A Rift Between Worlds

by Cinders of War

Chapter 49: But in Each Other

The Stalker watched from the side, standing atop a broken piece of a Grineer galleon, the Grineer galleon that he had been in when it had been destroyed. He watched as the Balor Fomorian fired its titanic red laser again, just missing the group of humans as they flew in spirals towards the towering vessel.

He knew what he had to do. The Queens had to pay and if his old enemies were going to stop them, that means they would get him a way through their forces.

For so long, he had sought out the Tenno and the Lotus for their crimes against his masters, the Orokin. For so long he had been chasing the wrong trail. After a visit to the now defunct ruins of the Grineer’s Rathuum arena, he had found Kela De Thaym, who had somehow survived the fight against the Tenno in the past, rebuilding herself into something stronger and leaner. Unfortunately, none of her new augmentations had saved her from the Stalker’s arm of retribution.

Now having what he needed to be sure the Queens had been responsible for his masters’ downfall, he had returned here, seeking to end the Queens once and for all.

Looking around the battlefield, he knew the Queens had likely retreated to the Balor Fomorian. And so that was his destination. Standing back and wrapping himself in shadows, the Stalker ran through space, leaping over to the next closest piece of debris, slowly making his way to the large Grineer spacecraft. The Queens were his to kill and he was going to make sure he was the first there.

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Home Run dodged another burst of fire from a Grineer dargyn before dashing through it with a smash of his rathbone, breaking it apart in a single hit as he flew on after Velvet Breeze, who was leading the group. Applejack and Twilight Sparkle were behind him, doing what they could to keep the gunfire off of them. Sunset Shimmer sat on his left wing, bringing up barriers with her magic as they needed and Rainbow Dash sat on his other wing, firing missiles at the Grineer crafts with her damaged archwing.

“That’s right!” she yelled. “Don’t mess with us!”

“You get ‘em, captain,” Home Run said. Fortunately, this was space and there wasn’t any gravity. If he had to do this back down in Canterlot, he didn’t know if he could manage with two girls on his back.

“Keep going, we’re almost there,” Vauban said in his ear. “We should be able to arrive before it fires again.”

“Great, that’s good,” Home Run nodded, then zipped past another two dargyns as Sunset wrapped them in her magic, slamming them both together, allowing Rainbow to finish them off with her dual decurions.

Applejack was the next in line, projecting barriers to stop the Grineer’s gunfire to protect them, while Twilight Sparkle blasted at them with her gun.

“We are almost to the Balor Fomorian!” Ember said in everyone’s visors. “Just keep pushing through.”

“First, we will have to disable the Balor Fomorian’s shields,” Vauban went on to instruct. “Once that is done, it will open the way in to its core.”

“So where to?” Rainbow Dash asked as she waited for her firearms to recharge.

Vauban lifted one of Home Run’s fingers and pointed to the two sides of the massive Grineer vessel. “Left and right sides. See those round shapes? Shield generators.”

“Why’d they build them on the outside?” Rainbow scoffed, patting Home Run on the back. “Come on, slugger. Speed it up. If they’re going to make it easy for us, then let’s get right on to it!”

“It’s not that easy…” Home Run said, but flew on, going as fast as the archwing could handle.

“Twilight, Applejack and I will handle the right side,” Velvet said on their comms. “You three can handle the other one, right?”

“Pffft…” Rainbow guffawed. “Please, we were made to do this. We’ll see you back in the middle.”

“Don’t get cocky now, Rainbow,” Sunset warned, her magical horn lighting up brighter. “It’s far from over.”

The baseball player left the destruction of the Grineer spacecrafts to Sunset and Rainbow, watching in awe as Sunset took apart another dargyn with her magical powers. He quietly wished he could do that too, but then again, Sunset was a pony from Equestria. He wasn’t.

As they flew on, defeating any opposition in their path, Home Run eventually found himself in front of the Balor Fomorian, staring up at its massive shape.

“There!” Zephyr lifted both of Rainbow’s arms up, aiming her dual decurions at a round shape in the fomorian’s hull.

Home Run sped upwards, smashing past two dregs with his hammer. “Go for it!”

Rainbow lifted her one wing and fired off a cluster of missiles, and at the same time, firing both guns, watching the shield generator get hit.

From behind the fomorian, swarms of dregs and dargyns zoomed towards them, their guns already shooting at them. Sunset quickly brought up a magical barrier before their shields could take too much damage, while Home Run and Rainbow Dash focused on destroying the shield generator.

“How much can this thing take?” Rainbow lifted her weapons vertically, waiting for them to recharge.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Sunset said. “Hang on!”

Home Run and Rainbow Dash watched as their blue magic barrier began to expand out, then opening outwards like a blooming flower. Their enemies continued to fly around space, trying to find ways to attack them, but then Sunset closed the barrier around them, trapping the Grineer like birds in a cage. Without warning, she lifted the bubble of enemies high, then smashed them down as hard as she could against the shield generator.

