//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Ten Seconds of Sunrises // by Opium4TmassS //------------------------------// The hidden harmony is better than the obvious one:StarSwirl the Bearded-Ethics of Friendship vol. IV A nation at peace and a nation at war are one and the same:Canticles-Tactics of War It was a window, and like all other windows it has been created to keep the outside from the inside. But a better way to describe it was three millimeters of the latest innovations covering the building from top to bottom. Showing a dazzling sunset to those on the inside, only slightly marred by the heavy drizzle, and smog from the everyday living. Along with the steel, concrete, and technology protecting all who worked there from the unknown, unseeable threats of the external world both real and imagined. It was a good system, standard in all businesses. At least those who wanted to keep doing business. Unfortunately it didn't stop Applejack from being thrown out of said window. One hundred and thirty-seven stories up. Glass, rain, and her sweat mixed into her eyes, blinding her as she fell with the changeling gripping her tightly as the creature pulled her arm that was holding her weapon upwards, making it fire off rounds into the darkening sky. "Dammit!" She yelled hearing the boom of Winona replaced by the clicking sounds of an empty chamber. She felt the changelings grip tightening even more, digging, scratching, and piercing her skin, making it harder to breath, while causing the nanobytes coursing inside her, to work faster on healing the lacerations it was creating. A scream of rage mixed with pain escaped her. Finding its freedom between clenched teeth, as she was finally able to free her gun arm, twisting it around till she gripped the barrel, AJ swung blindly hoping what she was aiming at was were the head is. "Get off of me!" She yelled. Hearing the satisfying crunch of bone and armor plating connecting to a very heavy piece of steel, feeling the changelings grip loosen, following a very loud cry of pain giving her some room to breath and better yet, move. AppleJack swung again, putting the weight of her weapon, her own strength, and her cybernetic implants behind it, as she connected once again, throwing off the injured changeling. Finally able to clear her eyes, she saw her attacker flying back to hole they came out of. Their was more of them up their waiting. More than even she and Winona could handle. "Pinkie Pie I could use a hand." AJ said into her implanted communicator. Trying to ignore the image in her mind, of what she would look like when she hit the ground. "Okie Doki Loki." Pinkies usually chipper voice said in her ear. "Comin right now." "Whenever your able too Pinkie. I'm not doing anything important at the moment anyway." Applejack responded with the black sarcasm masking the panic of watching the ground getting closer and closer. Contrary to what she has heard from others. she was having no problems being wide awake as she tumbled downwards. The cable that connected Pinkie to the U.A.T. she flew dangled loosely from the back of her head to the chair she sat on. Making her one with the Party Cannon, she had fondly named. Her mind was inside the machine controlling everything, while her body strapped to the chair, limply rocked back and forth as she piloted the vehicle. as it hovered over the building overhead waiting for Applejacks signal. "Discord." said Pinkie. "Discord." replied a voice in the machine "Have we found her?" "Affirmative. Locking on for intercept." Pinkie unconsciously started humming a cheerful song, while her mind moved the four legged, five ton machine that resembled a mechanical Alicorn forward as the engine roared to life, transforming from its hovering mode to flight. The U.A.T. rolled to the left, then dove downwards, extending the wings, and lowering the neck forward. The hi Gs slammed into Pinkie's body pushing her into the seat. She was aware of it but only faintly, like feeling someone else's discomfort from way across the city. But would always catch up to her once she disconnected. Sometimes the Party Cannon would leave bruises, as she took it through punishing routines, sometimes a lot of bruises, forcing her to wear long sleeve clothes to hide them from her friends so as not to worry them. It was easy to forget when jacked in, what you were doing to your body. "Gotcha!" Yelled Pinkie excitedly as the tumbling image of AJ falling appeared in her 360 degree field of vision. "I'll be right their." "Take your time." said Applejack darkly. "Don't rush on my account." "Your silly." giggled Pinkie. as she fired a grappling claw attaching to AJ, throwing the Party Cannons carefully back to hovering and slowing the decent, with a machine that she could balance on an egg. Slowing her down to a stop. "Are you Okay?" she asked with real concern in her voice. "Nothing hurt but my pride." AJ replied pulling her heart caught in her throat back into her chest, truth to be told, this was an almost fatal mistake on her part. Underestimating her opponents almost cost her life. chuckling