//------------------------------// // 34 - Battle of the Everfree Forest // Story: Re:Harmony // by starcross7 //------------------------------// Chapter 34 - Battle of the Everfree Forest   A company of five Roboponies was able to shatter a large of pack of Timberwolves.  But shattering enough of them would make them merge into a Dire Timberwolf, a towering Class 3 Magical Beast.   In light of this transformation, the Roboponies had no fear, or any concept thereof.  Even when tossed like dolls, the machines kept rising back up and to finish grinding the Dire Timberwolf into dust with chainsaw arms and flamethrowers.  But grinding the Beast into dust inevitably caused it to evolve into a Dire Sandwolf.   As its first attack, the Dire Sandwolf flooded itself every metallic orifice and exposed joint of a Robopony, and then caused it to explode from within.  Yet the Class 3 Magical Beast had not known that the machination it destroyed was but a sacrificial pawn.  Before it could attack again, carefully-positioned high speed fans hindered its regenerative abilities, and another group of Roboponies arrived to spray upon the Dire Sandwolf a sticky green substance to trap every grain of its being. The Beast was defeated, and Gizmo trotted before the captured trophy with a sly smile.   He heard a loud yawn from above.  He forgot that Posey ordered her to accompany, and hesitantly he looked up to see the witch lying on a thick tree branch like an indifferent cat.   "Even a filly unicorn could take on a Timberwolf," said Trixie. "A king-sized version at that."   "But your kind was nearly wiped out during the Great Pony War by my ancestors," Gizmo smiled smugly.  "I'll prove to Chancellor Posey that you unicorns aren't so mighty as you claim.  I'll show you that science trumps magic; past, present, or future!"   "Very well.  Trixie will sit back and watch you and your metal golems fail."   Gizmo grumbled, but his attention immediately turned to the beep from his wrist-mounted computer on his left front hoof. Not too long ago, Gizmo sacrificed a Robopony to the beasts of the Beastmaster, and that Robopony had a hidden tracker hidden deep within its innards.  When his sacrificed Robopony had stopped moving at a certain speed for a specific amount of time, it would broadcast a signal Gaea's spy satellites that would pinpoint the location on his watch.  If he were to find the fugitives, it was highly likely they would be where the Beastmaster was. Whether he would find them dead or otherwise, it did not matter. Capturing the Beastmaster and destroying her animals was just an added perk.       Twilight turned the encampment into a laboratory.  It was starting to feel like home again.   Her friends along with the beady-eyed owl and the Border Collie brought in folding tables to lay on top of them the parts of the captured Robopony.  The first set of tools were also brought in for the initial dismantlement of the machine's head, and without magic to unscrew the screws, she relied on Spike to work around the finer parts.  Both she and Spike were given lab coats to make them appear like they were performing surgery, and Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Sunny sat at the side eating buttered popcorn like a live television audience.  Mainly it was Pinkie Pie and Sunny eating popcorn.   Eventually the owl and the Border Collie brought in various computer parts that Twilight and Spike managed to jerry-rig into a diagnostic terminal so sorts.  Wires were cut, stripped, and interfaced with the main control port of the Robopony's logic board.  After carefully tapping away on a cracked touchscreen control panel, she managed to hack into the memory banks.   She culled from the Robopony's memory the exact number of their forces and the presence of a leader.  The Robopony also recorded its own actions, and Twilight played it back for everypony to see on an old and boxy-monitor.   This Robopony seemed to have been upgraded since Twilight last fought them.  On the video, several of them were cutting down trees with chainsaw arms or burning them with deployable flamethrowers fired from their mouth, which Spike remarked was a mockery, if not an outright offense to dragonkind.  The animal guards posted in various parts of the forest were no match for their assault.  Many were shot down, and some did not make it.  Twilight had to turn off the video monitor when she noticed the disgust in her friends' faces.     "We're gonna have to face off against those?" Pinkie Pie asked.   "There don't seem to be a lot of them," said Applejack.   "Even so, they are just as dangerous," said Twilight.  "These Roboponies are faster and stronger.  Their dark camouflage will make it harder to see inside the forest, but just having this one here gives me an idea on how to defeat them with no casualties.  