//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Greetings & Threats - Part 2 // Story: The Other Ones of Me (A Mass Effect Crossover) // by DragonsHeart //------------------------------// Twilight is unable to move, stuck in a blue aura. She looks around for a way to save herself. Twilight tried to use her magic, but couldn’t warp herself in her magic to teleport away. She looks over at her friends, some were trying to get up, but every time one nearly did they were slammed back into the ground by the odd power that this mare possessed. The mare has them all where she wants them. There is no way out. “Now then,” the mare says, raising her left hoof. Another red glowing weapon appears. This time a forked blade with lightning crackling across it. “Let’s put this Princess into an eternal sleep. Have fun in hel…” ‘WACK’ She never got to finish her sentence. Her eyes roll up into her head and topples forward onto Twilight. Twilight yelps in surprise and pain. That mare is heavy! Twilight looks up painfully to what caused this sudden change. It is Pinkie. She is standing on her hind legs over the now unconscious mare holding a cartoonishly big thesaurus. “I got her,” Pinkie pants. “Wow, this is heavy!” she says as she falls backwards. Pinkie picks herself off the ground, runs over and pulls Twilight out from under the mare. ”Thank you, Pinkie. You saved our lives,” Twilight says, as she starts to lean on Spike again. “No problem girls.” Pinkie helps the rest of the girls up and she then pulls them all into a huge cuddle. “I mean, that’s what friends do,” she says happily. “Not that I don’t like hugs, dear,” says Rarity wincing in pain like all the rest, “But we are pretty hurt here.” “Opps,” says Pinkie, letting go. “No problem, Pinks,” says Rainbow Dash, “but what are we going to do about her,” she points toward the unconscious mare. Twilight frowns at this, then turning toward Spike says, “Spike, take a letter,” Spike nods and pulls out a parchment and quill and gets ready to write, “Dear Princess Celestia. My friends and I have some news regarding the object that landed in the Everfree Forest, upon investigating the object we found a trail of blood leading away from the craft, following it, we encountered a strange mare clad in armour, who attacked us with odd weapons that Rainbow Dash identified as ‘Guns’. We managed to subdue her, sustaining minor injuries, and took her back to the Library. We removed what we thought were all her weapons and armour, and bound her hooves. When she awoke, we questioned her to who she was and why she attacked us. Her answers were cryptic at best and seemed not to remember attacking us, possibly due to a concussion she took while we subdued her. At first she seemed quite confused to her situation, however when we asked for her name, she had some sort of breakdown, before becoming violent and confrontational. She then broke her bonds and proceeded to attack us once again, this time with a host of strange and unnatural powers. With a great deal of difficulty, we subdued her again, but now we are unsure of what to do. This mare is dangerous, and possibly alien, and any attempts to restrain her seem futile, what should we do Princess? I anxiously await your reply. Signed Princess Twilight Sparkle. Got all that Spike?” “Yep!” he says finishing it off. “Good, then send it off,” she replies. Spike blows a puff of green fire at the parchment causing it to disappear. “Now, we wait,” orders Twilight, which they did, only pausing for Pinkie to get some more icepacks for them. After ten minutes, Spike burps, and a letter arrives. “What does it say, Spike,” asks Twilight. Spike clears his throat starts to speak, “Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle. This news is troubling indeed, I hope your friend are not too badly injured. From what you have said, it is clear that she should not remain in Ponyville, and I need to see this mare in person to make a proper decision on a course of action. Though you would probably like to rest after your troubling ordeal, I would also like you and your friends to be present. I will arrange for a contingent of royal guard to pick you all up. They will hopefully be there in half an hour. Signed Princess Celestia.” Rarity limps forward and says, “That gives us half an hour to clean ourselves up.” Twilight frowns and looks down on herself. She remembers how dirty she is. “Me first!” she yells “Keep an eye on her!” and dashes up to the bathroom, despite how much it hurts to do so. “Well, that was rude!” pouts Rarity, sitting down on the thesaurus. “I’m just happy she’s still alive,” says Applejack smiling. “I don’t need to wash,” Rainbow Dash says, crossing her front hooves. “Well Fluttershy does, and I need to freshen myself up,” says Rarity looking at her ruined hair. “Why does Fluttershy need… Alright the blood,” Pinkie says catching on. “Sorry,” apologizes Fluttershy. “It’s not your fault, dear, it’s hers,” Rarity says, pointing toward the mare that still lay on the floor. “Don’t you think we should tie her up or something,” asks Rainbow Dash, still keeping her distance. “I don’t want to approach her,” says Applejack not moving, “Not after the last move she did on us.” “I quite agree, dear,” agrees Rarity, “She just picked us threw us around like rag