//------------------------------// // Storm Clouds Gather // Story: Dimension Jumper // by redtau //------------------------------// James Robinson breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of a new world. He walked along, reveling the clean summer air. Initial scans from the pod had located a large concentration of life, most likely the "Ponyville" his captives had so kindly told him about. He couldn't wait to burn it down. Attention: Scans indicate creature approaching. Anchor potential: 32%. Suggestion: Feed us its soul. James rolled his eyes and looked down at his mechanical right arm. Strange runes etched into the metal glowed a soft red, and a red eye in the back of his right hand blinked back up at him. "Xzic, remind me again why I decided to go with a daemon possessed cybernetic instead of a good old fashioned sentient AI?" Information: You psychological profile indicated you would drive most S class AI into a state of mental collapse in a relatively short period of time. Three tests confirmed this.. An overriding and alien hunger swept over him for a moment, and a buzzing filled his head. GiVe Us ThIs FlEsH tHaT wE MaY gRoW. He shook the parasite's words away. The devouerer parasite that infested his left arm was always ravenous. If it didn't offer him such a unique benefit over normal spirit companions he would have dropped the thing long ago. Keeping both of these homicidal entities in check was always an issue. Fortunately, he didn't have to do that for long. "James?" He looked around to see Sarah in a tattered and stained ARCO jacket trudging out of the woods. She looked ragged and a little thin, but still healthy. There was a sword sheathed at her side and a non-standard backpack on her back. She smiled at him, and James had to note this was the happiest he'd ever seen her. Admittedly, he'd only ever seen her when she was just back from a jump, but still she looked happy. "Sarah?" he asked, seeming surprised to see her. He'd been hoping to run into her early on, it made the rest of the mission so much easier. "James," she exclaimed, "you came to rescue me!" "Sarah!" he said, holding his arms open for a hug. "How have you been? I'd heard you were still alive." Sarah stepped forward. "Yeah, well I-" There was a wet sound, and James withdrew the dagger from her side. "I guess I heard wrong," he said with a grin, watching her crumple to the ground, grasping at her bloody wound. Sarah let out a gasp of pain, confusion in her eyes. The sound of breaking branches was the only warning he got as a massive beast slammed into him. James rolled and brought up his left arm, the devourer parasite growing large bony scales to shield against tooth and claw. The strange beast was dark hair and muscle, but the nature of Sarah's spirit companion was still obvious. The skeletal face and claws and the dark smoke that seemed to boil off the beast gave away it's true nature. D charged again, driving James back another few feet. "Sarah, you've been letting your personal demons go walking around on their own," James mocked, grinning as D hammered against the shield. In a swift motion James reached out with his right hand and caught D by his throat. "We can't have that." D clawed at the cybernetic arm and screamed. The runes carved into the arm glowed, and D's body began to evaporate into a cloud of dark smoke that was sucked into the cybernetic arm. D's body began to wither and fade until at last all that was left was a frail skeleton that crumbled to bones at Jame's feet. James brought one heavy boot down on the skull, crushing it and scattering the shards in the dirt. "Hold," a synthetic voice called out. James looked up to see a six legged robot girl, wrapped in a kimono, aiming a bow and arrow at him. "You're going to need something a lot stronger than an arrow to stop me," James said, swaggering closer. "With my companions keyed up and charged like they are, I doubt even decapitation would slow me down." Machina aimed straight up and fired. As the arrow reached it's apex, it exploded in a massive green and orange firework display. "You are outnumbered," Machina said, drawing another arrow. "You cannot win. Turn around and return to your masters. Tell them this world is not theirs to take." James barked a laugh. "What? Are you siding with the locals?" He stepped closer. "Not much choice since you obviously abandoned your own master, letting her get stuck like a pig!" James kicked Sarah in her wound as he walked past. She cried out in pain, rolling away from him. "Of course, you just lost any element of surprise, but that's one of the two big flaws with you type 40 AIs." He continued to step closer to Machina, waving his hands and monologuing. "You take every problem and try and solve it with logic. No subterfuge, no guile, just straight up facts." "The other flaw?" Machina asked, her arrow pointed right at Jame's heart barely a foot from the tip. Jame's moved with lightning speed. There was a crunch and Machina looked down to the ragged hole in her