Fragile Crystals

by Peridork

Blackout In Ponyville

Multiple ponyform containers dropped from the sky. Their packages ready to cause havoc and destruction on the town of Ponyville. Their controllers who sit on the inside of the creations want to spread the power of the Celestial Princess. The containers start to open with a sound similar to a train whistle.

“What is that sound?” The soldier was unnerved by the sound of a train whistle especially now that the small town currently had no train.

“Sounds like somethings going to be happening.” Sweetie Belle felt nervous.

Scootaloo quietly healed from her wounds and began to get back on her feet. She turned to the pony that tried to shoot her down and stared him straight in the eye without moving a muscle.

“Get back!” The soldier readied his horn, but Sweetie bucked him hard in the side and it broke his concentration. To make sure that it would not happen again, she grabbed him and tossed him into a nearby wall.

“Oh no I just...why did I?” Sweetie tried to regain her breath.

Applebloom and another soldier galloped towards the commotion. The soldier readied his weapon, but Applebloom stopped him by quickly speaking to him.

“What did you just do, Sweetie? Do you want to die?”

Scootaloo was fully on her feet. Everyone realizes and turns to look at her. Her shape made normal ponies scared because it was so different from the pony standards. She was closer is shape to a Diamond Dog, but taller, more graceful, and a strange enough color that they knew that whatever she was, it was not normal.

“Is that the monster?”

“Yeah it just appeared on the train.”.

***

The ponyform slithered out of the organic container it was originally in. It was controlled by the consciousness of an earth pony which is piloting it from the inside using a mental link. It looked similar to an earth pony: four legs and very study. Then there were the differences: eye-like places that shot lasers, its was the size of a house and it only focused on destruction.

“It is a ponyform weapon!”

A pony fired an airblast spell and damaged the monster. It quickly healed the damage and got back up and began its retaliation. It fired one of it laser beams and hit the town hall which implodes and creates a vacuum. Ponies were sucked into the resulting vacuum and were brutally thrown around the destruction.

“Call headquarters, we need reinforcements!”

“Come here and stay close to me Sweetie.” She tried to lunge for the hoof of her friend.

Sweetie tried to gallop over to Applebloom, but she was grabbed by the white creature and it wouldn’t let go of her.

The ponyform fired another laser beam and it barely missed Sweetie and Scootaloo. The laser hit the City Hall and the blast caused nearby debris to fly through the air. Sweetie finally was released when the wind died down and ran to safety right before the ponyform charged straight into the smaller newly created Xam’d that wanted to protect Ponyville. The momentum threw Scootaloo through a house. The ponyform followed on behind.

“Let it go, Sweetie. Can’t you tell that the armistice the Celestials signed ten years ago to not attack this place is now useless. We need to do what we can and survive this. Scootaloo would tell you the same thing.”

Sweetie ran off towards the path of destruction in search for her friend and to make sure that the helpful creature she met would stay safe.

“Sweetie, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.” She shook her head vigorously and ran towards the center of town to get help for the wounded.

***

The ponyform weapon continued to run at a loping gait throughout the town, destroying anything in its path, Scootaloo could only hold on as her body was battered by debris and slowly climbed up the monster’s snout. As the last moment, she jumped off and the ponyform weapon ran into Carousel Boutique.

Scootaloo’s momentum was uncontrollable and since her Xam’d form did not have wings, she could not control her descent. Throwing caution to the winds, she tried to aim for the nearby stream that ran nearby. She tried to land gracefully, but her attempt was in vain. Hitting the ground hard, she slid ten meters until she stopped.

“I have to stop it here and now. Ponyville is just not ready for these things. Right before Dash left on the journey around Equestria she planned, she said one thing to me. ‘If you have to use force, only use it for the protection of your friends, kid.’ I want to protect my friends. I need to protect my friends!”

The ponyform lumbered down the embankment and aimed one of it’s laser eyes towards the filly. The laser cut through the air until it was blocked by Scootaloo’s hand which had turned into a shield.

