Predacons Rising Part 1: Metamorphosis
As the city life of Estes Park continued as normal, or whatever is considered normal seeing as there have been over three occurrences of magic in the course of two years, a secret operation was going underway. One section of underground tunnels glowed a slight green. Five cocoon-like pods hang in two rows on the ceiling of the chamber, with a series of tubes funneling to a large container of mutagen in the back. In between the shadows of the glowing pods, Chrysalis forward, placing her hand on the pod containing a light violet teenage girl in suspended animation.
“Your production of the perfect students is taking too long.” - Growled Sombra as he stepped towards one of the pods labeled “Squirk.”
“Yes.” - Chrysalis turned away - “But two of my experiments seem to fit the bill you’re looking for.”
“But those two gave themselves away when they maimed two students from Canterlot High.”
“And that has been taken into account.” - Chrysalis addressed as she walked down the chamber, looking at the pods labeled “Caterina,” “Porcina,” “Rep” and “Squirk” - “Skystalker and Darksteel are going to perform an important task, per our agreement.”
Sombra watched Chrysalis leave the hall before placing his fist on the cocoon labeled “Blackarachnia”.
“She does have a point.” - Sombra didn’t take his focus away as Heka slithered her way into the light - “Scarab’s Shabtis require a more industrial means that could just as well give us away.”
“I know…” - Sombra dragged a finger on the hard surface, scuffing it with a hard nail. He walked over to the results of the next few months of work: a large glowing red crystal. Not enough to create an army as Chrysalis had with her synthesized version of Veloci’s primordial ooze, he gained an idea, one that would be completely deadly - “But if not an army, then just one individual of complete power.” He eyed the serpent - “Are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?”
Heka’s eyes widened as Sombra took a chunk of the crystal, “Maybe we should wait until a test subject is found.”
Sombra narrowed his eyes before putting the shard back in place. “Agreed.” He answered before leaving the room.
At one corner of the room, Chrysalis was watching. A potential partner, or a potential threat. And one thing for certain, she didn’t want to take that risk.
Back above ground in the weight room of Canterlot High, the male students were hard at work lifting weights. Bulk Biceps, most muscular among them, lifted up to one hundred and fifty pounds at the bench press, Featherweight giving it his all to support his brother. Cosgrove, still recovering from his injuries, lifted smaller dumbbells. Tex and Zipper couldn’t help but notice the somewhat bitter look in his eyes when he put the weights down and walked towards the armed barbell. Over one hundred pounds total, but surely several sets of lifting smaller weights would be enough to start lifting heavier weights.
Cosgrove squatted down, wrapped his fingers around the barbell, lifting the weight as high as he could.
“You can do it!” Shouted Soarin’
Cosgrove got the barbell four feet above the ground when he staggered, holding his breath as he tried to extend his arms. A fatal mistake at the sudden pain in his shoulder blades had him yelp, sending the weight crashing hard on the rubber floor. The loud clang echoed the room as Zipper and Tex lead the wounded Maximal out of the weight room, across the gym, and to the locker room.
“What were you thinking, Cosgrove?” - Tex berated as he pointed back to the general direction of the weight room - “You could have ruined everything you’ve worked up to.”
After a moment of silence, Cosgrove answered, “It was the only way.”
On cue, the end of the school bell rang, prompting the three Maximals to change back into their regular clothes before the locker room gets too crowded. As they joined up with the other Maximals and Rainbooms, they overhear another deep howl, the first since Scarab’s attack.
“Much as we care for bringing back timberwolves.” - Applejack shifted her stetson with furrowed brows - “They’d better not get anywhere near the sheep.”
“Be worse if any of those Predacons get them.” - Said Rainbow Dash as she grabbed her helmet - “We have to find out where they are and hit em hard!”
“Attention, attention!” - They turned to a police scanner augmented (with permission from the city police) in Cosgrove’s CRV - “We have a call about a break-in at the Mephesto Genetics Laboratory.”
“That sounds like our Preds.” Said Chelsey as she hopped into Applejack’s truck.
Rainbow Dash and Zipper “ponied up,” sprouting wings and quickly ascending into the air. Twilight and Rarity hopped into a refurbished minivan simply known as the HUB. In the back, lined some of the most powerful consumer hardware they could afford (which is a godsend, thanks to the Dazzlings funding them).
Sunset hopped onto her motorcycle, turning the ignition as Rarity hopped on, “Roll out!”
And with that, everyone rushed out of school grounds to their intended destination. Well, almost everyone. Cosgrove took out his keys, sat on the driver’s seat, and was about to turn the ignition.
