Road of Memories
It is a beautiful morning, with the sun just peeking over the horizon as Athena and I prepare the Ferret for travel.
Athena has enabled the IFF and pinpoint tracking on the links given to the three Crusaders so we do not have to search everything to make sure they are staying at home. This has been added to any plans so often now it has become commonplace for us to do so to keep them out of trouble.
I can only chuckle at the extent we have had to go to keep the three fillies out of any problems. Of course now with Dinky and Spring, the five of them seemed to have upped the propensity of situations to an unheard of degree. Could the trouble the base three cause, actually be magnified by the number of others connected to them? I am not sure, but it does bear further study.
Murphy would have loved these Crusaders.
The personnel carrier is all set to bring us as far as possible near the opening. We are going to take a quick side trip to check on the Tree as well, Twilight is quite adamant as the Elements of Harmony are encased inside it now. She is worried about them and what havoc they could cause if fallen into the wrong hooves. I concur, so we have lots to do and little time.
Athena is waving to our friends as they arrive, my readings on Twilight’s link is telling me that her vitals are doing fine, though she is still affected by her experience in the Neural Net. No other problems had cropped up during the night as we both monitored her closely through the link. We are still watching and using our best diagnostic tools to make sure she is doing well though she seems to be slightly absent minded, it could be a symptom or not but we will take very good care of her.
Though we cannot travel the entire way inside the carrier due to cliffs and other blockages, it does give us an armed and armored place to retreat to in case of problems. Fording the river should be no concern as well, though Rarity and Twilight both are wanting to check and see if Steven is doing all right. I have seen no sign of such a being on my drone patrols, but they are insistent that he is in the river.
I can believe quite a few things nowadays, but a mustachioed sea serpent strains credulity even for me. Athena tells me she is quite excited to see if he exists though she is a bit doubtful as well.
Twilight, has come up with an alternate route, saying she wanted to see a few things on the trip out. I am not sure if this is a time for sightseeing, but we acquiesce, she is our friend and we would do anything for her.
Vehicle checks are complete and we load up, Rarity is complaining we haven’t updated the inside in a while and wishes to do a complete redesign. Keeping up with her constantly changing fashion ideas is a bit daunting, though it does make the inside of the Ferrets more comfortable. I am sure the Concordiat Marines would have appreciated her thoughts of comfort.
Pinkie has been explicitly told by Applejack she is not to jump around on the outside of the vehicle. This is not going down well, Pinkie doesn’t like to be cooped up so I prepare for her to somehow get on the top of the vehicle and do what she does.
Princess Luna is in contact with us as we advise her of our departure. She is staying up this day in case of trouble, her and Princess Celestia are to be advised of any problems which might need their assistance.
I find this heartening. Though Princess Luna is still sounding as if she’d rather be charging into a fight than sit on a throne and listen to complaints or pleadings from noble houses. I can understand that, the life of a ruler is not the most exciting at all moments. But in my own opinion, I would rather them be safe than rushing into battle as rulers of old. Harold II at the Battle of Hastings comes to mind and I would rather not have that happen.
One last look at the newly mounted Infinite Repeaters and we are good to go. Ammunition is plenty enough for a protracted battle and fast retreat to within the range of our war hulls. The Princesses have not rescinded the order allowing us to use nuclear arms as long as we keep the tonnage down. I am fabricating kiloton range warheads for the cruise missiles as the mega-tonnage ones will be put in storage for now.
Final checks are complete with AP reactives online, Athena is getting everypony loaded and comfortable. I look forward to this actually, it is something I’ve wanted to see for a while and now we are finally getting the chance, though under circumstances I would rather not have. But looking at Pinkie somehow conjuring snacks from somewhere, I think it’s going to be a worthwhile trip.
---------------
We manage to avoid one pitfall during the beginning of travel, Twilight helps map a way around the cliffs they first encountered when they traveled looking for the Elements of Harmony the very first time. We pause for a few minutes to look at an area that has subsided. I believe from the look on her face, this planned way to the Tree is for something else as well.
Twilight looks up at the cliff side, pointing out a landslide, “That’s where the cliff gave way, Applejack caught me on the edge right there,” She points lower down, “ She told me to let go and I thought she was insane!”
Athena and I look upwards, seeing the slipped cliff face, “Really?”
She nods, leaning on the side of the hatch, “I remember it like yesterday, hanging off the cliff as she looked at me and said let go, I thought she’d gone crazy.”
Applejack laughs, “Ain’t that the truth, shoulda seen her face.” She pokes Twilight in the shoulder, “Looking at me like ah’m an idiot, then she trusted me and let go. Rainbow and Fluttershy caught her.”
“Is that how you convinced her of your honesty?” I am curious, it’s a tale I haven’t heard much, we just haven’t had time to listen to all the details.
“Yep! She trusted me enough even when we hadn’t known each other very long.” Both of them turn to look at the area once more, “Memories aren’t always pretty, but they’re special.”
Twilight looks at both of us, “To think I wanted to do the trip alone, I didn’t know them and thought they wouldn’t be able to help.” She looks at the others gathered on the top of the Ferret, “Boy was I wrong.”
I see them all exchange fond looks, holding on to something that will always remain with them.
Before we head out once more, I see Twilight leaning against Applejack on the open deck of the transport. Athena pushes me off into the Ferret, it’s something they share with each other and we are just being nosy.
My sister and I wait as they sit up above us, talking of things we can only imagine, looking back upon one of the very first times they had an adventure together, trying to stop Nightmare Moon. Athena looks at me as we share the same bond, together through thick and thin we will always be.
The friends pile back into the transport, smiles and nudges all around as they are chattering happily. We take off once more but are soon stopped by Fluttershy of all ponies.
“LOOK! Look! That’s where I met Manny!” She is leaping out the hatch, pointing at a narrow spot in the ravine we are traversing.
Athena looks curiously at her, “Manny?”
She taps her fore hooves together and tries to hide in her mane as she smiles shyly, “Well...the Manticore needed a name so I thought Manny fit...really...well...”