a little as she dangled a mere twenty feet above the ground. She was honored to have Pinkie Pie as a partner, really she was. Saving her on more than one occasion from really bad situations, she was a great friend and a wonderful partner. She just wished she hadn't painted the Party Cannon pink with balloons. "I'd say theirs about seven to nine of them up their." AJ said while reloading her weapon. "Mebbee we should fly up their and say hello." Applejack smiled evilly at the thought. "Yes, I would say that is a good idea." Chrysalis was worried, tapping her assault rifle nervously. This was easy, too easy. Her client had reassured her that she would have very little opposition having caught them unaware. But since she and her team infiltrated the building, the only person they had encountered was the personal guard. Even the rooms they had been through were empty. From the starting point onward their was nothing but rooms, hallways and one pony. Granted all mercenaries pray for an easy night, but this almost feels like they were being led. "Do you want to continue on?" Asked a changeling standing next to her, mirroring her worries. Only a fool would ignore her intuition, and her intuition was telling her to pull back, everything here was wrong, But the money, the bonus for successfully completing the mission was nothing to sneeze at, also it wouldn't be good to their reputation, leaving an assignment half finished because they got spooked. Crysalis closed her eyes, thinking for a moment longer. "Secure the perimeter." she finally responded. "Were proceeding as planned, Everybody be careful! I don't like this at all." "What a coincidence." said a voice coming from the broken window. "I don't like you either." Applejacks climbed through the opening with her weapon out. Pointedly ignoring the little red dots suddenly covering her body. Mostly her chest and head. "I know what your thinking. " she said forcing herself to be calm, cool and collected. "I'm outnumbered and obviously outgunned. At most I'll probably take out three of you before I become a bullet riddle body spattering the ground." she continued on allowing a slight smile to spread across her lips, mostly to cover her shaking in reality. "But the problem to that is. after you take me down. You'll have to take my friend down." She paused for dramatic effect, feeling the Party Cannon rise to hover right behind her. She could hear Pinkie extend the twin minniguns attached to either side below the wings start whirling to life, along with the 30 millimeter cannon under the base as well. Applejack was surprised she didn't activate the heavy laser that extended from the horn, or the antipersonnel missiles either. But she figured it was probably for the best. Their employer wouldn't like it they took out half of the tower in the stopping of the band of mercenaries. Probably get a written reprimand for it. "And I don't think you will have much luck in taking her down. So I'm going to ask this only once too DROP YOUR WEAPONS! NOW!" Time stopped as everyone thought of their next move. Applejack could almost hear their hooves hovering next to their triggers, calculating how fast they could shoot and move away from the kill zone, AJ couldn't blame them, she would be thinking the same thoughts too if she was in their shoes. As she kept her sights on Crysalis. Figuring that if they tried anything she would at least take down her. She could make out the think trickle of sweat running down Crysalis's face, which would have been a good sign if not she herself felt beads of her own as well. Breaths were holding, and the world disappeared around them. Their was a clattering as one of the changelings tossed its weapon to the floor, creating a domino effect as the others started to follow suit. AppleJack let out the breath of air she didn't realize she was holding as time came rushing back. Crysalis was the last of them to surrender, angrily tossing her rifle away from her. "On the ground now!" Yelled pinkie through the intercom. "Hooves behind your head!" Applejack did a quick survey of the strike team, kicking their weapons away. watching them as they laid on the ground. Ignoring the quiet whispers, curses and insults being said under their breath. "What do we do now?" Asked Pinkie. "I'll notify the boss we secured the building, and the threat has been neutralized. She'll probably just have us confiscate their guns and let them go." "Well that stinks." AJ gave one of her what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it shrugs, because really, what can you do about it? Wasn't like their was a jail they could put them in. and killing unarmed ponies wasn't right. Granted if the role was reversed they would have no problems with that moral conundrum. But still. "We just have to wait for the response." said Applejack finally. **** The sunlight shown through the tinted windows of the suite on the top floor, coloring the room and everything in it, with a rich red light. Rarity laid in her bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling, letting her thoughts travel were they