The Party of One settled gently down on the grassy plain with nary a jolt or a jostle. The airship, despite its appearance, was as graceful as a butterfly fluttering through the air.
The pegasus clinging to the underside was not so graceful. The moment the airship touched down, Fluttershy released her grip on the dangling rope and collapsed to the ground. The heavens willing, she would never have to experience flying again.
She lay on the ground for a few minutes, patiently waiting for her body to stop shaking. Fluttershy had never been so high up in her life. Not helping was the fact that most of the trip had been spent over open water, with no land to be seen in any direction. She had cried when mountains appeared on the horizon, signaling the end of her journey.
Now, it was just a matter of pulling herself together and finding her wayward charges. Sighing, Fluttershy picked herself up and took a long, calming breath. That seemed to do the trick, though she failed to notice a soft white light enveloping her body. Feeling better, she turned and marched towards the gangplank being lowered to the ground.
"Oh, those girls are going to get it. No more Miss Nice Pony! This vacation is over!"
.o.O.o.
“So, how was everypony’s trip? Did you all have a good time?” Pinkie Pie asked to the gathered crowd of ponies. And a chocobo. And a dragon whelp. She hopped in place, both to get a good look at all the eclectic beings waiting to disembark and to use up some excess energy. “I can’t let you go unless you’re all one-hundred percent satisfied!”
Spike leaned over and whispered to Stardust, “Whaddaya suppose happens if we aren't satisfied?” Spike waited for an answer, but none came. He looked up to see Stardust gazing out over the railing of the airship, his eyes distant and watery. “Hey,” he said, poking the chocobo in the side.
Stardust started, his feathers ruffling all over his body. “Huh, wha? Uh… not sure.”
“You okay? You’re acting weird.”
“Um… just… got a lot on my mind.”
“Oh, yeah? What about?”
Stardust waved a wing and began walking towards the gangplank. “Just stuff.”
“Hey!” Spike cried as he ran to catch up with him. “No seriously, what’s up?”
“Nothing. Just drop it, alright?”
Letting out a huff, Spike folded his arms and looked away. “Fine. Spoilsport.”
They reached the plank, walking single file to the ground. Seconds after they disembarked, Rainbow Dash suddenly stopped and flared her wings. “Wait!” she said and whirled around to face the others. “We can’t just walk right into Vectorlot like this. Half the Empire’s probably on our tails. We gotta think of something so that we can get in.” She turned to Trixie and gestured towards her with a hoof. “You know this place pretty well, right? What do you think?”
Trixie smirked and stepped forward, making sure she was in the center of the group. “Well, our little espers are held in the Magitek Research Facility. That place is well guarded, as you can probably guess. Some of the most advanced weapons are used to protect it. Going in the front door would be stupid, but there is a second way. The facility connects to the Magitek Factory in a couple of ways. If we can slip into the factory then we can get to the facility. There’s a railroad that we can use to get into the factory. That shouldn't be as guarded.”
“Great,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding her head. “I guess that’s where we gotta head to. Still doesn't help us with getting there.”
A pink pony, held aloft by a dozen red balloons, floated down next to them. Pinkie Pie began waving a hoof into the air and repeating, “Oh! Oh!”
Rainbow Dash blinked, looking between Pinkie Pie and the airship. “Were you eavesdropping on us?
“Hey, I wasn’t dropping any leaves!“ Pinkie Pie said. “I was listening the whole time.”
“Uh, right. Could you, uh, forget everything you just heard?”
“But then I won’t be able to tell you my idea to get you in.”
Rainbow Dash peered at the pink pony through lidded eyes. “Why would you want to help us? Aren’t you, like, best buds or something with the Empire?”
“Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” Pinkie Pie reached behind her and pulled out a small binder from thin air, pointing at a crudely drawn calendar in pink crayon. “And today’s definitely a Sunday, so I am totally free to be a meanie-pants to them!”
The only thing Rainbow Dash could think to say was, “‘Kay.”
“Alright, now, we’re going to need a few things from my airship.” Pinkie Pie placed a hoof to her mouth and blew, generating a high pitched whistle. Within seconds, dozens of ponies carrying sealed cardboard boxes on their backs ran down the gangplank and stood before Pinkie Pie in a perfect line. Three smaller ponies conspicuously fumbled their boxes but managed to take their place at the farthest end of the line. Rainbow Dash looked to see if Pinkie had noticed, but if she had she didn't seem to care.
Pinkie Pie clopped her hooves to once again gain attention. “Okay, since the Empire knows we’re here, there’s no way to go in all sneaky like. So, I’m gonna do what they expect me to do.” She jumped to her hind legs, a cloud of confetti blasting out of her mane. “Throw a party!”
.o.O.o.
Deep within the bowels of the Magitek Research Facility, a young colt sat on a stool with a scowl on his muzzle. He glared at the stallion standing at a desk and writing down figures on a clipboard. Only the scratching of a pencil on paper could be heard within the confines of the room.
Finally, the stallion finished his notes and regarded the colt. Sighing, he said, “Young lad, would you stop looking at me like that? All I did was give you a physical.”
“It hurt!” Spotter cried. He pointed at his flank where a band aid covered up part of his cutie mark. “What kind of doctor are you?!”
Doctor Whooves chuckled and set down his clipboard. “Not much of one, I admit. But I know enough to get what I need.” He pressed a button on his desk. Moments later, a cream colored mare with a cropped green and white mane stepped into the room. “Coco, please see to our guest here for a while. I need to run this over to the lab.”