“It’s sad isn’t it?” - Trixie rested her head on the open window - “All left out because they worry for your safety. One of the top dogs of this school, reduced to a battered-”
Cosgrove pushed Trixie away from the car before turning the ignition. “At least I have a brother I can come home too, Trix.”
Trixie drew a smug grin as the CRV left the school grounds. She walked over to a parked moped, putting on her helmet.
“And Trixie has plans that will make her Great and Powerful.” She answered as she drove away.
Much further into the cityscape, Sadira effortlessly jumped rooftop across rooftop. As a thief at heart since she was a kid, this was no problem for her as she parkoured across the town. Reaching the edge of the plaza, she took in the comparatively moist air. And she couldn’t wait to find any other magic wielders.
Which isn’t long when she spotted two motocross bikes speeding down the street, each carrying two people. Sadira watched the red truck, carrying five more individuals, follow them when a winged charcoal gray creature flew by her, creating a gust of wind.
“What’s up?” Sadira wondered before materializing into a pile of sand and blown aside, following the turbulence.
The Rainbooms and most of the Maximals arrived at the laboratory, finding smoke billowing from the top. In the HUB Twilight pulled out her laptop, hacking into the security cameras.
“Approach with caution...” Sunset ordered as they entered the facility.
The pillars were laced with claw marks, the floors littered with debris and glass. A fatal mistake for it left a very large trail.
“Grrr! Chrysalis asking us to do drone work. After what happened, we should be taking them down one by one!”
Hugging the walls, Sunset and Rainbow Dash looked to find the same two Predacons that attacked Applebloom and Cosgrove rummaging through shelves of DNA. The techno-organic Ursagryph huffed as he turned around and walked down the corridor.
“Do not forget that it was your idea that he agreed on to attack those two students.” - Skystalker rebutted as he delicately grabbed DNA samples of a chameleon and wild boar - “Chrysalis sending on this minuscule mission was as expected.”
Back outside, Twilight placed a finger on her lower lip. “Chrysalis? How is she involved with this?”
“We’ll find out later, right now” - Sunset and her posse rushed into the room, Ponying up and Maximizing as they did, they easily surrounded the two monsters - “how about you put down the samples and we can get away from this nice and clean.”
Darksteel assumed a battle stance while his companion continued to fetch samples.
“Well, care to answer for your crimes, you ruffians?” Asked Rarity as her horn glowed
“Your arrival was easily predicted.” - Skystalker turned around, putting the last sample of DNA into an empty slot on his left gauntlet - “And so it was logical that we have a backup plan.”
Without warning, parts of the floor burst open. It’s as if they were in a zombie movie, only they weren’t fighting the undead, but they’re charcoal black skin, pure blue eyes, and chitinous bodies with perforated limbs and wings said otherwise.
“What in tarnation?” Applejack eyed her surrounding as over twenty of the weird beings surrounded them.
“Attack.” Skystalker ordered.
Rainbow Dash was the first to respond as she charged forward when the being, in a spiral of green flames, changed into an exact duplicate of herself and flew out of the way.
“What the-?!” Before Rainbow could answer, two more of them changed into her image and body slammed on top of her.
In pairs, the beings changed into the rest of the Rainbooms and Maximals, complete with their respective equine and dinosaur features before attacking them. Pinkie Pie pulled out a small version of her Party Cannon, blasting one of her duplicates in the face.
Back at the HUB, Twilight’s radar picked up several law enforcement officers heading their way.
“Guys, we have law enforcement heading our way. How are things inside?”
Back inside, Diver was flung to the side, her armored hide having toothmarks.
“Care to find out yourself?” She answered before charging at two of her duplicates, biting the one on her lift and performing a death roll.
Chelsey and Tex body slammed their duplicates on the ground, holding them long enough for Applejack to take out her lasso and bound them. “Let’s try to not make a mess of this place.” She said as she finished her unique knot when another one of the beings was about to sink its teeth into her.
Chelsey was quick to smack it aside with her long claws before charging continuing with the offense.
Darksteel, wanting a piece of the action, became jumpy. “Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s take it up to round two!”
“In due time, Darksteel.” - Said Skystalker as he eyed the ringleader of their opposition blasting several of their foot soldiers with opal-green blasts when he siphoned part of the payload into an empty blowdart - “Though if you want to have fun...”
Given the dart, Darksteel squeaked in delight before changing into his beast mode, charging through the footsoldiers and ramming at Tex. Arm in his metallic beak, the Ursagryph swung him around, hearing the sophomore cry out in pain as his shoulder snapped in positions it shouldn’t.
“Tex!” Sunset shouted before blasting the beast, jogging backward as Darksteel reverted back to his normal form and ran towards her, aiming the armed blaster at her.
