> Friendship Is Manipulation: {PROJECT: Flood Control}
>  by TyRex
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue of "Friendship is Manipulation"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie Pie -- or at least what resembled her -- laid on a blank, dulled, yet still somewhat shiny, metal table. The table was in the center of a small, dimly lit room with walls all painted a dull, boring gray.

She was unconscious, and strapped to the table. She had not a single article of clothing on her body, but several wires and cords wrapped around her, the ends stuck into her body. The other ends seemed to protrude from the walls in very small, almost unnoticeable sockets.

Across her body were several scars, many only hours to days old, as if she had been through a recent struggle of sorts.

She breathed serenely. Her chest ebbed slowly, calmly. She was at peace.

Then, a voice, seemingly from outside the dimly lit room, spoke, muffled by the walls.

"Subject Pē, Dē, Pē, serial number, one-one-seven, seems to have calmed. What’s your next order, Princess?"

"Initiate the next phase. She must relive that life. We have to see what it holds. She has to be stripped of her power, lest this kingdom fall to an exile's treason."

"Understood, Princess. Initiating Protocol Seven-Three-Seven, code named, 'The 0th Life'. Transmissions start in three. Two. One..."
> Nagging Anxiety - Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... Every time I enjoy my friends’ company, I can’t help but feel like it’ll be the last time..."

>March 19, 3015, Iteration 0<
>Ville Park, 5:08 PM<






Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all sat on a large blanket on the field, talking and chatting their day away cheerfully.

All, but Fluttershy, who seemed to bite her lips nervously, as she stared off into the sky.

“Yo, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash called out. She was unresponsive. The others noticed as well, before 	Twilight chimed in quietly.

“She’s been awfully anxious lately…” Twilight said in a worried, hushed voice.

Rainbow Dash hummed quietly, before she decided it was time to talk about it.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash then yelled, waving. Fluttershy jumped with a small yelp, as her beady eyes darted to Rainbow Dash in alarm.

“P-please don’t yell like that Rainbow Dash… I almost had a heart attack!” Fluttershy said in soft detest, clutching her chest.

“What’s wrong, Fluttershy? You’ve been like this for almost two weeks now.” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“Like what? I’m not like anything. I’m totally fine.” Fluttershy stammered. A terrible liar.

“We know you’re a scaredy cat, but c’mon, you’re never this edged up.” Rainbow Dash said in a bargaining manner, pushing for Fluttershy to share her worries.

“Sugarcube… Whatever’s wrong, you can tell us. We’re here for you.” Applejack said. The others nodded in agreement, all eyes on Fluttershy. She only looked back and forth between the 5, at a loss for words. She seemed to grow more uncomfortable as her mind wandered through her worries.

“Is it because I didn’t let you have enough cake on my birthday yesterday?? Aww, y’know I’m sorry Fluttershy! There’s still more at the Sugarcube Corn-” Pinkie said, but was cut off by a groaning Twilight.

“Pinkie, your birthday was yesterday. She’s been like this for like, two weeks. It’s not the cake.” Twilight said. Pinkie sat down with a simple ‘oh’.

“It’s just that… It’s been over a year, and they still haven’t found out a way to properly quarantine that parasite… And it's gonna--," Fluttershy began, but paused, deciding to change her words. Pinkie Pie eyed her with much curiosity. 

"What if it reaches Equestria…?” Fluttershy said, becoming more uneasy.

Pinkie’s excited demeanor seemed to disintegrate with Fluttershy’s statements. She became much more solemn, kneeling silently on the picnic blanket.

“Fluttershy, we talked about this. Princess Celestia is the most important ruler, on the most important planet, also being the planet that we live on, just as an FYI. They wouldn’t even let the parasite get within three planets’ range of here. Have some faith, the Planet of Equestria, is the most untouchable haven in the Kingdom of Equestria!” Twilight said with her matter-of-factly tone, and signature scoff.

Fluttershy seemed unconvinced, as her uneasy gazes turned back to the sunset sky, as if to watch the galactic kingdom Celestia ruled over very carefully, cautiously. It was almost as if her eyes were waiting for something to fall from the stars.

“Fluttershy, darling, there haven’t been any news reports on the parasite yet. Last we heard, it was being held at the edge of our galaxy by Princess Luna and her forces. We both know her and her squadrons are fierce combatants. Nothing would fell them.” Rarity reassured, her hands on Fluttershy’s shoulders.

“Something in me…” Fluttershy began, stroking her hair anxiously, as she watched the beautiful mix of colors of the sunset.

“Something in the back of my head just keeps on telling me that we shouldn’t be here, guys… Something’s telling me that we’re not safe here.” Fluttershy sighed, pulling her knees close and hugging them, as she breathed a deep sigh into her legs.

She felt guilty plaguing them with her recent feelings of extreme anxiety. They had been trying their best to calm her for over ten days now, but nothing was working, and she began to feel bad that her anxiety would ruin their time together.

“Fluttershy, just try ‘n relax, huh? You’ll be fine.” Rainbow Dash reassured, rubbing her back. Pinkie Pie stood, walking over to Fluttershy.

“Yeah, and no matter what, we’re all here for you! We’ll never leave your side!” Pinkie Pie supported, lifting Fluttershy out of her fetal position and forcing her into a hug. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile, as she tumbled onto the ground with the eccentric Pinkie Pie.

After more of her playful rambling, Pinkie finally laid down next to Fluttershy, both staring at the setting sky.

After a while, the rest of the girls laid down as well. 

Rarity yawned loudly.

“It’s been quite the day, so if you girls don’t mind, I’m gonna catch some under-the-sunset shuteye. I hear it can do wonders for complexion!” Rarity said, closing her eyes.

“What complexion? You’re a marshmallow, sugarcube!” Applejack laughed. Rarity’s brows furrowed, as her eyes reopened.

“Why, you little-!”

Applejack stopped her by removing her hat and putting it over Rarity’s face, laying back again.

“Shush now, Rares. Just get some shuteye like you said.” Applejack chuckled. 

With a small blush, Rarity tugged the hat into her face further, silencing herself as instructed. Both closed their eyes in peaceful rest.

“I think this is a perfect opportunity to brush up on my Sociology: Road To Dissecting Personality book!” Twilight giggled, as she began to reach for a book. She was quickly interrupted by Rainbow Dash, who grabbed her waist and pulled her close.

“I don’t think so. This is like, quality friendship time and stuff, so let’s try and enjoy it without the reading, huh? Besides, the teacher told you that reading ain’t due for like, another three weeks.” Rainbow Dash chuckled, holding Twilight close.

Twilight’s cheeks began to burn, as she could do nothing but stare down at the picnic blanket. Perhaps she could slack on her Friendship classes for now, she thought.

Fluttershy watched the two pairs of lovebirds interact. She knew they weren’t officially in a relationship or anything, but they may as well have been, in her opinion. They had such chemistry.

Getting her fill from admiring the two, Fluttershy turned over to Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be absorbed in her own world of thought, completely oblivious to the actions happening beside them. For her own sake, Fluttershy decided to focus on Pinkie Pie, rather than the other two couples.

She was, admittedly, a bit attached to Pinkie Pie; her constant exuberance helped her to battle through the anxiety she’d been diagnosed with ever since they received word of the ‘parasite’ some thirteen months ago.

Plus, despite her constant randomness and erratic-behavior, Pinkie Pie was a very sensible, heartfelt, kind, and interesting person. She sometimes sounded almost as intelligent as Twilight herself, and was clearly capable of more than just her silly behavior.

Though, lately, Fluttershy noticed that Pinkie Pie seemed to be almost forcibly hiding these traits; well, more like she was forcing her erratic, fun and silly behaviors over her normal ones. It made Fluttershy curious, as this was only a recent behavior -- like she was running away from her maturity.

While Fluttershy was deep in thought, she hadn’t noticed that Pinkie Pie began looking back at her. Fluttershy gave a small ‘eep!’, before she turned back to the sky, feeling her cheeks hot with embarrassment. How long were they staring at each other?

“Still worried about that parasite stuff, Fluttershy?” Pinkie Pie asked, still staring directly at Fluttershy. She shifted closer to Fluttershy, so that they were only a few inches apart. Her tone seemed serious, which somewhat triggered caution in Fluttershy.

“Yeah… It’s like my body just won’t stop nagging…” Fluttershy said, turning to meet Pinkie Pie’s gaze.

As Fluttershy turned, further caution was triggered, as Pinkie Pie had the most solemn face she had ever seen her with.

“I feel like…” Pinkie Pie began. But as she stared into Fluttershy’s face, her entire demeanor changed.

“No -- we’ll be fine, Fluttershy. There’s no need to worry. Like I said, we’re here for you -- I’m here for you.” Pinkie Pie said, with a wide smile.

Fluttershy stared on curiously. It was that weird habit again -- Pinkie Pie repressing that side of herself...

“Hmm…” Fluttershy said, feeling her anxiety start to flare up from Pinkie’s strange behavior.

As if on cue, Pinkie perked right back up, and pulled Fluttershy to her.

“But no time for worrying, we’ve gotta nap like everyone else, or we’ll be all out of juice for the wake-up party!” Pinkie Pie said with enthusiasm.

“But I’m not tired…” Fluttershy said softly. Her anxiety had woken her up, truthfully.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t nap! Look, it’s easy, just put your head down and close your eyes!” Pinkie Pie said, as she put her head down next to Fluttershy’s.

She then hugged Fluttershy’s body.

“It helps if you have a body pillow, too! If you don’t mind, I’ll use you this time.” Pinkie Pie said with her huge smile, as she hugged Fluttershy tight, nearly squeezing the life out of Fluttershy. 

Fluttershy couldn’t help but blush by the sudden close proximity. She slowly and weakly brought her hands just over Pinkie’s shoulders.

“Don’t be shy. I’m just a pillow.” Pinkie chuckled, her eyes closed, as her breathing softened.

Making herself comfortable, Fluttershy began to close her eyes, too. After a few seconds, she, like the rest of them, fell into a short slumber.

As Pinkie felt Fluttershy’s body soften in her arms, she let her mind wander. She looked past Fluttershy’s hair into the darkening sky, not daring to move. She didn’t want to wake Fluttershy, who had not been receiving much sleep these last counting days.

Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but think of what she really wanted to say to Fluttershy:

"...Every time I enjoy my friends’ company, I can’t help but feel like it’ll be the last time..."

Pinkie Pie only closed her eyes once more, trying to quell the sinking feeling in her gut. She would force herself to sleep, and take her own advice of not needing to worry -- however, she couldn't help but feel like this would be her final enjoyable nap. Her arms around Fluttershy tightened.
> Panic - Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... Everything it touched, everyone it saw... gone! ..."

>March 19, 3015<
>Ville Park, 7:37 PM<






All but two of the girls slept peacefully under the moonlit sky. Fluttershy sat, watching the starry skies. The atmosphere was peacefully still, but...

There was an unnatural feeling about the stillness and calmness in their town that aroused Fluttershy’s anxiousness once more.

Unbeknownst to her, Pinkie Pie was laying down silently, staring at the skies as well. Fluttershy had assumed she was sleeping like the rest, and gotten herself up to look towards the stars again. She brought her eyes down, looking around her.

Fluttershy observed her surroundings with great anxiety. Something in her didn’t sit right, and it was preventing her from getting any type of sleep or relaxation. And, she couldn’t just bother the others either, not when they were all sleeping so peacefully.

She thought back to yesterday, March 18, Pinkie’s birthday party, as her eyes swept over the streets of Anthroville, outside of the park they were slumbering in.

For a few minutes, the fun memories of them throwing the town-wide party calmed her. But as she kept looking over the unnaturally still and quiet streets, she noticed something as a thought clicked in her mind.

She brought her hands up to her hair, as cold sweat began to form over her forehead, resisting the urge to simply scream. Her pupils dilated, and her breathing sharpened. She began hyperventilating.

With no words, and quick movement, Pinkie Pie arose, and put her hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. The loud shifting of the sudden movement seemed to stir the others, as they yawned and got up themselves.

“Something keeping you up, Flutters?” Rainbow Dash asked with a yawn and stretch. Fluttershy observed her briefly, before her eyes darted back to the streets.

“Something’s off.” Fluttershy said with a level of sureness that sparked a degree of alarm in the others.

“Now that you mention it… It’s awfully quiet. The town isn’t usually all asleep at once.” Applejack stated, fingers on her chin as she looked around the quiet city surrounding the park they were in.

“What’s on your mind, Fluttershy? What’s worrying you now?” Rarity asked, concerned, as she removed the hat from her face, and placed it upon Applejack's head again.

“... Pinkie Pie’s birthday was yesterday...” Fluttershy said softly through her excited breaths, as her anxious, beady eyes pierced the empty streets and darkness.

Everybody, save for Pinkie Pie, was confused, and looked at the paranoid Fluttershy strangely. Suddenly, Twilight gasped with realization. Pinkie Pie simply looked around feverishly, as if observing their environment, scanning for something.

“Oh my Celestia… Fluttershy’s right! Pinkie Pie’s birthday was yesterday!” Twilight gasped, as she stood, observing the unnaturally still streets along with Pinkie Pie.

“Twi, what’s going on? Fill us in.” Rainbow Dash urged, an uncomfortable feeling in her gut from the sense of alarm.

Twilight shook her head, looking back at the group.

“Think: aren’t Pinkie’s most trivial parties usually filled with excitement and mess? Mess!” Twilight emphasized, feeling her own breaths become slightly jagged.

Gears began to turn in the heads of the confused girls, as their faces twisted in thought.

“Who’s usually stuck cleaning those huge messes her parties leave behind? Especially ones hosted in public places, like the town hall, or say, the streets?” Twilight asked.

As she said that, things clicked immediately, as the group entered a state of alarm. It seemed so extremely silly now that they had missed it. Something so blatantly obvious!

“The officers and Royal Guards that Celestia sends to maintain Anthroville! They’d be here, cleaning still...” Rarity gasped softly.

“And with a party that huge, they’d be cleaning to next Friday…” Applejack said lowly. Her fingers rubbed the brim of her hat worriedly.

“They’re not here… And they’re certainly not off-duty… There’s never a shift where there aren’t patrols around.” Rainbow Dash added in. She rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling cold.

The girls were quiet, observing their surroundings in a silent state of alarm. All of them now shared some degree of dread, watching as party gimmicks and streamers and ribbons blew across the empty streets.

“Should we… Should we go home…? Maybe it’s not safe out here…” Rainbow Dash suggested in a low, daunting whisper.

Pinkie Pie was the quietest of the group. She had not uttered any words. She simply followed along, staying by her friends’ sides.

Suddenly, they heard small footsteps rushing towards them through the park’s grass. In an instant, a green blur tackled Twilight to the ground, startling everyone as they yelped in fear.

The figure put a hand over Twilight’s mouth, shushing her.

“Shh!”

“Spike…!?” Twilight whispered harshly. “The heck is wrong with you, running up on me like that in the night!?” Twilight scolded.

The small boy, an adopted little brother, was only a few years younger than her and the rest of the group.

The others calmed down, as they realized it was Spike.

Twilight was immediately softened by the look of pure-terror and fear in Spike’s being. He was shivering on a particularly warm day, and had dried tears all over his face.

“Spike? Spike! What’s wrong??” Twilight asked with immense concern.

“I’m so glad you’re safe, guys! Twilight, w-we’ve gotta go! Quick, before they find us, too!” Spike cried frantically, pulling Twilight with desperate strength and urgency.

While the entire group ran, following Spike, the girls questioned Spike, needing some sort of confirmation, perhaps to ease the sickening pit in their stomachs.

“What happened, Spikey?” Rarity questioned, as they ran through the park.

“I-I dunno which way, or what direction, but… it came, and it wiped them out. Everything it touched, everyone it saw… gone! Not gone, but...! Oh god, we have to go, we have to go!” Spike cried incoherently, as he ran faster.

“Who? Who’s gone?” Fluttershy asked, feeling knots in her throat as her brain began to piece something together.

“Everyone! Everyone…” Spike cried, rubbing his eyes as they ran.

“I saw them slaughtered, by our own guards! Executed! I-… I didn’t even know blood could be that color!” Spike cried further.

They stopped, the shock and dread pausing them. Blood? Slaughtered?!

“Spike, slow down… Tell us the story.” Twilight said, as their breathing sharpened from the running. They stood on the outskirts of the park, just within the western end of the city.

“It’s here, guys! I can’t believe it, but the parasite is he-,”

*BOOM!*

A heavy explosion erupted from around the corner, as a large orange glow could be seen. Unsettling screeches of unknown nature were heard, as bullets were heard firing off.

“Here, too!? Guys, we’ve gotta-”

Spike was interrupted by another unsettling screech, as movement could be heard closing in around the corner. All seven paused, shock and fear freezing them in place. However, as they heard a few more bullets fly off, all movement and shuffling that they could hear, ceased.

All seven of the witnesses were silent, not daring to step even an inch closer to the corner to examine the situation. They began to back away slowly.

Sharing understood glances and nods, the group silently agreed to follow Spike to an area of relative safety, creeping away in as silent of a run as possible.

After several minutes of rushing, the seven found themselves at a dead-end: there seemed to be a battle blazing behind them, and every direction they headed towards shortly ran into only more assumed conflict.

They decided they needed to play the waiting game, all ducking behind a building, and frantically keeping an eye out for any approaching figure, not sure who, or what, they should be looking out for.

“Now, Spike…” Twilight began, trying her hardest to catch her breath.

“Tell u-”

“Spike!” Fluttershy interrupted, frantically grabbing Spike by his shoulders. Spike urged her to be more quiet, afraid that they might be heard.

“Did you say, the parasite!?” Fluttershy squeaked out as quietly as she could with her level of alarm.

Spike could only nod, his lips quivering.

“Applebloom — the farm, did you see it?” Applejack asked, her eyes shiny with desperate hope.

Spike nodded slowly, his eyes softening in the moonlight. Applejack felt her stomach knot and twist.

“Well?”

“It’s decimated… I’m sorry, ‘Jack.”

Applejack’s arms fell to her side lifelessly, and her eyes seemed to sink into her skull. Her breathing sharpened.

“Everything’s either destroyed from battle, or from the Royal Guards trying to ‘cleanse’ the area! They almost shot me, Twi, me! Do I look infected to you?!” Spike cried, hugging Twilight, as tears wet her shirt.

Twilight held Spike, as the six girls glanced between each other, all at a similar loss of what to do next.

“Hold on, guys… do you hear that?” Rainbow Dash asked, as she stepped forward, listening.

“Hear what…?” Twilight asked, as Spike released himself from her, wanting to be alert as well.

“Exactly… Everything’s quiet…” Rainbow Dash stated, her voice hushed.

They were all silent, simply observing, none making a deciding move.

“Well, this means there’s two outcomes: the parasite’s won, and is looking for more prey, or the Royal Guards won, and they’re sweeping the areas.” Twilight finally spoke up.

“We should get to somewhere where there’s light, then. The Guards can see us clearly, so that we’re not infected, and we should be able to see anything coming towards us with a fair bit of ease, as well. It’ll help us decide where we can run.” Pinkie Pie chimed in. All eyes laid on her, the unexpected display of intelligence and leadership catching them off guard. 

Fluttershy looked up: Pinkie Pie wasn’t hiding her solemnity this time, like she usually would. She seemed all business, and the usual exuberance was nonexistent. 

“But, there’s three major problems with this,” Pinkie Pie continued, the received attention prompting her to do so.

“One, the Guard may shoot us out of fear for us having been infected; two, the parasite is an unusually hushed topic, so we have little information on how it spreads, how fast it can move, and how to defeat it, as well as other useful knowledge; third, if the parasite is an intelligent life, like us, that light won’t help us — they’ll simply ambush us instead.” Pinkie Pie stated, holding up three fingers. Pinkie Pie seemed to surprise even herself with her assessment.

“I don’t know where this Pinkie Pie was hiding, but gee whiz I like her! I say we go with that idea.” Applejack nodded in agreement.

The others quickly agreed, save for Twilight, who watched her strangely with her mouth slightly agape, before agreeing herself.

As the seven rushed for a nearby streetlight that lit an entire intersection, passing several buildings riddled with bullet-holes, absolutely atrocious odors, and strange, thick, crimson and shades-of-green liquids, one thing became horrifyingly clear:

Fluttershy’s feelings of anxiety had been confirmed — the parasite was here, and it would swallow their entire town.
> The Hero's Rescue - Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... O-Oh, Celestia…! That thing’s eating him alive! ..."

>March 19, 3015<
>Ville Park, 7:53 PM<






The seven reached the nearest streetlight and stood, the one haven of light in a slew of sickening darkness.

All were silent, focused on the unmoving, still darkness surrounding them. Their sharp and ragged breaths calmed, and they put their ears to work, too.

Finally, slow, heavy footsteps were heard, as a figure rose from the shadows, appearing into the streetlight.

A single boot stepped firmly into the streetlight. Armored, and golden, just like that of a Royal Guard’s.

“Help!” Fluttershy yelled instantaneously rushing forward for the guard. However, Pinkie Pie, with lightning quick reflexes snatched Fluttershy’s arm back, staring the figure down.

“S-she’s right… He’s…!” Fluttershy gasped, her hands now over her gaping mouth.

The figure finally stepped into full view of the streetlight and what stood before the seven friends appalled them all:

A violent, inhumane twist and blend of human matter and bone somehow standing before them on a bloody lower half. The neck and head of whatever poor soul was struck by this thing was pushed back, and extended, was the head of whatever ravaged the body and took control of it. The skin glowed an unpleasant dull and plague-like green. 

It -- the creature -- gushed and bled mixes of green and crimson, an unsightly, surreal, and intoxicating view.

“W-w-w-what the--...!?” Applejack stammered, watching the lifeform take another step toward the seven.

“I-I don’t want to…!” Fluttershy cried, backing up and falling on her butt, scooching next to the others.

As the creature stared at all of them for another few seconds, it reared its head towards the sky, and let out a menacing, high-pitched screech that was sure to have been heard by all of Anthroville.

“I dunno about you guys!” Applejack began, as she swiftly bent over and picked up a large, sharp piece of debris, slugging her arm back.

“But I sure as heck don’t like that sound it just made!” Applejack yelled, as she beamed the rock at the head of the disfigured lifeform before them.

“Run!” Applejack barked, as she turned the opposite direction, dashing through the dark. All but Fluttershy followed suit, still shocked and off her feet.

Pinkie Pie rushed back, and threw another piece of debris at the lifeform before snatching Fluttershy’s wrist and forcing her up, both dashing madly into the darkness to catch up with the others before the pursuer could recover and ensue.

The seven scrambled through streets and alleyways as snarls and growls of all forms and types surrounded them, and seemingly closed in with every step they took.

“T-Twi…!” Spike wheezed, running as fast as he could.

“D-don’t think… we’re… outrunning…!” Spike wheezed, his body sweaty and tired, and his steps becoming sloppily paced.

“Something's got 'em excited on this side!” 

All of the seven paused briefly, looking beyond the slew of buildings in the complex they were running through.

A human voice had been heard! Moreso, a rather authoritative one!

“Guards!” Twilight shouted with hope. As she did, however, from their right, they heard an unsettlingly close snarl.

Turning, their eyes confirmed their fears -- another twisted lifeform stood opposite them. As they took one step back, the creature took two steps forward.

Worse, they could hear more closing in. They were about to be cornered.

“AAAHHHHH!!!!!” Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs into the sky, knowing not what else to do but alert the others of their position. A gamble to see who was closer -- the Guards, or the parasite.

The being before them, being set off by the sudden shriek, dashed forward, directly for Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie, eyes wide, instinctively jumped back, and thankfully, the much larger being crashed into the dense, disabled streetlight Pinkie Pie had been standing beside.

“Quick!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, quickly recovering as all dashed the opposite direction, towards the Royal Guards' voice, ignoring the oncoming slew of parasitic cries they heard.

“I think they’re over here!!!” 

The seven heard another yell, driving passion into their being. They were just a few more streets down, if anything. There was a chance, they thought!

“G-guys…!” Spike wheezed.

“I-I’m…!” he coughed, slowing down significantly, his feet beginning to stomp and drag across the ground.

“Spike, there’s no time!” Twilight snapped, harshly urging him to speed up.

Dissatisfied with Spike’s lagging, Twilight grabbed his arm, and continued running, pulling him along as best she could.

“Just a little longer, Spike!” Twilight reassured, trying her best to compensate his lagging.

“We’re over here!!!” Applejack shouted at the top of her lungs, as the cries of the parasite behind the seven excited even further.

However, as the last of the group was running past one building, a large, bulbous looking creature shot out at Twilight and Spike, sending the two skidding across the cement. The parasite was powerful!

It was not larger than any standing bipedal, but was still considerably large, and looked to be roughly 3 feet in size.

It ‘stood’ and maneuvered on several tentacles it had whipping about beneath it. 

“Spike, Twi!” Rainbow Dash yelled, stopping briefly. As both looked up, the creature had chosen it’s prey, and hopped straight toward Spike with celerity.

As several of its tentacles wrapped around Spike’s arms, detaining him, it lifted its body, showing more tentacles looming over Spike.

“G-gahh!” Spike choked and struggled, fighting back the tentacles that shot down and began to strangle his neck.

Before Twilight could even react, all Twilight heard was a small yelp from beneath the bulbous creature, and watched as several of its tentacles sliced Spike apart and writhed inside of Spike’s body, who reacted violently to the invasion with a disturbing sequence of twitches and gargles.

Twilight picked herself up violently, slightly hunched and holding her stomach as she felt sick watching Spike's blood splatter about, running over to the others as best she could. Her steps were weak and disoriented.

“O-Oh, Celestia…! That thing’s eating him alive!” Applejack said in a low, harsh breath, removing her hat and holding it to her chest, a mix of a wince and grimace on her face.

“W-we’ve got to…!” Twilight said, taking a single, weak, fear-filled step over to Spike and the creature that was slithering into his body. Pinkie Pie took a single step in front of Twilight, not looking back at her.

One of her arms was slung around her stomach, and the other around her mouth, to keep from throwing up. Her eyes shone, and water grew at the bottom. Her lips began to quiver. She reached to push Pinkie Pie aside, but Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight’s wrist.

“What can we do?” Rainbow Dash asked, as the six of them watched in a pained silence. Finally, the twisted lifeform that the creature had turned Spike into turned to face the six, twitching erratically. Applejack dropped her hat, immediately preparing herself to flee once more.

“This isn’t good. Twilight, are you ready to go?” Pinkie Pie asked, standing in front of the five.

From the corner of her eye, Pinkie Pie could see Twilight nodded. However, as she turned back, she realized, that the newly infected Spike was already halfway towards her, with a much less mature-sounding screech.

“I won’t make it in time…!” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, as she just barely turned and raised her arms in defense.

The creature, probably getting used to its host, sloppily bounced over Pinkie Pie’s forearms, but landed agilely behind Pinkie Pie, immediately leaping for the five behind her.

Time seemed to slow down to a near stop for Pinkie Pie, as she felt the creature zoom past on behind her.

She could think a thousand things, but nothing would push her body to react fast enough to stop that thing.

Pinkie Pie had just begun to turn back around again to dash after the creature, when as she finally turned, she saw a majestic flow of multi-colored hair, in what seemed to be ceremonial Royal Guard armor. In her hands was a very segmented rifle that looked handcrafted and seemed to have many parts. The darkness of the streets, as well as the reflection of light from the little that was there, covered her face ominously. All that could be made out in the eerie lighting were two glowing, piercing, and cold magenta beads.

*BOOM!*

In the instant that she appeared, seemingly out of thin air, a single bullet flew past, decimating the creature after Pinkie Pie’s five friends with a small-scale explosion on impact. It twitched on the ground momentarily, before settling, as gore leaked from it.

“Y-You saved--”

Pinkie Pie cut herself off, being surprised by the direct stare the woman gave her, along with a small smirk.

“Come on now, you know better than that,” the woman stated, now aiming the rifle directly at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie gasped softly.

She could not help but freeze. Pinkie’s muscles tensed, and she nearly made a split-second decision, feeling her body begin to move forward.

However, just as she began to move even a millimeter...

*BOOM!*

Just through the arch of her hair, the bullet flew above Pinkie’s head, and hit another twisted life form to her adjacent side, within the shadow of the buildings.

Before Pinkie Pie could process anything further, the armored woman dashed forward. Although Pinkie Pie could barely see it, she felt as if the woman had been smiling intently at her going on past.

Pinkie turned just in time to watch the woman dice the still-active creature’s body apart with a rather short blade she pulled from her thigh.

“Guards! To me! Let us cleanse the parasite, and rescue the uninfected! Keep these citizens safe!” The woman barked, rushing out into the darkness. Seconds after, a small squadron of golden armored soldiers filtered through.

“W-we’re saved!” Rainbow Dash said with great relief, watching as the squadron rushed past them, making relatively quick work of the parasitic infection.

“... But… our friends, our family -- we’ve already lost so much…” Twilight stated, staring down at the mess that was once her companion, Spike.

Rarity’s boutique and Sweetie Belle, Applejack’s farm and apple family, Pinkie Pie’s work at sugarcube corner, and not to mention the family she worked with there -- the list went on.

“Sorry to break the moment, girls, but I was instructed to bring you to a secure facility for decontamination and possible relocation.”

The girls, broken from their depressed trance of realizing their loss, snapped their attention forward to the voice interrupting them -- a single Royal Guard armed with a rifle over his back, and a sword on his waist. His gear looked much inferior to that of the hero who had saved them.

“The Princess fears for your safety within this city, despite her being more than able to handle an outbreak of this scale,” he said, quickly bowing on a knee as he finished.

“But, for the sake of not having intelligence fall into the wrong hands, I must ask that you allow me to dull your senses,” the soldier stated.

The girls looked between each other.

Fluttershy was still incredibly paranoid and shaken by anxiety; Rarity was paler than her already incredibly pale complexion; Rainbow Dash seemed to have lost her usual edge and confidence; Twilight was stricken with grief at the loss of her greatest companion; Applejack was much the same as Twilight, grieving for the loss of her farm and family; Pinkie Pie was… oddly unreadable -- she had an incredibly solemn face, the type that a mercenary or important pawn was trained to have -- one that seemed… unphased.

The guard stayed bowed, not worrying one bit of the battle blazing on behind him. The girls all stayed silent for several seconds. Finally, one spoke up.

“Do it. What choice do we have? There’s nothing here for us any longer.” Pinkie Pie stated, stepping forward.

“You guys with me on this?” Pinkie Pie asked. The others looked bewildered, still torn between abandoning their home for safety, or staying in hopes that some of their home remained.

However, the silence caused Pinkie Pie to turn her glance back towards the five, and despite the solemn, unchanged face of Pinkie Pie, there was one sure characteristic of her features that not even she could hide from them.

Her eyes were ever-so-slightly squinted, and shone with a burning, angry glaze. Bury it all she wanted, the rage and grief in her eyes shone like a beacon to the eyes of her companions.

“I’m with you.” Applejack said, being the first to speak up, immediately resonating with the anger she felt.

Soon after, the other four agreed, not wanting to be separated, and wanting to move forward from the tragedy they experienced this night, despite not quite knowing how. But, they knew that something, was better than waiting around for nothing.

“I’m glad you guys came around. Here, take these pills,” the guard began, fishing around inside of his armor, before pulling out in his hand a small capsule.

“Pills? Of what sort?” Twilight asked, her caution and curiosity being slightly aroused.

“The kind that will disable your senses. Your ability to feel, taste, hear, see, and smell. It is imperative that your memory has no chances to recreate any type of path to the quarters where the Princess wants you,” the guard stated.

“Then, we will basically become unconscious?” Twilight asked.

“Heh... not quite. The science behind it is something only veterans can understand, kiddo." The Royal Guard stated. He looked behind him momentarily, noting that the sounds of combat began to falter.

"But, I can hear that the fight is slowing, which means I should already have you all prepped before the Princess comes back and scolds me for my tardiness,” the guard said, looking back nervously.

“Wait, that was THE Princess Celestia? The equally intelligent and powerful princess of the Sun, and ruler of this entire planetary system!?” Twilight shrieked in a bit of a fangirl moment, forgetting for just a brief second, her grief.

“Goodness, you make me sound like a God…” 

Twilight shivered with awe, as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and an incredibly ferocious aura behind her.

“Soldier, I thought I said to have this situation wrapped up before we finished.” Princess Celestia stated, walking around Twilight, now standing between the guard and the six girls, who could only watch, feeling inferior to the two veterans before them.

“My apologies, ma’am,” the soldier apologized, swiftly bowing on a single knee before her.

“At ease. The transportation is still enroute. You avoid punishment, this time.” Princess Celestia stated officially.

The soldier breathed a sigh of great relief, as if dodging a bullet.

“Now, get them prepped before I reconsider. Or, perhaps I should, you’re in need of more trai-”

“On it, ma’am!” The guard interrupted fearfully, quickly placing a pill in each of the girls’ hands. In the dark night, it was hard to see the exact characteristics of this pill they were consuming. Nonetheless, they popped it into their mouth.

As the girls swallowed the pill that seemed to slide down their throats with ease, within seconds, they could feel their entire body go numb -- first, they stopped feeling all sensations; there was no heat, no coldness, nothing -- then, went their hearing, followed by their taste and smell. Finally, their vision, despite their eyes remaining open, began to fade to black. 

It was impossible to even know whether they were standing, or already being moved. They all simply tried their best to not move a single inch, fearing that they would interrupt the guards’ actions.

“Should’ve asked how long it lasts…” Pinkie Pie thought in disappointment, now realizing that she would have to be alone with her own thoughts for a potentially long time, not knowing when it would end.
> Déjà vu... - Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... Wait, that stutter... It couldn’t be..."

>March 20, 3015<
>///CLASSIFIED/// presumed in transit, 2:03 AM<






“When are you going to stop ignoring me…?” 

Pinkie Pie was sure that she was going crazy. She couldn't fall asleep, despite the fact that it should be easier now than ever. A thousand and one emotions seemed to burn in her at once, and she couldn’t get rid of that “damned voice!”

“I’m not just a ‘damned voice’... Surely, you’ve realized that by now. We don’t have time to waste. This matter is more delicate than you realize.”

The voice spoke with a level of urgency. It made Pinkie Pie question her sanity. Was it... a guilty conscience?

Pinkie Pie thought back carefully, to her mixed moods, and the overwhelming emotion she now felt. She knew she had lost everything, but she felt as if she held more than just her own rage; more than her own sadness; more than her own despair. 

Why she had suddenly become so adept in stressful situations, why she was able to keep up with Twilight’s intelligence under such circumstances whilst they evaded the parasite, and more, plagued her mind.

“We’ve been through this a thousand⚡⚡--thousa-thousand-thousa--⚡⚡thousand times, Diane. You’ve got to stop ignoring--"

The voice paused momentarily, as it made a worried type of hum.

"Wait, that stutter… It couldn’t be…”

And why was it talking to itself, Pinkie thought. Stutters? Why did it sound so alarmed? And that ‘stutter’ was oddly... robotic. That didn’t make sense, this thing felt like it had humanity. Like it was, exactly what it was -- just a voice in her head.

Pinkie Pie was going mad being locked in this artificial state of unconsciousness, with nothing but her inner-madness to soothe her. And, “Diane”? She was never referred to as that, she thought.

“I guess you’ll need more legitimacy of me before we can cooperate, then... That’ll have to wait, unfortunately, but I need you to listen to me, and I have to make sure you listen. Do you feel that...?”

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie felt her hand begin to buzz. She couldn’t feel it, but she was sure she gasped. The drug certainly wasn’t wearing off, as only her right hand began to buzz, but then, that would mean...

“You’re… real?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself. 

“That’s all the risk I can give to upsetting my current covert advantage. That gasp you made was loud, and you’re under…”

The voice paused for several seconds. Was it thinking? Observing, perhaps? Pinkie Pie was utterly confused. Was she crazy? Is this how her brain dealt with the loneliness of this dark world and situation?

“... intense surveillance. Do me a favor, and try to return to your normal behavior -- but promise me this: when I prove my worth to you, you must keep me a secret. Not just physically, but mentally, psychologically, and behaviorally as well.”

“I don’t under--”

“You don’t need to, and this is the most important promise I need you to keep: trust me. That’s all I need. That's all you need. Is to trust yourself. I, you, we -- are immature right now, but trusting yourself is all you’ve got right now. Promise me. Now.”

Pinkie Pie tried her best to remain absolutely still, as she had been, but the one sense the drug couldn’t disable, was her sixth and seventh sense. The sense of soul, and of intuition, loosely speaking. 

Her soul felt uncomfortable because her intuition knew this event. It was familiar with this event, as it had been familiar with everything prior to this point, and it bothered her soul to extremely uncomfortable proportions. She was not sure how to control bodily behavior that she couldn’t sense, but she knew that she must be displaying great discomfort to whoever was watching her now, in the real world.

Why had she known the parasite would be coming weeks prior, like Fluttershy? Why was she so calm, her leadership qualities during the evasion seemed more akin to Twilight’s. So many things confused her, and now this...? What in the world was going on?

“I must really be going crazy, but… I have no choice; I need to see where this goes, I suppose. I promise.” Pinkie Pie responded mentally. 

“No, I need you to say it, specifically.”

The voice spoke back with a sort of desperate desire. Pinkie Pie could only characterize it as a need for reassurance. Whatever this voice was, it too, was stressed. Perhaps lonely. It sounded tired, too.

“I promise to keep you a secret. And I promise to trust… myself? Yourself? I’m not quite sure, but I do promise!” Pinkie Pie thought to herself.

“It’s all the same. I will be absent for some time. I must go analyze an anomaly… Forget about me until I’m back, we’ll be safest that way. And when I do return, it will be the grandest thing you have ever experienced. Remember your promise when that happens. Until next time, Diane.”

With that sentence, Pinkie Pie felt a small buzz in her mind’s recesses seem to falter out into a gentle, almost unnoticeable hum. Her emotions seemed to ease, as well. Pinkie Pie was confused, but she tried her absolute best to forget about it, as instructed -- to no avail.

There were simply too many questions… 

She just wanted to see her friends… 
> The Hero's Gift - Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... their vitals are showing no signs of decline, and after such a powerful dose! ..."

>March 20, 3015<
>///CLASSIFIED///, presumed premature Flood Control HQ, 5:19 AM<






Pinkie Pie, for the first time in a long time, could feel her senses begin to return to her. She felt hands all over her neck, forehead, and wrists -- feeling was the first to return. She almost thought she was dreaming.

Then, her smell and taste -- she could taste her morning breath -- she had been ‘unconscious’ for quite some time. She could smell a lot of rubber, presumably from the people working on her.

Then, was her hearing. She decided to feign unconsciousness, still, her mind still plagued by the weird anomaly she had just experienced. She hadn’t even asked for it’s name, she thought with regret.

“This… this is unparalleled! All six of them, their vitals are showing no signs of decline, and after such a powerful dose!”

“Incredible... I told you the Princess wouldn’t do such a thing to mere children! She must’ve known they were capable of surviving. This project might really mean our salvation! We just need them to--”

“Shut up! We know what the plan is, they’re less than half an hour from awakening based on the measurements, and Celestia will have you beheaded if you spiral things out of order. Now, finish up, and let’s get the report back to her. She’ll be very pleased, these results exceed even what her own genius estimated.”

“Surviving? Surviving what?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, trying her best to remain as still as possible. She heard the group of people shuffle out of what seemed to be an automatic, metal door. It clanged shut, and shortly after, she heard a beeping sound.

“Thirty minutes, huh?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself. She couldn’t just lie here for 30 minutes, her body ached -- was she being carried in a box this whole time?

After roughly 5 minutes of enduring the bodily aches as much as she could, Pinkie Pie decided she’d try one thing before she rose.

“Hey… ya there, creepy disembodied voice that’s totally not a sign that I’m losing my damn grip on reality!?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, feeling silly that she was asking her mind to reply to herself.

