//------------------------------// // Going In // Story: Stick Up Artists // by A Pony Typewriter //------------------------------// Blaine County, San Andreas A white Bravado Buffalo sped through the Senora Freeway on the Northbound lane. The car changes lane and drive into an exit ramp and take a left into the desert.The white muscle car make its way through smaller route heading to Sandy Shores. The car arrive in front of a trailer as the sun is about to set, the passenger exits the vehicle. "Thanks for the ride Mr. Clinton," thanked Wade. "Your welcome, and please it's Franklin," said Franklin. "Uh, thanks again Franklin." Wade walked pass Ron's fence, and approach the front door and knock it. There was no answer, again Wade knocks several time, he glanced at Franklin who haven't leave the premises and was setting his radio. Wade tried again. "Ron, you home," said Wade, "Roooooonnnnn." Suddenly, the front door of Ron's trailer burst open. Ron, covered in an eighties body armor, which look like an apron, and his head is adorned with a helmet that have a Civil Defense marking on it. While he maybe wearing a silly and ridiculous attire, he have a gun on his hand and aimed towards Wade. "GET AWAY YOU LIZARD MEN I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" Ron shouted. Wade was surprised that Ron was holding a gun and aiming it toward him, he pedaled backward and fell on his back. Wade lift his torso and dragged himself backward away from the gun wielding Ron. Franklin turn his head to the commotion, he saw that his former passenger was under attack, he exit the car to help. "Hey !" Franklin called, "what the hell you think you doin' ?" "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER !" warned Ron as he point the gun at Franklin, "you're with the Lizard people aren't you ?!" "What the fuck is the lizard people, there ain't no dude look like a damn lizard." "Don't lie to me," Ron voice dropped a bit, "I know they exist, it could be you, him or anybody." "What the fuck you talkin' about foo' ?" "ALIENS ! THEY HAVE COME TO SUCK OUR BRAIN OUT! TO BRING ENDLESS CALAMITY TO EARTH!" "Aliens ?!"asked Franklin, "man you're delusional." "They're real, I saw them with my own eyes." "How the hell you know them aliens are real huh ?" "Because they took Trevor !" "That crazy old dude ?" Franklin inquire, "that homie could be anywhere !" There was silent as Ron tried to come up with an explanation how his closest neighbor had disappear. "I'll prove it then," Ron stated, "I'll prove they're real !" Ron then sprint and hop over his fence to his ATV, he stared the engine, leaving Franklin and Wade in the dust. "C'mon," said Franklin running back to his car. "We're go-gonna follow him ?" ask Wade. "Yes we gonna follow 'em now hop in !" Franklin and Wade hop inside the white Bravado and take off from Ron's trailer, they follow the CEO through the streets of Sandy Shores and into the desert, away from any trail or path. Ron's ATV and Franklin's car speed to the rugged terrain of the desert, dodging rocks and cactus. The ATV come to a halt on a spot a few meters away from a dead end trail that leads to the desert. Ron dismount his ATV and just stand at the spot where he had dismounted looking at the location where Trevor had been taken. The white Bravado Buffalo stop behind Ron's ATV, Franklin exit the car first, followed by a nervous Wade which keep hiding behind him. Ron turn his head to Franklin and Wade, slowly he brought up his left hand, his index finger pointing to the location, where his boss, mentor and paymaster had been abducted. Franklin, Wade, and even Ron face is stuck in amazement, the location where the abduction of Michael De Santa and Trevor Philips had take place wasn't cover in sand anymore, instead jutting black crystal have replaced the sand and dirt. Franklin is the first one to approached the densely pack of dark crystal, he slowly walk towards it with a pistol pointing towards it. As he got three feet from the crystals, a rectangular object caught his attention stuck between the crystals, he liberate it from the crystals. The object was Michael's cellphone, due to the picture of his wife, Amanda, on the lock screen. Franklin pulled out his cellphone and call Lester, unknown to him the crystal began to emit tiny sparks of electricity. "Yo L," greeted Franklin. "Oh hello Franklin," answered Lester on the other end, "well this is a surprise, I thought you forgot about me already." "Nah, dog," "Well that's good to hear," said Lester, "so is there anything you need from me ?" "Uh, yeah I found Michael's phone on the desert, stuck between some kinda crystals," Franklin said, "any idea where he might be ?" "Hmmmm...... there's no recent purchase from his credit card," said Lester, "and there's no sign of him in LS, no deposit, withdrawal, nothing, and did you said crystal ?" "Uh-yeah black crystal, stickin' up from the ground." "Odd, crystals don't usually form on the surface," Lester stated, "there's no record or map indicating there is a cave below the Senora desert, also crystal aren't naturally black." "Okay any sign of the old dude, Trevor ?" "Nothing, no cellphone activity, no purchases, withdrawal nor deposits, and even no reports of public exposure between eleven am and three pm in the last 24 hours, last position of his phone was where you stand right now." "I told you !" Ron butted in, "they were taken by aliens! ALIENS!" Franklin approaches Ron with irritation carved on to his face, he snatch the gun from Ron's grasp and throw it aside. "There's no such thing as aliens foo'," shouted Franklin, "they ain't real man. So does bigfoot 'cuz he's just a man who barked like a dog." While the new kid and the paranoid ex-accountant argued, Wade stare at the crystals. It sparks was getting more frequent and a buzzing sound can be heard from it. "Uh guys," Wade called, "guys !" "What ?!" Franklin and Ron shouted at Wade. Their eyes followed where Wade's index finger was pointing, it was the crystal buzzing loudly and electricity seems to course through it. The alarm on Franklin's Buffalo went off, turn signal, headlamps and cabin lights flicker on their own, screen wipers wipe the windshield with no one operating the car. Sandy Shores, Blaine County Melvin, Sandy Shores' Ammunation clerk, was doing inventory on the store supplies, when he was interrupted by the light in the storage flickering on and off. He put down his checklist to tend to the fuse box, he stepped outside his store, there are others outside their trailers, with similar reason he was outside. The inhabitants of Sandy Shores are all outside of their homes, due to the town wide electrical problem, they were confused and some were terrified, as everything connected to a plug start flickering on and off, along with street lamps and neon signs of local businesses, all Melvin can do is stand and watch. At one point every light glow brightly, followed by an exploding power pole, than another, and another along the power line, until all of Sandy Shores shrouded by darkness, unknown to Melvin and the rest of Sandy Shores, they're not the only ones. Frozen North, Equestria Within the depth of the castle, the ruler of Crystal Empire, Mi Amore Cadenza, and her newly wed husband, Shining Armor were fast a sleep after a hectic day of putting together the last requirements needed for the nations biggest athletic event, The Equestrian Olympics. The couple eyes were shut tight, their head lay upon the soft pillow and Shining Armor's snore echoed through the room, but not enough to wake his wife out of sleep, instead it gain him a hugging hoof from his wife. A sound, similar to those of a whine enter the bed chamber and reaches Cadence's ears, it flick, and her eyes open, she releases her grip from her still snoring husband and got out of bed, she move slowly toward the bedroom window to see what was making the whine that wake her from her slumber. As the princess of the Crystal Empire reaches the window, the whine have grown almost to a very loud whistle, she open the curtains. Her pupils shrank to a size smaller than a needle end, as an airborne beast, clad in white and blue stripe, approached her in great speed, instantly Cadence dive to the floor and cover her face, waiting for the certain doom she will meet, a doom that never come. After nothing happen to her, and checking that every limb she have is still present, Cadence run to the window again, the beast have disappear, but the whine was still there, slowly fading away and away. Although the beast have gone, another thing caught her attention below, on the edge of the empire she rule, a train is traveling fast and getting closer to the station, it keep going until it derailed at the end of the track after crashing through the barrier. "Shiny," Cadence whisper to her snoring husband, "Shining." Shining Armor let out a moan before he slump over to the other side to face his wife. "What is it Cady ?" asked Shining. "Shiny you have to see this." "Can It wait 'till morning ?" "No." Shining pushed away his blanket and exit the bed, with his sight still hazy from the rude awakening he's accompanied by Cadence toward the window, he look out to the window but none caught is attention. "What is it you want me to see Cadence ?" Shining asked. Cadence point her hoof to the direction of the Crystal Empire new train station, not the