torso. James stepped back, casually tossing up and catching her power core. "You never build secondary power supplies," he said, watching the machine collapse as her limited reserves ran out. Something pulled on his foot, and he looked down to see Sarah grasping at his ankle. "S-s-stop this...," she weakly begged, trying to hold his ankle with one hand and her bloody side with the other. He turned and kicked her, ramming the boot tip into the open cut and reveling in the anguished cry. "I know it hurts, Sarah, but look on the bright side." His cybernetic arm produced a long thin sword. James shoved his sword through Sarah's chest, puncturing a lung. He watched with unmistakable joy as she cried out and coughed, wet red blood staining her lips. "By the time I'm done enslaving the locals, you'll be dead, so you'll never know how many I killed just for the hell of it." He drew the sword out and flicked it clean with a flourish. Sarah coughed up more blood and struggled to grab him again, and he just turned and walked off to war. Not that far away in Ponyville a mass panic was starting. Applejack had been at her stand when she saw the fireworks, and was running home to grab her element and what little equipment she had. As she passed the train station, she bumped into a yellow stallion in a vest and hat. "'Scuze me," she said, running on. "Where ya goin', cuz?" he asked. Applejack spun around as her eyes finally recognized him. "Braeburn? What in tarnation are ya doin' here? It ain't safe! Ah wrote ta ya about that monster that's comin'!" "We got yer letters, but we decided we'd ruther stand together than apart," he said with a smile. "Well, ya obviously didn't read 'em well enough 'cuz Ah gotta go fight it and Ah can't be worryin' 'bout family bein' safe!" Braeburn nickered "Don't worry 'bout leavin' me behind, Ah'm comin' with ya." "No, ya ain't!" Applejack said, stomping the ground firmly. "It's too dangerous. Ah'm the bearer of an Element of Harmony. Ah gotta go stand with my friends against whatever is comin'." "You might be an Element Bearer, but you're still a member of the Apple Family," a young voice with a Manehatten accent piped in. Applejack looked back at the train station to see Babs Seed standing next to Uncle Orange, both dressed in sturdy clothes with crowbars and hammers hanging from loops. "And you've got to remember," Uncle Orange said, smiling down at her daughter. "When you buck with a member of the Apple Family." Applejack blinked back tears of pride as she saw more and more familiar earth ponies start pouring out of the train station. Braeburn turned to her and smiled. "Ya buck with the WHOLE Apple Family!!" --------- Pinkie Pie was out back at Sugar Cube Corner, packing and repacking her party cart for the thousandth time. There was only so much preparation time and just not enough of her to go around. She had considered reopening the mirror pool, but decided that she would lose more time training an army of Pinkie Pies than she might gain from a few extra hooves. She looked over her arsenal of sweets, treats, cakes, and other party favors and frowned. "Oooh, if only I had more time to bake some more pies-" "Will apple and cherry do? I've got two dozen of each, though they aren't quite Sugar Cube Corner quality," a mare said as she dropped off several large boxes. "Thanks! I-" "Will you be needing any instruments?" A stallion asked, pulling up in a cart stuffed with a small orchestra. "Tuba? Harmonica? Flugelhorn?" "Sure, I can always-" There was a wet slosh as another stallion began unloading clear trash bags filled with small brightly colored spheres. "I've got 473 water balloons filled with paint, oil, hot sauce, shaving cream and water. Think your party cannon can handle them?" "Of course, but how will I load-" A whistle cut her off, and she turned to see two dozen teenage colts and fillies standing at attention behind a mare with a cap and whistle. "Ponyville junior varsity hoofball team here. If it needs to be lifted, run, thrown or pushed, we are your ponies." Pinkie blinked and looked around at the small crowd of ponies gathered around her, most pulling carts filled with prank and party supplies. "How am I going to carry all of this?" She asked. The ponies looked at her quizzically, then all burst into laughter. "What?" "Pinkie dear," Mrs. Cake said as she stepped out of Sugar Cube Corner with a large sack of supplies.,"they aren't dropping stuff off. They are coming with you." Mr. Cake nodded, hefting another bag and wearing a harness with little Cup and Pound cake. "Oh no no no no no no no. I can't put all of you in danger! The monster I'm fighting might be even scarier than Nightmare Moon and Discord!" A stallion cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Pinkie, my family just moved here a month ago. My little colt is three, going on four next month. I heard ponies say that you might not come back from this, and I don't want my boy to grow up without a Pinkie Pie birthday party." A big grin crossed his face. "You bring so