6:35 A.M. Everfree Forest, Castle of The Royal Pony Sister's.
"So that's what you all are doing here." Gadget said as he waved a hoof to the elements of harmony.
"You've been searching for these fossilized rock's?" He said rubbing his hoof on his chin. "I'd have figured the elements of harmony would be a little more...shiny." He said poking one of them with a hoof. He got a zap for his prodding. He yelped and began to nurse his shocked appendage. The girls shared a snicker at this. Then they all heard some pony groaning.
"OH CRAP!" Gadget got into a fighting stance as his face mask clamped shut with a metal clang. His H.U.D flared to life giving his suits eye's a creepy blue glow.
"Girls you get the elements and go. I'll hold off Nightmare Moon." The girls looked from the hole in the wall that nightmare was wobbling from out of.
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked. Gadget chuckled.
"She tried to blow me up and that failed." He said. Inside his suit he smiled. The girls were horrified at this thought.
"So yes i think i can take her. Or at least give you girls enough time to find a way to use those old fossils." He said pointing a metal clad hoof at the elements. Nightmare moon began to let out a loud roar in anger as she made her way into the atrium, her coat was ruffled, and covered in dust dirt and blood.
"YOU!" She boomed at Gadget.
"Me!" He shouted throwing up his fore hooves and dancing a little jig on his hind leg's, shaking his flank at nightmare moon while waving his for hooves around in little circle's. The girls just starred at Gadget like he had a death wish.
"What? Are you going to do? Stare at me all day or--" SMASH!!! Nightmare Moon wasn't pulling any punch's this time around. She took full advantage of Gadget's folly. She tackled him with her shoulder slamming him into and through a crumbling wall. The girls stood there until Twilight got everyponys attention.
"Come on girls lets go!" Twilight grabbed one of the elements with her magic, so did Rarity. Rainbow grabbed one as well and so did Fluttershy. Apple Jack took the last one on her back. The group carried the element's away from Nightmare through the hallway's of the old castle eventually ending up in what looked like the throne room.
"Do...you..think...Gadget...will...be..OK?" Fluttershy asked through deep breath's. Twilight looked at the other girls and shook her head.
"I don't know Fluttershy. He seemed confident in his ability to handle the situation. But with Nightmare moon being an alicorn?" She shuddered at the thought.
"II just don't know." She pulled out her book and began to study it's page's looking for any kind of answer to there current dilemma.
"You must be either a brave knight or a stupid fool!" Nightmare shouted as Gadget picked himself up and dislodged his body from the ruble. He chuckled.
"I would like to think i'm in the middle of those two extremes." Nightmare snarled at his jest and charged up her horn. A warning popped up on Gadget's H.U.D and he barely dodged the incoming blast. He revved his engine's and leaped to the left just as the beam of magic arced over the spot his head had been a few seconds ago. Just as he got his footing on solid ground another blast came his way. He jumped into the air and hovered there for a second. OK I think i can do this. Just gotta keep her at bay. He lit his own horn and sent a green blast of magic at nightmare. She nimbly dodged the attack and scanned the sky for her foe.
Gadget look advantage of her momentary distraction to fly out of the ruins. She looked around for him but found nothing. He set his engine's for silent and hovered around to a nearby window.
"OK suit systems check, No. 2." He whispered. A full suit diagnostics's check came up listing all available tech installed. The list began to rattle off on his H.U.D. He scanned it with fast eye's and stooped at one that looked promising.
"OK. So if i cut the suit's overall power consumption down to 3/4th i can use that to give her a nasty surprise." He chuckled to himself. He kept his engine's on silent and lowered his altitude to just above ground level. He then cut back on the magic flow to his limbs keeping just enough power in them to get around quickly and quietly. He then looked at his power meter. His suit was at 90%. With his power cuts he was able to get overall power consumption to 60%.
"Perfect." He wen't back to his list and picked the 'Active Camo' function. His suit shimmered in the air then faded out of existence. He then wen't through the list again and picked out the 'Mana Shield' and placed it on standby. His suit hummed as it stored the power necessary for the spell in the very plate's of metal that comprised it.
"OK now to take it to the evil queen." Gadget looked through the castle with his infra vision. He saw Nightmare looking through the castle for him or the girls he didn't know but he saw were she was now. She was just underneath a section of ceiling in a hallway that was being supported by only a few pillars. He flew up to the roof and slipped in the hallway just a hairs breath in front of Nightmare. He made his way to one of the pillars and then targeted the other across from him. He then set a timer. Just as Nightmares hoof touched the holographic line of his H.U.D. Gadget fired off his spell.
Nightmare was furious not only had the metal clad cowered tricked Nightmare he had apparently used the opportunity to run away. Humf. Simple minded low birthed-WAH Nightmares thought's were interrupted by a green bolt flying past her head. She saw were it came from but not who had cast it. She targeted the pillar that had hid the coward and blasted it to oblivion.