“Woah!” Home Run tried to keep the archwing steady from the impact.

Sunset’s magic dissipated as a wave of explosions blanketed the shield generator, throwing Home Run back a few meters.

When the explosions cleared, the humans and their Tenno watched as the giant shield generator ripped off from the hull, breaking into smaller pieces as it floated away in space, explosions within still tearing it apart.

“It’s down!” Vauban cheered on their visors. “Ash, how goes the other one?”

There was a buzz of static before Ash’s face appeared next to Vauban’s. “In the process. How’d you do it so fast?”

“We’ve got Equestrian magic to thank for that,” Ember chuckled. “Sunset Shimmer is smoking them with her new powers!”

“It is strange that Twilight Sparkle does not have the capability to do that,” Nyx added in. “She is Equestrian too, yet she does not possess the powers you have learnt, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Hey, wasn’t easy, Nyx,” Sunset replied, patting Home Run on the shoulder to get him to move on. “It was a long process.”

“Come, enough chatter.” Ember interrupted. “We still have a Balor Fomorian to destroy and two Grineer Queens to eliminate.”

“Are they on board this thing?” Home Run looked up at the top of the Balor Fomorian as he flew himself, Sunset and Rainbow over towards the other side, looking to regroup with Velvet and the others.

“I’m guessing so,” Rainbow said and shrugged. “I see what you’re thinking. Two birds with one scone!”

“Uh, I think you mean stone, captain?”

Rainbow uttered a questionable laugh. “Not when I make the scones.”

The travel to the other side wasn’t long and they didn’t have much resistance to deal with after what Sunset had done. There was the occasional dreg or dargyn, but they weren’t a match for a trio of Warframes and their pilots and Tenno.

“There!” Sunset pointed ahead to the fomorian’s second round shield generator. “They’re still at it.”

“Looks like it’s time for us to come in and save the day!” Rainbow raised one gun up over her head. “Can you whip up another one of those magic things, Sunset?”

“I could try again.” Sunset’s magical horn reappeared on her forehead as she channeled her energy. “Just get us closer, Home Run.”

“Easy enough.”

Rainbow didn’t wait, already firing her guns at the enemies around Velvet, Twilight and Applejack, taking down a dreg from a distance already. Applejack brought up a barrier and charged forward, crushing a dreg against the fomorian’s hull, while Twilight fired on multiple dargyns with her gun, tearing them apart.

“Need a hand, Home Run?” Velvet floated beside him, pointing at his human cargo.

“Oh, don’t worry about me, Velvet. You can just focus on flying around at top speed. I can handle them. Zero gravity, remember?”

“And Sunset’s going to take care of this generator, no problem!” Rainbow said. “Just you watch. Go for it, Sunset.”

With a nod, Sunset pulsed out a magical barrier, expanding it out and netting any enemies she could reach in her radius, trapping them. When she was ready, she pulled them all back in, bunching them up in a cluster of Grineer crafts, some already exploding on impact. With another almighty swing, she warned the others to move out of the way before her blue bubble crashed into the shield generator, resulting in a tremendous explosion, rocking the space around the Balor Fomorian.

“We have succeeded!” Vauban cheered, then turned Home Run’s direction to an entrance in the side of the fomorian. The portion was covered in a flickering red force field, which soon disappeared from existence as the shield generator fell away from the hull. “That’s our way in. We will blow the core and it will be the end for the Balor Fomorian.”

“Okay, then let’s get a move on!” Home Run started his thrusters back up.

“Wait, Home Run.” Sunset patted his shoulder repeatedly. “Not yet.”

“What?” The boy stopped in his tracks. “Why not?”

“I…” She rubbed the back of her head. “I want to see if I can talk some sense into the Queens. Maybe get them to stop on their own. Not everything needs to end in death here.”

“I see, I- wait what?” He had to do a double take.

“What, Sunset Shimmer?” Even Ember was startled.

“There has to be a way we can end this peacefully. If we don’t have to blow them up, then I rather we not.”

“Sunset, no, they’re not going to just go away,” Home Run reasoned. “They came here to wipe us out. They’re not going to back out because you tell them to.”

“And we don’t need to tell you how many ways this can go wrong,” Vauban added. “There is no way to resolve this peacefully. Not at this point.”

Velvet Breeze joined them, pulling herself to a stop beside Home Run. “Sunset, from experience, you know you can’t end it peacefully with the bad guys. You should know that too after what we’ve been through.”

“I do, Velvet, but that’s not going to stop me from trying.”

“Sunset, look, we aren’t meant for this,” Ember said. “We were made for combat. Nothing else.”

“Yes, Ember, I know what your purpose was.” The fiery haired girl nodded. “But through our time together, I’ve seen you change. Fighting isn’t the only thing you are capable of. You have emotions, just like us. You Tenno are all capable of kindness, just like us. This doesn’t need to end with violence.”

“We Tenno know only combat,” Ash said. “What you are asking of us is impossible.”