The loaded dart he fired would have struck her had a yellow and pink object caught it as she was flung to the wall. Seeing her friend injured, Sunset amplified her power before firing a much larger sphere at the beast, smashing him through the wall and out of the building, crashing into the hard concrete. With one of the Predacons beaten and the majority of foot soldiers defeated, our protagonists turn to the lone Skystalker.
“This is the part where you run away.” Said Rainbow Dash, cracking her knuckles as she shook her wings.
“A logical choice of words.” Said Skystalker before transforming into his beast mode, unleashing his dragon fire at the heroes long enough to use the hole to fly out. Darksteel recovered from the fall, spreading his wings to join up with his companions as they flew out of the building.
Hearing the blaring sound of an emergency vehicle approaching fast, Chelsey and Diver lifted the bound foot soldiers before the latter tapped into a comlink in her ear, “Twilight, need a ground bridge!”
Typing a few commands, Twilight opened a bridge of light just outside the door, allowing Applejack and Chelsey to rush inside. The rest of them ran out of the building, hopping onto their vehicles to make a mad dash away. As the Ground Bridge receded, Sadira walked around the ruined hallway.
“Things have changed.” She said as she heard the sirens grow louder and louder before grabbing DNA samples of a coyote and a snapping turtle before materializing into sand once more and flying with the wind.
The footsoldiers they took are held in a large container, screeching at them as they clawed at the plastic to no avail. Zipper opened the cage lid, giving Chelsey the leeway to enter the cage and grab one of them. The beast reaches it’s black claws at her, making small cat scratches on her face.
“Oh” - Chelsey swung a fist at the beast’s stomach, knocking it out - “pipe down!”
The Maximal flung it onto the table, Diver, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash tying it down.
“Didn’t have to slam him on the table, darling.” Said Rarity as she placed a hand on Chelsey.
“Had to vent after what happened with Tex.” Chelsey shrugged the fashionista’s hand and crossed her arms.
Twilight and Sunset drew a few DNA samples, from a piece of chitinous skin to the green saliva, running it through a select few machines.
“Well from the looks of it, this creature isn’t human.” - Sunset held a clipboard of the results - “Eighty-five percent of their structure is arthropod-based, with bits and pieces of mammal DNA to give it a more humanoid look.”
“But how can it change into, you know…” - Diver motioned her hands to her companions - “us?”
“The blood contains a modified version of Veloci’s primordial ooze.” - Answered Twilight as she fidgeted her glasses - “And I have a guess on who is behind this.”
A few searches on a desktop computer, Twilight pulls up a profile picture. “Outside of biology classes, Professor Chrysalis used to experiment on genetic anomalies. Rats with human ears, dogs with retractable claws, you name it. It’s only possible that her discovering a sample of Veloci’s leftover primordial ooze.”
“From the riverbed back home?” Applejack added.
“Exactly." Twilight examines the piece of exoskeleton under a microscope. "Though it doesn’t explain the armor embedded into their bodies. It looks like metal, but it has a shine, unlike any metal I have ever studied.”
As Twilight continued on, Fluttershy began to twitch. She looks down to see her nails growing faster than they should.
“Uhm, girls.” - Fluttershy got their attention - “I need to get home.”
The others looked at the window, noticing the outside world become increasingly darker.
“Great, another storm...” Rainbow complained.
“At least we’re one step closer to solving ‘Project Predacon.’” Said Pinkie Pie, getting weird looks from her friends.
“Don’t ever say those two words in one go again.” - Said Diver as she looked at the unconscious specimen - “What do we do with the Changeling?”
After a careful state of thought, Sunset, Applejack, and Chelsey were donning rain ponchos, the latter two about to chuck the two foot soldiers into the portal in front of the school while the former wrote in the journal.
“And so whoever answers this message understand that we are doing this just once.” - Sunset closed the journal, turning her head to the others - “Throw them in.”
“One, two, three!” They chanted before tossing them into the portal, illuminating the rainy schoolyard. The tempest growing more powerful, they ran as they could to their cars, driving against the blinding rain and lightning to get to their homes.
Beneath such a storm, Trixie followed the sewer lines to the chamber she found on accident. Having taken a different sewer lid, she tried to find the hole she fell through a day ago. Turning a corner, she found the bottom of the hole, only that it was closed off by construction workers.
“Mixmaster,” - Shouted Hook from up top - “Scrapper’s callin’ it quits for today! Let’s go!”
Before Mixmaster could take a fleeting glance, Trixie hugged the wall. She will have to take another way, she thought to herself as she took the nearest detour to her left. But the dark began to take its toll on her. She was safe from the chilling tempest, true, but with only a limited amount of light from her cellphone, she could only guess and hope against hope that she would find the chamber once again, grab the rest of the scrolls and get out of here. At least the increasing moisture kept the stench away.