may. Mostly the thoughts took her to the time when she was a young filly, running excitedly to her parents with pictured of all these fantastic costumes and outfits she had drawn. Proudly announcing she was going to be a designer and make all these fancy cloths, becoming rich and famous in the process. It didn't happen the way it was supposed to have happened. Life, the direction and planning of it, of were she was supposed to be at this point in time. Her lover sleeping next to Rarity, groaned softly in his sleep as he rolled over, back to her, causing her to be transported back to the here and now. Rarity stared at his sleeping form for a moment before carefully getting up and pulling a silken robe around her. "How long has it been since I held a needle?" she thought to herself, "And when was the last time I made anything?" As she walked over to her small work desk against the fall wall. Her hooves caressing the soft carpeting as she made her way. "Do I regret my decision?" Her own thoughts making her pause in front of the desk. Reaching down to pick up her pack of cigarettes, fumbling one out and lighting it, letting the harsh smoke fill her lungs, blowing it out. "Do I regret my decision? Should she just ask, "Am I happy." "Well are you?" came another thought in her. Rarity pushed that thought away, not wanting to answer it for the moment. Being the C.E.O. of Trans Equestria Creative has given her lots in life. Power, money, control that few could claim to know about, let alone dream. Yes their has been some hard decisions and sacrifices along the way, but what path doesn't have such things? She reached down to open the drawer. Of course their was regrets. No matter what you do in life their will always be regrets. Rarity reached in, producing the gun she kept in their. "Right now she was regretting having to kill her lover, she really liked him." Rarity spun around weapon in hand pointing it at were her lover lay sleeping. Or would have if he was still lying in bed. "Oh dear." She mumbled, instinctively throwing herself to the ground, as the whirl of a knife blade cut through the air that had occupied the place of her head just a second before. Turning around as she slowly got up with her weapon raise she only saw four walls and furniture, in a room darkening as the sun sank even lower. "I see you know." said a voice in the growing blackness. "Its a shame really, I did want to make it quick and painless." Rarity said nothing, slowly making hey way to a corner, to cover her back as she hunted out for her assassin, her gun pointed outward, watching everything as best she could, listening for anything that could give away his location. "You surprised me Rarity. You really did. When I met you I just thought you were just some spoiled little filly who got to were she was at with daddy's money and not any lick of common sense or business savvy." "Sorry I wasn't the pony of your dreams." Replied Rarity. Thinking to herself. "Just keep him talking, Let him think he has the advantage." "And he doesn't?" Responded another rebellious voice in her. The voice chuckling in the darkness. "I can actually say the best times I've had were with you Rarity. Your something else, you know that." "Glad I made you happy." said Rarity finally reaching the corner. Waiting for the anything that was going to happen at anytime. "Its a shame." Said the voice behind her. "That it has to end now." Rarity pulled her hoof upwards near her face blocking the limb holding the bade inches from her neck, as she felt another hoof grab her, holding her tightly. making her unable to raise her gun. "They more you struggle the longer it will take to finish you. Just let it go and I promise it will be quick and painless." "No!" Yelled Rarity. Slamming the back of her head into the killers with as much force as she could. Stunning him for a moment, which is all that she needed. Feeling his grip loosen around her, while still holding his arm with the blade, Rarity twisted around, gun raised point bank at his surprised face. BANG! BANG! Two shots, their sound echoing in the room, a moment of silence followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. And it was over. Rarity walked back over to the desk, relighting her cigarette that had gone out during the short activity. Sitting down she took two long breaths, letting herself calm down. "Discord." She said aloud. "Discord." Said a voice in the air. "Connect me to Fluttershy please." "Connecting." "Also if you would please, Have someone come up here later to clean my suite please." "Compliance." Rarity took another drag, sitting down waiting for Fluttershy to answer. It was a shame it had to end like this. Did she ever say just how much she really, really liked him? **** "Some more tea Fluttershy?" Asked Discord pouring millions upon millions of tiny letter T's into Fluttershy's cup. "I really do think this is a fine flavor." "Indeed it is." Giggled Fluttershy taking the offered cup. "It really is excellent today." It was a pristine day in Ponyville, with a blue sky stretching onto infinity, along with bright white fluffy