Chapter 5- War
Chapter 5-
War
“Shit, shit, shit!” Amelia exclaimed quietly as she ran through the maze of tents. It had been three days since she and Amber had found themselves in the company of the Equestrians, and it wasn’t long after that that the diarchs had decided that they would have to pull their weight the same as everybody. That included the combat training that the NetNavi was currently late for.
The young woman rounded a corner, digging her boots into the slick snow as she slid a bit. She actually ended up sideways, having to use her hand to keep herself from hitting the ground, her legs pumping as she fought to find traction. Finally, her feet found purchase and she dashed away, dodging around the few soldiers that were scattered about, leaving most of them with dumbfounded looks on their faces.
After several moments, she slid to a stop in a ring with several wood and straw dummies set up. She ground to a halt in a line of lower class fighters in their armor, Amber Leaf among them. They snickered a bit as the NetNavi scrambled to stand straight and at attention. The drill sergeant, a large, red earth pony named Heavy Hitter, did not seem amused in the slightest as he stabbed the ground with his spear once more, bringing the count of holes in the snow being seven.
“That’s seven minutes late, Private Jaeger,” Heavy said, sticking the butt of his spear into the icy ground so that it stood up on its own. The sergeant turned his unamused expression on the lineup, any of the snickering ponies immediately shutting and straightening up. “You understand what this means, yes?”
Amelia tried to keep up her steadfast appearance but failed, her arms and shoulders slumping forward as she sighed. “Seven hundred push-ups, sergeant?” She answered questioningly.
“You’re getting used to this,” Heavy observed with a bit of a nod. “So why don’t we just make it eight hundred and fifty push-ups?”
Knowing that arguing would be futile, the Navi nodded and made her way over to an area that was becoming all too familiar to her. She lowered herself to the ground and started her push-ups while the drill sergeant issued the others their workloads for the day. Some took to running, some took to the obstacle course, and still others took to the training dummies with swords, spears, and bows. But only two figures made their way towards Amelia.
Sergeant Heavy stopped in front of the young woman while a set of light blue hooves made their way around Amber and began to do her own push-ups. “Maybe next time you’ll learn to keep that mouth of yours shut, Private Amber,” the stallion said before walking away.
When the sergeant was out of earshot, Amelia snickered. “Amber Leaf? Having a big mouth?” She falsely questioned, glancing at the pony beside her. “Who’da thought?”
“Oh, hush, you,” the crystal mare replied, keeping her eyes on the ground. “I did it on purpose so that we could talk.”
“Alright, alright,” the young woman said, trying to calm her friend down. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
Amber was silent for several moments as they continued their push-ups. “...Have you… have you felt anything strange lately?” She finally asked, a bit of hesitation in her voice. “Like… after our first night here?”
Amelia blinked before turning her eyes to the ground that was constantly moving closer and farther away. “Actually… yeah,” the woman finally answered. “There’s been this… weird… I dunno, connection?”
Amelia looked up at the mare to see her pursing her lips. “...What does it mean?” she asked, looking up at Amelia.
The Navi stayed quiet for a long moment, letting her mind wrap itself around the information as well as come up with an appropriate response. “...I don’t know Amber,” she finally replied, looking away again. “I don’t know….” They both fell silent at that, each completing their designated number of pushups.
They did so just as Sergeant Heavy called them all back into the line. “Now that you maggots have finished with your warm-ups,” he began loudly. “It’s time for sparing.” Several groans sounded out, save from Amelia and Amber he looked to each side before raising an eyebrow to each other… up until Heavy Hitter growled and jerked his spear up out of the snow.
Everypony present shut their mouths quickly and stood at full attention. “That’s what I thought,” the sergeant said, giving them all a hard look before clearing his throat. “As you are all aware, you have all been partnered up and you all know who with. You’ve been doing well in getting acquainted and working with these partners… but I’d like to make sure that you can all handle yourselves in basic combat.”
Both crystal pony and NetNavi went a bit wide-eyed at the announcement, both of them thinking the same thought. “The sparring pairs will be as follows. Iron Hide, Phoenix Feather, field one.” Two ponies, an earth stallion and a pegasus mare, nodded their heads and started on their way to a field in the Northwest corner of the training area, grabbing staves on their way. “Star Fall, Thunder Lane, field two.” Two unicorn stallions followed the example of the first pair, heading to the Northeast of the field. “Amber Leaf, Foe Hammer, field three.” Amber gulped a bit as a large pegasus stallion stepped out of line and began to go towards the Southeast field. Amelia shared a look with the mare before Amber started to follow the stallion.
The Navi watched them go only to have her attention drawn back to Sergeant Heavy as he cleared his throat. “Jaeger, Boulder Dash, field four.” The Navi threw a look at her earth mare that would be her opponent and started making her way towards the final field in the Southwest, nodding towards Heavy as she went. She grabbed a staff as she passed the rack, hearing the clack of wood on wood a few moments later letting her know that Boulder was right behind her.
She continued to walk until she was on the other side of the field and turned around to face her adversary. The mare was actually rather big and burly compared to her peers, making her an impressive opponent. Amelia took all of this in with a single glance and lowered herself into a fighting stance. This should be fun, the Navi thought as Boulder tensed up as well. Both fighters stayed as they were motionless for several moments before a silent signal launched them at each other.