Rainbow Dash laughs, giving the buttery Pegasus a hug, “Only you Flutters!”
Now I am beyond curious, “A Manticore? There were old legends and myths of them on old Earth..”
Rarity nods, “Oh but they are very real Crusader, he had a thorn stuck in his paw and our dear Fluttershy removed it. He was quite grateful and let us pass on our way.”
Pinkie grabs Fluttershy in a hug, “She’s our absolute kindness wrapped inside a soft little bundle of shyness!” She squeezes Fluttershy hard enough to make her squeak.
“Can’t....breathe....”
“Pinkie dear, let her go, she’s about to pass out,” Rarity is pointing out Fluttershy’s rapidly blueing face.
The pink mare gasps and lets go, shaking the poor Pegasus, “Oh no! Don’t pass out!”
Fluttershy’s eyes go a bit wild as Pinkie releases her, pulled back by Applejack as the poor Pegasus gasps for air, “I’m..I’m fine...” She shakes her head and looks out of the hatch, “I wonder if Manny is around...oh look!”
She points out over the front of the vehicle where a large creature is lounging around, every one of my weapons lock and point in the same direction before Athena grabs me and control of the guns.
“Hold it! No shooting!” She’s knocks me on the shoulder, “Geez Crusader.”
“But it’s a...”
She points a hoof at my nose, “I said no shooting!” Her eyes narrow as she glares at me, stamping her other hoof on the armor plate floor, “Just relax, Fluttershy isn’t scared so it must be her friend right?”
Twilight and Applejack are laughing so hard they fall off their seats, I can only scuff a hoof and nod, “Fine..”
Athena glares at me for a moment more before dropping the ramp, “Go say hi to your friend Fluttershy, it’s safe.” She turns a jaundiced eye at me.
Fluttershy gives a quiet “Yay!” and rushes out the door, I peek up over the hatch seeing her hugging one huge leg as the ...what appears to be a Manticore... licks her face like a pet dog. I get poked in the gut by Athena.
“You sit down and behave, you’re not gonna shoot her friend.” She is smiling at the two exchanging greetings in their own way.
Rainbow cackles, pointing a cyan hoof at me, “Here I thought Twilight freaked out a lot!” She rolls about on the floor laughing, getting a glare from the Alicorn.
“I do not freak out!” She has a look of consternation on her face now.
“You do too! You used to freak out about assignments from Princess Celestia all the time. You STILL do!” She giggles, Pinkie joins in with her.
“That’s not...well...kinda true..” Twilight rolls her eyes and sighs, “Okay, it’s true..sometimes!” She narrows her eyes at Rainbow who just continues to laugh.
“I am not ‘freaking out’ either, I am trying to protect all of you.” Anything in this forest is considered a threat by me, especially creatures such as the one nuzzling Fluttershy right now. After past experiences, anything that even thinks about attempting to hurt her will be obliterated.
Rarity peeks over the hatch, “I can’t believe after all these years he’s still here, amazing, simply amazing!” She peers again, “He’s so very much larger as well!”
We all watch as Fluttershy pets the huge head, giving the beast a warning to be safe as he roams the forest and that she’ll see him later. She trots to the ramp and walks up with a large smile, “Oh he’s wonderful! He’s doing good, hiding from the bad things in the forest. He still remembers the thorn I pulled out!”
Athena raises a tentative hoof, “Is he trained or something? They were very vicious in our old legends.”
She waves one in return, “Oh no, he’s just a big softie. He wouldn’t hurt a fly..well...he would but that’s what it’s like here in the forest I guess.” She peeks out the hatch as we start rolling again, waving goodbye to the fearsome creature who actually waves a heavy paw back at her.
Athena looks at me for a second.
“A big softie? That thing out-classes ponies by a margin and it’s a big softie? Sometimes brother I think they’re all a bit loopy.” Athena circles a hoof near her ear with a grin.
“We just watched Fluttershy hugging a vicious beast and calling it Manny, who are the loopy ones Athena, we who didn’t shoot it or them?” I give her a shrug and a smile as we continue on our journey.
She laughs out loud, prompting the others to look at us strangely for a moment.
Applejack gets it immediately, “Hey! Doncha be talking bout us where we can’t hear you.”
I place a hoof on my chest, “I would never...”
Emerald eyes lock on mine with a raised eyebrow, “Don’t you start with that buncha ponyfeathers, we know ya been doin’ it.” She points at Athena, the rest of the group nodding along with her pronouncement.
Athena laughs again, tapping me on the shoulder, “They got us.”
“Yes, yes they did.” I chuckle, “Getting harder to put one past them I think.”
“Yeah I thought so, talking ‘tween yerselves where we can’t join in. Wonder what y’all been saying huh?” She eyes me closely for a moment along with the others.
Of course it is Athena..of course... Before I can frame a proper reply.
Athena waves a lazy hoof, “Oh the usual, weapons checks, programming problems, boring stuff like that.” Her face gets a very mischievous look, “Who’s got a few extra pounds they could stand to lose, or maybe something that’s really funny but might get somepony mad.. or even catching Crusader looking at something he...”
“Athena...,” I see eyes turning as mouths open to start asking questions, this is not going to end well Athena you prank playing Bolo.
Pinkie pokes herself in the stomach, then turns to Twilight and gives her a nudge in the flank with a hoof, “Yeah Twilight could stand to lose a few pounds, lazing all day reading books.” Her grin is the same as Athena’s.
The Alicorn almost goes apoplectic, “Pinkie!”
“What? Just saying..” She is absolutely unrepentant, giving her friend the patented ‘I’m just an innocent Pinkie’ look.
“Well that’s not very...” Twilight turns her head, looking at her flank, “I’m not fat, I just sit a lot!”
“It’s your story Twilight, tell it any way you want to!” Pinkie’s reply is cheerfully given. “We love you now matter how pudgy you get!”
Rarity chuckles in her delightful way, “Now Pinkie that’s not very proper to say.” She eyes Twilight critically, “Though maybe a few off days in the spa could help...” She receives a glare from the lavender mare, “What? I’m just saying it might be healthy for you, look at moi!” She poses, showing her gleaming mane and coat.