clouds breaking up the monotony of the blueness. It made Her feel good as she laid upon the grass next to the Everfree forest, having an afternoon picnic with some of her dear friends. Unconsciously Fluttershy, scooted her Pet Angel away from the basket, always trying to get to what was inside. "None for a little while, don't want you to get a tummy ache like last time." Angel snorted in disgust but he obeyed as the three of them looked down to the small town were they live in peace. Their wasn't really much to say, but it was one of those days that didn't have to be marred with words. The silence and enjoyment of friends was enough. "Oh their it goes again." Said Discord in disgust, breaking the silence, watching his right hand leave his arm and grab his cup from his left one . "I swear I need to keep those two in check, my right hand does not know what my left one is doing." "Indeed." Laughed Fluttershy, losing herself in the joviality of the moment. "You do need to keep those two in check." Unfortunately, as Fluttershy learned long ago, their is no constant to happiness, the world, her feelings , friends, everything is in a constant state of change. As much as she wanted to hold on, It just wouldn't, or couldn't happen. "Rarity is calling for you." said Discord dropping the jovial prankster. "Shall I end the program?" "Yes please." She said losing all the joy she had been feeling. Its not that she hated Rarity, she adored her, and missed her when she wasn't around. Two becoming close friends as far back as she could remember. she was always taking care of her, being their for her, helping her up every time she had fallen. Their was just so much pain back their, so much she wanted to forget. Their were times she wished she could pull the plug leaving her mind here in this virtual world. To let her play and enjoy what she had created for herself. But things needed to be done, and her friend needed her, also that project had to be finished. Fluttershy didn't know how to feel about sharing this world with another. The virtual world she had created for herself and herself alone. It made her uneasy having to show off this, Even the few times they had visited her. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, even Rarity had visited a few times, mostly to complain how their was nothing to smoke here. She did enjoy the company, but also she felt strangely violated, this was her world and hers alone and she had to admit she didn't like others partaking within her creation too much. It was sudden, it always is sudden how she was pulled back from the fantasy back into the reality, back to the body she always hated. Some of her mane was stuck to her forehead covering her eyes which she absently wiped away with her free hoof causing some of it to fall off in a clump sticking to her arm, which she wiped across herself in a vain attempt to get off. She like a lot of other ponies was sick, very sick. Fluttershy was attached to a mechanized chair that motored her around wherever she wanted giving he some ability to move around the room or even outside if she choose to, which she never did. Respirators, purifiers, cleansers, hooked up to her chair, and to her, keeping the disease in check, but it was a losing battle, as everyone knew but was unable to admit it. Looking more like a villain from a bad sci-fi. from the Tubes running back and forth and the metallic plating covering her body and almost all of her face. The various treatments had wracked her body leaving her in almost a worse state that the Black Mouth disease itself. The drug Alibyne caused her skin to start peeling away leaving her cutiemark faded and scratched up, almost unrecognizable. He body had rejected the drug #RCC592FE almost causing her to go into a cardiac arrest. Novark had almost destroyed her immune system, now she relies on the continuous influx of nanobytes to remove impurities, cleanse her blood and keep her body going. But her body is also in a continuous state of sickness as it views the helpers as invaders and doing everything it can to destroy them. Meanwhile despite all the treatments she is continuously going through, the disease is slowing spreading through her killing off Fluttershy on the inside out. "Yes Rarity?" Asked Fluttershy after a moment of orientation, from snapping back to reality. "It has started." Rarity Replied through the vid screen. "Expect them to come." "They already have. I counted around thirty attempted breaches of our fire walls in the last hour so far none has been successful. Discord has done an excellent job of keeping them away." Rarity always wanted to cry seeing her friend look at her thought that metallic mask she had to wear, Wanting to help her friend started her on the course that lead to this point in time. This very important point in time. "And the project?" She asked after taking another drag "You know you shouldn't smoke Rarity, it's bad for you. But yes the project is still safe. Their had been no attempted infiltrations so far. Except for our partners, we are the only ones who still know about it." "Good. Have Discord