It was where the pitter patter of the storm was most silent when Trixie found a source of light. It could be the chamber, but the green lighting sounded suspicious.
“I was this close to getting that dart at her.” - Trixie hugged the walls as the sewers were illuminated by the glowing eyes and insignias of Skystalker and Darksteel, the latter of who continued to gloat on his attempt on the Rainbooms and Maximals - “Had it not been for that yellow and pink thing flying in the way!”
“Cream colored, Darksteel.” Skystalker rebutted, flipping his index finger at his partner’s forehead.
As the figures came out of view, Trixie’s curiosity got the better of her and followed the light to the glowing green chamber. The Magician looked in astonishment at the cocoon-like shapes that illuminated the halls. She hid in the shadows once more, watching Skystalker inject the last sample of DNA into a pod when she heard the squeaking sound of a wheel rolling down the hall before looking at a small container of the mutagen.
“I take it the errand was successful?” Said the unknown assailant as he rolled towards the back of the chamber.
“Indeed,” - Answered Skystalker - “even the attack was easily predicted.”
“Attack?!” - The three people looked to the left, seeing Chrysalis walk towards them - “What point was being spotted again? This was to be a covert mission!”
“Your backlash was predictable.” - Skystalker opened a gauntlet taking out an empty syringe containing vampire bat DNA - “And so will the upcoming disturbance.”
Chrysalis gave a dry chuckle when they heard a sudden clang. Trixie was at the entrance, holding the sample of mutagen.
“Just ignore Trixie,” - She said as she tiptoed towards the door, hearing Darksteel transform - “she is just the cleaning crew, she’ll just put thiscontainerINTOSOMEWHERESAFE!”
The magician barely dodged the Ursagryphs pounce as she turned a corner, giving her a long enough head start to find the same hole she fell in, now without any construction crew in sight. But as she recalled, the chamber was also a dead end, a mistake she couldn’t afford, so she took the way she came, brushing her hand along the wall before grabbing a ladder. She hastily climbed the ladder, looking to the right to find an ever growing Predacon insignia approaching her. Darksteel increased his pace, flapping his wings before making a large jump, stretching his claws, slashing Trixie by the leg. Not daring to look back, Trixie ignored the beasts roar of anguish and drove off against the storm.
As the storm raged on throughout the night, Fluttershy cringed in her sleep, tossing and turning, disturbing and worrying Angel. In her dreams, the caretaker viewed herself in a dark forest, roosting at the top of a large tree. She looked down, spying a fawn. Without warning, the young animal was brought down, flipping its innocent eyes as the reflection showed a pair of carnivorous fangs coming down. Back in reality, Angel curled back in his cat bed as each lightning strike illuminated the shadow of the covers rising out of the bed, slipping off as a pair of leathery wings erupted.
Back at Great Valley Drive, Cosgrove watched as a few pairs of headlights entered the neighborhood before walking back to the living room chair, lifting a small weight. His father watched him, noticing him wince with every lift. Though it’s only two years away before Cosgrove will graduate, but during those two years, anything can happen like before.
As he saw his first child put the weight down, Clamp Jaw walked over, sitting on the rocking chair on the other side of the living room.
“How do you do it, Dad?” - Cosgrove asked, supporting his body with his forearms on his knees - “Every day of the year coming home, sometimes with a new bullet wound, a gash from a knife?”
Clamp Jaw took a deep breath, “You are recovering physically, but…” - He paused to tap his head a few times - “What did you do to get out the grief when Night Dancer passed on?”
“I… We… Talked about it.” Cosgrove answered.
“And Apple Bloom and her friends told them that they were the ones responsible for sharing personal information.” - Clamp Jaw added - “But after what happened to you two, maybe one of these days you can talk to her, she is another victim like you.”
Clamp Jaw titled his head as he watched his son go into his train of thought when a chime interrupted the silence. Cosgrove took the phone out of his pocket, finding an icon of a magic wand. Logging in, he looked at the text.
“Trixie has attained information that is of little importance to her. Bring medication,” - Cosgrove flicked his eyes up at his father - “come alone.”
Like her Equestrian counterpart, Trixie’s home can be best described as a mobile one. After her parents divorced, “Mrs. Lulamoon” took custody of Trixie, moving further inland today. And now, with her mother working double shifts, Trixie had the carrier all to herself. And tonight, she was shivering from the rain, hissing in pain as her left leg bled after being nicked Darksteel’s claws. Applying pressure for as long as she could when she heard a loud knock on her door. Keeping her injured limb off the ground, Trixie hobbled over to the door, opening it to show Clamp Jaw towering over her.
“Are you alone?” - He asked, to which she only nodded in fear - “Clear.”