“I am not pudgy nor am I getting pudgy. Hmph!” She plops down on a seat, crossing her forelegs with a glare.
Pinkie bounces around the compartment, “That’s okay Twilight, least you’re not like Dashie looking in the mirror all the time, making sure her flank isn’t too skinny.”
Rainbow’s eyes pop wide open, looking around for a moment before recovering, “I do not! I’m just so awesome I even check myself out!” She stands proudly, lifting her nose in the air. Fluttershy is covering her mouth with both hooves, giggling madly.
Pinkie bounces right on by, “Whatever you say Dashie.” She grins and pronks on past.
A voice interrupts, “Well, Ah’m just wonderin’ what you been looking at.” I see Applejack pointing at me with a grin.
“Nothing bad I assure you..” The in-compartment screen comes on with a crackle of static, a picture of an orange Earth pony walking away is framed in a close up shot of her muscular backside.
Applejack’s eyes get wide as she then squints at the screen seeing her Cutie Mark, “Is that.. Crusader!”
I am sure the look on my face isn’t pleasant as I turn to my sister, “Athena!”
She is sitting quietly just grinning at me as Applejack turns a beet red, tugging her hat low over her face.
Rainbow Dash falls off the seat, rolling on the floor as she cackles like a mad pony at the screen, “Bwahahahaha! Wooooo! He sure got a good look at THAT!”
“Rainbow Dash you be polite now!” Applejack is glaring at her friend. Rarity is laughing politely behind a hoof as Pinkie giggles alongside Fluttershy. Even Twilight is clamping her mouth shut trying not to laugh, attempting to look stern at Athena.
“Now...Athena that’s..that..” She clamps her eyes shut for a moment and then laughs loud and long, her whole body shaking.
“Athena,” I turn and give her a glare, “That’s not..” I am interrupted by the pictures on the screen changing to various other Cutie Marks. It’s from my Tactical Identification Core when I was scanning ponies to ID them.
“ATHENA!” I am trying to restrict the data from her but she is brushing me aside in TSDS.
Rainbow keeps laughing, tears falling from her eyes as she wipes them, “Wow, you looked at EVERY pony’s backside!”
“I did it to identify them faster.”
“Bwahahaha, likely excuse!” She is pointing at the pictures and roaring in laughter.
Fluttershy points quickly, “Hey, isn’t that...?”
Twilight stops laughing, giving me a look, “Princess Celestia? REALLY?”
I spread my hooves in supplication, “It was to identify ponies easier!”
Pinkie pipes up, “I dunno, kinda looks like more of the flank than the mark to meeeee...!”
“You’re not helping Pinkie.” Athena starts laughing out loud at my deadpan look, Pinkie just shrugs with a grin.
Rarity is tapping a hoof on her chin, looking at the picture and mumbling to herself, “I’m amazed with all the rich food in Canterlot she doesn’t jiggle a bit mo...” She stops dead, seeing Twilight glaring at her, “I’m just saying..well..you know..” She grins with a blush.
Twilight points a hoof, “Oh no you don’t, we are NOT discussing Princess Celestia’s backside!”
Athena enters the fray, “We can compare them though!” She puts up a side by side of Rainbow Dash and Twilight, “You can see the differences too!”
Twilight flips her head to look, “CRUSADER! You looked at mine too?”
“I was cataloging Cutie Marks!”
She is about to say something else when we all notice Rainbow staring at the picture, then at herself, the picture..back again, “Maybe I am a bit..” She stops and looks around, blushing heavily, “Ah..heh..you know..”
“Athena, quit being a prankster.” I give her a look and a nudge in TSDS. She sighs, throwing up her hooves.
“Fine...fine, you never let me have any fun.” But she laughs, shutting the screen down. But before she does, one last picture comes up with all six in a side by side comparison, this gets a gasp out of Rarity, “Well I never!”
The screen finally goes blank, clicking off with a finality as we all sit in silence for a moment.
“I don’t care, mine looked awesome!” Rainbow moves about the compartment, giving a bit of a sashay to her walk.
This got an instant reply from our fashionista, “I doubt that it’s all that, I take good care of myself and think mine showed what a real lady looks like!” She strikes a pose and gives everypony a smile.
This devolves into a ‘Mine was better’ conversation as I sit there, even Athena joins in but is shouted down saying hers was not real and it didn’t count. This got plenty of laughs from her and everyony else.
“Why not just ask him?” I see Pinkie pointing my way.
“Ask me what?” This is not going to be good.
“Whose is better.” She grins at me while the rest of the mares turn, Twilight getting a curious look on her face.
“Yeah Crusader, whose is better?” The Alicorn is smiling slyly now.
Seven sets of eyes bore into me as I stare back, my tactical arrays are screaming warnings at me about this.
“No. No I am NOT going to get into this conversation.”
“Oh come on!” Rainbow tosses a hoof up, “You can tell us, we’re your friends!”
“I will do battle until I am wrecked beyond repair, I will charge emplacements and face off with the best the enemy has. But I will NOT do this.”
Even Applejack gets involved, throwing a leg around my neck, “Oh come on sugar cube, you can let us know. We’ll never say nothin’ to nopony!” She gives me a playful wink.
“No.”
“Yer bein’ a coward you know.” Applejack’s voice is teasing.
“Yes I am. When it comes to something like this, there are some places Bolos fear to tread.” I give a firm nod to every one looking at me.
I receive a warm kiss on the cheek, “Well, least yer honest.” She turns to Rainbow, “Mine was better anyways, that’s what I think.” She turns her nose up, as Rainbow Dash protests.
Athena is laughing at me in commlink.
“You big softie, not wanting to cause problems!”
“You are absolutely right, tactical imperatives tell me even thinking about that is a trap.”
“You’re just a coward when it comes to that stuff.”
“That too, absolutely!”
She laughs, smiling at me from across the compartment.
Pinkie yells from the open hatch, “Stop the vehicle! Stooooop!”