Amelia swung out with her staff, intent on leaving a sharp bruise on the mare’s shoulder but was caught off guard as the guardsmare was more than capable of, not only blocking her strike, but retaliating at incredible speeds. This forced the young woman to abandon her confident offensive and resort instead to intercepting the incoming blows with her own staff. Boulder’s attacks came faster and faster, the mare gathering momentum as she forced the human back.
Amelia grimaced as she felt wood rap sharply against her fingers every now and again, yet she knew she couldn’t take any extra time to readjust if she wanted to keep nasty welts from forming on the rest of her body. The pony’s shorter stature also gave her the advantage against the NetNavi, making it harder for Amelia to coordinate her defense, and Boulder Dash knew it. The mare pressed her advantage heavily and the fight soon started to look one sided. How!?! The young woman questioned internally once again having to pick up the pace to avoid being battered.
The battle went on with Amelia quickly being worn down and eventually taking several hits to her arms and body. Eventually, the Navi was forced to do what she had been avoiding during her current encounter. She activated an Attack+ battlechip, launching a powerful offensive swing that slammed into the defense that Boulder threw up in a rush. The mare was pushed across the field, giving the NetNavi the time she needed to stop and take in several deep breaths. What the hell is going on? Amelia thought to herself as she tried to think up some sort of strategy.
What are you doing, Amelia?
Amelia’s eyes widened and she perked her head up in surprise, quickly looking around. She found that most of the ponies had already finished their matches and were watching the pegasus and woman go after each other. However, one face amongst the crowd caught her attention above the others. Amber was staring back at her, their wide eyes meeting each other. Amber… was that you? Amelia asked on a whim, receiving a surprised blink from Amber.
How are we doing this? The crystal mare replied, her front hoof raising slightly.
How should I-
Amelia, watch it!
The NetNavi quickly twisted her body and moved her staff, a sharp clack sounding out as her and Boulder’s staves met. The earth mare’s eyes widened a bit in surprise at the Navi’s sudden reaction speed, jumping back to avoid Amelia’s retaliation. The young woman could feel something new filling her, a kind of rejuvenation.
Amelia, her rear left is unsteady!
Without hesitation, the Navi responded, rushing towards and curving into Boulder’s right. She slammed her staff into the mare’s and felt her start to give way. With a mighty push, Amelia sent the pony sprawling. The young woman stayed back a bit, her breath coming a bit heavy as she processed what had just happened. Thanks for the heads up, Amber, Amelia thought, glancing briefly at the crystal mare only to see her wince.
What's wrong, Amber? Amelia asked, concern washing over her as the mare winced again.
Nothing, the crystal pony replied, putting a hoof to her head. It just… feels like you're talking through mud.
The Navi’s eyes narrowed a bit as she heard this and reached into her cloak, pulling forth her PET. She looked up and opened her mouth to shout to Amber only be forced to jump away and raise her staff to avoid being struck by the blur that was Boulder Dash’s staff. The two poles slammed into each other, slowing both fighters just long enough for Amelia to look into the eyes of her opponent. The mare’s eyes were wide, her pupils pinpricks, showing off the undefiled rage within. Only one thought passed through the young woman’s mind as she saw this.
Oh, shit! Amelia exclaimed internally as the two became blurs, each of them blocking as the other tried to find purchase against the other. For several moments the two were joined in a dance as they pushed back and forth over the arena.
Amelia, sweep! The Navi responded immediately, dropping down and letting the earth pony’s staff go by overhead, albeit barely. As Boulder’s footing suffered from the sudden lack of competition, the young woman swept her staff under the mare, smacking her fetlocks with enough force to pull her legs out from under her. As Boulder Dash fell, Amelia spun and dropped, bringing her staff in close while extending her other leg, landing a kick in the mare’s flank. The pony slid over the field as the NetNavi rotated back up to her feet, coming to a stop in a back stance with one hand out while the other held her staff under her arm.
The dark Navi breathed deeply as she felt something roll down her face. Before she could take the time to process what it was, Heavy Hitter walked onto the field. “That’s enough, you two,” he said, picking up Boulder’s staff where she had dropped it. “Fall in!” All those present quickly jumped into line, except Boulder Dash whose walk was more like a limp and a pony that Amelia hadn’t noticed before stood beside Heavy. “I’ve got some news for you maggots,” the large sergeant stated, stomping the staff he was holding into the snow. “The princesses have decided that we march on the Crystal Empire tomorrow. Take the rest of today to rest up and be ready to march at dawn.”
The eight privates snapped their heels together and raised their front right hooves, right hand for Amelia, and shouted, “Yes, sir!”
Sergeant Heavy nodded his head, pleased at the well-oiled soldiers in front of him. “Good,” he said before his look became a bit more stern. “Dismissed!”
Those in the line quickly dispersed, Amelia quickly finding Amber, only to be stopped by the mare before she could say anything. “What in Tartarus was that!?!” The crystal pony exclaimed. “How did that happen!?”
“Wow, Amber, chill!” The Navi answered, raising her hands up. “I honestly don’t know how all this is happening.”
The crystal pony gave her a wide-eyed look. “So, you don’t know if this is dangerous?” She questioned, concern clearly etching itself into her voice.
Amelia only smirked. “I never said I didn’t know what was happening,” she said, a glint in her eye. “Just that I didn’t know how.”
Amber Leaf glared up at her partner for a moment. “You had better explain yourself, Miss Jaeger,” the mare said, her tone irritated.