“Certainly,” the mare replied, an easy smile on her muzzle. “Anything in particular I should know?”
“Just keep him company until I return.” Without another word, he exited the office, leaving Spotter and his assistant behind.
The mare sat down next to the young colt and extended a hoof. “Hello, there. I’m Coco Pommel. What’s your name?”
Spotter looked at the offered hoof for several seconds before extending one of his own and gently shook it. “Um, Spotter.”
“Hello there, Spotter. I see Whooves has taken an interest in you. Oh! Here.” She reached into a brown satchel hanging by her side and pulled out a red sucker, offering it to Spotter. “I think it’s tradition to have one of these after a doctor’s visit, right?”
“Yay!” His pains forgotten, Spotter wasted no time in grabbing the treat, ripping off the wrapper, and sticking it in his mouth. “Phanks!” he said around the hard candy.
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s see if we can find something to do until Whooves returns. How about a game?”
“Wha kind of game?”
“Hmm, good question.” Coco looked about the room, searching for any inspiration. Doctor Whooves’s office was a cluttered mess at the best of times, despite Coco’s efforts to keep it tidy. Charts and graphs that displayed complex equations that she couldn’t begin to decipher lay strewn on the desk and pinned to the walls without any rhyme or reason. Small machine parts, measuring equipment, and discarded food wrappers filled up the rest of the available space. “Well, let’s try this. Do you know the game Eye-Spy?”
Spotter rapidly nodded his head. “Yep!”
“Great! Then I’ll go first. Let’s see… I spy with my little eye, something that begins with D.”
Scrunching up his face, Spotter glanced around the room, his gaze finally falling on one object in particular. “A desk!” he exclaimed, pointing a hoof at the wooden desk taking up a third of the room.
Coco clapped her hooves. “That’s right! Okay, your turn.”
Spotter rolled the sucker in his mouth around as he searched for something that might stump the mare. His eyes narrowed as a tingling sensation in his horn caused him to focus on a wall. “I spy with my little eye, something that begins with S.”
“It’s not you, is it?”
“Nope.”
“Darn,” Coco said, exaggerating a sigh of defeat. “Looks like I lose again. What was it?”
Spotter got up from his seat and trotted over to a section of wall. Without hesitating, he tapped a hoof against the wall in several spots, earning a confused look from Coco. The question of what he was doing morphed into a squeak of surprise as the wall opened inwards like a door.
“Secret passage!”
.o.O.o.
“Okay everypony, dragon, and chocobo. Let’s get this party started!”
Pinkie Pie led her motley crew straight down the main street of Vectorlot, throwing streamers and confetti at all the confused passers-by. A much less exuberant set of ponies followed in her wake. Dressed in a full-body manticore mascot outfit, Rainbow Dash pirouetted, hopped, swiped, and growled at the citizens watching the impromptu parade. Fortunately, her mask covered up the deep scowl the pegasus wore throughout the activities.
“The things I do to sneak into places,” she muttered after belting a roar at a delighted set of foals.
The only thing making a fool out of herself bearable was that all her companions were going through the same thing. Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, Spike, and even Stardust wore similar monster costumes, each playing up their parts as best they could. A half-dozen of Pinkie Pie’s employees took up the tail of the parade, throwing out candy and balloons to the entertained, and more importantly, distracted crowd. None of the Imperial guards made any attempt to stop them, with many hooting and hollering along with everypony else.
It was as the parade marched down the westernmost thoroughfare that Rainbow Dash felt a nudge in her side. She looked over to see a green hydra prancing beside her. A moment later, Trixie peeked her head out of a flap built into the costume. “We’re almost at the factory.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. Rushing forward, she leapt up into the air and came crashing down on the pavement, letting out the loudest roar she could manage. Ahead of her, Pinkie Pie stopped in the middle of the street and blew a silver whistle. Immediately, all her employees ran up to her and quickly formed a pony pyramid. With one mighty hop, Pinkie Pie landed at the very top and said, “Okay, everypony! Time to jam!” From out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie pulled out a blue cannon, aimed it skyward, and fired.
Five balls, each a different color, shot out of the cannon. Within seconds, the balls reached their apex and fell to the street where they exploded into copious amounts of sticky jam. Soon, the buildings, street, and the populace became covered in multicolored jelly.
“Ha! You all thought I was kidding!”
While the Imperials worked to extract themselves from the gooey substance, either wiping it off or eating it, six mascot costumes slipped away into a deserted alleyway. Once concealed, zippers and straps came undone, freeing the party.
“Wow, I can’t believe that worked,” Spike said, discarding his repo man costume into a nearby garbage bin. The rest of the outfits soon followed.
Trixie stood in the center, addressing everyone. “Okay, we have to head a few more blocks from here, so don’t go drawing attention.” She raised an eyebrow at Stardust, who waved a wing for attention. “What is it?”
“I’ve got a… request to make,” he said. “I don’t think I should go with you. Chocobos are all slaves here, and I’ll stick out like a sore talon. I can stay with Pinkie Pie and help her.” He held up his left leg where a metal band was attached. “If I wear this, they’ll think I’m owned by somepony.”
Trixie shrugged. “Fine. But you better not cause trouble. We’re going to be in enough as it is.”
“Want me to come with you?” Spike said.
Shaking his head, Stardust walked back to the alleyway entrance. “Naw. I’ll be fine.” He stepped out onto the streets and soon was lost from sight.