“...”

Pinkie Pie breathed a deep sigh. “‘Spose not.” She thought, as she finally let her eyes open.

She looked down at herself -- she was in skin-tight black clothing of foreign material. She couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed, knowing very well that she no longer had underwear on, meaning whoever took them saw every last bit of her body. She shivered.

“That’s… not okay.” Pinkie Pie thought out loud, feeling relieved that she was speaking externally for the first time in a while of being consciously unconscious.

She sat up -- she was, indeed, placed in what seemed to be a small box with handles on either side -- eerily reminiscent of a casket, but it was in a pure, pearly-white marble texture. 

“Hm.” Pinkie Pie hummed out, as she began to get out of the box -- it was hoisted off of the floor, so she fell a few inches, landing on the ground with a small huff. 

She examined the room -- it was well-lit and completely white -- the brightness offended her pupils for a short while, before adjusting. She could see the only thing that wasn’t white, was the grey, metal door that had a holographic panel protruding from the wall beside it. It glowed red.

She turned, and saw that her and her friends were all placed an equal distance from one another in these boxes -- as she turned her neck to examine the room, she felt a painful sting in her neck. She placed her fingers over her neck, and felt what seemed to like a scar -- it felt old, and well-healed, but… She never received any neck injuries in her life. Curious.

She walked over to each box, and examined her friends, all who seemed to be now sleeping peacefully, perhaps a side effect of the drug dulling their senses, thus lulling them to true unconsciousness.

Pinkie Pie did not have that same pleasure, and in turn, felt quite tired -- that damned voice in her head was to blame. She watched each of them sleep -- they looked so peaceful, despite what had happened. Fluttershy was the only exception -- her face still seemed to be wrenched in great anxiety.

Pinkie Pie was hovering over her box, watching her closely. She ran her hands through the pink hair, softly, gently, tenderly. She sympathized greatly with Fluttershy; she was such a pure soul, and now all this had to happen in such a short time-frame. The poor girl was already terribly anxious, this was only going to make her weight even heavier.

Pinkie Pie caressed Fluttershy’s cheek, pleased to see that Fluttershy unconsciously grabbed her hand with both of her hands, and held it tightly, her anxious features seeming to slowly melt away.

“You won’t ever be alone.” Pinkie Pie softly whispered to the now calm, slumbering Fluttershy.

Suddenly, the Pinkie Pie heard a loud beep at the door, as the red light on the holographic panel flowed to green. She lifted her hands from Fluttershy’s. To her pleasure, Fluttershy’s features did not twist back into anxiousness.

The doors opened, and in stepped the hero that rescued them from certain demise just hours earlier. Even in this room with no windows, her multi-colored hair seemed to flow with life. She was in very similar latex clothing, but hers was trimmed with gold highlights, and slung over her shoulders was what seemed to be a ceremonial, jet-black general’s jacket, with metal, onyx-black shoulder pads. The shoulder-pads were angular and armor-like. However, the jacket seemed quite small for her rather large and tall figure.

She greeted Pinkie Pie with a smile warmer than the sun, and a laid-back, friendly salute. Pinkie Pie could not help but be taken in by her immense grace, and comforting charm in mere seconds. Pinkie Pie found it hard to response, trying to adjust herself to the amazing aura and air that this hero before her emanated.

“I see you’re the first to awaken, Diane--...”

Pinkie Pie was thrown out of her amazement for a few seconds, relating that name to what the voice in her head called her -- it completely threw her off, and even though the hero kept speaking, she could not comprehend the words, feeling, for a short moment, an intense throb in her head.

“Did you hear me? Have I said something offensive?” The hero asked, now walking up to Pinkie Pie, and kneeling in front of her, holding Pinkie Pie’s chin tenderly.

Pinkie Pie paused for some seconds, gulping. She searched her mind for an excuse, remembering her promise to keep ‘it’ secret.

“Diane…” Pinkie Pie trailed on with emphasis.

“That’s what… That’s what my parents used to call me. I see you know my full name -- I appreciate the friendliness, but Pinkamena would be just fine, Princess.” Pinkie Pie said, with a hint of sadness on her voice -- truthfully, her parents had died nearly an entire year ago, being that they had refused to abandon the farm they owned on one of the outer-colony planets -- the first planets to be consumed and ravaged by ‘the Parasite’.

“I understand, Pinkamena. I’m sorry.” Princess Celestia remarked sympathetically, hugging Pinkie Pie.

As they pulled back, Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but look at the jacket that was slung across Princess Celestia’s shoulders. 

“Are you interested in it?” Princess Celestia inquired with a warm smile, gesturing to the jacket over her back.

“Mhm!” Pinkie Pie nodded, her hands patiently at her side as she looked at the awe-inspiring jacket. 

“Is that what all the high-ranking military officials wear?” Pinkie Pie asked, knowing that Princess Celestia was not only in command of the government, but the defending forces of their Kingdom as well.

Princess Celestia chuckled. “I am the supreme leader, my appearance is enough to tell me apart -- all I have is my crown, and as you can see, not even I care enough to wear it all the time.” She responded, as she took the jacket off of her back.

“This jacket, was for the first one of you to wake up. And seeing as how everyone is far from arising from their slumber…” Princess Celestia spoke, as she pulled the jacket over Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie Pie pulled her arms through it.

The jacket hung to Pinkie Pie’s heels -- it was clearly too big for her at the time being, but she loved it dearly already. Princess Celestia was providing her with warmth that she felt only from her now ravaged and destroyed hometown of Anthroville.

“Oh! That’s super awesome!” Pinkie Pie gawked at the ceremonial jacket now on her person, twisting and turning her neck to examine it upon herself. Princess Celestia raised a brow, her warm features dropping for a mere second. She smiled again, as she held two fingers onto Pinkie Pie’s chin, holding her still.

Her other hand, gingerly rubbed over Pinkie Pie’s neck -- Pinkie Pie could tell that she was examining the scar with great caution and concern. Pinkie’s features dropped, her heart rate increasing greatly. She immediately pulled away from Celestia's hands.

“I-I promise I’m not infected… none of us are, Princess, I swear!” Pinkie Pie said desperately, backing away in a level of fear. Princess Celestia eyed her, and then smiled warmly once again.

“Of course not, my child. We have top-notch scientists working here. You were all decontaminated and brought here in one piece. I was only curious, I’m sorry if I scared you. The scar is clearly old, anyway.” Princess Celestia remarked, standing again, towering over Pinkie Pie.

“I’ll return once your friends have awoken. I hope you enjoy the jacket, Chief.” Princess Celestia said, as she waved, exiting the room. The green holographic panel flowed to red once more.

“Chief…?” Pinkie Pie thought quizzically, tilting her head at the door, as the red glow of the panel illuminated her curious face… 
> PROJECT: Flood Control - Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"Celestia’s... coming...!"

>March 20, 3015<
>///CLASSIFIED///, presumed premature Flood Control HQ, 5:52 AM<






“Do you think she’s gonna be alright?” Applejack asked, watching Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy along with the three others.

“I sure hope so...” Rarity remarked, her palm over her mouth in concern.

“Where’s Celestia?!” Twilight exclaimed, beginning to hyperventilate, a single hand over her chest.

“Hang on, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called out in concern. 

Pinkie Pie stood over Fluttershy’s box -- the box was no longer its beautiful marble-white, but seemed to be in the process of fading into a deep, dark black. Pinkie Pie held Fluttershy’s hand, caressing it, as Fluttershy, still in her state of unconsciousness, had her face wrenched in deep pain.

Occasionally, she groaned in extreme discomfort, and her body seemed to writhe in pain -- she was clearly unstable, and her five friends couldn’t deduce what they could do to help.

“She’s burning up…” Pinkie Pie sighed out loud worriedly, her palms sweating in Fluttershy’s grasp. 

Everyone had awoken nearly 20 minutes ago, save for Fluttershy, who seemed to begin suffering at some point minutes after their awakening.

“Nngh...!” Fluttershy groaned in great discomfort, her grip around Pinkie Pie’s hand tightening immensely. Pinkie Pie’s face winced greatly, but nonetheless, she stood still, embracing it, her heart wrenched seeing Fluttershy pained in such a manner. 

Rainbow Dash stepped forward, and placed her hand over Fluttershy's shoulder, her other hand over the side of the box.

Applejack stepped forward and held her hands over Fluttershy’s thigh, and her other hand over the side of the box, as well, knowing not what else to do.

Pinkie Pie noticed that Fluttershy’s state seemed to calm, at least slightly -- the box also seemed to slow its fade to black. Pinkie Pie looked back at Rarity, and Twilight, expectedly -- they both came forward to give their unconscious friend comfort, as well.

Pinkie Pie noted that Fluttershy’s suffering still worsened, but at a slower rate. Her friends now surrounded her, all they could do now was provide their comfort. Pinkie Pie’s face seemed to indicate that she was bracing herself for… something.

After a good few desperate minutes of trying to comfort her, something unexpected happened within a moment nearly too short to comprehend:

Time seemed to slow -- the box’s color dropped to nearly the deepest shade of black, as the stomachs of the five conscious friends felt as if they were dropping, similar to a free-fall. Their hairs stood up, seeming to defy physics. Suddenly, Fluttershy bolted into an upright position, and as she did her hands clasped into Pinkie’s even harder, to a point where Pinkie Pie’s hand and fingers seemed to bend unnaturally.

Just before anyone could utter a word, Fluttershy’s eyes begun to open, and as they did, the box’s blackness ejected casting the room in a misty sort of darkness for but two seconds.

“Flu--”

Before any could call her name, Fluttershy’s eyes fully opened, and as she gasped, a powerful shockwave released from her being -- Pinkie Pie, seemingly unaffected by the blast, simply shielded her eyes with her freehand, her jacket fluttering in the blast, whilst her friends all flew back, crashing against the floor and Rainbow Dash specifically, directly against the wall. All in the span of less than six seconds.

Time seemed to return to normal.

Fluttershy, still in some sort of trance, dragged Pinkie Pie closer to her frantically, with the very hand she was damaging, and urgently pleaded:

“Celestia’s...!” Fluttershy began blurting out, but slowed as she realized Pinkie Pie’s face wrenched in pain, and she seemed to be pulling away from Fluttershy in urgency or fear.

“...coming...!” Fluttershy finished, as she looked down. She gasped, her heart immediately burning with regret and sorrow that she had hurt her friend.

She let go of Pinkie Pie’s hand, as Pinkie Pie fell back onto her butt, trying to release the grip herself as soon as she saw that Fluttershy was awake. She inhaled sharply, staring at her hand and fingers, which seemed to bend back nearly to her forearm now.

Her wrist felt totaled, but she only winced, sucking up the pain and holding her forearm with her undamaged hand. Fluttershy jumped out of the box, and immediately tended to Pinkie Pie, holding her hands over her tenderly, afraid to touch any part of Pinkie Pie and hurt her further.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Pinkie Pie, are you okay?!” Fluttershy whined and gasped with extreme distress at her apparent mistake.

Pinkie Pie brought her free-hand to Fluttershy’s forehead, then down to caress her cheek.

“Relax, Fluttershy. You were in pain... You should apologize to everyone else, first.” Pinkie Pie said through a smile, trying her best to hide the immense pain her hand was in. 

“I'd rather this, than seeing you all twisted up in discomfort like that. You needed it.” Pinkie Pie said -- Fluttershy was at a loss for words. How did she do this, she thought. She surely wasn’t that powerful... right?

“Y-yeah... Cut us some slack too, now I’m all banged up…” Applejack groaned, picking herself up from off the floor. Her forehead was bleeding, a small stream of blood making its way down her temple.

“Sheesh, what the heck was that?” Rainbow Dash followed suit, getting up and holding her arm and then beginning to rub her back, presumably bruised and battered.

The rest picked themselves up, groans of pain pinging throughout the room.

“Oh my gosh!” Fluttershy gasped, running up and past Pinkie Pie, tending to her friends with many apologies.

Pinkie Pie sat back against the wall, opposite of them. Her heart raced, but for some reason, she was calm. She laid her broken hand and wrist on the ground, and with her other, caressed the jacket that Celestia had gifted her. She tried to focus her senses on how the fabric felt, to escape the throbbing pains in her hand.

Finally, after another 30 seconds, the light on the panel beside the door went from red, to green -- the doors opened up, and two royal guards stood on either side of it, weapons on standby. They had on what seemed to be full-face helmets with a visor, but the visor was presumably one-way, as their faces were concealed. Celestia rushed between them, immediately running to the group of five friends.

“I’m so sorry for the tardiness! We were… occupied. Is everyone alright?” Princess Celestia asked the five. They nodded, before looking towards Pinkie Pie on the other wall. Just before Celestia could turn, Pinkie Pie hid her damaged hand beside her, wishing to not make a scene of things. First, and foremost, she wanted to know what was next for her and her friends.

“And you, Pinkamena?” Princess Celestia inquired. Wishing not to talk, Pinkie Pie only nodded, feeling her hand go through tangs of pain. She stood, her hand still beside her thigh.

“But--”

“I’m fine.” Pinkie Pie interrupted Fluttershy, looking her directly in the eye. “I promise.”

Princess Celestia looked Pinkie Pie up and down and then smiled. “You deserve that apparel I’ve given you more than I thought. You’re going to be excellent.” Princess Celestia remarked. Pinkie Pie raised a brow, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel a moderate tinge of envy at the attention she gave to Pinkie Pie.

“Did she receive that coat from her?” Twilight thought, now noticing the ceremonial jacket that was over Pinkie Pie. She raised a brow herself.

“Never mind my rambles. I’m sure you’re all very curious on what is next for you all. I ask that you all follow me. We can head to the conference room for a briefing on where you all currently stand, and I have a question for you all that will decide the rest of your lives.” Princess Celestia explained. The girls’ anxieties swallowed their questions. They looked up at their savior and hero expectedly.

“If you will.” Princess Celestia motioned towards the door, where the two guards awaited. The two guards began walking down the hallway, and the girls followed behind closely, with the Princess in the very back tow.

As they walked, they noticed that cameras seemed to be along every nook and cranny, and that there was little decoration, save for the occasional gray and black highlights among the white walls.

Soon, they walked past a rather large window, that overlooked what could only be described as a stadium or arena; it was a vast, open, dome-like space with what seemed to be spectator cubes on either side. Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but stop, looking over it for quite some time. It felt like the arena was calling her, beckoning her towards it.

Why did she feel so familiar with everything? And why did she feel attached to this particular room?

Pinkie Pie lagged behind the group, and unbeknownst to her, Princess Celestia stood beside her, also overlooking the stadium-arena.

Just as Pinkie Pie turned, she yelped with surprise at the close proximity of Celestia. Celestia smiled warmly, and looked down at the surprised Pinkie Pie.

“Boo!” She joked. Pinkie Pie brought her hand over her chest, calming her breathing -- she was still jumpy from the ordeal they all went through.

“Come, child. Viewing such sites is the same as viewing classified information, and you don’t yet have that clearance.” Princess Celestia said, her smile not faltering once. 

Pinkie Pie paused for a few moments, looking up at her.

“Yet?” She thought. Neither of them moved, and that’s when Pinkie Pie suddenly felt… violated. Like she was being invaded -- then, she noticed that Princess Celestia had been staring into her eyes the whole time.

Pinkie Pie blushed. It wasn’t as if she had some sort of crush on this lady that saved her life, but, the sudden intimate closeness caught her completely off-guard. She brushed her hair, and turned to keep walking forward. Princess Celestia chuckled, and followed suit, her eyes slimming on Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie noticed that Twilight looked back at the two occasionally, and Rainbow Dash also looked back once. They soon caught up.

After some minutes of walking, a few turns here and there, the guards at the front stopped, either of them standing beside a door. One entered a series of characters onto a holographic panel very similar to the one in the room they were being held in. 

As the doors parted, and the room’s lights flicked on, Princess Celestia walked in ahead of the girls, between the two guards. The girls followed, and as they entered, they were met with a grand room -- in one corner, there was a station that seemed to be a snack / relief bar; it had a coffee maker, an assortment of snacks, beverages, and more.

In the center, was a large oval-shaped table. At one head of it, was a master-chair, and on either side were an additional three chairs, for a total of seven. Behind the table, opposite of the master chair, was a large television encompassing nearly the entire wall.

The room’s western wall was almost entirely glass, and that is when the girls realized they must no longer be on Planet Equestria within the Kingdom of Equestria -- they could see a myriad of planets from where they currently were, but none were easily recognizable to any of the girls. As far as they were concerned, they were in deep space, which worried them -- the parasite was known to drift through space already.

Princess Celestia sat down at the master chair, and motioned for the girls to sit, which they did after soaking up the room’s grandness.

“At ease, children. I see your attention on the window -- we are safe here, I assure you. I am, after all, the Princess of our Kingdom.” Princess Celestia said, as their eyes slowly left the window, and fell onto Celestia.

“Guards: refreshments, please.” Princess Celestia called out. The two guards that escorted them walked in, weapons still in hand. They flicked a switch on a device attached to their guns not bigger than their finger tip, and tossed their guns over their back, as the guns seemed to attach themselves to their backside.

One went to prepare coffee, and the other started getting an assortment of chips and a baked good prepared on seven plates upon a tray.

There were no words, as the guards finished up their preparations, and served each member at the table.

Princess Celestia took a long draw from her coffee, which elicited winces and looks of intrigue from the girls, seeing as how it was fresh from the coffee maker, and still steaming hot.

Princess Celestia smiled, but this time, Pinkie Pie noticed the smile was of a different nature. One she couldn’t quite deduce, just… different.

“Dismissed. And be sure to let your Colonel know that he’s due for debriefing at twenty-two hundred, sharp.” Princess Celestia said, as the two guards exited the room as quickly as they entered.

An eerie silence followed, as the doors shut behind the guards. Princess Celestia watched the girls, and the girls watched her. 

“So…” Princess Celestia began, as she took a bite out of the small cake that the guards provided them with. She then stood, her coffee in hand. She took a sip, washing down her bite of cake.

“Approximately four-hundred and five days ago, on the very outskirts of our fair Kingdom, was a barren planet -- or, so we thought.” Princess Celestia began, as she fished out a remote from her breast pocket. She tapped it, and the television roared to life, showing footage of what looked to be a planet void of life -- brown, and rocky. She pressed a few buttons, and the slideshow showed an enhanced satellite image of a rather sizable facility built quite literally on the underside of a mountain, defying gravity as it would seem.

Pinkie Pie watched the planet, her head feeling fuzzy. That familiarity ached at her. She thought back to her young days on the farm -- she could’ve sworn that she would always see a brown moon that greatly resembled this planet Celestia currently showcased.

“This particular planet, under no jurisdiction of our Kingdom, or any others known throughout this Galaxy, one day sees this particular facility undergo what can only be described as some sort of meltdown--” Celestia continues, as the facility undergoes a small explosion, blasting off most of the right side of the building.

As that part blows up, the rest of the building seems to obey gravity once more, and collapses from the underside of the mountain, crashing into the ground, flames, dust, and smoke spiraling everywhere. The others watched, quietly eating and sipping on their refreshments. Pinkie Pie in particular, kept one hand gently rested upon her lap, pains still pinging through her hand and fingers.

“If you watch closely, you can see a vehicle exiting the destruction, here.” Princess Celestia goes on, pointing at what was a small, pixelated aircraft zooming out of the collapsing building, quickly shooting off into the atmosphere.

“Days later, within our outer colonies, we soon receive word of an evolved plague -- something that has been killing people in hours. Then, when we send out a team of medical professionals to handle the situation and study this plague -- we lose contact.” Princess Celestia continues, sitting back down. She takes another bite of her cake, and washes it down with more coffee.

“Try as we might, we are unable to get back into contact with anyone on this particular planet. Assuming it to be another usual terrorist threat, I enlist my sister, second-in-command to assess the threat and report back to me.” Princess Celestia continues, placing her hands upon the desk, and folding them.

She looks at each of the girls in their eyes, one by one.

“The rest, is quite literally, history. I’m sure you’ve seen the news, about the ongoing struggle?” Princess Celestia inquires.

“Of course.” Twilight chimes in, as the others nod in agreement.

“When we saw how quickly that thing could consume a planet, and just how effortlessly and swiftly it could decimate and hijack another lifeform… we called it the Flood. It washed over us, catching us off-guard, sweeping everything away.” Princess Celestia explained solemnly. The others watched her, their minds replaying the events they had just escaped from.

“Like a flood, hence the name…” Twilight mused aloud, fingers over her chin.

“But then, that doesn’t explain why… how, the parasite got to Planet Equestria, of all places? Isn’t that where your personal castle and headquarters lies?” Twilight inquired, curious as to how it got so far.

“That, my child, is a question I myself, would like to know. Nevertheless, I bring us to the question that will decide the rest of your lives. But first, context.” Princess Celestia began, as she leaned back in her chair, elbows on her arm rest, and her hands clasped together in front of her mouth.

“The parasite is of basic intelligence, but it is a formidable enemy -- I’m sure you’ve seen that already. However, it is more dangerous than we know, and our conventional soldiers are only so adept at dealing with such a monster. Not to mention, this confusion the parasite has brought about, has excited terrorist organizations and opposing nations into thinking that this will be their chance to overthrow my rule, and instill their dictatorship, only further stressing our reserves and available units.” Princess Celestia began. Her hands dropped from her mouth, as she leaned over the table, her brows furrowing. She had an intensely solemn look on her face as she continued.

“Resources are straining. Hope is limited. Our forces are dwindling. Desperate times, do call for desperate measures. Are any of you aware of the PROJECT program?” Princess Celestia asked. Twilight’s eyes lit up with excitement, whilst Rainbow Dash’s seemed to light up with a level of insecurity.

“They’re like, legends! Every time something’s at its absolute worst, these legendary soldiers show up, and completely turn the tide! Not even the milit--”

Twilight was interrupted by Rainbow Dash pulling her hand over her mouth.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash yelled out worriedly. Twilight’s excitement dropped, as a realization dawned on her.

Celestia watched the two with an unreadable look.

“Her concern is warranted -- Twilight Sparkle, for a student of the very school I graduated from, I would’ve never taken you for the criminal type.” Princess Celestia stated, her eyes slimming only slightly as she stared at Twilight. She seemed to be in deep thought. Twilight and Rainbow Dash alike felt tiny underneath her gaze.

The other girls were confused, looking at the two with their own level of concern. What did she mean by criminal?

“Such information is classified, and you must’ve partaken in some incredibly illegal acts to even know of its existence. And accessing such high-clearance information is no easy or lightly-punished feat.” Princess Celestia went on. Twilight gulped. But, then, she smiled warmly once more.

“But, that is why I am glad I happened to find this particular group. You’re all such interesting prospects. Sparkle, please continue, educate your colleagues on PROJECTs.” Princess Celestia beckoned. Rainbow Dash reluctantly let her hand off of Twilight’s mouth, as Twilight continued.

“Well… they’re almost nonexistent, actually. Very few people know what they actually look like, and those who do are sworn into silence. It’s unknown whether they belong to the Kingdom’s defense forces, or if they are able to lead their own lives. Rumors have it that some have been recognized in regular life, but, for the most part, they’re like a military ghost story… They’re smarter, faster, more agile, and definitely a lot more menacing than your average soldier. Some are even capable of using an art lost to us long ago -- magic. Or, more accurately as science describes it, the ability to properly manipulate the hundreds of dimensions of reality, something that only veteran soldiers, doctors, and basically the highest of any class of profession is capable of doing, or even allowed to do!” Twilight rambled on excitedly, the others listening with piqued interest.

As she finished, she looked up at Celestia expectedly, and beamed with admiration and glee as Celestia gave an approving nod.

“Yes. Before I continue, do any of you know why science is now practiced over magic, and why only certain individuals are allowed to use magic?” Princess Celestia asked. They shook their heads.

“Magic, is the hardest and most precise science there is, but also the most punishing -- those not well-trained in its arts, can and will damage themselves, and others if they use it. Subsequently, practicing it has been outlawed under most normal circumstances, despite many other nations and criminal organizations continuing its use and practice.” Princess Celestia began.

They gasped with realization, as all eyes fell on Fluttershy -- she was silent and embarrassed beneath their stares, confused. She did not have great memory of what exactly happened, or how she had hurt her friends, but she knew she was to blame.

“There are many categories, sub-categories, sub-categories of those sub-categories, and so-on-so-forth where applicable -- of different types of magic. However, there are three main categories, decided mainly by your genes, and loosely by your experiences and what has molded you into the person you are today.” Princess Celestia continued, as she held up a single finger.

“The first to be discovered, was named Earth: earth affiliates are usually inclined to excel in magic that has to do with their physiological makeup, namely strength, endurance, and stamina; they are naturally strong and strong-willed, the perfect warrior type.” Celestia said. She brought up a second finger.

“The second to be discovered, was named Sky: sky affiliates also excel in magic with their physiological makeup, but they are mainly to do with speed, agility, stamina, and precision; they happen to be capable of periods of flight or extreme agility, given that they are easily able to manipulate their ‘aura’, essentially putting their body in a state of artificially-controlled gravity; these types are naturally quick on their feet, and very dexterous, extremely suitable for close-quarters combat and reconaissance, or scouting.” Princess Celestia went on, placing up a third finger.

“Finally, we have the last to be discovered, the one named Arcane: arcane affiliates excel in what can be referred to as ‘real magic’. They excel in magic that interacts with, and manipulates their environment -- conjuration, manipulation of elements, creation of destructive forces; they are usually incredibly intelligent, and their skills are best seen as supporters, though they too, can be fierce warriors. Arcane affiliates run the highest risk of damaging themselves or others with their use and practice of magic, as they usually practice the most precise and specific forms of magical application.” Princess Celestia finished. She put her hands down. She could see that the girls were getting impatient -- they were not here for a lesson.

“I can sense your impatience, girls, but believe me, this will all be relevant.” Princess Celestia urged, as she took another sip of coffee. 

“However, my sister and I after some classified testing projects, and our own practice, discovered that there was something beyond these three types -- omnimagical affiliates. It should be noted that no matter what affiliate you are born as or are molded into, the very fact that your experiences can influence your affiliate type, is proof that no one set of magic is locked off from another. Thus, it has been deduced and proven that sky affiliates, could practice arcane and earth magic, and master them as well; of course, this rings true for all three major affiliates. Omnimagical affiliates, in turn, is the name given to those who seem to have the ability to excel in all three types of magic, and have the ability to master more extreme forms of the major three categories.” Princess Celestia continued. Then, she leaned over the table even further, staring at the children.

“All six of you… have the capability, or already are, omnimagical affiliates.” Princess Celestia began, as the girls stared back in disbelief, some wide-eyed. Pinkie Pie, however, simply held her forearm again, being done with her food. She did not seem to be in disbelief -- something about this made sense to her, though, if asked, she could not specifically state it.

“Every PROJECT is capable of, and is highly trained in the use of magic. As Sparkle explained to you all, they are our Kingdom’s most legendary warriors, exceeding even that of my personal Royal Guards. I, and my sister, are also PROJECTs -- the first, in fact. However, with this parasite plaguing us, we have lost many of our PROJECTs due to both a lack of intelligence on it, and our inability to train groups specifically to combat it with our straining resources.” Princess Celestia continued. The faces of the girls slowly started to twist into realization of what the big question was going to be.

“There are our general PROJECTs, but we also have specialized PROJECT groups, specifically trained for affairs that must be handled with specific expertise; PROJECT: Counter-Terrorism, PROJECT: Assault, PROJECT: Defense, PROJECT: Outer-Orbital Battle, and PROJECT: Espionage, to name a few.” Princess Celestia continued. The girls’ face lit up with grim expectation, knowing what was coming next, as Princess Celestia leaned back once more, folding her hands over her mouth again.

“Kids, soon to be adults such as yourselves, would be perfect for the PROJECT program -- you would be a good breed of warriors. We have never seen children as capable as you, and never have we come across such potent omnimagical affiliates at such a young age. There are currently but one-hundred and fifty total PROJECTs, not including myself and other public officials that have partaken in the program. But, with more than half of their forces having seen their demise to the Flood, and this period of hyperactive terrorism, it isn’t enough.” Princess Celestia said, her brows furrowing in further, as she sighed.

“I need to train the toughest, smartest, and meanest PROJECTs to date, second to no other PROJECT in any field of expertise. We have been looking for candidates as perfect as yourselves, and none have met our eyes. So, I am begging you, for the good of my Kingdom,” Princess Celestia continued, as she folded her hands atop the desk once more, brows furrowed, eyes slimmed, as she stared down at the six children.

“Will you undergo our newly formulated super PROJECT program, and become my personal PROJECT: Flood Control, to help protect this Kingdom from any and all threats?” Princess Celestia asked, her fingers tightening around one another incredibly tight. 

The room filled with an eerie silence… None of the girls wished to speak up first.

Princess Celestia began to sweat -- the silence was unnerving her. This was a huge opportunity for her and her Kingdom, but… would they falter? Pinkie Pie breathed in sharply, as she cupped her broken hand with her undamaged one.

“... I’m in.” Pinkie Pie spoke up, standing, still cupping the disturbingly damaged hand to keep it out of view for the time-being. Gasps filled the room, as Celestia looked up at Pinkie Pie with hopeful eyes. Pinkie Pie looked down at Fluttershy intently, and then back to Celestia, her face unmoved. Her allegiance was made.

“But Pinkie Pie! The dangers, surely a program like this isn’t without risk! And, what about--” Twilight began, but choked on her words. She looked at Celestia, watching her beady eyes shine on Pinkie Pie. She then looked at Pinkie Pie, and then to all of her friends beside her. After some silence followed, she too, stood.

“Twi?” Rainbow Dash called. Twilight looked down at Rainbow Dash, and then towards Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie Pie’s a lot smarter than I remember -- which I mean in a non-offensive way, of course. Who cares about the danger of it when our home’s destroyed. We could be relocated anywhere in this Kingdom, and it wouldn’t matter. The parasite -- the Flood, made it to Planet Equestria. Nowhere in the Kingdom of Equestria is safe. Why not help to make it safe, ourselves, so we can settle down peacefully, with no worries? So that none of our friends, ever have to worry again?” Twilight explained, her eyes not leaving Pinkie Pie’s. Twilight smiled warmly, looking between her and Fluttershy.

“I’m sure that’s what you’re thinking, right Pinkie?” Twilight asked to the solemn faced Pinkie Pie. All eyes laid on Pinkie Pie, who could only smile sheepishly underneath all the attention.

With that, Applejack stood facing Celestia; followed by Rainbow Dash; and finally, Rarity.

All looked down at Fluttershy expectedly. 

“You know, we’re not gonna be mad if you don’t want to, Fluttershy. It’s your decision to make, don’t feel pressured, okay?” Rainbow Dash said to her timid friend, patting her head.

Fluttershy looked up, her eyes becoming watery. And as she looked at Pinkie Pie, tears cascaded down her face.

“I’m… I’m scared…!” Fluttershy sobbed out, holding her head in her hands. Princess Celestia’s face dropped -- she looked incredibly disheartened.

“I… I don’t wanna… I don’t wanna see it again…!” Fluttershy sobbed out. Rarity walked over, and patted her on the back.

“There, there. Just like Rainbow Dash said, nobody is going to hold it against you. It’s your choice, hun.” Rarity said soothingly.

Pinkie Pie walked over, putting her damaged hand beside her own back, and used her other to stroke Fluttershy’s hair.

“Flutters, listen. It’s okay. You don’t have to--”

Suddenly, Fluttershy stood in between her sobs, and threw her arms beneath Pinkie Pie’s, hugging her. 

As she did, every other person in the room saw Pinkie Pie’s mangled hand and wrist, fingers bent out of shape, and the wrist hanging almost lifelessly. Princess Celestia hummed knowingly, and the girls winced, being distracted for a short moment from the current event.

“No. You’re all always worrying for me, and doing things for me, and trying to keep me calm, but… what have I done? When will I do something?” Fluttershy spoke in between sobs. She held Pinkie’s arm, gesturing towards the broken hand.

“Even when whatever the heck happened back there in my nightmare, you just… let me hold you, because you thought it would make me feel safe, even though it was clearly hurting you!” Fluttershy sobbed.

“And why would I leave such an amazing friend…” Fluttershy began, and then turned to face everybody. She stared directly at Celestia.

“Such amazing friends, to do something so selfless, alone? I’m scared, but I’m not selfish, and I’m not a coward.” Fluttershy said, standing tall, tears still dripping down her chin.

“If it makes you feel any better, Fluttershy -- I think it’s safe to say we’re all scared.” Pinkie Pie stated, putting her hand over her shoulder reassuringly. 

Princess Celestia’s face lit up magnificently, and her smile was wide. So, incredibly, wide, to a point where it almost disturbed some of the girls.

“I am going to ask you one final time, ladies, and I want you to repeat, as loudly and genuinely as you can, ‘Ma’am, yes ma’am’, hands to your sides. Understood?” Princess Celestia asked, standing up, her cup of coffee still in hand. The girls all nodded, standing apart from one another, facing Celestia, hands to their sides, and backs straight.

“Will you are all undergo this verbal contract, to relinquish your lives to me, the Princess of Equestria, as PROJECT: Flood Control?” Princess Celestia inquired. 

“Ma’am…” The girls began, as they stood even straighter, all looking directly at the wide-smiling Princess who downed the last of her coffee.

“YES MA’AM!!!” They all yelled heartily, at the top of their lungs. Princess Celestia placed her empty cup on the table. 

“Excellent. Your lives are mine, and you are no longer in charge of yourselves. I dictate your life. I say when you can eat. I say when you can sleep. I say when you can shower. I say when you can talk,” Princess Celestia began, as she placed both palms on the desk leaning over and facing the girls. 

They were slightly unnerved by the sudden change in behavior, but assumed this to be Princess Celestia’s more militaristic side -- she was, after all, not only the political leader of the Kingdom, but the head of their defense forces as well.

“I even say when you piss, shit, or die. Is, that, understood?” Princess Celestia inquired, her voice suddenly raising. The girls simply nodded slowly and uncomfortably. Being children as they were, such vocabulary was rarely used in their vicinity, much less directly towards them. It was unfamiliarly vulgar.

“Excuse me? I thought I asked a question. Is, that, UNDERSTOOD?!” Princess Celestia barked much louder this time.

“Ma’am…” Pinkie Pie began, as the others quickly picked up and followed suit.

“YES MA’AM!!!” They all yelled in unison once again, intimidated at Celestia's new display of authority.

“Great. At ease.” Princess Celestia stated. She noticed they all still stood stiff as a board.

“That means, you can relax, children. I am your commander, and your owner, but that does not mean our relationship must only be business. I just wanted to give you all a taste of what may be to come.” Princess Celestia explained. 

“Now, I want you all to look at the one of you wearing the Chief’s Jacket.” Princess Celestia asked. All eyes laid on Pinkie Pie.

“That, is your Chief. Your commander when I am not present. Is that understood?” Princess Celestia asked. All had inquisitive looks, but nodded nonetheless, save for one.

“But, Princess, why is she the--”

“Twilight, a good and valued pupil questions their mentor, only when they are sure they have the grounds to do so. Is what you’re about to ask going to be followed up by undeniably constructive discourse?” Princess Celestia asked, aggressively interrupting Twilight. Twilight sunk back, pouting.

“If it makes you feel any better, we’ve already deduced a progression system, or ranks, for PROJECT: Flood Control. You will all begin at rank zero, which is titled ‘Enlisted’. When you all complete basic training after six months, you will all be immediately upgraded to the lowest rank of PROJECT: Flood Control, ‘Field Marshal’, a five-star rank. This means in six months, you will all have military power equal to all of my greatest officials.” Princess Celestia began, as she walked over to Twilight. She looked into her beady, shiny, jealous eyes, and placed two fingers under her chin, forcing Twilight to look back into her eyes.

“That means, even though Pinkamena may be your Chief now, you’re all on equal sitting. The jacket could be on any of these six pairs of shoulders after your first six months.” Princess Celestia said in a low and soothing manner. She stood back.

“Isn’t… Isn’t basic training usually twelve months, even for the most veteran soldiers, your Royal Guard?” Twilight asked, confused as to how she expected them to undergo such a thing at a process faster than seasoned warriors.

“I didn’t say it would be easy, my dear children. And, whilst you all train, you will be undergoing carefully-orchestrated magical procedures to supplement your growth into something not even the Royal Guards could compete with. If things go well, you’ll be done with basic in less than that time, these will not be traditional methods.” Princess Celestia explained.

“Out of curiosity, what are the other ranks? I mean, Field Marshal is five-star, right? So, what’s after that?” Applejack inquired.

“After that, you are all competing with one another. Ordinarily, PROJECTs are only allowed three ranks above Field Marshal; ranks reserved specifically for PROJECTs -- Hero, Legend, and Mythic, with my rank being specific to me, of course, Nova. Of the fifty-seven currently active PROJECTs, only five are of the highest rank, Mythics, two of which are Princesses Luna and Cadence.” Princess Celestia began, expectedly eyeing Twilight. 

Twilight’s eyes lit up -- Cadence was a PROJECT?! Twilight hadn’t seen her since she left for official business related to her brother’s involvement in the defense forces of Equestria, and since then, she hadn’t heard from either Cadence or Shining Armor. Were they both PROJECTs?

“Twelve are Legends, twenty-three are Heroes, and the remaining sixteen have yet to prove to me that they can be more than Field Marshals. For you guys, however, since you will be the ultimate group of PROJECTs tasked with reclaiming our lives from this plague, a mantle of responsibility very huge, and very heavy for any group in existence, you all will be able to achieve a rank even higher than that: the rank of ‘Reclaimer’.” Princess Celestia explained.

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Applejack’s eyes lit up. A rank even higher than that of the Princesses below Celestia enticed them greatly.

“So then, how would we actually go about attaining such ranks? And why do they matter? Won’t a Field Marshal rank suffice?” Rarity inquired, confused as to why they needed ranks amongst such a small group of elites that were unlikely to come across one another in such a vast Kingdom anyhow.

“Some PROJECTs have a tendency to… let their egos get ahead of them. Ranks not only give a clear distinction of experience and skill, but denote a needed difference in command-power as well. The sixteen active PROJECTs who are still Field Marshals have done feats that have saved planets more times than I can remember, but only I decide who ranks up and when, and for what. When you go out in the field, and if you do ever encounter other PROJECTs, you will understand in clearer detail.” Princess Celestia explained. Rarity and the others nodded.

Princess Celestia turned to Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkamena. Why is your hand all mangled up?” Princess Celestia asked, lifting Pinkie Pie’s forearm, examining the smashed hand.

“Was that when…?” Twilight asked aloud. The others thought the same -- it must’ve been Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie was the only one who wasn’t knocked back, after all. Fluttershy seemed to sink back further into her skin with guilt.

“Something odd happened with Fluttershy. She… had a lot of trouble waking up.” Pinkie Pie stated, trying her best to explain concisely.

“Hmm,” Celestia hummed, dropping Pinkie Pie’s forearm with little regard. Pinkie Pie winced, as the sudden movement revived the pain in her hand.

“Before I dismiss you all today and show you to your quarters and rooms, I want to give you all a small demonstration. Follow me, if you will.” Princess Celestia ordered, as she stepped around the girls. She exited the room, the girls in tow.

They reached an elevator, which seemed to go down and down for ages. Finally, as it stopped, they entered what looked like a small lobby with a door at the other end. There were four other doors, two on either side of the lobby. 

They all walked forward to the single door at the other end, as it opened automatically, showcasing a large, vast room -- the stadium-arena from earlier.

As soon as Pinkie Pie recognized what it was, she felt a cold sweat, and her heart rate increased exponentially -- seeing the room caused intrigue, but being in it, she felt…

Paranoid? Scared? Fearful? Excited? 

