“Well Twirl, no i’m not. The leader is actually Spitfire. What I am is a Captain of the Wonderbolt Royal Guard. Its no the highest rank, but its one a lot of Wonderbolts would like to be in.” I tell him smiling."Damn, why would anypony try to do that. That arrow was aimed directly at Twirl. Grr! When I find the pony that did that, I’m gonna kill him so brutally, he'll wish he never did this.” I snip still flying towards the shot.
“Huh what the, a muzzle flash. The only thing that would make some kind of flash like that is...a...tan... Oh no, I better warn the others. Also I better tell the Wonderbolt Guard."
“Wonderbolt Guard, come in over.” I call into my communicator hoping somepony picks up.
“This is the Wonderbolt Guard, what is it Alex, over.” The unknown pony gets my message and replies back.
“I was just scanning Ponyville and found that” - swallows - “their is an identified tank rolling towards Ponyville. Over.” I explain.
“Say WHAT! Ok, i'll contact Spitfire and the others. We'll prepare to fly down and investigate. You go and tell everypony in Ponyville to seek out shelter.” The mysterious pony orders.
“Alright understood, over and out.” I answer back showing that I understood my orders.
I fly as fast as I can back to Jake and Twirl. I even start shouting their names like something big is about to happen. “Twirl, Jake!”
“What is it Alex, what's going on?” Twirl asks.
I look down at Twirl worryingly, knowing he is very young and can potentially get killed in what's about to happen.
“Ok let me break this to you guys. I saw a tank out in the distance near the Everfree Forest. And I could have sworn that I noticed a Changeling platoon near it.” I tell them with anger and hopelessness.
“Say WHAT!?” Both of them cry.
“NOW HOW IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA DID THEY GET A TANK!?” Jake cries as he trots around begging for some kind of hope.
“We need to get to my base in Cloudsdale and get some fire power if we want to survive.” I tell them, trying to be Jake's light.
“Also, EVERYPONY GET SOME COVER, THE CHANGELINGS ARE MAKING AN ATTACK!” I shout, warning everypony in Ponyville.
Then in a second, everypony is scrambling on their hooves, running to get shelter. Some trip and fall but get up. Others are locking their doors. In a matter of seconds, it looked like the past when Zecora first came to Ponyville.
“Jake, Twirl.” I call them, “Both of you get on my back and i’ll fly us to my base.”
“Are you sure?” Twirl asks, worried that their combined weight will be a lot of stress on my wings.
“Yes Twirl is right. Your damaged wing could get torn off with both me and Twirl on your back.” Jake warns.
“No time, we need to move now!” I yell at them as I watch a tank cross the Ponyville bridge.
“If you say so.” Twirl comments back.
Both Twirl and Jake get on my back and their weight combined was so heavy, I was scared I wouldn't be able to lift off the ground, but I managed to, somehow.
"Grr, you guys are heavy. Well it doesn't matter we are almost there.” I struggle to even speak.
“Huh?” Spitfire spots me carrying two ponies and she is kinda pissed about it.
Then a Ice pony trots by and notices Spitfire is confused. “What is it Spitfire?” She asks the Fire looking pony with a Commanders suit on.
“Oh Blue Mist, I didn't see you there. Well I can see that Alex is being crazy again and is trying to fly two ponies with him.
Mist. Can you go and help our Captain out please. I don't want him hurting himself like before.” Spitfire orders.
“Sure i’ll fly down and help him.” The Ice pony accepts.
She then flies off to help me. Once she is in our view, everypony including me is a little stunned at first.
“Hey who's that Alex?” Twirl asks curiously as the Ice pony approaches.
“Oh, that’s Blue Mist coming to help us.” I tell the young Colt that's on my back.
“Hey Alex.” Mist teases.
”Hey Mist.” I blush.
“Should I help you? And you do realize that no pony is that strong. I mean you might cramp your wings or even hurt yourself. Remember what happened last time.” She teases a little more.
“Oh, alright Mist.” I give up and agree.
So she picks up Twirl and lightens the weight on my back. That helped a lot because now i'm not struggling as much to carry my friends.
“Thanks, I kinda needed that.” I tell her as we approach the cloudy looking fortress called Cloudsdale.
“No problem, and also I know you're trying to impress me, but you're going through it all wrong.” Mist nudges me.
“Hehe, yeah.” I blush a little more.