be ready when Dash sends us the signal. It will have to be quick hack before their own security knows about it and moves the files away." "We already did some scouting ahead of it, it is just the standard security model we encountered before, it wont be any problem." Rarity nodded her head listening to the heavy breathing of Fluttershy from the respirators. " I'll have to let you go for right now as I call a friend of mine with some disappointing news. Ill be back in a few" She said after turning off the screen and making another call. "Rarity is that you?" Said Fancypants coming on the screen. The merger meeting isn't until tomorrow. Is something wrong?" She could hear the roar of the engines of his personal jet that he flew in, as his face filled the screen. Well washed, well dressed President of InGen medical research. "I just wanted to give you that curtesy call to inform you that as of this time Trans Equestria Creative is cancelling the merger to InGen medical technologies. We will explain more in the meeting tomorrow, but I felt we should give you a heads up about it." A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but was covered almost immediately. You don't get to were you are by showing weakness. Or in Fancypants case compassion. "Can I ask why?" "We at T.E.C. just don't feel it is cost effective in this merger, especially with our employer International Information Technology. Observing the twenty percent loss of revenue due to the breakthroughs by Cleen Pharmaceuticals, we feel that you have lost your edge in medical research and we wish to take our business elsewhere." "Also they do more than just sell sugar pills to those desperate." she added silently to herself. "Well I'm sorry you feel that way." Said Fancypants after a moment of hesitation. "Maybe we can still work out something at tomorrow's meeting?" "Maybe but it is doubtful. It just doesn't feel that you have anything that we want." Fancypants leaned back into his chair smiling his smug smile that Rarity wanted to smack off of him. "Just wait till the meeting I'm betting we can change your mind. I'm sure once we show you what we really have been working on you will change your mind." "You can try, and I wish you the best in that. But this is just a curtesy call, I wanted to inform you ahead of time to prepare you for tomorrow." She said eyeing her personal cell phone blinking red. Indicating that Rainbow Dash was in position. "I apologize but I am going to have to cut this off for now. I will talk to you again later, and have a wonderful night." she said turning off the screen. Fancypants watched a screen filled with the face of Rarity, to a screen filled with nothing. He was taken by surprise from the call expecting her to have either been killed by the group he sent in or the assassin that was masking as her lover. "Does she know?" he asked out loud to himself, quickly dismissing the idea. He had covered his tracks to well, played his hand just right. While he thought Rarity was a talented business pony she obviously doesn't have the cutthroat instincts to survive in the concrete jungles that governed the lands of Equestria. Feeling confident that the little coup was going on right this very moment. Ironically after she had just called to cancel everything. Something was going on their. Something big, he could feel it, and he wanted it. As he reached over to the minibar in front of him to get himself a drink he noticed a red dot appearing on his sleeve. Curiously he thought it was a stain and he wondered briefly what did he spill on it to cause a bright red stain. But as he moved his arm up and down seeing the stain disappear and reappear, he realized it wasn't a stain but a dot, a dot of light coming from the outside, In growing horror and realization he watched the dot slowly climb up his body. **** Derpy stood on top of the skyscraper, launcher resting on her shoulder, watching the jet as it flew overhead. Normally she wouldn't do operations like this, but this one was a special case, a favor for a friend with an exclusive third party contract. Staring at the plane climbing upwards, gaining altitude through her scope, hoof on the trigger. Waiting for the computer to lock on. "Any second now." She mumbled to herself. **** Rainbow Dash let the current carry her onwards, feeling the wind caress her wings as she flew on. It was a pleasurable feeling creating a sense of euphoria within her. She felt sorry for those that couldn't feel this, wondering how can you even go on living if you couldn't fly? To not feel the wind rushing around you? To not see the ground from miles overhead? Rainbow Dash shook her head to clear it out and focus. This is not the time for letting her thoughts drift, she needed to focus, stay alert. "Five hundred meters away from target." Said Discord in her head. "Two minutes till radio silence." "Rodger." responded Rainbow Dash. Letting her hooves do a run over her body one last time to make sure everything is where it was when she needed it. The Wonderbolt suit she wore had changed a lot over time. But then again so had the