> Band of Five Attributes > by Dragonborne Fox > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1- What Happened Before The Blackout (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Yo, Tenmei! You think we won't have to deal with those things again?" Rekka asked. Rekka was a young boy in his teens with flaming red hair and scarlet eyes to match. He always wore a blue baseball cap with a grey underside. He was the type of teenager who was into sports and action figures, and could be a bit rowdy at times. He was also well-meaning, but his emotions often got the better of him. "I don't know, Rekka. I felt pretty bad for YONEKO, though." Tenmei replied. He had brown hair and matching eyes, which were covered by a pair glasses. The battle with YONEKO was pretty hard on him. He enjoyed playing video games, reading books, and studying. Tanmei was the brains of the group, often making accurate judgments on a situation; sometimes, however, he was emotional as well. -- You see, YONEKO was a cyborg attached to a computer not only to monitor her, but all object/human hybrid things whose names contained the letter "Q." In short, a car/human hybrid, for instance, with the letter in its name was under the control of that computer. All the object/human hybrids had names which contained that letter, but still had their free will to a certain extent. When the computer was destroyed, all Q-hybrids ceased to exist as mere slaves of this computer. YONEKO, the cyborg, was unfortunately destroyed as well, and the STF (initials of the Special Task Force) made a gravestone just for her. Since the entire fiasco, all Q-hybrids became close competitors if not direct friends of human beings, since they shared so much in common. Of course, there were some baddies who needed to be dealt with appropriately. Some were made of freaking buildings for crying out loud, and that was where the STF came in! -- "I felt that way too, Tenmei. At least she's in a better place now." Yuuki solemnly stated. Yuuki had purple hair and eyes, and had an orange jacket. She was the neutral-tomboy type, enjoying plants and daydreaming as evidenced by a poster she had in her room. She was happy-go-lucky and rarely showed sadness, but showed shock and failed reasoning much more often. "At least the Frontier Quartet won't bother anyone again," Nagare stated. He had emerald green hair which concealed his right eye, but no bangs on his left. He had matching green eyes and a green hoodie. He was a rather quiet type, more often than not keeping to himself. When he did speak, he sure made it count! "Speaking of the Quartet, why did we fight only three of them?" Koto, the blue haired girl asked. She was a girly type, as evidenced by two stuffed toys, a bear and a dog, in her room. She also had a mirror presumably used for things like storing hairbrushes and whatnot. Her emotions were usually more vivid than the others, and because of this she often spoke through those emotions. "You sure got that right!" Rekka replied. The Quartet had three adult members and a child member. The child member was no older than a toddler, and thus could not fight. If anything, the child member needed a daycare of sorts while the adults did the masterminding behind the incidents. Suddenly, the alarm went off. This alarm detected incidents at places reported to have Q-hybrids. The teens ran to the room where Mimi and the two professors watched the globe map holograph thing. "Rekka! There are some Q-hybrids at the library! They are vandalizing the place!" Mimi said. With no time to waste, they ran out the door and into the second floor. There, they attached these keypad things to their wrists. These keypad things were what enabled them to deal with such incidents. They each carried a very specific weapon, and when at full power, these weapons would grow to the size of a house and crush all Q-hybrids standing before the wielder. There was some collateral damage buildings, of course, but as far as the true humans were concerned, it did not hurt them unless they were hit by falling debris. Rekka wielded a gun that could fire lasers with the force of a blazing volcano when at full power. Nagare had a sword that could cut the wind itself. Koto had a blue-and-purple boomerang that could traverse a waterfall before returning to her as well as at normal size. Tenmei had a crossbow that could make the earth shake when at full power. Yuuki had a grey-and-purple ball that would electrocute Q-hybrids like they were lightning rods, and if they could not be electrocuted, they'd be flattened. She used it like a soccer ball for some reason. When they arrived at the library, it was not just any Q-hybrid that vandalized the place; oh, no! The library and the courthouse directly next to it had become Q-hybrids and were having an all-out Godzilla-style battle royale! "Two of them?! TWO OF THEM?!" Rekka shrieked, his eyes having dilated to mere black dots, his jaw dropping almost to the floor. The library and courthouse turned to the group of puny, seemingly wimpy teens standing before them. Then, right then and there, they merged to become a castle-based Q-hybrid. With one motion of all four fists, the STF was sent flying half the length of the city before colliding with an apartment complex and then, everything fell to darkness. > Chapter 2: A New Place with What Now?! (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack was bucking trees to make some apple pie and, of course, the delicious cider her brother was running low on. It was a calm, crystal-clear day as she kept one eye on the tree and the other on the Cutie Mark Crusaders who were running around doing whatever it was they did. Some more apples, and-- "APPLEJACK! I SEE SOMETHING OVER THERE!" Sweetie Belle shouted as a giant mushroom cloud of dust emerged from behind the farm pony, who immediately stopped what she was doing in the uncharacteristic fashion of falling over on her backside as an apple went splat on her face. "What’n the hay is goin' on?!" Applejack shouted as she stood up and wiped the rotten apple off of her face. "I don't know!" Replied Applebloom, who ran to the source of the cloud with her friends and big sister. They stopped dead in their tracks in a clearing of sorts. "What the hay happened here?!" Shouted the farm mare and Crusaders. There in the open dirt road leading to the farm was a tan stallion with an earthen mane. He had this thing on his foreleg that looked like a strap-on rectangle. His glasses lay next to his head, the lens damaged beyond repair. There were some bloodied scratches on his body, and it looked like he was not going anywhere anytime soon. Not far from him lay two more stallions who also had these rectangles on their left forelegs. One was lime with an emerald green mane which covered his right eye, and the other was orange with a fiery red mane, the lower part of which was tied back with a white ribbon. The bangs were more pronounced on the right side of his face than his left, and they didn't cover his eyes. A blue cap with a grey underside rest upside-down just beyond the reach of his orange hooves. Neither fared any better than the tan pony. There was a light purple mare with a darker purple mane resting on a nearby tree with her rump in the air. Grooves were made in the dirt as though she slid on the ground before the unceremonious impact had occurred. "What the--" Applejack stopped mid-sentence as the sound of a breaking branch was heard very close by. This was followed by the body of another out-cold pony landing on top of her with a branch sandwiched between her and the farm mare. She was sky-blue with an oceanic mane and she also had a rectangle on her left foreleg, which was bent in such a way it appeared to be now useless. "Sweetie Belle, go get some help," Said the farm mare as she gently moved the blue mare off of her, as well as the tree branch she crashed with. "These ponies are hurt somethin' fierce." With that, Sweetie ran off to Ponyville. ---- "So, I heard these ponies suddenly crashed into Sweet Apple Acres." Twilight said. "Yes, and they carried these rectangles with them being... I can only assume they're devices of some sort," replied Nurse Redheart, who had been tasked with looking after the newest patients. "Nurse Redheart, they had these devices on their forelegs?" Twilight asked. "Yes, and I am afraid none of them are awake. They are hurt very badly," The nurse stated sadly. "Nurse! Come quick! One of the mysterious earth ponies are awake!" The doctor said, running down the hallway. The nurse and unicorn followed the doctor, and what a sight greeted them! There was a light tan stallion with a nicely cut earthen mane and tail walking around like nothing had happened! His brown eyes were scrunched shut, and he tapped his hooves everywhere on the floor. "What's wrong?" Nurse Redheart asked. "I need my glasses. I cannot see without them," The stallion stated. The nurse ran to the pile of these rectangle things and found the glasses, broken and useless. The stallion needed these very badly, because judging from observation alone he bumped into everything. The unicorn stood next to Redheart. "I take it these are his?" Twilight asked, to which Redheart nodded. Twilight's horn flared around the glasses, and with quick movements of telekinesis, the glasses were repaired, good as new! "Mister, stand still for a minute! I fixed your glasses!" the unicorn said, running over to the stallion. The stallion did as he was told to, standing still right behind the doctor's flank. Twilight gently put the glasses on the pony before her. He looked at his surroundings, and it looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. The stallion ran to the beds of the other seemingly-comatose ponies. After looking at all of them, he walked to the nurse and pointed at them. "A-Are they okay?" He asked. "They are hurt very badly, and I am not sure when they'll wake up. You all looked like you crashed head first into something at a terrific speed," The nurse replied, shaking her head sadly. "You need to rest, mister. Shout for me when you need something or if one of your companions has awakened," She continued. "My name is Nurse Redheart." The stallion nodded, walked to his bed, and lied down. The ponies left the patients to recover. "He certainly is strange. I never saw those types of cutie marks on a pony before," Twilight said. "I agree. I wonder where they came from," Redheart replied. ---- The room was still lit. "Was I talking to a horse? No.... a horse is not that small unless it's a newborn. Ponies, I guess?" Tenmei thought. He did not know where he was. Was he dreaming? Probably, since that castle-based Q-hybrid knocked them all out. Sent them flying to their deaths. But if they died, then why could he still feel the touch of the floor? It just did not add up. He had to somehow thank the.....unicorn? She had a protrusion from her forehead, so she had to have been a unicorn. He still felt the pain of colliding with the apartment complex. And why was she purple of all colors? A moan of pain, followed by rustling, came from the bed next to the one Tenmei was laying in. A sky-blue mare with an oceanic blue mane slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes with her hoof. She suffered some serious bruises to her sides. "Koto? You're awake?" Tenmei asked, to which Koto groggily nodded. "I'll get the nurse. She said to call her if I needed something or if one of you guys woke up." Before Koto could respond, Tenmei ran out the door on all.....four hooves? Koto was bewildered. Was she seeing things? Dreaming? What the hay was going on here?! Tenmei returned, but he looked so....different. Alongside him were two....creatures? One was white with a pink bun and a nurse's hat and the other....purple with a thing on its forehead? The white creature approached Koto, and put her.....hoof out to shake her hand? Koto took her own hand to shake the hoof. But it wasn't a hand. It too was a hoof! "I see you're awake. You need to be bandaged." The white creature said, searching through the drawers. She pulled gauze out of the drawer and returned to Koto. "Your left foreleg is broken. Don't move too much," she said, focusing most of her attention on the broken appendage. Koto suddenly recalled colliding with the complex left arm first. She winced at the pain. "Try walking." The white thing said. Koto tried walking on her two legs and immediately fell over. The white thing helped her up. "Try walking on all threes," The white thing repeated. Koto tried once again, this time on her....right foreleg as well. It was strange, to say the least. How could she use her boomerang to defend herself if one arm was broken? But she could manage. She had to, wherever she ended up at. She felt like nature laughed at her in a very contorted manner. This was embarrassing. "Survival at it's finest," Koto murmured. > Chapter 3- Where'd You Come From? (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So these ponies suddenly collided into the ground from nowhere?" Rainbow Dash asked, hovering alongside her friends. "Yes. Twilight went to visit them," Rarity replied, pushing a rock away with her hoof. "Ah saw they were in bad shape. One has a broken foreleg or so Ah'm told," Applejack stated, ears twitching as she spoke. "They landed in mah farm from outta nowhere!" "When they're all better I'll throw them a super-duper fun party!" Pinkie said, hopping around her companions like there was no such thing as a tomorrow. "I do hope they're alive," Fluttershy whispered, keeping her head low. The other mares nodded. "Hey, Ah see Twilight running for us! And there's a stallion following her!" Applejack shouted. Twilight, exhausted, stopped before her friends. The stallion also came to a grinding halt. He had this rectangle thing with an orb and a bunch of square things on it attached to his left foreleg. It was the same one Applejack first saw. "He and one of the others are awake!" Twilight screamed with glee. Pinkie started hopping around him in circles. "So, he's one of them?" She asked, stopping briefly to point at the tan stallion. "Yeah. I want to take him to the library so I can ask him a lot of questions." Twilight replied, smiling still. With that, her horn flared up and in a blinding flash and both she and the stallion were gone. ---- "So, THIS is the library?" Tenmei asked, taking note of his new surroundings. It was nowhere near as huge as the library that fought the courthouse, but it was still pretty big. "Yes, this is the library. I live here," The unicorn answered, sitting down at a table.. "My name is Twilight Sparkle." "I'm Tenmei." The stallion replied, smiling.. "Spike! Get some tea for our guest!" Twilight called. Tenmei saw.... a purple and green lizard-looking thing walking on its hind legs. "Is that a lizard?" He asked, pointing to said lizard. "No, he's a baby dragon. Well, not really a baby, but you get the idea. He does look like a lizard though," Twilight remarked, laughing a bit at Tenmei's comment. Spike went to the kitchen to prepare the drink. Tenmei found a table made for more than one pony, and he sat down on a chair. It was comfy, to say the least. Twilight sat on the opposite side of the table, like those people in monkey suits Tenmei kept seeing before he joined the STF. Spike brought the drinks to Twilight and her guest before running off. "So, Tenmei. What happened before you arrived here?" Twilight asked, her grin fading suddenly. "Well, it went like this, and boy it's a long story!" Tenmei replied, ears falling flat on his head. ---- Nurse Redheart had quite the handful to deal with! A light green stallion with an emerald mane and matching eyes woke up, and he was walking all around here and there without any help at all! He suffered light bruises, but nothing to worry about aside from his apparent concussion. The mare with the broken foreleg, whose name was Koto, had walked alongside this stallion mainly to explore and for him to help when she fell. "Two more left to awaken. I wonder how they'll react," Redheart murmured to herself as she eyed the ponies. "Nagare, I am not sure what is happening." Koto said, sitting on her rump and pointing her good hoof every whichway she could. "I am not sure either," Nagare replied in agreement. "But I do know I have a headache!" He added, stomping a hoof in anger. Redheart stood observing the remaining two ponies who were still out cold. Nagare had attached one of the devices on his left foreleg and attached another to Koto's right foreleg. He seemed to be the eldest. ---- "Oh my..... I feel sorry for you." Twilight said as Tenmei wrapped his tale up. "It's okay, things