The Navi just chuckled and started to walk, waving her hand for the crystal mare to follow. “Come on, I’ll explain on the way.” The pony looked a bit surprised as she began to follow Amelia towards the tent they had been sharing since their first night here. Along the way, the NetNavi began to explain.
“So, where do I begin? Within the series, my powers come from there’s this thing called Synchro….”
King Sombra strode along the halls of his castle, headed towards the balcony that overlooked his courtyard. He made his way silently, a frown on his face as purple mist poured out sporadically from his eyes. His hoofsteps were more like stomps as he walked, leaving a new crack along the floor every now and again.
Three days! He raged silently as he went on. Three days since the scouts lost contact! And four since that damned NetNavi escaped! The corrupted unicorn let out a dark growl, his musings only proving to darken his mood further. Teeth grinding together, the stallion recalled the last transmission he had received from the control crystals embedded in the armor of his grunts.
“How could she tear through them with such ease?” He hissed to himself. “I understood her power against golems but… three highly trained and armed guards…?” Sombra shook his head. “And if that was not enough, now the princesses are here to meddle…. To bring my empire to an end!” The twisted king came to a set of double doors, his hateful gaze going over the door… before a frightful smirk came to his face.
“I suppose it’s a good thing,” he muttered softly as his horn lit up, beginning to push the doors open. “I kept her alive after all these years!” With that and a plot forming in his mind, King Sombra walked out onto the terrace and looked out over the army he had gathered from his mindless slaves.
A yawn of epic proportions sounded through the air as Amelia leaned her head back, her legs never stopping for a moment while she and the rest of the army marched along. As her head tilted back into position she could a ‘tsk’ come from her right. She opened her right eye as her hand came up to scratch at the back of her neck, finding Amber shaking her head with a hoof to her face.
“What?” The Navi questioned, lowering her hand and straightening up.
“Could you at least act like a soldier in the Equestrian army?” The mare questioned, looking up at her partner.
Amelia only shrugged. “Maybe if I had actually gotten any sleep last night,” she answered, raising her arms so they sat behind her head, her eyes focused on the hills in front of them.
Amber Leaf let out a huff. “That is nopony’s fault but your own,” she replied, looking forward once more. “You were the one that wanted to stay up and test the limits of your new abilities.” “Hey, it would’ve been worth it to see what you were thinking in your sleep,” the Navi replied with a shrug, drawing a shocked look from the crystal pony.
“I’m pretty sure that counts as an invasion of privacy!” Amber exclaimed, her shock turning to irritation as they continued to trudge through the snow and ice.
This did not stop Amelia from letting out a hearty laugh… at least not until one of the generals came running up. “Would you two cut it out!?!” He hissed in a quiet tone. “Do you want to let Sombra’s forces know exactly where we are?”
Both Amelia and Amber winced at the officer’s harsh words, quickly shaking their heads ‘no’. “Won’t happen again, sir,” the NetNavi murmured quietly, earning a nod from the stallion before he left the two. For a while, both Navi and pony were silent… until one of them snickered.
That guy’s coat was so brown, it looked like shi-
Amelia!
The ground suddenly began to shake, catching most of the army’s soldiers by surprise as their balance was thrown out from underneath them. Amelia fell to one knee and put her right hand on her partner’s shoulders to help steady Amber as the earth, snow, and ice continued to quake. She lifted her eyes to the front of the troops to see that even Celestia and Luna were having trouble staying upright… then she saw something that spooked even her.
The hills began to rise, snow collapsing off as crystalline limbs began to unfold to reveal the golems beneath the ice. Amelia stared at the sheer number of golems before them, numbering around at least thirty. Behind the crystal beasts stood a mass of dark armor and spears, the twisted spires of the Crystal Empire looming even further behind them. King Sombra’s horde had arrived.
Amelia’s eyes narrowed as she realized her position in the middle of the pack and unable to get to the front and be of any use. I gotta get up there, she thought, her fists clenching as she stood to her feet and several golems turned towards the princesses. They’ll be-
The diarchs turned angry looks at the golems closing in on them, there horns lighting up only to send beams of magic crashing into their opponents. The monsters stood no chance as holes were punched through their torsos, causing them to crumble and Amelia to blink.
“Oookay, ponies got power,” she muttered as she stood to her feet. The Navi’s eyes drifted up to the towers of the Crystal Palace. “We gotta get up there.”
“There’s an army and a half between us and that palace,” Amber stated, getting her balance back. “How do you suppose we get there?”
Amelia looked at her partner for a moment before looking back towards the walls of the Crystal Empire. Slowly, a smirk lit up on her face. “I’ll just have to do what I do best,” she said, raising her hand to unclasp her cloak.
The crystal mare let out a sigh as the cloak was thrown over her shoulders, feeling the strange tingle it gave off due to the Barrier chip Amelia had added to it. “Run in headlong without a plan?” Amber guessed looking up at Amelia as she once again offered her back to carry the mare.
“Eeyup,” The Navi replied as she felt the pony climb onto her back, her smirk growing as her body tensed up. “You know the plan right?”
“Of course,” Amber answered while rolling her eyes. “I’d have to be a filly to forGEEET!!!” She let out the last bit in surprise as Amelia suddenly shot forward, forcing the pony to tighten her grip.