“That’s new. Let’s see what else I can do.”

Scootaloo searched through her mind and found a limit to what she could do. She finally came to the conclusion that she just had to overcome that limit and become the best she could be.

”Limit Release. Attributes increased by a factor of ten.”

The shockwave that was given off provided a lightshow to the entire town. The Celestial ship that were above the point of release began to explode in the air because of the power given off.Scootaloo threw all cares to the wind and ran towards the ponyform weapon.and punched it with all her might. The monster writhed in pain and bucked her into the nearby street. The filly began to sprint towards an unknown place to get out of the city, on her heels the ponyform gave chase.

***

“Put those fires out! Reinforce the South!”

Sweetie continued following the destruction as Ponyville continued to burn. The streets that she had ran through carelessly in the morning now seemed like a completely different scene. It was out of her worst nightmares and she hoped that wherever Scootaloo was headed was safe and better looking than here.

“Scootaloo? Where are you?” Sweetie yelled as she ran down the street.

***

“Finally! I think this is far enough.”

Scootaloo landed on the ground. Her journey had carried her to the outskirts of Ponyville and she realized that she was standing in the Apple Family’s southern orchard. She mentally grimaced, her mask being unable to show emotion. “I hope Bloom forgives me for what I’m going to do.”

The ponyform galloped blindly towards its enemy; its face was dented inwards because of Scootaloo’s punch and it was swaying side to side attempting to correct for the pain it was dealt. The orange filly knew that she had to finish it and her arm changed accordingly. In place of an arm, she had a blade the color of her coat. She charged towards the creature, ready to lay down her life for her friends.

***

Sweetie could only watch in terror as her friend was thrown into the ground again and again. Soon she couldn’t take it anymore and began to cry.”Scootaloo I know you can hear me. You don’t have to throw your life away. I don’t know what you’ve become...but please just stop this.”

The ponyform grew tired of the small squeky pony that was creating pain for its hearing sensors. It grabbed a nearby sapling in its teeth and threw it like a javelin towards the white pony. Sweetie Belle could just watch in terror as the weapon drew towards her. She hoped that Scootaloo could hear her prayer.

“Scootaloo!”

A large white and orange hand that reminded Sweetie Belle of Rarity’s story of what Diamond Dogs paws looked like wrapped around the much smaller filly’s body.

“You called?”

In her other hand Scootaloo was grasping onto the javelin that had been thrown towards her defenseless friend. Sweetie Belle was relieved to hear her friend’s voice emanate from the creature that saved her.

“Now you are going to pay, whoever or whatever you are cause you just tried to hurt my friends. And you should never do that because you now have to deal with me. Ponyville’s premier Cutie Mark Crusader. And ponies know not to mess with my friends”

***

Twilight looked through the telescope that she was magically holding in her purple aura. She finally saw what she had heard during the trip over here.

“A completed Xam’d? What brought it all the way into Lunar territory?”

She pushed her beam kayak towards the new discovery, the rainbow trail providing a prismatic compliment to the purple unicorn mare.

***

Sweetie Belle tried to reason with her newly transformed friend. “Scootaloo! Put me down, you don’t have to fight that monster.”

Scootaloo didn’t listen and changed her arm into the orange blade again. She charged towards the monster and right before impact with its leg, she swung outwards in an arc and she felt her arm get covered in blood. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the ponyform weapon beginning to fall because of a missing leg. Its stump that was left was spraying out green blood. In a desperation move, one of the lasers tried to hit Scootaloo, but it was easily dodged by rolling on the field.

“It isn’t dead yet.”

The white diamond dog figure that used to be Scootaloo charged again towards the downed monster and began punching it over and over. The body of the ponyform weapon began to crystallize into a purple rock formation before Sweetie Belle’s eyes.

Sweetie Belle looked up when she heard footsteps coming towards her. She saw a purple unicorn gallop towards her. The unknown mare was covered in flight gear and had a rod of some foreign design. Before Sweetie could cry out to warn her friend, the mare leaped into the air and stabbed Scootaloo in her arm. Scootaloo stopped moving and stood at attention staring with her unblinking mask at the new arrival.

