Lunar Plight - [Displaced]

by Netloids Ultimatum

[4] - Rapid Escalation

Osirus shivered, the elderly griffon watching the battle from within one of the old castle's many watchtowers. He grinned as the fiery ball of lead shredded through the Earth Devil's single eye, it's innards blasting backwards through it's body.

"A marvelous show I must admit…." He whispered; "…but this is child's play compared to the tasks ahead. Laserbeak, follow them while I ready Der Riese. Stalk them. Report back to me."

The griffon rose from the watchtower, blasting into the night sky at an unfathomable speed. After his disappearance, a small and dragon-like creature emerged from within the shadows. Its body a pitch black, and the webbing between his wings and claws a crimson red, the stalker's eyes glew a menacing yellow. Shouting a screech of pure anger, the being jumped from the tower, gliding towards the airship. Latching onto it's underbelly, he clawed his was to the rear, opening the emergency hatch located at the rear belly of the ship. Opening it, he climbed into a larger yet empty room. In the room he spotted a ventilation shaft. Opening the grate blocking the shaft, he climbed in. The grate shut with a gentle click as Laserbeak crept the the ventilation system, finding himself at a forking path. To the left hs could hear the heavy breaths of a young girl, her wheezing picking at his curiosity he decided to go that way. Finding another grate, he gazed through the bars, eyes dimming as he did so, only to find another bipedal figure dressed in teal staring at the foot of the bed terrified. Observing the being for a moment, Laserbeak laughed internally. 'She's horrified of something that isn't even there…'

Ignoring the female for the time being, Laserbeak continued to the left, finding another grate barring him from the room of his main target: the knight. Peering through the grate he found Garland, as well as the cloaked alicorn from before engaged in a pleasant conversation over tea. The alicorn stood on a stool, with Garland relaxed on his bed.

"I don't know Twilight. She's a princess! Not only is she a princess, but she's the very embodiment of the sun! Princess Celestia is a symbol of hope, guidance and freedom!" He took a sip from his teacup, his face blocked by shadow. "And I'm just her knight…There's no way she'd ever consider courting me. Plus she's, well…busy all the time. A thousand years ago she had the same duties, but the populace wasn't nearly as reliant on her as they are now. If Pony McPonyo walked in a millenia ago-"

"I was there Garland, remember? I lived through all of that. My observations make it clear that Princess Celestia has been hopelessly in love with you for centuries. Just take the chance!" Laserbeak scoffed silently. Love was irrelevant to his mission. Continuing onward, he left the two behind.

The knight sat his teacup down, sighing. "I can't afford to fuck something like this up Twi. I just can't…"

"Leon-"

"Once all this is over, I just want to disappear. I'll find a nice home in the countryside and start a farm. Maybe I'll become an author! Do you know how many stories from my world I could ponify and introduce to Equestria?" He chuckled. "It's not that I even want to disappear. I just…want this conflict to be over."

Twilight left her stool, approaching the knight. Hopping onto his bed, she rested her head on his chest. "We finally have the key to ending over two thousand years of pain. You can calm down now Leon. You can sow the seeds of your future now. What do you want the most?"

A momentary silence followed, Garland thinking heavily. "I want to wake up each morning with her by my side, our children running through the halls of the castle joyously. Such a silly dream should never be held close. Biology wouldn't allow it anyways."

Twilight sighed, hopping down from the bed. Approaching the exit, she turned back one more time. "Just…try. Please." And with that the mare left, leaving Garland alone with his thoughts.

《♤♡◇♧》

Connie grit her teeth and climbed out of her bed, glaring at the pulsating figure. "Alright you fucker, I'm putting an end to this." She took a step towards it pulling a small knife out of her breastpocket.
The figure mocked a motion of interest, spreading it's arms wide and taunting her to take another step.

"I can't beat your ass without getting closer."

The figure rushed forward, it's blurlike movements knocking the knife out of her hand and pushing her to the floor. Rushing her again, the figure came within inches of her before dissapearing. "This is….getting old." Fatigue setting in once again, she faded into unconsciousness just as the door opened. Kaid sighed, lifting her back into the bed. Grabbing the thermometer from her bedside table, he gently placed it under her tongue. "96.7 degrees? It shouldn't be gone so soon." Reseting it, he placed it under her tongue again only to receive the same results. "How…peculiar."

《♤♡◇♧》

Laserbeak perched himself upon the mast's lookout tower, eyeing the stoic pilot. For hours all the pegasus did was twiddle with a knob here, press a button there, and turn the ship's wheel ever so slightly. Laserbeak settled into his perch as the lights of Canterlot grew near, the sun slowly rising higher the closer the city became. Eventually the ship closed in on the castle, the early morning sun shining upon the ship in a comfortable glow. Touching down upon the castle's landing strip Highwind let out a sigh, unaware of Laserbeak's prying eyes.