We come to a screeching halt, throwing everypony forward slightly as we rock on our suspension. Athena and I scramble to discover what the problem is when Pinkie leaps out of the drivers hatch, bouncing around some large trees.
“Remember this? Remember?” She is grinning larger than Athena and I have ever seen her.
“Oh!” Rarity is nodding, “Isn’t this where...”
“Yeah! We were laughing at the spooky monsters Nightmare Moon conjured!” Twilight is nodding, pointing out the large trees.
“When I was a little filly and the sun was going down...” Pinkie’s voice is singing.
Twilight looks at Rarity, “Tell me she’s not...”
“The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown..”
Rarity nods, “She is...”
Rainbow scrambles out of the vehicle hatch, joining Pinkie in singing. They bounce around the trees grinning and smiling at imaginary faces and spooky things. Athena and I watch as the friends try and follow the pink Earth pony, ending up lying on the ground laughing with each other.
“Laaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh!”
Twilight hugs Pinkie tight, “I remember that, we all do!”
“Ah do, them tree monsters were somethin’ else until Pinkie showed us laughing at them would make ‘em go away.”
We drop the ramp as they troop in, pointing out the various trees that were transformed by Nightmare Moon to scare them off the trail of the Elements of Harmony.
Athena and I find this fascinating that at every point along this trail there is fond memories shared by them. It seems their lives have been just too busy to remember and share those times, I’m glad we could help regardless of the reason why.
Pinkie is still humming the song as we take off towards the river. We are making good time actually except for the stops, but it is of no matter, we will get there when the sun is not even noon. It will give us plenty of time to do what we need to.
Rarity is leaning out the drivers hatch, a hoof above her eyes as she starts looking towards the river. Athena joins her in the other opening.
“What are you looking for Rarity?”
“Steven, he met us right around here and I’m hoping the dear is doing all right what with all the problems.”
“Is this the Sea Serpent you were talking about?”
“Oh he’s so much more dear, such an elegant coiffure he had. Manicured to a gleam and his mustache was simply divine looking on him.”
I watch Athena raise a skeptical eyebrow, “Really...”
“Oh my yes, he give us a helping hoof across the river after I cut my own tail off, replacing his torn mustache with it. He was so grateful, such a well spoken Sea Monster too!”
We stop traveling at the river’s bank, dropping the ramp to take a stretch for a moment as Rarity keeps looking along the water.
“He simply must be here!”
I don’t like to disappoint anypony, “Perhaps he moved out of the area because of the problems Rarity?”
She looks dejected for a moment, scuffing a hoof on the ground, “Oh that’s quite possible. I know he was a kind and gentlepony, you would have loved to meet him.”
I task two drones to patrol the waterway quickly, Athena gives me a nod as we both try and find the absent Serpent, doubtful or not. There is a disturbance along the riverbed close to our position as we hear a loud voice.
“Oh Hellllllooooo! Oh my is that you Rarity?”
Athena and I are standing there stunned as a large serpent raises out of the water. He has a very large orange mustache and mane, along with matching eyebrows. His scales are polished to a high gleam. This has caught us totally off guard as we both were highly doubtful of anything like this.
The six friends yell out at the same time, “STEVEN!”
“Oh goodness me, you’re all here! What brings you to this part of the forest?” He is leaning on the embankment, lowering his face to meet theirs as they gather around.
Everypony gives him a hug as best they can, happy at seeing their friend from so long ago.
“We’re heading to the Castle of the Royal Sisters and we thought we’d take the way we traveled that first time.” Twilight is explaining the trip to him.
“Well I tell you, it’s been just dreadful around here, can’t get my beauty rest and I think my manicure is suffering for it. Such noisy things lately, can’t get a moment’s peace!” He huffs in a semi-serious way, though his smile betrays his happiness at seeing his friends.
Rarity laughs demurely, “Oh tell us about it, it’s been one problem after the other. Such that a lady can’t get time at the spa!”
“Oh SO true!” The Serpent waves a large hand, “It’s just getting so rough in this neighborhood!”
He looks down at the pretty Unicorn, “You know I still cannot thank you enough for the replacement of my mustache, it was absolutely horrid until you generously gave part of your tail for it!” He reaches into a place on his mane, “I even kept it as a memento when my glorious mustache finally grew back!” He shows her the partial tail, still curled and gleaming, preserved by a magic it appears.
Rarity is shocked, “Goodness, after all these years? I..I don’t know what to say really.” Everypony looks at her, never before seeing her without a comment to make on something. They all look at the partial tail, sharing a look and remembering more times past.
She touches a hoof over her heart, looking at the smiling Serpent, “I truly am humbled by this, I can’t believe you saved it all this time.”
“Of course I did, a friend gave me this and I shall treasure it alllllways!” He grins, putting it back in the safe place in his mane. “But who are these two? New friends?” He points at Athena and I.
“Goodness, where ARE my manners?” She hustles us over to stand in front of Steven, “Steven, this is Athena and her brother Crusader. You two, this is Steven.”
Athena and I stare for just a moment before I shake my head, “It is a pleasure to meet you Steven.” Athena grins, reaching out a hoof to tap his hand.
“It’s a real pleasure!” Her face lighting in pleasure, eyeing me sideways.
“I think we better stop doubting stuff Crusader.”
“I agree, no more.”
“Well! Any friends of theirs is a friend of mine, it is sooo good to meet you!” He passes a hand through his mane and grins at both of us. He reaches out to tap Athena on her hoof, “You look like Rarity’s been showing you how to be fabulous! Trust me, she knows fabulous!”
Athena blushes down to her hooves, “Th..th..thank you.”
“Oh she IS a dear, look at that blush!” He laughs heartily, “But I must be on my way, have to get my scales polished, it’s suuuch a chore being me!” He looks down at everypony, “Do you need a way to get across the river again, it would be my pleasure for old time’s sake!”
Everyone looks at me, I gesture at them, “Please do, I can drive it across myself.”