Cosgrove stepped out of the car, holding a medical case as he walked into the carrier. “Pretty nasty wound you got there, Trixie.” - Looking at the wound, the Maximal jiggled the case - “I don’t think this is going to help.”
“Are you going to help Trixie or-?”
“First,” - Clamp Jaw grabbed Trixie by the hoodie and plopping her on the bench - “you’re going to tell us what you have found.”
Cosgrove sat on the other end of the bench, opening the case and taking out a syringe. “You see this?” - Cosgrove pointed to the ten-milliliter label in a fifty-milliliter syringe - “I need this much to numb the wound. Where were you?”
Lifting her leg as she could before wincing, Trixie answers in both a pained and smug tone, “Trixie was minding her own business, taking a nice little stroll through town…”
Cosgrove gently applied pressure, releasing a small amount of agent. “The facts, miss.”
“Okay, okay. Trixie was soaked in the rain and sought refuge in the sewers.” - Trixie noticed Cosgrove shifting his head, narrowing his eyes - “Trixie didn’t like the pitter patter of the rain so she walked deeper, and deeper until she found a glowing green light. She was then chased by this beast and that’s how she got her leg torn apart.”
Cosgrove narrowed his eyes even further before releasing more of the anesthetic.
“It’s the truth she swears!” - Trixie exclaimed, lifting her wounded leg - “Can’t you see Trixie is bleeding to death!?”
Cosgrove placed the syringe on the table, “Where was your entry and exit point?”
“'Entry and exit?' Trixie doesn’t” - The magician saw Cosgrove wince as he tested the current condition of his arm, raising his fist high - “You wouldn’t!”
“Answer the question, miss.” Cosgrove only watched the magician sweat before swinging his fist forward.
“TwoblocksleftofSugarcubeCorner, thefirstsewerlidyoucometo!”
Trixie held her eyes shut, waiting for the sound of a fist slamming the glass syringe (and of course the scream of pain that comes with it). Shooting a violet eye open revealed the ectrodactylic fist just a millimeter above the needle. Slowly retracting it, Cosgrove took a deep breath before saying,
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
Trixie had her mouth agape, about to laugh like mad before she cleared her throat, supporting her leg on a chair. “It hurts most, right here, sir.”
Back inside said sewers, someone rigged a bomb on Sombra’s diamond. Darksteel looked from the shadows with glowing eyes before continuing on, carrying the detonator as he reached the chamber of the Predacons. Chrysalis eyed the Ursagryph walking across before looking at her next subject as her Changelings worked around an operating table.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” - Chrysalis prepared the sleep gas - “There is a high probability you won’t survive.”
The person in question narrowed his violet eyes as he clenched his red fist. “Commence the operation.”
Chrysalis placed the mask over his mouth, slowly blurring his vision as the Changelings prepared their operating tools.
The next day is announced with the rooster crowing, the roar of several car engines, and the school parking lot being full by seven-thirty.
“Just a reminder for the Class of 2016,” - Chimed Principal Celestia from the PA system - “School photos will be taken next Friday, please submit your order forms by Wednesday.”
Most of the Rainbooms gathered around, their individual agendas being discussed among them.
“Chelsey’s staying with Tex after school to help him make up with housework.” - Sunset wrote in her agenda - “And Cosgrove is still recovering, Dapplewood at his side. That leaves us, Diver and Zipper.”
“Speaking of us,” - Rainbow looked around - “where is Fluttershy?”
“Hi, uh, girls.”
The Rainbooms turned over to see Fluttershy waddling towards them. Her hair is a mess, parts of her clothes are off, showing off a left bra strap, all the while wearing a cream colored poncho and black sunglasses.
“Nice shades, Flutters!” - Said Pinky, stroking Fluttershy’s hair
“Though the color does not suit you.” - Rarity pulled out a pair of blue glasses - “Here, try these-”
“Oh, uh, no.” - Fluttershy pushed away Rarity’s hand, an odd thing for her to do - “I, uh, want to try something out of... my comfort zone.”
Amidst the confused looks of her friends, Trixie hobbled by them, having her leg stitched up last night.
“What happened to you?” Asked Applejack, raising an eyebrow.
“That is none of your concern.” Trixie answered, not turning around to answer them as she walked to her locker.
“Don’t mind her, she’s just a little flustered after last night.” - Said Cosgrove as he walked over to them.
“The hundred dollar ticket was still unnecessary!” Trixie shouted down the hall.
Cosgrove gave a sly chuckle before turning to his boss. “Anyway, thanks to her, I’ve gotten information regarding the whereabouts of our Predacon associates.”
Though Trixie is one of the most unlikely of sources, any lead is better than nothing. Sunset leaned down, “What has Trixie told you?”