She couldn’t quite pin it, but her adrenaline was rushing, and her entire body began to buzz incessantly. Her body had excited jitters, like she was ready to move.

As everyone filtered into the room, they looked around -- nothing but metal whites and grays, much like the rest of the facility they’d seen thus far. However, at the very top of the dome, was an odd machine or apparatus -- it seemed to be projecting light down into the room.

“This, children, is the training room. Most things physical will occur here -- at the top, you can see our magical projector -- as we said, magic, is a real science. When we get you all situated, you will have devices available for your use in which you can use to manipulate the environment of this room. It is our most powerful asset, and every PROJECT training facility is equipped with one. It is even able to modify space, so it may make this room as big and as small as you please, and you can emulate whatever visual images of environments and fields you have access to -- well, as much as it can handle, our reserves are not infinite.” Princess Celestia explained.

Twilight’s mind was blown -- in civilian culture, such a thing was only being theorized about; she couldn’t believe that it existed. She shouldn’t be surprised, she thought, as even the internet existed for the military long before civilians got access to it.

“However, we won’t be playing with that very much today. Today, before you’re all dismissed, I want to show you all a bit of magic in play, and how useful and simultaneously dangerous it can be.” Princess Celestia stated. 

“Let’s begin with some sky affiliated magic,” Princess Celestia began. A gentle, gold aura began to envelop Celestia.

“I want you all to watch carefully, okay?” Princess Celestia began, as she walked around the girls, facing the door. They nodded.

Then, suddenly, they felt a gust of wind blow across them, and the next thing they knew, Celestia was already at the doorway they entered from. As it opened, she dashed through, and came back on through with a tablet in her hands. A holographic display emitted from it.

The girls were taken aback by the display of extreme speed -- she was to and fro with an item from somewhere else in the facility within seconds. She tapped a few things on the holographic display of the tablet. The projector at the top seemed to point to a corner of the room now.

A single ray of light emitted from it, and in the corner, they saw a being conjured up from pure light.

As the light settled, they watched with great horror, backing up.

“Is… is this a nightmare?!” Fluttershy screamed, falling back onto her butt.

“At ease, children. Magic conjuration can only emulate so much -- it will be as fast and as strong as one, but that is it. You cannot be infected by it.” Princess Celestia reassured the children, as she faced what was now approaching them.

Just like the one they saw, it was an infected Royal Guard -- an intoxicating mix of what appeared to be biological matter and armor upon armored legs.

The screech it released threw every single girl back into their nightmare momentarily, as they all stepped back instinctively. The aura never left Princess Celestia, as she looked back.

“I want you all to remember, that Royal Guard armor is made of some of the toughest alloys that we can create.” Princess Celestia called back to them. Seeing them give fearful nods, she was pleased.

She moved forward, dashing off -- she was behind the creature before it could even recognize where she had left to. With one sure and powerful roundhouse kick to the back, Celestia’s foot had penetrated the creature’s chest, through all the bio-matter and armor. The strength impressed all of them.

Ejecting her leg and grounding herself once more, Celestia put both arms on the conjured creature, and tossed high into the sky, nearly at the roof of the dome.

“That thing weighs nearly two-hundred and fifty, y’know.” Princess Celestia informed, as she held out her hand, aiming at the falling creature with her palm.

The aura seemed to leak out over to Celestia’s hand, and crackle with energy. Then, suddenly, a powerful beam of fire-based energy left Princess Celestia’s palm, incinerating the creature, as it fell, charred and oozing away.

“Flood combat form, defeated. Retrieving energy.” A voice spectated, as the creature and all of its bits and blood returned into light, and floated back up towards the projector-like apparatus in the roof.

The girls were at a loss for words -- some amazed, others still scared. Pinkie Pie watched with an unreadable emotion. Her body still ached with adrenaline.

“To me, children.” Princess Celestia instructed, as the girls walked closer to her, facing her once more.

“That, was a very short and extremely basic example of how the three major affiliations can help you in combat. But, do you want a taste of what you can do as omnimagical affiliates that the three majors cannot?” Princess Celestia asked.

They nodded, expecting that that was the only acceptable answer.

Princess Celestia’s aura seemed to dissipate. Her eyes glowed for a brief second as she looked at each of the girls.

“Pinkamena, you have thirteen completely shattered bones in your hand, and seven more are fractured or breaking. Applejack, your left deltoid and right knee are bruised, and the wound on your forehead has scabbed up nearly fourteen minutes ago. Twilight and Rarity, you both have an injured wrist and elbow, respectively. Fluttershy, you are… undamaged, and Rainbow Dash, you had a great impact on your back, it’s completely bruised.” Princess Celestia examined.

“That, was a novice example of the advanced use of arcane magic.” Princess Celestia said.

"Novice?!" The girls thought to themselves.

“This,” Princess Celestia began, as her body began to glow a very gentle and dark pink. Her skin seemed like it had begun to glisten, and soon, she was steaming, sweat presumably evaporating from her body.

“Is an advanced use of both earth and sky magic. I’m making my body work overtime as of now. I’m increasing my capabilities by jump-starting the blood and organs in my body, forcing them to work many times harder than they usually do, hence my increased temperature and appearance. This, is excellent for periods of time where extreme strength and speed will be required. Say, one of you versus an entire battalion?” Princess Celestia spoke. With each breath she took, steam left her mouth. 

She took one final deep breath, and as she exhaled, her body returned to normal, though, her hair was now drenched, and her body-suit was partially see through thanks to her skin now being so wet with sweat. The girls found it hard not to look at her clearly exposed body.

“Now, let’s look at an application of all three. What if I told you all that very little of me was no longer naturally biological? What would you think I meant?” Princess Celestia inquired.

“You’re… an android?” Twilight guessed, tilting her head. Princess Celestia shook her head.

“You got like… prosthetics?” Applejack guessed. Again, she shook her head.

“Oh, dear, um… is there someone controlling you?” Rarity guessed. Another shake of the head.

“You’ve… conjured your body parts back before.” Pinkie Pie said more than guessed, as her eyes widened slightly. Princess Celestia eyed Pinkie Pie for a long time, before smiling.

“Watch very, very closely girls. Do not avert your eyes for even a second.” Princess Celestia instructed, as she tapped a few things on the tablet once more.

Beside her, a blade was conjured into existence. She picked it up.

“It’s true. For your every day military machines and inexperienced omnimagic affiliates, conjuration can only emulate so much. But, with experience, and much power and control, you can do great things.” Princess Celestia began. Suddenly, she gave a single, powerful slash, and her leg from the calf down, fell clean off, blood spurting out everywhere and collecting beneath her.

The girls were repulsed. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight looked away immediately, feeling their stomachs twist. Applejack and Rainbow Dash cringed greatly. Pinkie Pie was... once again, unmoved -- her adrenaline had now calmed, but she was still comforted by the oddly familiar feeling of these events.

“Ladies, eyes up front. This is important.” Princess Celestia instructed. The girls tried their best to keep their eyes on Celestia.

“Conjuration, to an experienced omnimagical affiliate, can heal wounds. With the understanding of biology, you can conjure up a basis of the lost limb to act as the shell, being sure to replace necessary joints, nerves, and tissues and such -- that’s the arcane magic,” Princess Celestia began, talking through her pain flawlessly, as her aura once again flared up over her leg. In seconds, they saw skin, nerves, and strings of tissue form the outline of the leg she had just cut off.

“And, with the sky and earth magic of the affected, they promote their body’s endurance and recovery factors to replace the limb.” Princess Celestia finished. Her leg was now clearly visible, outside of her skin-tight suit, due to it still being attached to the leg that was severed.

It glowed that same pink, much steam emitting from it, as she placed it back down on the ground.

“I am very experienced, so, in two minutes, my leg will be ready for the very same combat I just let you all witness a second ago against the fake parasite.” Princess Celestia stated. 

“However, for most PROJECTs, even many of the Legends, such a feat for such a large limb would usually take at least a full day, and the help of others. Even now, I am feeling faint and light-headed, such a thing will take nearly all of a single-person’s power and stamina.” Princess Celestia informed, as she picked up her bleeding, severed leg by the foot, pointing the open and bleeding part to the girls.

"And, of course, you need a great level of focus to pull this off -- don't expect to be able to do it so easily on the actual battlefield, if you do reach that level of expertise with your studies of magic." Princess Celestia advised, blood still pouring out of the severed leg she was pointing to them.

The girls watched in equal amounts of disgust and amazement / intrigue. Magic was very real, and it was more amazing than any of them could’ve thought.

“Even as omnimagical affiliates, you will still most likely specialize in a single major affiliation -- this is easy for me, because I specialize in the arcane affiliation. Do not think it is easy and quick to conjure up a body part -- you need to have a map of that entire body part memorized in your head through and through.” Princess Celestia explained. The girls nodded and nodded, sucking in as much information as they could.

“But, Princess, what about the dangers? Why can it be dangerous?” Fluttershy inquired, trying her best to focus on Princess Celestia's face rather than the bleeding leg.

“A great question. If you do not correctly apply your aura when it comes to sky and earth affiliated magic, you may find yourself draining your stamina quicker or damaging body parts and organs you are trying to influence.” Princess Celestia explained. Then, she dropped the severed leg and held out her hand, palm facing the sky.

“A number of things can go wrong with arcane affiliations, as it is the most non-understood science. Incorrect conjuration is relatively harmless, you can destroy and start over. However, when it comes to, say, destructive magic…” Princess Celestia began, as a fiery ball began to form above her palm.

“A single screw-up, could lead to…” She continued ominously. Suddenly,

*BOOM!*

The ball exploded, and the girls felt something splat over them. Celestia’s palm was gone. The girls looked on, disturbed at how quickly her palm was incinerated into nothingness, her wrist barely bleeding, singed from the heat of the explosion.

They all looked between each other dauntingly -- this training was going to be very, very dangerous if screw-ups could mean potentially lost limbs.

“Unfortunately, I’ll have to repair that tomorrow. I only have enough magic left to heal you all.” Princess Celestia sighed, as she stared down at her singed stub of a hand. The others looked up at her with saddened faces.

“But, that’s fine. Tomorrow’s going to be starting with fitness, and it’ll be brutal. So you guys will need to be in tip-top shape. My hand will be back before tomorrow.” Princess Celestia commented, displeased with their guilt.

“Chief.” Princess Celestia called out. All stood still, confused.

“That means you, Pinkamena. Step forward.” Celestia instructed. Pinkie Pie stepped forward.

“The Chief always goes last, ensuring their crew’s survival, first, under most circumstances. Who shall we heal first?” Princess Celestia asked.

Without thinking about it, Pinkie Pie pointed to Twilight. Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who had more serious injuries, frowned.

“Not the wisest decision, Pinkamena. I gave that assessment on purpose -- as a leader, you must always know the condition of your team, and their needs. Applejack and Rainbow Dash need care first, but, as a leader, your decisions will often be final, and you will mostly only ever have time for retrospect, so learn from this.” Princess Celestia stated, as she walked over to Twilight.

“Worry not, you will not need much control of your earth and sky magic to heal from such small wounds. I can heal you all from these.” Princess Celestia went on, as she put her hands over Twilight’s wounds. 

“Who next?” Princess Celestia asked Pinkie Pie, finishing up with Twilight.

“Applejack.” Pinkie Pie stated. Princess Celestia quickly tended to her wounds as well.

“Rainbow Dash, and then Rarity.” Pinkie Pie instructed, as Princess Celestia spent a minute healing either of those two, as well.

“To me, Chief.” Princess Celestia instructed. 

“Your injury is a cut above the rest -- I am going to move your shattered bones back into place, and then conjure up repairs for the damaged bone. It will be painful. Are you ready?” Princess Celestia asked. Pinkie Pie nodded.

As she did, Princess Celestia firmly grabbed her forearm. “I need you not to move. I wouldn’t want your hand being misplaced in any fashion.” Princess Celestia articulated in an apologizing tone.

Then, her aura enveloped Pinkie Pie’s hand, and Pinkie Pie immediately felt her legs buckle. She gave a single scream, the pain being too great.

The others watched with guilt-ridden faces, though they did not have much to do with her pain in the first place.

“Almost done, Pinkamena. At ease.” Princess Celestia stated, as she let go of Pinkie’s hand, and she immediately fell. Pinkie Pie gasped, now lying on the floor, sweat beading down her face. The pain was excruciating, but she endured.

“Not passed out? Must’ve been born an earth affiliate.” Princess Celestia remarked. Then, Celestia snapped her fingers, as her aura dispersed from Pinkie’s hand in a multitude of directions, seeming to pull her hand back into shape. This elicited one more pained yell from Pinkie Pie, but then, suddenly, she sat upright.

Still breathing heavily, she flexed her previously broken hand, and looked up at Princess Celestia in disbelief. Her hand was completely fine, now. No pain, and everything felt and looked as it should.

“Isn’t magic amazing, children?” Princess Celestia inquired with a smile, holding her stubbed hand behind her back, as to not disturb the children any further.

They all nodded, as Pinkie Pie simply tried to catch her breaths. 

“Great. Guards are waiting for you in the lobby, and you will be taken to your quarters, where you will be fed, and have your chance to rinse off and freshen up. It is currently around ‘o seven-hundred. You will all be awakening tonight at twenty-three hundred, sharp to begin training for PROJECT: Flood Control. So, do what you will in between those times. Though, for the time being, you will all be confined to your quarters. I would greatly advise you all to get at least eight hours of sleep this cycle. Dismissed.” Princess Celestia stated, picking up her severed leg with her only hand. She immediately walked past the six girls with great speed, heading towards the exit.

The girls looked between each other quizzically, before watching the woman who saved them, now their commander and technically owner, strut off with a severed hand and recently-severed leg in the hand she still had, simply walking as if everything was business-as-usual.

“Is she… even human?” Rarity questioned, watching her walk off, her hand on her chest.

“Nuh-uh.” Fluttershy said in soft detest.

“Definitely not.” Pinkie Pie stated, still caressing and flexing her previously broken hand.

“She’s… amazing, though, don’t’cha think?” Twilight asked, looking forward with starry eyes as Celestia finally disappeared into the lobby. 

True, she lost everything, but she looked up to Celestia like a god. And now, she was as close with her as she’d ever get -- she was going to work hard, she willed to herself.

“Okay fangirl, relax. Let’s get a move-on, huh?” Rainbow Dash beckoned, being the first to walk forward.

“A-greed. After this heckuva crazy day, I just want some sleep.” Applejack chimed in. 

The six girls headed towards the exit, none being able to even dream of what could possibly await them. Not even Pinkie Pie.
> Intuition - Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... Losses, cannot be replaced. It isn’t a wall to get over, or an obstacle to get around. It is a reality, that you must face..."

>March 20, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 9:12 AM<






The girls all sat at a table in the middle of what looked to double as both a dining room and living quarters. They had all agreed to meet up here after refreshing themselves, showering, and getting their heads straight. 

“Um, is anybody else weirded out by how these suits work? Like, I feel naked…” Rainbow Dash asked aloud, checking herself over, as if seeing if she really were clotheless.

“And the way you just put your hand in the feed and they crawl over your skin and body so perfectly is… ugh…” Rarity shivered in offense.

Fluttershy sat in silence. It was clear that anxiety still plagued her, despite her best efforts to put on a tough act.

“Say, guys, what was she goin’ on about with the twenty-three hundred stuff?” Applejack inquired. 

“It’s an old and traditional way of telling time -- think of it without the AM or PM. So, what would you call four PM, without resetting after twelve?” Twilight asked Applejack.

“Oooohhhhh, I get it now. Sixteen-hundred, ain’t it?” Applejack chimed up in seconds, holding her finger up. She looked up at the large digital clock over the exit of the room.

It read, “09:15:05”, with a smaller subtext of numbers.

“So right now, it’s, uh… fifteen past ‘o nine-hundred?” Applejack inquired. Twilight nodded approvingly.

“Alright girls, enough with the lessons -- is nobody else here the slightest bit curious on… anything about this PROJECT stuff?” Rarity inquired.

“And she wants us to get a full eight? How… I can’t stop thinking of the fact that I didn’t even try to go and find Sweetie Belle… My heart was too struck with fear, I can only imagine what she-- oh, goodness me…” Rarity went on, putting her head down onto the table. Both of her hands tugged at her hair.

The room filled with an eerie silence once more, as each of the girls thought back to their fallen companions and family.

“I didn’t think that my goodbye before heading to the picnic was going to be the last day I farmed with Applebloom and Big Mac…” Applejack sighed, thinking of the horrors they faced.

Pinkie Pie was silent -- she looked at Fluttershy, who seemed to only be further discomforted when she thought of the Flood and the effects it would be having on themselves and civilization as they knew it.

Pinkie Pie moved her seat next to Fluttershy, and held her hand. Fluttershy looked up, breaking out of her anxious thought. Pinkie Pie gave a warm smile. Fluttershy squeezed her hand again, but much gentler, no longer being capable of the accidental display of strength she previously showcased in her semi-conscious state.

“I can’t imagine how you guys feel… At the very least, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and myself have parents and other close family outside of Anthroville. We may have all lost friends, but… we’re really here for you, Applejack and Pinkie Pie -- that was… really all you guys had.” Twilight said, hesitating to say the last line -- but, nonetheless figured it was better than trying to soften the truth.

Applejack shoved one hand through her head in exasperated frustration. “Thanks..." Applejack groaned in a tone much less thankful than her words. 

"You’ve been dealing with a feeling like this for so long, huh, Pinkie Pie?” Applejack asked, looking up to Pinkie Pie with tired eyes.

Pinkie Pie frowned, being reminded of the day she learned the news that her family’s home planet succumbed to the Flood. It was sickening -- she hadn’t seen them in over two years when she got the news -- extraterrestrial travel was expensive for the common citizen, and she came from a poor family on a poor, far-away planet.

She and her sister, Maud Pie, were sent off for a better life, and she didn’t even get to thank her parents and siblings for all that they did to give them a better opportunity. It stung. It never stopped stinging, but Pinkie Pie’s heart felt that the stinging was only just beginning, and so, she braced herself. Toughened herself, internally. She looked directly at Applejack.

“I hate to break it to you -- to all of you, but… I can’t help but feel like things only go deeper from here. Girls, we’ve gotta toughen up. Because the enemies of Equestria, and the Flood -- you can be sure they won’t give a single damn about us, or what we love.” Pinkie Pie began. She stood, her Chief’s jacket only hanging over her shoulders in a casual manner.

“Loss, is inevitable. And if we’re going to be the greatest soldiers Celestia has ever bred, then we’re going to see a lot of it. We’re going to befriend a lot of people who we will see die before us. We’re going to succeed in protecting some lives, and fail in protecting others.” Pinkie Pie continued. She clutched her hand over her chest. Her face wrenched especially painfully with her next words.

“As I see it, we’ll probably see one another die, but…” Pinkie Pie paused momentarily, as her fist tightened harder over her chest. Her brows furrowed deeply.

“But, we have to be strong. If we’re strong, we can be the difference between ending this thirteen month struggle against the Flood, or not. We can be the reason no more families suffer what we did. Nobody else deserves to see what we saw, to be told what we were -- their friend infected, turned, and subsequently brutally killed; to witness that their home has been razed in efforts to quarantine the parasite.” Pinkie Pie said, as her hand dropped to her side again.

“Emotions are inevitable. So, to answer your question, Applejack, yes, I have been dealing with that empty feeling for a long time. I mean this in the most loving way possible, but there is no getting over it, so -- get with it. Losses, cannot be replaced. It isn’t a wall to get over, or an obstacle to get around. It is a reality, that you must face. Head-on. And when you learn to face it, and keep moving forward that, is what will make you, me -- us, as strong as we can be.” Pinkie Pie finished.

For the first time, Twilight didn’t feel jealous of the jacket that hung off of Pinkie Pie’s shoulders coolly. For once, she thought, perhaps there was some air of maturity or development in Pinkie Pie that Princess Celestia, with her vast experience and wisdom, was able to see that Twilight herself could not.

The room was silent for a few seconds.

“Wow. Just, wow. Thank you, Pinkie Pie, that was… powerful.” Applejack said, her eyes unable to leave Pinkie Pie. They were all amazed, even Pinkie Pie herself -- she had no idea where the speech came from, but, she knew for sure it was her own words. Yet, it felt like an external version of herself, was giving the monologue to herself, as well.

“Profoundly spoken, Pinkie Pie. You’ve… matured. A lot.” Twilight commended her, with a few quick claps.

“Undoubtedly.” Rarity agreed.

“That was, for a lack of a better word, pretty frickin’ awesome of a speech, Pinkie Pie.” Rainbow Dash chimed in.

Fluttershy was silent. She looked up at Pinkie Pie with eyes that seemed to search her very soul. The speech seemed to have the opposite effect on Fluttershy, as she sunk back into her skin further. Anxiety pained her entire being.

Pinkie Pie leaned over, and hugged Fluttershy from behind. She put her nose into her neck, nuzzling it shortly.

“But, the harder we train, the less likely we are to lose someone. So, if you’re that scared of loss, then, Fluttershy… Let’s work hard, okay?” Pinkie Pie whispered softly into Fluttershy’s ear. Fluttershy’s arms extended back over her head, and hugged Pinkie Pie close.

“Sheesh, check out these two lovebirds.” Rainbow Dash teased.

“How adorable!” Rarity cooed.

“Kinda reminds me of you and Twilight in the staircase, huh Dashie?” Applejack teased, reminding Rainbow Dash of an embarrassing memory.

Twilight hid her blush behind her hands, cusping her face.

“Hey now!” Rainbow Dash called back in detest, getting up from her seat and running towards Applejack, who took off, the two in an epic chase around the room.

Twilight was still hiding her face in her hands, and Rarity couldn’t help but laugh and spectate the scene.

Seeing that the other four were distracted, Pinkie Pie knelt beside Fluttershy’s seat, her head just a few inches below Fluttershy’s.

Fluttershy looked down at her, and Pinkie Pie looked up.

“What’s got you so scared, Fluttershy? Anything you want to share with me, specifically?” Pinkie Pie asked, stroking her hair and scalp.

Fluttershy thought back to the creature, the Flood form they saw when hiding underneath the streetlight. 

“That… the one we saw, by the streetlight, do you remember…?” Fluttershy spoke softly between hitched breaths. Pinkie Pie nodded. Tears began to roll slowly down Fluttershy’s cheeks. Unbeknownst to them both, an aura that seemed to shake with fear and timidity, oozed from Fluttershy’s being. It was nearly transparent, and hard to notice, but resembled the color of what the white marble box looked like when she was having her episode.

“Wasn’t it… he, alone?” Fluttershy asked, seeing if her memory served her correctly. The aura seemed to ooze further and further, enveloping their immediate area now.

“I… think so. Why?” Pinkie Pie asked. Fluttershy’s teary eyes looked down at Pinkie Pie, as she controlled her breathing before continuing again.

“A lone soldier… away from his squad -- either they were killed slash infected, or he was the first to go, but he was… alone… I… I don’t… I don’t wanna--”

Then Pinkie Pie immediately remembered what Fluttershy gasped once she saw the creature back on that fateful night just yesterday.

“I don’t wanna…!”

Pinkie Pie interrupted Fluttershy, placing her hand over her face caressing the side of her jaw compassionately, lovingly. 

“Fluttershy, relax, you don’t have to finish. Listen to me.” Pinkie Pie began, but she could see that Fluttershy was clearly engulfed in her own dark thoughts, sniffling again, tears still falling. The nearly transparent black aura that loomed over her seemed to shiver and spike erratically. Pinkie’s brows furrowed in concern.

From Pinkie Pie’s being, her own, nearly transparent aura also began to ooze from her being. It was white, in stark contrast to the blackness of Fluttershy’s. They seemed to clash against one another, the white trying to invade the black, to console it.

“Listen,” Pinkie Pie urged again, as she wiped Fluttershy’s tears, and held both hands over either side of her cheek. Their auras seemed to intertwine with one another now, still, unmoving. They didn’t realize it, but their hair floated weightlessly, much like in the moment before Fluttershy had sent them all flying.

The curious event gave off an undeniable presence of sorts that the other four girls felt, their eyes now on the two, watching silently at the odd phenomenon. Twilight was the only one of the four to notice how they seemed to have their auras interlaced with one another, watching with the greatest intrigue.

“Flu--mmph!” Rainbow Dash was about to chime in to help comfort Fluttershy, before Rarity quickly covered her mouth aggressively.

“Goodness, Rainbow Dash, read the room! Pinkie, she’s… got this.” Rarity whispered harshly, watching on, as the other two agreed.

“Sheesh, sooo-rry for trying to help out.” Rainbow Dash whispered back with an annoyed huff, crossing her arms. She softened back up watching the two interact, however.

“Flutts. You listening to me?” Pinkie Pie asked again, not removing her hands from her face. She felt Fluttershy’s head nod in between the palms of her hands.

“Every living being on this planet, could die before you and I. But I, will never leave you alone. Do you understand me?” Pinkie Pie began, as one of her hands dropped, and grabbed Fluttershy’s hand. She rubbed her thumb over Fluttershy’s knuckles.

“When you eat, I’ll be there. When you sleep, I’ll be there. When you awaken, I’ll be there. You won’t die alone, and you won’t ever be alone. I’ll make sure of that. Okay?” Pinkie Pie spoke softly, staring directly into Fluttershy’s eyes. Her heart raced with excitement, seeing Fluttershy’s tears slow. Fluttershy was still silent, but she stared back at Pinkie Pie, mouth slightly agape. She sniffled again.

“Do you underst--mmph!” 

Pinkie Pie was taken by surprise. Fluttershy planted her lips onto hers, eyes closed, and her nose still runny. Pinkie Pie ignored the runny nose rubbing against her own, and simply closed her own eyes, pushing back into the kiss slowly.

Twilight could see their auras were no longer still within one another, but danced around one another in a figure-8 manner. 

“Curious,” Twilight thought, watching the heart-warming event. Fluttershy pulled back, and as her crying stopped, the two auras dispersed, and their hairs obeyed physics once more.

“I lo--”

*clap, clap, clap*

Rarity surprised the two with three quick claps, as she clasped her hands over her heart. “Aren’t you two just the absolute cutest?!” She cooed with glee.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy’s heads both simultaneously snapped to their side, realizing that the whole ordeal was spectated upon. Both of their faces heated up, and Fluttershy immediately took refuge behind Pinkie Pie. 

“Wow, the oldest and the youngest, who would’ve thought, huh?” Twilight chuckled. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened with realization.

“Wait, Fluttershy’s the oldest out of all of us? No way!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, already knowing Pinkie Pie to be the youngest.

“Well, duh! Fluttershy’s already 15, she was born 3,000, on the 2nd of January. And then there’s me, the second oldest, July 6, 3,000 as well.” Applejack began.

“And then I’m next up, on the 7th of May, same year, and then your fancy lovebird over there’s got December 12, 3,000 again…” Rainbow Dash continued, before she looked to Twilight.

“Yep, then you’ve got me January 27, 3,002, and our latest bloomer here, Pinkie Pie, March 18 of the same year.” Twilight finished. Rainbow Dash rubbed her chin in thought.

“Sheesh… Fluttershy, that was your fifteenth birthday, huh?!” Rainbow Dash thought out loud in surprise, the realization further dawning on her.

“Guys, I think we’re making the couple a bit anxious!” Applejack teased, watching Pinkie Pie’s sheepish smile, and the cowering Fluttershy behind her shoulders.

“Oh, stop it you guys,” Twilight laughed, stealing some of the attention away from the two embarrassed girls.

“We’ve got plenty of time before we should freshen up, eat, and head to bed. Whaddaya girls say to a little exploration of the quarters? I saw a ton of different rooms, and a lii~iibrary!” Twilight hummed the last word excitedly.

“Yeah, I think you’re the only one excited about the library, Twi.” Rainbow Dash chuckled, flicking her nose. Twilight pouted.

“But, she’s onto somethin’. C’mon guys, why don't we explore the quarters?” Rainbow Dash beckoned, heading towards the exit. Twilight skipped forward, beside Rainbow Dash.

“Well, darling, the day won’t get any younger. Let’s get our mind off things, hm?” Rarity said to Applejack soothingly, locking their elbows together, as they followed suit. Applejack smiled, appreciating the sentiment, as she let herself be dragged along by Rarity.

Pinkie Pie followed behind the two couples, Fluttershy lagging shyly behind. Suddenly, before the last two could exit, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, Fluttershy walked forward and grabbed Pinkie Pie’s hand from behind.

Caught by surprise, Pinkie gasped softly, looking behind her down at the slightly shorter Fluttershy. She looked up, and returned the gasp with one of her own, immediately letting go of Pinkie Pie’s hand, mistaking the surprise for a sign of disapproval. She looked off to the side, trying to hide her face wrenched in dejected regret.

Pinkie Pie smiled hopelessly at the older, timid girl. 

“Stop being silly, Fluttershy.” Pinkie Pie giggled, as she grabbed Fluttershy’s hand, and pulled her along, skipping out of the room, catching up with their friends.

Fluttershy followed behind her, her smile wide. Her anxiety seemed to be melting away little by little the longer this day went on.





[Later on, in the same living quarters that the six were initially in, around 2PM…]

The girls sat around the room, each doing their own respective things. Twilight sat at the table, reading a book titled, “The Royal Guard’s Royal Guide”. She seemed absorbed in it.

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all sat alongside a couch not far off from the table, where they watched an assortment of documentaries provided to them, mainly on affairs related to national defense, and a few even containing footage and studies on what they currently knew about the Flood. All were consuming information classified only for high-ranking officials, unbeknownst to them.

Specific intelligence on the Flood were either only for those combating it, or national defense leaders. The Royal Guards were comprised of only the most elite soldiers, so Twilight had her hands on material she’d only ever read reviews of.

Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, simply stood by the large window they had in their living quarters, staring out into the dark space, watching as they slowly drifted past moons, and planets, and stars.

Her mind was lost in the celestial bodies, and deep space. Fluttershy watched her beacon of comfort gaze upon the stars from the same table that Twilight sat at.

Then, she got up, and walked beside Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie looked to her side, smiled, and then stared right back out the window.

“Say, Flutts.” Pinkie Pie began, speaking lowly.

“Mhm?” Fluttershy responded, looking up at Pinkie Pie.

“I can’t get my mind off of this nagging feeling, and, I need you to be completely honest with me.” Pinkie Pie said, her voice dropping lower. Fluttershy felt her heart race -- her anxiety was being set off by the indirect manner of which Pinkie Pie was going about this.

“I’ll… do my best to answer you as honestly as I can, Pinkie Pie.” Fluttershy reassured, calming herself internally.

“All that time that you were acting weird, where your anxiety kept flaring up randomly, and getting worse over time… It wasn’t just a hunch, was it?” Pinkie Pie asked, her eyes still searching the many celestial bodies outside of their orbit.

Fluttershy tilted her head quizzically, not fully understanding the question.

“What you said… ‘Something in the back of my head just keeps on telling me that we shouldn’t be here…’ You knew the parasite was coming, didn’t you?” Pinkie Pie asked, her voice still low. 

Fluttershy paused momentarily, looking up at Pinkie Pie. Now, more than ever, she felt extremely comfortable. She was, in a word, understood. She felt less lonely, now.

“I… but how did you… I suppose I did, yes. But how could I say it, it would just sound crazy, wouldn’t it?” Fluttershy said in a bargaining tone, now feeling a bit guilty thinking of the possibilities of her saying so sooner.

“I think I’d have been the only one to believe you…” Pinkie Pie sighed. She, too, was plagued with similar anxiety -- not to Fluttershy’s extent, but something nagged her, too. She felt frustrated.

Pinkie Pie turned, and examined the clock: 14:08:43. She sighed, preparing herself. Princess Celestia had named her the Chief, so, she would have to act as one.

“Hey, I’ll be right back, Fluttershy.” Pinkie Pie said, walking to the center of the room. She examined each of her friends, before clearing her throat loudly.

“Ladies!” she barked, trying her best to emulate Princess Celestia’s intimidating shout.

All eyes laid on her immediately, some of the girls jumping at her sudden loudness.

“Eyes on the clock!” She barked, pointing to the clock looming over the exit of the room. All heads turned to the clock.

“That’s right, it says ten past fourteen-hundred. Celestia says we’ll be up at twenty-three hundred, sharp! I want everything packed up by fourteen-thirty, and everyone in their rooms, ready for bed by fifteen-hundred.” Pinkie Pie barked, making her instructions up on the fly.

“Wow, she’s into this.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. Pinkie Pie eyed her intensely. This was the beginning of something serious, and Pinkie Pie thought she’d understand that. Business, meant business.

“Guys, don’t make me have to be harsh. This is serious. We’re soldiers, now...” Pinkie Pie groaned in a whining manner. Rainbow Dash’s jokey features settled into straightness. She understood.

“Now, girls, am I understood?” Pinkie Pie asked, her voice now softened due to her previous statement.

“Ma’am,” Twilight began, on her feet.

“YES MA’AM!” All the girls yelled in unison. 

“Perfect!” Pinkie Pie yelled back with pleasure. This wouldn’t be bad, after all.

“As you were, then.” Pinkie Pie dismissed, walking back over to her position next to the window with Fluttershy. Both gazed outside of the window, silently enjoying one another’s company…





[Later that same day, around 3:05 PM…]

Pinkie Pie laid in her bed -- it was large, and comfortable. The room was simple and small -- a single doorway leading to a bathroom, where she could shower and freshen up; a nightstand beside her bed, with 2 drawers, lockable by a personal code sequence via a holographic keypad on either one; and two windows -- one directly above her bed, and another on the wall opposite of her nightstand, both that had customizable light suppressing technology, via a control pad on the side of her bedframe. Pinkie Pie’s room glowed gently in the lit sky. It was only 3PM, but in space, it was impossible to tell the difference between 3AM or 3PM.

She twisted and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She couldn’t help but think about her short conversation with Fluttershy. 

“Hey… are you there?” Pinkie Pie spoke to herself softly, out loud. She expected to hear the strange voice in her head again, but, alas, nothing…

She was beginning to think that perhaps her mind truly did play an elaborate trick on her.

“If you’re there, give me a sign…!” Pinkie Pie whispered out hopefully.

Then, as if life was playing a trick on her, she heard a soft and gentle knock at the door. She jumped up in bed, despite the sound being so incredibly quiet. There was only one person who would be knocking on her door so softly, expecting her to hear through the metal, which she barely could.

Pinkie Pie threw the sheets off of herself, and opened up her door. 

“I’m so sorry, did I wake you?” Fluttershy asked, her hands folded in front of her shyly. 

“Surprisingly, no.” Pinkie Pie replied. She should be tired -- she hadn’t slept in ages, after all, but something in her stomach didn’t sit right, and was stealing her ability to easily sleep.

“I… can’t sleep…” Fluttershy trailed. Pinkie Pie tilted her head, asking herself why Fluttershy would come all the way over here just to tell her that.

“Do you… wanna talk?” Pinkie Pie inquired, trying to feel out her desire. Fluttershy shook her head, and then stared down at the ground. What was she so embarrassed about?

After a few seconds of thought, Pinkie Pie smiled and almost chuckled at how innocent the girl was.

“Do you want to come sleep with me?” Pinkie Pie inquired with an inviting smile. Fluttershy’s eyes lit up, not being able to ask herself. She nodded with no words. 

“Well, come on in!” Pinkie Pie beckoned, walking in. As Fluttershy stepped in, she closed the door behind her, locking it once more. 

“Well? What’re you waiting for silly, climb in bed!” Pinkie Pie motioned towards the bed.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but blush at the thought, her mind briefly visiting… other areas. But, she wasn’t the type of girl to make a move.

“R-right…” Fluttershy began, as she walked forward to the bed. She stood still in front of it, her body freezing again. Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but chuckle. This girl was hopeless.

“What, do you think I’m gonna…” Pinkie Pie began, creeping up behind Fluttershy.

“Touch ya?” “Eep!”

Pinkie Pie finished her sentence by wrapping her arms Fluttershy’s torso and squeezing her chest, eliciting an immediate squeak of surprise from Fluttershy, as she jumped forward in surprise, both falling into the bed.

Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but laugh in delight at her ‘prank’, rolling over to the other side of the bed to allow Fluttershy a comfortable amount of space.

She pulled the sheets over both of them, and turned to face Fluttershy, who immediately covered her face with both palms, her cheeks red.

Pinkie Pie grabbed both of her forearms, and forced the embarrassed Fluttershy to look back at her. She smiled warmly.

“See, wasn’t so hard, was it? Don’t worry Flutters, I’m just teasin’.” Pinkie Pie giggled softly, smiling at Fluttershy. Fluttershy smiled back, a tinge of disappointment in the back of her head.

After a few seconds of staring into one another’s eyes, Pinkie Pie turned to lay on her back, staring at the stars again, her mind in thought. Fluttershy turned onto her back as well, as her fingers crawled along Pinkie Pie’s thigh.

For a moment, Pinkie Pie’s body flared up in surprised-expectation, but immediately relaxed when she felt what Fluttershy was going for -- Fluttershy’s hand clasped Pinkie Pie’s own, their fingers interlacing. Fluttershy gave a small squeeze. Pinkie Pie smiled, and gave a small squeeze back.

“Say, Fluttershy… When you knew that the Flood was coming…” Pinkie Pie began. Fluttershy looked over at her. “Mhm?” She hummed inquisitively, as Pinkie Pie turned her head to look back.

“Was it like, a vision, or… did it sound like… something...?” Pinkie Pie inquired, thinking about the voice that had apparently spoken to her.

“Mmm-mmm… It was like…” Fluttershy paused for a second, thinking deeply on how to describe her feelings of intuition.

“It was like, a deep familiarity within myself… like I had already lived it before… the same exact day, the same exact anxieties, the same conversation flows, I even remembered the way you’d act the first time you acted weird…” Fluttershy explained. “I… remembered everything as it was happening, and everything I felt like would happen, loosely repeated itself, like a fuzzy memory.” Fluttershy continued.

Pinkie Pie’s heart raised greatly. She felt her palm get sweaty in Fluttershy’s. That, was exactly what she’d been feeling this entire time.

“Are you still getting that déjà vu?” Pinkie Pie asked her.

“Actually, I wasn’t, but… right now it’s… very familiar. It comes and goes.” Fluttershy responded. She held Pinkie Pie’s hand tighter, sensing her discomfort.

“Is something wrong, Pinkie Pie? You feel hot.” Fluttershy commented. 

Pinkie Pie wanted to tell her about the voice in her head, but, how could she? The voice didn’t say much, after all; it would be like admitting that she was losing her grip on reality. All she could do was shake her head.

However, her gut wrenched. She knew that whatever the voice wanted, and the fact that both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were plagued with these ridiculously accurate feelings of déjà vu… something added up in a disturbing manner.

“You don’t have to lie to me, Pinkie Pie. That familiarity is nagging -- I know something’s wrong, but… Celestia’s ordered you not to tell me, perhaps?” Fluttershy asked, guessing. Pinkie Pie shook her head again.

“I’m sorry for lying, but it’s not Celestia. I… don’t know how to explain it. But, I promise I will, when I can, okay?” Pinkie Pie promised Fluttershy, rubbing her knuckle with her thumb again.

“Okay.” Fluttershy smiled, feeling satisfied with the more honest answer; she nuzzled her face into Pinkie Pie’s chest, and wrapped her other arm around her waist, pulling her close. Pinkie Pie snuggled closer as well, burying her head in Fluttershy’s hair, hugging her.

After a few minutes of silence, Fluttershy felt herself get drowsy. Before drifting off, she wanted to say one last thing.

“You know… you make me feel so comfortable. It’s a lot easier to be calm, and fall asleep, when you’re around. Thanks.” Fluttershy said into Pinkie Pie’s chest, feeling her body flare up with shyness at her words.

After 15 seconds of silence, her embarrassment subsided, as she realized what happened. 

Fluttershy glanced up, and saw that Pinkie Pie was fast asleep, despite her previous signs of discomfort. She couldn’t help but smile warmly.