The dark Navi ran forward, extending her right hand to the side as a CyberSword formed. Several other ponies noticed this and began to run alongside her, some even letting out battle cries. The young woman wanted nothing more than to shout at them to stay back, but knew it would simply get swallowed up in the noises of battle. Luckily, she was still far faster than her comrades as she raced forward. The princesses were still going strong against the golems, however, the crystal amalgamations kept coming, seemingly not having an end.
“Let’s do this, Amber!” She shouted as she leaped into battle. Amber responded by pulling one hoof away from Amelia and brought it to her chest where the purple PET hung. The mare gripped the device for a moment and an aura burst forth around the pair. A readout that appeared in the corner of the Navi’s vision read ‘SYNC: 50%’, and she could feel her power boost as the connection between Navi and Op strengthened, renewing the broad grin on her face.
“Oh, yeah, feel the rush!” Amelia shouted before activating a Dash chip. The Navi/Op pair became a blur across the battlefield as the NetNavi’s energy sword cut through the golems’ crystalline structure like warm butter, leaving little more than piles of rock in her wake alongside a pair of dumbstruck alicorns. The young woman came to a stop at the front of the pack, casting a look over her shoulder at Celestia and Luna. “C’mon slowpokes, keep up!” With that and one last laugh at the shocked expressions on the sisters’ faces, Amelia turned and rushed towards the oncoming tidal wave of dark-armored crystal ponies.
Amber, however, wasn’t nearly as enthused as she clung on for dear life. “A-A-Amelia!” She stuttered out as she was jostled around. “Do y-you even have a w-w-way through this!?!”
“Of course!” The Navi replied, continuing her breakneck pace while she pulled her left arm back. “Straight through!!!” A large drill constructed itself from her reared back hand as she activated DrillArm. With a yell that sounded far more excited than threatening, Amelia thrust the drill into the ground and activated another Dash chip. The spinning drill threw up a wave of snow and ice as she powered through the crowd, the force pushing most of the soldiers out of the way, if not burying them under a mound of snow.
She made it quite a good ways before Amber looked into the skies and her eyes widened in surprise and shock. Without a second’s hesitation, Amelia jumped back and out of the way as a crystal pegasus slammed into the ground where she had been. By the look of the little crater the stallion left in the snow, the blow would have done some serious damage if the Navi hadn’t dodged.
“Oh, damn it,” Amelia muttered as she tensed up, raising her sword arm as she moved her drill out of the way. All the enemy troops that had been forced to get out of her way began to move in again, swiftly closing off her chance of gaining the momentum she’d need to get going once more.
“This is bad,” Amber stated, looking around at all the unfriendly spears and other weapons surrounding them.
“Yeah,” the young woman answered, grimacing as she raised her sword a bit more. “I guess I’ve got no choice now. I’ll have to fight through them.”
The dark armored ponies rushed forward, Amelia mirroring their actions. The first to reach her thrust forward with their spear only to have the Navi sidestep the attack and sweep her blade down, easily severing the spear head. Following up quickly with a wheel kick, the NetNavi sent her adversary careening into those behind them. The combo only gave her a small window though as she was set upon by soldiers on her other side. Amelia was forced into moving her drill quickly in order to block spear thrusts, sword slashes , and even bashes from more heavy weaponry.
“Damn it!” The Navi growled as she could feel herself being pushed back. Then her eyes widened as she felt the barrier on her cloak shatter, leaving Amber exposed. Her concentration broke from her current opponents as she focused on throwing another Barrier chip into the mantle.
AMELIA!!!
The young woman’s reaction was almost instantaneous as she lifted her drill to catch the mass of weaponry that had been aimed at her. This intrusion in trying to protect her NetOp only proved to anger her further as she began to grit her teeth. “Fine…,” she muttered, her muscles tensing up as her eyes began to turn red. “LET’S PLAY HARDBALL!!!” Her drill spun to life and shredded the armaments pressing against it to bits. She swept the still-spinning drill in an arc, providing her with just enough space to maneuver without limitations. Thinking quickly, she raised both arms to the sky, her CyberSword and DrillArm compacting back down to her normal hands. The Navi then activated four new battlechips; Typhoon, Hurricane, Cyclone, and Repair.
An enormous turbine folded out from her right arm which she quickly pointed at the ground at her feet. “Welcome to the eye of the storm, bitches!” Amelia shouted before mentally pulling the trigger. The turbine fired up, unleashing a blast of ferocious air not seen anywhere in nature. The blast knocked a large crater into the snow and ice while also launching the NetNavi, Op, and soldiers in different directions. Amber clung to her partner’s back as they shot up into the sky, the ponies below them getting kicked back a great distance from the center of the blast.
Amelia smirked as she watched the space in the army grow. “How’s that for firepow-” The rest of the Navi’s victorious shout was brought to a halt as she felt a heavy weight slam into her shoulder, barely missing Amber’s head and sending both of them crashing back down to the ground. The NetNavi slammed into the ice, making a second crater within the first and let out a cry as her cloak’s Barrier was once more shattered, this time by a heavy blunt force.
The weight lifted away from the cowl and the young woman instinctively knew what was coming. The Navi lunged forward as far as she could, trying to get Amber out of the way of the coming blow. She succeeded only to have what was slamming into her crash into her leg, forcing a shout of pain from Amelia. As she clenched her eyes to ride out the crushing blow, a bar flashed out over the black, lowering slightly. The Navi opened her eyes once more and extended her left hand, putting her palm to the snow as she rotated her body around the limb, her feet skidding on the cold ground as she faced her opponent.
