15 Years Later...
"15. 27. 0."
The small sliver of light was snuffed out as the door shut. Dozens of pegasi, unicorns and earthen moved as three stood up and walked through their groups. The smallest grunted at the other two, who replied with nods as they grabbed rusted weapons from the floor. The unicorn of their group tossed a spear up to their leader, then handed a barbed club to the earthen on his right. There was a low whirring noise, then a resounding click of gears as a small gate opened. The three stepped onto it, and their leader knocked on one of its bars with his spear.
Immediately, the platform jolted, separating from the cold ground and slowly climbing up the chute. The small creature groaned in disgust as they rocked and swayed uneasily. He hated the lift. Years of standing on it weren't enough to get him accustomed to its awful voyage. The other two waited silently, staring at the metal ground without emotion. As light began to touch their faces, their smallest grunted in alert. The two took small knives from their sides and stabbed themselves, grunting in pain before it turned to growls and snarls.
Their veins bulged grotesquely, their eyes going bloodshot, and adrenaline poured into their systems. There were small cracks of bone as metal pushed out from skin, the unicorn clutching his head while the earthen fell to his hands and knees. The smaller creature kept his gaze forward, waiting for them to finish transforming.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
He grunted as his own body started to change. The cybernetics along his bones lit up, small shards of metal pushing out from his spine. He silently whimpered as a metal corkscrew pushed itself out from his forehead, then smoothed itself out before flashing once. Simultaneously, several nodes appeared on his body, running along his skeleton before receding into his skin.
Pegasi... pegasi!
He growled lowly and rose his spear, the lift gradually slowing before a final boom of gears clicked into place. The front of the lift slid outward, and the occupants leaped outside. They looked up into the glass dome above, looking to the masters of the pit they called home. Their attention shifted to another lift across from theirs. The gates opened, and a trio of ponies ran out. Two were pegasi, and one was an earthen.
Carnal and savage yells echoed through their ears as the groups charged one another. The pegasi took flight, while the two earthen began fighting one another brutally. The unicorn took aim at the pegasi, firing erratic bolts of magic to keep them moving. One flew past him and tackled the creature to the ground. They pushed away from one another, then swung their weapons into each other. The pegasi slashed his spear in half, cutting into his chest in the process. He cried out, but recovered in time to catch the blade and twist the metal.
They traded blows and scratches as their fight devolved, their modifications activating. The pegasus flared his wings, revealing the brittle bone replaced with metal alloys. The tips were now jagged and paper thin, which were useful as blades. He threw his body from side to side, his wings cutting the air in front of him. His adversary growled as he weaved around them, then rose a forearm to block a slash. Metal rakes pushed out from his forearm in a row, catching the sharp appendage between two before he pulled the pegasus toward him.
His right knuckles spewed blood as a set of pikes pushed out, just as he punched the man in the throat. He pushed the pikes deeper into the wound, before kicking him back and watching as he flailed and sputtered blood. His attention turned to his earthen companion, who screamed as his opponent ripped his arm from its socket, while the other pegasus scratched at his back. He let loose a frantic bellow as he sprinted over, his horn igniting in a blinding white aura. He planted his hands and feet in the ground before taking aim.
The pegasus noticed, and quickly flapped his wings to get airborne. His ally wasn't lucky enough to see, and he gasped as a powerful beam of mana pierced his chest and blew a hole into him. There was an eerie pause before he fell forward, slumped over the body of his opponent. Before he could readjust his aim, the creature was lifted from his feet. He growled as he kicked the pegasi's side, thrashing violently as he realized what he planned to do. Get as high as possible, then let go.
And he did just that. However, he was unprepared for the creature to grab his leg and quickly pull himself up. The pegasus couldn't support both of their weights, and so they plummeted to the ground. As they fell, the pegasus dug one of his wings into his side. He screamed in agony, but steeled himself and grabbed the base of it. The pegasus screamed as the metal covered bone was crushed, and slowly pulled to a sickening length. There was the sound of flesh ripping, then bone disconnecting, and ultimately a shriek that rattled the pit.
Their bodies landed in a bloody heap, the maimed gladiator writhing on the ground. The creature grunted as his dislocated shoulder strained, but jumped back as the pegasus savagely swung and lunged at him. With a guttural yell, he wove beneath a swing as a metallic spearhead pushed out from his elbow, and drove it into his chest. He pulled it higher, tearing through metal, bone and flesh until he went limp.
BANG!