So after Blue Mist helps me, all four of us, Jake, Twirl, Mist and I land on the landing pad in Cloudsdale. “Ok the three of us need to go to my house, or as I call it, a base to armor up.” I tell Spitfire.
“Oh and Mist, thanks for helping me back there.” I add.
“No problem” Spitfire tells me without hesitation.
“No problem.” Blue Mist agrees.
So Twirl, Jake and I are galloping through Cloudsdale, towards my home. I take a quick peek and notice that the Changelings are commencing their attack. Good thing I called for Cloudsdale support, because as we gallop to my house, most of the Wonderbolts are taking off and headed towards the battle.
“Here it is guys. My home.” I tell my two friends that are alongside me.
“Wow looks, uh big” Jake says as he looks all the way up and back down.
“Well yeah. How do you think I am gonna store all my Tanks, Mechs and other weaponry I've got?!” I tell him.
“Hey Alex.” The small red pony tries to get my attention.
“Ya Twirl.” I acknowledge and turn around to face him.
“Aren't you the Cloudsdale Leader?” He asks. He also tilts his head to show the confusion in him.
“Not exactly, no i'm not a leader. I'm a captain, which is still a good rank but its that i'm just a regular soldier with elite fighting experience making it look like i'm one. However I'm just gonna stay as Captain, and to be honest I think it fits with my name, but that's just my opinion.” I explain to Twirl.
“Hey cut the chatter you two.” as Jake interrupts my explanation.
“Ok, ok you guys just want to see the inside, right?” I roll my eyes.
“Yes.” Both Twirl and Jake nod with excitement.
“Alright.” As I give in to their inpatients.
I trot over and put my hooves onto a sensor that scans me. After the scanning is complete, I step off and watch the door open next to me. I look at Jake and Twirl. They have their mouths dropped from what they see. After the door opens, all three of us trot in and the two ponies next me gaze around with interest and unbelieving.
“Wow, this stuff looks so futuristic. How do you have so much time to build these machines and weaponry.” Twirl asks, as he spots a cool looking vehicle.
“Well Twirl I don’t make it all by myself. I get some help from them.” I point at the two helpers.
One of them have a sage green armor color protecting him fully. He also has a hilt clipped to his right leg and is setting up his sniper rifle. The other is not a human. instead he is a alien. He has a dark purple armor shielding most of his body. He has a hilt clipped to his left leg and an energy gun clipped to his right. In his right hand he holds a big green looking weapon.
“Huh, it's an honor meeting you guys.” Jake says surprised as he quickly recognizes the two characters.
“Hello. But the Arbiter and I can't talk right now. The UNSC needs us.” The green armored Spartan says in a deep voice.
The Spartan then walks over and shows me his communicator.
"Ok Chief. Hey wait” - I stop him - “did you obtain or build the weapon I requested?” I ask him.
“Yes we did.” Chief tells me.
Arbiter then hands me my requested item. I take it and inspect it to make sure everything was done right. As I look at it, the two troopers walk out and leave using a Longsword Fighter.
As I look at the weapon I remember, “Aww crap. I almost forgot.” as I trot over to Twirl.
“What's wrong Alex?” The little colt asks.
“Twirl here you can help me by operating this, and I see that your muzzle stopped bleeding so no worries there.” as I hand the tool to Twirl.
“Um, Alex what is this thing and its heavy?” Twirl asks as he looks at the tool.
“Oh, its a Spartan Laser. What it does is fires a big beam from the nozzle and the laser is able to destroy on a massive scale. You'll see when you fire it.” I explain to him, also a little jealous that he is the user.
Confused at first, Twirl then takes it and trots over to an open window. He then aims down the sight. The colt then clicks the trigger and nothing happens. All you hear is a quick charging sound. He tries a second time, but this time he holds the trigger and a beam is projected to show what your gonna hit. He then lets the trigger go, not wanting to waste any shots.
"Oh how cool....”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Twirl is cut off by the explosions that went off.
“Dammit the base was hit!” I shout and try to recover my balance.
Twirl quickly re-positions the weapon and aims. “Aiming, aiming and FIRE, achoo - sniff - ”Aw no I might have missed, sorry I sneezed.” Twirl says.
“Nah, you got them, look.” I point at the big fire ball.
“Yay!” As Twirl puts the gun down and rubs his muzzle.
“I-uh-I want to go home.” As I hear Jake thinking out-loud.
“Here Twirl, your gonna need this armor if you want to withstand arrows or even bullets that get fired at you.” I tell him. I then hand him the armor.
