TF2 Analysis: Event Horizon

by Echoes of the Voice

Chapter 1: Distant Horizon

Author's Note:

A quick disclaimer: I based this fan fiction off of my own theories as to what was actually going on in the "Red vs. Blue" saga, some of which were debunked in the final part. However, I still felt these ideas were compelling and so chose to stick with them for this story. Otherwise, I kept as close to canon as possible.

If you're not familiar with TF2 Analysis, I would encourage everyone to watch the series on YouTube, but if you'd prefer to go right to the story, you'll find a list of relevant characters and their super forms (if applicable) here in this Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/17veRgJWJloOoSP2FXRSy1ALfjmnzNDej. This will help you keep track of the characters and their abilities.

Otherwise, enjoy the story!

Theme: "Mars" (0:00—1:45) by Audio Network

"Sir, apologies for the interruption, but they're waiting."

Cosmo Logic pressed the button on the arm of his chair as he spoke, never taking his eyes from the paused surveillance feed. "Thank you, SEGA. Tell them I'll be with them in a moment."

"Understood."

He leaned forward in his bulky, but comfortably cushioned office chair, resting his chin on his hooves. Perhaps it was a bit rude to make them wait, but a small reminder that he was not just another mindless underling couldn't hurt. Besides, he was very much enjoying the show.

With the push of a buttom, the video resumed. Voice of Reason was reading the memo out loud to Jasper Pie. "'By now, they're probably...'" He suddenly gave a start. "'...reading this memo and realized that they're being watched?!'" Those looks of fear and terror brought a smile to Cosmo's face, which grew bigger still as they warily scanned the trees around Landfall. Such courage and bravery in the face of an enemy they can fight, but when somepony more powerful—and most of all, unseen—makes themselves subtly known, they quiver like fawns before wolves.

"So," Jasper said, "how about we run back to town and hide under Doc's desk for eight hours?"

"Ladies first," Voice said.

With a cry of terror, they darted away and into the woods, heading for that miserable husk of property known as Coal Town. Cosmo couldn't help but laugh at them. How delightful it was to see his enemies running scared! And with that laugh came a sense of accomplishment. The first phase, fear and intimdation, was now complete. Soon the other mercenaries in that worthless dump will understand that there are larger, more powerful forces working against them. What they didn't know, however, was that those forces were about to bring war to their doorstep.

The video, recorded an hour earlier, came to an end. At that time, Cosmo had shut down the surveillance feed in that severed robot's head. Eventually, its emergency power would run out, but not for a long while.

He then manipulated a control stick on the left arm of his chair, shifting it over the chromatic flooring to a separate console with a large television and connected camera. Once in position, he adjusted his freshly cleaned and ironed suit before pressing the call button. It flickered to life, revealing "upper management" on split screens: a gold earth pony and a silver pegasus, each attired in red and blue suits respectively; Redmond and Blutarch Mann, the heads of Mann Co.

"Finally," Redmond said, visibly irritated. "You really shouldn't keep us waiting, Director. Do you need to be reminded who's in charge here?"

"My apologies, gentlemen," Cosmo said. "I was just now reviewing the footage from the attack in Landfall."

"You have news, I take it?" Blutarch asked.

"I do, indeed. The battle was a complete success. The robots were completely demolished, and the two mercenaries discovered the planted message, as promised."

"Well," Redmond said. "I'll admit, that was well executed. Nicely done." How quickly he forgets his irritation. If he wasn't careful, an opponent could take adventage of such a glaring weakness. This was a passing thought, however. Cosmo instead reveled in the compliment inwardly, but only inclined his head in acknowledgement. He needed to be cold, calm, and calculating. This mindset allowed him to excel where other ponies failed.

"Yes, well done," Blutarch said, "but now it's time we moved on to the next phase. Redmond and I will put our army and weapons in place, and you should do the same."

"Actually," Cosmo said, "I already put my part of the plan in motion. There was no doubt in my mind that they would find the message." This was a half-lie, but that was besides the point.