The school day flew over fast, and the Rainbooms, Zipper and Diver took their search in the dark depths of the city sewers. First time’s the journey, most of them pinched their noses.
“Applejack,” - Rarity asked in a nasal tone - “how can you stand the stench of this… this...?”
“If you’ve spent a little more time at my place, you build an immunity.” - Applejack looked back at the beam of light coming straight down the way they came - “We better make this quick, there’ll be less fresh air the deeper we go.”
Sunset tapped into her comlink, “Twilight, see if you can find any maps of the sewer systems.”
After leaving the noise to the drips falling into the water, the comms buzzed again.
“The original plans have yet to digitized.” Inside the HUB, Twilight lifted her eyebrows, looking worried. “Guys, I’m not keen on this, what if Trixie lead you on a false trail.”
Cosgrove, listening to the conversation while he worked on his homework, buzzed immediately after, “If Trixie has led us into a false trail, I know where to find her.”
Back at the sewers, Sunset tagged a tracer, signaling the others to press a button on their watches.
“Don’t do anything rash.” She commented with a stern tone.
“Same to you.” Cosgrove responds, imagining the smug look on her face upon hearing that.
Onward they walked down the sewers, mustering what ignorance they could to block out Rarity’s whining. Eventually, Applejack could have no more of this, and offered to carry the fashionista. After walking in pure darkness, they found another beam of light coming from the construction crews hole.
“Fluttershy, you’re with me.” - Said Sunset before pointing to Applejack and Rarity - “Applejack, Rarity...”
“I get ya, I get ya.” Said Applejack as she continued to carry Rarity to the tunnel on their left.
“Rainbow and Pinkie, take the tunnel to your right.”
“You got it!” Rainbow immediately sprouted wings and flew down the tunnel.
“Rainbow, I’m no flier but I don’t” - Pinkie stopped when a loud clang echoed the hall, followed by a yelp.
After a good chuckle, Diver donned into her beast mode, immersing her body in the sewage and swimming alongside Pinkie Pie. Now knowing the tunnels are not good for flying, Zipper kept to his normal self as he walked with Sunset and Fluttershy down the construction tunnel.
Sunset’s group walked through the column of light, entering the dark once more. Their hands brushed the wall before Sunset felt the pointy corner. Calling upon her magic illuminated the tunnel, showing three additional tunnels. Zipper took the tunnel to the right, looking as deep into the tunnel as he could. “See anything green?” She asked.
“Nata. Howarethingsonyourend?”
Sunset squinted at her section of the tunnel before dimming her magic. There is indeed a light, but not the right color.
“I see a light, but not the color Trixie described.” - Sunset increased her illumination - “Anything, Fluttershy? Fluttershy?”
Sunset turned to the tunnel on her left; Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.
“Must’vewentdownthetunnel.” Said Zipper as he leaned into the tunnel.
“No. No that isn’t like her.” - Sunset shook her head; it is common knowledge after all that Fluttershy wouldn’t go into a potentially frightening ordeal alone. She began to walk down the tunnel - “Wait here.”
Rainbow Dash rubbed the browned bruise on her otherwise blue head. With one good eye, she looked at Pinkie skipping down the tunnel with her eyes closed. Rainbow groaned again before finally seeing it: the green light at the end of the hall. As she had at Crystal Prep, the athlete tapped the stone floor, signaling Diver to submerge. Peeking from the corner, they found the lab. Below the surface of the sewage, Diver watched Rainbow walked on the grates, looking at the pods as the people contained have developed more animalistic features; the pod labeled “Squirk” appeared cephalopodan.
“Wow!” - Pinkie Pie zipped into Rainbow’s view, scaring her out of her wits - “They really amped up on Halloween costumes.”
“SHH!” - Rainbow shushed before tapping into her headset - “Guys! We’ve found the chamber. We’re gonna need backup.”
Tightening her grip around Applejack's neck with one arm, Rarity taps into her comlink with another.
“Right away, Rainbow darling.” She responds before being tossed onto the floor.
“And you’re going on foot all the way there.” Said Applejack as she ran the other way.
Sunset also tapped into her comlink.
“On my-” When she turned around, her ears picked up a crunching noise. Lighting up the tunnel even further, Sunset lifted her boot, finding a dead rat, or at least a dead husk of it. As she inspected the dead rodent, her ears picked up more scratching along the walls before a pair of sunglasses fell. The fire-haired teen looked up. Fluttershy was looking down with blood red eyes. Her wings were no longer avian, but leathery with bony fingers.
At the entrance of the tunnel, Zipper turned to a scream. “Boss!”
Rarity split up from Applejack to join up with Sunset’s group. Zipper ran down the tunnel, dodging a few sea-green blasts, each flash of light illuminating a piece of Sunset being on the defensive.