much happiness and laughter to our town, and we won't stand by while that's threatened!" Pinkie felt a tear in her eye. She'd always planned for everything, but even she had caught herself by surprise. I've hidden friends all over town. she thought, Just in case of friendship emergencies. Twilight paced back and forth, waiting for Celestia's reply just outside of the library. She had sent a letter to each princess via Spike, but she wasn't sure if they could respond in time. The entire army had been mobilized and positioned, spread out across Equestria so that wherever the raider appeared, units would be nearby. The tactic allowed for fast response, but also stretched the forces thin. It would still be up to whatever militia Ponyville could muster, along with the Elements of Harmony. "Stop worrying so much, Twilight! Things can't be that bad," Spike said, waving at her. "Thing are about as bad as they can get Spike!" "Twilight, you went over this in the town meeting months ago. You even put up posters," her assistant said, pointing a claw at one nearby. "White is shelter in place, blue is go home and stay off the streets, orange is go home and lock your doors because things are going to get bad, and red is evacuate. The burst was orange, so we ponies hunker down and wait it out." he seemed pretty proud of himself for remembering everything. "I'm not sure about the green mixed in though." "Spike," she whispered, glancing around to see if anypony was listening. Most were just rushing by, trying to get home. She came over and whispered, "Orange just means that we don't have to evacuate because there is no hope. If we don't stop it, no amount of distance will help." Spike's eyes were wide in horror. "Bu- but Machina and D can help! They've been planing with you for weeks!" "That was what the green firework meant." "That they are coming back to help?" Twilight shook her head. "That they've already fallen." There was a sudden flurry of movement, and Twilight looked up to see a half dozen large chariots landing. She was surprised to see Princess Celestia step out of the first one. She was even more surprised to see her old magic theory teacher Slide Rule follow her, along with three dozen students carrying crates and boxes full of magical equipment. "Alright, class!" Slide Rule called, gathering the young unicorns attention. "The target is approaching town at a rate of seven miles per hour. That gives you roughly ninety minutes before it hits the outskirts of the town and YOU have to stop it. Remember, this will count as 37% of your final grade!" "Slide Rule?" Twilight asked, coming up to her old mentor. "What are you-" "Ah, Miss Sparkle! Can't let our best pupil stand alone, can we? Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns has a reputation to uphold after all." "And I can't let my faithful student stand alone either," Princess Celestia said. "The guards are on their way, but I thought a bit more magical artillery won't hurt." "It is typical of you, sister, to trust in scholars when our kingdom is tested," another regal voice said from above. Everypony looked up to see Princess Luna descending with a dozen over her Night Guard. "Hello, sister. Are these all the guards you could spare?" Celestia responded. "They are my personal guard. The smartest, strongest, fastest and bravest." She smiled. "They will hold back Tarterus itself if it means we can stop whatever is coming." "Still, you could have brought more soldiers," Celestia said reproachfully. Luna blinked, then looked to one of the students rushing around. "You there." "Yes, your majesty?" she responded, bowing briefly. "What is your profession?" "Me? I'm a student, but I want to work in high energy research." "I see, and you?" Princess Luna asked, pointing to another. "Magical construction and automation, your majesty!" He said, patting a little magical automaton that was dragging a crate. "Right." The moon princess turned to her guard. "Night guard, what is your profession?" "HOORAH!!!" cried all twelve guard in unison. Luna turned to Celestia and smirked. "I brought more soldiers than you, sister." Angel sat and watched as Kindness argued herself out from under her bed and halfway to the door before there was a moderately loud noise outside and she fled back to safety. At last, she pulled herself from safety and took a few deep breaths. "Come on, Fluttershy, your friends are counting on you. No matter what kind of evil, scary, d-deadly, t-t-t-t-terrible m-m-m-monster is waiting, you have to go face it." With unsteady steps, she walked out the front door and locked it behind her. Angel waited a few moments, thinking. He could tell something bad was coming, the kind of bad that made him want to run and hide. The kind that was too big for him to fight off. But he couldn't just let her go on her own. He could still remember the time before Kindness came into his life. He had talked with all of the animals and every one was willing to help in any way they could. He was surprised to find himself shaking, the