“Whatever,” Trixie said, regaining the group’s focus. “Follow me and stay close.” Her orders given, Trixie headed further down the alley. The others followed, each keeping watch for any stray Imperial not being entertained by Pinkie Pie’s parade.
.o.O.o.
It was at times like these that Coco Pommel wished she didn’t have an irrational fear of the dark. She knew it was a childish fear that her mature and intellectual mind ought to be able to overcome. Yet, as she walked down the passage that Spotter had discovered, her rational mind had deserted her, leaving only apprehension and uncertainty behind.
“Spotter?” she called out. Her voice echoed down the passage, along with the unsteady sounds of her hooves against the stone floor. “Um, please, if you can hear me, please come back.”
The moment the colt had opened the secret door he ran through it, leaving a stunned Coco behind. It had taken her several seconds to process what had happened before she chased after him. Never would she have guessed that Whooves had a hidden door in his office. She could only wonder where it led to.
“Spotter!” she called again. “If you come back right now, we’ll have cookies!”
She waited for an answer to come. She received none.
“Phooey.”
Coco Pommel huffed, considering her options. Chase after the boy and hope not to get lost or turn back and alert Doctor Whooves. Sighing, she turned and headed back to the office. She didn’t get paid enough for this horse manure.
.o.O.o.
As Coco Pommel headed back, Spotter ran forward. The feeling of needing to be somewhere had compelled him to rush off the moment he found the secret passage. Something important lay ahead, he just knew it. These strange new powers were still a mystery to him, but they hadn’t failed him yet.
While the passage was completely dark, Spotter had no trouble navigating the twisting turns. It was like a whole new set of eyes allowed him to see beyond the blackness, instinctively knowing where to go and when to run around a discarded piece of machinery. And since he could “see” everything that he needed to, the darkness wasn’t all that scary.
The passage seemed to go on and on, with dozens of exits for him to take. However, it was as he passed the ten minute mark of when he started down the hidden hallway, that he finally stopped at a door marked “Holding Cells”. He couldn’t read it, but he just knew that this was the door he had been searching for. Like with the entrance that led him in here, Spotter pushed against specific spots on the door with a hoof. As soon as he pushed the last spot, the door swung open. Cautiously, Spotter stepped through.
The first thing he noticed upon entering the room were the mythril lined cages. The next were the ponies trapped behind the bars. Finally, one pony in particular grabbed all of his attention. “Dad!”
Shining Armor jerked awake, the sound of the familiar voice rousing him from his sleep. Spotter rushed up to the cell and held a hoof out between the bars. “I’ve come to get you out!”
“Spotter!” Within seconds, Shining Armor pressed up against the bars, reached out, and wrapped a hoof around his son. “Thank goodness you’re alright.”
“Yep! I got away as soon as I could.”
“They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
Spotter fidgeted in his father’s grasp. “Well, this one guy stuck a needle in my butt. He said he gave me a… a uh… um… Shoot, I can’t remember what he called it.”
“What?” Shining Armor twisted Spotter around, quickly finding a bandage partially covering his cutie mark. “Are you all right? Do you feel sick?”
“Um, not really. Just a little sore. I feel fine now.”
Shining Armor growled and held his son closer. “What kind of sick ponies are in this place?” He hugged Spotter for a few more seconds, slowly letting his mind clear of all unease and worry. At last, he patted Spotter on the head and set him down on the floor. “Okay buddy. Let’s get out of here so that nopony can mess with us again.”
“Got it!” The colt stepped back and let his eyes wander around the room. Applejack, Rarity, Derpy, and Opalescence had been roused from their sleep when Spotter came in, but kept quiet as he focused on finding a clue to get them out. It didn’t take long, as Spotter caught sight of a lever at the far side of the room only a few hooves above the ground. He scampered over, reached up with both forelegs, and pressed down on the lever with all his weight. The lever gave a squeak of protest but gave to the pressure. Instantly, all the cell doors swung open, allowing all the captives to trot out.
His father got to him first, sweeping up his son into a proper hug. “You did it! I’m so proud of you!”
“Very impressive,” Rarity said, beaming at him.
“Right on!” Derpy chirped.
Applejack, giving a brave smile, walked up and patted Spotter on the head. “Good goin’.” She turned away, her small smile giving way to a deep frown. Sighing, she said, “Not sure what good it’s going to do.”
“Applejack?” Rarity said, coming up to the earth pony.
“Sorry. I… I’m…” She felt a pair of hooves wrap around her neck. She looked up to see a shock of blond hair against a grey coat. Swallowing, Applejack leaned deeper into Derpy’s hug.
“It’s going to be okay,” Derpy said, stroking a hoof up and down Applejack’s back. “We’ve been through a lot, but we’re still here. And if we can make it then I’m sure your friends did too.”
“I know, but it’s just… hard not to think about it, ya know?”
Rarity stepped up to her, cautiously adding her own hoof to Applejack’s back as though the pony would run away. “Um, anything we can do for you, dear?”
Applejack shook her head. “I don’t know. It just seems so pointless.”
“Uh, Applejack?” The mare glanced down to see Spotter looking up at her with a quizzical expression. “What’s wrong?”
Sighing, Applejack extracted herself from Derpy’s grasp. “Nothin’. We better get out of here.” She tilted her head at the hidden entrance Spotter came in from. “Think we can get out through there?”
“Yeah!” Spotter ran over to the door, hopping up and down in excitement. “I was able to get here so I think I can find a way out.”