“Ash is right,” Rhino joined in, taking over Applejack’s Warframe to bash two dargyns together, then throwing their broken shapes further into space. “But… Sunset Shimmer may also be right. We have learnt a lot since bonding with the humans.”

“I suppose I can vouch for Rhino…” Vauban cleared his throat, or whatever it was that he had. “Being around, I am sure we have all gained insight about humans and their doings. I think it may be right to say that there is a possibility that there could be more to just fighting for us Tenno.”

Rainbow Dash slammed a fist into her palm. “That’s right! Zephyr and I have had so much fun together! I agree with Sunset now. If there is a way, we, as the good guys, have to give it a shot!”

“Ah guess Ah’m with this plan too.” Applejack folded her arms. “Can’t say there aren’t any dangers or problems with this, but Ah trust y’all.”

“I agree.” Twilight raised a hand. “As Princess of Friendship, it is my duty to support this decision and believe in Sunset. Just look at Discord. Um, our Discord. I’m pleased to say he’s one of us now.”

“If Twilight Sparkle says it may work, then I am with her,” Nyx said, then turned Twilight’s gun up. “But we still have enemies to deal with out here. They will not surrender if we simply say we wish to speak with their queens.”

“Then I’ll go.” Sunset put a hand on her chest. “As fast as I can, I’ll try to talk some sense into them to stop this senseless fighting. Could the rest of you cover me till then?”

“Sounds like it’ll be a challenge, but nothing too great for Zephyr and I!” Rainbow Dash pumped her arms up.

“She is right. This is going to be good,” Zephyr agreed.

“Then it’s settled.” Sunset nodded. “Trust in me. I’ll do everything I can.”

“You’ve changed greatly since the day you left your want for power, Sunset.” Twilight smiled and got ready. “You’d make Princess Celestia proud.”

“Yeah…” Sunset sighed, then changed her face into one of determination. “Then it’s time. Home Run, could you get me over to the hangar?”

“There’s a hangar to this thing?” Rainbow Dash floated off Home Run’s archwing and grabbed ahold of Applejack’s.

“I have scans of the Balor Fomorian,” Vauban said, bringing it up on Home Run’s visor. “I shall direct you to it.”

Ember sighed. “Looks like our minds are made up then… Then go, Sunset Shimmer. We have work to do.”

“Right, then the plan’s settled.” Home Run turned to the others and waved. “I’ll be back soon, girls. Just hold the line.”

“Who do you think we are?” Rainbow laughed and readied her dual decurions.

Applejack got into position too. “Well, now go on, time’s a wastin’. Get Sunset to that thing and let’s get this done.”

“Right, stay safe you girls.”

Then Home Run was off, heading around the Balor Fomorian, following the map Vauban had brought up. It seems both sides had entry points, which were also where all the Grineer forces were coming from. Just around the back, a swarm of dargyns and dregs emerged from the fomorian, headed straight for Home Run and Sunset Shimmer.

“Here we go!” Home Run rolled around a stream of gunfire, then projected a barrier as Sunset got to pushing them aside with her magic, at the same time, somehow disabling their spacecrafts, leaving them floating uselessly in space. “Man, you can do all kinds of things with that magic, huh?”

“I guess so,” Sunset replied, pushing more dargyns out of Home Run’s flight path. “There are many different spells back home. Too many to count, but I bet there’s a spell for everything.”

“Sounds really great,” Home Run twisted around the Balor Fomorian’s hull and boosted forward. “Sunset, you really think this will work? I mean, they have a whole invasion fleet and everything.”

“I’ll do everything I can do convince them. Friendship is a strong magical force, Home Run. Stronger than any magic I’ve ever seen. I can do this.”

“Man, I still have much to see, don’t I? But I trust you, Sunset. I know you can get the job done.”

Then they arrived at the hangar, phazing through the energy shields. Home Run felt gravity’s pull as he entered the vessel, feeling Sunset’s added weight on his archwing now, but the girl was soon off, levitating herself with magic down to the metal floor below.

“You’ll be okay on your own?” Home Run asked, hovering just above her.

“I will.” She nodded. “The others need you. I will manage on my own, but Home Run, in case things don’t work out the way I planned, thanks. Thanks for sticking up for me. I’m sorry I ever thought you were a monster when you first came to CHS.”

“Hey, I thought we were past that?” Home Run chuckled and headed for the exit. “Do what you can, Sunset. When you’re done, I expect to see you and Ember with us back home.”

“Count on it.” Sunset balled her fists and smiled.

When Home Run was off, Sunset turned around and sprinted up to a door, using Ember’s suit to propel herself through the air and above to the next platform, heading deeper into the Balor Fomorian’s depths.

Comments

[JMP]

Kinda funny seeing them struggle to take down the shield generators of the Formorian. They always go down in seconds in-game

[Marcthelightspark2004]

“I’m guessing so,” Rainbow said and shrugged. “I see what you’re thinking. Two birds with one scone!”

Hmmmm, do they inherent that recipe or something?

[MoonlightRift]

This goes poorly