//------------------------------// // Skullface's offer // Story: Chronicles of Bon Bon // by Anonimoose //------------------------------// Bon Bon opened her eye, looking around letting her eye look around she saw the bipedal pony she by now dubbed "Skullface" had her in a net carrying her on its back as if she was a bag. "You could have just let me walk you know?" "Your wounds needed tended to and I couldn't risk it." Skullface said, this was the first time Bon Bon had a chance to look at Skullface thoroughly, she knew a pony was under the suit due the the hooves but the sheer amount of armor hid anything that could identify a gender, the mask was large and slanted at angles that made it as effective in combat as it did covering the identity of the wearer. The skull, crudely painted on by hoof, had sharp edges and had an appearance as if it was painted and right after thrown on to fight causing the paint to bleed down. Various scratches and dings covered it and the bulky helmet Skullface wore. The suit left nothing for chance, covered head-to-hoof was an understatement, the suit from the back had various hardpoints for weapons and gadgets. Bon Bon's analysis was cut short when Skullface set her on the ground. "We're here." cutting the net open and sidestepping to let Bon Bon have some room to get up. Bon Bon looked up to see the library in front of her with multiple copperheads surrounding it, insurgents piled behind the machines for cover and a few carriages with a cab and bed, after seeing a giant flying machine and walking tanks the idea of a self propelled carriage didn't surprise her. Skullface stepped beside her with a microphone from a speaker system attached to one of the carriages. "Come out of the library with you hooves up and we will escort you to the outskirts of town, failure to comply in three minutes will result in me personally dragging out of there!" silence "How about you come in here so I can kick your ass!" a gruff voice came from inside the library taunting Skullface The response seemed to anger Skullface, throwing the mic on the ground the pony stepped upto the library and kicked in the door with an explosive effect walking inside the dark library there was silence for a few second then various crashing sounds, yelling, profanities that continued for a good minute until *pop* followed by a rapid ticking sound, after another gap of silence Backfire slowly stepped out visually shaking at the amount of weapons pointed at her. "Lower your weapons!" the muffled, but now exausted, voice of Skullface said stepping out of the shadows of the library, Skullface's armor now had more visible dings and cuts and a the most prominent sign of damage, a machete was buried into the back of its suit though it didn't seem to phase it. Dragging Sifty out of the library by his vest with a pair of claws, the look on Sifty's face was of discomfort as Bon Bon noticed two dart like objects with wires connected to them and a piece of skull's arm-guard connected to his chest. Disconnecting the wire, Skullface placed the twitching stallion into the back of one of the carriages and pointed for backfire to follow suit, giving her a boost up to the back. Afterwords it walked over to Bon Bon, "Sorry about your friend, I was only gonna talk to him I promise!" "Why?" "Why what?" "Why are you letting me live? Why is some recently comatose mare matter to you guys so much you send an army? The stress of the day getting to her and reaching her breaking point, "Why?" "We have t-" Skullface was interrupted "To what!? Destroy lives? Take the hopes and dreams of peace and rip them to SHREDS!" "What are you talking ab-" "You took the one thing I care about, the ONE thing that gave me a normal life, and you took her from me.." Bon Bon said breaking into tears, the bipedal pony stood there for a moment before extending a hoof to comfort the mare, in a show of speed Bon Bon swatted the hoof away, swiped her prosthetic leg at Skull's two standing hooves sending the pony to the ground and grabbing it's side arm. "I swear to Celestia, if one hair on her mane is touched, I'm coming for you!" The soldiers trained their guns on the mare ready to fire but skull gave a notion with it's hoof to stand down, "She's safe." "Where is she?" "In good hooves at the moment, I promise." the voice, although muffled was sincere, Bon Bon lowered the weapon and threw it on the ground. Bon Bon hobbled over to the carriage, getting assistance from backfire onto the back, Skullface then walked over to the back, throwing the machete that was once in its back and looked at Bon Bon, "Give that to your friend when he learns some manners." it said "My Truck will take you to the outskirts of town, from there you are on your own, These men will follow my orders, but some of the more organized forces follow their own set of