A Rift Between Worlds

by Cinders of War

Chapter 47: The End of Our Time

“You’ll be safe here, Princess.” Home Run placed Princess Celestia down on Stardust’s bed. “Stardust will take good care of you until we’re done with the Grineer.”

The sun princess looked at him with her one good eye, the other bruised purple. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. In the end, she simply nodded, then closed her eye and melted into the pillow.

“She’s badly injured,” Stardust inspected, scanning her with a mechanism that came out of her wing. “With time, we can heal her with Equestrian magic, but unless the Grineer are stopped, she will never be safe.”

“Then I think we should head back and help the others.” Rarity pushed back her hair and motioned with her head. “Come, Home Run. Let us get back to school.”

“Take care of the Lotus, Stardust. We’re counting on you,” Vauban spoke out through the Warframe.

“Of course. I shall never forsake the princess.” Stardust smiled. “Now go.”

With one last wave, Home Run and Rarity left Princess Celestia to the mechanized unicorn, running back to the portal at speeds that would break a human’s legs, jumping and sliding occasionally to speed up their travel.

They had passed some familiar colourful ponies on the way, but they had no time to stop and say hello now. The others needed all the help they could get.

Soon, they passed through the mirror, appearing back at their school’s lawn, which looked like a warzone. Parts of the building had fallen away and there were plenty of potholes in the roads and lawn, although, Home Run didn’t know if they were still called potholes.

Some of the neighbouring buildings had been damaged too, seeing as the fighting was all over.

Just then, a Warframe with a yellow bandana and two pistols flew by, firing at dozens of Grineer as she spun around and around and around, her guns constantly changing positions, each one hitting their mark.

“Wow, what was that?” Home Run and Rarity ducked behind the Wondercolt statue and looked around. “That was some sick Warframe skills.”

“That was Mesa,” Vauban told him. “A good friend. It’s good to see her again, but I wonder who is piloting her Warframe?”

“There’s someone in there?” Home Run watched Mesa continue to gun down Grineer left and right, managing to avoid shooting all the other Warframes around.

“Home Run, Rarity, you’re back!” Applejack charged through a Grineer shield lancer and joined them by the statue. “How’s the princess now?”

“She’ll get better in time.” Rarity pulled her paris bow from her back. “But not if we don’t win this today.”

“Well, they just keep comin’!” Applejack complained. “Ah mean, we’ve probably taken at least a hundred out just like that, but there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.”

“The fleet.” Home Run pointed to the sky. “Sunset and Velvet are up there, slowing the fleet down. If we take those out, I’m willing to bet they’ll stop coming.”

“No sh-” Rainbow Dash started on the comms, then landed with a puff before the others, the air around them filling with the sound of strong winds before Rainbow materialized four tornadoes, sending them to the roofs where Grineer ballistas were positioned. They tried to run, but they were instantly sucked up into the vortex’s and thrown around by the wind. “Well, anyway, as I was saying, of course taking out the fleet will stop them. That’s where they’re all coming from! We should head up and help Sunset take it down!”

“But we can’t leave Canterlot defenceless against the Grineer!” Applejack pointed out. “If we all head up there, they’ll kill everyone down here.”

“A few of us then,” Zephyr pounded a fist to her chest. “Vauban, that ogma. Is it still functional? It’ll save our energy on the way up.”

“I’m sure it still is,” the analytical Tenno turned Home Run’s head to the landed Grineer spacecraft. “We were hit by a bombard, but the ogma’s armor is strong. I’m sure we can still use it.”

“Then it’s settled!” Rainbow Dash stowed her akstilletos. “Come on, we need to go! Our worlds depend on us!”

She didn’t wait for the others and ran for the ogma, sliding under a Grineer flameblade, kicking him up, while Applejack charged into him while he was in the air, sending him catapulting over to the other side of school, flipping once when hitting the ground.

“I guess we’re going back to space, Home Run?” Rarity shrugged and patted her violet hair, which was sticking out in places. “Such a terrible place to be, but I guess we have no choice, do we?”

“You could always stay here and help,” the baseball player told her. “Our city needs you too.”

“I shall find someone else to replace me then!” Rarity smiled almost too widely. “You be careful, Home Run. Girls.”

Then the fashionista ran off towards Trixie and Flash Sentry, firing an arrow at an unsuspecting shield lancer, pinning him to the wall before using a pull to knock the rest of them down to the ground.

“Looks like she’s got them covered down here!” Rainbow looked at the vehicle. “Come on! I’ll fly this thing.” She ran for it and opened the door, disappearing inside.

Applejack and Home Run swiftly followed behind her, with the baseball player holding the shuttle doors up, looking out of the ogma. “Who else is joining us for this?”

“We shall, Home Run.”

