it sparked and sputtered across the rubble-strewn domain, the lone manaship flew off on its lonesome, rocketing out of the gaping mouth of the bay.

Crimson was in the middle of colliding two armor-weighted mares' skulls together when he felt the heated whoosh of the bounty hunter's aircraft exiting speedily. He turned in mid battle, gaping at the ship as it dipped beyond view of the entrance to Searo's Hold.

"Crimson!" Tweak shouted over the cacophony of constant manafire. He ducked under the rifle blasts of his fellow crystal ponies and slid over to the three legged mercenary's side. "They keep charging from the northeast side! If we're to infiltrate the core, we need to make a detour where we won't be butting skulls with droves of metal mares!"

"One of the ships just took off!" Crimson spat, pointing out the mouth of the hangar. "But... how..."

"Better that most of them get knocked out than just a few of them!" Tweak grunted, firing a manarifle over his shoulder to cover the flank. "We've got the plenty of ways to knock out their tech! What we don't have an abundance of is time! Now do you want to find this Rainbow Dash or not?!"

"Right..." Crimson nodded, tensing his muscles as he stood up straight. "And your brother while I'm at it!"

"I'm certainly not here for the gift shop!" Tweak fired a few more shots. "You're more trained in this sort of a thing! You lead the way! I'll be right behind you!"

"What?!" Crimson flashed him a stern look. "No! It's crawling with mare monstrosities down there!"

"You say that like I'm not used to those jerkfaces."

"I'm not letting you get your neck in harm's way! It was my choice to come here!"

"And I'm the one who let you." Tweak fired again and again.

Crimson barked, "You've got a family to return to!"

Tweak flashed him a frown. "And so do you! Look, either we're doing this together like grown stallions or we're not at all!" He fired again and grunted, "Besides, I haven't a mind to leave this place unless I've left it good and crippled!" He reloaded the manarifle with a crystalline aura, wincing slightly. "Erm... no offense..."

"Right..." Crimson took a deep breath and hobbled towards a chunk of rubble. "If you wanna help, lend me your hooves. We need to move some of this rubble out of the way."

"Got it!" Tweak hurried towards Crimson side, shouting towards his fellow Aurum farmhooves. "Stay here and keep a tight perimeter!" Tweak bellowed. "So long as you keep the glow, this place is untouchable! Not once do I want to hear about any single one of you switchin' your shine off!"

"Got it, Tweak!" one of the crystal ponies shouted while focusing fire on the hallway through which the mares were staggering to charge in. "What about regarching the ship to get out of here?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!" Tweak yelled. "More bounty hunters are coming! Knock 'em out!"

"Hnnnngh!" In the meantime, Crimson was struggling to shove a concrete boulder out of the way.

"Here, lemme help..." Tweak rushed in and pressed his glossy shoulder against the weight. "Nnnngh... all that muscle on your bones, boy, and ya can't chuck a single rock?"

"It's... a little hard..." Crimson muttered through his sweat. "...with you four lit up like friggin' candles... I'm finding it hard to breathe..."

"You can catch your wind downstairs, then," Tweak said as the two finally rolled the boulder away with a relieved gasp. "While knockin' it out of them!"

"What's with you and knocking?"

"In a few seconds, I reckon I'll give you a demonstration." Tweak dashed into the hallway and had to immediately slide on his haunches and blind-fire at a mare stumbling out of a blacksmith's hovel. "Ha!" he shouted victoriously over his collapsed foe. "Caught you with your bridle down, ya cactus humping horse slaver!"