“AnotherPredacon?” - Zipper watches Sunset glow a little from her horn, revealing herself and the feral Fluttershy to him - “Fluttershy?!”
“That’s not Fluttershy,” - Rarity commented as she caught up to him - “that’s Flutterbat!”
Hearing that in the Predacon chamber, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie raced to the entrance when a portcullis shot straight up, blocking their way out.
“Hey! What gives?!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she tried to pull the gate.
“Welcome to the Predacon Chamber.” - Pinkie and Rainbow turned around to find Skystalker well behind them, along with Darksteel and Chrysalis - “Though it was only logical after one of your own told you about our location.”
“What have you done to Fluttershy you stone-hearted, no cold hearted” - Pinkie Pie tried to find a suitable description for them before saying - “You don’t even have a heart!”
Darksteel growled when Chrysalis placed a hand on his shoulder. “Fluttershy, eh? Well,” - Skystalker handed her the empty syringe of vampire bat mutagen - “the mutagen has done its work then.”
Rainbow Dash curled her fists, baring her teeth as she activated her magic, sprouting wings. “You make an antidote right-!”
Rainbow’s brief assault ended when a purple blast exploded the grate in front of her. Another contender entered the fray. This one had grey-black armor, with a boll weevil head, scorpion tail, and insectlike legs.
“You are in no position to make demands.” He says in a deep Kevin Michael Richardson style voice.
“And what kind of Predacon are you?” Asked Rainbow Dash.
“You may refer to me as” - the being generated another particle cannon from his free hand - “Galgameth.”
Rainbow and Pinkie Pie bounded out of the way of each blast from Galgameth, destroying several grates and splashing sewage all over. Skystalker and Darksteel donned their beast modes, the former going after Pinkie Pie and the latter after Rainbow Dash. The cybernetic dragon kept lunging at the party planner, and every time resulted in him colliding with the walls. Such vibrations can be felt in Sombra’s crystal chamber, prompting him to take action in moving the crystal. Back at the battle, Skystalker gained his speed, getting close enough that he swiped at Pinkie.
“Owie, Ow! You got my eye! Oh, ouch!” - Leaving the noise to Rainbow Dash and Darksteel, Skystalker looked down at the balled up pink mass before she jumped up and shot a small paintball at his eye - “Gotcha!” She exclaimed before running out, ignoring the irritated growl.
Rainbow Dash had a ball when she dodged Darksteels flame breath, flying back to give him an axe kick to the head. But awesomeness gave her a bad case of cockiness; as she flew from behind, the Ursagryph swiped her in the face, sending her crashing over to the wall. Rainbow looked forward with a blurry vision as Darksteel approached her with his mouth glowing when Diver burst out of an open grate, grabbing the Ursagryph by the leg and pulling him into the sewage. Now out of his element, Darksteel floated around helplessly as the humanoid crocodilian grabbed his leg, twisted it, swam away before repeating the action to his wing.
Applejack ran to the portcullis, finding Galgameth aiming a cannon at the recovering Rainbow Dash. Hearing Chrysalis laugh, Applejack called upon her magic before tearing away the rusted gate. Just as Galgameth was at the peak of charging his arm cannon, Applejack rushed at him, misguiding the blast at the tank of mutagen that fueled the other pods, spilling the contents over Chrysalis.
“No!” Chrysalis is doused in the mutagen she synthesized several months ago. Both protagonist and antagonist watched as Chrysalis screamed in terror. Her skin became a deep black and chitinous, her fingers long and bony, parts of her limbs perforated as well for the pair of glossy wings erupting from her back, her hair became batched together to form a clear webbing that is divided by a massive, crooked horn. “Help Me!”
Her plea awoke the Changelings, rushing passed their allies and enemies to assist Chrysalis, carrying her out of the chamber. The control panel of the incubation chambers started flashing red, drawing Skystalker’s attention. “The life support has been malfunctioned. Ejection is the only logical action.”
Inside, the subjects, noticing the sudden lack of oxygen, shot awake and began pounding at the chambers, the mutagen around them slowing each strike.
“Then do it!” Ordered Galgameth.
Pressing a few buttons, the seams of each lid steamed, falling on the floor into thousands of pieces. All five subjects joined the spilled mutagen, moaning and coughing as their eyes tried to make out the shapes, one of which morphed into another shape as it approached them.
“Who are you?” - Asked Caterina before looking at the Rainbooms - “Who are they?”
Galgameth lifted Caterina to her feet before answering, “Our enemies.”
Sunset herself wrestled with Fluttershy as she snapped her jaws, getting nearer and nearer to her throat.
“Fluttershy, sweetness…” Rarity attempt to reach out to Fluttershy only resulted in her getting smacked by a wing.