“Good going, Spot,” Shining Armor said. “Let’s get going before Gilda comes back.”
Spotter, a grin stretching his mouth from ear to ear, led the way through the dark passage. Rarity walked beside him, using her horn’s glow to light the way for the others. They traveled through the passage for several minutes, going past doors and separate hallways, until Spotter stopped at an intersection. Three different paths, right, left, and straight ahead lay before them. For the first time since their trip began, Spotter hesitated.
After a few moments passed, Shining Armor walked up to him and placed a hoof on his withers. “What is it, bud?”
“Um, I’m not sure which way to go,” Spotter said. He squinted his eyes and pursed his lips, looking down each passage one by one. Finally, he let out a whine. “I don’t know which way to go. It was easy when I found you guys. I don’t know what’s wrong!”
“Take it easy. You’re doing great. Maybe you just need a break?”
Light filled the hallway from light bulbs hanging from above. At the same time, ponies in Imperial armor charged down from the left passage. “There they are! Get them!”
“No time for a break!” Derpy said, taking wing and shooting down the right passage. The others quickly followed. Shouts and threats from behind spurred them on, taking hallways without thought. Soon, the sound of more ponies entering the corridors from all sides forced a decision. Choosing a door at random, Shining Armor slammed against it with his shoulder, causing it to rattle. He backed up and tried again, denting the metal this time. On the third try, Applejack added a solid buck, sending the door flying off its hinges. With soldiers bearing down on them from every direction, the ponies scrambled through the new opening.
They found themselves in an open-air arena. The entire area was composed of riveted sheets of metal, with sheer high walls on all sides. No exits could be seen anywhere.
“Welcome, Returner scum,” a voice said from a small platform overlooking the arena. A pony, dressed in royal red robes, leered down at them. “How nice of you to volunteer to test our newest creation.” He pressed a button on a control panel in front of him. A portion of the wall on the opposite end of the group slid open, the metal doors rumbling wide to reveal a colossal shadowed figure. “The Guardian will make short work of you.”
As the pony laughed in triumph, the Guardian began to move, revealing itself to the light. It towered over the ponies, twice the height of Shining Armor. It walked on two thick metal legs, with each step it took shaking the arena to its very foundations. Its main body was composed of dense steel with a long cannon sticking out of its front.Two mini-guns were fused on both sides of the torso. The bipedal monstrosity lumbered towards them, aimed, and fired.
“Scatter!” Applejack cried out. Her shout of alarm came just in time as the ponies dove out of the way. A blast of condensed energy shot out of the main cannon, striking the spot where they had stood. The power of the blast obliterated the metal plating and sent a shockwave that tossed the group like dolls.
Applejack managed to land on her hooves, shaken but ready to fight back. Raising to her hind legs, she focused and shot an Aurabolt into the Guardian’s broad side. The bolt careened off of it, leaving no visible mark of damage.
“Give up, Returners,” the controller said from his perch. “Nothing you can do can harm it.”
“No, but I can get you!” was all the warning he got before Derpy collided with him, sending the pony off the ledge to land hard on the metal grating below. “Ha! Take that,” she said to his unmoving form.
A hail of bullets whizzed by her, narrowly avoiding becoming a cloud of red mist.
“Ah! It’s still moving!” Rarity cried, running around the walker to keep out of its line of sight. “Let’s get out of here. Without any weapons, we’re not going to last long!”
“Back to the door!” Applejack said over the clanking titan. Putting words to action, she ran towards where they came in, only to be brought up short by a whole troop of soldiers blocking the entrance. Before she could muster the strength to plow through them, the Guardian swiveled at the sound of her voice and fired its main cannon again. Years of training saved Applejack’s life as instincts took over and she cartwheeled out of the way. The blast sailed past her to make a direct hit in the center of the dumbfounded troops standing at the entrance. The resulting detonation of spent energy incinerated most of the soldiers and tossed the rest aside like leaves in the wind. The explosion also tore through the riveted wall, creating a blackened hole of smoking metal.
“Quick, now’s our chance!” Applejack ran towards the charred entrance, waving for the others to follow. “Derpy! Think you could distract that thing for a few seconds?”
Grinning, Derpy saluted and swooped down in front of the Guardian and immediately flew upwards. The Guardian tracked her movements, searching for a clear shot and ignored the small ponies running through the opening it had made for them. Once Shining Armor and Spotter safely passed out of sight, Derpy banked sharply. The Guardian fired after her, leaving a trail of pockmarks and shredded pavement, but couldn’t turn fast enough to keep up with the agile pegasus. Her aim true, Derpy whizzed through the opening and down the lit passage, quickly catching up to the others and leaving the deadly magitek behind.
.o.O.o.
“Here we are.” Trixie levitated open a large grate set into a brick wall. The opening was large enough for even Big Macintosh to walk through. She pointed at the entrance. “Everypony inside.”
The moment the words left her mouth, a rush of air escaped from the opening and washed over the group. All of them gagged from the foul stench, with Spike turning green and choking back a dry heave. Rainbow Dash flapped above the smell, glaring down on at Trixie. “You want us to go in there? In a sewer?”
“Yes, nitwit,” Trixie said with a huff. “It’s the easiest way into the factory. Unless you want to try the main entrance and get blown to pieces by every magitek armor stationed there.”
“At least there I’ll die with dignity than die of puking.”
“Would you stop complaining and get in? Just hold your breath or something. Oh, and don’t think about what you may or may not step in.”