The purple mare began to speak. “What is a completed X’amd doing in a place like this?”

“What are you talking about and who are you anyway?”

Scootaloo’s arm began to turn into the purple crystals as well. The test of purpose had begun. Twilight carefully ran through the questions she had learned to ask Xam’d in the training she had got from her old mentor, Princess Celestia.

“Is this thing originally a pony?”

“She is not a thing, she used to be my friend Scootaloo...so of course she’s a pony! She can’t be dead!” She already did not like this purple mare.

The purple crystals continued their journey up Scootaloo’s arm. They covered a larger and larger area and slowly Scootaloo was in pain.

“These crystals are slowly eating your equinity. Come with me if you want to learn how to control your powers. If you want to live then Pinkie Promise me!”

Twilight gripped her hiruko controlling rod tighter in her magic aura. Waiting for an answer by a Xam’d was the hardest part of her moral crusade against such unequine treatment of Equestrian citizens by their rulers.

Sweetie Belle continued to sob loudly into the hand of Scootaloo. She thought all hope was lost until she heard a whisper come from the mind of her friend.

“I want to live.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. The test of purpose was over. She sent a shock wave throughout the arm of the white Xam’d and the crystals crumbled off the arm of the creature and the hiruko mind stone on the Xam’d’s head turned back from a red attack stone into an inert blue state. The pony inside mentally collapsed from exhaustion.

Twilight glanced over at the small white pony. “Your friend’s soul is now under your guidance and care. You may not know why this has happened yet, but you will be instrumental in saving this world from itself.”

Scootaloo began to glow with a white light as she slowly turned back into her original shape and size.

“You heard it as well. I saw that you did and for that reason I give the spirit of harmonic resonance over to you...don’t cry for the loss of your friend.”

Before Sweetie could react, the strange purple mare hit her with a sleep spell and she collapsed to the ground unconscious. She saw Scootaloo being carried by the unknown mare, the only thing different about Scootaloo was her new front right leg that was mainly white with some orange lines in it.

Twilight groaned. “Another loyal pony that stopped thinking. Why do I always get these types of ponies?” She lifted Scootaloo to her shoulders and walked off towards her beam kayak.
***

Sweetie

Sweetie

“Sweetie!”

Sweetie jolted awake, the sunset surprising her. It meant that she had been asleep for almost half a day. Applebloom knelt beside her. Her friend was covered in dust and grime gained by walking through the newly destroyed rubble. She noticed Applebloom was nursing a slight limp. It was not very noticeable but it was there.

She would ask about it later. It was time for rest.

***

The Perigee was anchored in the air dock in Ponyville. The crew had become restless waiting for their missing companion.

Braeburn paced back and forth restlessly. “Ya’ll guys know that she usually isn't this late and shouldn't we search for her?”

Luna face hoofed. “I have said multiple times that she does this every time, just be patient.”

“But...captain. I could go search for her.”

Luna finally snapped. She had been hearing the same excuses over and over all day. She wanted to sleep for all day tomorrow. “Braeburn, you can go search for her, but if anything happens to you...know that I won’t send a search party. You know how difficult it is for me to get so near to my sister’s sphere of influence.”

Soarin’ laughed. “Hey Braeburn you should probably keep you eyes on our game. Read ‘em and weep because I have a royal flush!” Soarin’ slammed his cards down and began to take the pile of bits that the two stallions had gambled.

“Soarin’ my old pal, that’s my entire month’s pay! Come back! Derpy, can’t you talk to Soarin’?”

Derpy held his stare with a lopsided grin. “It was your choice. I can’t help you at all. You should learn to not gamble against my friend because he has an unbeatable poker face. I do remember last month when we had this exact conversation...so no I can’t help your problem at all.”

Derpy skipped off with a new spring in her step.

A mint green unicorn gleefully walked up towards the group. Lyra, the Perigee’s mechanic, was showing off her newly gotten wares.