Hey, can you and your partner rally up the animals for us?"   "Who?" asked the owl.   "You and the Border Collie--oh just get to it."   The owl and the Border Collie headed off, just as Twilight had instructed, but she and the rest of her companions could not afford to settle down and wait.  Twilight and Spike removed the GPS beacon located from the Robopony and turned it on after hooking it to the battery, while the others quickly ate a snack of an apple and hay before changing into their camouflage fatigues and bulletproof vests.  Twilight and Spike did the same, and everypony rendezvous at the meeting point in front of the tree cottage where the owl and Border Collie had gathered the animal forces.  They all snapped in formation when they arrived, and in turn Twilight's friends stood in line and at attention.   "Sword of Truth--activate!" Applejack cried.  Her golden necklace, the Element of Truth, once more became her katana.   "Pinkie Gear--activate!" Now Pinkie Pie stood about one and a half hand taller with her magical inline roller skates.   "Dragon fire--activate!" Spike inadvertently burped out a green flame when he intended blow out a billowing blaze.   "Pony Kung-Fu--activate!" Thus, Sunny struck a fighting pose.   "That's what it's called?" Twilight asked.   "It was Pinkie's idea."   "Okay.  Anyway, Owlowiscious and I--"   "Who?"   "Owlowiscious."   "That wasn't me," said Sunny.   The beady-eyed owl near her hooted again, which caused Twilight to smirk for a moment before regaining her composure.           "As I was saying," said Twilight.  "Owlowiscious and I--"   "Wait, you named your pet Owlowiscious?" Pinkie asked.   "Well, no.  I mean, he's not my pet.  I just thought about giving him a name that's derived from the old unicorn wizards I read from my books so I can tell him apart of from the other owls and so I treat him like one of my commanding officers.  Look, we're getting off track here.  Owlowiscious and I--"   "Why didn't you name the other pets?  We can name the collie Winona and make her the commanding..."   "PINKIE!  As I was saying, Owlowiscious and I are going to be roaming between checkpoints to make sure we are battle-prepared.  Owlowiscious will be the one responsible for sending out any change in orders and giving me updates so that we can coordinate our tactics.  Spike and the gopher team will bury the GPS tracking beacon elsewhere to lure the Roboponies away from the cottage, but we have to anticipate them changing tactics as they draw closer to it.  That is why I have assigned us ponies to each of our respective animal teams, and each team will play a role in defending the Forest as the enemy marches in.  Is everypony ready?"   "Beaver team--ready!" Spike cried, and the beavers behind him struck a fighting pose with their wooden nunchucks.   "Reptile team--ready!" Pinkie cried.  Gummy emerged from her mane with a salute, and behind his mistress the lizards and snakes hissed.   "Cowdog team--ready!" Applejack cried.  The Border Collie and the other dogs howled.   "Banana team--ready!" Sunny cried, and a troop of ninja-dressed monkeys hooted and hollered.   "Banana team?" Twilight asked.   "That was my idea, actually."     Twilight then marched at the other side of the line where Angel Bunny and his commando rabbits stood in united doubt of the unicorn's ability to lead.  It was hard for her to be apprehensive about their appearance, because even though they were armed, the war paint on their faces made them surprisingly adorable.   "Look, I know you don't like working with us," said Twilight, "but we really need to work together in order to protect your mistress."   The Devil Rabbit mused it over with his comrades, and after a short deliberation, he retorted back at her with squeaks and gestures.   "I think he agrees," said Spike, "but he wants the ponies to fight in the front lines."   The Devil Rabbit nodded vigorously with a sly grin.  It made her and the rest of the ponies uneasy, but she straightened herself up and faced Angel.   "Then us ponies will fight in the front lines," said Twilight, "Are you okay with this, girls?"   Sunny and Pinkie nodded, but it was Applejack who approached the unicorn with deep concerns and suspicions.   "Sugarcube, that Devil Rabbit is throwin' us under the bus," said the orange pony.   "Applejack, we don't have time argue with them," said Twilight.  "Besides, this is the only way we can truly earn their trust and prove our loyalty to Fluttershy."   "Sunny, Pinkie Pie, and I can fight in the front lines.  You don't have to."   "I know I can't cast any spells without the use of my horn, but I am confident I can fight them off without magic.  Thank you, Applejack. I learned a lot from the brief lessons you taught me.  