I make sure the Ferret is across the river safely as I watch the Serpent coil his body, providing a path for the friends and Athena as she gaily jumps across the river with them. The laughing mares are waving happily at Steven as he takes off down the river, Athena is bouncing around with Pinkie as they watch him swim off.
One last loading of the friends and we are off with a grabbing of tank treads, the Ferret almost roaring in delight as we head for the canyon that the Tree of Harmony is ensconced in. The opening is close by, hopefully far enough so that we may give the voices their rest without any damage to the Tree.
As we close in on the canyon, Athena and I load up sets of heavy saddlebags containing our solution. She is tightening the strap on my chest for me as we come to a halt, Rainbow flashes out of the vehicle as we drop the ramp, pointing at a woodne bridge crossing the space.
“Remember this?” She proudly thrusts her chest out as she recounts her tale, “I lifted the bridge up and tied it off so we could get across!” She flies over the bridge, yelling from across the canyon, “I even gave up the Captaincy of the Shadowbolts for my friends! Proving my loyalty!”
Twilight gets a sly look once more as her horn lights up, there are suddenly clouds of fog covering the bridge as we hear Rainbow’s voice calling out to us.
“Hey! What’s going on?” Rainbow looks around herself, thinking this is all somehow familiar.
“Rainboooow..”
“Huh? Who’s that? Come on out and face me like a pony!” She is punching her hooves at the air.
Three Pegasi wearing outfits dark and foreboding appear out of the fog, grinning at her in a malicious way.
“We still need a Captain...”
Rainbow’s eyes fly open with a squawk as she flaps her wings hard, propelling her backwards across the bridge, “RUN! It’s the Shadowbolts! RUUUUUUN!”
Twilight snickers for a moment, then falls to the ground with a guffaw rolling on the grass.
“What? What? Run for it, it’s the Shadow...waaaait a second...” Rainbow is not seeing anyone run for it. In fact everyone is snickering behind their hooves for a moment before it finally hits her.
“Oh that is SO not funny!” She glares at Twilight.
The Alicorn is laughing so hard tears are rolling down her face, she wipes them for a moment before she points a hoof, “I got you good Rainbow!” She stands on wobbly hooves, laughing out loud, “That’s for all the pranks in the past too!”
Rainbow Dash lands, scuffing a hoof, “Fine, you got me.” She points a cyan hoof at the group, “But that doesn’t mean it’s over, I’ll get you back!” She grins at the laughing ponies.
Twilight waves a hoof, “Yeah yeah, we know.”
She leads the way to the staircase as Rainbow grumps along the way, Pinkie tries to comfort her.
“That’s okay Dashie, everypony would be scared of them!” She grins at her friend.
“I wasn’t scared! I just...I got surprised is all! Yeah I coulda taken em!” She juts her chest out.
Applejack chuckles, “Right Rainbow, riiiight.” She pats Rainbow on the shoulder.
“Well I coulda....” The cyan mare keeps grumping along the stairway down. Twilight leads us into the cave where the tree resides, the glow is a giveaway as we enter the cavern.
Athena and I are stopped in place by a shield surrounding it as is everypony, the tree glows with an unearthly light as Twilight and the others stop as well. It appears it is not letting anyone near it for the moment.
The Alicorn rubs her chin, tapping at the magical shield, “I wonder what this is for?”
I watch her examining it, “It’s never happened before?”
“No, not the last few times we were here. It’s really weird.” She shakes her head.
Athena is looking at the tree closely, she is amazed at the beauty and power contained in it. She points out gems set in the branches, “Those are the Elements of Harmony?”
Fluttershy nods,”Yes, we had to put them in the tree to stop Discord’s Plunderseeds from running loose all over Ponyville.” She has a slightly wistful look as she sees her gem emplaced in a branch. “They sure were pretty when we wore them.”
Rainbow gives her a hug, looking at her own sitting on the tree. “Yeah, they were something else weren’t they?”
Athena and I see are looking at the tree as closely as we can. It is a marvelous sight, the crystal trunk and branches, the Elements and the hanging strings of more gems. It exudes a calm and peace, permeating everything in the open area with a glow.
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know Athena, it’s beautiful and is powerful beyond what we can measure. Do you think it’s a sophisticated form of computer? I’ve never seen anything like it, there is nothing like it in my databases.”
“I have nothing. It’s incredible.” She is up on her hind legs, leaning against the shield.
We can both see the power flowing through it, like veins in a plant it pulses with life and magic. It is a living thing, but so much beyond life we have nothing to compare it to. It is something that we cannot even define, much less figure out. But we are running out of time.
“It’s time to go Athena, we can come back later, I promise.”
“Okay! Oh it’s so wonderful!” I see her looking back at it as we turn to leave the cavern.
“I am sorry Twilight, we have to go.”
She nods, as do her friends, we leave the cavern and head back up the stairs. Hustling up the ramp, we take a short trip to the opening in the ground, looking as if it’s some sort of newly made sinkhole. It is far enough away from the Tree to make my worries less as we enter the gateway. It is dry and chilly compared to the outside, making us all shiver slightly. It is a foreboding prescence we all feel inside this darkness.
Twilight lights her horn, accompanied by Rarity as we walk further inside. Whispers surround us, pleading and urging as we get farther into the tunnel, encouraging us to continue on. Athena is on a hair trigger as am I, the last time anypony went into a cave, it almost ended badly for the entire country.
We are scanning the area with everything we have, seeing nothing in the dark, but when we switched to thermal we caught the heat from a large object at the end of the walk. We stopped, holding up every one else as Athena and I step forward.
“We see you, show yourself.”
A glow starts, filling the cavern as the whispers grow louder, overwhelming us for a moment as we all stand there. It reveals something that makes all our friends gasp and back up.
“That’s..that’s the same thing we fought in the portal!” Twilight is backing up with a look as her horn lights up. “Back up, back up! We have to go!”
It is tremendous, covered in eyes and mouths it is a lump of flesh that moves sluggishly. It reaches out appendages that grab nearby insects, pulling them back in to disappear among the rolls of darkness.
Whispers fill the air as everypony backs up, taking steps to leave the area immediately. But we are stopped by a voice, soft and low, that beckons us to give them peace.