Grimacing, Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Still not giving me any good reason to go in there.”
“By all that’s—fine.” Shaking her head and mumbling something under her breath, Trixie pointed her horn at the small trickle of water leaking out of the drain and concentrated. Seconds later, a stream of super chilled air shot out and encased the bottom of the drain in a thin sheet of ice. Trixie poked at her work with a hoof, nodding her head in satisfaction. “There. The Great and Clever Trixie has provided a way to keep your precious hooves from getting all icky. Now move it.” Not looking back, she marched into the drainage pipe, her horn lighting up to show the way.
The others looked to each other, uncertainty in their expressions. The wait for someone to move went on until Twilight Sparkle firmed up and headed in. She disappeared into the darkness after only a dozen steps. Sighing, Spike ran in after her, leaving two ponies behind.
Rainbow Dash shared a look with Big Macintosh. “Still think this is a good idea?”
A feminine cry of shock echoed out of the cave, followed by a body smacking against a hard surface, then a male chuckle. “Need some help Twi?” came Spike’s amused voice. “I never thought I’d need to teach you how to move on ice.”
“Nope,” Big Macintosh said with a shrug. However, he too headed into the sewage pipe.
Alone, Rainbow Dash gave a groan and headed after him. “I hate the underground, but I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Inside, the smell hit Rainbow Dash like buck to the gut, but somehow it wasn’t as overwhelming as she feared. Trixie’s magic suppressed the worst of it. Sliding on the ice was tricky at first, with a few close wipe-outs, but Rainbow Dash got the hang of it quickly enough. If it required physicality, she would find a way to master it. She caught up with the others who were all forced to travel single file in the limited space of the pipe with Trixie leading the way. Four times Trixie had to stop to recast her ice spell, though this gave no hint as to how far they had gone. After what felt like hours of slow sliding on the makeshift ice path, Trixie came to a stop.
“Trixie has finally reached our destination.” She pointed her horn at a glyph drawn on the pipe and fired a tiny amount of ice over it. The glyph began to glow lime green, illuminating the passage in an eerie light. Rumbling of hidden machinery could be heard, followed by a hidden panel sliding down, revealing a new way forward. Trixie turned to the group, a satisfied smirk on her face. “Voilà! This entrance can only be opened by Magitek Knights like Trixie. We’ll be at the esper holding facility in no time.”
Rainbow Dash squirmed her way forward and peeked through the new opening. She blinked. “Uh, Trix, all that’s here is a bunch of garbage.”
“Well, yes. Even places like this have to be protected. Stand aside.” She nudged past Rainbow Dash and into the new room, gingerly stepping her way over the discarded trash covered in sludge. “There should be a way straight to where the espers are kept in here. Start looking.”
The others didn’t move. “You mean, we have to dig around in this?” Rainbow Dash swept a hoof over the mounds of waste. “With our bare hooves?”
“Really?” Trixie scoffed as she began moving bags out of her way with her magic. “You come all this way and a little dirt is what stops you? Didn’t realize you were all such wimps.”
“Hey, there’s fighting and then there’s… this.”
“I-I’ll help,” Twilight said. She stepped into the room, her horn lighting up with a dim aura, and copied Trixie’s efforts to search the room.
Spike sighed and headed in after her. “Oi, the sooner we get this done the better.”
“Eyup,” Big Macintosh said. He reached into his pack, pulling out a long pole and a shovel. He attached the shovel end to the pole, took the pole in his teeth and started pushing away large stacks of garbage.
“Ew,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “This better be worth it.” She joined in, whining the entire time.
Soon, most of the trash got moved to one side of the dump, creating a mountain of grungy material. Twice, a blue puddle of goo with beady eyes and gaping mouth that Trixie identified as flans rose from the gunk. However, a quick application of Twilight’s fire melted the globulous monsters, much to the unicorn’s delight. Nothing that disgusting was coming near her. It was as the last of the waste was moved aside that Big Macintosh found a door-shaped protrusion. And there, laying in front of it in a pile of filth and awful, lay a blue figure.
“Um, Trixie?” Big Macintosh said over his shoulder. “I think you better come look at this.”
Trixie dropped her current load onto the discard pile and rushed over. “Did you find—oh no.”
The group crowded around, wincing at the sight of the creature. Only its head and torso were visible, its skin color barely discernible due to the caked on layers of grime. It appeared humanoid, much like Ramuh, but with softer features, giving everyone the distinction that the creature was female.
“Shiva,” Trixie said, barely above a whisper. She unclasped a flask from under her cloak, unstopped it, and levitated it towards Shiva’s lips. Gently, Trixie managed to pry open Shiva’s mouth and began draining the potion down the creature’s throat. Once all the potion was gone, Trixie tossed the empty bottle away.
“Trixie?” Twilight hesitantly said. “I-I-Is this… an esper?”
“Was. Help me get her cleaned off.” With Big Macintosh’s help, the both of them uncovered the rest of Shiva’s body and laid her down on a cleared patch of floor. During it all, the esper did not move. Trixie shook her head. “Probably dead. Looks like Whooves drained her completely.” In one smooth motion, Trixie pulled out her sword and pointed it at Shiva’s chest. “Best to put her out of her misery.” Before anyone could protest, the sword descended.
Only for a blue hand to shoot up and catch the blade a hoof length from the esper’s heart.
“It has been a while, Trixie.”