Naturally, Garland and Twilight were the first of the bunch up and moving, their morning/evening/night/whenever-they-felt-like-it ritual of chatting over tea being discarded for the time being as they made their way into the castle. The next to awake, hours later, was Connie, who leapt out of bed with a smile. After a few bad nightmares and a lot of water she had finally recovered from her fever and was ready to get back into the game. Entering the kitchen she began cracking eggs and whipping up batter, slowly turning it into a delicious breakfast over the next few minutes. The scent of food reached John and Lily, leaving then to wake up last. As the two stumbled into the kitchen they smiled, with John approaching his sister for a hug that she happily accepted. "Pancakes and scrambles eggs. Eat up."

She didn't have to speak twice as the two scarfed down their own plates of the food. After devouring her meal Lily piped up. "So, we've never actually talked have we?"

"Guess not."

"Nonetheless, I appreciate the meal. Garland and Twilight have probably already greeted the princess. We should get going as well!"

John spoke through his food, much to his sister's dismay; "Juchletusfinsh"

《♤♡◇♧》

Laserbeak growled at the painting, eyeing the depiction of the knight in the bulky cobalt armor stroking the dragon on his shoulder. A plaque below it read; "Soundwave, Unsung Hero." A secret indeed, but not a well kept one. After all, Laserbeak stood perched atop the railing of Celestia's balcony, peering into the room and eyeing the painting freely. Having enough, he dropped from the balcony, transitioning into a dive before extending his wings and pulling himself upward. He eyed his old friends Garland and Celestia walking through the garden, smiling and laughing. "-the party itself begins shortly! I'm amazed you came on such short notice."

"Well, when a princess summons you, you oblige."

A party? How interesting. Diving again, this time for a statue in the garden, Laserbeak perched himself just out of sight atop a statue of a familiar mishmash of bodyparts. 'How interesting. Weren't you and your master rather…dead?' Laserbeak screeched at the statue, only now realizing which one he had actually landed on. 'Wasn't his name….Shockwave? Wait-no, that's another Decepticon. My mistake.' "SKREEEEEEEE!!' 'It's not my fault that he got crystalized in the blast. If anything, it's his own-" Discord began to ramble, Laserbeak drowning him out as the dragon's stomache turned. Smiling, the spy got an idea.
'YOU FILTHY BIRD, I'LL GET YOU FOR THA-'

Laserbeak let out laughlike sounds as he flew away, turning back only for a second to graze one of Discord's horns with a pink beam of energy emerging from his throat.

《♤♡◇♧》

Osirus grinned at the slender figure suspended by wires before him in the blindingly white chamber. Adorned in a metallic grey armor, the bipedal figure turned his gaze to the Griffon, who spoke. "Laserbeak has alerted me of a party at the castle. A welcoming celebration for your old friend Garland. You and I are going to crash the party."

The figure let out a low growl, the black slab of glass that was his face doing little to reflect his emotions.
"Negative. Laserbeak ultimately follows my neural command." Osirus smiled, pressing a button. Sparks built up around the suspended figure, who silently writhed in pain. "You are under MY command Soundwave. Do not forget that." The griffon left, an airlock door shutting behind him and blending back into the white walls of the room.

Looking to the door, Soundwave's face lit with the blueprint of his ancient cobalt armor. "Laserbeak, commence operation - Espionage. Ravage, eject. Commence operation - Agitation." The blueprint dissapeared, the vitals of Osirus taking it's place. "Rumble, Frenzy, eject. Operation - Diversion."

《♤♡◇♧》

Laserbeak observed the party carefully, Garland within his sights at all times. Osirus and his master would be arriving shortly to deal with the knight and his warriors, that much the miniature dragon knew. What he didn't expect however was Soundwave's next order; approaching Garland with a warning.
Laserbeak waited patiently for an opportunity to arise. Meanwhile Celestia's patience was wearing thin as the party goers took their time greeting Garland, begging for autographs and stories; Which he obliged to. Four hours into the festivities her patience broke completely. Approaching the knight from behind and rubbing against his side, she whispered to him: "Follow me." Doing so Garland was led to a balcony, and Laserbeak took his chance.

"You've only just returned, but I feel-GAH!" Celestia screamed in shock as the miniature dragon perched itself upon the railing. "Sir Garland-" He began; "-I come with a warning, not a threat. Within the coming hours the castle will be attacked. My master see's it fit to warn you."