“I suppose you feel the same, hehe.” Fluttershy yawned, putting her face back into her counterpart’s chest, drifting off to sleep as well… 
> Hell Is Hot - Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... You humans hoard stolen arts. I am reborn. I am your curse. Your Princess -- your commander, calls you and your kin ‘Reclaimers’? Hm-huh, the irony is amusing..."

>March 20, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 10:37 PM<






Pinkie Pie kept looking up at the digital clock above her the head of her bedframe. She had been up for seven minutes. This was her fourth time waking up. It was now 2237. In just 23 short minutes, they’d be collected by Celestia to do their first day of training. Her heart thumped with anticipation.

She looked down at the slumbering Fluttershy, who slept peacefully as ever in her embrace. Pinkie Pie smiled, admiring how she slept in such serene stillness.

Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, kept having nightmares throughout the night, interrupting her cycle of rest, as her eyes shot open in a cold sweat each time. Three of the nightmares had to do with the Flood -- in one dream, they were out within a city in panic, the Flood having recently invaded. They met their demise after being overrun by hundreds of infected forms.

In another, Pinkie Pie had dreamed of herself sacrificing herself to the parasite for the team, and having slaughtered them with her own, unwilling hands at the will of the parasite.

In the dream unrelated to the Flood, something curious happened -- Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were alone, atop a tower in a barren wasteland of rocky plateaus. Fluttershy was asleep, whilst Pinkie Pie watched guard. They seemed to be hiding from something; then, suddenly, Fluttershy jolted awake. She spoke some words, but, trying to remember exactly what she said now, was hard. She knew that Fluttershy was warning her about an impending danger. Suddenly, she saw a glimpse of Princess Celestia’s face, directly in front of hers, the magenta beads staring down into her soul, very similarly to how she did when eliminating the Flood combat form stalking her during their rescue in Anthroville. She uttered the same words, too, but this time, she added one more word… “Come on now… You know better than that, Diane…”

Pinkie Pie shivered thinking of the dream -- her mind had a really messed up way of instilling more fears into her being when she was already terribly plagued by her nagging intuition and anxieties.

But, the final nightmare she had, tying back into the Flood, perplexed her. She didn’t know what to make of it at all. Pinkie Pie stood in between many, many Flood combat forms, but she was in standby mode, not ready to fight or anything. They seemed to be having a conversation. The Flood seemed to be verbally communicating with her, but… that was nonsense, right? A parasite cannot talk. Their intelligence, as far as they knew, didn’t work as such. Although most of the conversation was fuzzy, Pinkie Pie remembered one specific part that, for some odd reason, made her skin crawl:





A single form spoke to her: “What am I? I, am the culmination of many lifetimes of planning. I am not a coincidence, nor am I an accident. I, was orchestrated.” Then, another spoke to her: “Your people are flawed. Weak, guiding the weak. Fools, leading the stupid. Your greed is consuming you from the inside-out.” Pinkie Pie remembered urging the Flood forms to explain themselves. She spoke in defense of… something, but the lines were blurred, fuzzy. 

Once again, a different form spoke in a response of detest, as she snapped her head to face it: “Lies for the systemically enslaved, beacons for the deluded. You are fighting for an injustice your young mind cannot comprehend.” Pinkie Pie shook her head profusely, shouting something. Then, the last exchange was made. 

The Flood forms seemed to become aggressive, one stating: “I am immortal. I have millennia and millennia of wisdom. You humans hoard stolen arts. I am reborn. I am your curse. Your Princess--” The form paused, before giving a throaty and groggy “Hah!”, as if laughing, and continued to correct itself: “Your commander, calls you and your kin ‘Reclaimers’? Hm-huh…” The form chuckled, as if pausing to appreciate a thought-provoking joke. Then, they all took a single step forward. “The irony is amusing...” 

That was the last thing Pinkie Pie could remember, before they all jumped her, and she woke up in a fright and cold sweat.





Pinkie Pie rubbed her hands through her hair -- the dreams were likely just that: dreams. But, she wasn’t sure anymore. Things weren’t following traditional logic as of late -- the voice, the dreams, and the fact that both her and Fluttershy were having these symptoms of… whatever it was. 

“Ugh...” Pinkie Pie groaned out loud. Her stomach was knotting again with that familiar sense of dread. She felt Fluttershy shuffle, and her mind immediately left the uncomfortable feeling, her head snapping down to look at Fluttershy. She saw her eyes flutter open.

“I’m sorry Flutts. Did I wake you?” Pinkie Pie whispered. 

“I can… feel it.” Fluttershy said slowly in a groggy voice, rubbing her eyes, as she looked up at Pinkie Pie, ignoring her question. Pinkie Pie raised her brow. 

“Feel… what?” Pinkie Pie inquired. Fluttershy sat up, and looked into Pinkie Pie’s eyes.

“Every time you’re… like that.” Fluttershy explained, making some strange motion with her hands. Pinkie Pie tilted her head slightly.

“Like--?”

Fluttershy hugged her, suddenly, pulling their chests close, but their faces just inches from one another. Fluttershy’s hands crept in-between both of their chests, and her palm laid directly on the center of Pinkie Pie’s chest.

“That. It’s… way faster than when it was before you fell asleep. I can… feel your discomfort.” Fluttershy said out slowly, as if trying to find her words. She then shook her head.

“Not, not quite, but… are you okay, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked, pulling back. Pinkie Pie stared her directly in the eye, pondering her answer.

“I’m… not. I had… familiar nightmares.” Pinkie Pie said in a low whisper, emphasizing 'familiar'. Fluttershy’s face lit up with dread, but she suppressed it -- it was her turn to comfort Pinkie Pie, she willed.

“The…?” Fluttershy beckoned, not wanting to say its name. Pinkie Pie paused, looking up at her. Then, she nodded slowly, her eyes falling back down to the sheets.

“I had a scary dream, too, but it didn’t wake me up,” Fluttershy began. Pinkie Pie looked up at her.

“We were out in this weird factory building... I was really, really hurt, and scared. Blood was all over me, but, you kept me calm, and you kept trying your best to take care of me…” Fluttershy went on, Pinkie Pie listening intently.

“I remember looking up at your face. It was so… heroic, stoic. You were tired, and you were hurt, probably worse than I was, and you just… didn’t flinch, or wince, or anything. I think… you wanted to keep me calm. Something, was pursuing us, and we were hiding, I’m sure,” Fluttershy went on, reliving the dream.

“Then, we heard engine, and commotion, and suddenly, an explosion just outside blasts the windows of the factory out… You stroked my hair, and you told me to wait right where I was, and to rest. I was manic about you leaving me. I wanted to go with you, or simply not have you leave at all, but, you said it. That thing you say in every dream I have about you…” Fluttershy went on, as if expecting Pinkie Pie to know.

“In fact, it was the very line that you said that allowed me to wake up from my nightmare just after the Princess saved us. The most comforting thing I can hear, from those lips.” Fluttershy went on, as Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up, recognizing where she was going.

“You’ll…” Pinkie Pie started, as Fluttershy smiled, joining in.

“never be alone” “never be alone”

They chimed in unison. Fluttershy smiled.

“And, when you got up to leave, I knew that… I knew that you’d be back -- you had to. But, that wasn’t enough,” Fluttershy continued, as she stroked her own hair, looking up to the stars outside of their window.

“I thought long and hard about what my protector said to me, some time long ago before this current incident. About loss, and what had to be done to prevent it. Was I working hard?” Fluttershy went on, reliving her dream vividly, as she watched a fiery celestial body shoot past a distant moon. She pushed the hair out of her eyes, pausing, thinking again.

“I steeled myself, swallowed my pain like my protector did, and readied my weapons. I trudged out that building with you shortly after. Do you know what I said to you, before we exited?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes still gazing upon the starry space. After a few seconds of silence, Fluttershy connected eyes with Pinkie Pie once more.

“You’ll never be alone, Pinkie Pie,” she said, as she slowly and gently grabbed both of Pinkie Pie’s hands, and held them in between her palms in a cusp.

“We’ll, never be alone.” She went on. Pinkie Pie, throughout the entire story, could feel the knots in her stomach untwist slowly, little by little.

“So, whenever you feel like that, I want you to remember, that we’re in this together, okay?” Fluttershy spoke softly. Pinkie Pie hugged Fluttershy immediately. She could feel her shoulder get wet, but Pinkie Pie didn’t sob, her body didn’t shake. She just felt, droplets trickle down her suit.

Fluttershy said nothing, she simply hugged back. The two sat together in the embrace for minutes, before they heard a staticky noise lift up from above the head of the bedframe.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie pulled away from one another, and Pinkie Pie wiped her tears off. The clock read 2258.

“UP AND AT ‘EM!!!” Princess Celestia’s voice barked through a transmitter likely built within the digital clock above the bedframe. 

“Listen up closely, WORMS. When you hear this sound--” Princess Celestia began, as a shrill siren played for ten long seconds.

“That means I want your asses to the stadium lobby in no less than TEN, MINUTES! Wash the grog off your face, and be READY!” Princess Celestia barked, as the staticky noise clicked. 

Pinkie Pie groaned, rubbing her head. She slid out of bed, and went for her Chief’s jacket, whilst Fluttershy rushed to the bathroom…





[10 minutes later…]

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were the final ones to enter the stadium lobby. The other four girls were already lined up in front of Princess Celestia, who sat on what looked like an odd receptionist desk for the lobby, sipping coffee, presumably, out of a mug. They hadn’t noticed the strange looking desk before, but it sat just beside the door before the stadium’s entrance.

“I see you girls made full use of your ten minutes.” Princess Celestia commented. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but blush as they joined the line facing Celestia; unbeknownst to the couple, she was not referring to only them.

“Let’s get straight down to business. First,” Princess Celestia began, holding her palm out at all six of the girls. A wave of air rushed over them, as all of their hairs fell down, immediately being straightened out.

“Hair, is an extension of your body, however -- I cannot let you do with it what you please. Not until you upgrade beyond the Field Marshal rank, and can properly understand the risks you want to provide yourself for the aesthetics of beauty,” Princess Celestia began, as her hair ironically flowed beyond her shoulder blades. Rarity’s eyes lit up -- she now had more reason to go for Hero.

“No more than shoulder length. Pinkamena, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity, to me.” She ordered. The four girls stepped forward. Princess Celestia placed her mug on the desk beside her, and hopped off of it.

“Turn.” She continued, as the girls faced their backs to her. It seemed not even an instant passed before she instructed them to turn again. The girls examined their hair, seeing how it was now cut short. Rarity and Fluttershy frowned, but Applejack and Pinkie Pie were relatively unbothered.

“Back in line, you four.” Princess Celestia ordered, kicking the hair on the ground to the side.

“Now, girls, today is going to be a long day. Sixteen hours.” Princess Celestia stated, as she sat back on the odd desk. She watched their faces twist into horror.

“S-sixteen hours?! How? Our bodies can’t even last that long!” Rarity yelled out in immediate detest.

“Can’t they?” Princess Celestia hummed, as she seemed to tap the top of the desk, apparently inputting something on a holographic pad. 

Then, the desk shot up a small, black pill bottle. She picked it up, shaking it around.

“Twilight, through any of your snooping, have you ever heard of the procedures necessary to make PROJECTs?” Princess Celestia inquired.

“I know they take super pills of some sort, but… that information is way too closely guarded for someone at my level to access.” Twilight admitted.

“Super pills… such a classless name for things that are so expensive, and have such a delicate production process. Never mind that,” Princess Celestia began, as she held up two fingers.

“My sister, and your brother and sister-in-law, created the Lunite and Cadite pills respectively, purely for the process of speeding up the immensely long time it took to develop PROJECTs from the ground up. Before the creation of these pills, it took Princess Luna and myself ten years to reach the level of our most basic PROJECTs. After these pills were created, we could create a PROJECT, assuming they didn’t die during the process, between twelve and sixteen months.” Princess Celestia explained. The girls seemed to cower slightly, at the mention of death.

Twilight beamed in pride -- her kin was responsible for such an amazing breakthrough for the good of their Kingdom.

“Lunite -- it forces the body’s magical affinity maturation -- however, the less omnimagical properties you have, the greater its risk on your body and its well-being. The same goes for Cadite, which was the physical complement to Lunite.” Princess Celestia explained, as she shook the black pill bottle more.

“However, we were able to increase the odds of surviving the procedure from seventeen to twenty-five percent, all the way up to a promising forty-seven to sixty-three percent, when I created what our national defense organizations refers to as Celestine; Celestine, is a highly developed and highly advanced version of an old, barbaric drug traditionally referred to as amphetamine.” Princess Celestia continued explaining.

“By cutting Lunite and Cadite pills with Celestine, the body was less likely to shut down with inability to see the maturation process to its end.” Princess Celestia went on. However, she paused, when she noticed Applejack hold her hand out.

“Applejack?”

“You say it as if they couldn’t just quit the process when they started? What’s forcing them to just stop if the drugs start having bad effects?” Applejack inquired.

“Well, besides me… nothing.” Princess Celestia stated, her fingers rubbing her chin. The girls looked up at her, intimidated by her apparent cruelty.

“The thing is, I’d rather have an attempt at a super soldier, then have a soldier who would be useless in days.” Princess Celestia began.

“When you stop the forced maturation process abruptly, your body and spirit will be fooled into keeping its same maturation rate, replacing the cells, and accelerating your life-force’s timer exponentially faster than previously. You will not die of old age, but your body will be stripped of its ability to replicate anything; your body and spirit will die, but your soul and consciousness remains -- your days will be numbered, if you stop; eating will not fill your hunger, nothing will stop your bleeding should you get wounded, and if the starvation or lack of being able to recover from wounds doesn’t kill you, your body and brain will simply decay.” Princess Celestia explained, staring down at the pills in her hand. She picked up her coffee, and took another sip, letting the information settle in. The girls felt a daunting tension in the air.

“Then… once we begin…” Fluttershy spoke softly.

“Once you begin, you are locked in.” Princess Celestia confirmed.

“How do we know when we’re done, then? When will we have reached full maturity?” Pinkie Pie inquired.

“When one day, you no longer feel as if your body--” Princess Celestia paused. It wasn’t for long, only a second, but Pinkie Pie noticed that familiar feeling make her gut twitch as she paused.

“When you no longer feel the effects, excuse me.” Princess Celestia corrected herself.

“Then, how long does it usually take to reach full maturation? And if we can just take pills, will we still need to actually train and do drills beyond procedural learning?” Twilight asked.

“Maturation, is a far way from a well-trained and developed body and spirit, my child. We will be training you in every form and fashion as you go through the process, as training and experience can influence maturation, but not vice versa. There is much you will have to learn, do not take practice and experience for granted.” Princess Celestia said, directly towards Twilight, before returning to addressing the entire group once more.

“As for how long the maturation process takes… Our most proficient PROJECT subject, a former underling of mine, one of the Mythics, who now heads PROJECT: Espionage, got through her maturation process in a short eight months, and finished her training within the ninth. She went from a civilian to a PROJECT in just nine short months.” Princess Celestia explained. She then mused for a moment.

“In fact, she’s one of the best soldiers I have at my hand. She seems quite jealous of you all, though.” Princess Celestia thought aloud, chuckling. The girls watched her strangely.

“So, was that her basic?” Pinkie Pie asked, referring to the basic training they were expected to get through in a short six months.

“Why yes, indeed.” Princess Celestia nodded, her attention returning to the six.

“And how exactly are we meant to top your best?” Applejack stated, her brow raised. Princess Celestia was about to speak, but instead, Twilight chimed in:

“Second to none. I remember quite vividly, Princess Celestia said we are undergoing a newly formulated super PROJECT program. We’re destined for more, right, Princess?” Twilight spoke fanatically, almost leaning towards Celestia. Princess Celestia smiled more warmly than ever.

“She’s got her thinking cap on. Which brings me to the next point -- the parasite struggle is projected to last just over eleven years, assuming that humanity wins. Our resources can only last for seven, with the costs of this super PROJECT program, and future PROJECTs, kept in mind.” Princess Celestia began.

“So, allow me to give you all a time-line: six months of taking these newly developed pills and completing basic, and we will have birthed our ultimate set of warriors; although you will officially be PROJECTs, you will all be babies. Over the course of the next six months, you will be handed off to PROJECT: Counter-Terrorism, to serve ultimate justice to the hyperactive and erratic criminal groups terrorizing my nation; a projected six month project. You will then spend a year with PROJECT: CT’s little sister group, PROJECT: Civilian, as you learn from them how to go about protecting civilization from within. Your third year, will be with PROJECT: Espionage, where you will learn their ways of intelligence-gathering, critical thinking, and ultimate strategy; it is my hopes that you will be able to aid their search in investigating the origins of this parasite. Your fourth year, will be advanced training with me, and study of the Flood and Flood-infested planets, as it is sure to have made many developments at this point. This fourth year, is important. It is where the culmination of all your learning and training will come together. After this, you will officially be, PROJECT: Flood Control, and the first and only super PROJECTs, which by then, I would hope you all wear the rank of Reclaimer proudly. It will then be your duty to uphold not only all of the existing PROJECT tasks, but most importantly, to reclaim our lives from the parasite.” Princess Celestia explained.

The six girls looked in between one another. The road seemed long, and perilous. Princess Celestia hummed at their silence.

“It sounds like a lot, but things will be a step-by-step process. As I stated previously, should things go as projected, this timeline will be shorter than expected.” Princess Celestia reassured. The girls nodded slowly.

“You said ‘newly developed’ pills… An explanation, please?” Pinkie Pie asked, stepping forward.

Princess Celestia tossed the bottle to Pinkie Pie, who caught it. Pinkie Pie unscrewed the top, and looked inside -- there were twelve, small, black and shiny pills. She picked one up -- it felt smooth. So smooth she thought it would slip out of her hand any second.

“Those, are the pills I personally developed for PROJECT: Flood Control. Lunite and Cadite are factory made -- magic goes into their production, yes, but machines are only so efficient in the science of magic.” Princess Celestia began. 

“These… Think of them as the successors of Lunite and Cadite, but superpowered by myself, personally. I have invested my own magic into you all. They will push your maturation beyond its limits, and make your growth that much faster. I even furthered my development of Celestine for them.” Princess Celestia finished.

Pinkie Pie eyed the pills, as the other girls peeked over her shoulder to do the same.

“I don’t suppose they’re any safer than the others?” Rarity questioned, thinking of the already relatively low rates of their lesser counterparts.

“For the Kingdom’s sake, I hope you all survive. Those pills, appropriately named Reclamations, cost a grand total of ten-thousand equins to make, per pill.” Princess Celestia stated. Gasps roared through the room, as all eyes laid on Celestia.

"T-t-ten, THOUSAND?!" Pinkie Pie could not help but exclaim in surprise -- that was more money than her poor origins could truly comprehend. 

(For reference, an equin is what I’ve decided to name the digital currency used in the Kingdom of Equestria. One (1) equin is equivalent to five (5) U.S dollars)

“It would be fatal for our resources to lose more than two of you.” Princess Celestia finished. All of the girls’ stomachs twisted; that meant two of them were expected to die. Princess Celestia did nothing to ease that concern, continuing instead.

“We’ve already wasted nearly twenty minutes with discourse, history lessons are over. I want today’s sixteen hours to be productive, so let’s begin. Chief, the pills, please.” Princess Celestia instructed. Pinkie Pie obeyed, handing the small bottle back to Celestia.

“Before you consume these, it is important that we begin setting in place anchor points in your memories for tangible signs of growth.” Princess Celestia began. She walked over to the desk, stared at the holographic pad across the top of it for some seconds, before making some inputs. 

Then, six holes opened up on the long side of the desk, facing the girls. 

“Put your hands in the feeds. It’s time to put on your combat skins.” Princess Celestia stated. Pinkie Pie was the first to walk forward, and as she put her hand in the feed, hers began to glow a soft white. A black matter soon began to ooze out over her hands, extending to her entire body.

The black matter crawled over Pinkie Pie’s entire body; it was a tough, leathery, but extremely flexible and durable type of material. It also covered her previously exposed neck. Her hands, too, were no longer exposed, covered by the black ‘combat skin’.

“Breathable, isn’t it?” Princess Celestia inquired. Pinkie Pie nodded, examining herself. She was impressed at the fact that the matter seemed to go around the Chief’s jacket she wore so seamlessly, and how light it felt -- she still felt as if she were naked.

The other girls followed suit, putting their hands into the feeds as well, undergoing the same process. Pinkie Pie fingered the substance now over her body, and realized it felt exactly the same as the Chief’s jacket across her shoulders. Curious.

“Good. Now, form a line.” Princess Celestia instructed. The girls obeyed, and Princess Celestia stood at the far end of the room. She held her palms out on either side of her, and two destructive balls of magic formed, glowing her aura’s color. 

“These two balls will shoot into a total of six different projectiles. You will all be targeted once. Now, spread out.” Princess Celestia instructed. The girls stood away from each other.

“What’s the objective here?” Pinkie Pie asked, tilting her head. This seemed pointless. Princess Celestia was silent for a moment, stroking her chin.

“I suppose, it would be to not die.” Princess Celestia stated, immediately eliciting a daunting twist on the girls’ features.

“Wait, that’s ridic--”

Before Pinkie Pie could finish, Princess Celestia snapped her fingers, and that’s when it happened again -- much like the moment when the Flood-infected Spike was assaulting her and her friends -- time seemed to freeze and move many, many times slower, for Pinkie Pie. A thousand things went through her head...

Was she bluffing? Was she truly mad? Was she going to maim them, and then bring them back to life, as she did with herself previously? What was the point? And the uncomfortable knots in her stomach, did they mean something, now that they were here, greater than ever?

She saw Princess Celestia smile, directly at her, much like the moment where she passed her in Anthroville, smiling intently. Pinkie Pie gritted her teeth -- bluff or not, she had to protect her friends. She had to protect Fluttershy!

Suddenly, one of the balls erupted, and out shot three projectiles. Even now, they sailed through the sky quickly, at a speed Pinkie Pie could see, but barely react to, even in this trance.

“Dammit!” Pinkie Pie thought to herself in frustration, as she was barely able to inch past her own, grazing her chest -- she felt the immense burn it made as it passed -- she saw from her peripherals that Twilight and Rarity were hit, sent sailing back and skidding across the ground, crashing into the wall on the far side of Celestia, behind them.

Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed in anger. The second ball erupted, a second after the first, and she could only toss her jacket over in front of Fluttershy, as the projectile was engulfed in its fluttering presence -- the force still hit Fluttershy, but only enough to knock her down to her butt, being mostly absorbed by the jacket.

Applejack took hers directly, but she only skidded back some feet, managing to stay on her feet for a split second, before immediately falling to her knees, clutching the part of her abdomen that the projectile hit.

Rainbow Dash was just barely unable to dodge it, beginning to move, but having her side hit, as she barreled through the air, landing with a powerful thud on the ground. The projectile clearly packed a punch.

Pinkie Pie eyed Celestia with great detest. She rushed up towards Celestia, threw a solid straight at her gut, only being so tall. Celestia caught it, in both palms, but Pinkie Pie lifted herself off of her palms, twisted her body, and with the leverage, attempted to connect her calf with Celestia’s face.

Celestia caught the calf, and in that split moment, the cold magenta beads she saw that night looked back down at her with a level of lust, and sadism. Her grin widened, as did her grip on Pinkie Pie’s calf. Pinkie Pie raised her other calf, but that, too, was blocked, as she grabbed the other calf in her other palm, now holding Pinkie Pie upside down.

As time seemed to return to normal, Pinkie Pie found herself struggling to no avail.

“What was the point--”

“At ease, Chief,” Princess Celestia interrupted, as she tossed Pinkie Pie across the ground -- she skidded and tumbled back into the recovering Applejack, as both crashed into the wall.

“Your friends are unharmed.” Princess Celestia stated. Her sadistic smile reverted to one of a normal stature.

Pinkie Pie immediately got up, and was about to detest, before Applejack grabbed her shoulder. Pinkie Pie looked at her, and saw much smoke arising from the area where she was hit, but she shook her head at Pinkie Pie.

“I wouldn’t say unharmed… Is this what basic’s gonna be like?” Twilight groaned, getting up -- her shoulder smoked, and she held it, wincing in great pain.

“Well… On the battlefield, injuries of this sort are commonplace.” Princess Celestia explained, as she shook the bottle of pills in her hand once more.

“Why…?” Rarity asked, as Fluttershy picked herself up from off the ground, looking around her with fearful eyes. The tension in the room was thick.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself children -- save questions until the lesson is over. Chief, a commendable effort on being quick on your feet. You realized in seconds that the jacket could save one of your comrades, and managed to almost dodge your own, along with Rainbow Dash. A true Chief, ensuring the safety of your team over your own. Applejack, your endurance is also commended, being able to stay on your feet, however briefly.” Princess Celestia spoke, as she stood in front of the girls once more, who picked themselves up trying to shake off the pain. She clapped for a few short moments, before returning to a stiff stance.

“Fluttershy, hold up the jacket, please.” Princess Celestia instructed. As she did, they saw the singed area where the projectile hit, begin to layer over with more of the black material.

“These combat skins are made of a very expensive bio-matter, that, as long as not 'killed', or in other words, too extensively damaged, will repair itself -- if damaged incredibly, they can be re-stimulated with the use of magic.” Princess Celestia explained. The girls looked down at where they were struck, and the slightly burned sections of their combat skins were already repaired.

“It is, essentially, your second skin, hence why they are called combat skins.” Princess Celestia went on.

“Now, Chief, to me.” Celestia instructed. Pinkie Pie retrieved the jacket from Fluttershy, putting it back over her shoulders as she walked to Celestia. She looked up at her with a tinge of dislikeness. Even though it was a bluff, she did not like being put on the spot like that -- she thought her friends would’ve been more seriously injured. Princess Celestia smiled down towards her.

“Hand them out, make sure each of your team gets two, including yourself.” Princess Celestia instructed, handing her the bottle. Pinkie Pie obeyed, and emptied 2 pills into each person’s hand, and herself last.

“Now, make sure you all swallow both pills simultaneously. Do it now.” Princess Celestia instructed. The girls, swallowing their nervousness, popped the pills into their mouths, and were surprised to find that they seemed to roll and slide down their tongues and throats despite the angles -- they were clearly designed to go down quickly.

“The PROJECTs and veteran Royal Guards who have consumed super pills for such purposes, usually only consume one Lunite, and one Cadite per serving, as the five or so minutes of hell that ensues, is almost unbearable, mind-breaking, almost.” Princess Celestia began, as the girls eyed her strangely. What an odd and ominous piece of information to give now.

“Mind-breaking…? Then--?” Twilight inquired, but before she could finish, her words got caught in her throat.

“Aghck!” Twilight elicited a shout of pain, immediately feeling her body burn up intensely, hotter than the projectile that had just hit her. She fell to her knees, and then onto the ground -- followed by Fluttershy immediately after.

“These Reclamations are the equivalent of five of each, give or take, even though they are not so easily compared due to their advanced development. So, imagine you just swallowed ten Lunite, and ten Cadite, roughly estimating.” Princess Celestia explained, examining her fingers casually, as Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash fell too, writhing in pain. Their bodies felt as if they were twisting apart, and burning in an inferno. Their heart rates raced several times faster, in a panic at the immense pain their bodies were pushing through.

Then, Pinkie Pie suddenly felt a twinge in her stomach, and suddenly, her temperature, too, skyrocketed exponentially -- she felt as if she were submerged at the bottom of an ocean being boiled by lava. She immediately fell to her knees, watching her friends on the ground around her.

“So, the effects will be…” Princess Celestia continued, as she looked down from her fingers to the one still on her knees. Her eyes met with Pinkie Pie’s, and Pinkie struggled to listen as she began to finally fall to the floor, feeling as if every section of her body was being bent, warped, smashed, or broken.

“... Adverse.” Princess Celestia finished, as Pinkie Pie collided with the floor, writhing and gasping in pain alongside her friends.

“When you all are over this, I expect to see you in the stadium. This episode should be over in five, I’ll give you all another five to recuperate. That means,” Princess Celestia began, as she cleared her throat. The girls struggled to hear her words, looking up at her with equal amounts of fear and animosity.

“I expect you to swallow your pain, and be out in ten! I hope I am understood!” Princess Celestia barked, with a single stomp to the ground. With that, she turned, leaving to exit the stadium.

Pinkie Pie, and the other girls couldn’t believe it. They felt as if they were affixed -- no, chained to the ground, burning and being twisted, bent, and stabbed from every angle and direction. They all thought one similar, regretful piece of dialogue.

“FIVE MINUTES?!? OF THIS HELL!?!”

...
> Field Experience - Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... Darkness. A dangerous threat... almost overwhelming..."

>March 29, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 10:58 PM<






The girls all stood around in the stadium, awaiting their commander to arrive. They all had on their combat skins, only their heads exposed. It had been a week since they had begun training, and with the help of the Reclamations, they were absorbing information and moving at a much faster pace in terms of learning.

They had already covered basic terminologies, and their physical and magical capabilities were off to an exponential skyrocket -- not to mention the hand-to-hand combat they had been practicing in ties with their daily training. They were capable of so much more, in just a week.

However, the daily 16 hours of training, 6 hours of rest, and 2 hours of personal time was no easy routine to get used to. It was torturous -- it became increasingly clear to the girls just how daunting the road ahead was.

“Goodness… I’m still appalled that we have to take those wretched pills every 48 hours. It’s sickening, just plain awful!” Rarity complained, deciding to break the silence.

“Yeah, and I’m real damn tired of going up against real veteran Royal Guards -- why is she making us spar with war heroes off the bat?” Rainbow Dash complained.

“No kidding, those guys don’t pull any punches. We’re all healed up, but it’s like I can still feel those bruises.” Applejack groaned in detest.

Pinkie Pie watched the door, silently awaiting something. Her focus was attracted to the door with unusually slimmed eyes. She seemed shaken almost, though, it was hard to tell with her rather calm demeanor. She was expectant.

“Guys, c’mon, she said it wasn’t gonna be easy. Besides, I mean, just look at the progress we’re making! We can already use a ton of basic magic!” Twilight bargained in defense of the Princess.

“Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy called, noticing her standoffish behavior.

“Don’t you guys… feel that?” Pinkie Pie asked, as she stared towards the door.

“Feel--” Twilight began, and then, as if on cue, a simultaneous feeling of dread and intimidation poured over every one of the girls.

They all looked towards the door, where they felt the ominous presence. Soon, they opened, and in beamed an ominous dark haze. The doors seemed to shadow, and then, in walked their commander, flask of coffee in hand, as calm as ever. She came towards the girls, each step seeming to ring in their ears forever. Why was her presence so… intimidating, now?

As she faced the girls, they stood, facing her, stiff as a board.

“Something the matter, girls?” Princess Celestia smiled an unsettling smile. The girls were silent, feeling as if their stomachs were falling down a bottomless pit -- but how could they admit such a weak feeling to such a powerful and expecting commander?

“Chief?” Princess Celestia smiled, leaning over and smiling into her face. Pinkie Pie was silent, her body frozen underneath the incredibly threatening energy she felt from Princess Celestia. The dark haze seemed to jump around Pinkie Pie and Celestia now. Pinkie Pie was frozen, simply staring into her commander’s icy magenta eyes. 

Suddenly, she leaned back, and began laughing. Her aura seemed to dissipate into the air, and the girls could feel the ominous presence leave. They tried to control their hitching breaths. Fluttershy placed a palm over her chest, falling to her knees briefly.

“That, is what a battlefield feels like to us real combatants. The Reclamations have forced you all into a real magical awakening -- the intent to kill, and a person’s energy, their aura, are real things. And the weak-willed warrior, just as you all were, will be pulled like strings beneath it. The Flood, have a much more dreadful presence than that.” Princess Celestia explained, as she sipped from her flask of steaming hot coffee. She licked her lips.

“Much like you could feel that, I can feel each and every one of your presence, as well. When you learn to control your magic and spirit better, you will all learn how to stifle its communication, like I just did. It is essential for staying hidden on the field from those trained in the science and art of magic.” Princess Celestia explained, waving her finger as she spoke. She paused, before looking at the six girls.

“And don’t believe that the parasite -- the Flood, is so immature that they wouldn’t be privy to magic themselves. It’s best not to assume, do you understand?” Princess Celestia advised. The girls all swallowed, and nodded in response. Princess Celestia nodded back, pleased. She continued.

“Instead of sparring with and being drilled by my veterans, today, you will spar with me.” Princess Celestia stated plainly. The girls’ eyes lit up with surprise and horror.

“W-with you? But, how is that even fair?!” Rainbow Dash yelled in detest. Princess Celestia chuckled in response.

“It’s plenty fair, Rainbow Dash. Where is my combat skin?” Princess Celestia inquired. True to her word, she was still only in her regular clothing of the skin-tight black material with gold highlights. The veterans they sparred with all wore combat skins, despite clearly never needing them.

“B-but…” Fluttershy detested, but quieted down as Celestia’s gaze fell upon her.

“If it makes you all feel any better, it’s only for a short time. I only want you to receive from me, this very flask that I hold. Think of it as the objective. Intel can be just as small as this. Think of me, as an enemy super-soldier.” Princess Celestia explained.

“The goal, is to retrieve the objective -- you don’t need to kill, or even hurt me--”, Princess Celestia paused, before her grin widened.

“But, if you want to try…” Princess Celestia trailed on, her smile finishing the sentence for her as she shrugged. She pulled out a pad from a pocket on her thigh, tapped on it some, and the room began to morph into a large, grassy field, void of anything else -- a usual environment for their sparring.

“When do we start?” Applejack asked. Princess Celestia smiled, and suddenly, they felt a gust of wind push them back. Once again, the same feeling of dread, stronger than before, washed over them.

Princess Celestia only smiled at the six, drinking her coffee.

“The enemy does not wave a checkered flag, or shoot their gun into the sky to warn you when they’ve begun. On the battlefield, when you have your objective, you begin. Immediately.” Princess Celestia advised. Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed instantaneously.

She was the first up, dashing forward with extraordinary speed -- much faster than when she was angered at Celestia for bluffing about killing her friends just days prior.

However, just before she could get in range to raise her leg to kick at Celestia, she had what she could only describe as a premonition, of Princess Celestia’s foot immediately going through her abdomen -- Pinkie Pie jumped back instinctively, a bead of cold sweat running down her forehead, her brows furrowing in caution and focus. She thought for sure she was going to be killed! Her entire body seemed to quiver in fear momentarily, as she clutched her heaving chest.

“C’mon Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash yelled, immediately behind her. She jumped over Celestia, her fist cocked back, but then, she too, suddenly paused -- she immediately shot out a destructive blast of magic to propel herself away from Celestia, landing behind her, in a defensive stance. She seemed to have a similar feeling, her breath hitching slightly.

Fluttershy hadn’t moved from her spot, sensing the threat from where she stood -- she didn’t know how to proceed, her fists simply out in front of her.

“Come now, girls,” Princess Celestia chuckled, taking another sip of her coffee calmly. As soft as her features were, a dark haze oozed from her being -- why was her presence so intimidating now, the girls thought in confusion of their feelings.

“This is what this exercise is for -- instinctive intuition is a powerful tool, but only if you use it properly. You can’t allow it to move your body for you. The fact that you can feel this now, is a testament to your growth.” Princess Celestia advised. With that, she seemed to ready herself, no longer standing in as open of a standby position as before.

“Huh… So that’s what it is, then?” Pinkie Pie hummed aloud. 

Pinkie Pie rushed forward once more -- Twilight joined her, flanking her from the left. 

As Pinkie Pie reached her right side, and Twilight her left, both caught a small premonition of having their heads knocked off by a quick strike from a fist and a leg.

They pushed forward nonetheless, swallowing their fear -- Celestia tightened her flask in less than a second, now seeing that they were going to try for real; Twilight went for a sweeping kick, whilst Pinkie Pie jumped, and prepared to deliver a roundhouse to Celestia’s head / upper body should she try to dodge. Celestia couldn’t help but smile at their progress -- they already knew to flank her, and their forms were excellent.

But, Celestia would make them work for this -- she twisted her body, and kicked up off the ground in a barreling flip, shallowly avoiding either party.

In the middle of the flip, she delivered a powerful uppercut to Pinkie Pie who was above her, sending her sailing into the sky; the front of her ankle kicked Twilight in her head, sending her skidding and tumbling through the grass. Twilight recovered quickly, balancing herself on all fours as she skidded further back, dust rising. She paused momentarily, as she realized that Celestia hit much harder than her Royal Guards, feeling her cheek begin to bruise, and her lip shiny with blood. Her brows furrowed, and her gaze intensified. This wouldn’t be easy.

Princess Celestia landed gracefully, as she sipped from her coffee once more; Applejack and Rarity were already rushing forward, as Fluttershy jumped through the air, collecting Pinkie Pie, both landing safely.

Pinkie Pie nodded in grateful approval of Fluttershy’s help, as both prepared themselves to back up their friends.

Applejack reached Princess Celestia first, throwing a strong right -- Celestia caught it with little effort, and just before Rarity could attempt to kick the mug out of her hands, she dragged Applejack with great strength into Rarity’s kick, and then jumped with several spins, connecting her calf into Rarity, as both skidded across the ground, dust rising beneath them as they tumbled.

Rainbow Dash was already on top of her -- Princess Celestia, sensing her approach, shot her leg back behind her; Rainbow Dash was just barely able to duck underneath it, but was not expecting the swift follow-up of destructive magic that sent her tumbling back as well. Celestia rebalanced herself, breathing in slowly, as her smile widened.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy rushed forward. Pinkie Pie took point -- Princess Celestia threw a straight at her, but Pinkie Pie swiped it to the side with her right hand, and shot her left forward to Princess Celestia’s gut -- however, she was too slow, as Celestia kneed Pinkie Pie directly in the stomach, off of the ground, and then raised her leg above her head in an even swifter fashion, bringing her heel into her head, as Pinkie Pie collapsed into the ground.

Fluttershy had only just reached, when she felt a strong premonition of a projectile displacing her head -- she faltered slightly, but pushed through nonetheless, seeing Pinkie Pie struggling to recover.

Fluttershy raised her leg to kick, and as Princess Celestia raised her forearm in defense, she quickly faked out and rolled forward, extending her heel to kick the flask out of Princess Celestia’s hands -- though successful, she was too late to block or attempt to dodge Princess Celestia’s incoming leg that pounded her into the ground. Fluttershy bounced up from the ground before falling again -- it was a very powerful impact. She writhed in pain. Her mouth opened to gasp, but all that came out were weak and painful wheezes.

Pinkie Pie at this time had already recovered, and Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash were on the scene -- the flask was out of her hands, and they could now overpower her -- it was the final push!

Just as they all surrounded her, and the flask directly flew directly above her head, Celestia’s grin only widened. She licked her lips. Her eyes slimmed, and the dark haze around her seemed to spike with excitement.

Pinkie Pie shot a destructive blast of magic at Princess Celestia’s head, which she just barely skimmed past by inching her head to the right -- expecting this, Pinkie Pie was already in the air, attempting a sweep kick at Celestia’s head / upper body once more. Princess Celestia began to lean way, way back. It seemed she began falling towards the ground, as both of her feet left the floor. The girls were all on top of her, some reaching for the flask, and some preparing to attack Celestia to keep her from recovering.

“Oh-ho!” Princess Celestia chuckled, a wide smile on her face. Pinkie Pie took it to mean that she realized she had slipped up, and would now lose the ‘objective’, but she was incredibly mistaken:

In one fell swoop, Princess Celestia arched her back, performing half of a backflip, and shot both of her palms onto the ground, her hands crunching into the earth with incredible strength for support, and spread her legs out, her upside down body now forming a T.

Just before the girls could jump her, or grab the flask, She gave an incredible spin of her legs, using her palms on the ground as support, and the five girls were sent sailing back, tumbling across the ground.