“You...promiiised.”
I nod, looking at Athena, “We did, plant the charges Athena, keep a close watch.” She looks nervously at me, then trots forward, pulling the saddlebags open and dropping octocellulose charges at spots we have quickly estimated will blow this thing to it’s desperately wanted oblivion.
We are nervous as we walk close to it, dropping the packages nearby and circling it with what we have. I have calculated enough of compressed explosive charges should provide enough of a blast equivalent to a half-kiloton warhead.
Athena whispers to me over the commlink.
“I don’t like this, I..I really don’t.”
“Be calm, drop your charges. Take yourself and the others out afterwards, I will be right behind you.”
She nods at me, pulling the last one out and trotting back to the others, she turns to whisper at them quietly while I stand in front of this thing.
“What are you? Answer me at least that.”
A single voice answers, if you can call it what it says an answer.
“Noooo one and nooooobody Bolo. Minds trapped for so looooong, put here by insanity.”
“That’s not an answer thing, give me something.” I point a hoof at the lump of flesh, “You owe us that.” Eyes swirl around, looking in various directions as silence reigns for long drawn out moments.
“We owe you nothing exccccept the promise of no moooore waaar..”
“We are giving you what you wanted. You can return the favor.”
Silence except for the sounds of squishing ripples of flesh and floundering tentacles in the cave.
“Beware Bolo, there are things you haven’t seen yet....” The voices are sibilant and hissing, urgently trying to tell me something but I do not have the basis to understand.
“What do you mean?”
“Leeeeeeave, the Overmind retuuurns..gooo!”
I do not even hesitate as I turn, flicking on my battle screen before I take off. I am gripped by a thick appendage wrapping around and squeezing tightly. It is putting tremendous force on my screens, the field projectors are showing the strain already.
“Poooony.... why are you heeeerrree?” The voice, the sound of my enemy is here. We have run out of time.
I wave a hoof at Athena, “Go!”
Twilight stops her, “No, we can’t go! C’mon girls, concentrate, we can summon the magic!”
“No! T...T...Twilight no! We have to go!”
“But we can’t leave him!” She is watching me hammer my hooves against the enveloping flesh, slicing deep into it. The others are looking at each other, wondering what to do.
“He said go! We’ll be right behind you!” Athena’s face gets a fierce look, “Do it!”
Twilight backed up a step, turning and running out of the cave followed by the others. Athena flips around, leaping for the wrapping arm that is squeezing me tighter now, her battle screen flicking on with a glow as the edge of her wing slices through the arm holding me.
“I said go Athena, leave now.”
“But..but..”
“I am just an avatar, I have backups if anything happens. You need to leave!”
“But..but I am too! I can fight!” She slices deep into the things flesh, her wings splattered with gore as she digs a bloody trench.
“You are very special Athena, more than either of us, you need to go.”
“No!”
I override her operational protocols, throwing her into a run as she screams at me over the link. I am preventing her from coming back inside with commands I had secreted while she was in maintenance, the only thing she can do is leave.
“Stop it, STOP IT!”
“Go Athena, get our friends out, get at least a mile away. The charges are going to take out a good portion of the underground.” I turn to fight with everything I have, power flows from my reactor as I pound bloody holes into dark rubbery flesh. The thing screams in pain as I hammer my way into it’s body.
Twilight watches as Athena comes running out of the cave, skidding to a halt as she regains some control over her form. Crusader’s programming skills are preventing her from heading back into the cave.
“I..I can’t go back, we need to get away, now!” Her face is pleading.
Applejack looks like she’s going to run back in, “Wait a second, where’s Crusader?”
“He said he’d follow, we need to get away! The blast is going to be huge!”
They all look at each other, torn between listening to Athena and heading back into the cave. Until Applejack stamped a hoof.
“We’ve trusted him before, we need to do it now. He knows what to do.” She is looking pained at that statement.
Twilight and Rainbow are shaking their heads, “No, we can’t leave him. We can summon the magic, we’ve done it twice so far!” She hunkers down, Rainbow beside her as they both try their best to concentrate, “C’mon, we can do this!”
Pinkie lays a hoof on her friends shoulder, “He said go Twilight, he wouldn’t say it if he didn’t want us out of trouble.”
“No! That’s not right!” Twilight is loyal to a fault.
A voice comes over our links, it is soothing and warm, “Go, it will be fine. Do not worry my Applejack, I will follow.”
Athena starts pushing and tugging, “Come on! We have to go!” She can do nothing but this as I have complete control of her avatar. Her cores are furiously working on a workaround from my overrides, but by the time she figures it out, it will be too late. I want her safe, I want her and our friends gone from this place of evil and rot.
I fight, I pour power into my musculature and I pound and slice with everything I have. The voice is mocking me as I continue my battle. I do not worry, I see Athena getting our friends into the Ferret and taking off without delay.
I cannot escape, it has me wrapped tightly and is straining my skeletal structure to the point of overload. My strain gauges have gone red, my pain sensors are burned out but I continue, digging deep into stinking concretions of flesh and trying to work myself clear.
My cores are telling me the signal strength to the charges are good, I can detonate at any time. This is all to the better as I listen to the voice that has taunted me for so long.
“Diiiieee pooonyyy.. You have nothinnnnggg..”
“I have more than you realize!” I knock a tentacle out of the way, pulping an eye and mouth that gets too close to me as I keep working my way out.
I am almost free when the magic hits me, paralyzing my systems and working it’s way back along the link to my hull. It is trying to find a way past my defenses but I have learned so very much from Twilight.
Firewalls of runes slam down along the communications array, blocking the magic that has baffled me for so long. But now...now I have an understanding and I use it, I force the thing back out of the lines. It is a tug of war, who has the most power to give and I will not be outdone!
My reactors go into overdrive as I push them to their limits, providing the strength I need to keep the shields on my hull and cores in place. It is beginning to wail in frustration, I can only grin in return as I batter at it, keeping myself free for now. The systems in my avatar are starting to glitch, the amount of force behind this thing is tremendous and it is hard for me to keep the link intact. I must do this, I must keep its attention on me for the moment, trying to get myself clear.