“Thanks Alex.” He tells me while putting it on.
“No problem. Now where did Jake go, he needs armor to.” I tell Twirl looking around for the other colt.
While I’m looking for Jake, Jake is trying to find a way out. He sees me coming closer knowing that I found him.
“Oh there you are Jake” I tell him seeing that he gave up running.
As i'm talking to the sacred colt Twirl finds a cool Mech. The mach is quite big and Twirl looks up and down at it, interested to see how it works.
“Hey Alex, can I use this. I want to get some revenge on those no good, stupid, evil bugs we call Changelings.” The young colt snips and growls.
“Well, I've never seen or heard a young Colt like you ever say something that, uh evil, or well not even evil but just.....” I studer, surprised at what I heard.
“In so much anger.” Twirl adds, trying to help me out.
"Yeah, that works." I agree. “But wait I need to explain something to you. You need a driver. That machine is two pony controlled.” I explain to the red colt.
"Oh, I'll wait." Twirl says as he waits next to the Mech.
“Jake, you got to put this armor on." I Order him. “It will protect you. I mean look at Twirl, he is younger than you, but he’s ready for anything.” As I continue to persuade.
Still unsure, Jake puts the armor on. "Alex I still don't know if this is such a good idea." He tells me.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. My armor can withstand a direct shot from even a tank. Now I'd like to go and get into the Mantis. Twirl has waited long enough." I tell Jake.
So I start to trot over to the Mantis. I can also see that Twirl has picked up a .42 magnum pistol. I climb up the ladder and get in. Inside the Mech Twirl and I get situated. Once set, Twirl becomes inpatient.
"So, Alex can we start this or what?" Twirl asks excitingly.
"Yeah, let's start this." I reply excited myself.
I turn on the power and the Mech suit comes alive. The engines start to warm up and the ammo clips begin to load up. I sit down at my chair where I control the legs and other mini functions of the machine.
Twirl watches how easy my part is but asks about his. "So, how do I control my part Alex?"
"Well it's easy, all you do is put your hooves through there and like magic, you can now move both of the arms on the suit. Which I got to say is really cool." I explain to Twirl.
So the colt trots to his platform and puts his hooves into the arms of the machine, and before you knows it, he can control them with ease.
"What I control is the rest of the suit, which is moving the legs and controlling other minor things." I add.
So now that the suit is on, I walk it out of the base. And what I like to do is jump, so I walk the suit all the way to the edge of Cloudsdale and I jump. As we free fall, Twirl get nervous and asks me what i'm doing.
"Hey Alex why did we jump, this thing can't fly." Twirl says nervously.
"Oh you have no idea" I tell him with confidence.
Right before the Mech hits the ground, I turn on the thrusts and the suit lands without damage. "See Twirl, I know what I'm doing. You don't have to worry." I tell the worried colt.
"Actually, we have to worry" Twirls tells me as he looks through his periscope.
"Why Twirl?" I ask.
"Look into your periscope and you’ll see what I mean.” The colt orders.
I look and only to find that we landed right in front of a huge army of Changelings. So the colt then takes control of the arms and we are fighting the bugs and trying to defend Ponyville.
“Twirl how do you think Jake is doing all alone up in my base?” I ask Twirl as we continue fighting Changelings.
“Don’t know, he could be either fighting Changelings or just sitting there wondering what to do.” Twirl tells me.
Back at my base, Jake sits on the ground still trying to fit his armor on. Then out of the shadows, a pony approaches him.
"Huh, who goes there?!" Jake says startled as he jumps back looking around.
"Jake is that you?" A familiar voice calls out.
"Budder, what are you doing here!" Jake answers the new colt that walked in.
"Well I was gonna join the Wonderbolts in the fight, but first I decided to stop by and sharpen my knife. I can see Alex has went because his Mantis ain't here." Budder says as begins to sharpen his knife.
"Man, what have I got myself into." Jake says not knowing what to do.
"It's your fault, but as I think about it, it's safer up here than down where the destruction is happening." Budder says while he pulls out his AK-47 to check it after sharpening his blade.
"What?! I was just trotting along, humming a tune in my head, until Alex came to say hello. Then all of a sudden Hell broke loose with Changelings attacking!" Jake shouts.
The two colts then notice a big explosion and are directed to the window. The two then watch in amazement over the resistance Twirl and I made.