happen. We never would have guessed they'd merge," Tenmei replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Wow," Spike said, awed by Tenmei's rather wild story. "So, explain what all those terms are, please." Tenmei asked. "I keep hearing about cutie marks and Equestria....believe me, I'm confused." "Sure thing," Twilight replied, sighing as she lifted a book from the shelf. > Chapter 4- Earth, Wind and Water (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So, I am in a place called Equestria, these markings I have are cutie marks, there are four classes of ponies as it were, and aside from us, nothing out of the ordinary has happened?" Tenmei asked, shifting his hooves a bit. Twilight nodded. "So, what's your cutie mark?" He examined his mark in the mirror. It looked like a loaded crossbow. "It's a crossbow. Much like the one I told you about." Someone knocked on the door. Spike answered the door and saw a green stallion and a blue mare with a broken foreleg. Like Tenmei, they too were earth ponies. "So, I heard Tenmei was here," The stallion said, eying the library's interior. "Nagare! You're okay!" Tenmei cried, running up to him and giving him a hug. The green stallion hugged back with a smile. Koto also giggled heartily. "Spike, get tea for those two as well." Twilight said, smiling. Spike ran right back to the kitchen like his feet had frostbite. Nagare helped Koto to a chair. Walking on three legs was a pain if you asked her. "So, you two fought these things called Q-hybrids. Tenmei told me everything," Twilight said with a smile. Nagare nodded as if unaware of what he heard. Koto poked her broken foreleg. Hooves were strange. Hell, this whole world was strange since day one. Nagare had a green sword with purple and gold markings on his flank. Koto had a blue-and-purple boomerang as her mark. "So, Tenmei is earth, Nagare is wind, Koto is water, Rekka is fire if he ever wakes up, and Yuuki is thunder?" Twilight asked, raising a brow. "Lightning," Koto corrected, putting her good hoof down on the table. Nagare was too busy eying Spike. Dragon? Puh-lease, he looked like an overgrown lizard! Still, something about Spike mystified the stallion. But what? What was it about the alleged dragon that kept avoiding him? Koto just drank her tea and looked relatively laid back for once. Something about the tea...put her in a sort of calm. Pleasant, happy, lax. She felt good, as if her foreleg was never, ever broken to begin with. As if all her worries washed away. As if evil never existed. As if life truly was rainbows and unicorns, as hilarious as this metaphor sounded in Equestria. Oh, the irony. Rainbows and unicorns. Equestria. Not too far from the truth of this world. Not at all. She giggled a bit at the thought, and who wouldn't? Tenmei managed to get the crossbow to materialize and fumbled around with it. If his crossbow could work even here, he just needed to adjust to the fact he now had hooves to work with. Curse his rotten luck for not being a unicorn. Would've been so much easier. Especially the case for Koto, who was at a bad disadvantage should a battle arise. She needed the protection. She was vulnerable, and it looked like her broken leg mocked her on purpose. "Want a tour of Ponyville so you guys won't get lost?" Twilight offered. "Sure, why not?" Nagare said, turning his head to the door. "Ditto!" Koto called, smiling a bit. "Me three!" Tenmei said, raising a hoof skyward. He sure had a big smile on his face! "Spike, keep Koto from falling. She sure needs the help," Twilight said, frowning in worry. ---- Rainbow Dash had once again crashed into the Carousel Boutique for the fifteenth time today. But this time, she carried a light purple mare with a darker mane on her back. Her eyes matched said mane, and she had a grey ring and a purple orb for her cutie mark. Rarity saw the new guest in addition to Rainbow and greeted her. Like the others, she too owned a rectangular device with circles and squares on it. "Hello darling, what's your name?" Rarity asked, raising a brow. "Yuuki," The guest replied, a small grin on her muzzle. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Yuuki,” the fashionista said, holding out a hoof, “My name is Rarity.” ---- Night fell on Ponyville. Koto, Nagare, and Tenmei had their own beds. They spent the night at Twilight's literal tree house. Why did those flower sandwiches taste so good gosh-darnit? They guessed it was because they were ponies now. At least now their stomachs would not berate them with threats consisting of "I'm going to vomit and there's nothing you can do about it!" Nagare and Tenmei were well off into la-la land. Koto, however, had a rough time just trying to sleep. It was not because of her broken foreleg, it was because she was worried. She was worried that Rekka and Yuuki were permanently comatose, or worse, dead. Tears began welling up in her eyes. Just that thought.... no, get your mind off that! If only she had some of that tea handy. > Chapter 5- Of Blazing Lightning (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- An orange stallion with a flaming red mane tied back with a ribbon was walking the streets of Ponyville. Everywhere he looked, he saw....things dancing about in the shadows. Mocking him, angering him. His scarlet eyes kept catching things darting about. Momentary glimpses of things exposed by the moonlight, glimpses of things otherwise concealed. Things....that looked oddly familiar. But he did not go to every nook and cranny to find those things. No, he had to go to this place called the Carousel Boutique. He heard a friend was there. He walked slowly, dauntingly. He was missing half an entire hind leg, as a crash amputated that leg. He had a silly wooden stick in it's place! The bandages on the leg were still visible. The pain, the suffering, the tears, all there. If only the pain would stop. If only the shadows ceased mocking him. ---- "Rainbow! Rekka's here and he's hurt!" A mare's voice shouted from the floor below. Rainbow had spent the night at the Boutique, and from the horror in the calling voice, things were already looking bleak. Rarity and Rainbow ran to the first floor of the boutique and they saw a stallion standing next to Yuuki. He was orange with a scarlet mane and once more matching eyes. He had a blue cap on his head, and another rectangular device on his left foreleg. But his right hind leg was partially missing, replaced by bloodied bandages and a wooden stick for support. His mane was tied back with a white, ribbon-like object. He looked...weak, hungry, tired. In fact, he even looked as if he cried. Rarity fainted. The sight of a pony with an amputated limb was as bad as being knocked upside down into a wall by Nightmare Moon. Rainbow ran to the kitchen, and quickly returned with a few sandwiches. Yuuki helped him sit down, and once given the sandwiches he wolfed them down. His face turned sour when he realized he'd eaten daisies, but didn't seem to mind too much. "Rekka, tell me what happened," Yuuki said, her tone of voice more than telling everyone she was on the verge of crying. Her ears were flat. "A Q-hybrid attacked me. I crashed into the ground in a way my leg is now useless." He replied, wiping a few crumbs from his mouth. He grunted and clutched his leg stump in pain. ---- "Tenmei, Nagare, Koto! Wake up! We need to go to the Boutique!" Spike shouted, banging a wooden spoon against a cooking pan. "Why the Boutique?" Tenmei asked, rubbing a hoof on his eyes. "I think your other friends are there! I hear there is a pony missing a leg!" Spike replied, dropping the spoon and pan. In that instant, all three rushed out of bed and down to the first floor. They ran out the door like bullets from a magnum, Koto being carried by Nagare. They galloped madly in the direction of the Boutique, but then stopped to a halt. Twilight and Spike soon did the same, albeit with teleportation. Standing in front of them was a creature that was a cross between a man and a motorcycle. He was attached to the motorcycle at the hips in a sitting position. He looked furious, as if intent on running them over. "A blasted Q-hybrid?!" Tenmei shouted, materializing his crossbow and standing effortlessly on his hind legs. "Nagare, get Spike and Koto to the boutique! Tenmei and I will deal with this thing!" Twilight shouted frantically, her horn still glowing. "Watch it, missy, 'cause I eat unicorns for breakfast!" The hybrid shouted in response. His foot moved onto the paddle and he pushed on it, and he was about to go full throttle and... BAM! A fast blur of grey and purple hit him smack in his face, shattering the glass of the helmet he wore and knocking him to the ground on his side. "NOBODY MESSES WITH REKKA WHEN I AM AROUND!" A mare's voice shouted, imbued with absolute fury. Nagare did not bother to move, despite Spike literally pulling his leg. Tenmei turned his head to his right. Nagare could tell his jaw dropped. Twilight gaped. Rarity and Rainbow had brought the other two ponies who suffered from the crash-landing. A mare who was light purple with a darker mane effortlessly ran on her hind legs, using them to juggle a grey and purple ball in the process! On Rainbow's back sat an orange stallion with a scarlet mane. His leg was replaced by a wooden stick, and he had an object like a gun on his flank. "Yuuki!" Tenmei, Koto, and Nagare shouted in shock, seeing her impressive feat. The Q-hybrid got up for round two. He was more than pissed now. He turned on full throttle and rushed toward Yuuki. Both combatants were going at each other at a terrific speed, neither being hindered at all! Yuuki's ball grew into a house-sized rolling behemoth. With all her might, she kicked the mammoth ball and flattened the hybrid. It then returned to normal size. The hybrid literally faded away. No trace of him existed besides the imprints he made in the ground. ---- "How'd they get here?" Twilight asked, putting a hoof to her chin. "I don't know, but I do know that one wasn’t friendly." Rarity replied with an un-ladylike grunt. "We need an explanation." Rainbow chimed, slamming her hooves on a table. The mares were at the table, save for Koto, who was helping calm Rekka down. He cried nonstop, he needed the comfort. Tenmei and Nagare were also helping. "Must there be some other force at work bringing them here? The way me and my friends were brought here?" Yuuki asked aloud, crossing her forelegs. > Chapter 6- Of Hybrids and Mechanics (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- YONEKO woke up. Not in a place with clouds and light. She woke up in a forest. A forest of darkness. She stood up. A small group of Q-hybrids, no more than five, stood before her. One was holding a mirror. The cyborg was now equine, a gray blue was now her pelt. Her mechanical arm still had all of its cyborg features, just now more equine-like as well. She still had claws. Her blond mane was wild and untamed. Green and red wires connected some parts of her body to her cyborg arm. There was a mechanical horn protruding from her forehead. She knew that the five teens who saved her needed help. She knew that, whatever world she found herself in, needed help too. She stared at each hybrid. The first was the most normal. A TV was put on her shoulders with her cute little face literally behind the screen. The second had arms, legs, and face of a person, but his body was a golden battery. The third looked like the battery hybrid, except his body was a pinkish water bottle. He wore a bathing hat. The fourth was molded sloppily from clay, and thus barely qualified as a hybrid. The last was like the battery and bottle hybrids, but much more lady-like. Her body? A vending machine! Her face was in the middle of the machine itself! These hybrids helped the teens she came to call heroes. These hybrids were then heroes themselves, sidekicks as it were. These hybrids were once evil, but once defeated they saw the errors of their ways. They changed as greatly as the teens themselves. They grew stronger. Tougher. Wiser. She felt like crying tears of pure joy. She was no longer under the control of the Quartet. She was now her own being. "We must head to the Carousel Boutique. Our allies rest there," the vending lady said, crossing her arms. "My name is no longer YONEKO. It is now Misaki,"The cyborg replied with a nod. ---- It was the crack of dawn, and roosters began their morning caws. It was dark in the room that everyone, or rather, everypony, slept in. The STF all shared the same bed. Rekka held the pillow over his head to shush the noises violating his ears. He had a massive headache and was not really a morning person. The fact his injured leg still throbbed with pain made it all that worse. If only they had earplugs. Koto lay next to Rekka, chewing on her pillow in her sleep. She kept murmuring about cotton candy. Tenmei lay on Rekka's other side, the blanket covering him entirely. Yuuki lay next to Koto. She clutched her pillow tightly. Nagare would've been next to Tenmei if he did not roll off the bed snoring away. Rekka was surprised he was still asleep. There was another bed in the room. It contained Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Rarity. They were sound asleep. Spike had a pet's bed. Why did it make him look cute? Rekka had lots of questions. How'd he get here? How was he now a pony? And how can he fight whilst missing half a leg? His laser gun needed both arms to be held. Every time he tried to hold the thing he fell over, as if his wooden stick now attached to the shortened appendage just could not take it and told him that in the rudest manner possible. And if the Q-hybrids were here, then..... the Quartet must be here too. He shook his head. That was in no way possible. They were locked in the highest security prison for life. How would they get out? Or better yet, how could they get out? It did not make sense! Why was his mind jumping the gun and into pointless garble?! He felt like crying, but that would just wake everyone up. He felt a hoof on his back. It didn't belong to Tenmei, because he was still under the covers. Rekka looked at Koto, and she looked at him right back. She was wide awake. "I had a dream.....about YONEKO." Koto whispered, her eyes filled with worry. ---- Misaki and the small band of hybrids headed to the Boutique as if it was casual to do so every day. Many ponies gawked at the group. Hell, one stallion actually offered to polish Misaki's foreleg and horn! He was politely turned down. The most obvious thing about Misaki was that she had no cutie mark. Ponies took pictures of the group. "Despite having straw roofs on their houses, these ponies are somewhat modern..." Misaki thought, ears twitching as she kept trotting along. The batteryman, TV-chibi-girl, and water-bottle-boy all sat on Misaki's back. The clay hybrid sat atop the vending lady. ---- "So, we've escaped from prison.... and ended up here" Said a blue stallion with a dark blue mane. "Yes." Agreede another stallion with a pale gold pelt and short, scarlet hair. "We've been thwarted once, but it shall not happen again!" Chimed a white mare with a wavy blue mane. The fourth member of the Quartet was in a reform center back at home. "We must regain control of the hybrids, Maki. Saki, do you have any idea where we've landed?" The blue stallion asked, raising a brow. "No, Baki. I do not," Saki replied, shaking her head. "But I do know that equine beings called ‘ponies’ are the dominant species, the most civilized as it were." "I see. If those brats are here, we shall kill them all!" Baki shouted, rising up on his hind legs and stomping his hooves forcefully into the ground. "They most likely are, sire. But we must find a place to set up our new base." Maki stated, grinning horribly. > Chapter 7- Unexpected Turn (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You dreamed about YONEKO?" Rekka whispered, eyes widening. "Yeah, and the Q-hybrids who helped us." Koto replied, sighing. She and Rekka were in the kitchen. The others were sleeping still. "Where were they in the dream?" Rekka asked, putting a hoof on the table. "In the forest called Everfree, and.... they came here." Koto replied again, ears flat. "Here?" Rekka asked again, a look of bewilderment in his eyes. "Yeah..." Koto answered, nodding a bit. They could see it was well past morning now. Sunlight was the only light in the room. It illuminated the table they sat at. Someone knocked on the door. Koto hobbled over to answer it. Standing before her was YONEKO and the hybrids! Except YONEKO, like Koto and her friends, was also equine. The hybrids remained unaffected for some strange reason. "Before