fear threatening to overwhelm him. But Kindness, the pony who was terrified of her own shadow, had just marched off to face it. And he would be damned if he let her do it alone. Angel jumped up and kicked open a window, whistling to the waiting birds and getting the message started. He hesitated, then waved down one of the feathered pets. The hawk and he were not friends. On several occasions, they had dueled outside of Kindness' view, and the prey versus predator aspect of their relations was always simmering just beneath the skin. There were few things that could make them set aside their differences, and this was one of them. Angel hopped up on its back and held on tight as the hawk lifted into the sky and wheeled away from Ponyville. And towards a nearby mountain. Rarity stacked the last set of garments onto the cart outside her home. She had run out of fabric in the end, and the last hoof full were a hideous mash up of her few personal dresses, her towels, her throw rugs, and even the window curtains. Two sewing machines had given their lives in stitching together the rough armor, and still she only had a couple of dozen. It wasn't going to be enough, but it was all she could do. She was tired and sore and needed rest. She had managed only a few hours sleep and a quick shower. Her last dress, altered to be lightly armored and more flexible to combat, was the only stitch of clothing she now owned. A cart pulled up next to her, and Rarity had to blink a few times to clear her eyes as she registered what she saw. "Miss Cheerilee?" she asked, eyeing the pile of armor strapped onto the back of the cart. It was only half the number she had made, and somewhat cruder, but here and there bits of metal reinforced what cloth there was. "Miss Rarity," Cheerilee responded with a nod. "Am I too early to be fashionably late?" "Early?" Rarity asked, looking up the road. Six more ponies were dragging carts down the path heading her way. Three were stacked high with sharpened spears and large timber axes, and the others packed with flat wooden slats that could serve as mobile walls. "Yes," Cheerilee said. "Somepony saw you working in your shop after you tore your curtains down and we thought we might chip in." "But," Rarity protested, noticing familiar patterns in the cloth in Cheerilee's cart. "But those are your dresses! Your curtains! And Green Stalk that is your Asparagus stand!" "What?" Green Stalk asked in her usual grumpiness. "You think just cuz you've got the element that you are the only one that can be generous?" "Quite right!" a familiar voice said, and Rarity spun around to see Hoity Toity, Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee trotting down the road followed by six carts of their own. "One would not do to hoard generosity, Miss Rarity. It is unbecoming in a hero." Rarity's eyes boggled at the sight of so much simple armor, accompanied by more simple weapons than she had ever seen in her life. Staves, clubs, hammers and even a mace or two could be seen sticking out of the carts, all things that could be handled with little experience and had little chance of accidentally hurting the wielder. "But- But- but you- how?" Rarity's voice seemed to be seeking words to express what she saw, her eyes tearing up. The ponies around her, ones who had in some cases literally torn apart their livelihoods to offer additional defense, simply smiled. She could only think of something she had heard Princess Celestia say once long ago. "A generous act ripples outward, creating infinite repetition and echoes." It was so wonderful to see so many echoes bouncing back to her. Rainbow Dash huffed in frustration. She had spent a long time building up this surprise, and now she felt hubris biting her in her flank. Most of last week has been spent systematically emptying her cloud home of all furniture and valuables and turning it into the biggest Celestia damned thunderhead she could manage. The thing had enough lightning in it to fry a full grown dragon with power left over to blow away the smoke. It was massive, it was powerful, it was a testament to her ability as a weather mare to make and charge such a massive cloud without killing herself. It was too damn heavy to move. Rainbow grunted and pushed again, the cloud shifting a few inches in the sky. She may be the fastest flyer in all of Equestria, but she was far from the strongest. At this rate she would get to the battle hours late and too exhausted to do anything helpful. A grunt came from nearby, and Dash looked up to see another pegasus pushing on the cloud. Cloud Kicker was just beside her, leaning into the massive storm cloud and pushing for all she had. The storm front started to shift, and Rainbow looked around in awe. Half of the weather team and a smattering of other pegasi from around town were pushing the cloud. The other half were busy handling over a dozen other storm clouds. "HEY!" a stern voice called out. "Keep those storms apart! We don't want lightning arcs!" Rainbow spun around to see