“Ponyville’s got the best anti-grav devices in all of Ponyville. And look here, I found parts to build a laser cannon to fight those Celestial ships.”

Luna’s patience for waiting was growing thinner and thinner. She just grinned and thought of happier times. Times where her sister and her saw eye to eye on what to do with Discord. That draconequus was still encased in the prison the two placed him in, and yet his broadcasts through the communicators and radio systems throughout Equestria meant that he had a very large influence in what happened in the day to day power struggle.

Luna felt a pull on her right leg and looked down at the offending pony. She saw Dinky and Amethyst Star looking up at her. And they were holding another pet that they had found. “I thought I outlawed pets on my ship.”

“Princess Lulu, I think this bunny rabbit is lost.” Dinky tried to be as cute as possible while Angel Bunny was attempting to find a way out of this predicament. “Can we keep him?”

“No. And my word is law. How many times have I said that I don’t want pets on my ship?”

“But...Lulu...” Dinky’s eyes welled up with tears.

Amethyst Star stood her ground. “Princess Luna, my sister wants a pet and if she can’t have this small rabbit,” She pointed in the direction of the sunset. “Twilight can’t have that pony.”

The group was ecstatic. Soarin’ was already prepared for takeoff. “Get the supplies on board. We’re getting out of this town and into the sky.”

Luna could just smile in wonder. “Twilight, you amaze me again. i continually see why my sister chose you for her apprentice. Now if you only saw your own worth.”

***

The Perigee lifted off into the air.

“Rotating 180 degrees to the Northeast. Resuming original course for Manehattan.”

Luna shouted out the final orders for the ship. “Take off!”

With that Soarin’ gripped the controls and blasted off towards Manehattan.

***

Blackout In Ponyville

***

“Any Celestial ships so far, Soarin’?” Luna was restless. she tried to go back to sleep, but her nerves had kept her awake so far.

“I don’t see any, Princess.”

“Honestly, I have no idea how much I can take.”

Braeburn spoke up and got the courage to say what was on everypony’s minds. “So how long is the Xam’d gonna stay this time?”

“How should I know? These poison jokes seem to be attracted to our court magician. The engines might give out from all the new weight.”

Soarin’ groaned. “You and I have been over this multiple times, the ship is not going to crash every time we add a new passenger.”

***

Twilight was bandaging Scootaloo’s leg. Surprisingly, bandages kept the arm in a normal state because of how the binding wrapped the leg tight enough for the hiruko to not activate. She went through the motions and tapped a hoof at where the stone was. The fur accepted the added pressure and the stone came into view again. She knew what was coming next and it always was the hardest part.

Twilight grasped the holy water in her magic and poured it on the blue stone. Scootaloo grunted in pain when her leg reacted and began to shift back into her Xam’d arm. The purple mare grabbed a magic suppressing rod from her box of tools and jammed it through Scootaloo’s leg. Twilight added pressure and Scootaloo stayed still, the added binding keeping her arm in check.

A knock woke up Twilight. Braeburn charged into the room ready to fight whatever Twilight had brought onto the ship. “I got ya, you ponyform monster. Don’t you be hurting Miss Twilight.” He looked more like a joke with his 'armor' being made of pieces of scrap metal and pots. His weapon was a broom that he must have found somewhere nearby.

“Braeburn, be quiet. The hiruko just fell asleep and i don’t want her to wake up just yet.”

“Ya’ll don’t mean that this filly is still alive?” Braeburn eyed the filly. She didn't seem like a murderer of ponies or a monster that ate ponies for no reason other than to put fear in the minds of survivors. He thought that all ponyform users were something like that.

“Yeah, she’s made it this far. She won’t turn to stone just yet.”

“If, uh, anything comes up...”

Twilight smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to take a much needed break.” She heard the door close behind Braeburn, but she knew that the stallion would be right outside the door protecting her room from any intruders. Even if his armor was inadequate for battle...

***

Angel was on his walk around the ship ready to cause as much mischief as possible. He had enough carrots to barrage this pony called Braeburn with much needed pranking. He readied two carrots and tossed them towards the earth pony.