you speak, my name is now Misaki," The cyborg said, shifting her legs a bit. Koto merely nodded, and hobbled her way back to Rekka. "I am starting to think you saw the future!" Rekka remarked, pointing at Koto like she was a witch. "You think?" Koto sneered, ears and eyes twitching. The cyborg followed her to the table. The vending lady snickered. She'd laugh out loud if nobody was asleep. "I have due reason to believe this world is in danger," Misaki said, taking a chair as she spoke. "I can see why," Rekka chimed, raising a brow. "Misaki, what of the Quartet?" "They are here as well. I fear the worst since they most likely have horns," Misaki replied, shaking her head grimly. "Horns? What for?" Rekka asked. Now he was really confused. "They can use magic to craft more hybrids from thin air," Misaki answered, looking at her mechanical leg. "But you have a horn! Could you not counter that the way we did?!" Koto remarked, pointing her good hoof to the protrusion. Misaki could counter that. Koto was right. A faint smile crept on her lips. Suddenly, they saw Yuuki walk into the room with the batteryman on her back. He could not stop laughing. "You look funny!" He remarked, still laughing like a maniac. "Can it," Yuuki replied. She looked like she was ticked. Misaki saw Nagare and Tenmei in the living room jabber on about things. Jabber,jabber,jabber. Rarity, Twilight and Rainbow gawked at the vending lady, who gawked right back. Spike and the TV-girl jabbered much like Tenmei and Nagare. The water-bottle boy was petting a white cat. The clay person hid in a fish bowl. He watched it all. Thankfully, the fish bowl was empty before he crawled in it. Rekka and Koto were busy trying to readjust the wooden stick that the leg now consisted of. ---- "Sire, I've gathered intel on the enemy." "What is is, Saki?" Baki said. He craned his head towards the mare as if intent on listening to what she had to say. "One of the brats has a broken foreleg. Another lost half of his hind leg, rendering his laser gun useless," Saki reported quickly, a grin on her muzzle. "Excellent!" Baki replied, a wicked smile scrawled across his face. "But there's some bad news as well, sire," Saki stated, her grin turning upside-down. "Hurry up and say it already!" Baki barked, getting irritated. He turned away from Saki. "YONEKO is here as well. She is a unicorn cyborg and.... she joined the side of the brats." Baki slowly turned around. His eyes dilated and his jaw went wide. "WWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Baki roared. He looked like he needed to scream, more or less. Saki could've sworn he began foaming at the mouth. "B-B-BUT THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE?!" Maki shrieked. He recoiled in shock as his hooves went to his head. "It very well is, I am afraid," Saki replied, nodding once. "H-HOW?!" Baki barked once more. Sweat formed on his face at a terrific rate. "I am not sure. But it's most likely the same force that dragged us here," Saki stated. She shrugged her shoulders. > Chapter 8- Let the Partying Commence! (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sire, we've got so much wood we can build our new hideout!" Maki said, holding a blueprint in his hoof. He headed Team A, the resource takers. They consisted of a tank-man, a man fused with a damned 18-axle pickup-truck, and a tree-man with a jack-o'-lantern's face. "We need Team B, the constructors to return. Team C, which I lead, will get food and whatnot," Baki said, looking at the blueprint with a devious smirk. Maki sighed in relief, as they could use proper toilets by now. Saki, who lead Team B, returned in short order. Team B consisted of two car-men, a nurse fused with an ambulance, a chalkboard man and eraser-girl who acted as one, and a couple fused to a park bench. Now, they needed to find a perfect spot in which to build the new base. ---- Misaki also had excellent healing abilities, contrary to the belief she only had destructive powers. Rekka could not thank her enough for helping him regrow his leg. Koto's foreleg had healed as well. The two began celebrating by doing a tango. Everyone cheered them on like there was no tomorrow. "Wait till he gets married!" Tenmei sneered, chuckling a bit. "If they had a baby now, I wonder what it would look like." Nagare remarked, grinning. "Would it be red-and-blue, or full-fledged purple like me?" Yuuki chuckled, trying not to laugh out loud and failing to do so. "That's a good question!" Misaki chimed, raising a hoof in agreement. "One baby!" Rainbow called, flapping her wings nonstop. "Twins!" Twilight shrieked, giggling a bit. "Triplets!" Rarity exclaimed in an uncharacteristic shout. "Quadruplets!" Yodeled the batteryman, jumping up and down. "Quintuplets!" Shouted TV-girl, waving her arms like she was in a crowd. "Sextuplets!" Hollered the clay-person, pointing at everyone accusingly. "Octuplets!" Yelled the water-bottle-boy, flinging his hat everywhere. "Ten or more!" Caterwauled vending lady, throwing her arms wide as if she were going to hug someone. At that point, Rekka and Koto wondered if everyone else was drunk. After all, vending lady could literally use her body to produce sake in soda cans. No, seriously, she went and done it before. One Q-hybrid, a literal camera-man, saw the fiasco that resulted after the first sake incident, recorded it, and put it on the internet for all to see. How embarrassing that sure was! And, admittedly, for a while they were the laughing stock. No, scratch that, the whole Special Task Force was the laughing stock! They began wondering if the Quartet was behind that as well, though now that was not their main concern. The main concern at the moment was how to deal with a bunch of drunken dummies. ---- "I remember that video the camera-man posted online," Maki chuckled, putting a hoof to his chin. "What video?" Asked Baki, confused. "You know, the one where the brats got drunk and then staged something they shouldn't have?" Maki replied, bursting out into full-fledged laughter. "OH! THAT ONE! Ah, the good old glory days," Baki said whistfully, signs of a nosebleed now visible on his pelt. "Yes, if only the internet was here as well," Saki chimed, smiling deviously. She blushed redder than a cherry. "But I wonder why we did what they did afterwards?" Maki asked, ears flat. He looked rather ashamed for once. "Um........" Saki and Baki said in eerie unison, slowly turning to look at each other. ---- Rekka and Koto were now drunk like everyone else. As a matter of fact, everyone participated in a contest to see who could drink the most alcohol without upchucking or doing anything stupid, which included acts of public lewdness. Whoever lost the contest, well, let's just say the winner takes all. In short, Drunk Fiasco Part Two would happen no matter who won. "So.....drunk...... awmahgawd.......am I seeing spinning shelves.....?" Rekka asked. He certainly sounded better sober. "Ahyayayaya........Rekka, you look..... you're such a hunk....." Koto said, hiccuping every two words. She wrapped her forelegs around him. "He's a what?" Yuuki said, eyes scrunched shut. She was in the process of downing another can. "He's mine.......back off....." Koto replied, snarling defensively. "I....remember that fiasco." Tenmei said, his glasses having fallen off. "Oh God, not that....." Nagare shuddered, surrounded by cans of sake. "What fiasco?" Rainbow asked, her voice slurred. "It went something like this....." Tenmei replied, glaring at the rainbow pony. ---- Construction was finished. Furniture that did not consist of Q-hybrids was still in the process of being moved to this room, next to that wall. Saki was in the bathroom, well, taking care of "lady business," which Maki and Baki, being male, did not comprehend. They did not bother to ask, though. Maki was helping with the furniture moving, and Baki was asleep. He had not slept for days. Nice comfy bed, polished wood floors and walls, harmonic silence save for footsteps and the occasional talking. Pure bliss at its best. ---- "That sure was a crazy tale....." Rainbow slurred, pointing a hoof at Tenmei. "Ya think?" Tenmei replied, downing another can. He sounded like he was going to kill someone. "Good gracious...." Spike murmured, hiding in a corner. > Chapter 9- What Do We Do Now? (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night fell once again. Spike, being the only one not drunk, hid in the corner. Simply because everyone else had one hell of a hangover. And boy, they were complaining like never before! One minute, Rekka was out cold, then the next he started accusing the couch of "cheating" on him. Maybe he had too much sake. Tenmei and vending lady were arguing over trivial things. One minute, shoes, the next minute the table did it. Yuuki and Nagare? They were out cold. In the middle of the floor. Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity? Out cold as well, in a dog-pile. Koto kept trying and failing miserably at hitting on the batteryman, who did not pay any attention to her at all. TV-girl, water-bottle-boy and the clay-person were singing their fool heads off. Misaki was hugging the ceiling of all things. "Help me...." Spike murmured, his voice barely above a squeak. ---- Maki was being chased by Saki, who was wielding a scrubbing brush. "GET BACK HERE!" Saki roared, her white pelt now red with fury. Maki kept on running. It was all he could do against a furious mare. But he could barely outrun Saki, who was quickly gaining ground. When she was mad, there was no outrunning her. One would get tired sooner or later. Baki kept pointing his hoof at Maki and bursting with so much laughter he shed tears. To him, Saki being as pissed as she is now was hilarious. She never chased him for some reason, which made it even better for him and worse for Maki. His wonky, thin, dark blue mustache actually straightened because he was laughing so hard. "JUST HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO NOT PEEP IN ON ME?!!" Saki shrieked, having cornered and commencing the beat-down on Maki. "P-Please don't break me! I won't do it again!" Maki cried, trying to block the brush with his hooves. Baki was rolling on the floor dying of sheer laughter at this point. "I CAN TELL YOU ARE LYING!" Saki barked, still whacking away with the brush. ---- Roosters began their morning caws once more. Spike was trying to sleep in his bed. Everyone else was in bed as well. He had to drag them to the beds, save for Rekka and Koto, who had a bed of their own. Vending lady was the hardest to drag. Finally, peace and quiet. No more drunk singing. It was a good thing Pinkie had yet to throw her party. One sheep..... Two sheep...... The clock was ticking loudly. Three sheep...... Four sheep...... The clock continued to tick. Ten sheep..... Eleven...... Tick, tock, tick, tock. Such a steady rhythm. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Thirty-seven........ Thirty-eight...... The roosters kept cawing. Caw, caw, caw..... they sounded more like blasted crows now. Fifty-one....... fifty-two....... Spike was finally asleep. ---- "We need to do something productive for once." Maki said, a few bruises visible on his body. "How so?" Saki asked, still pissed. "Good point." Baki chimed, trying not to laugh. "How about find the enemy of the sovereign ruler of this land? There is a co-ruler, but she does not count," Said a tank-man with a grin on his smug face. "Ah yes, the enemies of the kingdom," Baki beamed, sounding like he was re-living his glory days. "What are the enemies of the kingdom?" Saki asked, curious. She raised a brow. "There are several. Some individual, others making an army," replied the tank-man, backing off quickly. "NO!" Maki shouted, slamming his hooves on the table. "The brats are our main priority! We have to make more hybrids to wipe them out!" "He has a point," Baki spoke, pointing at the red-maned unicorn with a hoof. "Yes. But what will we make? We've thrown everything at them and YONEKO is on their side!" Saki replied frantically, waving her forelegs like no tomorrow. "Hell's bells!" Maki shrieked, slamming his face on the table. > Chapter 10- Something's a Bit....Off (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Koto was looking in a mirror. Her reflection had shown her with oceanic blue wings and a sky-blue horn. She even had a little ocean-blue tiara on her head. On her chest she wore regal armor, with a gem reminiscent of her boomerang. She stepped outside and looked skywards. The sun was just rising and already the sky gave its usual first half of it's two-fold brilliance. Except it was fantastic. No other words could describe the beauty she saw. She started to feel the ground shift. "No!" Koto cried, completely caught off-guard. The balcony slipped under her hooves, and she fell at a terrific speed. Her wings were useless, as was her horn. Clouds passed by her falling form, and she flailed about. She was...human again? It was dark. She could not see. Her left arm ceased moving, as it was crushed under a pile of rubble. Defiantly, she moved a small bit of rubble off of the pile she was already underneath. She saw her friends, unconscious, unmoving. But she also saw the two professors and Mimi, as well as the strange cat-eared fairy girl. They took care of the castle-hybrid long enough for it to revert to the two separate beings that merged to form it. But then, they were sent flying. In her direction. "NOOOOOO!!!" Koto shrieked as she tossed the covers off her. She was once again an earth pony. She huffed and wheezed, as reality came back to slap her upside the head. Her hangover had returned. Now she remembered why it was a very bad idea to get drunk. She shook her head, pounding against it with her hooves. What the damned hell did she do last night after getting drunk?! But the sake was much too tempting! She had a vague memory of....hitting on Rekka? But what happened after that? "It's better not to remember," she murmured to herself. Wait! She saw Mimi, the cat-eared girl and the professors too?! Then, if she saw Misaki here, then that meant...! She tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door. What would they think of this? "Looks like Rekka was....somewhat right, I guess..." She sighed, shaking her head a bit. She heard footsteps from the ground floor. Her ears suddenly perked. Reluctantly, she tiptoed downstairs. What she saw nearly caused her to jump out of her pelt. There were three unconscious ponies arranged in an orb pattern. Among them, only one was a stallion. He was a light grey with a black mane and tail. He wore glasses, a lab coat, and his device. His cutie mark was reminiscent of his weapon, which was an overgrown toy car for some reason. The second one, a mare, was a peachy color with a brown mane tied back. She wore a lab coat and a device too. Her cutie mark was a white teacup with a green clover on it. The third, a filly, was a light orange with a purple mane. Her cutie mark was a mix between a never-melting ice cream cone and a baseball bat. In short, a purple-and-green club of sorts. Wait, where was the cat-eared fairy girl?! Koto's eyes darted left, then right. On the couch sat a white filly with a raven-cut black mane and red-pink eyes. Her ears were still pink and her pixie wings were now organic and fully functional. "Hi, Koto! I missed you!" She beamed with a big grin. "I missed you too, Miki!" Koto replied with a smile. She was glad they were okay. Miki began fluttering around here and there, exploring the vast Boutique. She was the really, really playful type who had suddenly popped up from nowhere and she was never seen without a smile. "Say, are the others here too?" Miki asked. Koto nodded. The stallion shifted, then groaned. "01! You're up!" Miki and Koto shouted in unison. Yes, he insisted he be called 01 for some unknown reason. He was a somewhat lunatic professor, but he had his good intentions (and on some occasions, suspicions). "Koto.... is it me...or are you.....here as well?" 01 said, his voice hinting serious pain. "Yes, I am here too. So are the others," Koto beamed with a smile of her own. 01 groaned, then stood up, albeit wobbly. "Really?" He asked, groaning in pain. Koto nodded. "That hybrid......dammit, now I see why you and the others failed to defeat it," 01 groaned, scrunching one eye closed. The peachy-colored mare began stirring. Moans of pain escaped her lips. "Mikarya!" Koto said. "Koto......?" Mikarya replied, trying to open her eyes. She was a motherly figure who would not take any form of tomfoolery should it involve something stupid or life-risking. "Yes, it's me. Everyone is here as well!" Koto answered, her tail shifting between her legs. "I feel strange...." Mikarya said, moving until she was standing up with a horrible limp. "I will give you the explanation once Mimi's awake," Koto stated, ears flat. ---- "So, this is what happened and...." 01 said, his voice hinting grief and disappointment. "Yes," Koto said, her head hanging low. "At least we're not being openly mocked this time, young lady!" Mikarya said in a stern, motherly tone. "You know damn well you shouldn't get drunk like that!!" Mimi and Miki were in the other room. They were told to stay out of this. Koto's ears folded back again. There was no point arguing. "But alas, I am unable to do anything. The Quartet is here, and they need to be dealt with before more damage is done." Mikarya said, softly. 