Thunderlane, the slacker of the weather team, giving orders like some ancient pegasi general. "What is all of this?!" Rainbow Dash asked. "Reinforcements!" Thunderlane responded. "You didn't think we were going to let you go at this alone this time, did you?" "But you never volunteer for this stuff! You shirk Everfree duty constantly!" "Well, with the bearer of Loyalty leading us day in and day out, something had to rub off sometime." Cloud Kicker called. "To misquote the best weather team captain Ponyville has ever had, and the self proclaimed fastest mare in Equestria, 'Ponyville would never leave you hanging!'" Blossomforth said, correcting a smaller storm cloud's course. "YEAAAAAH!" cried Bulk Biceps, and the rest joined in. Twilight stood at the top of the hill with her mouth hanging open in awe. She had expected to find her friends and maybe a few volunteers waiting for her near where the raider would hit town. She wasn't expecting each of her friends to show up with a small army of their own. Applejacks impromptu family reunion were getting arms and armor from Rarity, Cherilee, and a collection of local ponies and fashion models. Fluttershy was helping to sort medical supplies for Nurse Red Heart as the nurse divided her volunteer staff into emergency surgeons and combat medics. Pinkie Pie was running drills with the local hoofball team on the loading and firing of her party cannon and a half dozen catapults. The pink pony's weapons were situated next to long folding tables of cakes, pies, balloons, and dozens of other strange kinds of ammo. The storm front hovering on the edge of the battlefield marked Rainbow Dash's location, and the prismatic mare was swooping about the various clouds and checking with the pegasi guiding them over the battlefield. Even more surprising were the hundred or so non-ponys talking with the thirty six guards that made up Ponyville's ACTUAL militia. Zebras, gryphons, canids and minotaurs were chatting with the volunteers and guards about tactics and plans. Some even seemed to be just sharing good stories or jokes. Twilight turned to her mentor, only to see both royal sisters were just as stunned as she was. "We were under the impression that the minotaurs and gryphons were at odds with each other," Princess Luna said as she approached the crowd, many bowing respectfully to her. "We are, your Majesty," Thomas said. "My father would tan my hide for so much as talking with ruffians and fools such as these." "And each are likewise looked down on by zebra eyes," Zaephir added "Aye," a gryphon said, "had we a lick of honor or respect, we could never fight alongside a horn head. But a friend.-" "Yes, a friend," Reggie said. "We could fight alongside a friend." He pulled himself up atop a supply cart, speaking up to catch everyone's attention. "We could stand proud and die by the side of a friend. We would give our lives to save their family and their friends as they would for us." There was nodding agreement around the battlefield. "This battle, hard as it may be, shall make heroes of the survivors, legends of the fallen, and friends of us all, for any who stand with us today shall be our friend. Those who shed their blood with us today are bound beyond such things as race or creed. They are elevated beyond any misdeeds or angry words. Every year this battle shall be feasted! Every year it shall be remembered, and doors once barred shall be opened to all. The stories told of this day will bring tears of pride and sorrow, and never shall be forgotten the friendships formed by those who fought with us upon this day!" A great cry when up from all around, and Twilight felt a small tear roll down her cheek. If we survive this, she thought, I'm going to have one hell of a friendship report to give. A soft sound floated through the crowd, a slow repeated slapping. Across the clearing, near the tree line, leaned a single creature. It looked like Sarah, but was slightly taller and bulkier. His hands came together, making the slow clapping sound. "How touching," he said, his mocking voice carrying unnaturally across the distance. "To think that all you candy colored creatures are going to defeat me with your friendship." There was a short scramble, and creatures fell into formation. Minotaurs with tower shields and heavy morning stars stood inter spaced with flightless gryphons, each in their own heavy armor and carrying a long spear. Earth ponies filled in where gryphons were few. Unicorns at the back prepped spells, while pegasi and the remaining gryphons stretched and readied to launch themselves skyward. "You don't want to just surrender? It would go much easier for you," the man stated, his mocking tone grating against everyone's nerves. "Very well." He turned to the forest and waved his hand. Hundreds of things moved out from the tree line, little more than jaws on legs. They snorted and shifted, a mass of bone plates, horns, talons and teeth.. The man pointed at the line of ponies, canids, gryphons, and minotaurs allied against him. "Eat."