“Wha-hey. Get back here you varmint!” He finally caught the creature after a long chase that tired out both parties.

Drat, the pony caught me.

“Aren’t you that rabbit we got from Ponyville?” Angel just stuck out his tongue.

Amethyst Star and Dinky trotted down the hall. “His name is Angel. But he is an Equestrian Cottontail. ”

Dinky glared at him. “If you hurt my rabbit...”

Amethyst glanced at Dinky. “Dinky, be nice to Braeburn. So, how is the new pony in town.”

“Nothing to write home about.” Braeburn shrugged. She definitely wasn’t as flashy as the last one that got on their ship.

“Is she nicer than Rainbow Dash?” Dinky was excited because she still remembered all the cool stories Rainbow Dash had had about her travels and her friends. The last time any of the ponies had seen the polychromatic mare was two years ago before she went off to parts unknown to find herself.

“Maybe. Why don’t you ask her yourself though. She doesn’t seem like she’ll eat you up anytime soon.” Braeburn nicely ruffled the hair of the youngest crew member of the Perigee and pushed her off towards the crew quarters.

“What is Twilight doing in there?” Braeburn was curious.

***

Twilight stared at the sleeping form of Scootaloo and she began to run her hoof across the hiruko-infected leg. “Xam’d, nopony celebrated your creation and upbringing,”

Twilight glanced up at her ceiling which had three gashes, like claw marks, running towards the door. She remembered the mare that had given her room that special decoration and she realized how long it had been since she had seen her.

“How is it that you can think...you can think you want friendship and life. Rainbow Dash, I wonder where you are right now. My first friend...”

***

Ponyville lay in ruins. The pretty streets that used to house the colts and fillies in a day gone by, were now on fire and becoming more and more dangerous as the night went on. Much of what made Ponyville Ponyville, Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, and other houses, had been destroyed by the ponyform weapons that had descended upon the town. The town defense radio system told of the losses.

“The final ponyform weapon was confirmed to have self-destructed at 1830 hours. Their targets are believed to have been the military complexes and landing docks. Dead and injured currently number 286, with 96 Lunar Guards and 100 civilian casualties known at this time.”

Sweetie Belle sat in the makeshift hospital that had been created as swiftly as possible when the attack had subsided. The radio continued to blare bad news. She just became numb to the names that kept repeating over and over.

“The Celestial government says that they were not responsible for the attack. It is rumored that it might have been caused by the splinter group led by Princess Celestia, who hasn’t been seen for almost a decade. Our previous leader, Princess Luna, has also not been seen since that time as well. This has been the New Lunar Republic station MOON reporting on the damage in Ponyville.”

Applebloom sat down near her shell-shocked friend. “Rarity’s alright. Your father is bringing her over to see you. Here you go,” Applebloom pulled out an apple. “from our bet, I know it isn’t a milkshake or anything like that but...”

“Thanks, Bloom.”

“I guess this means our karate club is off for this Sunday.” Applebloom tried to find something that her friend might find humorous or at least much happier than her current thoughts and feelings.

“Bloom, I failed Scootaloo and let her down.”

“I told her to stop but she got on the bus anyway. It is not your fault at all.” Applebloom absentmindedly rubbed her hurt leg.

“You don’t get it. She is not dead. I didn’t keep my Pinkie Promise to Pinkie Pie. I told her I would keep an eye on her and look at what happened.”

***

Pinkie Pie walked dejectedly to Fluttershy’s clinic. Her hair was no longer poofy and her demeanor was cold and distant as if she had been hit by the cold freight train of reality. She turned and stared at the last bastion of sanity that she held. Her silly Fluttershy and her kind demeanor might be the only things left.

***

“She’s just suffering from shock. Keep an eye on her and tell me if she wakes up.” Fluttershy gazed over her domain of beds and animal dens, her subjects both equine and otherwise.