dolls.” “How did she do that anyway?” wonders Rainbow, then she asks, “Was it magic?” “No it wasn’t,” comes a voice from up the stairs. They look up the stairs to see Twilight walking down the stairs, she was drying herself with a towel and was also being helped down the stairs by Spike. “That was quick, Twilight?” says Rarity. “I used some spells to help me, because I know how long it takes you to use the bathroom,” replies Twilight smirking. “And how did you know that is wasn’t magic,” says Rarity, acting affronted. “When she used that odd power, her horn didn’t glow,” she states, as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. “But her body and left hoof glowed,” points out Pinkie. “Yes but red and blue, not white like her magic was,” answers Twilight, “Now who get the shower next?” “Fluttershy does,” states Rarity. Fluttershy looks shocked and then asks nervously, “Are you sure, Rarity? I mean I can wait.” “No. You just go up there and down come down until you’re spotless,” Rarity says smiling. “Umm, thank you,” Fluttershy says as she starts walks up the stairs. Twilight then walks over to the unconscious mare and stands over her. Twilight’s horn starts to glow. “What are you doing, Twi,” asks Rainbow Dash confuses. “I casting a sleeping spell on her, so she won’t wake up,” she states smiling. Five minutes later Fluttershy comes out of the bathroom with not a spot of blood on her. After Rarity makes sure no one else wants it, she grabs her bag, goes up the stairs, locks herself in the bathroom, and cries. They can hear her sobbing about her ruined hair from down the stairs. Thinking about hair, Applejack borrowing a comb from Twilight starts to combs her hair. “Argh, I can’t believe she burnt my hair,” Applejack says in frustrated tones, looking at the singed ends of her hairs, “How am I gonna explain this to Granny Smith?” “I know right, I mean I’m going to have to trim my hair, to get rid of these burnt ends,” complains Rainbow Dash. After about ten minutes of waiting, Pinkie, whose hair now seems fine, hops over Twilight, who has a frown on her face. “Why the frown, Twilight?” asks Pinkie smiling. “Oh don’t worry, Pinkie, it’s just her,” Twilights says, pointing down to the unconscious mare, “She keeps trying to wake up, and I have to keep putting her to sleep and strengthen the sleep spell!” “Is that even possible, Twilight?” asks Fluttershy, slight awe in her voice. “I don’t know?” says Twilight. “Twilight do you know how many times today you said, ‘I don’t know?’ it’s getting annoying,” Rainbow dash says crossing her front hooves. “Well sorry if I don’t know all the answers,” Twilight snaps. Pinkie giggles, “You said ‘I don’t know’ again,” she laughs. A smile appears on Twilights face, and she starts to laugh, and so does the rest of her friends. It wasn’t very funny, it’s just with the day they had anything seems funny. “What’s so funny?” asks Rarity, as she walks down the stairs, drying herself. “Oh nothing,” Twilight says giggling. After another few minutes of waiting, including Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight, and surprisingly Rainbow Dash getting their hair trimmed a bit by Rarity to get rid of the brunt ends of their hair. So afterwards their hair is now bit shorter and thinner. “Well, it will grow back,” says Applejack, putting her hat on. “We should teach her a lesson,” Rainbow Dash says, approaching the unconscious mare with a pair of scissors, only to be stopped by Rarity. “No one destroying anypony’s hair despite what they did,” Rarity says in a tone that says ‘I will defend her lovely hair until the end.’ “Oh. OK.” Rainbow Dash says in defeated tones, she then has the scissor taken by Rarity. There was then a knock at the door, the girls froze at this. Who can it be? Twilight walks up to the door, and talks through it. “Who is it?” Twilight says in a clear voice. “It’s the Guards, random dead body search!” says a familiar voice from the other side of the door. Twilight frowns at this, and opens the door, to find a smiling Sergeant Thunderclap on other side. “I’m joking, it’s only me,” he says giving a friendly wink at her. “I could guess,” Twilight says in a not amused voice. “Wow who stole your fun,” he says, before turning serious in his weird way, “Me and my squad are here to take you and your friends and the visitor!” “Oh, OK, come in,” Twilight says stepping out of the way to let him in. He walks in and looks around the room, raising his eyebrow says, “What happens here! Looks like a firestorm went through her?” he turns and inspects Twilight, “No offence your highness. But you look like shit.” Twilight winces at that, “Is it really that noticeable,” she says, not really wanting to hear the answer. “You look like you fell down a flight of stairs,” he says as he starts to inspect the rest of the girls, “Shit, you all do!” “Mind your language,” scolds Rarity, shooting him a warning glare, “There is a child present.” “I’m not that much of a child,” pouts Spike. “Never the less, you’re still a child, and he should watch his language,” Rarity says fixing Thunderclap with a firm glare. “But she said a lot of things, that was much worse,” Spike argues pointing toward the unconscious mare, “Like the word fuc…” Spike’s mouth was then grabbed by Twilight’s magic, as she also gives