All at once, cold air slammed against the ponies, sending them flying across the room. Amidst the confusion, Shiva rose up to her full height, her nude body glowing with power. All the filth covering her evaporated away, leaving a pristine, and terrible, esper standing above them. She tossed the sword still in her grip to where Trixie had fallen, her burning yellow eyes piercing the cowering unicorn. “At last, you and I can finish our business with each other.”
“Sh-Sh-Shiva,” Trixie stuttered, too frazzled to reach for her weapon. “Please, it wasn’t Trixie’s fault. Doctor Whooves is to blame! He forced Trixie, just like you!”
“It doesn’t matter who is to blame, Trixie. We are bound now. It’s time to see if you are worthy.”
Trixie swallowed. “Worthy?”
“To receive the rest of my power. Whooves may have given some of it to you through his tubes, but you lack my true magic.” Shiva pointed at the door where she had been laying against moments before. “When he finished, he dumped me here. I was too weak to escape so I waited for my strength to return. It took a long time. So very long.” She stepped back, putting space between herself and Trixie. “Now, face me.”
“Hold it!” Rainbow Dash zipped in between the combatants. “No way I’m letting you fight her. We’re here to help you! We’re gonna save all of you.”
Shiva smiled, giving a tiny nod. “And I thank you, and wish you success. But this is our way, little pony. We test those that seek our power.” From her lips, a tendril of cool air snaked towards Rainbow Dash. The pegasus yelped and flapped her wings, but the tendril moved against her wind and wrapped around her snout. Rainbow Dash’s eyes fluttered once, twice, then closed completely. With a flop, Rainbow Dash fell to the floor, unconscious. Shiva waved her hand, sending Rainbow Dash up into the air and onto Big Macintosh’s back. “The rest of you, do not interfere. Now, Trixie, show me your might.”
Not giving Trixie time to think, Shiva raised her hand, a gust of cold air shooting out of the esper’s open palm. Trixie’s training took over as she grasped her sword in her magic and hopped out of the way, letting the wintry blast blow by her. The wall she had been standing next to became encased in ice. Another attack came, but this time she was ready. Raising her sword, Trixie let Shiva’s magic come straight for her. With a spark of her horn, Trixie’s blade glinted, sucking all of Shiva’s power into the sword.
Trixie grinned. Absorbing the stolen magic through her horn, she raised up on her hind legs and shouted, “Anything you can do, I can do better!” A blast of condensed ice magic shot out of her horn, tearing through garbage and freezing blown trash in place. The reversal attack impacted Shiva full on, the sheer brilliance of Trixie’s magic obscuring her form.
When the last snowflake had fallen, Trixie dropped back down to all fours. Where Shiva had stood now lay a cocoon of ice, the esper’s body barely visible through the clear frozen water. Trixie swept back her cape in a dramatic fashion, a satisfied smirk on her muzzle. “That, my friends, is how it’s done.”
The cocoon shattered into thousands of small, glittering pieces, startling everyone. Stepping through the rainbow of sparkling water particles, Shiva approached a slacked-jawed Trixie. “Impressive, but foolhardy. My domain is ice and all you’ve done is regenerate me further. If that is the best you can do, then this contest is over.”
“Oh, yeah?!” Trixie thrust her sword forward, stabbing at the center of Shiva’s chest.
Shiva raised a hand, stopping the weapon with the very tip of her finger. “Enough. You are not ready to take my power. Until you are, train with this.” She sent a pulse of light blue magic down the blade. Before everyone’s eyes, the sword became engulfed by ice. The magical power seeped into the sword, morphing the shape and size of it. The blade expanded, growing serrated edges and becoming a deep blue. The handle changed into a stylized crystal, icicle-like in appearance. Trixie blinked and levitated the improved sword before her, her eyes wide with astonishment. “The Blizzard shall serve you well. Now, to take my leave. Fare thee well.”
“Wait!” Trixie said.
Too late, as Shiva stepped back and rose off the ground. She thrust her chest forward, gathering magic into her palms. Ice crept up from her hands and quickly encased her in ice. A flash of white light blinded the group, followed by the sound of shattering glass. When the light faded and the ponies trained their eyes back to the esper, they collectively gasped. Floating where Shiva had been was a shard of magicite.
“She… she’s gone,” Twilight Sparkle whispered.
The magicite pulsed, then drifted down in front of Trixie. Weary, Trixie sheathed her new sword and took the magicite into her hooves. “Fool,” she said to the shard. “I’ll show you. I’ll become greater and more powerfuller than you could ever imagine.” She stared into the crystal, as if waiting for a response, but none came. Sighing, she placed the magicite under her cloak.
A moment passed with no one saying a word. At last, Twilight stepped up to Trixie and laid a hoof on the other unicorn’s shoulder. “Um, I-I don’t know w-what to say. I’m s-sure you’ll prove that you’re w-w-worthy.”
Trixie slapped the hoof aside. “Save it. Trixie doesn’t need your pity.” She walked away, heading towards the door Shiva had been lying up against. “Let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time. And would somepony wake Rainbow Dash up?”
The pegasus snored in response.
.o.O.o.
On the other side of the door lay a flight of stairs leading up. The top of the shaft lay in darkness, with no way of telling how far up it went. Trixie took point, lighting up her horn to illuminate the way, while Twilight did the same at the rear. Twilight’s light flickered, earning a concerned look from Spike, but she gave him a small smile and waved him off. Spike withheld saying anything, but walked a little closer to Twilight than was necessary.