Suddenly, there was an explosion nearby and a flash of green magic. Twilight Sparkle and Nyx turned and fired their sibaris at two Grineer lancers, then jumped horizontally through the shuttle doors as Home Run closed them.

“We’ll follow.” Twilight reloaded her weapon. “I won’t let your world get destroyed too. The Grineer need to be stopped at the source.”

“Glad to have ya, Twi.” Applejack clapped her on the shoulder, their armor contacts making an audible thunk.

“If we are all set, then we’re off!” Zephyr spoke in their helmets, then took control of the ogma and hovered off the ground.

Home Run braced himself as they left the atmosphere, flying back up into space, the ogma rumbling as it made its travel. Soon, they were back out in the darkness, the sight of the Grineer fleet coming into view almost immediately, along with something new that hadn’t been there before.

“What… is that?” Applejack pointed out the viewing panel.

It was a large vertical spacecraft, with a huge eye in the middle.

“Balor Fomorian!” With a burst of static, Sunset’s face appeared in their visors. “Tough Grineer warship.”

“Sunset!” Twilight yelled. “Good to see you. What’s the situation here?”

“Velvet and I have been trying to take it down for a few hours now. It’s no use. Its hull is too tough.”

“No sweat, Sunset!” Rainbow pumped an arm up. “The cavalry’s here!”

“She’s right, maybe with more firepower, we can beat this thing.” Velvet’s face joined Sunset. “The Tenno know where the weak points are. Two shield generators, both on the left and right. Heavily guarded by Grineer dargyns and dregs.”

“And watch out for Zeplens,” Ember was next to appear on their HUDs. “They don’t move, but they trap you if you get too close to them. They’re scattered all around the Balor Fomorian.”

“They just don’t make this easy for us, do they?” Home Run sighed. “Looks like we’ve got plenty of work to do. Are you sure four of us are enough?”

“Of course!” Rainbow turned her head to look at him. “One Rainbow Dash should be more than enough. With you guys, we’ve got all the firepower we need.”

“If ya say so, Dash.” Applejack frowned, pushing her hat down. Then her expression changed and she pointed outside. “Hey, that thing’s eye seems to be glowin’ mighty-”

“Evasive, Zephyr!” Vauban suddenly alerted the pilot.

“Hang on!” Zephyr tilted to the controls to the side just as a huge laser beam lanced across space, burning off one of the ogma’s arms as they spun to the side, just barely avoiding the beam.

“Woah, nelly! That was close!” Applejack looked out the side of their craft.

“Come on, we need to get closer!” Home Run patted Rainbow’s shoulder.

Before they could even get four meters ahead, the ogma was suddenly stopped, its occupants bracing themselves as they fell back and forth.

“Uh, what just happened?” Applejack picked up her hat.

“We have entered a zeplen’s field,” Vauban informed them. “We’re trapped within until it is destroyed. And you must make haste. The Balor Fomorian is still capable of firing on us in this state.”

“What, no way!” Rainbow shot out of the seat and made for the shuttle doors. “That’s totally cheating! Zephyr and I will deal with this.”

“Hold, up.” Applejack pointed a finger out the window. The Balor Fomorian was getting ready to fire again. “Everyone out!”

“Out! We’ll use the archwings to fight back!” Rhino took over the cowgirl’s suit and was the second one out, following behind Rainbow and Zephyr, extending their archwing wings as soon as they had the space to do so.

Home Run made sure the others were out before leaving the ogma himself, and almost as soon as his foot had stepped off the spacecraft, the Balor’s beam lanced through the zeplen barrier, destroying the rest of the ogma.

“Woah!” He glided away from the burning wreckage of the ogma, which was only a tiny piece of the paneling. The rest had gotten vaporized.

“We need to destroy the zeplen before the Balor Fomorian can fire again,” Vauban told him, taking control of the Warframe and archwing, whipping out a imperator from under a wing.

Moving as fast as they could, the group fired upon the zeplen with everything they had, using their guns and their missiles to take it apart, breaking off bits of its armored shell and antennae. Home Run kept one eye on the Balor Fomorian, watching as its red eye continued to expand, gathering its power before its devastating attack. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the zeplen when that happened.

“We’ll try and draw the Balor Fomorian’s beam from you,” Sunset quickly told them.

“And we’ll try to destroy this thing before we get fried!” Home Run replied, crushing a dargyn with his rathbone, which was a large hammer.

He proceeded to bash the zeplen’s hull, watching the hammer create deep dents, but otherwise, doing no considerable damage.

“How much can this thing take?” Applejack complained, using the same weapon to break the zeplen as the Balor’s eye began to glow redder now.

“Just keep it up!” Twilight continued to fire at it with her imperator rifle. “Preferably before that thing fires again!”

“Incoming!” Everyone heard Sunset yell.