Just before the flask could reach the ground, she caught it. Unscrewing it, she began letting the contents leak out into her mouth, still holding herself upside down with a single palm -- she cockily swallowed, when suddenly,

“OOF!” Princess Celestia was shot back. She recovered expertly, flipping through the air, and sliding back on her feet, coffee leaking down her lips. As she saw who had taken her by surprise, she smiled.

“You’ve gotta be kidding…” Rainbow Dash groaned, as she got up, in pain, watching who was the one to receive the flask.

Princess Celestia clapped her hands. “And that, is why you never get arrogant, children.” Princess Celestia laughed, as she walked forward, placing her hand onto Fluttershy’s shoulder. Her chest heaved up and down, and her face yelled pain and exhaustion, but she stood nonetheless, one fist up, and the flask in the other.

“Because even the likes of me will get defeated by six protégés such as yourself. You’ve all grown. I’m proud.” Princess Celestia commended them.

“Wow, good job Fluttershy!” Applejack cheered. Fluttershy looked around her, and finally, her tension dropped, as she fell to her knees, holding her bruises.

“Y-you didn’t tell me you were gonna be rougher than the other guys…!” Fluttershy complained looking up at Celestia from her knees.

Princess Celestia chuckled, as she brought her foot up underneath Fluttershy’s hand, gently kicking the flask out of her hand. She caught it, and proceeded to properly finish its contents. 

“Do you think you’ll always know when the enemy will be sending fodder or their elite?” Princess Celestia questioned rhetorically. The girls were silent.

“I thought as much. Don’t underestimate any threat you encounter. Discretion is only applied to live intel and civilians. Is that understood?” Princess Celestia barked. The girls stomped, saluting, and standing straight.

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!”

“Now, I want you all to keep something very important in mind.” Princess Celestia began, as she raised a single finger.

“Can you all describe to me what you felt, first?” Princess Celestia asked, finger still raised.

The girls were silent. Though their faces were still, they were deep in thought. Their postures began to lax, as they combed their memory, trying to encapsulate the feeling into communicable words.

“... Darkness. A dangerous threat… almost overwhelming.” Pinkie Pie finally spoke up. The girls looked at her, and nodded.

“That, is proof that you all are becoming expertly attuned to the magical environment. To the untrained, it is little more than a sixth sense they can utilize to a basic extent -- as you saw, your body knows when you face an opponent much stronger than your own -- it is your body realizing that it faces death.” Princess Celestia explained, as she folded her hands behind her back, standing straight and tall.

Once again, the familiar dark aura seemed to ooze forth from her tall stature. The girls once again received premonitions of different sorts -- Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were first, ‘seeing’ Princess Celestia shove either of her fists through their abdomen; they instinctively began guarding their centers -- Applejack and Rarity ‘saw’ Princess Celestia swipe both of their heads off with a single kick, and immediately bent their knees to duck -- Twilight and Rainbow Dash ‘saw’ Princess Celestia send a destructive beam of magic that obliterated their top up, and Rainbow Dash dived onto her belly as Twilight brought up a small shield in front of them both.

In the short moment that this occurred, the six lowered their guard, realizing that Princess Celestia hadn’t moved. However, the darkness continued oozing, and the premonitions kept coming -- the girls kept their guard up, but after the third premonition, they realized Princess Celestia was not moving.

“Do you feel that? It’s so surreal, isn’t it?” Princess Celestia asked, with a small chuckle -- the girls struggled to focus. It was mentally torturous to withstand the onslaughts, even if they were not so ‘real’.

“It’s… like when we fought before?” Pinkie Pie said through a scrunched face, avoiding the urge to flinch.

Princess Celestia relaxed the aura, as it sank back into her.

“Indeed it is. Seasoned combatants such as yourself, can feel another’s intent when they are going to strike you. Once again, it is your sixth sense. However, for you all, it is so very special. Unless you find an enemy that is quite strong and experienced like me, you will most likely be able to ‘feel’ every impending threat.” Princess Celestia began. She smiled.

“But, that is both a blessing, and a curse -- this will be with you for life, and it is up to you to decide how you react and respond to it.” Princess Celestia stated.

“Because remember, there are strong people like me, or Luna, or Shining Armor out there,” Princess Celestia began. Suddenly, she walked forward, and knelt in front of Pinkie Pie, and the others.

“And they don’t always growl,” Princess Celestia continued, as she extended a single palm to cusp Pinkie Pie’s chin.

“But when they let their fangs show,” Princess Celestia went on, as they felt a fiery darkness loom over them all. 

“You’ve gotta know that PROJECTs don’t run -- and PROJECTs don’t lose. Especially not my personal playbox.” Princess Celestia said with in a low, near-seductive tone. She stared into Pinkie Pie’s eyes, which shook back and forth in short distances in response to the aura Celestia was emanating.

She released it once more. “Get used to that, pupils,” Princess Celestia began as she stood, and distanced herself once more. “I want you to be sure minded and strong willed on your journeys to the outside when we pursue them; you will be no foreigner to this feeling of blood lust.” Princess Celestia said, her voice rising. She stopped, shuffled her feet, and stood straight once more, clearing her throat.

“Now, today’s fitness will be quite different. You will be getting accustomed to moving in actual combat gear. It’s time to learn about what makes us PROJECTs so lethal out in the battlefield on specialized missions.” Princess Celestia began, her hands clasping in front of her. 

“Twilight, I know you’ve been reading up expeditiously since the day you’ve all arrived. What do you know?” Princess Celestia interrogated. Twilight stepped forward expectedly.

“PROJECTs have, as far as I know, more than just combat skin. They have something that makes them relatively impervious to a plethora of outside influences -- projectiles, temperature, gases… or even say, biological matter and warfare?” Twilight recited.

“Impressive. You’re up to date on PROJECT encounters with the Flood, then.” Princess Celestia commented with an approving 

“It is as Sparkle says. You’re all half naked, still. But, today, we change that. As I stated previously, there are general PROJECTs, and specialized PROJECTs. This will show in cases of their armor, as well. PROJECT: Counter-Terrorism receives the Bulwark issues of PROJECT power armor. PROJECT: Espionage utilizes the Recon issues of PROJECT power armor. General PROJECTs will have the standard issue. But for you all…” Princess Celestia began explaining, as she beckoned for them to follow her -- they traveled back to the lobby of the stadium, where there were three other doors seen besides the main entrance and exit. 

“There are three chambers, hosting two stations each. These stations can be found in most PROJECT operating stations, used for gearing up and gearing down PROJECTs for field operation. They are appropriately named Projections.” Princess Celestia explained to the six focused girls.

“Chief, assign your rooms. The rest will be straightforward.” Princess Celestia said bluntly.

Pinkie Pie nodded. She thought for a second, before pointing to the lone door on the left.

“Twilight and I in the first one.” Pinkie Pie stated. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s eyes darted over to Pinkie Pie, though their faces were otherwise still and calm. They had been catching on to not making themselves so readable.

Pinkie Pie thought it best that they work on excellent synergy through other pairings, as well. She’d mix things up a little.

“Applejack and Fluttershy in the second,” Pinkie Pie continued, pointing to the first door on the right.

“And, lastly, Rainbow Dash and Rarity.” Pinkie Pie finished, pointing to the final, second door on the right.

“Excellent. Make haste, children, today, we have no time to waste! It will be straightforward once you lay your eyes on the apparatus.” Princess Celestia urged. For some reason, her excitement was never a good sign, and so, the girls felt slightly uneased.

The girls all entered their respective rooms, Twilight and Pinkie Pie reaching theirs last.

Twilight opened the door, and Pinkie Pie tailed her in. They both gazed upon the sight for several seconds. On opposite walls of the room. A single triangle-like base with three floating arms made of two prongs each projected out a holographic field with a layout for the person’s body to lay in.

“Do we…?” Twilight began, circling the object, and viewing it up and down.

“Yeah, I guess we do. C’mon, let’s--” Pinkie Pie began, as she crouched down slightly, her back facing the outline of the subject’s body.

“Go! Hup!” Pinkie Pie said with a small huff as she hopped in -- immediately, she saw a gentle electricity form over her body, and she floated in place. Her cloak floated majestically behind her head.

“Uhh…?” Twilight and Pinkie Pie hummed in unison -- Twilight had not yet begun, as she was observing Pinkie Pie in curious delight.

Pinkie Pie’s hair curled into a single sheet over her head, effectively smoothing her head -- the apparatus spurred into life four plates of armor first -- two for either of her forearms, and two for her arms -- it did the same for calves, legs, and shoulders -- it then suited her in a very light chest-armor padding that extended down, smoothly fitting her belly region, in even thinner leather material harder than the combat skin; it was sleek and movable, Pinkie Pie thought, as she floated along, the apparatus arming her. 

It then did the same for her back, a small device seeming to be placed first, and then subsequently armored in a slightly thicker armor plating -- finally, the back of her hand and fingers were armored with small plates, and her feet were plated in small, flexible boots. 

The last component to come into place was a small bracelet-type device that took some seconds to spur into life, as if the device had to ‘think’ about creating it -- it attached itself to Pinkie Pie’s neck, as it glowed a subtle pink -- it clipped Pinkie Pie’s hair into the back armor plating. From it’s back, over Pinkie Pie’s shoulders / back, were some strange looking armor plates. Finally, the machine seemed to die down suddenly, and Pinkie Pie dropped to her knees, her cloak fitting excellently over the armor on her back, and the armor plates on her shoulders / back. The armor was incredibly slim and mostly rectangular to and slim-edged to aid in projectile resistance as well as explosion endurance.

Pinkie Pie laid on her knees, face wretched in urgent confusion.

“P-Pinkie Pie…? Are you okay?” Twilight asked, running over to Pinkie Pie’s side -- as she tried to help her up, Twilight realized that Pinkie Pie was exceedingly heavy, and she could hear Pinkie Pie grunt as she struggled to stand with her help. As she set straight, Pinkie Pie’s chest heaved, laying off of Twilight.

“It’s… that heavy?” Twilight asked, watching the now slightly-taller Pinkie Pie huff and heave. Her face was still completely exposed.

“Go on… Suit up… We gotta report back to the Princess…” Pinkie Pie heaved. She began catching her breath after some hitches. 

“Yes, Chief.” Twilight responded promptly with a firm nod, as she, too, hopped into the apparatus, beginning the ‘transformation’...





[5 minutes later, back in the lobby…]

The girls stood in line, suited up, facing Princess Celestia, who stood in turn, facing the children, holding a small remote -- they were all drained from the armor, which confused them eternally, as the few additions did not look nearly so heavy nor so cumbersome.

“I see you all made it here. Impressive. I thought that armor would’ve eaten at least one of you by now…” Princess Celestia hummed, looking at all of them.

“It feeds off of the host’s magical reserves to function -- which is why you’ve been training so intensely this past week -- and it’s why we’ll continue to train you all even harder -- but, rest assured, once you learn to control these beasts, you will be able to minimize or disable its drain on the battlefield during rest periods.” Princess Celestia explained.

Twilight raised her hand. 

“Sparkle?” Princess Celestia inquired, pointing to her.

“If this is meant to be battlefield armor, why’s it so light, and scarce?” Twilight asked in detest. She shuffled uncomfortably in the armor.

Princess Celestia chuckled. She held her palm out towards Twilight’s chest -- and then suddenly, her palm began to glow; instantly, Pinkie Pie shoulder-bashed Twilight out of the way, and as she did, the blast went off.

Pinkie Pie shot back, rolling over the ground, and violently smashing into the wall on the opposite side of the room -- a sizable dent was left in the sleek, grey metal.

“Commander!!!” Fluttershy, and the girls yelled in unison, looking back at Pinkie Pie, who was smoking greatly from the impact. 

“Pay attention, children.” Princess Celestia said, as she watched on with a small hum and smile.

Pinkie Pie was on one knee, a single fist in the ground, struggling to stand -- as the smoke cleared, her chest could be seen flashing a small-yellow in the form of a full armor-plate. Her shoulders where and other parts that she had impacted also flashed subtler yellows, indicating less damage taken.

“This, is PROJECT power armor -- more importantly, this is the best PROJECT power armor -- the Reclaimer issue.” Princess Celestia rejoiced, holding her hands up.

“With magic reserves like your own, powering its defensive units is no problem with our Kingdom’s cutting edge combative technologies! As you can see, the flashing will indicate where and what angle damage is taken from.” Princess Celestia began, as the girls focused on Pinkie Pie's armor -- the chest-plating, in truth, was extremely lit where the impact hit, and dulled out as it went on. Only parts of the other apparently conjured armor showed, as well, showing that the impacts were not as hard.

"After some time, this ethereal armor -- the real hallmark of PROJECT power armor, will repair itself, much like the combat skin. With your incredible magic, and your advanced progression via the Reclamations, your bodies will make short work of utilizing the advanced generators to recharge the ethereal armor from the damage. Once you fully activate the suits, they will recharge in under a minute, given you are at standard operating strength." Princess Celestia continued explaining.

Pinkie Pie stood once more, huffing and heaving -- she could feel the suit’s drain on her, a living demonstration of Princess Celestia's lecture.

“Once you put on the visors, you will be able to keep track of your ethereal armor's state at all times. However, equipping the visors is the real challenge...” Princess Celestia stated, immediately regaining her former professionalism.

“You have yet to fully activate the suits, children, which is the prime requirement for the visors to work.” Princess Celestia stated.

“And, for your information -- these suits do feed off of your magical power -- that is, to say, they run off of your life force, of sorts. They combine cutting edge magical combative technology with the host's own reserves for the ultimate protection, utility, and offense. This, is your ultimate weapon, children." Princess Celestia explained, as Pinkie Pie trudged back over, rejoining her allies, and standing in line in front of Celestia.

“Do you all see the choker that my Projections have applied to you?” Princess Celestia asked.

They all looked down: Twilight’s glowed a gentle lavender; Fluttershy’s glowed a soft yellow; Applejack’s a dull orange; Rarity’s a deep violet; Pinkie Pie’s a subtle pink; and Rainbow Dash’s a smooth cyan -- the lights did not shine from afar, or without much light in presence to begin with, as to not threaten covert situations.

“That, is what stores your armor’s information. It is nigh-indestructible -- but you all are not so impervious to damage. So treat your life with real cost, because these devices are not cheap, and are now bound to you for the foreseeable future.” Princess Celestia stated.

“In short -- they are not coming off.” Princess Celestia reinforced. She then grew a sadistic smile.

"When you turn these suits fully online via the power module located directly in the center of the choker, they will begin to feed off of your magic reserves to a more... field-ready manner. If you haven't been taking the training seriously up until this point... The armor may 'eat' you. The common soldier cannot equip power armor, much less the Reclaimer issue you all will be experiencing today. Are you all ready?" Princess Celestia asked. The girls nodded, feeling their bodies tingle with anxiety.

“Now, if you would, press the crystals to turn the suit fully online.” Princess Celestia instructed.

Twilight was the first, pressing hers expeditiously, as asked. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy followed, as Pinkie Pie looked around her, feeling hesitation and caution enter her body. 

Her comrades all fell to both of their knees, some smashing both of their palms into the ground to sustain themselves -- the armor plates hanging over their shoulders and back had shifted to their forehead, and either side of their jaw respectively, connected by more combat skin released from underneath.

Their faces glowed for a short moment, before being replaced by a visor of sorts, connected by the armor plates. Pinkie Pie noticed that the armor plate on their forehead seemed to segment into three different parts, making a low-profile sort of horn, likely good for both defense and offense.

“I-It’s…” Fluttershy began, on all fours, struggling to stand.

“Goddamn heavy!” Applejack stated, now on one knee, preparing to stand.

“Chief? Would you leave your crew to struggle?” Princess Celestia stated, gesturing to her bracelet.

Pinkie Pie wanted to press her own, but the caution in her being was overbearing.

“Is something the matter…?” Princess Celestia interrogated, walking closer to her all of a sudden.

Pinkie Pie felt panicked by her approach, and suddenly pressed the pink crystal, as she felt the plates shift over her own face -- she suddenly dropped, feeling the suit's energy pressure her into the ground; her vision began to go black -- she collided with the ground in a thud…





…

“I’m ba--ba⚡-back…”

Pinkie Pie woke up in a black darkness. She looked around, but saw nothing. She could only hear. But, if she wasn’t mistaken, it was that same robotic-human voice from before...

“But, only for a moment… I want to talk.” 

Pinkie Pie was confused. She shouted nothing in particular to the darkness.

“You’re that frickin’ voice! Why’re you always coming back at the worst times?” Pinkie Pie complained, shouting into the darkness further. 

“Me? Look at you! In this goddamn confusing interface already! You’re progressing way too fast! At this rate…!” 

The voice seemed to trail off in concern. Pinkie Pie backed down momentarily in response to the concern, before standing forth again to shout into the darkness.

“What the heck are you on about?!” Pinkie Pie shouted -- she was confused at its blabberings.

“Nevermind that… I can bypass it… Look, I’m gonna wake you up, but it’ll take me some time to link in and fully wake up myself. Listen carefully…” The voice said, its voice lowering to a point of desperation.

Pinkie Pie backed down to listen, only out of sympathy.

“You’re going to remember some things before you remember this… Don’t act too rashly. I’ll stop you when I can.” 

Pinkie Pie looked up confused.

“What does that even mean?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Just stay with me... And chill out ;;; Exiting simulation 1-1-⚡-1-104 in 3-3-3-⚡, 1 ;;; ”





Pinkie Pie laid flat on the ground, her comrades surrounding her.

“... eat her…?”

Pinkie Pie was beginning to come to. Her head buzzed terribly, and her vision looked intensified and even more HD than before.

“Chief? Are you coming to?”

Pinkie Pie heard a voice that immediately triggered caution in her. In less than a second, she was on her knees, her neck craned up towards Celestia.

She beamed off, the metal denting in from where she laid. She appeared above Celestia’s head, kneeing her in the chin. Celestia flew back into the wall, colliding with it. As she expertly jumped back to her feet, even she looked up at Pinkie Pie with ultimate surprise, her mouth agape as she barely held onto the remote in her hand, not even in her combat skin to soften the blow.

Celestia’s brows furrowed. “Are you out of your mind, Chief?!” Princess Celestia barked, as she began walking towards Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie’s chest heaved, and she paused momentarily, watching Princess Celestia -- so many memories combed her mind of the looming threat she truly posed.

Pinkie Pie nodded to herself slightly. She could end things while she had the edge! She arched forward once more, and took off, but then, suddenly, she keeled over mid-run, and tumbled over the ground, some feet away from Celestia.

“Agchk!” She stopped immediately, grasping for the wound on her neck which now seemed to burn with the intense heat of many suns beneath the combat skin.

The girls rushed forward to Pinkie Pie, worried for how the suit’s full functions might be affecting her.

“Celestia, I’m so, so sorry! She’s clearly agitated!” Fluttershy said in a pleading tone, helping Pinkie Pie up and simultaneously standing defensively in front of her.

Pinkie Pie finally got up, and was faced with the towering Celestia, whose lip now bled with a shiny red. She was silent for many seconds, before she grunted, tilting her head only a slight few degrees.

“I’ll let it slide. But on the battlefield, I’ll be remembering this.” Princess Celestia stated, looming over Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie tried her best to stare straight at her commander, but her head buzzed fiercely -- thankfully, her face was covered by the visor, and Princess Celestia could not quite see her facial expression.

However, Pinkie Pie was confused -- the intense animosity in her being seemed to cloud out -- it hadn't disappeared, but Pinkie Pie could not figure out why she was supposed to be angry, or scared, or threatened, or hostile! Something had wiped those memories from her reach!

“You idiot! I told you to ch-ch-⚡-ch-chill out!” 

Pinkie Pie could hear the voice squeal in her ear with robotic sutters, as Princess Celestia walked off to continue her agenda.

“Yeah? How about you tell me who she is, really? Why’d you block the memories out as soon as you came back?! What the hell is really going on!?” Pinkie Pie thought back in detest, her brows furrowing into her skull.

“Listen… I’ll explain as much as I can, but first, we’ve gotta lose the heat. Act appropriately, we can talk some more during training.”

Pinkie Pie nodded slightly in approval to the voice -- Princess Celestia watched her suspiciously, noticing even the slight head movement.

“You idiot! Stop that, I can feel your approval, and a helluva lot more than that, like how much you hate this! Don’t draw unnecessary attention! I’m signing off until you get a grip…” 

The voice seemed to die off, and the subtle weight in Pinkie Pie’s head seemed to lighten, though, it was clearly not absent. Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but be intrigued -- was it asleep? And what did it have to say?

“Now, while all you children were sleeping, I took the time to prepare your fitness course today!” Princess Celestia said, as she pressed a button on a remote in her hand -- the door opened, and the girls could see a deep blue sea, with many ruins and buildings about.

“I have conjured a course for you all to use these suits to clear. In waters clearing 1,000 feet, at five times the normal gravity.” Princess Celestia explained plainly, as if this was to be expected. The girls looked up with daunting faces.

“Not to worry, the combat skin along with your Reclaimer issue power armor will make sure the any lethal elements leave you unaffected -- but, that does not account much for pressure-changes, and certainly won't account for gravitational change, meaning…” Princess Celestia began, as she shushed herself momentarily.

“Well, you all should know that until you learn to control the armor's magical interface with adept expertise, you cannot push yourselves to the point of entire exhaustion -- the armor needs a conscious host to continue running, and without the ability to constantly circulate a magical current, the functions will begin to run offline within minutes, in order of increasing importance to survival in the environment. ” Princess Celestia continued on, explaining herself.

"And, I don't suppose any of you are capable of breathing underwater for long with high pressure and gravitational changes, so..." Princess Celestia hummed on, looking between the six girls.

"I feel this is an important time to remind you all that I have never said the PROJECT program hasn't had casualties -- and an even more important time to remind you all that the training is never safe, and always lethal." Princess Celestia said.

The girls all looked between each other, and, despite the visors covering their faces, they knew they shared the same daunting look.

“Today, will not be about learning the armor’s use, but rather, learning to move in it while operating in foreign environments with substantial operating power.” Princess Celestia instructed.

“So, Chief, if you would take point…” Princess Celestia gestured towards the door. Her head turned towards Princess Celestia.

“And you?” Pinkie Pie inquired.

“Worry about your own neck, first. It's time to see if you PROJECTs' training has really paid off, and if my money's not being wasted. Good luck, those ruins won't be empty...” Princess Celestia stated. Pinkie Pie turned her head towards the door of undersea ruins.

Pinkie Pie tilted her head, and looked towards the door once more -- she saw beading, piercing yellow eyes, and several shadowy figures.

"You all wished for conjured combat and training? Well, you'll be dreadful to find out it may be even worse than the petty Royal Guards I had training you until now." Princess Celestia chuckled, watching as Pinkie Pie looked forward towards the door, her comrades looming behind her.

"Come now children, the clock is ticking..." Princess Celestia beckoned, as Pinkie Pie turned, her cloak fluttering behind her.

"Okay girls, on three, we'll release in waves -- I'll take point, I want Twilight and Rainbow Dash right behind me; Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy, you're our cover." Pinkie Pie instructed, looking between the different glowing chokers to discern between the five. They gave firm nods, and she turned.

"Be ready for anything," Pinkie Pie began, the others now realizing no matter where she faced, her voice projected comfortably towards their ears. Undoubtedly one of the armor's functions.

"One," Pinkie Pie began, as the others crouched forward, beginning to rush in.

"Two," Pinkie Pie continued, still standing straight, finally turning to face the door, cracking her knuckles. Princess Celestia looked on with great intrigue.

"Three!!!"
> Team Exercise - Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"You are what will end the godhood of the Sun and the Parasite, two things that should never have been allowed to dip their hands into the powers of Space-Time."

>March 30, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 12:14 AM<






Pinkie Pie was the first to take off, immediately after one, as they had proposed -- as she rushed forward for the door, her boots clanging through the metal, she couldn’t help but feel such a real, ominous presence looming from the several waiting creatures inside.

The apparent objective was to simply clear the course Celestia laid out, but that nagging intuition she had when facing Celestia seemed to return to her quite strongly, now.

As she reached the door, she understood what it was -- the dark, shadowy figures in the dimly-lit undersea ruins were emanating a fierce presence.

“This is what Celestia meant… Their hostility is clear as day!” Pinkie Pie thought, finally reaching through the doors -- she immediately felt the weight of the gravity and the deep water pressure weigh onto her being; she realized this was going to be a very difficult environment to operate in at even near their proper strength.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash followed up, approaching the door with great speed as well to back up Pinkie Pie, who was already being approached at a much quicker speed by the shadowy figures.

The figures making their way towards Pinkie Pie did not seem to have any issues moving in this hardcore environment, she noted, her eyes darting between each of the shadowy beings approaching her.

As three of them surrounded her besides the door, Pinkie Pie raised her hands to defend herself -- the first one, heading down her center, shot forward first -- as it approached, Pinkie Pie could see it’s yellow pupils darting back and forth, “vibrating”, in a sort of feral lust. Its tongue hung out sloppily, and though they looked humanoid, their legs were incredibly large in comparison to their rather short and stocky torsos. Their arms were of usual length, and they seemed to have short black hair with pearl-white, jagged teeth.

As the first creature fell down towards Pinkie Pie, she watched him closely for anything that might give off his first move -- then, that’s when Pinkie Pie ‘felt’ it.

She ‘felt’ the right side of abdomen get struck, followed closely by the right side of her head. But, it was unlike when her intuition nagged about Celestia -- she didn’t have such a detailed and clear look of what the creature was going to do -- it was experienced in masking its intent.

“So then, they have some affinity to magic?” Pinkie Pie questioned, as she prepared herself -- it seemed to be targeting her right side, so as the creature landed in front of her, she prepared to defend herself. 

It sent a swift and devastating kick towards Pinkie Pie’s right side, which she ducked her shoulder into to block -- even through the armor, she could feel the impact, and saw her shoulder begin to glow a bright yellow, indicating heavy damage was taken -- these things were clearly not new to combat, and Pinkie Pie deduced that it was likely more than just the powerful leg capable of such damage -- they knew how to propel their combat with magic. Her brows furrowed as she slid back some feet -- Celestia was moving them along in combat training far more quickly than she anticipated.

“They’re strong!” Pinkie Pie thought, as she immediately ducked, and dodged the incoming fist that she sensed would hit her head moments prior. There was no way she would block two hits in a row, it would stagger her for far too long with the strength of these black creatures.

Pinkie Pie willed all the strength in her body, and placed a single palm off of the ground while crouching, to propel her leg up into the creature’s neck, and with a powerful kick, and well applied earth-magic, the creature shot down into the ground shoulder-first, it’s head floating up off of its body to surface-level, a grisly amount of red liquid inking into the water in its trail.

In the few seconds this short encounter took, Rainbow Dash and Twilight had just entered through the door, and the other two shadowy figures were on Pinkie Pie already. Pinkie Pie jumped far back, close to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, and held her palms out in front of her -- the creatures paused, staring at her, as her palms began to glow a deep whitish-orange.

Then, suddenly, one seemed to shoot its head up towards the ceiling, and give off of a few intervals of shrieking gasps. It seemed to be laughing at Pinkie Pie, which confused and unnerved her -- what were they amused about in this situation? They stood, unmoving, and just as the destructive magic in Pinkie Pie’s hands began to materialize with destructive power --

*BOOM!*

A large explosion shot Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash back into the lobby of the stadium-arena, their ethereal armor sparking to life in front of the armor plates, flashing yellow, before returning to a pale, slim film of golden energy.

“What the heck…?” Pinkie Pie huffed aloud, looking down between her two palms, as the creatures cackled at her from beyond the door, their barrier from tearing the girls apart. The girls dripped water briefly, before the Projector rematerialized the lost conjuration of water into its systems.

She noticed the armor steadily sapping her magical stamina, understanding now what Celestia meant when she said the armor depends on the user’s status. She glanced behind her, thinking of how Twilight and Rainbow Dash surely were feeling the same taxing weight on their spirit, and cursed herself for not being aware of how her magic would work in such an environment -- how unbecoming of a Chief to drag her team down like that, she thought bitterly.

Pinkie Pie turned to face Celestia with a puzzled look, before realizing Celestia could not see beneath her visor.

Princess Celestia smiled down at her pupils, namely Pinkie Pie, assuming her confusion correctly. 

“This, is why I have your combat training in this environment, today. As the ultimate PROJECTs, when you combat the Flood, or our otherwise greatest threats, it will not always be on familiar planets. There are far and ancient lands. Distant, and treacherous. You will learn to adapt to anything.” Princess Celestia explained, giving some justification for the environment they had to fight under.

“You may think you’ve mastered magic, but this is only intermediate training -- use of magic in foreign environments -- this is combined with intermediate physical training, given the environment’s extra strains. And these creatures...” Princess Celestia chuckled, her smile widening.

Her gaze stiffened. “This is where your true fitness begins. If you don’t give it your all, these things will really kill you -- PROJECT equipment is the latest and most advanced, so don’t take these conjurations lightly -- they may as well be the real thing. This Flood preparation outpost has the most advanced installation of Projectors yet.” Princess Celestia explained, hands behind her back.

Pinkie Pie craned her neck back to face Celestia, as she stared back into Pinkie Pie’s visor.

“What exactly is, the real thing, Commander?” Pinkie Pie questioned.

“Excellent question, Chief -- the first step to defeating your enemy, is understanding what they are.” Princess Celestia began with an approving nod.

“These, children, are a long forgotten species of Changelings -- humans who have lived far outside of our Galaxy, touched by the unknown properties of otherworldly matter, types of magic eons beyond our understanding. Some Changelings still roam about today, but these…” Princess Celestia continued, gesturing to the feral creatures that seemed to salivate after the girls, who watched on with a slight disturbance.

“Are specially evolved Changelings, who live on a planet engulfed in waters warped by pressure and magical anomalies, hence their leg power. Their speed is not to be taken lightly, and neither is their power,” Princess Celestia went on, the girls all now paying attention to her words, standing, their shields fully recharged.

“But, even moreso, their understanding of magic is… curious… such interesting specimens, they were...” Princess Celestia hummed with slitted eyes, watching the creatures loom around in the ruins, awaiting their prey. The girls watched on with an air of caution, noticing that Celestia seemed to push the rest of her sentence into her throat.

“Nevertheless, girls, they’re tough, but they aren’t invincible. And Chief, a word of advice for today?” Princess Celestia hummed playfully towards Pinkie Pie, leaning into her visor once more with a small, friendly smile that made Pinkie Pie’s stomach feel irritated, corrupt.

“The goal here, today, is less to hone your combat skills, and more for endurance and stamina. You cannot effectively do combat training in the PROJECT armor without first being properly acclimated to its effects on your body and spirit, as well as understanding its basic utility functions.” Princess Celestia explained.
“That being said, once you enter, the main objective is to retrieve the ‘intel’ lying in the aged castle guarded by these changelings. Once retrieved, the simulation will disengage. Prioritize quick and effective neutralization, and swift, endless movement. And most importantly… Prioritize the mission. You are not fighting for each other--”

The beginning of that last sentence triggered a level of resentment and anger in Pinkie Pie that felt… foreign. Yes, she knew the statement suggesting that the mission was more important than her friends should elicit anger, but, Pinkie Pie’s fists crunched with tight and furious anger, so much so that Pinkie Pie had to hitch her breathing, as to not physically display her anger.

“-- you are fighting, for the Kingdom. So that the fate of your home, does not become the fate of life as we know it.” Princess Celestia finished.

Pinkie Pie nodded, collecting her breath, and immediately turning to face the door once more, trying to wrap her emotions up under a blanket beneath her mind.

“Okay girls, so, we can certainly say that destructive magic is going to be a challenge.” Twilight warned, deducing what Pinkie Pie had tried to do in a matter of moments.

“I’m sure if we were more experienced, we could create a barrier of water or air resistance around the destructive magic that matches the velocity of the environment’s speed and pressure to aim the magic as we pleased without it self-destructing due to the environment, but… that’s going to be too much focus to attain mid-battle, as amateur as we are.” Twilight began analyzing, which broke Pinkie Pie out of her trance.

“That’s why the bastards laughed at me… They knew destructive magic would take more preparation than that. Okay, then…” Pinkie Pie chimed in, as she took one step forward.

“Looks like Earth magic’s our best bet. Form up, once more guys!” Pinkie Pie barked. 

“On you!” Rainbow Dash shouted in support. Pinkie Pie nodded, still facing towards the door.

“One, two, three, four, five…” Pinkie Pie counted off the mutated changelings she could see directly. Her brows furrowed, and she dashed forward, this time with much more spirit, boosting herself greatly with sky-magic.

As she reached inside, three formed around her once more, and began lunging, but Rainbow Dash and Twilight were quick to the punch this time around, directly backing up their Chief.

Rainbow Dash rushed forward in a crouching motion, using her wrist to guide the changeling’s punch away from Pinkie Pie, and quickly brought her elbow into its neck, as its head bent in an unnatural position -- it fell into the ocean’s floor, unmoving.

Twilight had devised a small plan in her head in the seconds it took to approach -- she rushed around the side of the changeling, and placed both her palms on its right ribs. It gave a powerful kick backward, but Twilight was swift enough to flip herself off of the floor, as her hands began to glow, not leaving the changeling’s side -- she gave off a small-scale burst of destruction magic that blew the creature’s torso apart.


“Just as I thought! Even if I can’t control it, as long as I push the force outwards, magic is definitely still a deadly close-quarters weapon!” Twilight thought to herself triumphantly, watching as the mangled creature fell into the smooth, sandy floor.

Pinkie Pie, having the only one left to deal with, dashed forward with her incredible burst of speed, and kicked its knee in backwards, before agilely flipping over its shoulder and borrowing from Twilight’s idea, blasted a small hole through the creature’s chest with her palms directly on its back.

All three creatures dissolved into light, being sucked back into the recesses of the atmosphere created by the Projector.

“She’s right, they’re not invincible! C’mon guys, we got this!” Rainbow Dash cheered. The remaining changelings, now unnerved by the number difference, seemed to sink back into the dark recesses of the sea, as they quickly swam away faster than the girls would be bothered expending their energy to pursue.

“Hmm, looks like today’s our lucky day.” Rarity stated, arriving alongside Fluttershy and Applejack, who quickly surveyed the area for any impending danger.

“C’mon guys, we’ve only just begun. When has Celestia’s training ever been easy?” Applejack cautioned.

“She’s right. Everyone, stay within a moment’s distance, and be alert -- all of the changelings fled into the same direction, so it’s safe to assume they’re heading back to others. Let’s trail them swiftly, and quietly.” Pinkie Pie instructed, beginning to move forward into a light jog, as the others gathered up behind her in a small arrow-like formation.

As they trudged through the dark wasteland for minutes, all huffing and trying to maintain their stamina, they began to come across what seemed to be the civilization’s center, or at least, one of them.

Pinkie Pie made a stopping motion with her hand, as all six girls reached the end of a low-hanging cliff, overlooking what looked to be just a select few, small buildings surrounding a relatively small, three story castle-like structure.

The buildings looked worn, tattered, and freshly abandoned. Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but feel the familiar dread and overwhelming fear in her stomach, the same one she felt when she laid eyes upon Celestia after regaining consciousness after the suit powered on.

She raised a single palm to her forehead, but only let it hover over her visor after realizing she could not feel her face through the armor. Something in her mind was buzzing, hard as she stared down at the small settlement.

Everything in her body was telling her to bare extreme caution, and she felt immense waves of déjà vu. Waves of anger and resentment, sorrow, fear, hopelessness. She couldn’t quite tell, but something about this environment seemed eerily familiar -- there was a thick feeling in the atmosphere… The weight over her body was uncomfortably reminiscent of the same tension she experienced back home.

Pinkie Pie felt frozen underneath the intense emotions washing over her, and the buzzing it created in her head seemed to be creating false memories and experiences, or at least confusing and jumbling what she had already knew in this life.

“Re-re-⚡-relax.” A single, calm voice in Pinkie Pie’s head spoke. But as calm as it was, it only triggered further caution in Pinkie Pie, as the second it sparked into life, her entire environment seemed to freeze -- time seemed to pause, much like in moments prior when she had special interactions with Celestia.

“Celestia’s observing you all right now, and if she feels the black clouds leaking off of you right now, she’ll know that you know more than you should.”

“Why can’t I move?!” Pinkie Pie thought in a panic, realizing that only her eyes were bending to her will.

“You can move. I’ve put us-us-us-⚡-you, in stasis. Time is moving at a thin fraction of its usual pace right now, but I can’t do this for long, otherwise I’m sure to eliminate our-our-our-⚡-my, covert advantage.” The voice began.

There were those weird hitches again. Was it malfunctioned? Overworked? Stressed? Pinkie Pie tried to simply relax her brain, as the voice instructed -- she needed to gather herself. Not for the voice, but for herself and her friends -- this was serious, and she needed to not make this thing’s existence distract her on the field like she has.

“So please, do me a favor, and listen up, and listen carefully, especially if you want to understand this world, and your struggle, a little better.” The voice continued. Pinkie Pie focused on the voice, while still viewing her surroundings in disbelief of reality.

As far as she knew, time dilation was a highly debated theory at best, and this very event contradicted the science that time was a universal element. It didn’t make sense. What was this thing in her head? Or was it simply her head playing incredible tricks on her? It couldn’t be…

But yet, here she was, able to see and process everything, despite the rest of her, and her surroundings, being locked in a near-standstill. Surely, that was evidence enough that she wasn’t off her hinges.

“... I’m listening, but you’d better be around more. I need…” Pinkie Pie continued, as her mind raked across the several strange dreams, visions, hunches, and oddly accurate and powerful intuitions she was having. A deep pit formed in her stomach once more.

“I need to know what it all means… that I’m not losing my mind.” Pinkie Pie sighed internally.

“I can’t promise you the full truth. Not now, when our-our-our-⚡-your brain, is so immature, and young. I can’t promise you that you will not lose your mind, either. But, what I can promise, is that you and I have the same goals, and the same aspirations, and the same desires.” The voice went on, pausing momentarily, giving a small hum, as if debating what to say next.

“As the 0th Life, however, your journey is more important and precedential than mine, or any before us. You are the start of a new cycle. It is my job, and my-my-my-⚡-our duty, to make sure you grow strong, and in silence, where you can be unbothered, and flourish naturally. You are what will end the godhood of the Sun and the Parasite, two things that should never have been allowed to dip their hands into the powers of Space-Time.” 

Pinkie Pie was silent, trying to process the information -- too many questions formed at once. The Sun, that’s what enemies of Equestria referred to Celestia as, and the Parasite was obvious. But, they were gods? In what sense? And what did the 0th Life mean? As far as she knew, Pinkie Pie had been alive for only nearly a decade and a half. Furthermore, why did this… ‘entity’, refer to Celestia as “the Sun”? Was she being manipulated by an enemy, or some facet of the parasite already? That would be impossible, though -- the parasite can only manipulate biological matter, not digital matter. Before Pinkie Pie could choose a question from her reservoir, just as she was going to begin pronouncing her first syllable, the voice in her head continued to speak, as if calculating the end of Pinkie Pie’s thought-process.

“But, this is all I can speak of, now. I can’t risk the Parasite tracking my distortion of Time, and even more importantly, I cannot risk being surveilled by Celestia. Now, it’s time to go to work. So, heed my words,” The voice went on, its voice rising.

“First thing’s first -- forget the questions, and forget your insecurities, and simply trust me. If you can do that, we’ll get through today with little trauma, and we can speak more at night, in the training room. You’ll get to see me for the first time, and have your questions answered more thoroughly. But, only if you can have no hiccups or extra suspicions on me for the remainder of the day. If the Sun becomes suspicious, I cannot risk letting her know that I’ve matured so far, so soon. She isn’t yet expecting me.” The voice continued, now speaking in a much more authoritative and less human tone, like that of a soldier.