01 hugged Koto, who was now sobbing heavily. Mikarya went upstairs and found everyone else awake. Rekka, Tenmei, Yuuki, and Nagare were huddled in a corner. They overheard the lecture and feared the worst of punishments. Yet the punishments never came. > Chapter 11- Attributes and Elements (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So, Miss Sparkle. You were told of our existence, as it were?" 01 asked. Twilight nodded. "I see. You were also told of the Special Task Force and what they....erm.....partake in?" 01 continued. Twilight nodded once more. "Ah. And one final question: Is the Quartet here as well?" "Yes, they are, as far as we know. We don't know where exactly in Equestria they are at, but Misaki seems to know they're lurking," Twilight replied with another nod. "Alrighty then. We have to make preparations to see when and where they are at, so that at any rate we can strike," 01 said, shifting his glasses slightly. "Why do they want our new friends dead?" Rarity asked, her voice filled with dread. "They wish to wipe out the whole Special Task Force so they can start world domination," 01 grimly answered. "But we want to fight too! I want to use one of those doohickeys you guys wear all the time!" Rainbow chimed, pointing her hoof accusingly at the professor. "Miss Dash, you are very fortunate. We have six spare devices on our person. They are brand-new, in fact. Though you and the other Elements need to take lessons from either Nagare, Koto, Rekka, Tenmei, or Yuuki. Speaking of which, we need the other three Elements here," 01 said, a slight grin on his face. "I've already sent my sister Sweetie Belle to fetch them," Rarity answered, crossing her forelegs. "Excellent! They need to know of this as well, but it must not be leaked to the outside world until the most critical moment in which to do so arrives," 01 said, beaming with a smile. "Why not?" Twilight asked, shrugging her shoulders. "The Quartet is very cunning, and as you are very much aware of, they've gone so far as to slander, embarrass, and even have some people turn on us! If Celestia so much as agrees with them, then it is simply all over," 01 replied, sighing. "They know how to sway people to their cause. I dare say the same could be said for ponies as well." "Oh my..." Twilight said, shaking her head in disbelief. "We must wait for the other Elements to arrive. Then, we will talk business," 01 said, sighing again. ---- Sweetie Belle had fetched Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. They had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. But what they saw could not have been brought by even Discord. Big Mac was holding off a fridge-person. Applejack and her little sister, as well as Scootaloo, stood back to watch. Suddenly, Big Mac pushed the fridge-man and then kicked him with his hind legs. He was sent flying into the sky and disappeared into the clouds. "Ah knew you could do it, Big Mac!" Applejack said, rushing in to hug her brother. "Eeyup," Was all he replied with. "Applejack! Rarity sent me to get you! You need to go to the Carousel Boutique right now!" Sweetie shouted as she began to take her leave. "Ah hope she ain't gonna make me fabulous and all that!" Applejack replied, scowling at the last time that happened. "She won't! It's something else entirely!" Sweetie called again, stopping. "Well, shoot. Does it have to do with the fridge-gone-walkabout?" Applejack asked, raising a brow and shifting her hat. "More than that! Just head to the Boutique!" Sweetie answered, turning around and galloping to the Boutique. "Might as well bring Big Mac," Applejack called again before turning to her brother. "Eeyup," Big Mac said with a simple nod. ---- "You brought the other Elements in addition to Applebloom, Scootaloo and Big Mac?" Rarity asked, eyes widening a bit. "Yeah. They wanted to come with too!" Sweetie replied with a grin. "This fridge-thing attacked us, and Big Mac sent him flyin'!" Applejack said, sitting on her haunches and waving her forelegs frantically. "Eeyup," Big Mac said, nodding his head. "About that, we have some special visitors that know more about the fridge-thing and much more things that are obscure," Rarity said, leading them into the Boutique. "Wait a minute! Them the ponies that landed in the dirt from outta nowhere?!" Applejack said, noticing Tenmei waving at her. "Yes. They are," Twilight answered, sighing. "Well, tarnation!" Applejack said, impressed. "And a few more," 01 said, sorting the spare devices. "Who's he?" Applebloom asked, pointing to 01. "He’s a friend of our guests," Rarity replied, watching him sort the devices. ---- "Oh my. We have to help as well?" Fluttershy whispered, head hanging low. "Yes. The more allies, the better," Mikarya said, putting her hoof on the pegasus's shoulder. "And what are these gizmos for?" Applejack asked, fumbling with a device. "They contain weapons that will make the Q-hybrids return to our world, or cyberspace, whichever comes first. We've deduced that the Elements of Harmony cannot be used against them or the Quartet," 01 stated, helping the farm mare put the thing on her foreleg. "So, these things will help us in the long run?" Pinkie asked, standing on her hind legs and placing her forelegs behind her head. "Yes. You must be taught how to use them though. The weapons vary from person to person." 01 said, crossing his forelegs together. "Or in this case, pony to pony," Mimi corrected. She, like Miki, was playful, though she did express sadness and shock on occasion. She was also the smart-alec type, often correcting mistakes here and there whenever someone was speaking. "At any rate, we can stop the Quartet," Mikarya said, raising a hoof like she was in a classroom. "I hope they don't make Q-hybrids out of ponies," Rekka chimed, scratching his head with both hooves. "Here, I do not think that's possible," 01 said, shifting his forelegs a bit. > Chapter 12- Target Practice (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sire! I've brought serious news," Saki said, looming over her superior's shoulder. "What is it THIS TIME, Saki?!" Baki barked, his horn beginning to crackle with magic. "Those damn professors showed up, and what's more, they're training the Elements of Harmony to use those devices as we speak!" Saki shrieked, jumping away a bit. "SAY WHAT?!" Baki barked, turning around and smacking Saki upside the head. "HOW DARE YOU HIT ME." Saki snarled, her pelt once again red. "Oh hell...." Baki whimpered before he began to run. ---- Pinkie was the first to train. Her weapon? The device, unsurprisingly, gave her an updated version of her party cannon. Rekka had taken out his laser gun to commence the training. They had quite a few ring targets to shoot. Rekka fired a standard laser gun bullet that cut a target in half. "Your turn, Pinkie." Rekka said, smiling. Pinkie aimed her cannon at the next ring target. She pulled the trigger a few times. Nothing. "Lemme try something," Rekka said, noticing the cannon doing nothing other than click. Pinkie pulled the trigger once more. A cannon ball the size of Rekka's laser hit-- no, smashed the ring target. "Okay then!" Rekka said, nearly jumping out of his pelt. "This thing is super-duper fun!" Pinkie shouted in glee. ---- Rarity's device gave her a scimitar, elegantly crafted from only the finest, strongest, and hardest gemstones. She had to learn to stand on her hind legs for more than two minutes before being able to effectively wield the damn thing. Nagare was her training partner. There were different items to strike with the blade, ranging from a mere twig in the ground to a tree stump, with a bamboo stick for added measure. "Remember, it takes quite a lot of practice to wield these things," Nagare said, readying his sword between his hooves. Rarity nodded. He swung his sword on a tree stump. Hardly anything. "Your turn." He said. Rarity swung the gem-sword with all her might. It grew to the size of a house before slicing the stump in half, with the severed wind blowing dust in their faces. "Excellent!" Nagare said, having a coughing fit. "Good gracious!" Rarity shrieked, trying to keep the dirt off of her mane. ---- Rainbow and Koto were training. The goal? There was a ring in a tree. Well, several rings in a tree. The goal was to see whose weapon could get the most rings. Rainbow's device gave her a 7-bladed boomerang whose blades were individual colors of the rainbow. Thankfully, unless said 7-bladed boomerang was behemoth-sized, the rings had little to no chance of being cut. Koto threw her boomerang. It caught three rings before returning to her. "Now your turn," she said. Rainbow threw her weapon. When it returned to her, the rest of the rings were on the blades. "You sure are a natural!" Koto said with a smile. "That was too easy!" Rainbow said with a cocky grin. ---- Applejack's device gave her a modified gun that could fire knives. As such, Tenmei was training her. The goal here was to shoot paper cranes onto a ring target. In short, modified archery. There were precisely five targets and fifteen cranes to shoot. Misaki carefully placed the cranes on top of slim, wooden sticks. There was a rock that they could lean on for support. Tenmei fired three consecutive bolts from his crossbow. Each one struck two cranes on three ring targets. "Your go, Applejack," he said, wiping sweat off his forehead. It was hotter than hell. Applejack leaned against the rock. She took aim. "This thing fires knives. Ah best be careful," Applejack thought. She closed her eyes, and... "WHOA!" Applejack opened her eyes. The remaining cranes were pinned to the other two targets by knives, and not one stick was even splintered! "DAMN!" Tenmei said, nearly falling over. "Looks like Ah can use a weapon after all." Applejack said, wiping sweat off of her brow. ---- Yuuki was training with Twilight. Twilight's device gave her a ball of pure energy. This energy changed elements depending on how the situation turned out to be. For instance, if a water-based Q-hybrid attacked, the ball would become fire-based. If the hybrid was wind, the ball would become a damn boulder. Lightning, you ask? The ball would become anything but lightning-based. The goal here was to make at least a dent in a brick wall. Yuuki kicked her ball. A few cracks formed on the wall after impact. For a few seconds, purple sparks flew off of the impact site. "Remember, fling anything but lightning. I had this brick wall built specifically to absorb the element my ball holds," Yuuki recited. Twilight nodded, then stood on her hind legs to concentrate. The energy ball turned a blazing red. The lavender unicorn kicked as hard as she could. "HOLY GUACAMOLE!" Yuuki shouted, recoiling in shock. Twilight gaped. The brick wall was no longer a wall. It now now a pile of pitiful, petty pebbles. "Looks like I beat your challenge," Twilight said with a smile. "No wonder Celestia made you her personal student!" Yuuki remarked, grinning in embarrassed joy. ---- Fluttershy's device gave her a teapot. A giant, white teapot. Mikarya ended up training her. The goal here was to see who could fling their respective weapon the furthest. There were markings indicating 100 yards, 150 yards, and so forth. Mikarya flung her teacup. It landed at the 300 yard mark. "You're up, buttercup," She said, motioning with her hoof. Fluttershy nodded. She flung it as hard as she could. It landed slightly passed the teacup. A few yards or so. "You could use some work there. But I won't push you around," Mikarya said, clapping her hooves together. Fluttershy smiled slightly. "U-um, thank you." She whispered. > Chapter 13- A New Ally (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The night came 'round again. The moon was full, shining it's pale light upon Equestria. Nothing stirred in the night, save for one pony. Windows were concealed with shutters, blinds, or a combination thereof; and doors were tightly locked with the greatest care. Even the shadows in the darkened alleyways remained absolutely still. The pony who was walking down the streets could hear nothing but her own breathing and steady hoofsteps. Trot, trot. The moonlight had shined upon this pony, revealing it to be a light blue with an oceanic mane, albeit with softer shades. Trot, trot, trot. The pony seemed to be walking with a rather slow rhythm. Trot, trot, trot, trot. The sky was clear of clouds. The moon seemed to be a brilliant gold. Something seemed to lead the mare onwards. Trot, trot. If anyone else saw the mare, then judging by her expression, something was bothering her greatly. Trot, trot. The mare stopped dead in her tracks. She perked her ears to listen. What was that? Was something... running towards her? She turned around. No. It was not running. It was flying towards her. A boomerang materialized out of thin air. The mare clutched it with her foreleg. That thing was approaching her at a dangerously fast speed. No time to dilly-dally, then. The mare looked at her right foreleg. Vines held her in place. The thing was getting closer. She tried jerking her legs. No response. Vines took hold of her left foreleg, forcing the boomerang out of her grip. It was getting closer still. She could see it now: a man fused with a Mach 1 jet. She kept struggling. The vines covered her everywhere except her head. The jet-person collided with her head-first, forcing the vines to break. The boomerang disappeared. "Y-You saved me?" The frightened mare asked. "Yes. I am taking you back to the Boutique," replied the jet-man. He turned to the direction of the Boutique and flew onwards. A shadow emerged from a nearby alleyway. It was a white unicorn mare with a wavy blue mane. "Damn it all. I was so close too!" Saki snarled, her horn having ceased its glow. ---- "It's foolish to go out at this time!" Mikarya scolded, standing in front of the door. "But, Koto's out there! I want to know what happened!" Rekka shrieked, struggling as vending lady held him by the forelegs. "Yeah! He's right! What if something really bad happened to her?!" Twilight chimed, raising her hoof to object. "Wait! Koto.... you mean to tell me she snuck out?!" Mikarya said, aghast in utter surprise. "That's why I want to see if she's okay!" Rekka snarled, still struggling to break free. Everyone stopped as they heard what sounded like a jet approaching. "I hope it's not another Q-hybrid," Nagare said, raising a brow. "I'll see what it is," Rarity said, waiting for Mikarya to move before walking out the door. "Special Delivery!" Said the jet-man. Rarity gaped because he was carrying Koto. "Thank you! You may enter," Rarity said, sighing in relief. The jet-man entered, carrying Koto in his arms. "Uh, these vines attacked her, and.... I freed her from them," he said solemnly. Vending lady let go of Rekka, who fell on his rump. "VINES?!" Everyone else shouted in unison. The jet-man nodded. He put Koto down, who ran upstairs crying. ---- "Sire, I've failed to catch one of the brats," Saki said, traces of anger lingering in her voice. "Which one?" Baki asked, raising a brow. "The boomerang-wielder. I already had her entangled in vines and a hybrid snatched her up from nowhere," Saki replied, the corners of her mouth twitching in a frown. "A WHAT?" Baki shrieked. He hadn't expected to be hearing that. "Yes, sire. I planned on bringing her here so we could coax the other brats into rescuing her," Saki said, nodding. "How would we coax them if the capture was successful?" Baki asked once more, putting a hoof to his chin. "She's been more cautious than the brat who wields the ball. I assume that something is going on with her," Saki answered, sitting on her haunches. "Such as?" Baki said, raising an eyebrow. "I've noticed she's been..." Saki trailed off with a sigh, "...ill lately. She has been throwing up more often than the other brats. I am not sure if it's the sake or something else. That's all I have