Wonderbolts. Becoming more of a special Ops squad doing wet works for any corporation that paid them their fee. That wasn't the reason why she left, finding sanctuary with T.E.C. and Rarity. It was a dog-eat-dog-world out their and you gotta do what you gotta do, or so she herself thought at one time too. Closing her eyes and her hoof found the pin she had attached to her suit. Yes their are things that shouldn't be done. Times change, ponies change. "Three hundred meters until target." Said Discord snapping her out of the past and back to the here and now. "One minute and 30 seconds till radio silence." Rainbow said nothing as she brought one of her two string blades out. A quick flick of her wrists activated the monofilament strings launching out from the handle. attaching themselves to each other, one flick would still make the string flexible like a whip cutting through anything it came across, a second flick of the wrists would harden the string even further, turning it into a blade made of millions of tiny strings. which is what Dash did turning it into a sword grasped loosely in her hoof. With her free hand she attached small gelatinous cube of a special kind of epoxy to the Velcro at the end of her wings, then reaching into one of her many pockets to grab a small suction cup. "Breath." She said to herself. Taking a gulp of air, holding it for a minute, before exhaling. "You done this a million times in training. You know the layout, you know the security, you know your destination. Everything will be fine. Your Rainbow Dash! Your the best!" "One hundred meters till target. Twenty seconds till radio silence." "Yeah. Yeah. I gotcha," reaching into another pocket, grabbing a small metallic ball, while she flicked the blade again slight trembling of her hoof, as the blade started to vibrate back and forth almost invisible to the eye. "Ten seconds to radio silence." Dash pressed a button attached to the collar of her suit feeling it getting slightly warm as it powered up . "Eight Seconds to radio silence." "I'm ready." she said "Six seconds to radio silence." "Five seconds." "Four seconds." Gritting her teeth. Dash threw the ball out in front of her. Exploding into millions of tiny fragments that floated in the air. "Three." Shifting her body she began spinning with her sword pointed outwards in one hand and the suction cup held into her other. "Two." Rainbow saw a small flash of light as her suit powered on, Deflecting light and electronic surveillance away from her, making her invisible for at least thirty minutes. "One. Radio silence now" Kicking herself even faster she flew past the small explosion she had created. It was a pulse ball designed for infiltration. Fooling their AI's into thinking you were nothing but a glitch on their system. But still they weren't stupid and their security would recheck after a few minutes once they completed the last scan, this had to be done quick. Diving towards a concrete and steel wall, which her information pointed out was the outside of an empty office, she adjusted her flight, streaming to it head on. Just like all the training she did, her entry was flawless, letting her sword cut through the stone and metal while using the suction cup to hold it as she, without stopping, dove through. extending her wings a little so they brushed against the hole smearing it with the glue just before turning around and placing the cover back on. The glue welded the two together resealing her entrance back to almost its original form. Quickly securing her equipment back Rainbow Dash extended the hooks on the bottom of each hoof. Since the builders so thoughtlessly decided to build a building. without proper air vents for her to crawl around in she had to have another way of getting to her destination. Turning on her thermals she detected no heat sources near by making it easy to leave the room into the hallway, bouncing her way upwards from the walls she attached herself to the ceiling, as her hooks clamping into it. Slowly she crawled forward . focusing on her destination. "Hey!" called a voice loud and close to her. It was so sudden she almost cried out in shock. Looking downwards towards the floor she spied two employees having a conversation. about something or other, she really wasn't paying attention, and really didn't care. "Easy girl." She thought to herself, starting he crawl along the ceiling once again. Or would have. A small sharp pain near her ankle, compiled with a wiff of ozone, told her something really bad had happened. Her suit had shorted out. She was visible to anyone and everyone. Looking down she saw that the two friends haven't noticed her...yet. But really it was only a matter of time. Doing some quick calculations she estimated she had only a few minutes before the security AI did another pass and discovered her. Realizing that she needed to change her tactics very quickly. Rainbow released her hooks from the ceiling, twisting around she extended her rear legs outwards kicking the closest pony as she landed on top of him. The pony crumpled to the ground instantly, and she turned and hit