“Dr. Fluttershy, give yourself a break. You’ve been working since this morning.” Carrot Top said carefully as to not wake the other patients.”Here’s a carrot for your thoughts.”

“Why are you all here anyway?”

“Its a three hour wait at the hospital and once they get to you, you might be dead from blood loss or magical exhaustion. That’s why all these ponies are coming to you, you are a kind mare and we all appreciate the things that you do.”

***

Fluttershy heard the clinic door open and close. “Is that you, Scootaloo? How was your day? Are you hurt from those ponyform weapons that everypony said attacked the town?” Fluttershy peeked her head out and froze.

“Pinkie?” The mare was sitting on the floor staring off into space. Fluttershy knew that when her wife got into this state it was because something really bad happened to somepony.

“You sure keep busy, Fluttershy. I haven’t seen so many ponies give you their business in quite a long time.” She laughed hollowly, all mirth had disappeared from her demeanor.

“So you’ve come to talk.” Fluttershy was worried about what exactly Pinkie was going to talk about. Even after living with her for years, sometimes Pinkie still surprised her.

“Scootaloo didn’t come home. I checked the schools, the shelters...” Fluttershy was in shock. Ponyform weapons were made from very specific ingredients, and she only knew because she had been part of the Battle for Cloudsdale. If she hadn’t come home...

“The guards? What about the guards!” The yellow mare tried to figure if there was anywhere Scootaloo might hide with her friends. Scootaloo being in the Everfree Forest, even at this hour, would be a better relief for Fluttershy than the fear of her daughter becoming a missing pony.

“The magical lines aren’t working! They haven’t since this morning!” Pinkie yelled at her worried wife. Her reality continued to slip because Fluttershy was supposed to be the logical one out of their relationship and her Butterfly was acting as if she had a major secret that was clouding her judgement.

“No, this can’t be happening...” Fluttershy was almost at her breaking point.

“Doctor, my son needs help...”

“I’m coming!” Fluttershy was nearly hyperventilating in fear for her daughter, but she had to be calm for her patients. A doctor of her caliber was not supposed to show that there might be something wrong with them.

“What about your own family? What about us?” Pinkie glumly asked.

“What are you trying to say?” Fluttershy tried to stay calm. If Pinkie was saying what Fluttershy thought she would...

“I can’t believe you didn’t wonder where she went.”

“Would it have actually made any difference?” The yellow pegasus was defensive. She knew that she cared for her daughter, she just had to also work on the ponies of Ponyville. She was only one mare.

“How can you always say that?” Pinkie was flabbergasted with how coldly Fluttershy sounded to her.

“Our daughter may be lying under a building dying and you say that it doesn’t make a difference? I, for one, am going to look for our daughter. Goodnight, Fluttershy.” Pinkie slammed the door in anger and quickly ran away from the cottage before Fluttershy could explain herself.

“Come back, please...I’m sorry.” Fluttershy felt tears creeping into her vision and she felt helpless for what she knew was coming. Tears flowed freely from the mare as she realized that her focus in her life was not kind to her family life.

***

A Celestial controller of a ponyform weapon realized that he was going to die either way, so he took the honorable way out.

“As I give up my life I hope that it brings me closer,”

He took out the small bomb that he had been carrying for a time like this. Rule 1 was that if you were to be captured by the Lunar Republic, you would turn your body into a bomb and take as many as you could with you.

“to the true hiruko...”

The bomb exploded and he was taken to the fields of paradise.

***

In Lunar Headquarters, two mares walked side by side. One was speaking with a refined accent that spoke of days gone by in the highest levels of society. The other was a highly decorated soldier who was born and raised right in Ponyville. The mare was a decorated veteran of the Battle of Cloudsdale.

“Eleven pods were dropped and the death of all ponyform users was announced by Lunar Headquarters earlier in the day additionally a unknown filly was listed among the casualties of the bus explosion that occurred earlier. She is an unknown variable in our casualty lists.”

The two mares stared down at the booty that was contained in the darkest pits of the military complex. A Xam’d that was currently asleep was looking back up at them with unblinking eyes.