Whenever I'm with you, it feels like I can do anything."   "Well, um, thanks," blushed Applejack.  "Didn't know you thought of me that way."   "Then again, it might because of your Element empowering the half of my soul that's contained within."   "It could be that too."   The Border Collie's ears perked up, and less than a second later the loud caws of a macaw echoed on the forest.  The Border Collie then barked and nuzzled Applejack's side.  If that wasn't a sign, then the tense stares and the low growls of the creatures made it well known to the ponies that the enemy has arrived.   "Everypony split off and deploy your animal teams," Twilight said to her ponies.  "I have already given every one of you notes on where to go.  After that, we rendezvous at the first attack point.  Spike, if something should happen to us, send the letter I told you to hold on to."   "I won't," said Spike.  "Because I know you four will win."   "Let's hope so."         After they positioned their bomber owls, Twilight and Owlowiscious were the first to arrive at the first attack point.  Applejack, Sunny, and Pinkie Pie also arrived immediately afterwards upon finishing their deployment of their respective animal teams.  They had expected Owlowiscious's presence, but nopony expected the Border Collie to follow Applejack all the way here.   "That's so cute!" said Pinkie Pie.  "Winona doesn't wanna leave you."   "She's not my pet," said Applejack, "and I don't think she likes the name."   "You also figured out her gender, so you must want a pet like her."   "Honestly, I always wanted a doggie like her when I was little, but we didn't have enough bits to keep even one at the farm."   "But now you can keep Winona!"   "Pinkie Pie, I don't think she likes that name."   "Who?"   "Winona."   "That wasn't me," said Pinkie Pie with a chortle under the breath.  Applejack turned her head to see Owlowiscious with his head turned away while he was whistling, however it was possible for beaked bird.   "I almost forgot," said Twilight.  "Spike gave this back to me before he split off.  It's your grandmother's neck scarf.  Apparently Fluttershy didn't take it back."   "Thanks, Twi," said Applejack.  "Wait, your hoof."   "Huh?  Oh, I know it's still scarred, but it is healing."   "I don't wanna risk you openin' it up again and causin' an infection.  Here, let me."   "But that's your grandmother's!"   "It's all right.  I'm sure Granny Smith wouldn't mind."   Applejack had pulled Twilight's hoof to her chest.  Even as the orange earth pony tenderly wrapped the scarf around her wound, the unicorn could feel Applejack's beating heart past the keratin.  It must be amazing for her to keep her cool in this tense moment.   Their early warning system--their Border Collie--growled aggressively.  All four ponies and the owl took cover at the nearest tree. Their ears rotated their focus to the direction of the invasion, and soon they began to hear the clanging metal hooves of the Roboponies.   "Still a few clicks away," said Applejack, "but they're movin' slower than usual."   "Let Pinkie Pie check it out!" Pinkie declared.  Before anypony could protest, she immediately zipped down the path of the forest with the afterimage of her Pinkie Gear blazing into the night.   "You think she will be okay?" asked Twilight.   "Don't worry yourself, Sugarcube," said Applejack.  "Pinkie's a tough gal.  I'm sure she'll make quick work of several Roboponies before she comes back."   "They're moving faster!" Pinkie cried from afar.  "Incoming!"   Following a pink blur was a dark Robopony with a rocket pack on its back.  Sunny charged into with a kick before it advanced any further, and she sent it hurtling towards Applejack.  Applejack then quickly sliced the machination in half with her Sword of Truth before it could hit her or Twilight.   "Ya coulda warn me," said Applejack.   "But you destroyed it, didn't you?" Sunny retorted   "This isn't the time, girls," said Twilight.  "Pinkie Pie, are you okay?"   "Am I okay?" said Pinkie.  "Am I okay?  Lemme tell you that these Roboponies have absolutely no sense of humor!  They didn't even let me finish the joke, and they started shooting at me!  All fifty of them!"   "Forty-nine right now," said Applejack, "and this one's the scout."   "And there's more coming this way," said Twilight.  "Hurry girls.  We'll lead them at the second attack point."   The four mares and their dog ran their hardest down their designated paths, and even then they could feel the heat of the rocket-assisted Roboponies on their tails.  Twilight motioned to Owlowiscious to fly off to relay a new order.  The owl vanished into the thick woods, and before the flying Roboponies could fire, the trees started toppling over one by one.   The ponies could not make any errors in this stretch of the battle.  