Suddenly, everything seemed to stand still. Home Run moved his eyes, watching as the laser beam began to slowly fly towards them. It was inevitable. No matter what they did, there was no way they could be fast enough to destroy the zeplen before the beam would hit them. This wasn't looking good.

Is this it? Just like that? Well, we had a good run, but this is the end of our time.

Home Run was too stunned to react, but someone else was able to. Someone else was determined to, because if she didn't act, it would be the end for all of them, along with everyone on earth.

Sunset Shimmer had propelled herself through space, coming to a stop before the Balor Fomorian’s beam, dropping her archwing behind her, forcing it off her lower back. No one had time to say anything before she threw up a large barrier of blue magic, expanding past even the zeplen barrier itself. The red beam hit her magic straight on, pulsing against it like it had a mind of its own, trying to break past her and destroy everything.

Somehow, Sunset Shimmer held strong, her magic continuing to push against the beam from a horn-like projection from her head, but Home Run could tell. She was struggling to keep it up.

“Come on!” he hastily told the others, who had also been watching dumbfoundedly. “She’s doing what she can to give us time! Let’s do our part and get out of this thing!”

“Homey’s right!” Applejack pounded her rathbone on the zeplen again. “We can’t let Sunset go out like that!”

“Rainbow Dash and I shall quicken the pace!” Zephyr said.

“Too true. Time to be awesome!” Rainbow cracked her knuckles, then flew around the zeplen, firing her dual decurion rifles, hitting different spots, trying to find a weak point, all the while orbiting the Grineer craft like a small planet, but moving at twice the speed.

Home Run and Applejack jetted back and launched a cluster of missiles at the zeplen’s underside, while Twilight continued to strafe around, firing her rifle. Finally, the zeplen seemed to burst on the next impact, blowing up into smaller fragments, now drifting away as its barrier went down.

“It’s down!” Twilight looked back at Sunset, who was still pushing against the Balor’s assault. “Sunset, we’re free! Get away from that!”

“She can’t.” Home Run pointed to her disabled archwing. “She’s detached from the archwing. She won’t be able to power it fast enough even if she was still wearing it.”

“We can’t just leave her!” Twilight yelled.

“Just go!” Sunset’s voice sounded strained.

“No can do, Sunset.” Rainbow swooped up and to the side, then as fast as she could, she grabbed Sunset and flew down, her thrusters burning bright behind her.

The Balor’s beam immediately cut through Sunset’s magical barrier and went on, dissipating once it was far enough. Home Run, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle had got as far from the beam as they could, but once it was clear, they noticed Rainbow’s archwing was now missing a wing, its joint now a seared nub attached to the rest of the device.

“Rainbow, Sunset!” Home Run flew over to join them. “That was seriously dangerous. We could’ve found a better way.”

“There wasn’t enough time, slugger!” Rainbow told him. “There was no way I was going to sit around and let Sunset fight off that thing all on her own. I wasn’t going to leave her behind.”

“You’re right about that…” Home Run thought about it. Perhaps coming up with a plan wasn’t always the best option. Sometimes, it just takes instinct. “But your archwing’s damaged now and Sunset’s is gone. How are you two going to get around?”

“Hey, you’ve still got yours,” Rainbow said with a smirk, her face visible on Home Run’s HUD. “I’m sure a athletic guy like you could carry both of us, right?”

“You’re not serious… right?” Home Run tried to determine, but her face disappeared from his visor when she stopped speaking, so he couldn’t tell.

“No, seriously, come on, it’s not that hard.”

The rainbow haired girl didn’t wait for an answer. She simply climbed atop Home Run’s archwing, placing herself on the joint of the left wing, whipping out her dual decurions.

“This may prove challenging to move, but it will have to do for now,” Vauban said.

“What, seriously? You’re okay with this?” the baseball player asked his Tenno. He was sure Vauban would say something about it being illogical, but apparently not.

“What choice do we have now?” Sunset sat atop his right wing. “Don’t worry. Without the archwing to power, I have free rein of my magic. I’ll cover you.”

“If you all say so…”

Activating his thrusters, Home Run flew after Twilight and Applejack, who had already gone on ahead, following after Velvet Breeze, who was already shooting down a second zeplen and a pair of dargyns. He felt like he was moving slower, but it was space. There wasn’t any gravity here, so it really was just him.

“Well, now that we’ve regrouped, it’s time to end this.” Sunset looked on at the Balor Fomorian, towering higher than any of the other Grineer galleons. “For our worlds.”

The baseball player looked on at the spacecraft. This was going to be one battle he would remember for a long time.

Comments

[JMP]

Yeah, Formorians are always a pain to take down. Kinda forgot Twilight had a Sybaris as her weapon of choice. Fantastic rifle. Used the Dex Sybaris a lot, and used the Sybaris Prime a lot too, once i got it. Complements Mesa rather well, I find.

[MoonlightRift]

Sunset goated fr

Actions great btw