the second pony across the temple with one hoof and, struck him at the back of the neck. just under his skull. Knocking him out as well. Rainbow heard a gasp, looking around she spotted another pony who had just stepped out of her office. Their was no time to do anything about it. Galloping down the hallway towards her goal. She grabbed the string blades again flicking them on whip mode, ready for anything coming her way. Which was a good thing as the security guard, exited the post that wasn't known about during the recon of the building. Thoughts already laying out plans as to what her body needed to do, this is what she trained all the time for. Aware of his hand reaching towards his holster, to pull out his weapon. a XP Predator that would make rather large holes in Rainbow Dashes body if given a chance. She offhanded cracked her blade as she swung with her other hoof out using the base of her other hilt as a blackjack. The tip of her string whip connect to his gun cutting through the frame between the cylinder and the hammer, making it useless, while extending her other hoof connecting nicely with his chest drawing all the air out of it. She dropped down punching at his knee not breaking bone, she didn't want to severely injure him, just incapacitate him for the time she needed to get the job done. As he fell forward she sent her hoof upwards hitting him one more time under the jaw, knocking him out as his head jerked towards the sky. Still in a forward momentum, not bothering to waste valuable seconds to check on the guard, Rainbow Dash pressed on. The computer attached to her wrists showed the map of her current location, her goal was only twenty feet forward, a left and ten feet further to the central meeting room. Ducking as her finely tuned instincts told her that now would be a good time to inspect the wonderful patterns on the carpet. Her ears caught the sound of the the whine of a bullet speeding over her. "Really! Shooting inside a busy place? Are you that stupid!" Thought Rainbow Dash, pulling out a small tear gas grenade from one of her pockets, pulling the trigger and dropping it behind her as she ran. "Anyone that is foolish to chase her through that unprotected isn't going to be much of a threat for awhile." feeling a little pang of sympathy from having to be exposed to it during her training many years ago. Rounding the corner she finally saw her destination, closed and locked, She had a complete set of lockpicks that made it no problem in gaining access to anywhere she wanted, but now wasn't the time for such delicacies. Forward limbs in an X pattern she slashed her whips through the door, and some of the wall around the door as well. The entrance fell apart with one good kick, giving her access to the board room. In the center is what she was sent here for. InGen's main computer, Slotting the SDS chip Rarity had given to her into the computer. She saw it light up as InGen and Discord battled it out for control of the system. "C'mone! C'mone! Hurry up." Muttered Rainbow to impatiently herself. watching billions of terrabytes zipp back and forth, too fast for the pony eye to see but knowing that one hell of a battle was taking place. "DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" Yelled a voice behind her. "AND PUT YOUR HOOVES ABOVE YOUR HEAD!" "Damn!" She said to herself slowing turning around but still holding on to her weapons. "I SAID DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" said the pony covering the door. pointing a very looking piece of hardware at her, the kind of thing that could give Rainbow Dash a very bad day. She estimated their were about five guards in the room with her, not counting the civilians, which she just realized were their in the room as well. Dash also felt their was another five guards outside the room as well, providing reinforcements and definitely another team would be here shortly. Terrible odds if you made this into a battle. Suicidal odds really. Rainbow Dash felt a smile stretch across her face, flicking the whips into blades again, She couldn't help feeling that she was having the time of her life. "Guards Lower your weapons this instant!' said Rarity her face suddenly coming onto the screen. "You as well Dash." Surprise hit everyone, as they all found themselves following Rarity's order. Including Rainbow Dash who had deactivated her weapons, watching them fell back into the hilt of her swords. "Now that I have everyone's fullest attention." continued Rarity surveying the room full of people. " I am Rarity C.E.O. of T.E.C. industries From this moment on, InGen Medical Technologies is now property of Trans Equestria Creative a subsidiary of International Information Technology. To put it simple we own you lock stock and barrel. Including your subsidiary rights, intellectual property, copyrights and patens. Eighty-eight percent of your stock is now owned by us. As well as five of your board members are now on our seat. And by the way, please do not kill your coworker a Miss Rainbow Dash please. it really wouldn't look good on your record." Everyone stood