"You hoo!" She spin around to see.... nothing? She felt a sting of pain on her back as another bolt of energy lanced out at her from above. She pointed her horn up and fired. Her magic sailed through the air and went on as it hit nothing. Now she was getting angry.
"COME OUT AND FACE ME COWARD!" She Screamed. Rage consumed her. Gadget could feel it without his senses he was certain he could have felt it. OK last one. Silently he crept along the floor to the last pillar and set up his shot. He aimed it at Nightmare's head. His targeting reticule glowed green when he had a shot. He took it nailing the tyrant right in the face. She spun around, eye's now burning with fury, and sent out a concussive shock wave of power. Gadget's shield flared to life keeping him from being pushed back. Then he saw something that made him wanna scream. Oh Poo.
That wave had knocked out his Active Camo. And now he was starring down an angry Nightmare Moon with a twisted smile upon her face.
"Uh..hu..hu. Hey there?" He said waving at her timidly. Her smile grew wider as she sensed his fear. Both pony's attention was distracted however by the sound of crumbling stone. They both looked up to see the roof begin to crack. Gadget used this new opportunity to spin around and blast the last pillar to dust. The whole Roof now came collapsing in on the two. Gadgets shield flared to life once more.
"UHH THEIRS NOTHING HERE!!" Twilight screamed as she hurled the book at the stone wall. The group all flinched as they heard a huge crash fallowed by a silence. There hearts all stopped.
"Y-Y-You don't think?" Fluttershy managed to squeak out before she choked up from tear's. They all left that statement unanswered.
"Why!" Twilight screamed bringing the group back to the present.
"Why get this far if we can't even use these thing's!" She said hitting one of the element's. She was zapped and flinched away. Then her anger exploded.
"AHG STUPID ELEMENT'S! COME ON WORK!!!!" She said punctuating every word with a hit. Each hit earned her a zap of disapproval but she didn't care at the moment. One of her friends was possibly going to die and then the whole world was next. Finally she was exhausted and she slumped down in defeat.
"Why?"
"Why what sugar cube?"
"Why did Celestia send me here?"
The group all pondered the question. Then Rarity spoke up.
"Well darling. I'm sure there was a good reason for sending you hear."
"Ya i mean look at all of us!" Pinky chimed in.
"Pinks is right. Were all here." Rainbow said.
"That's right." AJ added. "Were all here for a reason."
"E-e-even i-if w-we don't know what that reason is. Were all here together and that has to count for something right?" Fluttershy Said. Twilight thought about there situation. They all had a point. They were all here for a reason. Even Gadget was here for a purpose. That thought brought about new feeling's Feelings she never really considered as important before. She realized then and there that she had friend's. Friends that were willing to do whatever it took to help her out no matter what. She realized that no matter what she wouldn't trade in this feeling for anything. As she realized this she suddenly got an idea. She had no idea where it came from but it hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Girls!" All of the group looked at her now.
"I think i know how to activate the Element's of Harmony!" All of there face's lit up with joy.
6:40 A.M. Everfree Forest, Castle of The Royal Pony Sister's.
As the dust settled into the now thoroughly demolished hallway Gadget coughed a little and not because of the dust. He got to his legs a little wobbly from having a giant stone slab dropped on him. The shield held out for as long as it could but eventually it fizzled out letting the giant hunks collapse on him. He worked his way out of the ruble and flopped onto the floor resting a little bit.
"Well That ought to slow her down." He whispered to himself. As if the universe was doing its best to kill him, which for all he knew it was, Nightmare moon burst from the ruble sending bits of broken roof and rock hurdling in all directions including at Gadget. He leaped out of the way as a huge piece of roof slammed into the spot he occupied moments ago.
"You Know I have to compliment you pony." Nightmare said as she strolled out of the ruble a dark blue Aura surrounding her visage. Gadget could only chuckle in response.
"Well i'm really surprised i lasted even this long to be honest."
"That makes two of us." A smirk adorning her face once more.
"So in commemoration of your valor i shall grant you one request." She said, "Ether a quick death at my hooves." Her smile widened, just a fraction.
"Or one last duel to the death."
"Those my only option's?" Gadget asked forlorn. Nightmare starred at him.
"OK. Fine i can live with that." He chuckled at his own bad joke. Then with some effort he got to his feet and paid Nightmare the first bit of respect she ever got. He bowed to her. Not a stupid joke or even a ruse. He got down on both knees and bowed to her like a royal subject.
"Well Princess if it's all the same with you i would like to have a glorious death in battle." He stated his whole body beginning to shake with fear.
She chuckled at this.
"Very well knight. Prepare yourself." She leaped at Gadget her horn flaring to life once more.