"Excellent," Redmond said. "And before I forget, there's been a slight alteration in the plan. You will field the AMS Ordog. We're sending it your way as well."

"The prototype? Hmm... And I wager you'd like Coal Town to be its field test?"

"Correct."

"Splendid. Victory was assured before, but with the Ordog, it's as good as done. Presuming it works, of course. Regardless, you have my gratitude. Now, if there's nothing else, I have little time, so I should take my leave. I wish you well..."

"Before you go," Blutarch said, "there's something else that must be discussed. Redmond and I have recently reached a decision regarding your performance as Director."

Cosmo raised an eyebrow, feeling his ears droop slightly. "Oh?"

"Overall, you've done well, but there is one area of expertise you are sorely lacking in and it's a real detriment to your performance, as well as Mann Co. Your hiring sensibility."

Cosmo mentally recoiled at those words. Dustykat never returned from his mission, and judging from the fact that the situation in Coal Town remained completely unchanged after his attack, he either utterly failed or simply quit and walked away. Considering that he had the Alicorn Amulet, the latter was far more likely. He gritted his teeth. He should've known it was a mistake to pay that backstabber up front. He should never have given him such a powerful artifact. "As I said before, I will correct my mistake once I find the Australian. You have my word."

"And we'll make sure you never make that mistake again," Redmond said.

"From here on out," Blutarch said, "we will have a say in who you hire."

"What?" Cosmo asked. "Gentlemen, I'm pefectly capable of making these decisions myself. If you didn't feel that way, you wouldn't have folded me into Mann Co. and made me Director. Did you not a moment ago tell me directly that I've done well?"

"That's why we won't fire you for the time being, especially if you cooperate. Should you decide to hire without our knowledge... Well, let's just say there are many ponies in our ranks looking to become the next Director of Robotics, and all very eager."

"Fire me...?" Those words tasted like vomit, and felt like poison. He took a deep breath; how untouchable he felt before this call. They really thought they could replace him so easily. "Gentlemen, I'm sure if you give me another chance..."

"Director, this is nonnegotiable," Redmond said. "We'll weigh in on every potential hire, end of story."

"If you give me a chance to explain—"

"Don't confuse your autonomy with independence, Director," Blutarch spoke louder, nearly shouting. "It's not your place to argue, only to follow our commands and serve our interests. Are we clear?"

Cosmo sighed, leaned back, and rubbed a hoof on his forehead. "Crystal," he forced out.

"Good," Redmond said. "Continue with the operation then, and inform us once it's finished. Good luck."

"Acknowledged. Good day to you both."

With that, the transmission ended. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. Despite the praise earlier, the fact that they're entertaining the idea of firing him was quite a blow to his ego. He was perfectly capable and well deserving of the title of Director. They should be aware of that!

But then a soft smile crept across his face. Independence...independence... The word sounded better and better in his mind the more he mulled over it. If they couldn't see that he's worthy of such trust, then they aren't deserving of his service. He chuckled quietly. It would be rather petty to break ranks over something like this, but he was quite the petty pony after all. No, this wasn't wise; but it wasn't as if he hadn't paved his own path before, and he was able to sweep the little alliance with Gray Mann under the rug. He supposed that he'd have to, as they say, improvise, but he had much higher priorities.

And then elation filled him further as his thoughts shifted to Coal Town. After all this time, after all these preparations, the beginning of the end had come. Those mercenaries will regret the day they crossed him. He will ensure that they do.

But first, there was something else he needed to deal with.

Cosmo pressed the button on his chair. "SEGASister, please come to my office. I wish to have a word with you in private."

Eliyora made her way to the outskirts of Coal Town to blow off some steam. She was usually more on top of things. GoldenFox managed to snipe her dead six times, got a face full of bullets from Starlight twice, and worst of all, she actually let Thespio's British Ninja disguise fool her, all in the last match of the day. When she first became the red pyro, she leapt straight into the action and almost never let her hoof off the flamethrower's trigger. She was very destructive—and she admitted she still is—but the practice and training she underwent made her smarter about her attacks. She shouldn't have been taken down that many times. Was the blue team really advancing that quickly? Could it just be an off day? Or was she slipping?