The familiar being finally registering, Garland stood baffled. "Laserbeak?" The dragon gave an affirmative hum. "Then Soundwave-"

"Is alive! Imprisoned beneath the sea!"

"We must send a search party at once Garland! I'll round up-"

"NEGATIVE. IT WAS YOUR INACTION THAT LED TO HIS IMPRISONMENT!" Garland flinched at this, Laserbeak flying off into the night. Celestia went back inside, leaving Garland alone with his thoughts.
"If Soundwave is alive, then…" Garland followed the princess, gathering the four warriors and his thoughts along the way. "The sample is to be dropped off at the science division's research facility. Twilight will deliver it, and keep an eye on it at all times. The rest of us will be upping security." John nodded; "Okay, but what exactly is happening here? We've barely been here and we're part of another fight?"

"Your entire existence in this world will be a fight, boy. You will have no chance for reprieve. No chance for self reflection, and almost no chance for growth. You will be forced to fight like your life depends on it."

《♤♡◇♧》

Fefnir bounced the rubber ball off of the cell wall, catching it lazily once again. He was hungry, dehydrated, and most importantly; bored.
Placing the ball down, he sighed. "…I really wish I'd have just stayed home." A rumble shook the airship, and Fefnir perked up. Another rumble, this one much more violent. Climbing onto all fours, he took a peek out of the cell. Finding no one he positioned himself into the spacing between the bars. Squeezing through, he quickly took flight towards a set of nearby stairs, only for the ship to rumble again, this time knocking him off balance. "Whatever's happening, this is my chance to get out no strings attached!" Regaining his course, he flew up the stairs with little trouble, coming straight into the ever-shifting engine room. As of now it was smaller, and conveniently had a door placed on the other side...until he tried approaching it, at which point it began to rotate around the room clockwise. "Alright…" Flying counter-clockwise he grasped the handle, only for the door to speed up. "Uh oh."

Fumbling with the doorknob, Fefnir tore it open, zooming into it before the door sped up any more. Landing in front of the crew bedrooms, he narrowly avoided a pale blue piston smashing into his face by barrelrolling straight into a wall and crashing. "Hey Frenzy, it looks like we got ourselves a bite!"

Fefnir picked himself up to face his attacker, only to be met with two pony sized bipedal figures seemingly made of metal. The nearest one was a shade of blue, with a light purple trim and arms forming some kind of piston device on each end. He spoke to his ally again, a black being with a red trim. "You go meet up with the rest of the group now that the main attack has started. I'll deal with this pipsqueak."

His ally, presumably Frenzy, responded with a growl. "Not happenin' Rumble. I wanna get my hands dirty for once!"

Surveying his surroundings as the two began to bicker, Fefnir found nothing of interest. He'd have to face one of them head on in order to escape.

"Jus' shut up! If we work together we'll take him out quicker, then we can get outta here!"

"Yeah, good idea Frenzy!"

Or two of them. Fefnir lowered into a pouncing position, snarling. "You know, messing with the nest is never good for your health!"

《♤♡◇♧》

"Leon Kassidy. I'm here to see John and Connie Marsh." The 42 year old man scratched his head, the receptionist passing him a piece of paper. "Room 358. Third floor. Sign here please." Doing so, Leon adjusted his leather jacket. It was colder than he expected today.

Taking the elevator to the third floor, he bounced his knee in anxiousness. Did he have the right year? Was he to early, or to late? The elevator dinged, the doors opening ever so slowly. Swiftly making his way down the halls, he counted down the numbers.

"361…360…359…358--" Stopping to look through the door he found his answer. He was just in time. Opening the door slowly and slipping in, he approached the bed on the left side of the room, quickly glancing at the right and averting his gaze. On the left was John, hooked up to various machines and life support systems Leon wouldn't have been able to name off if he'd wanted to. He pulled a coin out of his jacket pocket, a coin adorned on one side with six shining stars, and on the other side four glowing crystals.

"I don't know if you can hear me John, but you have to hold strong. In the darkest hour, the stoic knight thus prophesied; The devastation of a kingdom was only the beginning. The power of the God's is surely neverending. Four, not one or two or three. When all hope is lost Ragnarok will be the key."

Leon smiled, bittersweet feelings returning to him.
"I don't know how far into this nightmare you are, but I'm here for you now. I'll be here until you wake up John."

Author's Note:

Alright, I'll be reworking this chapter eventually.

The next chapter will likely be longer, more grim, and more action packed than any other before it. As for Soundwave-- This is a displacement story, and one thing I've never seen any other story do is have characters from multiple franchises show up. It is a comic-con after all. This chapter was fun to write, but arguably the least sensible. I can't write character interact