“Now, I’m going to release the stasis. I’m pushing my luck, keeping us locked for so many minutes. I need you to catch yourself, assert to your teammates that you’re okay, and practice responding to me mentally, as the secret of my existence is our greatest advantage for the time being.” The voice stated, listing off her preparations swiftly. She left Pinkie Pie no time to respond, confirm, or affirm anything before she continued her next sentence.

“Five… four… three… two…” The voice began counting, and before Pinkie Pie knew it, the world seemed to begin moving again, and she immediately felt a hand on her shoulder, which made her skin jump, as her head flicked back -- she saw the pale-yellow amulet within the PROJECT armor standing before her. It was Fluttershy. Her breathing hitched, and her balance swayed, but a gentle force pushed her body upright. In the moment that the strange force helped her, she was able to collect her breathing, and steady her mind, returning to regular focus.

“Pinkie P-- I mean, Chief, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked worriedly, seeing as how Pinkie Pie had been frozen in place for many moments, despite Celestia’s previous warning of keeping up their movement.

“Only assessing the situation, Fluttershy. At ease.” Pinkie Pie stated, turning back to face the structures. Her brows furrowed, staring out over the small assortment of buildings they looked down upon.

She waited, watching the structures, as if an answer were going to come to her. More moments passed in silence, the others too, surveilling the area. Then, she heard a small chuckle.

“What are you waiting for, Chief? I’m not a get-out-of-jail free card, you’re still going to have to do legwork. For everything we worked for to come to fruition, we need you to have real combat training and experience. I’m not going to babysit you, I’m only here to assist. Continue with the mission, and take care in dividing your focus to communicate with me. I am directly in tune with your neural network, I can more or less feel and see every thought you have, so I will be able to assist you well in real time.” The voice instructed.

Pinkie Pie sighed internally. A small part of her had wished that she could simply be told what to do, but life hadn’t been easy as of late, after all. Her brows furrowed, as her mind twisted back into focus. Clearly, there was much that she didn’t know, but she knew one thing for sure; now was the time to work.

She stared over the structures one last time -- the area was illuminated, but from the looks of the shadows and slight variety in palettes of color, it was easy to deduce that this was an artificial vision provided by their visors -- in reality, the area was dark, and poorly lit, lying even further beneath the already dark depths of the ocean they stood within.

Pinkie Pie could just barely make out moving figures in the recesses of the structures and the land surrounding them -- they were not many, and based on their movements, they seemed to be guarding what was inside, rather than outside. Pinkie Pie formed a quick plan in her head, before relaying it to her team.

“The objective is the priority, and stealth is our advantage. From the looks of it, whatever forces are lying in wait are light at best, but we can’t assume that the rest of them will be as easy as the initial draw, nor can we affirm that the forces are not heavier within our objective’s destination. Move quickly, and move together, we have no idea how their power matches our own; nobody fall from our radius. Move to the castle, we’ll regroup in its courtyard.” Pinkie Pie instructed, as she dove off of the cliff, sailing through the water to the ground floor of the structures. 

As she landed, and the others did behind her, a flume of sand was kicked up behind them. As the sand lifted through the water, and settled again, they took three steps forward, before immediately being met by two vastly different-looking Changelings -- these ones stood at nearly  twice their height, approaching 12 feet in height, and looked to be much bulkier than the previous ones. Their upper row of teeth hung out comfortably onto their bottom lip, their size much bigger than the previous.

“Sheesh, I suppose the other ones were just strays, these ones look menacing!” Rainbow Dash commented.

“The sand gave us away, Chief, we should’ve landed softly!” Twilight warned, realizing how they were so quickly discovered. Pinkie Pie hissed her teeth -- she wasn’t focused enough to realize that she should’ve instructed everyone to slow their descent.

“Eliminate them, and quickly! We don’t need any extr--OOMPH!”

*CRASH!*

Pinkie Pie had been sent sailing back, crashing into the bottom of the cliff they had just descended from, as it slowly began to crack apart, falling. She felt her body bruise in several areas, and could feel some liquid begin to trickle down from her forehead. Around her entire body, flashed a red outline of armor over her entire body, as a rather subtle but annoying alarm shrilled in her ear in rhythmic hums -- the ethereal armor had shattered, and worse; they hit much harder than the others.

The others, only just processing what happened, jumped back from the Changeling that now stood on one leg, the other outstretched -- it had kicked Pinkie Pie with enough force to begin collapsing the cliffside.

“Those are the adults. Don’t take another direct hit like that, I can only take so much direct action to protect you at the moment, since Celestia hasn’t yet taught you all about the armor, it would look too suspicious for me to help you run it.” The voice in her head instructed, as the ethereal armor slowly recovered from orange, to yellow, Pinkie Pie huffing, feeling her stamina drain greatly.

Pinkie Pie shook her head, trying quickly to recover. She noticed that the Changelings hadn’t pursued them, but rather seemed to be standing in defense of the entryway to the settlement.

“Curious.” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, as she stood, immediately regrouping with her allies, jumping away from the cliffside before the debris could crush her.

“Twilight, Fluttershy, with me on the one to the right. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, neutralize the one on the left, and let’s try to keep the theatrics down, these ones aren’t on the same level as the first batch, we definitely don’t need any company.” Pinkie Pie instructed, her ethereal armor’s yellow glow now dying into nothingness, fully recharged. All members nodded, before moving forward to engage.

Pinkie Pie coated her entire body with earth-magic -- they moved too fast for her to chance select defense and offense applications of magic, so she would simply do the next best thing, and create a steady flow to reinforce herself both offensively and defensively. She could feel condensation begin to pick up in pace on her skin, as her body ‘steamed’ underneath the combat skin.

Suddenly, Twilight blasted forward with a large blast, using the magic’s explosion to propel her -- her back glowed yellow, but the force was more than worth the sacrifice, as she kneed the Changeling directly in the face, landing behind it. It looked back, its yellow eyes slitting at her, its nose now broken, a soft red string of mist flowing into the water. It seemed to roar something towards Twilight.

“Fools, I’m trying to protect you! Stay out!” 

Pinkie Pie was confused -- the last time the Changelings made a noise, she was unable to understand them. However, this time, it was as if her mind instantly made sense of the series of deep snarls and clicks that the creature made.

“Being a true expert of magic, language is no barrier. Listen carefully to what they say, I will translate for you in real-time.”

So, it was the Changeling that said that, Pinkie Pie realized. But this was no time to ponder upon the words of the enemy, that thing was targeting Twilight!

Pinkie Pie jumped forward with great strength, intent on connecting her calf with the Changeling’s neck, in order to try her best at disabling it.

Just before she could reach, the Changeling, without looking back, shifted to the side, and lifted its leg, blocking Pinkie Pie’s own, and with a strong spin of its own body, rotated its other leg around and over to knock Pinkie Pie into the sand, leaving a small crater in the dusty floor. 

Pinkie Pie laid on the ground, paralyzed for several moments from the pain. Before the Changeling could land another strike, Pinkie Pie felt two hands swiftly, but gently clutch onto her shoulders, before a force sent her sailing high into the water. As she looked down, she saw Fluttershy and the Changeling engaging in hand-to-hand combat, before Fluttershy was sent skidding across the ground.

“Fluttershy saved you. Remember to quell your killing intent in a battle, to the magically acclimated, it’s like screaming your entire plan to them. Being able to bury your intentions is the only way you stand a chance against formidable opponents.” The voice advised. Pinkie Pie couldn’t think of how to “quell her killing intent”, but she would keep it in mind and try a few ideas out.

Pinkie Pie glanced over at the other team, and saw them having more or less the same luck. However, upon studying their encounter for some seconds, saw that their approaches were flawed. Seeing that both teams were on standby mode, she prepared to bark some advice.

“Guys, remember when we sparred with Celestia? We have to move as a unit, these guys are stronger than us on our own. We need to strike together!” Pinkie Pie barked, tightening her fists and dropping into a combat stance once more.

“Fluttershy, take back, Twilight, it’s already focused on us, we’ll take front. Anything any of us can do to injure its legs will give us a fighting chance, go!” Pinkie Pie stated, charging forward, shortly followed by Twilight, and Fluttershy who trailed to the side, trying to find her opening.

The creature, upon seeing them rush forward once more, roared a throaty and desperate growl.

“Imbeciles! Brother, do not fall to these krill and plankton! If we fall here, there is no hope for our planet when this new food is found!”

The other sent a hardy growl in response that seemed to translate into nothing more than an affirmation.

Pinkie Pie jumped high into the water, momentarily floating above the Changeling. Borrowing from Twilight once more, she placed her palms outwards behind her, and charged up a devastating amount of destructive magic.

*BOOM!*

Pinkie Pie was sent sailing downwards, foot outstretched towards the changeling -- but, she was too late or too slow, as the Changeling was able to just barely jump back out of range -- before he could land, or assess anything else, Twilight and Fluttershy grabbed onto either of his legs, preparing to blast them into nothingness, but a powerful and short burst of magical energy suddenly emanated from his entire being, sending them sailing away from him, as he landed gracefully, now at a safe distance from all three opponents.

All three skidded across the floor, before recovering, surrounding the Changeling once more, from a distance. Their ethereal armors all flashed orange, slowly climbing the gradient to yellow.

“This thing’s tough…!” Fluttershy panted, her stance slanted for a moment, before she straightened herself, catching her breath.

“No kidding!” Twilight chimed in, trying to catch her breath as well.

Pinkie Pie was silent. Her breath was not as hitched -- her brain was turning hard. It wasn’t that these things were necessarily tough -- they packed a punch, sure, but they were simply better equipped for this environment.

What could she do to overcome that? Her brows furrowed deep into her head, thinking.

“Allow me -- destructive magic’s too unpredictable for a newbie like you who has no atmospheric or environmental awareness.” The voice began in a cold and calculated tone, as Pinkie Pie’s eyebrow twitched.

“Sheesh, thanks for the advice. Really giving me the confidence I need right now.” Pinkie Pie thought to herself in frustrated sarcasm. 

“I’m letting you know how far you have to go. Points of reference for growth are a good thing. Now, listen up.” The voice said, her voice softening to a more human tone momentarily, before taking a deep breath. Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but notice Celestia had said something similar to  her some time ago when she attacked her and her friends after receiving their first layer of combat skin.

“You have to remember all the types of things you have to aid you in combat. You’re applying sky and earth well -- your speed and endurance are up to par. But you need to think outside the box. Your strength cannot lie simply in the physical, but you must think outside the box. Let me give you an example -- instead of hurting yourself and draining your stamina with destructive magic, propel yourself with some well-applied conjuration. Close the distance about half-way with a strong dash, and when I say jump, simply imagine a platform underneath you. I want you to aim as if you are pushing off of that platform, and as soon as you feel the platform propel you, strike the changeling in his neck with a well-placed knee -- the sharp leg-guards are not there for show. The armor and combat skin is an extension of your greatest weapon and shield: your body. You have enough power left for a killing blow, but don’t hold back.” The voice gave in detailed and thorough instruction, returning to her previously robotic tone.

“Don’t hold back? Are you crazy? We don’t want more of those things here!” Pinkie Pie thought back. She felt a small shock in the side of her cheek that felt like a small pinch.

“Idiot. That thing leveled the cliffside with your body. If reinforcements were coming, they’d be here already. Clear this up as quickly as you can, once one side goes loud, there’s no time to waste in a silent takedown. Now, get your mind in focus, before that thing makes the first move.” The voice refuted with quick authority, as Pinkie Pie simply decided to trust the entity. It seemed much more experienced than her, anyway.

What it said made sense, after all. She’d just have to execute her part. Her brows raised slightly, as she began gathering information in her head -- inferences from Celestia’s training, tactics she had learned over her journey, and this entity’s advice thus far. Up until now, she had been mainly going through the motions, but in order for things to go smoothly, she had to apply her training from every day, every experience, and every lesson, to every new second and encounter she had.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes seemed to ice over in a rather emotionless focus. Her aura seemed to spike with a gentle, focused, and calmly aggressive crackle.

“Guys, I have an idea! Forget about me -- form up with the other three, and make sure you take the other one down. We need to disappear before these things’ friends catch up!” Pinkie Pie barked with authority, standing straight, as she stretched her arm out towards the others.

They both stood, their eyes darting between Pinkie Pie and the changeling with a high level of doubt.

“Are you crazy? You think--”

“Did I ask you, or tell you? That’s an order, now go. I have a plan.” Pinkie Pie said with aggression. Two more seconds passed, before Twilight began to jog off, and soon after Fluttershy, going to help the other three with their changeling.

“Good. Now, quickly, before he pursues.” The voice instructed, as Pinkie Pie began charging forward. She approached with a different air around her, this time, confident, focused, collected. The changeling bore its fangs, lurching forward in preparation to counter Pinkie Pie.

“Clear your mind. You are going to strike him, but move with the flow, and don’t think too hard about the plan. Let your instinct be the flow of your body. You already know the plan, there’s no need to overthink it and calculate it over and over -- that’s how you leak your intent. Be sure and decisive -- so much so that you’re always two, no, three steps ahead.” The voice transmitted the information directly into Pinkie Pie’s head within a moment, as Pinkie Pie jumped into the sky, instantaneously applying her advice.

As she gained a decent height, and turned her body upside down in a crouching position, ready to push off, both her hands glowed with a powerful aura. She knew the changeling was quick -- she would have to be prepared for the counter. In the half second that it took her to feel the platform materialize underneath her boots, she had devised a plan in her mind for the changeling’s retaliation. Two steps ahead, just as the voice instructed.

“Now!” The voice shouted, as Pinkie Pie felt the platform protrude forward suddenly with two small pillars underneath either of her feet -- her reaction time was quick enough to push out the same time as they propelled her, and with unclockable speed, she zoomed forward with the water jetting behind her, downwards to the changeling, her right knee extended, aiming for its chest region.

The changeling, not prepared for the sudden deadly increase in speed from Pinkie Pie, only had time to begin twisting his leg upwards in hopes to either block or counter Pinkie Pie with its strongest limb.

Pinkie Pie, expecting this, and now already within inches of the changeling, simply arched her right arm around her chest, holding her palm out towards the approaching leg -- just before it could make impact,

*BOOM!*

The aura released from her right palm, and exploded with furious power, the leg instantaneously blasting off into the distance as a burnt and mangled mess. Pinkie Pie’s left palm was stretched straight out already, and as her knee pierced the changeling’s chest, forcing it down into the sand with a devastating crash, her left palm, still glowing hot with a blast of destructive magic ready to go, clutched onto its face, pushing its head down into the ground.

The creature screamed into her palm with great pain, as Pinkie Pie reached her right arm over her left wrist, preparing for a hell of a stabilizer.

Before it could move or react,

*DOOMJ!*

A much more devastating blast released from Pinkie Pie’s palm, as the shoulders and upwards of the changeling were disintegrated into nothingness, leaving but scorched, glassy sand underneath where his head once was.

Celestia’s training, combined with the “entity’s” guidance, was creating a skilled, devastating combatant.

“Frighteningly excellent. You already have quite a taste for combat. You thought those contingency plans up well ahead of time. My apologies for the miscalculation on assuming you’d know to divert all of your energy to your knee so you could have killed him the first time. But, excellent move on the follow-ups, and your team is just wrapping up, too.” The voice congratulated, relaying its information in a mere moment via the same skill.

“It’s still not good enough. Had you not conjured that platform for me, I would’ve never been able to match that thing’s speed. Celestia must’ve known these things were too powerful for us…” Pinkie Pie thought, feeling slightly frustrated that Celestia seemed to be rushing them.

Pinkie Pie huffed, attempting to restabilize her breaths. She craned her neck over to the side, examining her team. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight stood side-by-side some feet off the side of the changeling, their palms beginning to grow with aura.

The changeling was engaging with Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the two working in rather impressive unison at flanking and keeping the changeling on its feet.

Rainbow Dash swooped forward with incredible speed, and kicked the changeling’s knee, unstabilizing its balance. As it stumbled momentarily, Applejack jumped over its back, grabbing its left wrist in the process, and using the momentum and her monstrous strength, hurled the changeling high into the water.

Within moments, before the changeling could recover, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rarity grabbed onto different parts of the changeling’s back, and with a bright orange glow, followed by three different streams flying through the water back into the ground in flashing yellow figures, the changeling’s lower body, all that was left, floated up into the waters.

Before long, the corpses disintegrated into gentle yellow orbs of light, being reclaimed by the Projector. The girls all huffed, getting up and collecting their breaths. This, was their first real combat, and it was strenuous.

“Good job, girls. Your teamwork is excellent.” Pinkie Pie congratulated encouragingly. The girls all formed back up with their Chief.

“Good job yourself, Pinkie Pie. I saw that, I guess I shouldn’t be worried about the Chief, huh?” Twilight commended. Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but bust a small smile, even knowing nobody could see it.

“Thanks. C’mon, let’s go, we didn’t exactly clean up quietly. On me!” Pinkie Pie instructed, hushing her voice once more. The suits transmitted their voice, but they needed to listen and be alert for any sounds of oncoming resistance around them.

Pinkie Pie trudged through the dark entryway of the settlement, ducking behind a building, as the team followed suit, lightly fanning out, but keeping within eyesight of at least three others at a time, just as they were trained to do.

They kept moving up building by building, pausing only for a small few moments to examine their surroundings each push forward.

Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but notice that the changelings hadn’t pursued her, and instead spoke of defending them. They were not as aggressive as they could have been initially, despite clearly having the upper-hand at that point. Not only that, but as they moved through the premises, there was an eerie lack of resistance -- they barely had to avoid any potential threats.

What use were they to them alive rather than dead? And were they savagely carnivorous in nature? Pinkie Pie remembered one referring to them as food. She thought heavily on the topic, debated questioning Fluttershy, and then quickly scrapped that idea, realizing that only she had understood what they said, thanks to the entity’s influence.

“Do us both a favor, and focus up; your mind’s all over the place, and that’s not good, not right now. You need to have your mind clear and ready, you barely handled two units, so understand that it’s in your best interest to move your team as quickly as possible to the objective before -- ⚡…”

The voice stopped abruptly, as Pinkie Pie continued moving, confused. With no further words, the entity seemed to just seep in silence, as Pinkie Pie returned her focus to her surroundings completely.

“Chief, I have a bad feeling.” Fluttershy said in a low whisper, as they closed in on the castle.

“Girl, you always got a bad feel--” Applejack began, but was quickly interrupted.

“I can’t be the only one who noticed that there’s a lot of nothing out here, though!” Fluttershy said, feeling a twinge in her stomach, as they gathered behind the pillars of the castle’s gates, agape. They peered into the courtyard, staying mostly hidden, and found that the doors to the castle were just slightly agape, unguarded.

“They surely didn’t fight this hard to defend a deserted place.” Twilight commented, the crew beginning to feel offset by the ominous nature of the environment. Now, they all felt that familiar thickness, a dark essence seeming to ooze from the castle doors -- much like before Celestia’s arrival on the day where she sparred with them.

Pinkie Pie gulped silently. “I’m willing to bet this place wasn’t deserted. I have a feeling that we aren’t the only threat the changelings are facing right now.” Pinkie Pie said, as she felt an immense wave of fear emit from the others. They had easily picked up on her notions.

“The Princess did mention that these changelings are now extinct… She wouldn’t…?” Twilight asked, feeling her throat become as dry as the sun itself.

“Once we enter those gates, everyone move quick, and stay close. Be alert, and don’t stop to engage anything. Once we have the objective, we’re homefree. Focus on that, and that only. Most importantly…” Pinkie Pie began, before pausing to look between each of her friends.

“I believe in you guys. Don’t let anything hold you back. And act as a team. The objective is important, but each of us getting out of this alive, even more so.” Pinkie Pie stated, as the other girls nodded in agreement and confirmation.

“On me. We don’t know which room the intel is in, but the castle doesn’t look very big. We’ll move swiftly, and systematically.” Pinkie Pie coordinated, before jumping out from behind the support pillar for the open gate, and began rushing towards the door.

“When I say mark…” Pinkie Pie instructed, mentally preparing herself to move her team into the madness that Celestia set aside for them. She was beginning to understand the twisted ways of this woman, if her gut feelings were correct -- and they usually were… Perhaps this is why the entity aroused feelings of disgust towards her.

Before a few seconds passed, six high-speed moving figures disappeared behind the slightly open door, the speed of their movement locking it behind them…

The inside of the castle was surely unbelievably dark, a structure lying here in the depths of this oceanic world. As the crew entered, they immediately noticed that although the place looked in disarray, there didn’t seem to be any more signs of a struggle. No live, or once live rather, collateral.

Pinkie Pie’s heart raced, and she could almost taste blood in her throat with each thump, her head twisting in suspicious fear. Why did the castle look so clean? Why was there no resistance, and where were the changelings, dead or alive?

She stared down straight ahead of them -- it was the doors to the throne room. There were two other stairs leading up. Before checking the smaller rooms on the upper floors, she would instead take the team to the throne room, first. Perhaps they would luck out.

“To the door, and fast, before anything realizes we’re here.” Pinkie Pie stated, looking around nervously. That odd familiarity began to nag her once more, and it just kept pushing her “danger!” button. With no words, the girls trudged towards the towering dual-door that lead into the throne-room, being sure to keep quiet and swift.

“There will be no more sadness. No more anger. No more envy.”

Pinkie Pie felt as if she had porous, wet, mushy lips pressed onto her neck, mouthing those words into her ear with a cold, rattling, deep voice.

She jumped, looking over both shoulders with such speed that it startled the others. All visors turned to Pinkie Pie, expecting some sort of order or at least a statement explaining her fear, however, she was silent.

“T-t-that wasn’t you… was it?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, hoping her little head-friend was simply malfunctioning or messing with her.

“What wasn’t me? Are you fee-- wait!” The voice interrupted itself with dire urgency. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie saw a small transparent circle in her lower left peripherals -- there was one, large red circle, light in color, but approaching the yellow circles in the middle, fast.

“Chief, get moving! Double timing!!” The voice yelled with more desperation than authority.

“Trouble! Move, to the doors!” Pinkie Pie yelled, beginning to dash forward, as the team, stricken with fearful anxiety, took off along with her in no time.

Before the crew could make even half a dozen steps,

*CRASH!*

A huge, mangled figure tore through the roof, knocking the girls aside, as they crashed and tumbled into the walls and along the floor. Pinkie Pie recovered expertly, twisting onto her feet, looking up to see a massive and infected changeling adult, the parasite twisting its being into an ungodly sight of warped bone and reconstructed flesh, oozing bits of red and green into the atmosphere.

It stood raising its long claw, eyeing its prey momentarily, before letting out a monstrous shriek.

As Pinkie Pie heard the shriek, something in her set off, and she immediately dashed forward, everything in her mind telling her that this threat needed to go down here and now, no matter what; her team was vulnerable, and yet to recover from the impact, and this thing was keen on striking.

The voice did not speak, but something told Pinkie Pie that it was in unison with her sudden aggression and furiosity, as her palm began to glow with much more power than she could usually muster.

As Pinkie Pie stood before the tall creature, many times bigger than her, she outstretched her palm, and she felt the entity force all of her earth magic into her legs. The creature shot forward with ferocious speed, assessing Pinkie Pie as the biggest threat -- the only one of the six to recover from its explosive entry and immediately begin attacking.


With its claws extended behind it, ready to lunge, it seemed to read Pinkie Pie’s movements, and stop itself briefly, jumping onto the wall beside it, then onto the roof further behind Pinkie Pie, and before Pinkie Pie could react, it shot down towards her back, claws extended.

“Fool! The Flood assimilates knowledge, and that’s an infected Changeling! It can read your intent!” The voice in Pinkie Pie’s head transmitted immediately. Pinkie Pie cursed herself, but the impact never came, and as she recovered, she saw Rainbow Dash in the air above her, leg extended outwards -- she was defended.

“Rainbow Dash! Disengage, head to the throne room! Fluttershy, Twilight, join her! Rarity, Applejack, we’ve gotta defend them!” Pinkie Pie barked loudly, with aggressive despair. Her emotions were haywire, seeing that Celestia pitted them against their worst fear, so early on into their training.

With no words, the five other girls followed her orders, as Pinkie Pie felt Fluttershy and Twilight rush beyond her, and join up with Rainbow Dash to search for the objective.

“Your radar! That thing’s entrance alerted more! Stay frosty!” The voice urged, as Pinkie Pie noticed several more red dots close in on their position, watching the radar in her peripherals.

“The radar, on the bottom left! Pay attention, there’s more coming! Retrieval team, you too, don’t run into an ambush!” Pinkie Pie barked, as she crouched down, and zipped across from wall to wall with ferocious speed, attempting to mask her intent as she closed in on the now recovered infected Changeling that pursued Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight.

Fluttershy, being the furthest behind, saw the red dot closing in, and as she looked behind her, and the claws were inches from her being --

*CRASH!*

She saw a blur of pink, as she was blown forward by an explosive force -- she quickly recovered by rolling back onto her feet, not losing much distance from her other two current partners, and saw that Pinkie Pie had saved her and disabled the Flood-changeling in a single hit.

She smiled underneath her visor -- there was nothing to worry about, she needed to focus on collecting the intel.

As Pinkie Pie watched the three disappear into the main doors, she turned back to Applejack and Rarity, all three nodding at each other, as they saw the red dots finally reach their position. However, Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but notice that unlike when she was fighting the changelings, she felt no premonitions.

“The Flood… it’s a devastating being that can maximize the utilization of its host’s knowledge and power -- they are too adept with the changeling’s knowledge for their intent to be read by amateurs like you. You have to be on guard!” The voice warned. As if on cue, Pinkie Pie saw a wall begin to crack, and she immediately jumped out of the way, watching four more of the creatures pile in.

She heard more explosions beyond her field of view of the four creatures, and realized they were effectively cutting her, Rarity, and Applejack off after studying her radar.

“They’re using tactics? I thought the parasite was of basic intelligence?!” Pinkie Pie thought with frustration, zooming forward to regroup with her friends.

“The Flood is as smart as the creatures it consumes. And that intelligence is collective… Did she not teach you all this already?” The voice said in a frustrated manner at her inexperience.

Pinkie Pie groaned in frustration, as she finally closed the distance, the four creatures lurching forward, ready to combat her. However, she was not about to fight these monstrosities alone -- she jumped over them, held her palm upward to release a destructive strike that caved the roof in over them, and kicked off of the wall to push her way back to Applejack and Rarity.

However, the creatures were far too seasoned to be taken down so simply -- one was quick enough to place itself in front of Pinkie Pie before she could reach the ground, and delivered a devastating slash to her chest -- her ethereal armor shattered immediately, and she felt her chest open up with three deep lacerations. These things had power!

Pinkie Pie collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud, and upon realizing she was in danger, backflipped herself off of the ground, pushing back -- and just in time, as two of the Flood forms landed with devastating force right on her position. They snarled with ferocity, approaching her once more.

She ducked and dodged, weaving around the attacks of each one, realizing the other two were crawling along the walls to flank her from the back -- however, she was too occupied with these two to prepare for any dodge or counter attack, and the lacerations in her chest, as well as her stamina being drained by the armor recompositioning itself, was beginning to exhaust her.

“Dammit! I hope the other two are doing okay…” Pinkie Pie thought, watching the two red dots behind her close in. She suddenly jumped forward, and flipped her body frontwards half way, so that she could kick off of the chest of one of the Flood forms, and holding either palm out, let out a powerful blast of destructive magic that easily seared through the two Flood forms that attempted to flank her.

She immediately distanced herself from the other two that were originally combating her, panting -- her energy was spent, and she didn’t have enough to continue combating these two. However, she had no choice…

She powered herself up even further, feeling her body ‘steam’ underneath her combat skin with great volume.

However, the one of the Flood forms did something Pinkie Pie was not expecting -- its claws shot forward from where it stood, and impaled Pinkie Pie with great strength and speed.

Pinkie Pie’s pupils widened, feeling a burning pain throughout her entire body -- it lifted her, and she saw the other one dashing forward in a lurch, claws extended towards her neck, but all of a sudden, everything got brighter, and she simply fell to the ground with a heavy thud, feeling the stab wounds open up completely.

Looking up, for a moment, she saw nothing but a bright, white glow.

“Did… did I die…?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, clutching her deeply injured torso, gasping for breaths.

“Objective, complete. Projection, disengaged.” A robotic voice chimed.

“It’s over… you did good, Chief. You did good.” The voice reassured her. Though, it was hard to hear, as with the adrenaline settling, and her body pumping her with endorphins, all she could hear and see was overtaken by white buzzes and blurs. It was incredibly hard for her to breathe, and she felt as if she would pass out.

“Quick, someone, get that armor off of her! Celestia, she needs medical attention, ASAP!” Pinkie Pie could hear one of the girls yell, but could not quite deduce who.

“Rest, now. We’ll talk when you’ve recovered some. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more.” The voice said, seeming to fade off into the distance again.

Pinkie Pie tried to keep her gasps quiet, but found it hard. She felt tears form at the edge of her eyes -- the pain was unlike anything she had previously experienced. She could barely feel the girls surrounding her, and pressing into her wounds to pause the bleeding. Her head laid on the side, her eyes lifeless, watching Celestia’s boots march towards them.

She heard one last thing before she let her body slip into a relaxing state of unconsciousness.

“For my personal PROJECTs to receive such deadly injuries -- and the Chief, no less… We have a far way to go, children. A far way, indeed. We’ll get you all healed up, and the training for today is suspended. Tomorrow, we will begin by studying today’s events and…” Celestia’s words slowly faded farther and farther, despite her distance closing. It was time to sleep…
> PPAI, the One Thousandth Life - Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"... One-thousand-one. The beginning and end of a cycle, and thus, a very precedential iteration of life. You are, simply put, the 0th Life..."

>March 30, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 4:17AM<






Pinkie Pie was in a slumber, lying on the bed in her quarters, no longer in her combat skin, but the bare latex clothing in which she had first awoken in upon her entry to the Flood Control Mobile HQ.

Her wounds had been tended to by Princess Celestia, and her skin seemed to have been recently washed and her beautification tended to.

Slowly, she regained consciousness, and as she sat up, she was surprised to find weight on her lap.

“You’re… awake…” the figure yawned, lifting herself off of Pinkie Pie.

“Fluttershy. Good morning.” Pinkie Pie stated blandly, as Fluttershy hugged her tightly.

“I’m so glad you’re okay! I mean, what was the princess thinking, pitting us against the parasite so soon?!” Fluttershy cried out in detest, her grasp on Pinkie Pie tightening.

Pinkie Pie was pleased to see that Celestia’s skills of healing were as primed as ever, noticing that not even a single twinge of pain or discomfort laid within her body -- she was, however, still quite physically drained.

“It’s okay, Fluttershy. We have to be prepared for anything.” Pinkie Pie stated in a cold and simple manner. Truthfully, she agreed with Fluttershy -- what was she thinking? They were progressing fast, yes, but they were not experienced in fighting the Flood, only other humanoid creatures.

Something about the sudden exposure to the parasite seemed… desperate, and rushed.

“I-I suppose, but… Oh, I’m just glad you’re okay, Pinkie!” Fluttershy stated, rubbing her head in Pinkie’s chest.

“Of course. You waited for me to wake up this whole time?” Pinkie Pie questioned. She felt Fluttershy nod in her chest.

“How sweet. Thank you.” Pinkie Pie said, hugging her head into her chest, as she let her mind wander. She stared at the clock above her, which read “04:20”. She remembered Princess Celestia stating that training was suspended for the day, meaning they had a long, long while before anything else was required of them.

Then, she remembered the ‘entity’. It had said she could speak more with it “in the training room”. Her body tensed -- now was the time.

Fluttershy, sensing the tension, lifted herself off of Pinkie Pie.

“Is something the matter, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked, looking up at her worriedly. Pinkie Pie shook her head, and gently placed Fluttershy off of her body, walking towards her Chief’s jacket that was hanging over the bed. She threw it on, and then looked back at Fluttershy with a still look of thought. Fluttershy felt an ominous confusion arise within her being.

“I’m going to the training room. Just because training’s been suspended, doesn’t mean I want to just sit around. I can’t fail like that again.” Pinkie Pie stated simply, beginning to walk to the door.

“But--!” Fluttershy began, as Pinkie Pie paused in her tracks looking back.

“Celestia ordered us to stay within our hub. We aren’t to explore while she’s gone.” Fluttershy stated.

Pinkie Pie’s brows raised. “Gone?" The Princess wasn’t here? Then, there was all the more reason that now was the time she needed to speak with it; speak with the ‘entity’.

“Then, stay here. I’ll be back before she returns.” Pinkie Pie stated simply.

“Pinkie Pie, it’s okay… we’ll get stronger! Let’s not rush things, and besides, there’s surveillance all over, I don’t want you to get into an altercation with the other soldiers, or even worse, the Princess herself!” Fluttershy detested.

“It will be my punishment alone to endure. Besides, we’re Celestia’s ace in the hole, surely we get a little special treatment?” Pinkie Pie said in rebuttal.

“But--”

“Fluttershy. I’m going. That’s final.” Pinkie Pie stated once more, this time with an air of authority. Fluttershy was taken aback, as she sank back onto the bed.

She was silent for some moments, clutching her chest. A nagging anxiety burned in her heart. But, remembering that Pinkie Pie, too, had this same level of intuition, could only deduce that she should trust Pinkie Pie, and that whatever she was going to do, she deemed absolutely necessary.

“I’ll be waiting for you.” Fluttershy finally spoke, in a soft and disappointed voice. Pinkie’s heart softened at upsetting the girl, but she needed answers, especially now, while ‘the Sun’ wasn’t around to directly surveil her.

“I promise, I won’t do anything reckless.” Pinkie Pie stated, before exiting the room swiftly, the door gently closing behind her.

“You’d better not… Because I love you.” Fluttershy sighed, hugging the sheets up to her chest. Something in her mind screamed to her that Pinkie Pie was putting herself into unfathomable danger, and yet… Yet, she didn’t have the power or confidence in herself to stop her.

“Please.” Fluttershy thought to herself desperately. “Please…”





Pinkie Pie walked into the lobby of the training room, with a sigh of relief -- there seemed to be quite a few guards roaming about, that she was thankfully able to sneak past, and the training room did not seem to be guarded.

That’s when she felt it -- the calm buzz in her head seemed to return in full force, now.

“I-I-I⚡- you, made it.” The voice spoke in her mind. Again, there was that robotic hitch.

“Finally. You’re here.” Pinkie Pie said aloud, knowing that she was alone, she could speak with it normally.

“Yes, we-we-⚡- I, am.” The voice began. “I’m sorry for my-my⚡-our⚡-my, glitches. I never expected this iteration to progress so quickly, it’s hard for us-us-us-⚡-me, to keep up.” The voice said with a sigh.

“I have questions. You said I can see you. How?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Put our-our⚡- your, combat skin on. And then grab Cele-le-le⚡-tia’s-- grab the tablet that you use to control the Projector.” The voice spoke.

Pinkie Pie obeyed, shoving her hand into the feed, as she felt the combat skin crawl out over her body, and also around her jacket to further reinforce it, as it had before. It was only now that she noticed, true to Celestia’s word, that the PROJECT armor’s amulet never left her body. It seemed to be etched into her skin, as she fingered through the sides of it.

“The Reclaimer issue of the PROJECT armor… I can’t believe she’s interfaced you all already…” The voice spoke, ‘watching’ Pinkie Pie fiddle with the amulet.

“What now? How do I see you? And why have you made me put on the combat skin, and not the PROJECT armor, too? Are we going to train?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Of course we’re going to train. You-you-you⚡- we, both feel very frustrated at our--⚡ your, lack of experience on the battlefield. But, putting on your second skin will raise red flags if you do not know how to properly access and manipulate the interface.” The voice explained.

“Now, no more questions, not before you see me, and I get to talk. Go into the arena, with the tablet.” The voice instructed. Pinkie Pie obeyed, as she stepped into the bright, white room.

“Now… Place the tablet as closely underneath the Projector as you can, and hold your hand out towards it.” The voice instructed further. Pinkie Pie tossed the tablet across the ground, and walked towards it, holding her hand out towards it.

Her pink amulet glowed, and she felt the scar in her neck burn with moderate pain, but she endured it, figuring the ‘entity’ was up to something.

Then, a light, pink beam of light shot from the amulet onto her shoulder, and she felt a very small and light force trickle down her arm, and jump into the tablet, disappearing -- she barely caught a glimpse of it, but it looked to be a small holographic human. Her hair looked oddly familiar.

“Alert! Foreign AI detec--” The Projection blared a warning, but just as quickly as it began, it died down.

“Good. We’ve raised no alarms. Are you ready to meet me, Pinkamena Diane Pie?”

Pinkie Pie looked up, confused -- she heard the words from the Projector, much like when it made its usual statements and announcements. She could quickly deduce that whatever this entity was, it had hijacked the Projector’s systems.

Pinkie Pie only nodded. Then, the Projector began to project -- it shot out a pink light, much like the one that came from her amulet, and as it conjured up this being of hardlight, Pinkie Pie lightly gasped. Her skin went cold, and she felt goosebumps over her entire body.

“You’re…” Pinkie Pie trailed on, her mouth agape.

“Me?” Pinkie Pie finished, astonished. In front of her, stood what looked to be an exact digitized replica of her, completely naked, though, she looked far more mature, like an adult. Small red lines covered her areola and the region between her legs.

“Incorrect. I, am the thousandth life. You, are the thousand and first. One-thousand-one. The beginning and end of a cycle, and thus, a very precedential iteration of life. You are, simply put, the 0th Life. Or, at least, I hope you are. I’ve been through this so many times, and have accrued so many memories now, that it’s hard to keep things straight.” The entity spoke, crossing her arms.

Pinkie Pie was silent, her mouth still agape. None of this information made sense to her.

“First, I’ll let you ask some questions, to ease your mind, Diane. What would you like to know?” The entity inquired.

“Your name. What is your name?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Well, Pinkamena Diane Pie, of course.” the entity chuckled, clearly having a displaced sense of humor. “But, I’m sure that would confuse you. When I was in your shoes, every life before me instructed me to refer to them as ‘P-P-A-I’. Pronounced just like your name. Simply call me PPAI. Short for Pinkie Pie AI.” PPAI explained.

“Then, you’re artificial?” Pinkie Pie asked, her confusion only growing.

“I was, and I wasn’t. I am, and I’m not. This me, is artificial in the sense that the lives of any being that can transcend Space-Time cannot physically exist in the same plane as another self without risking anomalies that will break them into madness. However, we’ve overcome with this with careful applications and understandings of Space-Time magic -- think of me as an infinite amount of prerecorded possibilities, that I have personally made after running an infinite amount of simulations, to make sure that you, the 0th life, are guided properly to engage the Sun and the Parasite in your precedential lifetime.” PPAI explained.

“Are there… more, like you? For Fluttershy, and Twilight, and the rest?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I am the culmination of thousands of lifetimes of planning. The power to retain knowledge between lifetimes is…" PPAI paused for some moments, looking off into the distance. Her face scrunched up.

"Far too taxing on the mind for the others to retain their sanity. Twilight was able to, once, but…" PPAI paused again for a few moments, shaking her head. Then, she turned and stared Pinkie directly in her eyes.

"Twilight’s affinity to the Sun is… you must be cautious around her, Diane. You must be cautious of Twilight Sparkle.” PPAI trailed off, trying to choose her words carefully. Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed. Twilight could think for herself, and quite frankly, she found PPAI’s distrust of Twilight offensive.

A shrewd silence followed between the two, and although neither said anything, both silently understood that they were at odds regarding this specific statement. PPAI gently sighed.

“Why are you so weary of Celestia? And why do you regard her as much of a threat as the Parasite?” Pinkie Pie asked.

PPAI seemed to glitch in and out of existence several times, as Pinkie Pie heard the same small buzzes and hitches she would usually hear within her head -- this must be what it looked like when PPAI was searching for an appropriate response.