She turned the corner to where the scrapped robots from the first battle were piled up. Many of them were completely destroyed the first time Eliyora expressed frustration at the other mercenaries, but lucky for her—and unlucky for them—some survived. It was time to pay them a visit. There was something about hearing the robots scream with programmed agony that was so cathartic. If nothing else, she could at least end the day on a high note.

She stopped short, however, when she saw Sweetie Bloom among the piles of metal and circuitry. Some of the robots that were mostly intact were propped onto their legs haphazardly, seemingly ready to fall over at any time. With swift, clean slices, the pink lemonade pony decapitated one robot after another, seeming to dance more than practicing serious hoofwork. She was also singing to herself as she went, and Eli recognized the song, "I'll Make a Man Out of You," though she replaced the word, "man," with "mare." She'd forgotten that Sweetie Bloom isn't as bothered by ponyisms as some of the others. Her pink coat glistened with sweat, and her yellow mane was matted and messy.

"Hey, Eli," Sweetie Bloom greeted, a little short of breath. Her wings extended out of delight.

"Hey, Sweetie. What are you up to?"

"Oh, there's a voice in my head that really enjoys decapitations, so I'm trying to keep him happy," she said, smiling. "His name's Jiminy."

Eliyora blinked, stunned. "You, too?"

Sweetie Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

She sighed. "Well, I guess if you're going through it, too... Do you promise not to tell anypony what I'm about to tell you?"

Recognizing the gravity of her words, Sweetie's expression grew serious. "Of course. What's up?"

"Do you remember the incident with the pyro helmet?"

"Yep, I do." Her ears drooped. "That was one of the most stressful days of my life."

"Oh, Sweetie, I'm so..."

"There wasn't a single bathroom in that emergency bunker, and I really needed to go. And somehow, the hatch got stuck, so I couldn't get out. The thought of going...on the floor...in front of everyone..." She shivered. "I almost didn't make it."

"Um, sorry, I guess?" Eliyora said.

The hatch getting stuck technically wasn't her fault, nor was putting the mask on; it was Silver Quill's. But it was true she forgot about them after the fact, so that part she took responsibility for. Also, wasn't it Keyframe that needed to use the bathroom?

"Anyway, there have been some lingering effects. Occasionally, I'd hear a voice in my head that tells me to set everything on fire. And I mean everything. And then during matches, I'd sometimes see rainbows instead of flames. And no, that wasn't Blissy going into her super form again. Thankfully, when it gets too bad, I just switch into my own super form and all that goes away, for a while. The time between events like these is getting better, but even so, I decided to keep this to myself. Everypony views me as 'the crazy one' as it is. Blissy once called me 'the living embodiment of balefire,' whatever that means. My super form has helped them see me as more than just a weapon, but if anypony found out...well, I don't want to lose the progress I made."

Sweetie Bloom listened intently and patiently, and once Eliyora finished, she nodded. "I understand where you're coming from. But if you ask me, there's no need to be so secretive. I told Finn about my voice, and he took it very well."

"That's not saying much. That kid takes everything well."

Sweetie Bloom chuckled. "True, but the point is that when you're struggling with something..."

"...let somepony know, I get it, but I... Sweetie, I realized something while I was wearing that mask. I don't want to lose anypony here. I mean, I love using my flamethrower, and it's clear that the others are willing to humor my eccentricities, but in the back of my mind, I'm afraid that one day, I'll go too far."

"So you're afraid of pushing them away by accident?"

Eliyora nodded.

"Hmm... Well, if it helps, we endure the pain of death dozens of times a day for training, and sometimes, we just do it for fun. We're all a little crazy. Even Doc can be pretty scary sometimes. At the risk of sounding cheesy, everypony here is your friend, so you can trust them with stuff like this. Sure, you may get a little snark, sarcasm, screams, fire, bullets, and death thrown your way every now and then, but that's just because we're comfortable with you."