Twilight had sent instructions to the beavers to topple the trees once they caught sight of the ponies while disregarding their safety.  The ponies could get smashed, but that also meant smashing the Roboponies who might be gaining close to their tail.  Twilight and Applejack had some close calls with bark and branch grazing their tails, but at least a dozen Robopoines were smashed.   "Ponies, report!" Twilight cried out in mid-run.   "Me and the dog are okay!" Applejack cried.   "I'm doing fine here, too!" Sunny cried.   "Where's Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked.   Twilight stopped for a moment to turn around.  Pinkie Pie was lagging behind to make faces at the stoic Roboponies, hoping to elicit a smile from the machines.  That was a mistake on her part, for a tree toppled right in front of Pinkie at the last leg of the run.  The trees had stopped falling, and three mares spun around to go back and rescue her.  However, three Roboponies appeared before them bearing chainsaw arms that looked like pegasus wings.   "Special Technique Tree Surfer, go!"  Pinkie shot up from the toppled trunks, and using her Pinkie Gear, she surfed from tree to tree to knock out the Robopony ready to attack Twilight.  Twilight, in turn, spun around to give her immediate attacker a quick buck to its optical sensors, which then gave time for Applejack and Sunny to destroy it after destroying the other two Roboponies.   "Boy, my tail was twitching so much that I might able to fly with it," said Pinkie Pie.   "What does that mean?" Twilight asked.   "Trust me," said Applejack.  "Sometimes you just have to accept that that's the way Pinkie rolls."   "There's still more coming this way," said Sunny.  "Let's run!"   The mares resumed their lead into a long trench, and Twilight could see Owlowiscious flying above them to hoot out orders to the other animals in hiding.  The Roboponies were right behind the mares once more, and the trap waiting for them were boulders rolling off from the sides of the trench.  Many were smashed, and the few that had flight capability took to the air, only to be bombed with rocks and explosives by owls and swinging monkeys.  Fifteen more Roboponies were destroyed in this manner, leaving only the surefooted but heavy-armored bruisers that plowed through the rocks like paper.   "It's your turn, Applejack," said Twilight.   "My pleasure!" said Applejack.   The orange pony whistled, and a pack of dogs led by the Border Collie arrived beside her.  They immediately split off to surround the remaining twenty Robopony Bruisers like a herd of sheep, and all were careful to not be struck by their back-mounted Gatling guns.  With a new lasso, Applejack wrapped a rope around the lead Robopony and directed it and the rest of the machinations towards the edge of a large hole.  The lead Robopony made a full stop all according to its programming.  Since Applejack and the dogs corralled them so close together, the Roboponies started knocking into one another, causing a domino effect resulted in them falling off the edge one by one.  Four Roboponies were left standing by the edge, and as a final gesture towards their defeat, Twilight and the mares bucked them into the hole.   The Roboponies now filled the large hole, and before any of them attempted to climb out for fire their guns, bears from all sides toppled over drums of gooey black tar to hinder their movements and sensors.   The unicorn whistled, which was an order for Spike to emerge and spit out a flame to light a fast-burning fuse.  The fuse's spark led down to the hole to ignite the tar and along with the gasoline poured at the bottom beforehand.  Twilight knew that the outer shell of Robopony could withstand heat, but their internal electronics could not.  One by one, the thrashing machinations ceased moving, leaving only charred metal shells.   "We did it!" Pinkie cried as she squeeze-hugged the unicorn.  "We did it!  Twilight is best pony!"   "Oh, it's not much," said Twilight.  "I just read a lot of books about the art of war."   "Don't be so modest," said Spike.  "Because of you, we defeated most of their forces, and all the other animals are hunting down the stragglers."   "Even I can't plan something like that," said Applejack.  "Sugarcube, you're more than just magic."   "Thanks," said Twilight.  "Now let's pour some sand in the pit before the fire spreads.  We don't want to anger the Timberwolves."   "Aieee!" Pinkie screamed.   "What is it?"   "My eyelids are twitching!  My eyelids are twitching!"   "Then move away from the pit.  I told you before that the burning tar is toxic."   "Wait, this might be another one of her Pinkie Senses," said Applejack.  "Pink, what does twitching eyelids mean?"   "That there's gonna be a Boss Battle coming up!"   "Boss Battle?" Twilight asked.  "What are you talking about?"   Thump.  Thump.  All the small birds had fled the forest canopy, and all the animals became deathly silent.   Thump.  Thump.  Each thump, slowly but surely, increased in beat.  Twilight had noticed in front of her a small puddle of water that rippled with each thump.  Twilight had foolishly discounted the possibility that whoever programmed their captured Robopony deliberately omitted the existence of one more.   Here it came, toppling trees like matchsticks.  The mares beheld a vaguely pony-like metal monstrosity towering over sixty hands tall, and it made its introduction by firing a sweeping laser from its underside.  Every pony and animal quickly dodged the attack, but only barely.   "Rebel Applejack, Unicorn Twilight Sparkle," boomed a familiar voice.  "I have to congratulate your violent intrusion into the labs.  You provided a sufficient demonstration of the superiority of science to our Honorable Chancellor Posey.  Now you and your friends will help me once more by acting as targets for my latest invention, the Draftmech Mark 2!  Prepare yourselves!"   The Draftmech fired another sweeping laser that sliced through trees.  The animals had already fled, leaving only the ponies and one dragon to fend for themselves.  The gunmetal monstrosity did not let up in its assault of missiles, Gatling guns, and regular trampling that soon leveled the forest in a wide area.  Nopony could get close for an attack, and all they could run and take cover in a nearby trench.   "That metal Trojan horse is a lot angrier than a manticore with a thorn stuck in his paw," said Applejack.  "I can't get close to that thing to make a cut."   "Do you have any ideas, Twilight Sparkle?" Sunny asked.   "This Draftmech seems like it's piloted from the inside, but there are no windows looking out," said Twilight.  "If my hunch is correct, that disc near its head must be some kind of radar sensor he uses to track us.  I have a plan."   "FOUND YOU!" the pilot cried out.   The missile detonated right before the group escaped, and they ran for their lives in the charred clearing.   "Pinkie Pie!" cried Twilight.  "Grab Applejack and find a way for her to cut off that radar disc."   "What about you?" Applejack asked.   "Sunny, Spike, and I are going to distract it.  Now go!"   "You heard the lady," Pinkie Pie said to Applejack.  She immediately pushed the orange pony onto her back and sped off with her Pinkie Gear blazing.   "Over here!" Twilight cried as she deftly dodged missile, bullet, and laser that was fired upon her.  She had already coordinated to Spike beforehand to ride on Sunny so that he could ignite any nearby combustible material in order to throw the Draftmech's heat-seeking targeting system off course, however minor it might be.   The distraction was successful, and right from behind the Draftmech, Pinkie Pie skated up along the Draftmech's segmented metal tail and launched herself and Applejack into the air.  Both she and Applejack separated on their descent, and then Applejack cleanly sliced off the white radar disc before landing safely on the ground.   In that brief moment, the Draftmech stopped firing.  Immediately afterwards, the "mouth" of the quadruped machination dropped open to reveal its pilot: one cybernetic Professor Gizmo who was wired to the machine.   "Fools!" he cried. "You might have taken out my Radome, but the Draftmech is still powerful!  Hey, where are you going?  You can't escape from me!"   "I guess you ain't as smart as you claim," said Applejack.  "You're already defeated."   "What?"   The Draftmech creaked.  Gizmo attempted to jiggle the lever on his right, but then the head of machination separated from the main body and crashed onto the charred ground.  Crushed underneath the weight of creation, Gizmo pathetically shot out his retractable and metallic tentacle claw in an attempt to pull himself out.  He groaned and growled in anger in his defeat, though he would not accept or beg for help from his enemies.   "Poor, poor Gizmo," uttered a voice from above.  "How pathetic that your hubris and your science has failed you."   She hovered like a vampiric specter with her black cape fluttering in the silent wind.  No aura surrounded Trixie as she stared upon the astonished stares of Twilight Sparkle and her friends.  They could feel a dark power robbing them of their fleet footedness and their courage.  The air felt colder and heavier, and the night stars gradually lost their twinkle.   "Uh-oh," said Pinkie as her face contorted while her right rear leg shook.  "Combo!"   "Is that another one of your Pinkie Senses?" Twilight asked.   "Yeah.  You know how the previous one is just a Boss Battle?  Well, this one feels like a Big Boss Battle."