“This… is not an easy thing to explain, without alienating you from the path you must take. But, I empathize with your confusion, your questions, your doubt..." PPAI finally spoke. Pinkie Pie raised a brow. It was the first time she -- PPAI, had used a personal pronoun so confidently.

"All they have allowed me to say, is that Fluttershy is the only person you can trust. The Sun’s manipulations will not overpower her love for you. The Parasite’s fear and corruption, cannot overpower her love for you." PPAI continued. Pinkie Pie was confused -- did that mean everyone else wasn't trustworthy? What evidence did this... 'program' have for such an accusation?

Once again, both sensed an odds between them, staring at each other through slightly slimmed eyes, before PPAI simply moved on. 

"You must learn for yourself why the Sun is not to be trusted as much as she is. You must learn for yourself, the true origins behind the Parasite, and why it has already become so intelligent. Nothing here has happened on accident -- is it not so convenient that the Flood made it to Equestria, and yet, there was no word of it ever breaching the inner colonies? You must pay attention to every detail, Diane. You must pay attention.” PPAI rambled more than explained, as if trying to speak quickly before something obstructed her.

Pinkie Pie stopped, silent in thought for a while -- there was no way that the attack on the Ville was so carefully orchestrated, though… Had Fluttershy not screamed for help, they would not have been found in time.

“I can feel your doubts. But, for a god like the Sun herself… Orchestration is a simple feat. You and your kin were never in d-d-d-⚡…” PPAI stopped abruptly, as its movements paused completely. It was still for several moments, like a framed picture.

Pinkie Pie, instead of calling for it, began to think. An uncomfortable feeling settled in her throat. Was PPAI going to say they were never in danger? She thought about it:

The Royal Guard who escorted them seemed to already have been instructed to take them, as if it was understood that they’d be alive. She emphatically remembered that a singular guard was instructed to suppress their senses and retrieve them.

Her fists clenched, as she felt her heart burn with rage. Suddenly, she felt a deep animosity towards Celestia, and turned to face the door, her body almost magnetizing towards her position. These must be the feelings PPAI tried to block out, when she had awoken her out of the unconscious state that the PROJECT armor put her in.

She felt her teeth grind against one another. Was the Princess just a sick individual, using the Parasite like the very terrorists she detested? Even if they were needed to quell the plague, that was no reason to orchestrate the parasite to swallow the Ville. To have all those souls suffer like that…

To take Twilight’s, Applejack’s, and Rarity’s family from them... Her fists began to drip blood, clenching deeper and deeper with anger.

Suddenly, she felt a palm grab her wrist, pulling her out of her trance.

“I know, Diane. I know. But, quell your anger. I overrode protocol just now by giving you this information, but your rage will be misplaced if you do not learn of Celestia and her exploits yourself." PPAI started, as she grabbed Pinkie Pie's other wrist as well. They looked into each others' eyes, and for a moment, Pinkie Pie felt a deep, serene connection within herself.

"Be open, and be mindful, with everything you learn. Not all is as it seems." PPAI spoke with a slow and intentional pace. Pinkie Pie's eyes softly widened, feeling her eyes get hazy with liquid. A thousand of herself just told her that she had to be critical of any and everything for the rest of this ordeal. That was... a lot...

"I wish I could ease your mind with the full truth, here, and now, but you will not flourish the way we have planned for a thousand lifetimes, if I do. Sorry for my disappearance, I had to divert myself to checking the Sun’s location.” PPAI said, now releasing her grip from Pinkie’s wrists.

“She’s on her way back. We don’t have much time, so I’ll tell you the most important things, and what you need to know from here-on in:” PPAI began, as Pinkie Pie tried to quell her displeasure, and nodded, listening intently.

“The Sun, and the Parasite, have been at war for far longer than any in this plane of existence realizes. But, in this battle of Sun versus Parasite, there are no winners. If the Parasite wins, life as we know it, will cease to exist. If the Sun wins, there will be no more freedom for any inhabitants of the Universe." PPAI began, pacing back and forth in front of Pinkie Pie.

"Therefore, the only solution is to strip both the Gravemind; the Parasite’s brain and commanding-host; and the Sun, Princess Celestia, of their blessings of Space-Time. It will not be an easy task, but there is a way to lock the arcane knowledge of Space-Time away, forever. Never to be touched again by the Sun, the Parasite, ourselves, or any conscious being for that matter -- as it always should have been." PPAI explained. 

Pinkie Pie's brow raised. Space-Time? So it was just another elemental manipulation? It was magic. It could be controlled, honed, and mastered. PPAI seemed to nod approvingly at Pinkie's thoughts.

"You, as the 0th Life, have the strongest affinity to Space-Time in this world, and as such, you, as immature as you are, can ascend your way to godhood like these two have, and usurp them both. Then, and only then, can we destroy them from the inside out, and force them to submit their powers to the void.” PPAI concluded.

“Just as I explained previously during your simulation-training -- I cannot babysit you, I can only guide you. You must grow, naturally, swiftly, and without the taint of myself, the Sun, or the Parasite, in order to truly hone yourself into the warrior destined to stop this madness. Only then, can we live a happy, conflict-free life, with our friends once more, just as we’ve always wished for.” PPAI finished.

“So… What’s next?” Pinkie Pie asked with a deep, heaving sigh -- it was unsettling… to think that things were much deeper than she could understand.

“Next, we train. Harder than ever. I’m glad I got to have this talk with you. I can finally work at ease. You’re acclimating much faster than any of the previous lives, have. To be expected, from the 0th Life. However, this is going to be goodbye for quite some time. I will not be seeing you again until you are a Field Marshal, and I can be away from the prying eyes of the Sun. I have a few words of advice, before I go:” PPAI continued on, before holding up three fingers.

“Firstly, listen to your intuition. It’s something that the thousand lifetimes have instilled into both you, and Fluttershy, to make sure you both always stay safe and aware of your situation. It is most especially important when dealing with the Sun, and the Parasite.” PPAI explained, one finger dropping. Pinkie Pie thought back to her and Fluttershy's suspicions of the parasite's initial invasion.

“Secondly, you may tell Fluttershy about me. Her intuition will hopefully make it more believable, but ease her into it. It would be easier to convince her of my existence, and why she should follow my guidance, if you can first figure some things out about Celestia that you can show to her; which brings me to my final point:” PPAI continued, as her last finger dropped.

“Surveil the Sun. In any way you can. When you learn how to, snoop through her belongings. This is the one place where she is lax enough to leave behind somewhat of a paper trail. Learn as much as you can, access as many classified files as possible. I will try my best to cover your tracks. Do not be afraid to confront her, for any reason, especially if it is to protect your friends. As menacing as she is, it is in her best interest to keep most of you alive, for the time-being, for the Reclaimers are her best weapon against the Gravemind’s parasite; the Flood.” PPAI elaborated. 

Pinkie Pie nodded, but inside, she felt that too much was being expected of her. It hadn’t been long since she was stripped away from her home, and being forced into this ludicrous super PROJECT program, and now, she was expected to play two sides?

Her brows furrowed. Life was incredibly frustrating. Life, was not fair. At all.

“I’m sorry it had to be like this, Diane. But if we don’t act, our friends will never be safe. We’ll never get to see another picnic, looking up at the stars again. We must fight, or be forgotten. So please, for us… endure.” PPAI said solemnly, sensing the displeasure in Pinkie’s heart.

“I understand. I… understand…” Pinkie Pie repeated, clutching her chest, and looking downwards, closing her eyes for a few moments. A pink flash offended her eyeballs beneath their lids, and she looked up, feeling her heart sink.

PPAI was gone. She thought this conversation would quell her curiosity, but now, it only grew, further maturing her feelings of confliction about this whole ordeal.

“I have to train. I’m not nearly strong enough for the upcoming ordeals. I have to train…” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, as she picked up the pad, and prepared to open up a few combat scenarios for herself.

As she looked on the pad, she saw, in fading pink light: 

“Good luck. You’re gonna do great things. I believe in us.”, with a giant pink heart drawn underneath it, just like the one Pinkie Pie used to doodle in the back of her notebooks all the time.

She clutched the tablet-pad tightly. The words did not encourage her, and now PPAI had abandoned her with this fresh knowledge that would only make her anxiety burn even deeper.

This life, was cursed…
> War Games - Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"You might be the Chief, Pinkie Pie, but don’t take me lightly!"

>April 16, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 2:14 AM<






Fluttershy ran in a low crouch towards a wall, sitting against it, her chest heaving, a relatively large assault rifle in her hands. Her visor glared in the sunlight. She tried her hardest to catch her breath.

“You alright, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked, joining her alongside the wall, patting her shoulder. Fluttershy nodded. They were both in their Reclaimer-issue PROJECT armor.

“Remember girls, we’ve only just begun. We’ve gotta secure the objective from Alpha team. These rounds are conjured specifically for PROJECT simulations like this -- they’ll emulate the damage and force, but will dissipate when coming in contact with real skin. So, don’t hold back! Shoot, to kill.” Twilight instructed, crouching beside them, also in the same apparel. Applejack and Fluttershy nodded up at her.

“Let’s not disappoint Celest--”

*BOOM-CRICK!*

Twilight pummeled into the dirt, dropping her weapon and falling flat onto the ground in an instant; the ethereal armor around her head shattered in red light, as she heard the annoying shrills alarm her that they needed to regenerate. Fluttershy rushed away to a nearby tree, whilst Applejack began aiming her own rifle for where the fire was coming from.

“Sniper!” Applejack yelled, as she saw someone in the window of a far building peeking out, with a long barrel extended outwards from the window.

“Fourth story, third window on the left!” Applejack barked, quickly ducking, as debris and shrapnel shattered just over her head, more rounds flying towards her.

Twilight shook her head, dazed, but pulled herself to the wall, seeking cover. Her head spun, and she could feel a liquid trickle down the side of her face. However, she calmed, as she saw the ethereal armor reanimate itself into a subtle yellow, before returning to the slim golden film, and then fading out of view once more.

“It’s gotta be Pinkie… She’s such a menace with those damn long-range weapons.” Twilight cursed, picking her rifle back up, and trying to deduce a plan. She looked betweenst Applejack and Fluttershy, and cursed under her breath. They were all pinned -- they needed to move, and quick; the other two were likely on their way to eliminate them.

“Girls, listen up! Our position is compromised, we have to move quick -- there’s plenty of foliage on the paths towards the objective northeast and southeast. I’ll move out first, and lay down covering fire and draw Pinkie’s attention -- as soon as you hear me let off the fourth round, I need you two to take either route closest to you -- use the foliage for cover, and make sure you mask your presence! Clear?” Twilight proposed.

“Clear!” both Fluttershy and Applejack shouted back.

“Once you’re both inside the facility, regroup immediately, and wait for my arrival. If you make an encounter, try your best to separate them, and take them down one at a time.” Twilight further instructed, before getting ready to move.

“On my mark…!” Twilight stated, reloading her weapon swiftly. She took a deep breath, before allocating a strong level of magic towards her arms, and holding the handle of the rifle in her other hand -- Pinkie was an excellent shot, she’d have to assume she would be hit the second she left cover, despite the far distance.

“Mark!” Twilight shouted, hopping over the barrier, her hand extending in front of her -- just as she thought, a bullet immediately impacted the barrier, shattering it, as she rolled over, and kept sprinting at great speed, enhancing herself with sky-magic.

After closing a bit of distance, and dodging two more rounds, she lifted her rifle, and began to let off short, controlled bursts. Her first burst was three shots, followed by another four -- the others should already be moving, now, she thought to herself.

She kept releasing shots, before suddenly sliding the weapon onto her back, as it held itself in place with a magical forcefield.

She jumped, and propelled herself upwards by releasing destructive magic beneath her -- her trajectory was directly towards the window she saw Pinkie Pie laying fire down from.

Just as the pink amulet glared back into view, it was too late -- Twilight crashed into the wall, both arms extended outwards, tackling into Pinkie Pie -- however, Pinkie Pie was quick, and before either could fall to the ground, Twilight felt two feet jab into her chest, kicking her back through two walls -- she recovered by sliding onto all fours, the ethereal armor on her chest glowing a slight yellow; as her neck craned upwards, she immediately conjured a magical barrier in front of her -- it shattered immediately, being hit by three rounds.

She ducked and rolled out of the way, into cover, but as she did, the wall she hid beside shattered in a forceful impact, blowing her to the ground once more. She looked up, and saw a barrel pointing to her face, but she quickly planted both palms on the floor whilst sitting, and lifted her legs to kick the weapon out of Pinkie’s hands.

“She’s relentless! She’s keeping me well-beyond ‘on my toes’! Why is she progressing so much faster than us?” Twilight couldn’t help but think, as she backflipped and recovered to gain some distance.

However, as quickly as she gained distance, Pinkie closed it, and the two began to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

Pinkie delivered three swift and powerful shin-kicks to Twilight’s right side, which she could only duck into for defense; just as the onslaught ended, Twilight was already ready with a buildup of magic in her left hand, and shot it forward at Pinkie Pie; Pinkie Pie was already aware of this, and rolled forward behind Twilight, shooting her own beam of magic that Twilight was barely able to jump over.

However, she wasn’t quick enough to realize Pinkie Pie was already in the air above her, another wave of magic about to blast out of her hands.

*BOOM!*

“Oomf!” Twilight grunted in pain, as she crashed back all the way down to the first story, hearing her armor’s annoying shrill alarm remind her that it had absorbed all the damage it could for the time-being.

“Twilight, status?!” Twilight heard Applejack call through her comms.

“Red, my armor’s shattered for now! I’m engaged with Pinkie Pie, but we’ve been separated. I don’t know where Rainbow Dash and Rarity are, either, but she’s probably already assumed you guys are headed for the objective! I need to lay low and let my shields recharge. If you’re already regrouped, ping me your location so we can fight as a unit. As long as we’re all in the facility, we have a fighting chance!” Twilight barked, immediately recovering herself, and zooming through the facility to distance herself from Pinkie Pie -- head-on combat with her was a fool’s game. She was too adept -- ever since that day she had been impaled by the projections of the Flood-infected changelings, something in her had changed, and she began to progress much faster.

It frustrated Twilight.

Twilight would have to find her advantage through strategy, and cunningness. “That Chief’s jacket will be mine…” Twilight thought with determination, clenching her fists. Suddenly, a ping was sent to her peripherals, and she could see the location of Fluttershy and Applejack, who had presumably linked up with no resistance.

Twilight’s brows furrowed -- why was Pinkie Pie the only one that seemed to be within the building? Surely, one of her teammates should’ve encountered the other girls by now. Her mind twisted in focus as she moved to regroup with her team. Something wasn’t right -- what was the Chief playing at?

“Guys, stay alert. The other two could be masking their presence and coordinating an ambush. I’ll be on your six in thirty seconds.” Twilight instructed, as she kept sprinting throughout the building.

A calm, lavender aura began to glow around her eyes, as she looked all over the building, assessing it deeply -- an advanced application of arcane magic that she had taught herself in her own time.

Her eyes widened -- she saw traces of Rarity’s and Rainbow Dash’s aura all over the building; Pinkie Pie was meticulous enough to instruct them to jam any sensing spells she might have done.

She was incredibly careful for someone who should’ve simply assumed that nobody had yet learned how to effectively sense their environment yet. Twilight’s brows furrowed. Pinkie Pie truly was on another level.

However, noticing that Pinkie Pie’s aura was the only one not being distorted, she began to conceive a plan…

Finally, she regrouped with Applejack and Fluttershy, who were both sitting down in a room, awaiting their acting commander for this trial.

“Orders?” Fluttershy asked, standing immediately upon Twilight’s arrival, weapon readied.

“Rarity and Rainbow Dash are very effectively masking their presence, I can’t sense them anywhere; or, rather I sense their presence all over this place. Pinkie Pie is keeping her own presence easily available, which could be a decoy on its own. I surmise that she’s waiting on all three of us to engage her at once, and we’ll be ambushed by the other two. I need you two to keep masking your presence, and sweep the building for the objective. I’m going to confront Pinkie Pie once more, but the second the other two intervene, if they do, I’ll retreat to your location. If you find the objective before I need to retreat, ping me immediately, and I’ll be there.” Twilight stated. The two nodded at her, and she nodded back.

She motioned her arm towards the door, and watched as Applejack and Fluttershy took off together, watching the two yellow dots on her radar quickly move out of her radius.

She looked up at the fourth story -- Pinkie Pie was staring down the hole she thrashed her through, and then suddenly saw her aura descend all the way down to the first floor, in the same way she fell.

“You might be the Chief, Pinkie Pie, but don’t take me lightly!” Twilight thought, as she, too, moved out, preparing to engage Pinkie Pie. She stopped masking her presence, and immediately sensed Pinkie Pie closing in on her position.

“She’s hunting me -- far too fast for them to coordinate a well-placed ambush. That confidence will be your downfall, Chief.” Twilight grinned at Pinkie Pie’s haste.

Twilight very carefully set magical incantations alongside the walls and floors behind her as she moved forward -- well-placed mines that would help her in this altercation with the Chief.

Finally, they were just a few corners from each other. Twilight masked her presence once more,  but as she did, a powerful explosion blasted open the walls beside her -- she barely had time to duck underneath the carnage, as she saw Pinkie Pie fly out over the pink beam of destruction that she shot out through the walls.

“She’s quite reckless with her magical stamina… That, or she’s taking to these pills very well. Either way…” Twilight thought, as she immediately pulled her weapon up and let off a large burst of fifteen rounds -- they all ricocheted off multiple directions, Pinkie Pie immediately conjuring beneath her several magic forcefields -- Twilight’s armor began to flash a subtle yellow, a couple of the rounds bouncing back into her.

“Tch!” Twilight hissed, as she rolled across the ground, dodging a couple rounds from Pinkie’s high-caliber rifle. She didn’t have much magic stamina to keep conjuring barriers, and she needed to hold onto as much as possible for the retreat once Applejack and Fluttershy obtained the intel.

Twilight shot forward a beam of destructive magic, and then immediately shot several rounds behind it -- Pinkie Pie successfully blocked the beam, but Twilight was pleased to see the burst of rounds directly behind it shattered Pinkie Pie’s ethereal armor, watching it quickly go from yellow, to orange, to a shattered red.

“Now’s my chance!” Twilight thought, as she threw the weapon over her back, jumped onto the wall, and pushed off of it with ferocious strength, zooming towards Pinkie Pie, leg extended.

Her shin flew towards Pinkie’s chest, which Pinkie Pie caught; Twilight used the momentum to swing her body around, and brought a fist towards Pinkie’s abdomen, landing a direct, clean strike, as Pinkie Pie flew back through some desks; she recovered expertly, being back on both feet before Twilight could approach her once more. Not being able to close the distance, Twilight unsheathed her gun once more, and let off rounds; Pinkie Pie was quick to jump over the first burst, and being unable to dodge in the air, instantaneously conjured up several platforms around the room, that she jumped around with quick speed.

The second Twilight heard her gun click, it was too late: Pinkie Pie was already inches from her, the tip of her boot connecting with the outside of her helmet, where her jaw would be, and sent her sailing through the wall. 

Twilight’s armor shattered once more, and by the time she got up, Pinkie Pie was already over her, her hands glowing with destructive magic. Twilight only had time to lift her own hands, and let out her own destructive blast, as an explosion blew up in either of their faces. Both stood, eyeing each other, lurched over in a tired stance.

Both were in a standoff staring each other down -- but, that’s when Twilight realized she had become too lax -- she saw Pinkie Pie raise two fingers, and all of a sudden, she could sense two large forces of magic come at her from either side; she held her palms outwards to either of them, using all of her strength to conjure up some magical barriers.

Though she was successful in blocking them, her stamina was now completely drained, and her shields were having trouble recharging.

“Dammit…” Twilight stated, seeing Rainbow Dash and Rarity appear from either side now. She would have to give it her all to escape, and regroup with the others.

“Applejack, Fluttershy, I’m coming to you! The others are out of hiding, I need assistance!” Twilight shouted, as she saw Rainbow Dash approaching from the left, first, and skillfully jumped over her, placing her palm on her head to accelerate herself out of range.

She skillfully jumped and hopped around the hallway where she had placed her traps, and heard a myriad of explosions go off behind her.

Huffing and heaving, she smiled, seeing as how her traps bought her some time.

“Sorry, Dashie.” Twilight thought regrettably, as she quickly made her way to Fluttershy and Applejack.

“We’ve retrieved the objective -- we’re on the third story, west wing! Let’s regroup, and get out of here.” Applejack transmitted to Twilight. Her smile grew -- this was great news!

However, she quickly realized, that although the explosions of her mines died down, nobody was pursuing her. Her face dropped into a grimace.

“No, leave your positions immediately! We need only get the objective back to base, the others are already on your six!” Twilight barked desperately.

“Shoot! It’s a bit late for--ungh!” Twilight could hear Applejack get struck, and she cursed underneath her breath, zooming up the stairs to try and reach their position fast. However, as she got to the third flight, she was met by Pinkie Pie, who stood in front of her, arms crossed, and stature tall, now seemingly having regained her stamina.

“You’re so damn persistent!” Twilight yelled out in frustration, gritting her teeth. Pinkie Pie uncrossed her arms, and held her fists up, bouncing around.

Twilight grinded her teeth. Her armor’s shields hadn’t yet recharged, because she was reserving her stamina for herself. However, she had no choice -- she held her fists up, too, not yet having a chance to reload her weapon.

“Whatever you guys do, don’t lose!” Twilight shouted through her comms, as she lunged forward for Pinkie Pie, arm extended outwards. She let off one beam of destructive magic, and as it obscured Pinkie’s view, she hopped up to the roof, and kicked off of it with as much strength as she could, getting behind Pinkie Pie, who had only just now dodged the beam. 

However, Pinkie Pie, expecting Twilight to prioritize regrouping with her team, let out a myriad of small projectiles, that all zoomed towards Twilight; she was successful in dodging some, but a good amount barreled into her back, and without the ethereal armor to shield her, she felt the pain at a much greater interval, stumbling and rolling across the floor.

Before she could get up, a knee planted into her back with forceful impact, and a palm smashed her face into the cemented stone of the ground, holding her in place. Before she could even resist, she yelled up in pain, as Pinkie Pie mercilessly twisted her arm to her back, ensuring she would hold still.

“Damn you!” Twilight yelled, grunting.

“I’m sorry, Twi.” Applejack stated, followed by a similar regretful statement from Fluttershy.

“Projection, disengaged.” The announcement began, as everything disappeared, and Twilight and Fluttershy -- as well as everyone else -- began to fall through the air towards the ground.

“Alpha Team, victorious. All three combatants have been subdued.” The announcement finished. Before any could reach the ground in a painful thud, Rarity caught Applejack, Rainbow Dash caught Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie rescued Twilight from the impact, all landing gracefully.

“What an impressive display to watch, children. Your growth pleases me more and more every day. Each and every one of you put up an exceptional effort.” Princess Celestia commended, now walking in from the lobby of the stadium-arena, clapping her hands together.

Twilight groaned, getting up off the floor, as she distanced herself from Pinkie Pie. Celestia’s words were not enough to comfort her -- she wanted to be the best.

“Chief, once again, you’ve done an excellent job at honing your leadership skills -- your communication and preparations for any and all outcomes is exactly why you stayed on top, once again.” Princess Celestia commented.

“Twilight. I gave you a chance to lead, but I hope that when we study this battle, you will take every opportunity you can to learn from your colleague’s expertise.” Princess Celestia stated. Twilight’s brows furrowed in disappointment. She held her emotions, however.

“Ma’am. Yes, ma’am.” Twilight responded, stiffening her stature.

“Visors off, children. Let us talk for some moments.” Celestia urged. They all obeyed, pressing their amulets, as the visors released, and the PROJECT armor’s strain on their bodies substantially subsided.

“How do you all feel you are coming along with your use of projectile weaponry?” Princess Celestia asked.

“It almost feels like this was something I was born to do!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her rifle still on her back.

“A-greed.” Applejack chimed in.

“That’s good, children. The Reclamations are having you all progress at rates that make even myself marvel in awe. Excellent.” Princess Celestia smiled pleasingly.

Pinkie Pie watched the smile with a feeling of frustration, though she did not let it show. She had become even more adept at masking her feelings and intent over the past two weeks. She hadn’t yet had a chance to learn anything more about Celestia, but with every passing day, she couldn’t think any less of her encounter with PPAI. She could not quell her caution of this woman that was apparently their savior.

“Chief. Although it is early, I will be entrusting the rest of today’s training with you. Unfortunately, during your training, some interesting developments have arisen. I must be filled in on the details immediately.” Princess Celestia stated. Before turning to leave, she left one final instruction.

“Do not leave the arena before I would normally end the training, and, remember: today’s focus should be on team sparring exercises. Whether you want to do it directly, or set up more war games, is at your discretion, Chief. I will be dismissing myself.”

And, with that, Princess Celestia walked towards the door, as it shut close behind her, a red light indicating that they were locked in the stadium-arena, likely until the time their training usually ended, at 15:00. 

Currently, it was only 04:08. 

Pinkie Pie sighed. Once again, Princess Celestia locked them within the arena, and once again, she was left in charge of their training.

Today would be another day that she could not investigate ‘the Sun’. However, that just meant now was the time to focus on sparring, something they could all brush up on.

“Okay, girls. This time, we’ll be working in three different teams of two. The objective is a simple last team standing. There will be no winner if both participants of the team aren’t standing.” Pinkie Pie instructed. She deduced what good pairings would be to reinforce the team’s structure altogether, and quickly decided.

“Twilight, with Rarity. Applejack, with Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash, it’ll be you and me. We’ll have five minutes to discuss anything we’d like before we begin. Pair up, and let’s get a move on, let’s be eons better by the next time the Princess sees us.” Pinkie Pie spoke encouragingly, as her Chief’s jacket fluttered behind her.

The Reclamations were clearly taking effect, and maturing them, as the jacket no longer hung at her heels, but now about halfway by her shins.

As the girls paired up, Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but notice a dark haze being directed towards her. Feeling unnerved, she looked around, and met eyes with Twilight, who quickly averted her gaze, as the dark haze itself seemed to die off.

PPAI’s words replayed in her head. Though, the intent did not seem dangerously malicious, so Pinkie Pie easily shrugged it off. Still, though, perhaps what the entity said may have some merit.

But, she trusted Twilight to do right by her, and right now, that’s all that mattered. Twilight would have to sort through whatever she was feeling on her own, and she trusted she could do it without jeopardizing their journey to become PROJECTs. After all, Twilight, too, was an inhabitant of Equestria, and would do anything to protect it. 

“Hello, space to Pinkie Pie? C’mon, let’s talk strategies.” Rainbow Dash waved in front of Pinkie Pie, tearing her from her thoughts.

“Oh, right… of course, sorry. Let’s go.” Pinkie Pie stated, as the two walked off from the other two pairs. She shared one glance back at Fluttershy, who looked back with a twinge of disappointment and not being able to pair with her.

Pinkie Pie sent one warm smile back, before turning to discuss with Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy, too, needed to grow. And she would have no favorites in this team. They all needed to be equally capable, after all.

She could only hope they all acclimated to the Reclamations, and defied Celestia’s expectations of two casualties. Because Pinkie Pie was not sure how she would react if any were to die from Celestia’s twisted operation.

She looked back once more at Fluttershy.

“Especially her…”
> The Ville's Enigma - Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"...The parasite was never meant to reach the inner colonies?!..."

>May 7, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 8:43 AM<






The Mane Six all sat around the main hub of their quarters, lounging around. All were without their combat skins, and in their bare latex-like clothing. Save for Rainbow Dash, who had on a cutely conjured birthday-cone hat on her head, that glowed a pretty pulsating cyan color, complementing her PROJECT amulet, and starkly contrasting the bland gray-gradiented room.

“Wasn’t it so nice of the Princess to allow us a day off from training for your birthday, Dashie?” Twilight cooed, rubbing her face against Rainbow Dash’s.

“Didn’t stop her from forcing us to take those Reclamations, though. It’s been two dozen doses, now.” Rarity commented.

“Well, on the bright side, they are starting to feel quite a bit less severe. I can almost stay on my feet after swallowing them, now.” Rainbow Dash stated, before lifting into her mouth another bite of cake.

“That’s true… They are certainly much less torturous than they were. Goodness, that first time was terrifying, to say the least.” Applejack chimed in.

“I agree. I thought I was going to die. It felt like something was exploding several times over in my tummy.” Fluttershy commented, holding her stomach in painful recollection of their first time swallowing the Reclamation pills.

“How do they feel for you, now, Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy asked, as all eyes turned on her.

Pinkie Pie did not respond. She seemed to be quite standoffish, staring out the window into the infinite space in which the mobile HQ drifted; her eyes seemed to search the stars for an answer to an enigmatic question. Her head was sunken low, her features being shadowed by the shoulder pads of her Chief’s jacket.

“Pinkie?” Fluttershy called once more, her eyes softening in worry towards her companion. Still, she was unmoved.

“Uh, hello, earth to Pinkie Pie? Can’t even be present for your friend’s birthday anymore?” Rainbow Dash called out half-jokingly. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened slightly, and her head perked up. She turned to face her friends, and beneath her eyes, were tired, gray bags.

“I’m sorry, did I miss something, Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie Pie said, a bright smile growing on her face. The features of her friends softened upon seeing her finally engage with them once more, save for Fluttershy’s, who only grew more worried upon seeing Pinkie Pie smile.

“The Reclamations. They still beatin’ ya?” Rainbow Dash asked, reiterating the topic of discussion.

Pinkie Pie shook her head silently, her small slightly faltering to that of a neutral face. “Haven’t you all noticed? I think our maturation process will be done, soon. You’re all a lot taller than I remember.” Pinkie Pie stated.

The others examined each other for a fair few moments, and then looked back at Pinkie Pie -- the jacket was now hanging to just below her knees, and true to her words, they all seemed to be much more muscular, and their proportions filled out accordingly.

“You know what… I’ve been so absorbed in the gruesome daily drills that I’ve hardly realized. We look like we’ve skipped a few grades.” Twilight commented in a sort of awe.

The word “grades” took Pinkie Pie’s mind back to the simple lives they lead back on the Ville -- all attending school, and enjoying each others’ companies on the weekends where they didn’t have extracurriculars or family events.

Once again, her head hung slightly, her eyes being lost in the recesses of the room. The chatter picked up once more, as Fluttershy walked over to Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie Pie? That feeling… it’s nagging again. What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, as Pinkie Pie’s eyes regained focus, and turned to her small, older companion. She stared into her eyes for a short few moments, before looking back out the window.

“It’s nothing, Flutts. Just tired, y’know?” Pinkie Pie sighed, looking out into the recesses of whatever region of the galaxy they drifted through.

“Why have you become so comfortable with lying to me, Pinkie? I can see that dark mist oozing from your aura. I can feel the discomfort, and suppressed conflict within you. Is there something you learned? Do you not trust me?” Fluttershy asked with an air of despair.

Ever since that day Pinkie Pie had nearly died in the changeling simulation, Pinkie Pie had become incredibly standoffish, and reserved. When she was active, it was fake, like how she was when she suppressed her intuition back on their home planet. It bothered Fluttershy; they had been through this already, so why were things reverting to square one? Why was Pinkie Pie pushing everyone away once again?

Why was Pinkie Pie pushing her away, again?

Pinkie Pie didn’t look back at Fluttershy, her mind twisting for an acceptable answer. In truth, she had been having more and more nightmares about Celestia, and the Flood. But, they felt more like traumatic memories, than nightmares. That, and the increasing feelings of anxiety and elevated stress levels she began feeling whenever Celestia smiled at her.

Everything about that woman now felt cold, and calculated. Her smiles, sadistic. Her instruction and guidance, selfish. Nothing here felt right. But, how could she convey these feelings to the team, that could only look upon her as their savior? She felt stuck, trapped. Whether she ran, fought, or hid, life seemed to be full of frustrating, difficult paths. Her fists clenched.

Fluttershy’s brows furrowed further at Pinkie Pie’s silence. The edges of her eyes began to glimmer with liquid.

“It’s not fair, Pinkie. You promised that you wouldn’t lie to me anymore. Isolating yourself, and refusing to tell me anything, is the same as lying. Why are you going back on your word?” Fluttershy whimpered, hugging Pinkie Pie from behind, tightly.

Pinkie’s fists clenched even tighter, as she made a deep exhale. She simply extended a single arm back, and clutched Fluttershy’s side. She pulled away after some moments, and turned to face her.

“I’m sorry. Don’t cry.” Pinkie Pie stated softly, warmly. Fluttershy could feel the genuine concern, and sorrow leak from her voice, as her companion wiped the liquid from the edges of her eyes. Pinkie Pie gave a quick, but soft and passionate kiss on her lips, before shortly caressing her cheeks with her thumbs.

“Don’t cry. It’s Rainbow Dash’s birthday. Do me a favor, and enjoy it for the both of us. I’m tired.” Pinkie Pie stated, before letting go of Fluttershy, and walking past her, towards Rainbow Dash.

The chatter stopped, the solemn air around Pinkie Pie arousing a soft caution within the other four girls. There were no words, as Pinkie Pie trudged forward, directly towards Rainbow Dash, leaned over, kissed her on the forehead, and gave a wry smile; forced.

“Happy Birthday, Rainbow Dash. Sorry, but I’m gonna retire for a few hours. I’m taxed.” Pinkie Pie said through a low, and soft voice. With no more words, she turned, her jacket fluttering off behind her.

As she passed Fluttershy once more, without looking at her, she simply mouthed “I’m sorry,” once more, before leaving the room, the doors shutting behind her.

All eyes now fell on Fluttershy, as if expecting an answer from the one closest to Pinkie Pie. No words of clarification left their small friend’s mouth, as she simply rejoined the group, sitting down, and quietly staring down into her lap. Her eyes stung, but she squeezed her tears back into her eyes.

She couldn’t help but wonder what it was that was bothering Pinkie Pie so much. Did she have a delayed depressive reaction to this whole situation? Was there something going on between her and the Princess, that only the Chief could know about? Her helplessness for Pinkie Pie bothered her deeply.

“I’m sure she’s really just tired, Fluttershy. Don’t worry, I won’t take it personally, and you shouldn’t, either. She said she’ll be back, after all. Let’s brighten up, and enjoy the day, huh?” Rainbow Dash said brightly, in her best attempts to cheer up her obviously downed friend. She leaned over, and sliced off a piece of cake, placing it directly in Fluttershy’s lap. She looked up with a small smile.

“Go ahead, eat. We won’t get many days like this. You should enjoy the good things while they last, right?” Rainbow Dash smiled.

“She’s right, dear. C’mon, eat up now.” Rarity chimed in for reassurance.

Fluttershy quietly bit into her cake, crumbs falling into her lap. Her eyes still shone, but she took one more bite, and then another, trying her best to not let her mood affect the atmosphere.

The awkward air continued for a few more moments, before festivities settled in once more. At least with her friends around, for now, she could leave Pinkie Pie to sort through her own problems.





Pinkie Pie stood on the exit of their quarters, which led into the rest of the mobile HQ. Her mind turned for several moments -- every time Celestia left base, she dismissed them before they started training, or after they had just initiated. 

In moments like these, when she hadn’t locked them in the stadium-arena, she was almost always still within the HQ. Today, was likely no exception.

However, Sunday or Monday, she had extensive briefing reports and meetings on Equestria’s militaristic and political affairs. That means she was likely to be busy today, too. Whenever these discussions were going on, surveillance and guards were usually heavily centered on the room in which she and her friends were initially briefed on the origins of the Flood, and her subsequent request to become PROJECT: Flood Control; after all, those were times where highly sensitive information would be exchanged for hours at a time.

Today was the first day that she was going to be away from her own quarters for quite some time, whilst they were also not locked in training room.

Clenching her fists, and allocating as much focus as she could to masking her presence and intent, Pinkie Pie left the “Reclaimer Quarters”, where her and her friends were usually stationed in their free time.

It was time to investigate Celestia for the first time, and receive some answers. It was finally her chance to uncover some truths about the Sun, beginning with the truth about the Ville.





Upon reaching Celestia’s quarters, Pinkie Pie was pleased to find that, as she suspected, Celestia’s wing was very sparse in activity. Three roaming guards, and none were stationary by the door in which she could enter.

She could see that like many other rooms, there would be a code that must be entered in order to gain access. Pinkie’s brows furrowed in frustration, but as she stared upon the keypad, her mind’s voice repeated to her, “100117”, over and over again in succession. It was as if, in her core, she had used the sequence of numbers before. 

As she thought about approaching the door in the small windows of time she could calculate for herself, an intense, nagging anxiety struck her core; her being screamed at her that she was stepping into dangerous territory.

She gritted her teeth. That did not matter. This was the first chance she had since her conversation with PPAI. She would have to swallow these feelings, and continue.

As her next window of opportunity opened, she conjured a platform around the wall, bounced on it, and jumped off of it with incredible speed, silently shattering it as she jumped off. She silently tucked and rolled to the frontwards of the door, and quickly inputted the code, “100117”.

To her pleasant surprise, the door slid open, quietly enough to be drowned out by the incessant buzzes and hums of machinery around the facility. Quickly, she entered, and as she did, the door shut behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that there was no extra security such as sensors or anything of the sort beyond the door.

True to PPAI’s word, Celestia was lax here -- the security she did instill here seemed to be light; although, her security was currently focused elsewhere for the time being. 

Pinkie Pie craned her neck around her, examining the surroundings. She saw a similar apparatus as to what equipped her and her friends with PROJECT armor within the recesses of a wall. Hung on an armor stand beside it, was her traditional royal guard armor, presumably used for missions where she would be working with the more common soldiers, and the same ceremonial armor she was in when she had apparently rescued them from the Flood infestation on the Ville.

As she walked forward, she saw a door that seemed to open up into an office space, with a single holographic computer on a desk. As she entered, she immediately noted the position and placement of every last thing, mentally burning the image into her mind.

Celestia seemed to be quite analytical, as did most people who specialize in arcane magic, as she had learned. Things would need to be perfectly back in position as to how she left them.

As she came around to the front of the desk, she saw a myriad of drawers. If there was going to be any information, here was the place. She pulled the first drawer…

Locked.

Pinkie Pie cursed under her breath, trying drawer after drawer, realizing each was locked. And worse, they seemed to only be accessible with a cryptographic key -- a type of lock that could not easily be picked with her level of magic; this was something Twilight would be more suited to do, with her excelled affiliation for arcane magic. She hissed her teeth, finally pulling to the final drawer…

She gasped, before breathing a sigh of relief -- the very last drawer was open, and as it extended outwards, she saw a collection of folders and separators, labeled ‘T’ to ‘Z’.

She fingered through them immediately for ‘V’, and pulled out file after file, before finally finding one titled “The Ville”.

She clutched it tightly in her hands, hesitating to open the contents of the file. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. She opened the first page, slowly, deliberately.

~ Sister, I am afraid it is just as you feared… The Flood is already moving with purpose. Perhaps it is as your diligent research has dictated, but they are already making calculated moves. We put up a fierce battle, but a single infected aircraft has managed to slip through our defenses, and it is likely masking its presence as it makes its way to the inner colonies. They seem to be set on something. The trajectory of their ship’s jump seems to be headed for the inner colonies. Our calculations can only assume they are heading for Planet Equestria, or its neighbors in the eastern quadrant of that galaxy. None of our forces will be able to pursuit it with enough speed to intercept it before it can land, and begin its carnage. It must be looking for something; beginning an infection on an inner-colony world is suicide, and will do little to strain our resources when we will effectively have it surrounded. I suggest we track where it lands, and cut our losses by glassing the entire state and a good portion of the neighboring regions. It’s the only way to ensure it cannot take much from us. I, Princess Luna, am willing to take all public attention away from you in this matter, and assume responsibility myself. But, please, for the people… We must make sure they can feel safe and assured that we will stop at nothing to quell this parasite! Please, contact me soon for further instruction. My elite forces will continue to hold the parasite’s lines here, under PROJECT Legend, Starlight Glimmer. Until I hear from you, I will be pursuing the parasite on my own, and, if need be I will take direct action in quelling its spread. Luna, out. ~

Pinkie Pie read the first report with conflicted feelings. Nothing she read corroborated what PPAI had told her. From the looks of it, the parasite was already on course for Planet Equestria. Furthermore, it seems the Ville didn’t need to be glassed, and Celestia was there ahead of time to stop it in its tracks.