The entire pit shook, and he looked up into the dome. The masters were rushing around frantically, some helping others off of the glass. Another explosion rocked the cavern, the lift screeching as it plummeted into its chute. The creature rushed to its threshold, looking down into the darkness and waiting. His brothers and sisters came to see the commotion, and it lifted its hand and pointed to the dome with a bellow. Roars began to echo from the chamber, along with shrieks and howls that were magnified by the cavern. Then, they started to climb.
2 Minutes Earlier…
"Get those prison cells ready! There must be dozens of ponies in there!" a thunderous voice ordered. "Captains, assemble your divisions near the front gate! Auxiliary units secure the southern exit!"
"General Iron Clad," a gentle yet firm voice spoke. The old man turned to see two beautiful mares donning ancient and daunting armor. The mare with a white coat and an ethereal mane with vibrant summer colors stepped down from the chariot and looked to the mountain. "Are you sure this is their hideout location?"
"Ma'am, I've had scouts eyeing this place for the past week," he grunted, securing his helmet's straps. "Stallions come in, crates the size of buildings following, and by morning they're gone. All of whom having the exact same tattoo on their palm. Now I'd like to debate this, but I've got a rescue operation to commence."
The younger, indigo mare stepped down and sternly said, "General, you aren't the only pony that wishes to apprehend these dogs!" She glared relentlessly at the man's head, but he walked off without so much as addressing her. "You and I should join them, you know."
"Times have changed, Luna," the elder alicorn sighed, unsure of what to say about her General's behavior. "It isn't normal to see either of us leading military raids or assaults. We should return to the castle. Iron Clad will have this done by night."
Princess Luna huffed softly as she took flight with her, watching the massive army surrounding the mountain. "It'd do us good to lead these sorts of things, Celestia," she murmured.
They flew off towards the border, leaving Iron Clad to his duties. After discovering that one of HIS stallions had been caught with a group so heinous, he wanted nothing more than to put their flanks on the wall. And take down an entire cult in the meantime. He was more than capable of turning up evidence with the 300 stallions waiting to break in.
"Sir!" a captain called. "We're set!"
"Good! Captain Armor!" he bellowed, catching the attention of the young Captain. "Lead Bravo and Charlie in! Alpha, wait until the breach!"
"Alright, you heard him!" Shining Armor yelled. "Set charges!"
Several guards dragged barrels of oil and dynamite to the large steel gate, then stuck the explosives to it until the entire gate was covered. Once they rejoined the lines, a unicorn squadron lit their horns. Shining Armor did the same, taking aim at the charges.
"Take aim!" The stallions waited for the signal, staring down their target. "3...2...1...fire!"
A wave of mana bolts struck together, causing a massive explosion that lifted the gate off its hinges. The stallions charged inside, filing down a long hall until they reached a smaller set of steel doors. Just like the first, they blew it open, then rushed inside what looked like a stadium interior. There was a booth flanked on both sides by double doors, and a commotion behind said doors.
"As soon as we get through those doors, they'll do whatever it takes to escape!" Shining told them. "Get them out of here as fast as you can! Clear out anypony you can't arrest!"
"Yes, sir!"
He drew his spear, then charged through the door. He looked out across an underground coliseum, with a glass dome in the center.
"Everypony get down! You're all under-"
Clang!
An arrow ricocheted off of a guard's helmet, and the stallions charged them. Dozens of unicorns fired at the guards as they made their way towards a back entrance while their bodyguards fought with the guards. Shining smacked away a metal baton and used the butt of his spear to knock the earth pony down. He deflected a sword aimed at his side and kicked his attacker down the aisles of seats. His ears perked as he heard thumping. Screams echoed from where the unicorns had fled, and soon they were running back in.
"They're climbing up the lift! Bring this place down!" one desperately cried. "Don't let them leave here!"
Before Shining could question it the glass dome shattered, and a large stallion flew into the air. He landed on the steps, then turned to him slowly. Shining grimaced at the sight of blades and other objects poking out of the stallion's skin, then gasped as he let loose an ear-piercing shriek. Dozens more followed, and equally mangled pegasi flew out from inside the pit. The exit was torn apart as even more started barreling in.
The large earth pony lunged at him as the others threw themselves into the fray, slaughtering their creators and tearing through the armor of the Solars. Shining grunted as the stallion wildly swung his massive arms and bent the spear in several places. He finally lunged with a spike littered fist, which tore into his chestplate and poked his skin. He moved away, trying to charge up a spell powerful enough to knock him unconscious. Before he could fire, a pegasus landed on his back, her feet modified with long, artificial talons. He gagged as her claws poked through his head, then tossed himself back to impale her on one of the pikes in his back.