decommissioned one outside the empire. Shining rubs his eyes and direct his sight to where Cadence's hoof is pointing, on the end of the station lay a smoking wreck of a train, he can see speck of color, which are ponies, around it. "What happened ?" Shining ask again. "I-I have no idea," Cadence answered, "there was a huge flying thing , not a dragon, flying toward the castle." "A flying thing ? what does it-" Before Shining can finish his question, a knock came from the door, and he answer it, outside is a crystal pony guard. "Sir, there have been an accident on the train station," the guard reported, "a train have gone through the barrier and derailed." " Any casualty ?" Cadence asked. "We have no casualty report yet Your Majesty," the guard continued, "also there have been a sighting of an unidentified flying object traveling north." "Can you describe this..... flying object ?"asked Shining " It have an elongated shape and a pair of wing, also smoke was emitted from the object as it continue through its flight course." "Did you say wings ?" Shining inquire further. "Yes sir, a pair of unmoving wings, it struck the castle's tip sir." "Alright, round up any available guard and assemble in front of the castle I'll be down shortly." With a salute, the guard gallop to fulfill his commander's order. Shining went back inside and put on his uniform and armor, after that he proceed to go downstairs to meet his already rallying troops accompanied by Cadence, there were about fifty guard ponies gathered in front of the castle, it wasn't the total number of troops the empire have, those who gather are the guard ponies that work on the graveyard shift. Shining can only sigh at the number of troops his subordinate have collected, it wasn't satisfying, but he'll have to work with it. "Officer on deck !" shouts Shining's lieutenant. "At ease," ordered Shining, he turn to a pair of crystal pegasus, "Sergeant Gloss, Sargent Glimmer I want you to take your squad to the train station, there's been an accident, do whatever you can to help." "Sir, Yes sir," both sergeants replied in unison and leave with their respective squads. "The rest of you are with me." "Sir, may I ask where are we going ?" asked one of his sergeant. "We're going to follow up on a sighting of an unidentified flying object." answered Shining. "A U.F.O. Sir ?" "Yes a U.F.O. before you think I'm crazy the lieutenant and my wife saw the thing." There were murmurs from the lower ranks and the sergeants, murmurs of disbelief and confusion, it's not every day that Equestrian is visited by extraterrestrial beings. Shining told his lieutenant to ready his men within five minutes, then he climb the castle steps to his waiting wife. "Be careful Shiny," said Cadence. "I will Cady," Shining said. Cadence gave Shining a kiss on the cheek, and the former Captain of the Equestrian guard walk back down the steps to his troops. After preparing their equipments, from ration, cloak, spears and hoof claws, Shining and the graveyard shift guards march north, when they were only twenty feet away from the castle there was a thump and the sky north of the empire turn orange before quickly it revert to it's original dull grey. *** *** *** Inside one of the train car five mares piled on top each other, miraculously without any injury. "Get off me!" whined Rainbow Dash. "Would you kindly move," said Rarity. Defying any kind of law of physics and her own body anatomy, Pinkie burst from the top of the pile and landed on four hooves, causing the pile of ponies to roll on to the car's floor. "Let's do that again !" Pinkie said while hopping merrily. "What in tarnation happened here ?" asked Applejack, "it's look like a herd o' buffalo just pass by." "It's that thing....." said Twilight. "What thing Twi ?" asked the rainbow maned pegasus. "Didn't you see it ?" "No," answered Rainbow, " all I see was bolts of magic." Twilight looked around the car, it was a mess, she look to the end of the hallway, and the Crystal Palace was very visible from where she stands, then she looked back, and so did her friends. Behind the car was the locomotive, reduce to a bent, twisted, metal wreck. Twilight looked around the car again, while her friends murmur in disbelief in how the front most passenger car is able to by pass the locomotive with out getting seriously damaged, her eyes were fixed on the many holes that now decorate the car's wall, her horn glow and so did one of the holes, quickly a small pellet pops out of the wooden wall, she bring it closer to her. "Anyone feels that there's something missing here ?