their for a moment letting everything that was said sink in. "What about our employer?" said an executive, instantly regretting becoming the center of attention. "What does he have to say about all of this? I would like to talk to him." "As Yes Mr. Fancypants. If you wish you may lodge any queries, complaints, or other problems to him at any time you desire." The explosion was close enough to crack the windows and rock the building, as many eyes looked out to see chunks of debris start falling to the ground from the plane that was suddenly not their. "However I feel that it may take some time before you get a response from him." she paused for a moment letting it all sink in. "Now ponies we have a busy day tomorrow. Their will be a meeting as we finalize everything and I expect big things from this, but for now, continue on with what you were doing. Oh and please escort Miss Rainbow Dash out, if you don't mind I can see she might be upsetting the other ponies their." Rarity finished, finally looking at her. "Would you like me to send someone to pick you up Miss Dash?" "Nah I'm good." Said Dash. "I just need to get out and I'll, fly my way back." "Very well." Said Rarity addressing the group again. "Can someone please escort Dash to the exit then if you would be so kind, and do it carefully. I don't have to remind everypony what would happen if Miss Dash got injured on the way out. Jobs are very hard to find these days." Rainbow dash bit her tongue hard trying not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. One moment they were going to kill her, now their treating her one of their own. "Its good to have friends in high places." she thought to herself as she was led out. **** "Discord retrieved the file." said Fluttershy to Rarity. "He is proceeding to open it." "He?" asked Rarity. "Well...Well..I know its....not a he but, it...just feels..." "Its alright Fluttershy, I was just teasing really I don't mind." Said Rarity trying to sooth her friend Fluttershy. Sometime she would get like this. Embarrassed over something that really meant nothing. "But it seemed like a lot of work to get what we needed this was Rarity. Did it have to be done this way?" Rarity took a long drag from her cigarette, letting her thoughts settle. "I wish Fancypants, had actually tried to have done business with us, instead of trying to kill me and take us over. Especially when he didn't even know what it was he had found." Rarity brought up the file on her computer, opening it. All most ponies saw was an endless string of letters and numbers, but those two saw a ladder to the heavens, maybe even to the gods themselves. "How long until we can have it ready?" "Um.." Replied Fluttershy tapping on her computer. "It depends how long it takes for the analyzer to reverse engineer it, code it and synthesize for injection. Two days to a week if everything goes well." "Good." Rarity said. "Give me a few moments to take care of a few loose ends and I will join you." "Yes Miss Rarity." Fluttershy said before cutting off the connection, engrossed in the world of the symbols coursing on her screen. Rarity got up from the chair, stretching her body out, listening to her bones crack. I was a long afternoon that was going to become a long night, but things needed to be done, important things or else...oh. So much had happen in such a short time she had almost forgotten him. Her would be killer staring outward, staring at the sky, staring at whatever the dead see. Rarity kneeled down towards him, still as handsome as he was in life, even after everything he still was handsome. Rarity ran her hoof through his mane feeling his hair run across. Finding the tears starting to come out of her. "I'm so sorry." she whispered to him and a great sadness engulfed her, unable to hold it in anymore. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I'm so very, very sorry." She cried repeating the words over and over again. Hoping the words might change everything, somehow make it all better, Did Rarity ever tell you how much she really, really, REALLY liked him? **** Fluttershy stared at her computer screen in her laboratory, mesmerized by the magic of all it was telling her. Beside her was the Analyzer which Discord processed, going through it sequence by sequence, breaking down, refitting, breaking down again rerefitting. Assembling the genetic codes countless times trying to get everything right. Next to the Analyzer. A vat was assembled, Filled with a nutrient rich liquid constantly swirling and churning around in a perpetual state of motion. By some prearranged program another group of fluids was released into the vat temporarily coloring the water to a purplish-greenish hue. Something was in their, Something big, occasionally knocking against the insides as the currents drifted it around. Before disappearing again back into the depts. of the container, and its hazy liquids of swirling colors. Their was a slight bumping noise, as the object inside had hit near the top of the vat, making the image of a purple horn clearly visible, until vanishing back into the floating colors.