"Captain!" Shining turned to one of his stallions, who was one of several cornered guards. The savage ponies attacking them fought amongst themselves as well, blood splattering as they sought to gut one another. "These things aren't going down! We can't, ngh, stop them!"
One of the ponies leaped into their midst, her arms replaced with rusted swords, and started impaling the stallions around her. A guard dug his spear into her back, prompting her to scream in agony. He gasped as she turned and swung her blades at him, cutting a gash into his stomach and chopping his arm off. More guards rushed in, knocking the mare over and impaling her until she stood still.
The others were like her as well. Relentless and berserk, devoid of rational thoughts that could save them. One by one, the guards put them out of their misery. Many guards fell, some were injured, and few escaped serious harm. Shining Armor couldn't understand why they wouldn't stop... not even the foals.
An hour of vigorous fighting winded down, the guards barely detaining a mare as she kicked and snarled. They wrapped chains around her body and cuffed her arms and legs, dragging her out the way they came. Shining sighed and removed his helmet, running a sore hand through his mane as he watched the stallions bag numerous bodies. The sight of foals among them stung his heart, and he made his way to the exit. The sounds of fighting reached him again, and he pulled his helmet on before rushing to find the source. An entire squad of earth ponies were trying to move in on... a creature.
It's body was bleeding from multiple wounds, some of which formed by rows of metal claws running along its arms. Poking out from its head was a metal horn, blood trickling out from the base. The earth ponies slowly moved in, moving away from its spear every time it swung.
"Unicorns!" Shining shouted. Three unicorn guards formed up in front of him, their horns charging up a blast spell. "Take aim!"
The creature looked at the four unicorns, which prompted the guards to do the same. "No! Don't!"
It shouted before lunging, and Shining waved his arm. "Fire!"
The earth ponies jumped out of the way, and four beams hurtled towards it. Instead of hitting it, the four beams came to an abrupt stop just a foot away from its body. The mana swirled into four nodes in its chest, and the horn on its head started to blink white. The flashing intensified rapidly, until a small orb appeared at the tip. Shining grabbed his men and jumped to the side, right before a surge of magic shot past him. The wall exploded into various chunks of rock, some vaporizing from the initial impact.
Shining pushed pieces of rock off of himself and stood, helping some of the other guards get out from under the rubble. He looked around for the creature, spotting it as it dragged itself toward the exit. He took a pair of cuffs from his waist and sluggishly restrained it, careful to not touch its wounds.
"All... dead..." it whispered. "...all... gone..."
"Round everypony up!" Shining shouted, giving the creature to two other guards. "Keep it away from the others. I'll be outside soon. We leave to Canterlot as soon as I get there."
He watched them take the creature away, then glanced over to where it'd been standing. A small unicorn colt hid beneath a rock, crawling away from him as he came near.
"It's alright. We're here," Shining softly said. The colt whimpered and pushed himself towards the wall. "Dive! Where's Corporal Dive?"
A mare pushed past the other stallions and saluted. "Sky Dive, sir!" she said.
"Can you get him out?" he asked, gesturing to the small colt.
She looked over, and nodded softly before taking off her helmet. "Just leave it to me, Cap. We don't need the big bad stallion to scare him," she softly told him. Shining Armor nodded before following after the other guards. "Hey, little guy. Come on. Let's get out of here."
She held out her hand, removing the gauntlet to reveal her rose coated hand. The small colt eased up at her warm tone, but only stared at her hand. "Is... Nete hurt?"
She smiled and tilted her head. "Who's that? Your friend?" Dive asked, shifting closer on her knees.
The colt kept still, looking at her wings. "Nete... Nete protects us... make us safe..." he whispered. "Are they hurting him?"
The colt kept referring to a him, but she didn't know what he meant. "Who's he?" she asked.
He pointed to the crater in the wall, then shuffled closer. "Nete... protects us. He hide me when you came," the colt said. "Is Nete safe?"
Nete... the name didn't sound correct. It didn't sound like an actual name. But if she wanted to comfort the colt, she would have to tell him what he wanted to hear. "He's safe... they just want him away from the bad stallions," she smiled, holding out her hand again. "Just like we want you away from the bad stallions."
For a minute, the boy kept still, but finally he took her hand. She helped him out from underneath the rubble, then scooped him up. He looked at her incredulously, and she gave him a warm smile before wrapping her wings around him.
"Let's go."