to report, sire." "How much more often?" Baki replied, eyes widening. "Considerably so. I'd say thrice a week minimum compared to the twice-a-month-at-most of the other brats." Saki answered, crossing her forelegs together. "So, you're saying if this keeps up, when she cannot go outside to fight, that's when we snatch her up?" Baki stated, his eyebrow still raised. "Precisely. We leave nothing indicating we were there," Saki answered once more as a sick grin crept on her muzzle. "Excellent," Baki snarled, smiling deviously. > Chapter 14- Emotional Pains (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little over four months had passed since the jet-man brought Koto back to safety. They weren't exactly...pleasant. "Is Koto alright?" Rarity asked, concerned. Koto's sobbing could be heard from outside the boutique, and it was rather worrisome. "I don't know. She certainly doesn't sound alright," Twilight replied, ears folded back. "I'll see if she needs something. She could use company," Rekka said, trotting his way upstairs. "This isn't good," Yuuki murmured, trying not to panic. "Do you know what's wrong with Koto?" Applejack asked, looking at the purple earth pony. "Not exactly. She's been getting sick lately," Yuuki answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "I can only guess." "Well, shoot. Ah hope she gets ta feelin' better soon," Applejack stated, her head hanging low. ---- "Koto?" Rekka called as he entered the hall. The blue mare was nowhere in sight, but her sobbing did not die down. If anything, it only grew louder. Rekka reluctantly walked to the bathroom. He leaned his head on the door with an ear perked. She was....coughing? No... she was gagging. Rekka pounded on the door. It was locked. "Koto!" He cried frantically. He pounded once more. It would not budge. "What do you want?!" Koto cried from within. For now, her gagging ceased. "Let me in! I want to talk to you!" Rekka replied, growing increasingly worried. "Go away!" Koto cried. She sounded afraid. "Let me in!" Rekka repeated, banging his hoof on the door once more. "I said no!" Koto yelled. More gagging could be heard. "I'm sorry, Rarity, but this must be done..." Rekka murmured to himself. He turned around and kicked the door. It cracked. He kicked again. It bulged inward. One more kick... it flew off the hinges. "Stay away! Stay away from me!" Koto shrieked desperately. Rekka turned around and walked inside the bathroom. What little fragments that remained broke under his hooves as though they were mere twigs. He looked at Koto, who was huddled against a wall. Her light-blue coat was now coated in vomit, blood, and a few splinters from the door, though mostly on her muzzle, stomach, and chest. Her mane was an absolute mess, hanging heavy with filth. Just above her hooves were patches of bare, bloodied skin. Her eyes were dilated in horror. Tears kept streaming down her face. "What the hell happened, Koto?! Did someone harm you?!" Rekka cried, realizing the severity of the situation at hoof. "Just leave me alone!" Koto cried, her boomerang once more in her grasp. "What...... what has gotten into you?" Rekka whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. He approached the mare cautiously. Whatever had happened, he need not be reckless. She had her boomerang in hoof and she was not afraid to use it, despite her appearance saying otherwise. "Just go away...." Koto murmured. Her body was shaking violently. Rekka sat in front of her. He raised a hoof and stroked her muzzle gently, getting some of the grime on her pelt in the process. "Just tell me what went wrong. I'll try to fix it," He whispered softly. "You can't fix it...." Koto whispered, shaking her head. "Y-You would not understand...." "Of course I would. I might be shocked, but I'd still try to do right. Now, tell me what's wrong," Rekka repeated, a false smile on his face. "No.... you wouldn't...." Koto murmured, still shaking her head. "Would you tell me what's wrong.... if I said I truly loved you more than the world?" Rekka asked, frowning in worry. "Do....do you mean it?" Koto replied, ears perked and eyes wide in shock. "More than anything," Rekka answered, still stroking her face. He wiped a tear or two away. "I....I.....I.....Nurse....Nurse Redheart.....told me..." Koto stuttered, shaking violently. "She told you what?" Rekka asked, ready for whatever she was going to say. "I......I'll.....I won't be able to fight for the next four months....." Koto answered, gulping hard. "Why not?" Rekka asked again, raising an eyebrow. Koto was silent for a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity before she spoke again. "I'm gonna be a parent." "Now I understand.... Now I understand why you hid from everyone. You're afraid, aren't you?" Rekka said, hiding his shock quite well as he continued to stroke the mare's face gently. Koto nodded. "I'm afraid they wouldn't care enough about me......to help me through this. Now I understand....why everyone else.....waited," She whispered, her voice hinting another mental breakdown. Rekka wrapped his forelegs around Koto, stroking her mangy mane as she wept on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. It might not look that way now, but it's gonna work out somehow." ---- "WHAT?!" Everyone else shouted in unison. "Yeah. It's been a real bummer for her. So if any hostile hybrids show up, expect me and Koto to stay put. Someone has to be there for her, and I can't stand it seeing her have a breakdown like that. It's.... also why I broke the door," Rekka explained, sitting on his haunches and rubbing the back of his head with a hoof. "How will she get through this with the Quartet running around doing whatever it is they do?!" Rarity asked, holding her hooves before her in shock. "I don't know. But like I said, I have to be there for her. It's a responsibility I did not plan on taking this early, but it's something I have to do," Rekka answered, shrugging. "Besides, wouldn't the other stallions in this room do the same? And what of Spike? I'm sure he'd help somehow too!" "He has a point," 01 said, nodding slowly. "Good call," Tenmei chimed, crossing his forelegs. "I rest my case," Nagare said as if he knew of this before it even started. A cocky grin was on his face. "Smartypants," Yuuki sneered with a giggle. "Excuse me, Miss Purple?" Nagare snarled, turning to the purple pony with a glare full of murderous intent. "Alright, alright! Calm the damn fightin'! It won't get us anywhere except to our downfall!" Applejack said, now standing between the two. "Besides, Rekka here made a solid point. He's gonna be a daddy. Why are we standing here with a red flag for the Quartet to see?! We're just giving ourselves away if this arguin' keeps up!" "Applejack made another solid point. If anything, we need to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. And I do mean ANYTHING." Misaki said, moving her robotic leg to make sure it worked properly. "Including hybrids trying to foal-nap and such?" Tenmei asked, raising a brow. Misaki merely nodded as she put her foreleg down. "Then Ah will stay here with the Crusaders, Miki, and the parents-to-be. At any rate, less shenanigans will happen," Big Mac said with a nod. "But I wanna help!" Sweetie Belle cried, a frown on her face. "Me too!" called Scootaloo, her eyes wide. "Why do we have to stay here and be bored?!" Applebloom whined, stomping her hoof like a whiny brat. "You don't know what yer up against, little sis. Besides, them things are dangerous. You saw that fridge-thing freeze a whole tree by himself. What if he did that to you and there was no bringin' ya back?" Big Mac stated with a nod. "B-But...!" Applebloom started, ears folded back. "No 'buts'. Your big brother has a point. He knows what he's doing, and he wants to ensure you live long enough to at least earn the cutie mark you've been craving," Rekka said, getting up and walking to the fillies. "You really want to earn that mark, don't ya? Then don't get into a reckless situation you are ill-prepared for. Trust me, I've been through enough to know about these things. Same goes for Sweetie and Scoots here. Isn't that right, Big Mac?" "Eeyup," Big Mac answered. "Sounds 'bout right," And with that statement, the Crusaders all whined together. > Chapter 15-Carousel Shenanigans (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The broken door was now repaired, and Koto was in the shower getting all that grime off of her. It dawned on her that she had yet to decide on a name for her upcoming foal. Speaking of which, how many would she have now or in the future? That, Nurse Redheart didn't say, which somewhat bothered her. She tried getting the dirt out of her mane, only to find it had a tangle the size of the Gryphon Kingdom. "Koto, do you need anything?" Rekka asked, sitting on the toilet. No, he was not using the bathroom. "I need a hairbrush," Koto answered, tugging at her mane a bit. Rekka stood up and walked to the bathroom mirror-cabinet. He opened the door and found a hairbrush as well as quite a lot of beauty products. He picked up the hairbrush, trotted to the shower, and handed it to a waiting blue hoof. Soon, the sound of the hairbrush pulling at the tangle filled the room. "C-Could you help me with this knot in my hair? It just will not come loose," Koto said after a while. "Sure thing," Rekka said, stepping into the shower. He needed to get clean too. The more, the merrier. He took the brush and started combing the tangles out, bit by bit. Boy, she really needed the help. Eventually, the tangles lost the battle. And the dirt said tangles contained, for that matter. "Thanks. Those tangles sure put up a fight," Koto said with a grin. She was now grime-free. "Anytime, sweetheart," Rekka replied. He sounded like they were already married. The two wrapped their forelegs around each other's shoulders. "We need to decide on names," Koto whispered with a sigh. "Ah," Rekka said, nodding. "For the foal, I assume?" "Yes," Koto sighed, eyes closed. "We only started talking about the foal a few minutes ago, so it's best to do so ASAP." "I could not agree more," He replied, smiling. ---- "Rekka?" Sweetie Belle said, poking the stallion's foreleg. "Yeah?" He replied, looking at the unicorn filly. "Will you and Koto get married someday?" Sweetie asked, sitting on her haunches. "Yeah, we will. Why do you ask?" Rekka answered, ears perked and eyes wide. He didn't expect that question. "I don't think it's a good idea with the Quartet running around," Sweetie said, ears flat. "While that is true, we'll be under protection. Don't worry," Rekka chimed with a smile. "When's the wedding?" Scootaloo asked, flapping her wings. "When we're sure we won't be attacked," Koto answered. She was laying on the couch eating a daisy sandwich. "You took the last daisy, didn't you?!" Applebloom cried, pointing a hoof accusingly at the blue mare. "It looks like I did, but there is another jar of them on the counter," Koto replied, raising a brow. "Them ain't daisies, them are dandelions!" Applebloom whined, stomping her hoof. "I am pretty sure those are daisies. I have potted plants back at home," Yuuki said as she entered the room. "Really?" Applebloom asked. Yuuki nodded. Koto finished her sandwich and yawned. She sure was tired. The jet-man remained silent. He was staring at the ceiling whilst laying on the floor. "Where has Rainbow Dash gone off to?" Pinkie asked, looking at Twilight. "From what I was told, she went to buy groceries. She said she'd be back in an hour or so," Twilight said, crossing her forelegs. "Hey guys! I brought the groceries!" Rainbow called from outside. "Speak of the devil!" Tenmei said, being the first to run out the door. ---- "I found the brat's problem, sire," Saki said with a sigh. "That problem being?" Baki asked, raising a brow. "She is pregnant with a foal, and is unable to fight for four months. But that doesn't mean she won't be alone," Saki answered, eyes twitching in irritation. "Who's the dad?" Maki asked, dumbstruck. He blinked a few times. "The brat with the laser gun," Saki replied, her hoof colliding with her face. "Furthermore, they're due for a wedding. When we or our hybrids are not attacking them." "So, we can't ruin the wedding if they don't host it?!" Maki said, aghast. "Pretty much," Saki stated as she nodded. “Darn...” > Side Story 1- What's On TV? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hey! Are you a television?!" Sweetie asked. "Yes and no." Replied TV-girl. "I wonder what channel is on!" Sweetie said, turning the knobs on TV-girl's box. "Hey!" TV-girl shouted. "Why won't the channel change?!" Sweetie pouted. "LET ME GO!" TV-girl bellowed, shocking Sweetie Belle. "OW!" Sweetie cried, jumping away from the TV-girl. "Sweetie Belle, you really are stupid." Scootaloo said. "How so?" Sweetie asked. "The TV can talk. She told ya to let go." Applebloom answered. "No. TV's can't talk, so you're the dummy!" Sweetie replied. "You can't hear her. So you're an even bigger dummy!" Scootaloo chimed. Sweetie grabbed TV-girl's box and started shaking her. "I SAID LET ME GO!" TV-girl hollered. "You're not supposed to talk! You're supposed to change channels!" Sweetie yelled, continuing her shaking of TV-girl. "HELP! SOMEONE! I AM BEING ATTACKED!" Caterwauled TV-girl, who was now helpless. "Okay, what the..... Sweetie Belle! Let go of that TV!" Applejack shouted. Reluctantly, Sweetie did as she was told. "Applebloom, Scootaloo. Did ya try stopping her?" Applejack asked. "Yeah! She would not listen!" Scootaloo answered. "Sweetie Belle, yer grounded. Go upstairs, and into the naughty corner. I'd deal with ya m'self, but seeing as the talkin' TV is not from 'round here, I'll let either Rekka or Koto deal with ya." Applejack scolded. Sweetie ran upstairs crying. "Hey, ya alive?" Applejack asked, gently nudging TV-girl with her hoof. "I am dizzy...." TV-girl answered. Koto walked in from the porch. "Um, ya need to deal with Sweetie Belle. And b'fore ya ask, she harassed the talkin' TV so much she's seein' stars!" Applejack announced. "Where is she?" Koto sighed, rolling her eyes. "Upstairs in the naughty corner." Applejack replied. > Chapter 16- Rescue Mission! (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "That everything?" Rainbow asked, preening her wings. "Yep, it's all the groceries. They've been put up," Tenmei answered, cleaning his glasses. "Koto, how are you holding up?" Nagare said, tilting his head to the side. "W-What do you mean?" Koto replied, ears perked. "Oioioi..... how's the pregnancy going?" Nagare repeated, his hoof connecting with his face. "Oh. It's going fine. I felt a kick just now," Koto said, now smiling. "I wanna feel!" Scootaloo said, rushing to the blue mare. "You what?" Applejack stated, raising a brow. ---- "HYAAAAAAA!!!!!" Rekka jolted awake, his ears hit with the sound of a scream. He knew who the scream belonged to. It came from outside. He threw the covers off, jumped out of bed, and ran downstairs. "Koto?!" He called. He ran out the door. There was a gold stallion with a scarlet mane levitating Koto in the air, his horn aglow with a dark crimson. "Maki!" Rekka shouted, rushing to the unicorn. "Put her down!" Maki only smiled wryly. Suddenly, Saki appeared behind Rekka and levitated him. "You two annoying lovebirds are coming with us!" Saki barked, annoyed beyond belief. ---- SLAM! "And you two are staying in that cell. For now, you will be spared from death!" Baki snarled, glaring at the couple now in one of the holding cells. "Guard robots! Come hither at once! Guard the prisoners!" "Where'd you--" "SILENCE!" Baki barked, hurling a rock at Rekka before he could even sound a third word. The Quartet leader then left, and in his place appeared four robots. Two with guns, two without. These were the same robots that helped keep Misaki in check. Rekka groaned, as the rock hit him smack in the forehead. "Rekka, what are we gonna do?" Koto asked, her hoof over her mouth. She felt the tears coming on. "I.... I don't know," Rekka groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Our weapons have been disabled by these chains on our hooves. Can we really not do anything now?" Koto whispered, trying not to cry. "It....may seem that way. I think it's best to wait. There will be a time when the guards are distracted," Rekka answered, shifting his legs into a sleeping position. ---- "So, one of the lovebirds is having a baby. I wonder what we'll do with it." Maki said, leaning his head on a hoof. "We'll deal with it in the same way we deal with the lovebirds themselves: by execution," Baki said, holding both hooves together as if he were human again. "But we've