I check the communications between myself and Athena and our friends, they are at the safe line. The Ferret is heavily armored enough to give them all the protection they need. I am not going to escape this, I know it, I have always known it might come to this. But that is fine, I shall do my best knowing those I love are free.
The things magic is overwhelming my systems, I have seconds if not less to do what I need and prepared for. That is fine, it doesn’t know, it can’t and won’t until the last femtosecond. I had hoped it would be a simple project, but as always, it has gone a bit south.
I break loose of enveloping flesh for a brief moment, screaming my hatred at this thing that has tormented me and the others for so very long. I let it go, the frustration, the anger and pain that this thing has dealt to innocents in a gleeful way. I show it every single ounce of my disdain and disgust I have let build up in me since the beginning as I go berserk, chopping and slicing through flesh as if it is butter.
It laughs.
It does nothing but laugh at me in my predicament.
“Stuuupid Boooloooo.. noooo weapooons...nooothing but tooo diiieee..”
I get clear, standing in a ring of tentacles that grow ever more powerful by the second as I yelling my rage at the watching eyes. Nothing but brute force in return as the power of its magic hammers into my senses, my body. It is breaking down my firewalls trying to reach into my hull, my heart, and I cannot allow this!
“No? I am Unit Crusader of the Line. I AM A WEAPON!”
I access the codes as alarms go off, shunts in my avatar open up from shielded places inside my skeletal structure, dumping highly enriched plutonium into my fusion reactor.
It had taken me two days to produce enough extremely rich fissionables for this action, this was what I had needed time for, to make my avatar into a half-kiloton walking nuclear weapon.
I hit the detonation sequences on the octocellulose charges surrounding the thing, I have barely enough time to register the chain reaction from so much volatile fuel being dumped into an already overstressed reactor before it all disappears in a blinding light.
-----------
Athena heard the alarms, feeling them blaring as Crusader fought the thing back inside the cave. She stopped the vehicle and got out, enhancing her eyesight to take in the area around the opening. She was trying furiously to bring up communications but was blocked by heavy interference coming from Crusader’s side of the network. He was overstressing his reactors and cores, fighting off an attack through the line.
She brought all her cores fully online and tried to bring them into the battle before everything suddenly went static, a high pitched squeal from an EM pulse made her grab her ears ineffectively. Her eyes watched the ground hump up into a large mound before collapsing back on itself, sensors registering a small nuclear explosion and associated seismic events.
“Nonononono!”
Immediately she dove into TSDS, establishing a share with Crusader, calling out to him to see if he had retreated back into his cores. She swept through everything, looking for a spark, a glimmer of anything that said he disconned before the explosion.
She received nothing but silence.
“Crusader?”
“Crusader!”
I know, I know, don't hurt me.
A Tip O' the Hat to Cadmium! Thank you for the ideas!
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God damn, that's what I call a big update. Will be reading shortly.
Edit:
Damn dude, even knowing what was coming that was a great chapter. I expect more post haste.
Young one, let this old dragon inform you. There are many things other than writing that cannot be done after a cold shower.
3 chapters at once!!??
To quote RD,
FOUND HIM!
astroengine.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/morss_underground-testing.jpg
Crap! Three updates? <Claps> Bravo! Bravo!
....you... You... Oh, you gorram... This is too much of a cliffhanger!
No shit he did! You're a species of quadrupeds who don't do clothing. It's not like he has an option not to see it. It's also very weird you would be offended by someone looking, seeing as your culture has nudity as normal.
Nice update. I look forward to more soon.
What a badass way to go out though, if a bit sneaky.
-Mis
No fair, making me grin like an idiot for most of a chapter and then viciously sucker-cliffhanger-ing me!
you dare
this cliffhanger keeps saying the opposite though
odd
All Combine Units, this is Overwatch. Text "Legacy" has updated. Code: Read. Assimilate. Enjoy.
pain... that is all I can promise if you don't FUCKING UPDATE SOON.
Three chapters on one day? You are a god among men NFire. I'm super grateful since my feed's been empty for about a week and a half. Thank you for breaking my show/story hiatus!
Anyway, I liked all those chapters. Lovecraft references are always a pleasure and I'm eager to see what kind of effects the avatar's destruction has.
And Overmind? I AM wondering if you did what I think you did.
The CMC are to Murphy, what the Primarchs are to The God Emperor; that's how I see it.
And Crusader sure went out with a bang! *shot*
I don't know if you got that idea from me or not but its absolutely awesome way to go and the additional threat of the magic attack on his network made this whole suicide bombing thing a bit more meaningful then just making another copy of him and going "lol i have spares!"
My response to cursader being a BIG DAMN HERO
media.giphy.com/media/WfI003yvSAIVy/giphy.gif
media.giphy.com/media/oKzYzmKjlPgEU/giphy.gif
*Taps baseball bat against the floor* Ok, we won't hurt you. Yet...
WALL OF FREAKING TEXT!
6108973 I really really REALLY am sorry bout that
6108979 I got hot water! Working hard on updates! :)
6109114
Okey dokey 
6109165 I owed you good folks that much and more, so 3 chapters :)
6109250 That...is awesome :)
6109270 Let me know if ya find em! :)
6109271 You are quite welcome! Glad i could provide them for you!
6109291 I'mma working on the next one, I'mma working! :)
6109391 Yep, I live! My take on the cutie mark thing is it's there, but it's not quite polite to stare or maybe have photos of them, kinda like..I dunno, just a bit of a no-no but not quite if you get what I mean? By the way, nice cameo on Episode 100, how'd ya get in there?
6109423 Thank you kindly!
6109439 Always sucker punch the enemy, always. Get em in a way they never ever suspect
6109559 I really am sorry, but I had to stop somewhere or I woulda kept going and been even more late!:)
6109455 See above please :) ^^^
6109573
You are awesome, seriously. Just glad you do enjoy it!