Without any cider around, Spike resorted to poking Rainbow Dash awake with his spear. The adventurer awoke with a yelp of pain and jumped twenty hooves into the air. Once she landed, rubbing her sore bottom the entire way, she growled and bared her teeth at the drake. “The hay was that for?! You could have tried something else, you know.”
“Eh,” Spike said with a shrug. “It was the first thing that came to mind.”
“Yeah, I’ll remember that when it’s my turn to wake you up.” Whirling away from him, she addressed the others. “So what happened?”
As they climbed up, Twilight, Spike, and Big Macintosh filled her in on Trixie’s fight with Shiva. Trixie herself remained silent, content with leading the way. Rainbow Dash let out a low whistle once they were finished. “So, what happens now? You keeping that magicite until it bonds with you?”
Trixie rolled her eyes and let out a snort. “What a stupid thing to ask. Of course Trixie will keep it. It’s not like you would be able to bond with Shiva.”
“Hey, you don’t know that. Weirder things have happened. Thing is is that I just know that the most awesome esper is just waiting for me to come along and scoop it up. Then the fun will really begin!”
“You might get your wish,” Trixie said, stopping in front of a door marked “Restricted” in big bold red letters. “Through here should be the Magitek Research Facility. The espers will be in there.” She shot a tiny blast of magic at a glass panel built into the door. Seconds later, a small click was heard. Trixie pushed open the door, the hinges letting out a tiny squeak, and stepped into the room beyond.
They entered in the middle of a long laboratory. Yellow lighting from above revealed tables laden with science instruments, lockers bursting with notebooks, and blackboards covered in equations written in white chalk. No Imperials or scientists could be seen, as though everypony simply dropped what they were working on and left the room. However, what caught the eye of everyone were the rows of large glass cylinders lining one side of the lab. They were all empty, though once the group walked closer, evidence of prior use could be seen. Condensation dripped off two of the cylinders while another was broken open with discarded glass laying around it.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Rainbow Dash said. “Is this where the espers are supposed to be?”
Trixie let out of huff of air. “They should be here. Whooves must have moved them. We’ll need to look around.” She took in the room, noticing a set of double doors, the only other exit in the room, and headed towards them.
Twilight and Spike hovered around the cylinders, the unicorn’s eyes becoming teary as she looked over the spent machines. “Espers w-w-were in here,” she said, her voice cracking. “I c-can feel it. They went through s-so much pain.”
“Twilight,” Spike said, laying a claw on her backside. “We’re gonna help them. Promise.”
“I-I didn’t want to fight. I didn’t w-want to hurt others. But… others are being h-h-hurt no matter if I f-fight or not.” She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. “I don’t know what to do, Spike.”
“Don’t worry, Twilight. You’ll figure it out. And I’ll help like I always do.”
Twilight sat down, smiling at her mentor. She reached forward and gathered up Spike in a hug, holding him tight to her chest. “Thank you, S-Spike. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Spike returned the hug, closing his eyes and living in the moment.
A few hooves away, Big Macintosh nodded at the scene and walked off, letting the two to have some privacy. He busied himself with going over the workbenches and tables, marveling at how advanced some of the instruments were. Opening a tool chest, his eyes widened. Reaching a hoof in, he pulled out a cordless drill. The grip fit around his hoof perfectly, the trigger placed in such a way that a simple act of pressure was enough to activate it. The drill itself, long and topped with a diamond bit, whirled at what Big Macintosh estimated to be one hundred revolutions per second. Grinning, he switched it off and strapped it to his tool belt.
“Hold up!” Rainbow Dash shouted, fluttering over to a metal display casing set against the wall opposite the cylinders. Viewable through a sheet of glass built into the casing lay a weapon the pegasus had never seen before. It was a sword, the blade shaped in the form of a lightning bolt. The handle and pommel were decorated with storm clouds. Rainbow Dash’s eyes shone as she gazed up at the weapon, a thin line of drool leaking from her mouth. “This… is so awesome.” Tentatively, she reached forward.
“Um, Dash, maybe you should leave that alone?” Spike said from across the room.
Rainbow Dash didn’t heed his warning. She popped open the unlocked display, reached her head in, and pulled out the sword. The handle between her teeth felt like soft cotton. Rainbow Dash shivered as a slight electric tingle ran down the blade and into her body. She closed her eyes and moaned.
“Are you done making out with that thing?” Trixie called, waiting next to the double doors. “We have to get going.”
“Thunder Blade,” Rainbow Dash mumbled through her teeth. Absently, she flipped out her mythril dagger with a wing and tossed it to the floor. The newly christened Thunder Blade slipped into the now empty sheath. Rainbow Dash turned to the others, making sure that her new weapon was in full view. “Whaddaya think?”
Twilight, closest to Rainbow Dash, gave her a wide smile. “I-it looks g-great. I’m sure it will h-help you.”
“Darn right it will! I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”
A cough drew their attention back to Trixie, giving the duo a half-lidded stare. “Wonderful. Let’s go.” Not waiting to see if they followed, Trixie pushed open the doors and into the area beyond.
They found themselves in a non-descript hallway. No doors lined the walls, just a featureless metal walkway. With no other way to go, the group headed down. Taking a sharp corner, they found themselves in a hangar like area. Lines of pilotless magitek armor lay on one side while a half dozen telstars hung from the ceiling. As with the laboratory, no Imperials could be seen.
“I’m not liking this,” Big Macintosh spoke up. “Not enough guards for a place like this.”
“Yeah,” Spike responded. “It’s strange that we haven’t seen anyone for a while.”