Said adversary turned out to be an abnormally large crystal pegasus, a large war hammer in his hooves. “You’re big,” Amelia muttered as she rose back to her feet, the turbine of her DeathStorm program advance folding back into her arm. “Fought bigger.” With that, the dark Navi activated the ZeusHammer BattleChip.
The large stallion didn’t seem phased at all as he rushed forward, raising his hammer to strike out as the young woman’s own mallet-like hammer formed in her hands. The two adversaries swung their hammers towards one another in horizontal arcs. The two hammers met in midair, each fighter straining against the other. The force of the blows caused Amelia and the armored pegasus to skid over the ice, carving curved furrows in the icy ground. The combatants drew back their hammers and brought the weapons back behind them before swinging down. The mallets once again slammed into each other and drove the fighters back, cutting long tracks in the frozen landscape.
The Navi came to a stop, her eyes focused on her adversary as he regained his footing. A sudden jolt from Amber made her turn and lift a hand that was pierced by a spear thrust. Amelia’s eyes and teeth clenched as pain shot through her hand and up her arm, the yellow bar in her vision returning and shrinking a little more. She activated another Barrier around Amber, knowing the mare had been the actual target. Out of the corner of her eye, the Navi spotted another crystal pony rushing at her. She kicked the armored pony that had skewered her hand, sending them flying back with the weapon still in her hand before she twisted and threw her hammer into the other.
The weapon slammed into the soldier, bouncing off their head and dispersing as it fell to the ground. Amelia let herself relax… right before her original foe slammed his hammer into her torso, sending her flying back. She twisted in the air and landed on her side to spare her last Barrier and Amber beneath that, the yellow bar going down once more. The Navi slid several paces before coming to a stop, a pained groan echoing from her throat. Her world was pain at the moment, Amber rolling off her back with her own sounds of pain as a shadow fell on the both of them.
The young woman turned her gaze up, her eyes widening as she watched the large crystal pegasus step up to and stand over them. He stared down at Amelia with covered eyes, no emotion on the metal helmet. Then Amber looked up and gave a small gasp. The empty green slits turned towards the mare on the ground and began to raise his war hammer. Navi and Op’s eyes widened and Amelia rolled over on top of Amber using her body as a shield against the coming blow. But it never came.
There was a soft crunch and thud, and, after a few moments, the young woman looked over her shoulder at her adversary… who was now sprawled on the ground with a spear in his chest. As she watched, a hot pink aura lit up the spear and pulled it from the body, letting forth a torrent of blood that stained the pure whiteness of the snow. “Didn’t think we’d just let you go at it alone, did you?” A voice asked, drawing Amelia’s attention back in the opposite direction where she found a unicorn in normal solar guard attire, though his gray coat, dark blue mane, and striking blue eyes were clearly visible as he levitated his spear back to him.
The NetNavi just blinked as she looked up at the smirking stallion as two more soldiers in night solar guard armor stepped up behind him. “Who…?” She started, only to receive a chuckle from the unicorn.
“Oh, come on,” he said. “You don’t recognize me?”
Amelia looked at him for a long moment before something clicked in her mind. She took a look towards the other two, a couple of pegasi, a stallion and a mare… with odd patterns under their fur. “Twilight?” She questioned, looking back to the unicorn stallion.
“One in the same,” Twilight Comet answered with a confident smirk. A crunch drew all their attention though as the surrounding army started to get their nerve back after watching one of their champions fall. The unicorn and the two crystal pegasi jumped forward, surrounding Amelia and Amber, their spears battle ready. “Get outta here!” The young stallion urged. “We got this, you join the princesses at the palace.”
Amelia looked around her for a moment before standing to her feet, helping Amber up as well. “You sure you guys can handle it?”
“No doubt, miss Jaeger,” the pegasus mare replied. “We know all our comrades moves.”
“If you’re sure,” the Navi said with a nod, Amber climbing back onto her back. With that, the NetNavi looked about her and noticed a pair of energy trails, one yellow and the other blue, forging a trail through the enemy forces. Amelia just smirked and finally yanked the spear from her hand. “Let’s get to it.” She activated another DrillArm chip and followed the same actions as earlier, letting her dark purple aura flare as she did. In moments, she was racing along beside the armored alicorns.
“What tooketh thee so long?” Luna asked as they all dashed along.
“We got smacked around by an asshole with a hammer,” Amelia answered with a shrug before she suddenly realized something. Looking down at her left hand, she spotted a spot with flashing green squares as bits of white drifted off of her glove around the wound.
“How’s your hoof, Amber?” The Navi asked her partner, looking over her shoulder at the mare.
“It stings, honestly,” Amber answered a bit sheepishly. “...A lot.”
Amelia flinched a bit at her recklessness. “I’m sorry,” she said as she activated a Recover300 BattleChip. “I should’ve been more careful while we are synched.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Amelia,” the mare replied as her body relaxed, her pain leaving her. “I agreed to this after all.”