never executed a child before. At least, not that young. Hence why I agree with Maki," Saki said, lighting a cigarette. "You and your technicalities. Still, this is relatively new, so I won't argue," Baki nodded in agreement. "Can I have a smoke?" Maki asked, looking at his partner-in-crime. "Sure," Saki said, lighting another cigarette and handing it to Maki. "Thanks," Maki said, taking a huff and then making rings of smoke. "Ah, screw it. Might as well have one too," Baki said, lighting a cigar. "So, as I was going to say: I say we dump it in a river before their eyes." Maki said, raising his hoof. "Nay, I say we kill the male and infant, and lure the other brats here with the girl!" Saki said, shaking her head in disapproval at Maki's statement. "We keep them alive until her contractions start. We then escort the male to his doom and leave the other to die in labor. How's that?" Baki said, taking in a puff of smoke. "BRILLIANT!" Maki said, grinning widely. "But, how much longer until she's due?" "About four months according to the nurse who tested her, give or take a few days or weeks," Saki answered, taking in another huff. "And what if she doesn't die during labor?" "Infection," Baki said, blowing out rings of smoke. "It's quite common during labor in places that aren't as spick-and-span as a hospital. If that does not work, we starve them out." "Even better. The word 'brilliant' is but an understatement!" Saki chimed, smiling wickedly. ---- Days turned into weeks. From the marks on the wall, 15 weeks went by. Or, more accurately, 15 weeks and four days. They were fed twice and watered thrice daily. "Rekka, it hurts," Koto moaned, her legs shifting a bit. "What hurts?" Rekka asked, somewhat confused. "Gya!" Koto cried, clutching her engorged stomach with a foreleg. Tears started welling in her eyes. "You can't mean......!" Rekka stammered, his eyes wide. Koto nodded, then let off another cry of pain, falling over on her side. "Koto!" Rekka cried, rushing over to the hurt mare. "Robots! Take him away! Leave the girl in there!" Called Baki via intercom. The cell opened, and two guards began approaching the couple. Before the guards could hoist Rekka off the ground, a knife shot out of nowhere, disarming both armed guards in a split second. Another set of knives aimed at the heads shut the robots off. Another set shut off the robots standing before Rekka. "Twilight! Get them outta here!" Called a familiar voice. "Applejack!" Rekka shouted, ears perked. A purple aura surrounded the fallen robots, and in a flash, they disappeared. In their place stood Twilight Sparkle. "Wh-What's this?! GUARDS! SEIZE THEM ALL!" Baki shouted via intercom. "Why aren't you getting up, Koto?!" Twilight asked, motioning for the mare to get up. "Earth to Twilight?! When did you become blind?! She's in labor!" Rekka answered, holding the mare in his forelegs. Koto let off another pained cry, clutching Rekka's right foreleg. "I've no choice, then. Applejack, get over here!" Twilight called, turning around briefly to the cell entrance. The farm mare ran to the holding cell, clutching her modified gun. "What in the world is happenin', sugarcube?!" Twilight's horn flared purple. With one flash, not one of the four ponies were even laying in the cell. "DAMN IT ALL! SAKI, MAKI! HUNT THEM DOWN!" Baki called over intercom once more. ---- "Will she be okay?" Yuuki solemnly asked, ears flat. "We're not sure. All I know is I am not allowed in there," the doctor replied. "How's Rekka holding up?" Rainbow asked, sitting on her haunches. "Who?" the doctor replied, raising a brow. Twilight smacked her hoof onto her face. "The red stallion with the blue hat," she corrected. "Oh, so that's his name? He's doing marvelous. He's also in there, apparently helping with the ongoing labor," the doctor answered with a grin. ---- Koto was in the hospital bed, fast asleep. The device-restraining chains were removed from her hooves as well as Rekka's. He was sitting in a chair holding a little bundle in his forelegs. The little one was a light lavender, with a red, purple, and blue striped mane. The child, a filly, was asleep. "Her eyes don't match... one's scarlet and the other oceanic. That's it. Ocean Flame sounds like a good name," Rekka murmured, a grin on his face. > Chapter 17- Yuuki Was Only Half-Right (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I wonder what the baby looks like!" Pinkie said, hopping around everyone else. "Red-and-blue, or full-fledged purple? Therein lies the point!" Yuuki called, an eager grin on her face. "It's most likely gonna be two colors. I highly doubt one or three, despite Yuuki's logic," Twilight said, sighing. "A thousand yen says two," Nagare stated, rolling his eyes. "I bet two thousand yen it'll be one color!" Tenmei called, raising his hoof. "Six thousand yen says three!" yelled vending lady, hugging both stallions. "How long y'all recon they stay in the hospital?" Applejack asked, crossing her forelegs. "The doctor said two days minimum," Rarity answered, putting a hoof to her chin. ---- "There are no signs of anything serious. The filly is perfectly fine," Nurse Redheart said, a grin on her face. "Thank goodness," Rekka sighed in relief, taking his hat off. "Koto must stay for at least two days. I assume you will as well?" Redheart asked, raising a brow. Rekka nodded in response. "Have to be there for her," He said with a smile. "Okay, let's see how she's doing," The nurse said, leading Rekka into the room Koto was staying in. She was happily eating eggs, toast, biscuits, and a glass of water with a side of dandelions. Pretty soon, nothing but a plate and a glass was left on the breakfast tray. "She eats fast!" Redheart remarked, recoiling a bit. "We've been starved in the jail cell. Of course she'll eat fast," Rekka stated, ears flat. "Can't argue with that," Redheart replied, watching as Koto put the tray on the side-table next to her bed. "Is it okay for me to walk?" Koto asked, wiping crumbs off of her muzzle with a hoof. "I think it is. Just be careful as always," Redheart said, putting the filly in her crib. ---- "Purple!" Yuuki shouted, eyes narrowing in anger. "Red-and-blue!" Nagare shouted back, grinding his teeth. The two were having one hell of a heated argument. "Them two might as well take the approach Rekka and Koto did." Applejack said, getting quite annoyed at the uncouth scenario. "That being?" The two loudmouths said in unison, glaring at Applejack. "Ah dare ya to make a foal!" Applejack answered, crossing her forelegs. "SAY WHAT?!" Replied the loudmouths, their jaws agape. "Ya heard me!" Applejack said, her forelegs still crossed. ---- "Any luck?" Baki barked, his eyebrows twitching. "No. No leads whatsoever. That purple mare just came and went," Saki replied, sighing. "Still, this leaves a great deal of them vulnerable. Those who are helping with the baby are all sitting ducks. The others would not be able to make it in time," Maki said, smiling. ---- Rekka and Koto were trotting to the Boutique. They were let out of the hospital early. On Koto's back was a saddlebag that held Ocean Flame. "I think we need a new base of operations," Rekka said, worried. "But where?" Koto asked, looking around the town as she trotted. "Point taken," Rekka replied, biting his lip. In front of the boutique stood Rarity, who immediately rushed to greet them. "Oh, darlings! You've arrived just in time! Yuuki and Nagare are having an intense argument about the foal." "What are they arguing about?" Koto asked, raising a brow. "The foal's color," Rarity answered frantically. "Go inside and show them the foal before they wreck everything!" The two rushed into the boutique, and it already looked like things went from bad to worse: Yuuki and Nagare had drawn their respective weapons. They were also shouting a lot of profanities at each other. "Guys, stop and look! The foal is right here!" Koto called as she stepped in between the two. Both weapons disappeared, and they ran to look at the saddlebag. They looked at the foal, and then each other. "We should do what Applejack said," They gulped, ears folded back. Looks of sheer horror were scrawled on their faces. "Pay me six thousand yen first, bitches," Vending lady said, smiling like she'd planned this all along. > Side Story 2- Might As Well Explain The "Incident" > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You'll help us?" Tenmei asked. "Yes. I was wrong to side with the Quartet." Vending lady answered. "Why do you say that?" Yuuki asked, scratching her head. "It's a long story." Replied vending lady. "Well, this is not new to us. But we gladly accept your help!" Rekka chimed. Batteryman and water-bottle-boy nodded in agreement. (They had yet to get TV-girl and the clay-person.) "I need to rest. You guys put up quite the fight." Vending lady said. "We won't move from this spot until you're all better!" Koto replied. "Really, now?" Vending lady asked, tilting her head to the side. "That's right." Nagare answered. "Might as well have a drink or two...." Vending lady said, opening a soda can. "Is that even allowed?" Asked batteryman. "Who says a girl can't have a drink? The Quartet must learn to shut up every now and then." Replied vending lady. "She's right. Do we have to pay to get a drink?" Asked water-bottle-boy. "No. That feature was....err.....removed after I was created." Vending lady answered. "So, all drinks are on the house, no questions asked, unless it's that time when you just NEED to chill?" Yuuki stuttered, her expression hinting complete awkwardness. "Something like that." Vending lady said with a smile. "Okay." Yuuki said. "Hand me a few drinks. We could use something to regain our energy lost in the battle." Everyone else nodded. "Are you sure about that? They designed me so I could make....ahem...... adult drinks?" Vending lady twitched. "Not any drinks for those not old enough?" Rekka asked. "Well, I can do that, but it takes a lot out of me to switch. I can't switch because of our battle." Vending lady continued. "We'll take the drinks anyway!" Rekka said with a huge grin. "I-I don't think it's wise, but hey, it can't hurt once in a while?" Vending lady chimed. "CHEERS!" Everyone said clinking cans. ---- Rekka woke up in his room. He had a really bad headache and, what's more, he failed to remember anything that happened after vending lady joined the STF's cause. He threw the covers off of him. Wait a damn second, why was he only in his underwear?! This was embarrassing! "Oh, hell......I feel......wet?" Rekka thought, realizing he was cold now. He walked out of his room, and into the second floor hallway. Tenmei and Nagare were also outside, and they were having the exact same problem. "You guys too?" Rekka asked. "Yeah. Yuuki and Koto just won't come out of their rooms." Tenmei said. "We tried everything in the book. All we hear back are profanities." Nagare said. "You're kidding." "Am not." Nagare said, shaking his head. "Um, guys....." Rekka started, his eyes dilating, as it occurred to the other two that a shadow was over them. Nagare and Tenmei slowly turned around. Mikarya was glaring at them. She held both Yuuki and Koto by the hair. They were in their underwear as well, but they also had this strange white garment on their chests. "Do any of you remember what you did?" Mikarya said. They all shook their heads. "Then I will remind you of what happened. Only then will I punish you!" Mikarya barked. ---- "THEY WENT AND DID WHAT?!" 01 shrieked, slamming both hands on his desk. "You heard me. I gave them a lecture so they won't do it again. Furthermore, they're all grounded!" Mikarya said, clearly pissed. "Y-You can't be serious?!" 01 stammered. "Look on the internet, you nitwit! Mimi showed a video to me and asked me what the hell they were doing!" Mikarya roared. "I also have this little bastard working for the Quartet right here! He recorded it!" She continued, holding a camera with legs, arms, a head and a small detective's hat. "T-That's not possible!" 01 said. "It jolly well is!" Mikarya barked. "Why else are we being mocked?!" "We must take them to a doctor later...." 01 said, lowering his head in defeat. > Side Story 3- The Doctor's Visit > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Yuuki?" Mikarya called. No answer. "Yuuki, come here. Don't make me drag you out!" Mikarya repeated. Yuuki walked out, still in her undergarments. The groundings and whatnot were only a few minutes ago. "You and Koto are due for a doctor visit TODAY. Get dressed." Mikarya said. "But you said we could not go outside." Yuuki said, her head hanging low. "About that, the doctor will come here instead, if that makes you feel better." Mikarya replied. "I dislike needles." Yuuki whined. "She won't give you the needles. As a matter of fact, scratch getting dressed." Mikarya stated. "Why? Why the hell can you not make up your damn mind?!" Yuuki pointed out. "You know what pregnancy is?" Mikarya asked. "Yeah." Yuuki answered. "Wait, there's a pregnancy test on me?!" "Yes. On Koto as well." Yuuki felt her jaw drop. What's more, she had trouble lifting it up again. "The doctor should be here any moment, now go back to your room." Mikarya said. Once the coast was clear, Yuuki started banging on Koto's bedroom door, screaming as though she were a savage animal. Koto opened the door slightly. "Yuuki, why are you causing a ruckus?" Koto said, her face red from crying. "Koto, there's a doctor coming here to see if we're pregnant! PLEASE HIDE ME!" Yuuki bellowed, breaking down into a waterfall of tears. "What?!" Koto shrieked. "Yuuki, Koto! The doctor's here!" Called Mikarya. The girls hurriedly ran into the spare room, locked the door, and crammed themselves into a box. The spare room was crammed full of boxes. "Where are those girls?!" Mikarya said. "YUUKI, KOTO! GET YOUR HALF-NAKED ASSES OVER HERE!" No response. At most, crickets could be heard. Mikarya was burning with anger now. She took a deep breath, then shouted, "YUUKI! KOTO! I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN! GET YOUR HALF-NAKED ASSES IN HERE THIS INSTANT!!!" Nothing. "Should I sit in the waiting room?" The doctor asked. "Yes, you may." Mikarya said, quickly taking on a calm personality. "Alright." The doctor said, taking a seat. Mikarya marched upstairs. The sound of her feet stomping the ground was the worst sound the whole STF could hear (within their own ranks, at any rate.) Rekka trembled in his room. He was on the floor in a fetal position. "Oh God, what does she want this time?" He whispered. Tenmei hid under the bed. "Not me, not me, not me...." He murmured over and over. Nagare was in a bathroom stall crouching on the toilet. The door was closed and locked. "Yuuki, Koto, just give up before she kills us all...." He thought. Mimi, Miki, and 01 were in a corner on the third floor. They were huddled in fear. Mikarya had already looked in their rooms. Nothing. She tried the spare room. Locked. "Well, that's a dead giveaway, girls!" Mikarya called. She pulled out a set of keys from her coat pocket. She stuck one of the keys in the lock and turned. Click. "Bingo." She said, a grin on her face. The door was flung open, and Mikarya threw a box at the wall. Yuuki and Koto were curled up on the floor. "Found you." Mikarya said, her voice taking on a demonic nature. She hoisted the girls by their hair and dragged them to the doctor's room. As she dragged them, they screamed nothing short of bloody murder. ---- "Neither of the girls turned up with positive results. However, you need a psychiatrist." The doctor grimly said. "Thank you." Mikarya smiled. > Chapter 18- How Will We Get Even? (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Great. First, we argue, then we get flat-broke, now we're the only ones in this room!" Yuuki grumbled. A thundercloud appeared above her head, complete with rain. "What did Applejack say to do again?" Nagare asked, scratching his back with a wooden stick. "Make a foal. But HOW?!" Yuuki snarled. The rain the thundercloud made intensified. "What should I do, tell her to calm the hell down, or knock her the hell out?!" Nagare thought, his ears folding back. "Someone give me a diagram on masculine anatomy!" Yuuki shouted at the door. "He's right there in front of ya! Figure it out yerdamnself!" hollered Applejack from the other side. "What the hell are you looking at, Weedwhacker?" Yuuki hissed. The thundercloud produced mini-lightning. "I was staring off into space," Nagare grimly replied. He was trying to think of something quick. How was he going to shut Yuuki up?! "I can tell you want something, so quit lying and spit it out, Greenie!" Yuuki barked, getting into his