him a warning glare. “Spike, if you ever say that word again, I will ground you for a week, alright,” Twilight says slowly. Spike does the only thing he can do, he nods. Twilight lets go of Spike’s mouth, and Spike takes a huge breath. It was getting hard to breathe. “So this is the alien, eh,” Thunderclap says, walking over to the unconscious mare, “She’s cute for an alien.” Twilight rolls her eyes. Is that all stallion think about. “No. Sometimes we think about beer,” he says, as he inspects the mare. Twilight is shocked. Has he read her mind? “No. Just your face,” he says smiling again, “It’s a lot easier,” he then runs his hoof across her forehead, “She’s got two very nasty lumps on her head?” “Is it fatal?” Pinkie says nervously. “What those? Nah. She will be fine,” he says smiling at Pinkie, “Just don’t get in the habit of hitting aliens on the head. It’s not good for their health.” Pinkie gives an embarrassed blush at this. “OI!” yells Thunderclap, causing the girls to wince, “Get in here, Corporal Fisher, and Private Whiplash.” Two Royal Guards walk in, one they recognized as Corporal Fisher who gives the girls a warm smile. Private Whiplash is a grey unicorn. When he stopped walking, he gives the girls graceful bow. “Now I want you to cuff and put her in the prison chariot,” Thunderclap orders, as he points behind him. The Guards give him confused look, causing him to turn around and see that he was pointing actually at Twilight, who in his defence is standing next to the mare. “I meant the mare next to her, you smart-asses,” he says, in an annoyed voice. Smirking the Guards walk past him and get to work putting the chain linked cuffs on her. “Are you sure they can hold her? She got out of the rope when we tied her up before,” Applejack says nervously. “First of all, they are made of iron not rope. Second they are enchanted, so at a simple command I can get her legs to lock together, stopping her movement completely,” he says smugly, then his face changes to curiously. “What is it?” asks Twilight picking this up. “I was just wondering how she had brunt threw that rope,” he says pointing at the rope on the floor. Twilight frowns at this, she picks up the rope with her magic and to her shock found out he was right. The knot is still in place, she just brunt threw part of the rope. “She must have used that weird device on her hoof,” she says realizing what had happened. Thunderclap frowns at this, he then turns to his fellow Guard and asks, “Are those cuffs weird device proof?” “I don’t know, sir?” replies Corporal Fisher, “The only weird device I ever saw was that long vibrating thing we found in Private Whiplash locker?” Thunderclap eyes widen at this and says, “Yeah that was weird.” “Look I doubt she used one of them to burn the rope,” says Private Whiplash quickly, blushing slightly. Some of the girls blush at this, and some look confused. “What are you talking about? What weird device?” asks Twilight. “Never you mind, dear,” Rarity says, blushing hotly. “But why,” whines Twilight, hating to be out of the loop, “I want to know.” Rainbow Dash shrugs and flies over to Twilight, and whispers in her ear. Soon Twilight is blushing as well. “You mean they stick…” says Twilight, blush increasing. “Yep,” Rainbow Dash answers. “And it does…” continues Twilight, her face now red. “Yes,” Rainbow Dash continues to answer. “That is weird,” Twilight says. “So what is it?” asks Pinkie Pie. “Never you mind,” Twilight says, still blushing. Pinkie frowns at this and is about to say more. When a grunting noise interrupts her. It is Corporal Fisher, “Celestia! She weights a lot?” he says, as he and Private Whiplash lift up the mare. “You right,” agreed Private Whiplash, “What does she eat? Bricks?” “You wusses, she can’t be that heavy,” mocks Thunderclap. The two Guards put her down and both say, “You try!” Thunderclap walks forward smiling and then to the girl’s surprise, picks her up easily on his back. But after a few seconds he puts her down. “Your right?” he says in surprise, “She is heavy?” he then glares at the guards who are smirking, “Get back to work you slackers!” he yells while smiling. The two Guards still smiling pick her up and carry her out of the door. Thunderclap then turns towards the girls smiling. “Are we already to go,” he says smiling. “We are,” Twilight says, “But we need to take that chest over there,” she adds pointing toward a chest on a shelf, “It has her stuff in it.” “Ok,” he says, walking over to the chest and putting it on his back, “Let’s go then,” he says as he walks out the door followed by the girls and the dragon. He points to a chariot, which the girls and Spike hop on, he then straps the chest to the back of it. He then harness himself to the girls chariot with another guard they don’t recognize. They look behind to see another chariot with a cage attached to it, they can see the mare inside it still unconscious, two Guards which includes Private Whiplash watch over her, spears ready. While Corporal Fisher and another guard are harnessed to the chariot. “Are you ready girls,” asks Thunderclap. The girls nod. “Then hold on,” he yells, “We got to make up for lost time.” Then he and the guard starts running and after a second take off, followed by the prison chariot. They then head straight for Canterlot.