6109574 A few days, that's all, a few days! Promise! Ack!
6109577 Thank you for the compliment, I just like to write and go on a binge sometimes :) If you do want to know, shoot me a PM and gimme your theory and I'll give ya the spoiler :)
6109642
Exactly! And nice one...niiiice :)
6109812 I do believe I got it from you, I will change the A/N to reflect that to give credit where it is due. I'm sorry to not have done so before because of so many comments and PM's. It's better to have meaning, you're right, than to just play a simple cliche'.
6109847 Well he IS named Crusader :) Great gifs btw!
6109947
Well...yeah I guess so
6109986 Hehehehe... Okay fair point it is rude to stare at the naughty bits. They do get upset about that. Which is why compound eyes are AWESOME! As for the cameo, that wasn't me. I was back at my nest helping Bon-bon lay low. I have no idea who the hay that was. Jerk didn't even say hi!
6110002
Only you Meep, only you
6110010 What can I say? I'm a perv with an extremely large field of view, super high framerate (compared to mammals), adjustable magnification from 1x to 32x, and the ability to preceve the EM spectrum from 10^10 to 10^16. What? My species subsists off of love. I am evolved to find the best food sources and seduce them.
6110019
And justifying it with science gets you the Internet Medal for today :)
6110025 I've missed you buddy :3
Unit CRSD of the Line has gone dark. A Titan of a world, lost to a foe who thinks its self superior to a Bolo empowered by friends and genuine care for the world he lives in. He stood his ground and proved his foe false and fragile. His hull shall be preserved as a monument to the bravery and conviction of Bolos every where.
6110231 Sent ya a PM, hope it helps explain it a bit better!
Gee I sure hope the does not end on a cliffhang-
OH GOD DAMN IT!
i.imgur.com/KMNsuuW.jpg
6110388 Sorry...sorry...sorry...sorry!
6110411 Thank you kindly!
Overmind? Now I have a flood/Zerg vibe running in my head. By the way, UPDATE SOON OR I WILL UNLEASH THE ARMADA!
This is both heart warming and terrifying as I imagine what even more foals and fillies would result in.
Smarty Pants says otherwise!!!!
*Reads end of chapter*
HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO KILL CRUSADER OR LEAVE US WITH NO IDEA OF HIS STATUS?????
A unreasonable amount of pony butt?
Hell yeah!
Dammit crusader, you literally blew up in his face.
Mc eldritch horror was blown away by crusader.....
6109986 Welcome back either way. So what happened to be the problem on the water heater? (you could have messaged me btw)
6109986
i thought they were better than slapping my keyboard like a spastic epileptic.
its almost the same thing with me some days.
ty btw.
6111144 I figured that I might as well give him a bigger intro than if I were to simply say 'Gandhi'.
Well if nothing else, Crusader knew how to die.
Theres usually only one good reason why you retrace the trip of a lifetime, that lead to the creation of a legend.
Heeeeeeres Johnny.
Well, this about sums up how Crusader felt about the Cthulu thing...
3.bp.blogspot.com/__mjQ9Cgz63A/S8UWHnFtFVI/AAAAAAAAAK0/eJZfzzF7dkg/s1600/nukes.jpg
Can't say I blame him in the least. Hope he managed to firewall his backup personality files.
MOAR or no hot water will be the least of your worries!!!
"The best grave for your teeth is the throat of the Enemy..." - Unknown.
Unit of the Line MLDN, Maldon, approves. "...My sole regret, as I initiate the scuttling sequence that will send my fusion pile supercritical, is that I will not be around in .03 seconds. I would like to watch as the Enemy tries to vent an omnidirectional thermonuclear explosion into their research facility.
6109986 Hee, the real question about all the flank images and Crusader not answering is why didn't he just say 'Applejack'?
Everyone would had taken that at face value; no further questioning. So we're left wondering, who's flank is best in Crusader's eyes?
At least, that's how I see it playing out.
WALL OF STUFF!
6110620 And another posting soon here in a few minutes, weekends are awesome!
6110669 Never give up hope, trust me on this :)
6110702 It's comin'!
6110791 Bon Bon has always been an awesome pony, everywhere she goes, one of my favs too :)
6110793 As long as I can type cliffhangers! Wheee! ( I know, I'm evil) :)
6110838
Gotta have that fanservice..er..yeah..that stuff :)
6110925 Thanks! Was a gas feed problem into the burner, better to just replace the thing. Installed it myself because the guy they sent to do it turned out to be Mumbles the Soviet Wunderkind..no kidding... Figured he was Russian Mob or something hiding out.
6110987 You're welcome!
6111636 Yeah, kinda a Bolo drama queen huh? Sorry, couldn't resist :)
6111789
Niiiiice
6112138 It's coming! It's coming! =) (Thank god for hot water, trust me, civilization could fall without it!)
6112443 Great quote! And that story was one of the absolute best Bolo ones as well!
6113574 Laughing mah butt off, that was GREAT!
6115696 Welcome to the wackiness that has surrounded this story! Be prepared for comments comments and more comments from the best bunch of folks around! (And lots of mistakes in the story, that's all my fault) Yay!
6116040 Fair enough. Just think if one of our resident German members were around. Oh, the dark jokes to be said.
6116126 Oh nooo, doncha start that!
Crusader'ss elf-sacrifice made me immediately think of this self-sacrifice
And, as everyone who knows Superman knows, he came back. Of course, so did Doomsday...
OH! But, as the people who were around for that Superman's death in the comics, and took part in the next bit will recall, in order to see Crusader return, WE MUST TAKE UP ARMS, JUST LIKE THE READERS OF THE SUPERMAN COMIC DID!
This is just silly. It's an avatar, there is no sacrifice. Ponies be makin' drama.
I'm not sorry.
6288018
I take it you didn't notice where the enemy sent magical surges through his link and Crusader severed the connection to prevent the enemy from taking over his hull and the weapons within.
With the link severed, there was no way for him to "retreat" back to his hull.
I hope this clears up any confusion.
A sacrifice worthy of many stories...
Godspeed Crusader, you magnificent bastard...