Eliyora softly smiled. "I guess I can't argue with that kind of logic. Thanks, Sweetie. But what about you? Are you going to get that voice in your head checked out?"

"Oh, I'm not worried about him. We've become pretty good friends, and he loves my jokes." Sweetie Bloom's smile suddenly faded. "Aww. Well, I thought they were funny."

"Okay, this has been a good talk, but..."

Sweetie Bloom's head suddenly raised and her eyes were wide, as if a grand revelation had dawned upon her. "Hey...come to think of it, I'm pretty curious myself."

Eliyora raised an eyebrow. "Um..."

"Hey, Eli, when you put on that pyro mask, what exactly did you see?"

"Well..."

Eliyora remembered, as much as she wanted to forget. An office with a hodgepodge of conference rooms and cubicles, stuck in a lifeless, colorless void. She searched all around, looking for a way out, but there was no exit, and nothing she could use to bash a wall down. Firebrand, devoid of all personality and emotion, kept following her, asking for the copies of an official document that prophecied the future of children's media. Silver Quill pranced around with no pants on, ignoring Eliyora's extreme discomfort. Right as she was about to give up all hope on ever escaping, the entire office heaved and collapsed in a flash of light.

But it was not the end. She reawakened in the same cubicle, barely aware of what happened before. The memory of it was fuzzy, like she was dreaming. She stood and reached for her glases, sliding them up onto the bridge of her nose—and nearly yelped in surprise when she saw her hands. Even greater than before, she felt a sense of unease. More often than not, things got a lot worse when ponies were turned into humans.

Within that office was an errand dog that she was horrified to discover was Dr. Wolf; a little girl that was so short, she couldn't reach the photo copier on the table, who turned out to be Lightning Bliss; and a Finn that was so jaded by his job that he barely smiled, much less hugged anyone. Even when Eliyora tried hugging him, all he said was, "Uh, thanks," before pushing her away and going to his cubicle. A strong desire suddenly and violently smashed her heart like a hammer to a thumb. Not only did she want out, she wanted everyone back. Just as the urge to cry started welling up, she suppressed it. No, this was only an illusion. Her real friends were going to get her out of this soon. She just needed to endure until then.

"Doc, Eliyora, Finn! Come to my office ASAP!" Dread pressed down upon Eliyora, crushing her will. That was Silver Quill.

"Celestia," Eliyora prayed, "please don't let this illusion go where I think it's going."

It occurred to her that perhaps she could simply not show up, that Silver Quill would somehow overlook her absence, but the next call that specifically mentioned her put that idea to bed. She reluctantly decided to check it out, but at the first sign of trouble, she was getting out of there.

She leaned inside, and was as perplexed as she was relieved to find Silver sitting at his desk with his soldier outfit on, with a serious, almost angry expression. Dr. Wolf and Finn were standing side by side, standing stiffly and awaiting orders. She eyed them as she stepped in the space between the two of them and decided to mimic their poses.

"Lady and gentlemen, we have a situation on our hands," Silver began in a gruff, husky voice. He then gestured to the three stacks of papers on his desk. "The Langoliers have requested aid with these twenty thousand word reports. Dr. Wolf! We need to reprint copies of these and translate them into French, Portuguese, and Trigonomanese, all in triplicate. I expect to see these done in twenty minutes, and I am timing you!"

He then threw the stack straight at Dr. Wolf, who managed to catch the whole thing with his mouth.

"Finn the Human! Take these reports and comb the papers. I expect nothing less than the finest combing in the country."

Silver threw the papers once more, aimed direclty at Finn's face. He seemed not to react at first, but to Eliyora's surprise, he caught the papers in one hand, and with one fluid motion, tucked them into his armpit while simultaneously producing a comb out of nowhere. The rest of his body may as well have been petrified. "Yes, sir," was all he said in response. Eliyora had trouble processing anything that was happening. This had to be wrong in at least eight different ways.

"Eliyora!"

Instead of an explanation, however, he simply threw the stack at her. He did it so quickly and suddenly that she didn't react in time, and the papers smacked her right in the nose. "Ow!" she cried out, hands over face. "Why'd you do that?"