Amelia just fell silent at that, lowering her head a bit as the four of them reached the walls of the city. They all looked up and around at the wall, seeing no way inside as the gate appeared to be nowhere. “Sister, how doth we-”
Luna was interrupted as a loud crash sounded out, jolting both princesses. They both looked over to where Amelia was standing, a hole in the wall in front of her as brick and stone crumbled around her GutsPunch. “We just gonna sit here and gawk, or are we going to finish this?” The Navi asked as she straightened up and retracted the enormous fist, walking into the newly formed hole soon afterward. The diarchs shared a wide-eyed look before following the young woman through. What they found was the desolate and empty streets of the Crystal Empire.
Amelia’s eyes scanned the buildings and roads as Amber slid off her back, wincing a bit as hoof hit the ground only to look at it in surprise as the previous wound was gone. “Come on,” the Navi said, shocking the crystal mare out of her astonishment to see the dark-suited girl start to walk down the road. She hurried to catch up, Celestia and Luna not far behind. The deserted streets were quiet, metallic clicks from their armored feet and hooves echoing around them as they walked along the cobblestone paths.
“This is giving me the absolute creeps,” the Navi said as they walked along, glad that she was finally getting the chance to recharge her batteries.
“Agreed, miss Jaeger,” Celestia replied, her eyes shifting from side to side. “Even after the fall, our spies never reported anything like this….”
“What hast he done with them all?” Luna asked, worry clearly starting to creep into her voice.
“Don’t worry, princess,” Amelia said as her gaze lifted towards the palace. “We’ll find them, one way or another.” The group fell silent as they continued on their way towards the castle before them. They reached the front entrance after only a few more moments, all of them looking up at the daunting barrier before them.
“Want me to knock again?” The dark Navi asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind, miss Jaeger,” Celestia replied, backing off alongside the others as the NetNavi reared her fist back, another GutsPunch forming. With a shout, she threw her attack forward. Before it could land, though, something else knocked first.
The wall exploded in a shower of debris as Amelia was knocked back by a crystalline fist. The Navi slammed into the ground with a thud as another golem stepped out of the entrance way, this one having four arms, six wings, and three horns. The monster stopped just outside the wall, throwing its arms out and letting out a roar.
The three ponies jumped back, the alicorns’ horns igniting as they brought forth their weapons, a long, single-headed battle ax for Celestia and twin sabers for Luna. Amber stepped back as the diarchs stepped in front of her and the golem turned towards them… only its wings and upper right arm severed from its body as a purple beam of energy slashed at it twice. The golem let out a groan as it stepped back, turning to once again face the NetNavi it had thrown away.
Amelia stood several yards away, her eyes glowing red as a purple aura flowed around her and the BetaSword program advance in her right hand. “I’ve had just about all of this shit I can stand,” she stated, taking a single step forward with a snarl on her face. “So… I’d really appreciate it… IF YOU WOULD JUST GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!” As she said this, something began to fold out of her left hand, starting out as just another buster until it to began to fold out and grow bigger until an gigantic cannon in the of a tank/fighter jet hybrid. With a rage-filled roar, Amelia unleashed the full force of the PoweredCannon, launching a blast of energy that punched a large hole straight through the golem’s torso.
The golem was thrown off its feet and blown back, traveling a good five feet through the air before the monster slammed into the ground and shattered into a scattered pile of debris. Amelia breathed heavily as she dropped the cannon down to her side, the weapon folding back into her arm. She looked over at her pony comrades too see the three mares staring at her with wide eyes. “Too much?” The Navi asked, her eyes shifting back to green. The young woman let out a quiet chuckle when all three of them nodded their heads. “Let’s get going.”
With that, the NetNavi began to trudge forward as her energy slowly began to recharge. The others soon joined her as they walked over the broken bits of door, wall, and golem. Amelia looked up at the stairs going up to the first hallway of the Crystal Palace. The Navi slumped a little as she saw this, her breath still somewhat spent. “Do we really have to deal with all of this?” She asked.
Celestia chuckled a bit as she stepped up beside her. “No, we won’t have to go through the castle,” she said as her horn lit up. Even as Amelia raised an eyebrow in question, a section of the wall to their right lit up in the alabaster mare’s yellow aura, the panel sliding away to reveal an old darkened stairwell. “Instead, we’ll go through the castle.”
Amelia shot a look at the smirking princess before she started to step towards the stairs. “Hasn’t anyone heard of an elevator around here?” She questioned as she stared up the daunting obstacle before her.
“What’s wrong?” Amber asked as she stepped up beside her partner with a cheeky grin. “Getting tired?”
The Navi looked back at her Op for a moment before her own smirk lit up her features. “Not on your life,” she replied before turning back to the stairway to see that the diarchs had already started their way up… and were quite a ways ahead. “Shit! Come on, before they hog all the action!” With that, the pair raced up the stairs after the sisters.
Sombra sat on his throne, one hoof tapping on one of the great chair’s arms. His four best guards surrounded him and the throne, two more stationed at the door. He looked towards a map he had conjured on the floor, showing him each of the Crystal Palace’s floors and the forces mobilized there… but there was no sign of the four intruders.
“Where did they go?” The dark unicorn questioned. “They destroyed the golem so where are they?” He continued to stare at the map for several moments until his eyes widened, his hoof raising and slamming back into the arm of the throne, cracking it.
“You!” He shouted, pointing an armored hoof at one of the two by the door, causing the brain-washed soldier to jump a little. “Bring her to me! NOW!!!” The surprised crystal pony darted out of the door and his hooves could be heard thundering down the hall.