rules." "You aren't the army!?" "Nah, we're just the local militia" Skullface said pounding on the side of the truck signaling the order to drive. "If they're the militia.." Bon Bon said. "The army is worse." Backfire said tending to Sifty. "What happened in there?" Bon Bon asked. "Well, Sifty tried to get the jump on her before she could react." "That explains the machete in it's back." "Actually That was me!" she said in a giddy way, puffing her chest out in pride "She even complimented me!" "She?" Bon Bon inquired. "Oh yea Sifty hit her so hard in the face the mask FLEW open!" making extravagant gestures with her hooves before bringing them to her sides. "IT WAS AMAZING!" "What did she look like?" "Dunno it was dark." "Then how did you know it was a mare?" "The voice, without that mask her voice is very feminine, either that or it's a stallion who's REALLY compensating for something!" she said giggling "Alright this sounded like Sifty was winning, what happened?" "Magic!" "Magic?" "Yea! Sifty was mid jump and then her got caught in a golden aura of magic then pop!" "Well, looks like she lucked out." The Truck came to a stop, the militiaman peered through the back and gave a quick, "get out" Bon Bon helped Backfire lower Sifty to the ground. As soon as Backfire's hooves hit the grass the truck made a U-Turn and headed back into town. Sifty jolted up from the ground, "Here comes Butterd-oh, well this is awkward.." rubbing his hoof through his mane, "where are we?" "The outskirts of town." Backfire said "As much as I want to kick in that stallions face, we have a job to do." "ahem, HER and she wanted you to have this!" Backfire said removing the machete from her saddlebag. "Him, Her, Whatever, this isn't over and she wont catch me off guard again!" Sifty said grabbing the machete sheathe and placing it on his hip. As they walked to the FOB the question both of Bon Bons new allies wanted to know, "Why let us live?" "She said something about how they already, Sweet Celesita!" Bon Bon stopped to look at the carnage that was the frontline of the Solar Guard. trenches filled with fire and equipment strewn about. Bodies of solider's were covering the fields in front of the trenches. Approaching the base, A royal guardsman was lying on the ground in visible pain "You alright soldier?" Sifty said running to the stallion, "A few burns here and there but I'll make it." "What happened?" "The Main army happened." he said in agony, as every breath caused his burn wounds to expand and contract. "Hang on soldier." Sifty said signaling Backfire to try and help him. "I'm not a doctor!" She exclaimed "Well you're the best we have at the moment so try!" As she tended to the stallion Sifty walked beside Bon Bon "What now?" Bon Bon said "I got a call from base before my little tango with your best friend Skullfreak, the Base is under siege by various machines, they can hold their own, our backup will be on this road," pointing on a map "they should be there by tomorrow so if we-" "We hoof it to the point as fast as we can we can regroup and lead a counter assault." Bon Bon finished "Exactly!" "Let's Get going then, help backfire get that stallion on a cart and lets move out." Bon Bon ordered. "We have a counter-assault to lead!" -------24 HOURS EARLIER--------- Celestia sat in her temporary throne looking at the map of Equestria Various arrows pointing towards the direction of troop movements on both sides. A General approached Celestia "Your Highness?" "Yes, General?" "We have sustained massive casualties from the equestrian guard, Their technology is too ancient to attack or defend, they were meant for Changeling incursions, not all out war!" Celestia stood calm and collected, "Casualty range?" "In the seventieth percentile ma'am." A single tear fell down and hit the map a visible sense of rage could be seen, "I have taken my sister too lightly in the past months, General?" "Yes ma'am?" "Deploy the Military." "Would that be the Guardian Tanks, The War-Birds, or the reclaimer?" "everything." "Yes Ma'am" The general said saluting the princess and trotting over to the phone, "This is General E., Operation Illuminating light is a go." --APPLEOOSA-- "TANK!" A cross-eyed pony with a grey coat and blonde mane flew in with a message for the other pony who was relaxing on his Guardian Tank, drinking a cool beverage from the store in town. "Derpy! Whats the news?" "Good news! You got orders! She said cheerily handing him the note. ---- FROM: GENERAL E. TO: ALL COMMANDING OFFICERS IN SDI OPERATION ILLUMINATING LIGHT HAS BEEN ORDERED PROCEED AS PLANNED. ---- The pony snatched up a loudspeaker and ordered his men: "Saddle up boys! We're going to Ponyville!" Cheers rang through Appleoosa as the Tanks roared to life their treads kicking up sand as they stormed full speed out of town and prepared to join the battle.