face. "Why don't you make me?" Nagare sneered, a cocky smile present. "SPIT IT OUT." Yuuki growled, stomping her hooves as though she was going to charge. "How about no?" Nagare repeated, not even looking Yuuki in the eye. Yuuki raised a hoof and threw a punch. It was caught by an opposing green hoof. "What?!" She threw her other hoof, and it too was caught. "I'd do this with my eyes in the back of my head," Nagare said. He quickly wrapped his forelegs around Yuuki's hooves and slammed her into a wall, which was followed by him tossing her over his shoulder. "You need to take martial arts, Purple Fuzz," Nagare said, walking around and then above the purple earth pony. "Why I oughta--!" Yuuki started, but her lips were quickly stopped by those of Nagare's. Yuuki's eyes dilated with pure shock. She quickly kicked him off, which resulted in him being knocked into a wall. "Bleh! Why'd you do that, freak?!" Yuuki shouted, spitting to get the taste out of her mouth. "I may be a freak, but the same could be said about you, Curlycue," Nagare groaned, getting off the wall. "When was my hair curly?!" Yuuki shrieked, barely dodging another tackle. "Since the curl on the top of your head stuck out!" Nagare answered, picking up a lamp he knocked over. He put it back on the table it fell off of before turning to look at Yuuki with a rather suggestive smile on his muzzle. Yuuki darted to the left, only to run face-first into a wall before landing on her back. "You need to watch where you're going, ball-kicker," Nagare said, once more standing above Yuuki. This time, his hooves were pinned on her forelegs. Yuuki bit Nagare's left foreleg. "OW!" Nagare cried, rearing up on his hind legs to clutch the bite wound. He was definitely bleeding. Yuuki got up and ran for the door. Almost there... THUD! Nagare was now on Yuuki's back, pinning her to the ground. "Uh-uh, you are not going anywhere. We're both stuck in here, so we might as well get it over with," Nagare whispered into Yuuki's ear. "And besides, you hurt me, and because the Golden Rule says so, I am able to hurt you." "No roughhousing!" Applejack called from the other side of the door. "Is it me or are we being monitored?" Yuuki groaned, ears flat. The thundercloud returned. "Nope, it's not just you," Nagare answered, frowning. "I can't feel my hooves," Yuuki complained, the thundercloud disappearing. Nagare got off of and then hoisted the purple mare up before kissing her once more. This time, however, she didn't resist in any way. It was pointless now. That was that. ---- Six days went by. "Why's that door locked, sis?" Applebloom asked, unaware of what was happening. "It's broke," Applejack replied with a sigh. "Where'd Yuuki and Nagare go?" Asked Scootaloo, crossing her forelegs. "They went somewhere by themselves. They'll be back eventually," Applejack answered, removing her hat to remove hay. "EEEEWWW! They're kissing!" Sweetie Belle pouted, pointing at Rekka and Koto. "We've every right to. Why are you complaining?" The lovebirds said in unison, one raising an eyebrow and the other tilting her head. "Cause it's gross!" Sweetie replied, stomping the pointing hoof. "You ever saw your parents do it?" Tenmei asked, putting a hoof to his chin. "Yeah, and it was gross then too!" Sweetie answered, tensing up as her ears folded. "Well, kiddo, when you're older, you'll understand why the adults do it," Rekka shrugged with a blush on his face. "No I won't!" Sweetie pouted, stomping his hooves. "Um, yeah, you will. Kissing leads to quite a lot of things. How else did Ocean Flame get here?" Koto chimed, blushing a bright pink. "You don't know what you're talking about!" Sweetie hollered, sitting on her haunches. Koto sighed and rolled her eyes as she bottle-fed her foal. No point in arguing with an ignorant filly, especially a Cutie Mark Crusader. Unless your name happened to be Applejack. "That's enough, Sweetie Belle. Ya wanna get grounded even more now?" Applejack snapped, pointing at the filly. "No," Sweetie groaned with a frown. "Then quit yer yappin!" Applejack said, ears folded back. > Chapter 19- With Discord Comes Chaos (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Celestia, we have some outsiders running about in Equestria." Discord said as he appeared out of thin air. "And let me guess: You didn't do it." Celestia replied, unfurling her wings. "Yes and no, actually. I have brought precisely thirteen newbies to Equestria. Ten of them good, three of evil." Discord corrected, grinning. "Thirteen?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yes. The three baddies I have brought here are unicorns; the others, save for one, are earth ponies. But they know how to combat the evil unicorns." Discord said, his tail swishing back and forth. "How so?" Celestia asked, tilting her head. "It is quite the process to explain, my dear. But I will do the best I can to ensure you know what is going on." Discord answered before clearing his throat. ---- "Good gracious, Discord! I never thought it was possible." Celestia almost shrieked as she recoiled. "Neither have I. I could've thought up such things, indeed, but it takes quite a while. A thousand years or so, perhaps? The world they came from is somewhat chaotic. I say somewhat because the organization in which nine of the good little earth ponies happen to be a form of restoring order. Not tyrants or rulers, mind you, but more like a specialized law enforcement." Discord said, a smirk on his face. "The name of this organization is called the Special Task Force, or STF for short. I used specialized because these beings that they call "Q-hybrids" are both helpful and destructive, depending on what they're made of and of whom you ask about the issue." "Q-hybrids?" Celestia said, raising an eyebrow. "You know of those cameras, vinyl records, and in some cases, houses we have?" Discord asked, putting his talon and paw together. "Yes, what does this have to do with the Q-hybrids?" "You see, darling, a Q-hybrid is an animate object fused with an inanimate one. Put a pony and a house together and you have yourself a hybrid! And I do mean literally speaking, here. Any fusion of any object with a person or pony is most successful when done in precisely the correct manner." Discord said with a darkened tone of voice. "So, how does the Special Task Force deal with the hybrids?" "They have these devices that carry a specific weapon. I say specific because it varies from one individual to the next. These devices can undoubtedly damage buildings, but not innocents. It sends the hybrid back to whence they came from: nothingness, unless said hybrid joins your cause as a servant of sorts." Discord continued, wings flapping a bit. "So, if I had once of the alleged devices you speak of, I might be able to literally wield the moon." Celestia said, seeming to glare at the draconequus. "Correct." Discord said, nodding. "Discord, how long have the newcomers been here?" Celestia asked, raising a brow. "Around a little over a year. Two of them already had a foal together." Discord answered, a cheerful look in his face. "And they know nothing of you?" Celestia continued, tilting her head. "Yes, but they deliberately hide from you-- all thirteen of them. They all know that one little mistake leads to your wrath, or a simple jail cell." Discord replied, shrugging. "Do the bearers of the Elements know of them?" Celestia said. "Yes. As a matter of fact, they too wield the devices I mentioned." Discord answered, making motions with his hands like he held a puppet's strings. "In fact, they're playing along with this." "I will send a letter to Twilight Sparkle. I wish to see the newcomers she befriended, and that includes the new foal." Celestia said, using telekinesis to write on a scroll. "I would kindly ask of you to tell them the truth as to how they got here, but I know that you would not do so until you fought them yourself." The letter went poof. ---- "Twilight! I got a letter from the Princess!" Spike said, running to the purple unicorn holding a scroll. "What's it about?" Mikarya asked, sitting on the couch. "Let me read it first." Twilight said, levitating the scroll in front of her. Dear Twilight Sparkle, Discord has informed me that he was the one who brought the members of the Special Task Force to Equestria, as well as a few others. I received quite the explanation about Q-hybrids and the devices you and the other Elements wield. I understand that you want to defeat the Frontier Quartet so they cannot resume their attempts at ruling the world. I understand your need to hide your new friends, and as such I cannot force you to do anything you deem outrageous. You must bring all of your friends who have been caught in the crossfire to Canterlot. There I will give you a much more refined and in-depth explanation. Before I close this letter, please show this to your friends and write me back for a specified date at which to prepare the trip. Your Mentor, Princess Celestia "So, we've been caught. However, this seems...promising." 01 said. "Who's this Discord guy?" Tenmei asked, ears perked and eyes wide. "He is simply the embodiment of Chaos. He's also what brought you guys here." Twilight grimly said. "Don't worry, he's not evil, he's just mischievous at best." "Sound like we're planning quite the road trip!" Yuuki shouted happily, raising a hoof upwards. > Chapter 20- Vending Lady Gets a Say (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where's Canterlot?" Asked TV-girl, sitting on a stool and kicking the air in boredom. "Waaaaaay north of Ponyville. About a three-day trip on hoof, one day and a half if we had a..... um...." Twilight trailed off, unable to find the needed words. "Nothing short of a clown car!" Rekka declared, holding his hooves before him as he chuckled. "Sounds about right." Twilight said, sighing and giggling a bit. Yuuki and Nagare were much too busy kissing. They would have collapsed onto the floor without a care. "Alright, alright. You two save the make-out sessions for later." Rainbow said, pushing them apart. "Awww." They whined. They moved away from each other. "Rainbow Dash, what's a make-out session?" Asked Scootaloo, raising a brow. Everyone, absolutely everyone stopped dead in their tracks. It was an eternity before a mouth dared to move. "D-D-Di-Did sh-she j-just ask TH-TH-THAT qu-question?" Koto stammered, her face twitching in shock. "Y-Yeah......." Rainbow answered, sounding like she had difficulty breathing. "U-Um, Scoots........ I don't think you need to know." Rekka said, shaking his head quickly. "Eeyup." Big Mac nodded. Reality slapped everyone upside the head thanks to one thing: a crying Ocean Flame. "Alright, who is holding the baby?" Tenmei asked, eyes narrowing in sheer unamusement. "I am." Pinkie said, placing the foal back into Koto's saddlebag. The filly was still crying. Rekka took the filly and began to cradle her. "Rock-a-by baby on the treetops...." He hummed softly. The filly fell asleep. Once he finished singing, Rekka put the foal into the saddlebag once more. "Couldn't we just teleport to Canterlot?" Said vending lady, raising a hand. "Yes. At any rate, the Quartet won't follow us then." Twilight said, writing a letter to Celestia. "But when will we teleport?" Asked batteryman, crossing his arms. "Tomorrow, after lunch." Twilight replied, adding the finishing touches to the letter. "Spike, send the letter to Celestia." "Okay." Spike said, burning the letter. "She said send it, not burn it up!" Miki cried, waving her hooves in shock. "But that's how I always send them." Spike replied, eyes wide. "Really?" Miki asked, bewildered. "Yes, Miki, he's not lying." Twilight answered as she sat on her haunches. "So, he really is a dragon after all." Nagare chuckled, putting a hoof to his chin. "Does this mean the doctor and I have to come as well?" Asked Redheart as she looked at everyone present. "Pretty much." Rarity answered, nodding. ---- "Nagare...?" Yuuki asked, sitting up in the bed. "Yeah...?" Nagare replied, blinking a bit. "What is it?" "I'll have to tell Applejack that I am infertile. Remember when Mikarya was hollering and all that?" Yuuki said, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. "Oh. That. I see. We'll tell her after breakfast." Nagare yawned before falling back asleep. "We have to make sure the Crusaders don't intervene. I've heard some worrisome tales." Yuuki said, yawning. She fluffed up the pillow before laying back down. ---- "Why do we have to keep on searching?! It's gone on long enough!" Saki shrieked in anger. Her pelt was beginning to turn red. "I don't know!" Baki barked, holding his hooves before him. "I thought you were the leader!" Saki said, her pelt getting closer to red. "Must I prove my leadership?" Baki replied, smiling wryly. "Yes." Saki said, her pelt fully red now. "Oh really?" "Yeah really!" "OH really?" "YEAH really!" "OH REALLY?!" "YEAH REALLY!" Maki watched, sipping on a beer as the argument became something else altogether. Alongside him were some Q-hybrids, one of which was the same camera-man who recorded the first Drunk Fiasco. A wicked grin crept on his face as more Q-hybrids began forming a crowd around the Quartet leader and one of his two second-in-commands. They gathered because they wanted to know what the hell was going on. "This is gonna be awesome." Maki said deviously. > Chapter 21- Within These Walls (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So, no matter what she does, she cannot have a foal whatsoever?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, and a certified doctor told us so. After a bit of a hectic struggle, of course." Mikarya answered, shaking her head as she remembered that entire scenario in all of its embarrassing glory. "So, Ah shoulda dared them to do somethin' else?" Applejack said, her hoof connecting with her face. "Yes. But it's nothing to worry about, really." Mikarya replied with a hearty grin. "Speaking of foals, why's Koto's filly crawlin' along the ground?" Applejack asked, pointing to the tri-colored filly next to the couch. "She decided to let the filly explore. There's nothing wrong with that as long as the area explored is closely monitored." Mikarya said with an even bigger smile. "Okay. As long as she knows what's she's doin'." Applejack chuckled as she looked at the filly. "Sis, why does a streak of purple separate the red and blue?" Applebloom asked, pointing at Ocean Flame's mane. "Ah don't know." Applejack replied with a shrug. "I just noticed she has heterochromia." Mikarya said, pointing at the foal. "Hetero-what now?" Rarity asked, confused. "Heterocrhomia: a term used to describe someone whose eyes do not match." Mikarya repeated, still grinning. "When she's old enough to get her mark, I wonder what it will be." Rainbow chimed, crossing her forelegs. "Same here." Rekka said, picking up the filly. "Ditto." Tenmei called, cleaning his crossbow. "I know, right?" Pinkie said, hopping around the jet-man. "So, when's lunch?" Asked the jet-man. "Around one o'clock." Twilight answered, shifting her legs. "What time is it now?" Fluttershy asked, turning to the unicorn. "About twelve-thirty." Rainbow said, looking at a clock on the wall. ---- Twilight had just teleported everyone into Canterlot Castle. It was much more expansive than the Carousel Boutique. There were glass murals depicting many events of ponies achieving great feats. On the white tile floor there was a ginormous red carpet with gold trimming. Marble pillars held the ceiling in place, and beyond the hallway the group stood in and the pillars themselves was an enormous balcony from which to view the town. The sunlight peeking in between the pillars made it appear too bright for it's own good. "Holy....." 01 stammered, his jaw barely able to stay closed. "It's.......amazing......" Yuuki said as she turned to catch every glimpse of the palace. "Beautiful......" Koto murmured, her eyes dilating with awe. "This place is huge!" Called the batteryman, failing to take into account that the ponies were bigger than he was. "I've never.......seen anything like this before...." Tenmei chimed, sitting on his haunches. "There is.....no way..... this place is this......." Vending lady trailed off, her jaw agape. "These murals have their place.....I wonder..... if we'll have one." Misaki said, taking note that there were empty murals present. "It's not likely, but then again, the murals fill themselves in." Twilight answered with a grin. "And in them, we all have a place somewhere." "I had a dream where I had wings and a horn. If what Rekka said was true, then I looked into the future." Koto said, ears perked. "Enough dilly-dally, let's get to the throne room. Follow me." Twilight said, trying to hide her shock from Koto's statement. ---- "When will they get here?" Luna said impatiently, looking at her sister with a pouty glare. "I don't know, dear sister. But soon enough, they shall arrive." Celestia replied, shaking her head. "Princess, I brought the visitors!" Called a mare's voice as the doors opened. "Twilight, you did well. Luna was getting impatient." Celestia said, looking at the group now standing before them both. "These are the visitors?" Luna said, shocked. She had never seen a group like this. "Yes, so it would seem. Please, newcomers to Equestria, state your names for me. I already know of the organization you work for." Celestia said in her regal voice. "My name is 01, and I am the creator of the devices." "My name is Mikarya, co-worker of 01 and caretaker of the teenagers here." "My name is Mimi, and I assist Mikarya." "I am Miki. I bring help wherever it's needed!" "I am Misaki, formerly known as YONEKO. I was used to control all Q-hybrids, but now I am a free mare, more or less." "I am Rekka. I help take care of the hybrids." "I am Koto. My boomerang helps me and my friends quite a lot." "I am Tenmei. I help with the Special Task Force." "I am Nagare. Allow me to say I openly mocked the Quartet once." "I am Yuuki. I help cheer my friends up when a nasty hybrid tries wrecking everything they love." "Impressive. I heard two of you had a foal together. But that matters not now. What has the Quartet been partaking in?" Celestia asked, raising a brow. "They wish to wipe out the Special Task Force so they can start world domination using the hybrids. They almost succeeded in killing two already, though that was quickly thwarted." 