As the armored pony raced away, the corrupted king leaned back on his throne, a dark scowl on his face. “I will not be bested by these witches,” he muttered lowly, rubbing his chin with his fetlock. “I will have them defeated… or else have them suffer like her!”
Amelia, Amber, and the princesses sped their way up the stairs, each of them rested more than enough for the conflict to come. The Navi’s expression was hardened as she looked towards the door she could see at the end of the staircase.
“Miss Jaeger, if you would,” Celestia said, she and Luna stepping to the sides and out of the way.
“With pleasure,” the young woman answered, pulling her fist back for her last allotted GutsPunch and Dash. She flew up the stairs, throwing her fist forward and slamming the oversized knuckles into the door. To say her entrance was explosive would be an understatement, a cloud of dust to burst forth into the room, the Navi sliding into the room as she faced the throne, her eyes already beginning to glow slightly red in a way that could clearly be seen outside the debris.
The princesses and Amber Leaf were quick to follow, Luna coming to a stop to Amelia’s left, furthest from their entrance, Amber to her right and slightly back while Celestia took up a more dominant position to her right. Through all of this, Sombra sat upon his throne, an unamused look on his face as his five guards surrounded him with their spears and swords at the ready.
“You simply cannot help but put holes in my home, can you?” The tyrant asked, raising a brow as he stared at them with his cheek resting on his hoof.
Amelia let out a small growl and started to step forward, raising her armored fist. She was stopped, though, as Celestia stepped forward instead, stomping roughly on the floor hard enough to crack it. “Enough of your games, Sombra,” she said, her voice heavy with authority. “Stand your army down and surrender.”
“Oh?” Sombra asked, raising his head from his hoof and looking at them with false surprise. “Why would I do that? I hold all the cards in my hoof and have my opponents in the middle of my home territory. Really, what did you plan to accomplish bringing, not just yourself, but your dear sister and the biggest hitter in your pathetic army before my very hooves? It is sheer madness.”
The dark Navi’s eye twitched a bit as Celestia attempted to keep up her calm but powerful demeanor. “Can I pound his face in now?” The hot-blooded young woman asked.
Celestia did her best to ignore this statement, considering actually allowing this for half a moment before solidifying her resolve once more. “If you do not surrender now, Sombra,” the solar diarch said in a low tone as she drew out her battleax. “We will force you to do so, or take your life in trying.”
“An interesting sentiment!” The unicorn exclaimed, clapping his hoof against the arm of his throne before getting to his hooves. “Except that you won’t.” He started to walk off to the side of the chair while Celestia’s face morphed into that of confusion and shock. This only caused Sombra to wear a victorious smirk as he came to a stop and once again turning towards them. “You see, if you touch me, I’ll destroy the only reason you came here in the first place.”
The three mares’ eyes widened while the NetNavi simply looked confused. “Not even you are brave enough to destroy the Crystal Heart, Sombra,” Amber stated with a step forward, though she did not sound completely confident.
“You are correct, my dear,” Sombra replied with a sinister half-smile. “The Crystal Heart is not my target. On the contrary, I have something far more precious.” The corrupted unicorn’s horn lit up in red as he made his throne disappear and allowed the party to see what lie behind it. The three mares let out different expressions of shock while Amelia was once again left feeling completely confused at the sight of the black crystal statue that depicted a large unicorn and a sixth guard.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Luna shouted, stepping forward a bit only to halt in fear as spears, swords, and a scythe of dark crystal all lurched uncomfortably close to the black statue.
“I would dare, Luna,” Sombra answered in a cold voice, the little bit of playfulness gone from his tone.
“You killed her….” The quiet statement brought the attention of the room to the trembling form of Amber Leaf. “I watched you trap her in that prison and shatter her.” She looked up at the tyrant king with tears in her eyes. “How could you be so callous as to make such a mockery of her?”
Sombra stared at quivering mare for a long moment before he let out a snarl at the mare. “You speak as if she ever cared about the two of us!” He shouted, his stance widening as the blade of his black weapon clinked against the crystal statue. “It was all a stupid illusion! Just like the one I used to make you think she was dead….”
Amelia looked between her partner and the dark unicorn. “Time out,” she finally said. “What the hell is going on? Who is that?”
The three mares that had arrived with her turned to look at her to see the look of utmost confusion of the NetNavi’s face. “Princess Amore,” Celestia answered. “The previous ruler of the Crystal Empire… a good mare.”
“Pfft,” Sombra muttered before returning to look at them with his snarl. “A good mare my flank,” he barked. “Amore was nothing but a liar and a cheat. She brought this on herself.”
“Tch,” Luna sounded out, her own face contorting into a grimace. “Because thee didn't he’d h’r warnings, thee hath fallen. Thee has't nopony else but yourself to censure.”
“Really, Luna,” Sombra said with a roll of his eyes and flick of irritation to his ear. “When are you going to give up that decrepit dia-” Sombra was cut off as his six guards were suddenly tossed to different parts of the room, slamming into the walls as magenta roads with blue outlines and arrows going up or down them appeared beneath them.
The surprised king barely had enough time to react as Amelia used the last of the GutsPunch’s power to slam into Sombra. The dark gray stallion slid back across the floor, the shaft of his scythe having taken the impact only to shatter in his magic, but something caught the Navi’s attention as the unicorn was forced onto his rear hooves from the force of the impact. A little, slight purple glow from between the gaps in his armor.