Zipper, hearing the conflict echo in the tunnel, “Ponied” up, puffed out his chest and screamed. Loud enough for Rarity and Sunset to fold their ears and cuff them, and especially so that Fluttershy’s now ultra sensitive ears picked it up as so loud that her eyes became pinpricks. In haste, she released Sunset and flew into the darkness. The danger gone, Zipper silenced himself, giving his friends a moment to relax.
“My God what a set of lungs.” Rarity stood up, wiping the dirt off her clothing. Zipper ascended into the pungent air and flew down the way they came. Rarity was about to join him when she found Sunset staring into the tunnel. - “We will get her back, darling.”
Sunset’s furrowed her brow before joining up with Rarity. Back at the Predacon chamber, Galgameth pointed his arm cannon at the more numerous but largely projectile lacking Rainbooms while Skystalker herded the newly awakened recruits out of the room. The moment of silence was interrupted as Darksteel burst out of the sewage, holding an unconscious Diver in his arms. Rainbow dared to rush in and save her before seeing the Ursagryph place a metallic paw on her head.
“Now, we will make our leave.” - Galgameth slowly backed away, his peripheral vision picking up Darksteel transforming back into his anthropomorphic state, carrying Diver on his shoulders and leaving. With now potential hostages, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash slowly backed away - “Blow.”
He tapped a button on his belt, illuminating the chamber and down with several blinking red lights trailing all the way down Sombra’s crystal chamber, who himself noticed too late that the crystal he worked on for the past few months had been rigged to blow. The explosion was heard further down when Galgameth turned on his thrusters and zipping down the halls. Rainbow attempted to pursue him, but Applejack grabbed her by the wings and raced out of the tunnel. Joined up with Sunset’s group with now one less member as well, the question will have to wait as they followed the tracer planted on the wall and climbing out of the sewer, closing the lid as the smoke reach the entrance.
“Guys!” - Twilight hopped out of the HUB - “What’s wrong? Where are Fluttershy and Diver?”
After a moment or two of catching their breath, Rainbow Dash tapped into her comlink. “Well, Diver’s been taken… We’ve got eight Predacons now… and Chrysalis got mutated.”
“And… Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, looking at Sunset, Rarity, and Zipper.
“MIA…” - Sunset looked up at the darkening sky being lit up by a meteor shower - “for now…”
Just outside of town, Fluttershy landed on a water tower, looking upward at the natural spectacle raining down on the earth. The night will come soon, and her search for a suitable nest will begin. Back in the destroyed chamber, Sombra’s body laid motionless amongst solid stone and shattered crystals. One such shard was embedded right at his heart, keeping the blood from oozing out. The moon shined over the remains, but during this time of year, it can become very cloudy. One such cumulus cloud drifted under the orbiting rock, darkening the chamber once more.
Heka watched as the crystal began to glow, emanating green and violet smoke from the base. Sombra’s eyes shot open, the green sclera glowing in the pure darkness. “Yessssss…..”
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if your big on action and adventure stories then do i have an idea to run by you...
7047825
7047841 okay well given season 6 is going to be hype as Hell and with so much hype behind starlight and with the burning urge to wanna bring my waifu Sunset Shimmer home
The story i have is a big...BIG crossover story between EQG and MLP...im talking an adventure that makes saving the crystal empire and defeating Tirek look like childsplay
7047916
I've read your blog post about that and I gotta say, twenty chapters for the first story arc of your first story is pretty huge. "The New Timeline" itself has twenty seven chapters spanning over the first three seasons, yet it has at least one prominent story arc in it and that is an OC character of mine, and in turn, Sunset Shimmer, finding peace after the loss of his mom.
By all means, go for it. I'll still give it a read. Though I suggest you look up such massive stories to get a grasp.
As much as I wanted to get invested on this story, I do have to say that there are a lot of spelling errors, present tense over past, many sentences that were missing commas and ended in full stops other than em dashes, exclamation marks, and question marks.
Furthermore, your lack of horizontal rules make the story all act in one place. I honestly couldn't tell if Chrysalis and Sombra were underground with the entire school due to the lack of a horizontal rule. When you want to break up scenes, you always have a horizontal rule like this:
See the bar that struck across my comment, diving it in two? That was a horizontal rule. You can click on the single straight line in your editing page, or type the letters "hr" into square brackets to put them there.
Overall, you have an interesting premise with the whole story and the ones that came before it. But with rushed pacing, spelling errors, lack of scene transitions, oddly written dialogue, and misplaced or non-existant full stops, commas, exclamation points, or question marks, this story doesn't really appeal to me.
I do hope that I wasn't mean, and I hope that you enjoy the rest of your day.