"Twirl!" I shout. "Twirl I need that area clear. Fire a missile." As I point to the location.
"Ok!" Twirl agrees. He then finds and hits the red button. After pressing the button, He lifts the right arm of the Mech and aims.
WHOOSH!
A huge missile is launched. The missile travels and hits the location. Most of the Changelings are killed or wounded very harshly.
"Nice Twirl. Now If I may ask, you need to take full control of the Mech." I tell him in warning.
"What, why Alex?" He asks nervously, knowing i'm gonna do something heroic.
"Because I'm gonna go out there and take out the Queen." I tell Twirl as I open the hatch.
As the hatch is opening, Twirl begs to differ and that I change my mind. "No, Alex please don't do it” - sniff - “you might get killed." The sad pony tells me as he begins to tear up.
"Well Twirl, it's a risk I have to take." I leave the protection of the Mech. The hatch closes behind me.
"No, Alex!" He yells. "No, keep it together Twirl, just operate the Mech and give Alex cover fire." The worried colt tells himself.
I pull out my Energy Sword in my left hoof. Then I pull a Magnum in my right. I begin to eye my enemy and finally threaten. "Come at me Changelings!" I shout. “You can’t win. We are too powerful for you to take out!” I continue.
"Ahahaha!" The Changeling Queen laughs. "Changelings aim our tank at him!" The queen orders, as she takes me as a joke.
"Ok Crystalis." A Changeling soldier replies, as they drive another tank into the battlefield.
"The hell, we're did you get another tank! Didn't I destroy them?" I snip under the shock and surprise thats going through me.
"Hahahaha, you thought you destroyed all, but really we have so much more than one” - she turns to the tank gunner - ”now whenever ready take the shot." She says pointing at me.
"Roger!" A Changeling acknowledges.
The tanks barrel lowers and is aimed straight at me. I start to talk to myself, as I think what to do next. “These Changelings aren't joking. But I ain't either.”
"Fire!" The Queen orders.
"As you wish." The tank gunner replies.
The gunner then pulls the fire button and a bullet is fired at me.
BOOM!
Direct hit on my chest, as smoke and other fragments launch into the air concealing my position.
"Nooooo!" Twirl nearly cries. "Why Alex, why, why, why did you do it?" Twirl says sad and angry.
"Grr, that's it!" Twirl gets the controls, then runs the Mech at the Changeling tank. He picks it up throws it at another.
BOOM! CRASH! CRASH! BOOM!
The tanks explodes. "Hehe, that's for Alex." Twirl snips.
Crystalis surprised, she picks up a rocket, takes aim and fires it at Twirl. The moment before hitting Twirl, I reflect the shot back at Crystalis, but still concealed in the smoke.
BOOM!
The rocket explodes right next to her. "How, impossible, this can't be. No. How did you survive the tank’s shot. No pony can do that!" Crystalis struggles to speak while trying to get back up with a somewhat fractured hoof.
Twirl kills the rest of the Changelings so I can capture the Queen.
"Let's just say, I have armor that can withstand more than you think Crystalis. Don't even try to underestimate me and my soldiers!" I warn her.
"Soarin, come in over." I call using my communicator.
"This is Soarin, what is it Alex.”
"I captured Crystalis.”
"That's great, Ok, me and the Wonderbolts will be there shortly".
"Copy, over an out.”
And in no time, Soarin and his team is their. They all land and surround the area.
"Crystalis, your done. Did you really think having a war against us was the best idea in the first place. We defeated you the first time, we can defeat you again!" Soarin snips.
"Hehe, did you really think it is this easy." The Queen smirks as she looks at Cloudsdale.
"What do you mean?" I ask her.
"Let's just say that my Changelings are in Cloudsdale causing chaos and destroying the place as we speak!" Crystalis says with a grin.
Me and Soarin look at each other, eyes wide, mouths open. "Crap, at this rate, our home, our base of operations, it'll all be destroyed." Lightning dust pitches in.
"No, not yet, I've got one of my troops up their. He'll be able to slow the attack down with my Scorpion Tank. It'll also give Twirl and I enough time to get up there and support" I tell them.
"Jake come in over." I call.
"Alex what's wrong, Budder and I are on…..."
"No, Jake listen, the Changelings are coming to your position. I've captured Crystalis, but the rest of the Hive army are coming. Get ready and defend. Twirl and I are on our way. Over and out!" I inform him.
Twirl and I then look up at the base worried.