“Whatever!” Rainbow Dash flew forward, right in the middle of the hangar. “We’ve come too far to go back. Besides, we can deal with whatever it is they throw at us.”
The sound of a heavy sliding door wiped the confident grin on Rainbow Dash’s face. Across the hangar, two large metal panels slid open, revealing a humanoid creature twice as tall as Big Macintosh. The creature gave a low roar and stepped into the light, showing off more of its physique. Blue armor with golden, spiky shoulder pads covered its bulky torso, its head was a mishmash of stitches topped with a crew haircut, and twin blades jutted out from its wrists. It gave a wordless grumble and charged.
“Number zero-two-four!” Trixie yelled. “Move!”
Number 024 came in swinging its arms, its attached blades slicing through the spot where Rainbow Dash had been hovering. The pegasus swooped around, brandishing her new sword, and came diving back in. Her overhead chop towards Number 024’s neck was met with a block from the creature’s right blade. Its left one stabbed forward but Rainbow Dash twisted out of the way and landed next to her companions. “The heck is that thing?!”
“Something Doctor Whooves was working on before Trixie was assigned to South Fillygaro. Looks like he finished it.”
Talking ceased as Number 024 ran forward and swiped at them. The group scattered and quickly positioned themselves to surround the creature. As one, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh, and Spike rushed in, striking the monstrosity with their respective weapons. Number 024 slashed back, but the ponies and dragon were too quick, moving out of its line of sight faster than it could react. Soon, deep gashes and holes appeared all over its body, spilling out cords, exposing circuitry, and leaking out motor fluids.
“Is it some kind of machine?” Spike said. His spear was covered in oil, making it hard to grip.
“Who cares, just kill it!” Rainbow Dash shouted, aiming again for the monster’s head.
Before everyone’s eyes, Number 024 roared, its body emitting a multitude of colors. Rainbow Dash’s Thunder Blade struck seconds later.
It bounced off as though she had struck rubber.
“Ow!” Rainbow Dash fluttered to the ground and dropped her weapon, rubbing her jaw. “What gives?”
Trixie danced away from a vicious upward strike strong enough to remove her head and lunged forward, sinking Blizzard into Number 024’s thigh. “Stop complaining!” she called to Rainbow Dash, seconds before Number 024 flashed again. Trixie’s next attack, aimed at the same spot and meant to cleave her opponent’s leg off, ricocheted away without leaving a scratch. “Eh?”
Number 024 rounded on the blue unicorn but a stream of fire impacted its chest and pushed it away, leaving a smoking hole of melted metal. “G-Guys!” Twilight Sparkle said, a sheen of sweat forming on her forehead. “I… I can f-feel it changing its w-weakness. It’s adapting!”
“Then fire at it again before—”
Too late, as Number 024 emitted its rainbow lights again. Growling, Trixie stepped back, her sword levitating at the ready. “Great, now what?”
Spike ran up to Trixie and leveled his spear up at the advancing monster. “I’ve still got my wind breath.”
“Oh, good, give it a gentle breeze why don’t you. That will solve things.”
Number 024 attacked before Spike could bark out a retort. He held up his spear, blocking one of the wrist blades while Trixie managed to do the same with the other. Doctor Whooves’ creation pressed down, using its superior height and leverage to bear down on the two.
Behind Number 024, Big Macintosh sneered as he watched his comrades slowly lose ground. “Nope!” He ran forward, standing right behind Number 024’s legs. “Hey, Spike! Use your wind breath now!”
“Okay!” Sucking in as much air as he could while holding back Number 024’s blade, Spike let loose a blast of wind into the creature's chest. The force caught Number 024 off guard, sending it rearing back, and toppling over Big Macintosh’s body.
The red stallion wasted no time. He leapt onto Number 024’s chest, using his great weight to pin it down. He reached for his tool belt, grabbed his new drill, flipped it on, and drove the diamond tipped bit right between the monster’s eyes. Number 024 immediately began convulsing, its thrashing body nearly sending Big Macintosh flying off. The engineer held on though and shoved the drill deeper into Number 024’s head. The creature jerked a few more times, then its arms and legs went limp. Big Macintosh kept the drill in for a few more seconds before finally pulling out and stepping away. Smirking, he placed the drill back on his belt. “Found its weakness.”
The others crept forward, cautiously keeping an eye on the downed machine. Rainbow Dash nudged it with a hoof but Number 024 did not respond. Grinning, she turned to Big Macintosh. “Dude! That was awesome!” She held up a hoof which Big Macintosh gladly bumped with his own.
“Yeah, nice thinking there big guy,” Spike said, patting Big Macintosh on the side.
Twilight came around his other side, giving him a wide smile. “Good g-going.”
“Aw, shucks,” the stallion said, a light blush forming on his cheeks.
Trixie walked past the cheering group, heading for the entrance Number 024 had emerged from. “Yes, good job. But we better move before any more things like that show up. Come on.”
“Yeah, yeah, coming miss pushy,” Rainbow Dash called to her. She slipped Thunder Blade back into its sheath and followed after said pushy unicorn. The others placed their own weapons away and quickly caught up to the two blue ponies.
Past the hangar another large room opened before them, twice as big as the laboratory from earlier. More glass tubes where present, each connected to a walkway down the center of the room. However, unlike the empty ones seen only minutes before, these were filled with beings unlike anything the Returners had encountered previously.
Twilight gasped, her senses telling her for what they really were. “Espers.”