Something occurred to the young woman and only solidified as she thought it over. “Celestia, Luna,” she called over her shoulder. “Protect Amber. Amber, ramp up the synchro!”
The crystal mare’s eyes widened a bit as she stepped back and the princesses took up a defensive position around her, the guards starting to get to their feet. “But we’ve haven’t pushed it that far!” She replied with a slight shake to her voice.
“Amber!” Amelia shouted before looking over her shoulder at the mare with a look devoid of anything but pure seriousness. “If you want your friends back, you’ve got to try.”
The tone of the green-eyed girl found its mark in Amber Leaf and the mare nodded, determination filling her own eyes. She bent at the knees for a moment, lowering her head even as the armored ponies rushed her and the diarchs. She suddenly straightened her legs and lifted her head, an aura of white bursting out around her as Amelia’s purple aura surged far greater than before. The Navi watched as the readout in her vision went up from fifty percent to eighty, feeling her reaction time and power increasing drastically.
“Let’s do this!” She shouted, rushing Sombra as she activated a WideSword on her right hand to conserve her last CyberSword. The enraged king looked up at her with savage eyes and lunged towards with a cry of fury. Energy blade and crystal scythe met in a blur of blows, colliding over and over as a whirlwind formed around them. With one more mighty swing, the two opponents launched themselves back, sliding against the crystal tiles. Now or never, Amelia thought, lurching her gaze up to look at her adversary who was still recovering.
The NetNavi threw her other hand out to fold out into a LongSword before rushing forward in a dark blur, surprising the tyrant. With a shout, Amelia crossed her blades and spun, turning herself into a black and purple spiral, the king bringing his scythe up to block once more. The raw power that was the young woman slammed into the weapon, pressing it and its wielder with enough force to push the stallion’s hooves across the ground.
Sombra bared his fangs as he was pushed, trying to fight back only to be overwhelmed by the Navi. His rear finally touched the wall behind him, his scythe shattering and opening his defenses to a direct attack. The twisted unicorn’s eyes widened as Amelia took the opening, her eyes green eyes shining slightly red as she stopped her spin and slashed with her swords… splitting the chest piece adorning Sombra into four and destroying the black control crystal underneath.
The dark unicorn flinched away, trying to back up again as he blinked his eyes. When Sombra finally reopened his eyes, his irises green and sclera white as the purple mist stopped flowing in such great amounts. For several moments, tyrant and Navi stared at each other for a long moment.
“What have you done?” The gray unicorn asked, an accusing tone in his voice that drew a frown from Amelia.
“For one, I released you from whatever mind control you were under,” the Navi answered with both an irritated look and expression.
“No, you fool!” Sombra shouted, stamping an armored hoof hard enough to crack the floor underneath. “He knows now! You’ve killed us a-” The dark stallion was interrupted as Amelia’s arm blurred through the air, her purple WideSword cutting the spear aimed at his chest in two. Amelia towards the guard that had dared strike out at them.
The dark armored guard in question lurched a bit in shock only to be knocked unconscious as the flat of one of Luna’s blades met the back of its head with a sharp ring. The guard collapsed to the floor and the NetNavi took around the room to find that the other soldiers had been dealt with in a similar fashion. Her gaze shifted to her comrades, finding that the worst the mares had taken was a small scratch that adorned Celestia’s cheek, her red blood standing out amongst her white fur.
“Seems like you guys managed pretty well,” the young woman observed, earning her a tired nod from a Luna that was breathing heavily. The Navi gave a small half-grin before she started to turn. “Now, what were you going on about?” Amelia stopped as her eyes fell on the trembling form of King Sombra.
“Did you not hear me?” The unicorn questioned before he lifted his angry gaze from the floor to meet the NetNavi’s surprised look. “You’ve killed us all!”
A sudden shaking punctuated the twisted king’s words, drawing everyone’s attention. Sombra’s eyes were the widest of them all and, when the shaking stopped, he raced to the balcony of the throne room. Amelia threw a look at her compatriots in questioning before they all followed after the stallion quickly. What they saw when they arrived at the railing took all of their breaths away.
“What the hell is that?” The young woman questioned as the gigantic portal before them swirled on the ground in the middle of the city.
“He’s sent it to kill us,” was the only response Sombra gave as a shadow became visible beneath the energy of the gateway.
“Who sent what?” Amelia questioned more furiously, turning her head to look at the dark stallion and pounding her fist on the railing… only for her eyes to go wide at what Amber was sending her telepathically. The Navi turned her slowly in the direction of the emerging threat to see an all too familiar figure of a green, elongated, and spiked head rise from the portal and Sombra finally gave his answer.
“The Life Virus.”
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good job
Well isn't that a twist.... so Nebula Grey main antagonist.... okay I won't guess anymore, but interesting story.
...Life Virus?
I have a feeling that I'm not as versed in Megaman lore as I thought I was, which isn't really surprising since I've only seen 3 comics in a bookstore.
Plz give moar to read
Oh shit that thing is trouble. Hopefully she takes care of it in the way I'm thinking.
NEEDS MORE
Hurry up with the next chapter I want to know what happens next!!
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*Me upon noticing the notifications*: Mmm... Ok... Oh, he recognized the chapter title.
*Clicks next note*: Oh, he got that one, too....
*Clicks next*: Wait a sec.
*Clicks last*: OMG, SOMEONE GETS IT! WOOOO!!!!!