"I'm still not wearing pants!" he replied.

She felt her brain almost break in half from the mental whiplash. All pain was instantly forgotten, and her stomach doubled in weight. "Please tell me you're lying."

Abruptly, he scooted back. "Oh, you want me to prove it?"

"No!"

There were three more rounds of this torment, each collapsing only to start anew before Jasper finally broke her free from the clutches of that mask.

In the present, Eliyora shivered and refocused her attention on Sweetie Bloom. "Let's just say...I've seen things. And in this case, the less you know, the better."

"Oh. Okay. So Jiminy still wants some more head chopping, but if I do it too much, I might go blind again, so I'm going to cut him off there, pun totally intended. Even if I could die and respawn right away, I'd rather not go through that, so I'm going to see what everypony else is up to. Want to come?"

"Thanks, but I want to hang out here for a bit. There's still plenty of daylight left and a lot of robots to burn. I'll see you later, though."

"Okay, have fun!"

Eliyora began scrounging the scrap pile. There were a couple robot heads, some exposed wires, a few legs that were somehow bent the wrong way, and a smattering of tiny fragments from her earlier rampage. She just needed to find robots that were a little more whole, and preferably still talking.

"Huh? What are those things?" she heard Sweetie Bloom ask.

She turned around to see her looking straight up at the sky, and followed her line of vision. She saw them. Dozens of small, glowing yellow lights were floating high above, standing out greatly against the cloudless sky. They seemed to be traveling across the Australian outback, but were now slowly descending upon the town. Two of them approached Sweetie Bloom and Eliyora. The latter could tell that they were some kind of biolumenescent creatures that were a cross between a squid and a jellyfish, floating gently and elegantly as if they were in water. They moved with a soft whoosh of air, slowly flapping their tentacles like wings. The first of the two went right up to Sweetie Bloom, who held a hoof out to it.

"Sweetie, I don't..." Eliyora started.

The creature seemed to sense Sweetie Bloom's outreach and wrapped its little tendrils around her hoof as it cooed and smiled. Their faces were surprisingly expressive, almost cartoonish. "Aww, it's so precious," Sweetie Bloom said.

Eliyora watched suspiciously, noting that Sweetie Bloom didn't seem to be experiencing any pain. Maybe it was safe? The second drew closer to her and she tilted her head, watching closely as she held out her hoof as well. The reaction was exactly the same. She peered closer. "What are these things?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but they're squishy. Look!"

Eliyora nearly yelped in shock when she saw Sweetie Bloom attempt to crush the creature with her other hoof. But it didn't seem to be feeling any pain at all. In fact, if the expression on its face was anything to go by, it seemed even happier. Sweetie Bloom's hoof almost seemed to bounce.

"Squishy, squishy, squishy... Oh, I love you, little guy! I'm going to call you...Blake. You're so cute and mine and adorable and mine and squishy-squashy...and mine." She raised her head all of a sudden and empathy suffused her voice. "Aww, don't worry, Jiminy, I haven't forgotten about you."

Eliyora paid little attention to Sweetie Bloom, however. She was looking into her own creature's eyes. They were so big, warm, and friendly. As fun as it was to strike fear into the hearts of the blue team, and sometimes the red team, it was nice to see something look upon her with such sweetness and innocence. Before she fully realized it, she was smiling. "I'll admit, they are pretty cute. But we should probably take these to Doc. Even by Coal Town's standards, this is weird."

"Yeah, we should, but let's take our time a bit. I want to play with Blake a little while longer."

As they made their way to the other side of Coal Town, to the lodge where Dr. Wolf's office was situated, Sweetie Bloom whispered and baby talked with the little visitor. Quite a few more were now in the midst of the town, floating idly between the previously abandoned structures, though most still floated above. As Eliyora glanced between them and her own little creature, her brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Both she and Sweetie Bloom had been at Coal Town for years, and there was never a single sign that these things even existed. Why were they coming now, of all times? And if they had some kind of purpose, what was it?