“It’s been ten days since the Manehattan train explosion. Ah did not think I would have to deal with more things like this. Almost looks like my mother’s grave.” The mare pulled her stetson over her eyes. Just another one of these nasty things that the scientists brew up every so often.

“Doctor Whooves is waiting below.”

“Thank you kindly, Miss Octavia.

***

A brown earth pony with a hourglass cutie mark smiled jovially as Applejack stepped out of the elevator. His back legs were useless and so he had a yoke around his neck that was connected to his back legs with braces and wheels.

“Sorry to waste your precious time, Captain Applejack. Ah, wait. It slipped my mind that you were promoted to Commander.” The Doctor smirked the tiniest bit.

“Yep. There’s been an incident. This research laboratory will be moved to Ponyville. Including the abomi- experiment of course.” Applejack always hated these scientists. They seemed to be the lowest form of pony. Few morals and focused on a plan of “bettering” the Equestrian landscape with their abominations of ponies twisted into shapes that took their equinity.

The lights were turned on and a Xam’d that looked more akin to Changelings than actual ponies stood at attention. It’s limbs were full of holes and its body was shaped like a spider with two faces. One large one was where the snout of the pony would be and its face had six eye holes in its mask where it was crying tears of acid. The other head was near the stomach and had small limbs of its own. Its wings were of the lightest gossamer that looked like they were unable to hold the weight of the creature connected to it.

“Doesn’t it look pitiful when you see it like this? So tell me, Professor, what exactly this thing is.”

“It looks similar to a ponyform and yet it isn’t...we call it Xam’d.”

“Is it a higher life form?” Applejack shivered when she put that sentence together. No creature that looked like it was from the fires of Tartarus should be called a higher life form. It put the whole idea of a peaceful universe into question.

“Science calls it a miracle and yet much of it is unexplained.”

“What is the purpose of our mission?”

“Yes, you know the tremendous cost in funds and in lives if the research ends in failure. We want to end the war as soon as possible and you will be a part of this valiant effort.”

“What are ya’ll trying to say you trickster.”

“You’ll be the one to blame if that does indeed happen. My own abilities are limited but Ponyville is currently on information lock down. Ponies will seek an escape from fear and anxiety. Having been born in Ponyville yourself, I think your appearance will give them that hope that they so desperately want. Give them what they want.”

“Getting a promotion from my superiors doesn’t make me an alicorn princess.”

Doctor Whooves chuckled.

“You sure have a way with words, Commander. I am going to take my leave.” He turned to leave and Applejack was worried that he wouldn’t make it back to his quarters.

“Do you need my help?”

“I’m the one who is going to be helping you,” He stopped and turned towards Applejack again. “Oh, that’s right, I think I’ve come to understand how she feels.”

“What the hay you talking about?” The farm pony was confused. He wasn’t speaking a lick of sense. There was nopony else here but the two of them. Unless he thought the abominations actually had a soul to speak of.

“A mare and her foal disappeared when Xam’d was born. Xam’d looks like a mare protecting her foal, doesn’t it?” Doctor Whooves rolled down the hallway. His laughter echoed throughout the silent hallways like they were a choir from the deepest pits of Tartarus ready to slaughter the ponies who got in their way.

Applejack blanched and ran towards the nearest exit. She felt unclean. The corruption in this laboratory was unreal and she felt it enter her soul and begin changing her honest self.

Author's Note:

There we go Chapter 2.

The ending Xam'd in the final scene is of my own creation. I took what the episode gave me, realized I couldn't rightly describe the creature. So I made that description. You'll get to see it more later.

On the Ponyform weapons, there are three main types. The earth pony "tank", the pegasi "bird" type and the "cannon" unicorn type. Type 2s will be seen rarely. Type 3s are only in the last few episodes. There also is a fourth type, but I figured out how to deal with the smaller ones. (its sorta deviant. Kinda. When your crossover material uses weapons that are controlled by living ponies how much more deviant can you get?)

Next episode might come out in 3 weeks or so.