01 answered, unable to frown or smile. > Chapter 22- The Time Has Come (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The way things are now, I am sad to inform you that the Quartet cannot be beaten now, not in the current conditions present." Celestia said, shaking her head. "Why not? We kicked their flanks before!" Yuuki asked, bewildered by Celestia's statement. "It takes magic to fight magic. But their magic is much too strong for an ordinary unicorn, let alone the Special Task Force." Celestia answered, frowning. "So, we need alicorns?" Twilight said, frowning as well. "Yes, but not just any alicorns, Twilight." Celestia said with a nod. "Hold up! Before we continue, what on earth is an alicorn?" Rekka asked, crossing his forelegs. "You happen to be looking at one. But if you're still confused, put a Pegasus and a unicorn together, and throw immortality into the mix." Rainbow said, her hoof connecting with her face. "Yes, Rainbow Dash, but you must be either granted or born with immortality." Celestia remarked, turning to look at the earth ponies in the STF. "Why are you staring at us?" 01 asked, shifting his forelegs. "All members of the Special Task Force, Misaki. Stand before me, please." Celestia said, levitating a book before her. They did as they were told to, but not before Koto handed Applejack her filly. "Bring the foal here, Koto. This spell is for her as well, and it will not do any harm at all." Celestia said disapprovingly. Koto took the filly back before standing before Celestia with the rest of the group. "Ah get the feeling Koto's got some sorta third eye goin' on." Applejack whispered to Twilight. "You all will now become mortal alicorns. This spell may blind you all for a few moments, so close your eyes." Celestia said as her horn began to glow a brilliant teal. "Looks like my assumptions about Koto reading the future were right. I never doubted her for one second after Misaki walked into the Boutique." Rekka said, his body giving off a flaming red aura. "I do wonder if I have some sort of psychic powers going on. All I need to do is have more faith in myself, I guess." Koto sighed as a mist grey aura surrounded her form. "I'd never thought the Quartet would be this strong now. But then, some truths you learn too late, right?" Tenmei asked as a brown dust cloud embraced him in its swirling mass. "Hmph. I'd watch the jaws of the Quartet drop before our eyes and laugh. Wait till they get a load of this." Nagare chuckled as a bright green mini-hurricane emerged from a raging emerald aura. "The Quartet kept trying and failing to match our teamwork. Sure, they were strong then and are now, but they lack what we possess!" Yuuki chimed as purple sparks flew from a violet aura. "To think I've learned how to fly. A dream I had that was cancelled when I was confined. But alas, now it has been reborn." Misaki said as a metallic grey aura surrounded her, her wild blond mane and red-and-green wires flailing about as if in a breeze. "So be it." Mikarya murmured as a golden aura with ribbons of white and green encased her. "To be honest, I never imagined alicorns even existed. But then again, I think the Quartet could say the same before we showed up." 01 said as a red aura concealed his form in a brilliant scarlet, sparkling, metallic dust cloud. "Which came first: the chicken or the egg?" Mimi asked, giggling throughout the process as purple-and-green ribbons surrounded an aura of indigo which contained her body. "Pretty colors! I want to see more!" Miki said as a pink-and-teal aura held her form above the ground. Soon, all the colors stopped, as did Celestia's horn. The Elements of Harmony, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Mac, Nurse Redheart and the doctor all gaped, as did the hybrids present. Rekka had a horn the same color as his orange pelt, with wings much too large for a pony who was average size. However, his wings had ended in flame-like patterns. His feathers started at scarlet, then orange, and then a blazing gold. Koto's horn was as sky-blue as the rest of her body, with her wings of an oceanic blue. At her wingtips came a mist grey. Tenmei had a contorted horn that was as tan as his coat. His wings were a dull brown, but they had the muscles of a dragon. Nagare had a light green horn. His emerald wings looked as though they could slice the wind. Yuuki's horn was curved slightly. Her dark purple wings still crackled with electricity. Misaki's wings were as gold as her hair, ending in silver tips. She remained the same otherwise. Mikarya's wings were a brilliant white, and her horn was peachy in color. 01's grey horn ended a little on the short side. His wings were larger than they should be, however. Mimi's horn was very slim, as were her wings. Miki's horn was as small as Sweetie Belle's. Her wings, however, were the size of those Rainbow Dash had. Ocean Flame had little wing buds and a little horn on her head. She was still sound asleep. "Now, we must find the Quartet and take the battle to their turf!" Rainbow chimed, taking flight. "And this time, we're bringing in the big guns!" > Chapter 23- Misaki's Counterattack (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Ponyville is now under siege! You will obey our leader, Baki of the Frontier Quartet!" Shouted the truck-man. Ponies young and old were herded into the town square, surrounded by Q-hybrids. Even some guards were caught in the resulting crossfire. 20 hybrids outnumbered one pony. "Now, my little ponies! You will construct more objects for us to make more Q-hybrids! Any object will do! NOW, GET OFF YOUR LAZY FLANKS AND HOP TO IT!" Baki barked, holding a megaphone to his muzzle. "What about those who cannot build, you asshole?!" Shouted an angry stallion, pointing a hoof upwards. "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM!" Baki barked once more through the megaphone. "Hey jerkface! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!" Shouted a mare's voice as the sound barrier broke, emitting a rainbow shock wave in the process. "What's this?!" Shouted Baki via megaphone. Everyone, including the hybrids, stopped to look at the spectacle before them. "Mommy! These things are scary!" Shouted Dinky Doo fearfully. "It's ok. We're safe." Ditzy said with a tearful smile. Rainbow Dash was flying in the air. Alongside her was Fluttershy. Both had their weapons. "What are you going to do with a bloody teapot?!" Shouted Saki, who stole the megaphone. Fluttershy threw the teapot skywards, and when it fell back to her, she kicked it. It made contact with the truck-man's face, nearly toppling him over. "WHAT THE?!" Maki shouted, standing on top of the courtroom hybrid. "LOOK UP!" "Who are they?!" "Are they alicorns?!" "I see ten of them!!" Saki, Maki, and Baki all looked back up into the sky. The brats, the professors, and YONEKO were in the sky unaided! Their jaws dropped. Their eyes dilated. Baki's mustache straightened. The green brat started to mock them. He was pointing his hoof and just laughing at the Quartet. "Hey jerkwads! I do believe we need to repay you!" Shouted Rekka, who held his laser gun. "What for?!" Baki asked, stomping his hoof. "You know, for trying to kill me and all that other crap you did!" Rekka answered, taking aim. Saki was having none of it. Her horn began forming an orb of pure energy. She was going to fire, and.... BAM! Not one, but two balls hit her side. One was grey-and-purple with electrical sparks flying off of it, and the other was a ball of raging fire. She fired her orb at Baki, who fell to the ground. "SAKI! QUIT MISFIRING!" Maki shouted sternly. "I would if I wasn't being attacked!" Saki replied, hastily getting up and barely dodging two boomerangs. Maki turned his head and found himself dodging Nagare's sword as well as his horn. That horn kept colliding with Maki's own, forming sparks of wind and electricity. Baki got up from the ground, only to be met by a party cannon, gem-scimitar, and a knife-firing gun all aimed at his face. "Oh hell." Baki said, sweat forming on his face at a terrific rate. "You ain't hurtin' anyone anymore!" Applejack snarled fiercely. "That's right, buck-o! You won't be going anywhere!" Pinkie hissed, ready to pull the trigger. "Maki, we have no choice! Combine all of our hybrids!" Saki shouted, her horn aglow. "OK, Saki! Baki, we need your magic too!" Maki shouted, his horn glowing a deep crimson. "Looks like you girls are out of options." Baki smiled deviously, his horn glowing a sick green. "What the hay is going on here?!" Applejack asked, looking up as all the Q-hybrids who were working for the Quartet began to to get closer to one another. "Oh great, Round Two." Tenmei whined as he readied his crossbow. The hybrids began to congeal at the town's entrance, a sinister dark indigo glow at the vortex's center. The vortex grew in size as more and more hybrids began merging. It began to form a pyramid shape. "What is happening, darlings?!" Rarity shouted, her voice filled with woe. A white orb appeared on top of the pyramid, replacing the very tip of the shape. The pyramid began smoothing out into a more refined cone shape. "What are they making now?!" Yuuki shouted, her wing-beats causing the air around her to crackle. The shape grew rocks on the bottom, sides, and just under the white orb. Skin quickly formed over these unusual rocks. With a THUD, it landed on it's newly formed feet. Standing before the very town of Ponyville stood a mountain-based Q-hybrid. He had bulky legs, really huge arms and a head with the face of a madman. "WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO?!" Everyone in the town square shouted. Misaki's horn began glowing a brilliant white. "You have a horn too! Could you not counter that the way we did?!" rang in her head. A white aura surrounded Mountain Man and then...... "S-She just...! NO!" Saki cried, eyes widening quickly. Mountain Man let off a wail of defeat as the white orb was ripped from his top. His arms and legs followed suit, and all were crushed as though they were in a trash compactor with ten times its normal force. "GOD DAMMIT!" Maki shouted, stomping his hoof. The rest of the body was crushed as well, and Mountain Man was turned into nothing but a pile of pebbles. The Frontier Quartet tried using their magic, but anti-magic collars were put on their necks. They were herded, then surrounded by the Elements and the alicorn group. "What say you, wretched bastards?!" Baki shouted as he and the other two were being wrapped in straightjackets. "Let's cut off their horns!" Rekka said angrily. "Let Celestia banish them to the sun! The moon isn't good enough!" Koto hollered, pointing the accusing hoof. "Stick pepper up their noses!" Tenmei chimed, his head tilted in a way his glasses reflected off a white light. "Let everyone mock them the way they mocked us!" Nagare called, unfurling his wings. "I want some target practice!" Yuuki yelled, the air around her horn crackling. "Hang them by their hind legs in a circus!" Mikarya shouted, a disapproving frown on her face. "Shave all their hair off and give them the good ol' chicken feathers!" 01 exclaimed, holding his hooves before him. "Paint them all hot pink!" Mimi stated, a can of paint and a brush at the ready. "Turn them into frogs and stick them in scalding water!" Misaki caterwauled, scraping dirt with her cybernetic arm. > Epilogue- All is Well Once More > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Frontier Quartet was locked away in the dungeons of Canterlot, being given the same treatment they gave everyone else, as well as what everyone suggested save for the banishment. Misaki and the Special Task Force, as well as the Q-hybrids who aided them, were all recognized as Equestrian heroes. They all earned their places in the Equestrian Empire as a whole new separate set of Elements. They were granted immortality as were the Elements of Harmony. They had their own palace in between the Equestrian border and the Griffon Kingdom, whose residents seem to adore them like no tomorrow. Rekka became the Element of Fire. Put it like this, if a volcano erupted somewhere, he either stopped it or simply re-directed the lava to a place where it would not harm anything living. He also helped stop fires. Yuuki became the Element of Lightning. She would help weather ponies direct lightning bolts at either lightning rods or places of virtually no significance, such as a bare patch of dirt. Nagare became the Element of Wind. If a tornado/hurricane went out of control, he would stop it before it wrecked anything. If things were already wrecked before he arrived, he'd help repair the damage done. Tenmei became the Element of Earth. He would predict earthquakes, and take different approaches depending on the intensity of the earthquake. He also helped to stop mudslides. Koto became the Element of Water. She helped bring rain wherever it was needed. If anyone reported a dirty water source, she would have evaporated all the water, removed the impurities, and then brought a carefully controlled flood to replenish the source. Misaki, Mikarya, Mimi, Miki, and 01 did not obtain an Element of their own, but they too were immortal. They helped the Elements of Nature predict natural disasters if even one calculation was off. This helped them greatly, as magic alone could not help predict some natural disasters. Ocean Flame lived her life helping out the non-Elemental alicorns Her cutie mark, you ask? A water droplet and an ember crossing paths, with steam emitting between the two. She specialized in both water and fire magic, and in her spare time she helped mine resources with Tenmei. It was a very fun activity for them both, and on some occasions Rarity came along to help them. Discord brought the siblings of the Elements of Nature as well as their caretaker, a mare by the name of R, who had an emerald mane and violet eyes. Celestia made them immortal alicorns as well, and they helped their siblings with things they could not accomplish alone. Each Element of Nature had one sibling. Yuuki's sibling, Mikani, had a black mane and blue eyes. Rekka's sibling, Nagashi, had red eyes and a black mane. Nagare's sibling, Shirare, had a light green mane and darker eyes. Koto's sibling, Masuko, had blue hair and matching eyes. Tenmei's sibling, Nakume, had a brown mane and matching eyes. Mikani wielded a regular soccer ball. Nagashi carried a lot of bottles of hot sauce. Shirare carried a Frisbee. Masuko carried a pong-pong. Nakume carried clay balls. The Q-hybrids helped out the Equestrians as much as they had in the world from which they originally came from. The Elements of Harmony helped resolve disasters the Elements of Nature could not overcome by themselves. And as I can assure you, they will undoubtedly face many challenges ahead. What those challenges are, that I cannot say. Given that the Quartet would no longer trouble anyone, all's well that ends well.... Or is it?