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Somethin' definitely missin' ," said Applejack. There was silent, then all of the five mares shouted. "FLUTTERSHY!" All five mares exit the car and headed straight to the crash site behind them. *** *** *** On the outskirt of the Crystal Empire, Trevor and Michael kept their eyes on what was in front of them, a blight, seemingly glowing city with a very tall tower in the middle, which was missing it's tip due to the jet striking it, and the train crash surrounded by speck of moving colors. "T, are you seeing this ?" asked Michael. "Yep, definitely seeing it," answered Trevor. "So...... you're not high at all ?" "Michael, I'm seeing it, and you're seeing it, which means I'm not high, and you're not high" Michael lean against the red pickup front, both his hand holding his head, he took a long, deep breath. "So we're not in North Yankton nor Canada." "Not at all." "So where the fuck are we then." "Well there's only one way to find out." Trevor untie the blanket made sack, he put on a trench coat that barely fit, then he use the blanket as a cape for extra protection from the cold and so did Michael. Trevor got back to the driver seat and turn the keys on the ignition, switching the truck alive again. Michael was still outside, staring at Trevor with a face of disapproval. "What ?" asked Trevor, "are you gonna get in or not." "What the hell are you doing T ?" asked Michael. "We're gonna drive there and check it out." "Oh, so were just going to drive into an unknown civilization, which we both know nothing about, whilst naked," Michael continued, "also the one that you just crash a train into." "AGGGHHHH....... what the fuck is wrong with you ?!" Trevor complained, "you aren't used to be like this, the complaining, the asking, what happened to the old you man ?!" "That old me is gone T, I got two kids and a wife." "Which you don't pay no attention to what so ever." "That's the thing of the past, Amanda and I fixed things up." "My God, 10 years and you turn to a sorry sack of shit," said Trevor, "well, I'm not going to stay in this godforsaken blizzard anymore, either you come with me, or you can stay here and be buried under six feet of snow." Michael glanced at the city, and back to Trevor, he sigh. "Well, I ain't got any choices do I?" "That's the Michael I know !" Trevor cheered, "hop in!" "Any plan when we got there ?" "No," answered Trevor, "we're gonna follow where that plane going down." Before starting their journey to the city ahead, Trevor handed Michael the Micro SMG. "Before we go, make sure that thing is loaded," warned Trevor," also watch for mini-horses shooting laser beams." "Seriously ?" "LET'S GO!" Trevor forced the accelerator pedal to kiss the floor and his red Canis Bodhi sped towards the empire. *** *** *** Dodge Junction, Equestria The desert town was empty, most of it's population were tucked in for the night, and the only establishment open was the local saloon and the Sheriff's office. In a back alley, there were a total of seven cloaked ponies, three unicorn stallions, a pair of earth pony, one mare, one stallion, a pegasus mare, and the mustard coat unicorn mare. The Earth pony stallion move forward from the pack, he turn his head left and right into the main street, empty, he signaled the rest of the group to cross the street. They all sprint in silent across the deserted street and on to the city's train station. "You," said the eldest of the unicorns, "ask if they got a ticket to the crystal empire." One of the younger unicorn stallion move into the dark and deserted platform, he approached the ticket booth, behind it was a sleeping earth pony stallion wearing a blue uniform, the unicorn knock on the wooden exterior of the booth. It was enough to wake up the pony behind it. "Wha' do you want ?" asked the teller behind the counter. "Is there any ticket to the Crystal Empire ?" asked the young one. "Sure do, but you'll have to wait 'till tomorrow, train just about the empire this time a day." "Thank you very much," the unicorn said, then he went back to his group. "Buckin' cultist," whispered earth pony. The young unicorn rejoined his group, informing the elder and the rest about the train's next arrival, the spirit of their king, which reside in the body of the mustard coat mare heard this, and he was disappointed at this revelation, he wanted to meet his liberator, the ones he summon to become the key out of his prison. He took over the mare again. "Muuuusssttt......... go.... now......." said the raspy voice again. The mustard mare eyes glow green again, and her horn also, with black and purple, it grew brighter and brighter. There was a loud pop and a flash of green light, the other open their covered eyes to find the elder and the mare have vanished.