//------------------------------// // 1. Meet the Heavy // Story: Magic Fortress // by AppleTank //------------------------------// Meet the Heavy A low grumbling noise is heard as the camera-pony struggled to stand up her camera. “There you go,” she grumbled. “We can start now, sir.” “Urg,” a voice replied A large, black stallion with a blood red horn walked in, levitating a massive automatic cannon at his side. He dropped the weapon on a pile of cardboard boxes in front of him. “Ah am King Sombrah. Ah carry heavy weapons for team *cough*. Excuse me.” I slid over a cup of water, which he drank and nodded appreciatively “This here,” he continued, rubbing the top of the weapon, “is a modified rotary mah-sheen gun. It weighs less than the sun princess’s plot. Many look like it, but I ‘ave madified its firing meh-kanism to shoot my-. *Cough* Sorry for my voice,” he wheezed, “But for ssome reason, my throuht feels very drah todah.” He drank some more water “As I was saying, I have a slight affinity to crystals, so I decided to use custom made crystahl shards for ammunition, or other rocks. I summon ‘em with...” his horn glowed and for some reason, the glass of water besides him started glowing. A few seconds later, particulates formed out of the water, forming a small crystal cube. He levitated it out, his face blank, oblivious to the small cloud of sparkles drifting out of his mouth. “Who did this,” he growled. “Who dares prank the [ex] King of the Crystal Empire!? I will ENSLAVE YOUR SOUL AND DROP YOU INTO YOUR OWN PERSONAL NIGHTMARE: ENDLESS TOIL UNDER ME!” I tried to stop him but he just ran off into the building. I think I heard someone snickering. Cadence walked in a bit later, her horn glowing. An aura surrounded Sombra’s head, giving him a dazed appearance. She looked bored and mildly annoyed about it, sitting down with a huff and pulling out a magazine to read as she set Sombra down back at the interviewing table. “Weapon Statistics,” he droned. “120 kilograms. Fires crystals summoned from my magic or the environment. Acts like flechettes. Rate of Fire, twenty rounds a second.” When Sombra stopped talking, Cadence stood back up and stretched with a cute yawn. She looked disdainfully at the dazed dark unicorn and stepped out. “Oh ho ho, ha haha!” Sombra chuckled. “That was good time. Ponies think that because Sombra was defeated once, that he will be an easy target next time. If they think that..” he levitated a small cloud of crystal shrapnel. “They better think faster than a speeding bur’let. He flung the shards around the poor interviewer, leaving the mare squeaking in surprise and fear. “Don’t worry, miss,” he said, carelessly depositing the crystals back into the weapons drum. “I’m not contracted to hurt you. But to those that are... “Woo-hoo, can’t catch me,” Firefly called, effortlessly dodging the cloud of ammunition. But as try as she might, she couldn’t get close enough to do enough damage for her to clear the way. Suddenly, a large hoof pushed her to the side. “Step aside, little pony. Time to let big pony and big gun to finish the job,” Sombra rumbled, his fluorescent eyes cutting through the dark. She grumbled something about stupid muscle but he ignored it. Sometimes, they didn’t want to admit their own weakness. He slowly walked to the clearing, levitating a massive rotary machine gun behind him. “You have chosen wrong occupation,” he said, rising to his rear hooves and stabilizing the gun by wrapping his forehooves around the handles. The barrels spun, whirring. “Take him down!” the guards cried. Bullets streamed towards the dark figure, but passed through him. The only indication that the guards were aiming correctly were the small clouds of smoke that puffed out behind him. He raised his head. “My turn.” RATATATATATATATA “Eeyaaaaaaaahhh!” he roared. Clouds of gleaming shards tore through their bodies. Despite some of them missing, the fragmentation effect was enough to peg some of them, leaving them screaming in pain. “AAAAHHHHH HA HA HA HA HA!” the dark king roared in amusement, “Cry some more!”