Then, Pinkie Pie gasped, her eyes searching through the report again -- her eyebrows furrowed in anger, and disbelief.

If Princess Luna decided to pursue the parasite, then there was no way in hell that Princess Celestia would’ve been closer to the parasite or its destination than her -- otherwise, she would’ve never gone after it herself.

Something wasn’t adding up. She turned the second part of the folder to read the next file.

~ Sister, I am greatly pleased to learn that you will be able to intercept the parasite before it can reach the inner colonies. I am also amazed that you were able to deduce exactly what this “Gravemind”, as you put it, was planning -- to think the Flood already claimed enough lives and assimilated enough knowledge to know where the most proficient PROJECT candidates might be living… A terrifying adversary, this plague… Just as you have instructed, I have debriefed your underling, the Mythic heading PROJECT: Espionage to retrieve the young girls, and relocate them to my PROJECT training facility, on the outskirts of the galaxy, coordinates that the Flood should not have yet learned of. Furthermore, your “Reclaimer” project seems to carry great promise. I hope the girls will acclimate well, but with how advanced Lunite and Cadite have become, I have no worries that they will pull through the procedures with little complications. I look forward to meeting the young heroes, someday. Once again, I commend you on your swift efforts that keep our Kingdom safe; I cannot express enough how pleased I am to know that the parasite will not make it to the inner colonies -- I already garnered a headache from imagining the crisis-levels that would instill in the general public. Thank you for allowing me to return to the front lines with celerity. I know it shouldn’t pose much of a threat to you, Sister, but be aware: we assume there to be a formidable force on the ship, as there were approximately two-hundred units on board at the time of infection and subsequent escape. Please, exercise caution, and be safe -- I love you, Sister. It is too soon for me to lead the Kingdom of Equestria. Luna, out ~

Pinkie Pie’s free hand clenched into a tight fist. She banged the table in anger.

“The parasite was never meant to reach the inner colonies?! And a force of two-hundred units would’ve decimated not just the Ville, but the entire goddamned country! How could she allow them to land on the planet?! And the Ville is on the western side of Planet Equestria… if the trajectory was headed for the Planet or its eastern neighbors…!” Pinkie Pie’s mind turned, and turned, and turned in frustration, as she thought deeper and deeper about the incident. 

She grabbed her legs, her nails digging into her skin. Just as a bit of blood leaked, her eyes widened, and she caught it within her palm; her reflexes had greatly advanced. She placed her palm over her leg, and with some basic healing magic, quickly closed the wound.

“I can’t believe that bitch!” Pinkie Pie cursed under her breath, banging the desk once more.

The more files that Pinkie Pie read, the more inconsistencies she found. As if Celestia had been purposely orchestrating a twisted play, to get to this very specific turn of events -- she also noticed that Celestia very often seemed to be able to get to places much faster than any human should be able to travel -- even a highly-trained PROJECT.

She could only assume it to be some form of manipulation of Space-Time magic -- it’s the only thing that made sense, as there was no way Princess Celestia could truly visit several different planets within the same day.

Just as she was going to read one more file, however, she heard the subtle beeping of the keypad outside, and just by the time she could return the files to its place, and quickly, and silently, close the drawer, she heard the door to the Sun’s quarters slide open…

That’s when Pinkie Pie felt the nagging anxiety return to her in full-force -- it had never left her, but the anger she felt reveling in all the new information she was learning had drowned it out.

The feeling of anxiety twisted her stomach, as she felt an intense sense of danger… All along, she hadn’t realized… It wasn’t anxiety she had felt -- it was the nagging intuition… And now that it was in full-force, Pinkie Pie found herself at a loss of what to do…

She heard a single boot step into the facility, and as Pinkie Pie silently scrambled to try and hide herself, she could only think one thing: if the Sun were to find her here, and now, she would need to demand some answers...

After all, as PPAI said... The Reclaimers were needed.
> Sadistic Sun - Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"All you had to do, Pinkamena, was be a good little dog, and mind your lane..."

>May 7, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 10:53 AM<






Pinkie Pie, in the corner of the roof of the room closest to the exit, used all four of her limbs to stay hidden within the recesses of the ceiling. Her breathing had entirely paused, watching with great fear as Princess Celestia entered the room.

As she took her first step inside, she paused for several moments. It was as if she was assessing something -- but, Pinkie Pie was meticulous in returning the room to its original state, so nothing should’ve been out of order. Then, all of a sudden, Pinkie Pie lost all control of her internal functions, her heart beginning to race out of control, further beyond its already adrenaline-filled state.

Although Celestia’s back was mostly turned to her, she saw it once again -- that small, sleazy grin, tugging at Celestia’s jaw. Finally, Celestia walked forward once more.

She seemed to walk into the office slowly, and deliberately. She ran her hands across the wall, before strutting slowly to the desk. As she pulled out the one unlocked drawer, Pinkie Pie’s face beaded with cold sweat.

She fingered through the files, one by one, placing inside, another folder among the mess. She began to close it, but before she did, something seemed to have caught her eye. Pinkie Pie was further unnerved, seeing the smile from Princess Celestia grow ever so slightly. She picked out a single folder, and stared at it, intensely.

That’s when Pinkie Pie’s blood ran cold, and every last hair on her body stood up.

Princess Celestia was fingering the wrinkles that Pinkie Pie had left on the folder, when she had tightened her hands gripping upon it.

Pinkie Pie swallowed deeply, closing her eyes. As she reopened them, she felt as if something had pierced her heart…

There were those two, cold, calculated magenta eyes, staring directly at her. She was caught.

“I take it, then, that this was your doing, Pinkamena?” Celestia inquired, staring directly at her intruder, who clasped desperately to the ceiling-corner.

Pinkie Pie dropped from the ceiling, landing sloppily on both her feet, the intense adrenaline pumping through her body disorienting her precision and control.

She was silent, her words seeming to be caught in her throat. The nagging intuition in her brain was so strong that it was confusing her, and numbing her thought-processes -- she was at a loss of what to say.

“I’d say that’s a yes… You’re right to be scared. You should be very, very scared.” Princess Celestia spoke lowly, with a soft tone, her smile shrinking into a wry, unnerving curve.

“T-t-the Ville… Th-those anoma... anoma-ma, anomalies… What do they mean…?” Pinkie Pie choked out. She wanted to demand an answer, but the aura that Princess Celestia was now releasing seemed to shake her to her very core.

“A dog, questioning its master after snooping around and threatening to cause a mess of things? Oh, how dearly misguided you are, my child.” Princess Celestia chuckled. She replaced the folder in the drawer, and locked it, walking around the desk to face Pinkie Pie.

“Tell me, Chief… What had you hoped to accomplish here. Who, or what, put you up to this silly task of accessing intel several levels higher than your classification permissions?” Princess Celestia inquired. Pinkie Pie’s pupils shook for a few moments -- the emphasis she put on ‘what’, unnerved her. Had she given PPAI away?

“I…” Pinkie Pie stammered, before swallowing the knot in her throat.

“I kn-kn-know w-w-what you’ve…” Pinkie Pie stammered on, trying to accuse Celestia to try and further the conversation, but the sinking feeling in her gut kept the words gravitating back into her throat.

“Let me make this simple for you, Pinkamena. Gather your team. Bring them here. Yours and their punishment will be issued immediately.” Princess Celestia demanded in a calm tone. Her eyes seemed to pierce into Pinkie Pie’s soul, searching her over, and over, and over.

That’s when Pinkie Pie stomped her right foot forward.

“N-n-n-not until you tell me… the truth…!” Pinkie Pie said, her voice higher pitched than she intended.

Princess Celestia’s eyes slimmed ever-so slightly, as the small smile on her face turned into a dry grimace. A long, ominous silence accrued between the two.

“Excuse me?” Princess Celestia asked, her small smile returning to her, as her chin raised, looking down upon Pinkie Pie, her facial features shadowing threateningly in the angle of light.

Pinkie Pie’s entire movement paused. She froze in place. But, she remembered what PPAI told her -- Celestia would not act too rashly, here.

“The truth. Why did you allow the Fl--”

*BOOM, CRASH!*

In the instant that those syllables left her mouth, Pinkie Pie could not even realize what happened -- she just found herself indented into the wall outside of the room, crashing through the first entirely. She had not even had the reaction time to apply earth magic to herself to reinforce her body against the impact.

She bounced back off of the wall, coughing out a heaving of blood while still in the air. Her instincts fully kicked in, as time seemed to move at a fraction of its time -- only this allowed her to see the approaching Celestia, her hand glowing with a furious, orange sun.

“Is she trying to kill me?!” Pinkie Pie thought in fear, before quickly extending her right arm, and shooting off a powerful beam of destructive magic to propel her out of the way -- she was just in time, as Princess Celestia collided with the wall, searing its deep metal apart in a focused explosion, as the sector of the ship was exposed to the vacuum of space. Pinkie Pie immediately fell to her stomach, before pounding her fist into the metal of the ship to save herself, feeling the metal shred her hand.

As the three soldiers guarding the quarters were sucked into the recesses of space, Celestia, unmoved by the power of the vacuum, extended her arm towards the metal, and, using power Pinkie Pie had never witnessed, the metal seemed to regenerate, and replace itself to exactly how it was before Pinkie Pie’s collision with the wall had dented it.

Princess Celestia chuckled, her fists tightened.

“All you had to do, Pinkamena, was be a good little dog, and mind your lane. Now, you’ve gone and made things much more complex than necessary. Truly, you are a fool.” Princess Celestia stated, walking towards Pinkie Pie, who scrambled to her feet, her chest heaving up and down in fear.

“You’re but a child, interfering in the politics of an elden world.” Princess Celestia said, a large, sadistic smile now on her face. She conjured in her hand, a blade, the length of a short-sword, continuing her slow trek towards Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened. Everything about this situation went against what PPAI implied. Celestia was going to eliminate her, here and now!

Pinkie Pie’s skin suddenly began to glow red, as steam filled the hallway -- she immediately diverted almost all of her energy towards enhancing herself with sky-magic -- she needed to escape, and now!

She turned, and zoomed off, zipping around several hallways.

“How amusing.”

Pinkie Pie heard the words right within earshot of her, and as she grabbed the edge of a corner, propelling herself around it, she twisted her body back to look -- there was Celestia, directly behind her, the tip of the sword pointed towards her, that same smile of savage lust on tugging on her lips.

Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have time to dodge, or move, or counter! The blade was already inches from her being. That’s when she thought of an idea, and lifted her chest upwards.

The sword was now in direct trajectory to hit the pink-glowing PROJECT amulet that embedded itself beneath her collarbone.

*CLANG!*

Sparks flew as the blade connected with the metal amulet, blasting Pinkie Pie even further back, adding to her momentum.

Pinkie Pie stumbled, rolled, and tumbled violently across the metal floor, past many confused soldiers, the speed of everything happening far too immense for any to comprehend. Pinkie Pie recovered, though her momentum was still great --  she slid on both of her feet, trying to dig her heels into the ground, just barely slowing her down enough to only dent the wall at the end of the hallway, rather than crashing directly through it, falling into the vacuum of space herself.

She had blocked the impact, but she was staggered. She was skilled enough, now, to be able to switch her magic-enhancement into defense mode, instinctively shielding her back with a conjured magical barrier, and reinforcing her body against the impact with well-applied earth magic. Still, though, she was incredibly bruised and hurt, already, and she had not even a chance to counter this fearsome foe.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, watching Celestia dash towards her again, zooming so fast that the air jetted behind her. Her arm was slung back, the blade in hand, preparing to behead the intruder on the spot.

Pinkie Pie didn’t have enough time to dodge, however, it was quick to turn her earth magic from defensive mode to offensive, and as she did, her hands began to glow pink…

*SCHLING!*

Both Celestia and Pinkie Pie stood against one another, their noses almost touching behind two shiny blades. However, Pinkie Pie’s own glowed with her pink magical aura, further reinforcing and strengthening it -- even with her own enhancements, the blade began to crack and groan behind Celestia’s monstrous strength. The Chief’s jacket fluttered wildly in the force of the impact.

“Oh-ho? Why, you’ve been taking your training very seriously, it seems. Conjuration of this level, already, and your ability to manipulate external elements with earth magic…” Princess Celestia commented, her sadistic grin burning fear into Pinkie Pie’s own face of gritted teeth and scrunched eyebrows, fear and determination to live reeling her emotions.

Pinkie Pie sliced forward with as much strength as she could muster, as Celestia was forced back several feet, sliding against the floor. Her brows furrowed further. This was a terribly dire situation.

Pinkie Pie held the blade, panting, and lurched over in a very sloppy stance. She panted heavily, one eye closed in strain, as she struggled to catch her breath, each pant making a noisy wheeze.

“What the hell’s going on?!” Applejack yelled with urgency.

Pinkie Pie looked to her left, and saw her friends urgently rushing down the hall. She looked back to Princess Celestia, who’s grin was now gone, and replaced with a stern demeanor, like that of an angry, disappointed teacher. The sword that was in her hand, quickly evaporated into a bright, yellow aura that dispersed into many particles, floating into nothingness.

The soldiers behind her had only just begun to finally move forward past their stations to assess the ongoing situation.

As everyone reached, all eyes laid upon Pinkie Pie. Looks of disbelief, all fell upon her, watching her in her desperate fighting stance, facing the Princess.

Realizing she had barely got out of the situation with her life, she dropped the sword, as it flashed into pink magic matter, and like Celestia’s disappeared. The difference being, however, that everyone saw her release her weapon. Celestia was, as far as everyone else was concerned, innocent.

Pinkie Pie dropped to her knees, and then all fours, her head hung low, as she gasped over and over again, desperately trying to catch her breath.

“Well, Chief… Would you like to explain exactly what’s going on here?” Princess Celestia stated in a cold and calculated manner, taking one step forward, before disappearing from her position and swiftly reappearing directly next to Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie looked up at Celestia with wide-eyes -- the movement she used just now was much more advanced and certainly much faster than what she had just encountered.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes looked up towards Celestia, pupils shaking.

“It couldn’t be… was she toying with me??” Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but think, as her body and muscles ached. Her eyes met with Celestia’s, and in that moment, Pinkie Pie’s body heated up greatly, and she felt itchy all over. Something about the entire encounter now sickened her to her core.

Princess Celestia grabbed Pinkie Pie’s elbow, and dragged her to her feet, forcing her to face her friends. Princess Celestia stood directly behind her, both facing Pinkie’s five friends.

“Well, Chief? Out with it.” Princess Celestia urged, slapping her palm onto Pinkie Pie’s back forcefully, as she stumbled forward.

Pinkie Pie was silent for a moment, her chest still heaving with drained stamina. Her friends looked at her with faces of disbelief, fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Pinkie Pie felt stuck, once again -- even if she blurted the truth out now, Celestia was monstrously powerful, and without the advantage of being in combat skin or PROJECT armor, she could erase every last witness here. Pinkie Pie looked back towards Celestia, who glared down at her, in return.

She looked beyond her, to the soldiers, who stood with weapons ready, unsure of what to do next, and likely awaiting orders from their commander.

She then looked back towards her friends.

If she spoke up now, all would perish. But then, something dawned on her.

If they perished, so did Celestia -- her death would simply be a slower one. Besides, if the Sun really wanted to, she could’ve ended her long before her friends arrived. Perhaps what PPAI said could be corroborated to some extent -- perhaps Celestia truly wasn’t willing to let the future Reclaimers go.

Perhaps that is the only reason she could stand here, breathing, with the power to choose.

“The power to choose…” Pinkie Pie thought to herself. After many silent moments, Pinkie Pie finally began to speak up.

“The Princess, she knew a-ungh--!” Pinkie Pie began to speak, but immediately her blood ran cold, and her words seemed to hit a cap within the top of her throat.

Intense, nearly soul-crushing fear filled her entire being, and her body began to shake violently with despair. She saw, in her mind, Celestia’s large, sadistic grin, and saw what she could only describe as a deep, dark mist absorbing the light in the vicinity -- extremely vivid premonitions of the gruesome, painful, and slow execution of not only herself, but her friends filled the darkness.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, her pupils shrunk, and her mouth lay slightly agape.

In seconds, she saw dozens, perhaps hundreds of different outcomes to her friends’ torture, and deaths. Her eyes fixated on Fluttershy’s lifeless eyes, still and open, blood painting her corneas.

Pinkie Pie’s head slowly craned back towards Celestia, her face still frozen with unfathomable fear. 

The immense, deeply dark haze was emanating from her. But, somehow, nobody else seemed to notice it -- as far as she knew, there was no way to convey your intent to a single person… This had to be a vivid warning visualized by the intuition PPAI left to her.

Pinkie Pie swallowed, but her throat was so dry it felt as if the saliva was tearing the tissues in her throat apart.

Turning back, she lost her will to speak, and simply dropped to her knees. The five friends looked on in worried and fearful confusion -- what exactly happened here, they wondered with intense curiosity.

Princess Celestia looked down at Pinkie Pie -- though her face did not show it, she watched her with curiosity. A curiosity she had never quite felt before for the specimen she found so interesting. She hummed thoughtfully.

“What your Chief here is too stricken with guilt and grief to say, children, is that her childish and selfish actions, have brought the entire team down. It is time for her, and for you all as well, to learn that the mistake of one, often impacts the entire team.” Princess Celestia stated, crossing her arms, as she lifted her leg…

*bang!*

… and heartlessly planted it into the back of Pinkie Pie’s skull, stomping her head into the metal.

Pinkie Pie dared not try to lift her head against the bottom of Celestia’s foot, feeling her forehead knot and bruise, and her nose leaking blood.

“Your Chief, has cut Rainbow Dash’s birthday vacation short. And it will be up to the Chief and the Chief alone to prove to me that you are all worthy of ever receiving another vacation again before you leave this premises as Field Marshals.” Princess Celestia stated. Audible gasps filled the air.

Rainbow Dash looked down at Pinkie Pie with a face of betrayal. Twilight’s was one of unreadable nature, still, and enigmatic. Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Rarity huffed and pouted, crossing her arms.

Fluttershy clutched her heart, silent. She looked down painfully at Pinkie Pie, who lay shamefully on the ground beneath Celestia’s boot, watching the blood from her nose pool onto the ground. She winced at how crooked it looked, being mushed into the metal underneath the force of Celestia’s posture.

Princess Celestia closed her eyes momentarily, before reopening them.

“The time is nigh 11:05. Clean the quarters, wind yourselves up, and be down to the training room by 11:15. The suspension of vacation is effective immediately. Am, I, CLEAR?!” Princess Celestia barked with a ferocity in her voice that was previously unheard of by the girls.

“Ma’am, YES MA’AM!!!” The girls answered back with a shout and salutations. Princess Celestia lifted her boot off of Pinkie Pie’s head, crouched, grabbed through her hair, tightening her palm over her head, and crunched her hair between her fingers.

“Excellent. Dismissed.” Princess Celestia stated, turning, dragging Pinkie Pie behind her, whose heels slid across the floor lifelessly, simply letting herself be manhandled by the furious Sun.

“U-Um, Celestia, please--!” Fluttershy began to call out in detest of what seemed to her to be unjust treatment of Pinkie Pie.

However, her words got caught in her throat, as Princess Celestia looked back with those same cold, piercing magenta eyes. Fluttershy was sure that if looks could kill, her heart would've beaten for the last time in that moment. Immediately sensing within herself a grave danger that emanated from the Princess, she simply stared at Pinkie Pie, who looked up at her weakly, slowly shaking her head.

Her eyes and facial features looked hollowed, and defeated. Tears began to well up in Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Fluttershy, double timing, she ain’t messing around!” Rainbow Dash yelled back to Fluttershy from around the corner.

Fluttershy did not turn, her teary eyes staring into Pinkie Pie’s own.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie… What’s going on with you…?” Fluttershy thought to herself in deep pain and confusion. A nagging intuition burned in her stomach, but nonetheless, there was nothing she could do at this time.

Willing herself to force Pinkie Pie to allow her to help, she wiped her face, turned away from the menacing glare of Princess Celestia and the sunken eyes of Pinkie Pie, and reluctantly jogged towards her friends to help them clean the quarters; it was time to prepare herself to jump right back into hell…
> Tension - Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"You may be getting stronger, yes. But, understand this: you’re a thousand lifetimes too soon to ever touch me..."

>May 7, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 11:07 AM<






Celestia dragged Pinkie Pie back to her quarters, and as the doors closed, immediately threw Pinkie Pie into the wall, as her back collided with it violently, and she dropped down onto her chest, flat on the floor.

She picked herself up to a sitting position, backing further into the wall, but there was nowhere to retreat against the Princess’ wrath.

Celestia looked down at her with a curious smile; like that of a child, studying its brand new, favorite toy.

“Pinkamena… There are so many things I wish to speak with you about, but alas, there is not enough time… Firstly, however, I must ask: was it dumb luck and coincidence that you decided to hold your tongue back there?” Princess Celestia asked, towering over the pink girl, one hand on her hip.

Pinkie Pie looked up at the playful smile on Celestia’s lips, and felt her body quiver.

“You’re… a monster… You hadn’t thought twice about erasing us all from existence.” Pinkie Pie said, hanging her head between her knees.

“Oh? Why, as immature as you are, you’re capable of reading my heart? Impressive maturation speed in earth and sky magic, and that advanced use of arcane magic, too… To be able to recite my feelings into your mind’s eye should be eons beyond your skill…” Princess Celestia hummed. She crouched, and grabbed Pinkie Pie’s hair again, forcing her to look into her eyes.

There was that smile of unsettling lust, once again.

“You’re dangerous, Pinkamena. Very dangerous, indeed. And that’s why you’ll be my favorite toy. The most useful, and cutest, little plaything.” Princess Celestia chuckled warmly towards Pinkie Pie.

As innocent as the chuckle sounded, it only sent cold chills into Pinkie’s spine.

“What else do you know, that I am not aware of, Pinkamena? Of course, you won’t tell me… And that curious fog over your intent and emotions… Why do I have a feeling that--” Princess Celestia paused suddenly, stopping her sentence. She squinted into Pinkie Pie’s fearful eyes, more daunting features painting her face.

After some seconds of silent staring, she let Pinkie from clutches, standing and turning.

“No matter. It seems there is much to be understood about you, yet. And here, I thought that I had studied you all so well for this past decade…” Princess Celestia hummed.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes perked up at that sentence. “The past decade?” Pinkie Pie thought with confusion. They were in her sights for such a lengthy period of time?

“It seems I’m not the only enigma on this ship. However, no deviation you can make will stop what has been in motion for longer than your young mind can truly comprehend…” Princess Celestia said in a low voice, before turning to look down at Pinkie Pie once more.

“Listen up, and listen closely, Pinkamena. The further you complicate things, the harder your life will be. There is no peace for a dog that does not learn to obey. You got lucky this time. I underestimated your growth, and even more so, your fiery determination to live. But, perhaps Time has willed it to be this way. The exciting jitters in my stomach tell me that you’re going to be a very valuable asset to the Kingdom of Equestria -- to me.” Princess Celestia stated, a slow, deep laugh emanating from her throat as she finished. Collecting herself, she sighed longingly.

“Now, go directly to the training room. I will arrive when it is time for you and your team’s drills.” Princess Celestia ordered. Pinkie Pie picked her hurt, tired, and damaged body up off the floor, slowly making her way to the door.

“Oh, and Pinkamena?” Princess Celestia called. Pinkie Pie turned her neck back, giving her commander her attention.

“You may be getting stronger, yes. But, understand this: you’re a thousand lifetimes too soon to ever touch me. Think very hard about that fact the next time you decide you want to dirty my quarters with your grubby paws, or stick your nosy snout where it doesn’t belong. Dismissed.” Princess Celestia stated, before turning to head into her office.

As Pinkie Pie walked out the door, she mulled over the entire exchange she had with Princess Celestia up until this point; and, as she got closer and closer to the training room, she felt a sick pit in her stomach form -- she would have to work hard to regain the trust and confidence of her team.

She cursed under her breath in deep frustration. This was a larger defeat than she could have ever imagined. As she reached the elevator that went down to the training room…

*BANG!*

Pinkie Pie’s fist slammed into the wall beside it, her fist going directly through the metal. She pulled it out, further injuring from before, when she used the same maneuver to stop herself from being sucked into the void of space.

She was beyond angry, and she had no idea where to direct her fury.





The clock had just struck 11:15, and yet, Princess Celestia was nowhere to be seen. It was unlike her to be late. Upon reaching the lobby room of the stadium-arena, the six girls had simply stood in silence, assuming their usual formation -- Pinkie Pie standing in the place of commander, facing the girls lining up.

She had her arms folded, as her eyes looked beyond the girls, her mind deep in thought.  The more she thought about Celestia’s actions, words, and of the inconsistencies that she learned, the more infuriated she became, and the less she felt she understood.

Though she hid it well, Fluttershy could see the immense pain, trauma, and rage brewing within Pinkie Pie: it wasn’t much, just a slight slimming of the eyes, a glazed look in her eyes, as if she were watching something far away, and the tiniest tug downwards on the corner of her lip.

But, Fluttershy knew Pinkie Pie: ever since they had begun advancing quickly during their PROJECT training, Pinkie Pie had begun to take her role as Chief very seriously -- she never let her emotions show, as to keep morale for the team steady, and positive -- no matter what happened, she was always calm, and sure.

So, for even a modicum of emotion to come through like this, Fluttershy knew -- the storm of emotions within her companion were great.

“Where’s Celestia? It’s not like her to be late… She’s not preparing us for the Pinkie Pie treatment, is she?” Applejack asked, more towards Pinkie Pie than to the room in general.

This statement killed Pinkie Pie’s lost focus, as her eyes seemed to laser back into life, her mind leaving the deep recesses of her thoughts.

“I don’t know.” Pinkie Pie stated simply, with a small sigh. Still, though, she stood tall, her arms crossed, as she eyed each and every one of her team, feeling a deep remorse rip through her core. She had gotten them punished, and nothing bothered her more than inconveniencing and hurting her friends.

“So, you’re just going to stand there? What the hell happened, Pinkie?!” Rainbow Dash shouted forward, her emotion boiling over.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes slimmed, as she looked down slightly.

“Stay focused. I’m sure Celestia will be here any minute.” Pinkie Pie stated simply and firmly, dodging the question.

“Stay focused? Is that all you can say after you lied to us all, and pulled the wrath of our great Princess to your entire team!? Really now, Pinkamena Diane Pie?!” Twilight shouted, frustrated at the situation, and at Rainbow Dash’s birthday being cut short. Pinkie Pie winced slightly; Twilight never used full names unless she was furious, and / or disappointed.

Her saying her name with such gruesome and slow emphasis, was like the lavender girl sticking a stake straight through her heart.

Pinkie Pie dug her fingernails into her forearm, her entire body tensing, though she did not move the rest of her body a single millimeter. Her brows furrowed.

“This is unbelievable. I have never seen the Princess so angry. I’m quite scared, if we’re being honest, here.” Rarity said with a deep sigh.

“You messed up big time, Pinkie.” Applejack added on.

“C-cut her some slack, guys! Pinkie wouldn’t jus--”

“Shut it, Fluttershy. We spoke about this upstairs, you don’t get a say in this. We’re suspicious of you, too. There’s no way you didn’t know a single thing about this situation after the whole dramatic act you put on after Pinkie Pie left.” Rainbow Dash snapped, shouting at Fluttershy, who immediately retreated back into position of the line. Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed further.

“Settle down, and stand at attention! As the Chief, I will not watch my team tear each other apart!” Pinkie Pie barked, her emotions beginning to surface, as she tried to quell the tense situation.

“You don’t even deserve to be the Chief… And you think you have a right to bark orders at us? We’re not your dogs, Pinkie!” Twilight shouted back, now standing forward, ahead of the rest of the team.

“You’re not my dogs, you’re my friends.” Pinkie Pie stated firstly, before taking her own step forward, her pained and focused eyes staring into Twilight’s furious orbs. 

“Yet, the jacket still lies on my shoulders, so clearly Princess Celestia believes I am still the best option for Chief. Now, Twilight, stand at attention. I won’t say it again.” Pinkie Pie said, her tone now much sterner, like that of Princess Celestia’s.

“How about you make me?” Twilight stated, her fists balling, as her aura began to whip around her being, mirroring her emotions.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Twilight looked back, and Rainbow Dash shook her head slowly at her.

“Rrggghh…” Twilight growled under her breath, before her aura relaxed, seeping back into a pale, invisible nothingness, its neutral state. She looked back towards Pinkie Pie, not moving from her positon.

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie Pie began, as she stepped back, resuming her neutral position, stance, and face.

She looked towards Twilight, who was still stepped forward, her brows furrowed in anger, and internally sighed.

“If there’s something you’d like to convey to me, Twilight, do it when we spar, when Celestia is in command. But right now, as your commander, and Chief, I am ordering you to stand at attention. Now.” Pinkie Pie stated, folding her arms once more.

Twilight stared at Pinkie Pie for several more seconds, before standing down. “... Fine.” Twilight huffed under her breath.

The room befell a long, and painful silence, as the six stood at attention for several more minutes.

Finally, as the clock read 11:26, they heard the elevator coming down to them. All six girls tensed up -- the Princess was 11 minutes late, and would likely be coming down furious; they did not know what to expect.

As the elevator doors opened, out strutted Princess Celestia with her usual calm and collected manner. She had in her right hand, her signature flask of coffee, steaming with great heat, as usual.

“At ease, children.” Celestia stated, as all six girls reluctantly dropped their stiff stances.

“If I may ask, Princess… you’re never tardy, what kept you?” Twilight inquired.

“Writing condolences to the families of the three royal guards that were casualties of your Chief’s earlier carnage.” Princess Celestia stated, calmly sipping her coffee as if what she said was everyday information.

The five girls gasped, their eyes falling onto Pinkie Pie in horrified shock. Pinkie Pie, in turn, was unmoved. The words hadn’t affected her a bit. Something in her seemed to expect this outcome.

“Pinkie… you didn’t…?” Fluttershy was the first to ask, being the most in disbelief.

Pinkie Pie turned her neck towards her team, facing them with the same neutral face she had on for the majority of their time in the lobby. She assessed their faces, before turning back.

“Hmph.” Pinkie Pie breathed out of her nostrils, essentially shrugging the information off. She saw little to be gained from trying to defend herself from anything Celestia said. The Sun was truly twisted.

“What do you mean “hmph”? You killed three soldiers!” Rainbow Dash shouted, in utter shock at Pinkie Pie’s attitude at the situation.

“Come now, girls, it’s time to begin the drills. Such an inconsequential thing is of no concern to my super PROJECTs. Apply your combat skins.” Princess Celestia instructed. As the girls all walked to their respective stations, Applejack shook her head at Pinkie Pie.

“Goodness, Pinkie Pie… what happened with you?” Applejack sighed, loud enough for the others to hear. Pinkie Pie eyed her, putting her hand into the feed for the combat skin. She closed her eyes.

“It’s as Celestia’s stated. It’s none of your concern. Now focus up, I’d like to not lose my friends in training.” Pinkie Pie instructed, in a sighing breath herself.

“How reassuring coming from a murderer.” Twilight said below her breath, but still loud enough for the others to hear.

“Interesting choice of words from a girl who’s going to be a soldier the second she leaves this ship.” Pinkie Pie retorted. “As far as you know, you could be in my very same shoes later on down the line.” She continued, her combat skin now finishing feeding itself onto her body.

“Hah. Besides the Chief’s jacket, it’s not likely I’ll be anywhere in your shoes. You’re lucky the Princess didn’t have your head for that act of treason.” Twilight said, now standing and facing Pinkie Pie, her combat skin, too, fully applied.

“Enough chit-chat, girls. Now, go and equip your PROJECT armor, and then, we will explain today’s training.” Princess Celestia stated, immediately quelling the discourse. The girls obeyed.

Only now, did Pinkie Pie regret that she initially chose Twilight as a partner for the PROJECT stations, as both walked in to have their armor reconjured from the specialized Projections that equipped them.

As both entered the room, they were entirely silent, Pinkie Pie applying her armor first, and then Twilight second. They exited, and were the first out. As the others joined them, Princess Celestia clapped her hands.

“Follow me, to the arena.” She stated, leading the six outside. As they got inside the arena, she pushed a few icons on the tablet, and immediately, the girls felt as if their bodies were being weighed down many times harder than before. They struggled to stand.

“This wasn’t supposed to be until next month, but on account of your punishment, you will start acclimating to this now. You may adjust any which way you please, with whatever magic you wish to use.” Princess Celestia informed.

“Today, we will focus on fitness. Usually, I’d leave the Chief in charge of that, but something tells me that tensions are a little high for that, now… So, I’ll let you all focus on reestablishing your connections whilst we focus on endurance and fitness today. How about we begin with…” Princess Celestia stated, tapping more icons on her tablet, as the arena transformed into a large, destroyed city, with many buildings -- upon closer inspection, some of the destroyed and open buildings had floating numbers besides them, marked one through fifty.

“Advanced parkour. The numbers loop around in a perfect lap around the city that will require meticulous parkour skills to advance through. With the added weight of the gravity, I think beginning with ten laps should be a good warmup for the rest of today’s activities.” Princess Celestia stated.

The girls looked around them, being on the top of a tall building -- they immediately realized that a slip up throughout this course would not only be painful, but a very tiring setback, as they’d have to scale their ways back to the top. Internally, they all felt a significant increase in stress and frustration.

“Well then, girls? Get to it. Or, perhaps, you all need some…” Princess Celestia began, as her hands began to glow with a strong, furious, golden-orange sun-like aura.

“... Motivation…?”

In that instant, the Chief was the first to zoom on forward, beginning the parkour course, the sight of Celestia in that mood setting something off within her.

Princess Celestia smiled, as she watched the rest of Pinkie Pie’s team follow her closely, trying their best to keep up / outperform her.

“Excellent.” Princess Celestia chuckled, as the aura over her hands died down. She watched them progress through the course with great efficiency, already approaching building 20.

“Excellent, indeed.”
> Suspended Vacation - Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"It seems that the Chief hasn’t understood my value to the team, as of yet. I think this is a perfect chance to remind her that I’m not some weak, helpless coward. That I can be of use..."

>May 7, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 11:35 AM<






Pinkie Pie leapt over a destroyed wall, skillfully placing her palm on it as she jumped over to push her forward even further.

They were now in their second lap, and she still held the lead. Directly behind her, was Twilight, followed by Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy in dead last.

Twilight and Pinkie Pie were mere inches apart, Twilight trying her best to keep up with the Chief.

Pinkie Pie, however, began to falter, as Twilight began catching up. Just as Twilight finally took the lead, Pinkie Pie stumbled over, and tumbled across some rubble, losing her momentum. She crashed her back into the wall, and sat there, panting, trying to regain her breath.

Her back glowed a dull yellow, her armor absorbing most of the impact. She looked up, seeing her allies zoom past beyond her.

Pinkie Pie’s muscles ached, and she was sore, and tired. The encounter with Celestia drained her, and she never had a chance to heal her wounds.

Then, finally, Fluttershy caught up, pausing for a few brief moments. With no words, she jumped down to the small crevice where Pinkie Pie was sat, grabbed her arm, and threw her upwards back to the course.

Before she could land, Fluttershy was already next to her. Both looked at one another, and nodded, before both landed, and quickly continued, trying to catch up with their allies.

“Pinkie? You’re really not in shape, huh? Did the Princess send you to training all mangled up?” Fluttershy asked, as the two ran, jumped, and rolled through the course together.

“Probably as punishment… She was furious with me, after all.” Pinkie Pie stated simply, catching her breath.

“Still, knowing how you were, and to be putting us under this atmospheric pressure and gravity, while your body still needs attention… The Princess, she’s not so mean, is she? What happened, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked with deep concern.

“Fluttershy… Everything’s all messed up right now, I can’t involve you. It’s not safe…” Pinkie Pie stated simply, before reinforcing herself even further with sky magic, and zooming ahead.

Fluttershy’s brows furrowed, as she saw Pinkie Pie exert herself greatly to start overtaking her allies one-by-one, once again.

Even injured, and defeated, she was still pushing so hard. What had Pinkie Pie learned on that day when she went to the training room alone?

“Since that day, Pinkie… you’ve been carrying something heavy all by yourself… What do you know that is making you work so much harder, these days? And why won’t you tell me…?” Fluttershy thought in deep frustration. She jumped, grabbed a deteriorating pole, and swung herself horizontally on it, building momentum, and subsequently launching herself forward, closing some distance with the others.

She watched Pinkie Pie pass Rarity once again, and then Applejack.

“What did you learn that is making you hide yourself from me, once again? What is it that brews the pain and despair I see within your eyes when they gray out into the distance…?” Fluttershy thought, feeling her heart burn with pain. She finally landed, ducked, and rolled, before jumping again, still using much of her previous momentum to carry her forward, closing even more distance.

As she flew through the sky once more, she saw Pinkie Pie pass Rainbow Dash, and once again get neck in neck with Twilight.

“Do you think I’m weak? Is that why you won’t tell me? Do you think I won’t be enough to help you fight that battle…?” Fluttershy thought to herself further, her hands beginning to glow with her pale yellow aura. She landed, and jumped once more, building up a huge amount of destructive magic within the palms of her hands.

She twisted her body into a barreling-spin whilst in the air, and releasing the magic, a large, bright helix of destructive beams lit the sky, pushing Fluttershy all the way towards the front, even ahead of Pinkie Pie and Twilight.

Pinkie Pie looked up at the girl in PROJECT armor, astonished. Fluttershy was truly pushing herself, harder than she ever did. Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but smile a bit. Her efforts were comforting -- it meant that she would be in less danger the more complex this super PROJECT situation became.

“I’ll show you something, Pinkie Pie. Ever since we were back on Planet Equestria, you’ve always hid things from me, thinking it would help me. But, when is it my turn to help? I’ll show you something, today, Pinkie.” Fluttershy thought to herself with a deep determination, keeping her distance ahead of the other girls.





“Well, well, well, girls…” Princess Celestia hummed with pleasure, watching as they all approached the end of their final lap with fierce speed.

Fluttershy was the first to finish, literally collapsing and rolling over the floor as she passed the 50th building for the tenth time, the goalpost. She laid on the floor, gasping for breath.

Twilight was the second to come, sliding across the floor in a crouching position to slow her momentum. She stood lurched over, hands on her knees, catching her breath as well.

Rainbow Dash was the third to finish, as she landed and rolled gracefully, popping back onto her feet with a precise control of her speed and momentum.

Applejack came in fourth, landing down with great force, as a gust of wind blew past everybody, the ground shaking beneath her weight.

Rarity was fifth, slowing herself with arcane magic, and landing with graceful descent, not a tap being heard as she hit the ground.

Finally, was Pinkie Pie, who, much like Fluttershy, clumsily clambered over the floor, rolled, and tumbled, laying on the ground, her too, trying to catch her breath.

“This was just a warm up, but these past five or six weeks, it seems you’re all very competitive these days… What joy it brings me to see that you’re all trying so hard, now!” Princess Celestia clapped her hands joyously.

“You completed the course in just under twenty-two minutes. I was expecting around thirty. What an underestimation of your abilities, on my part.” Princess Celestia stated, as the girls stood straight, eyes on their commander, listening to her intently.

“Now that we’ve got your hearts nice and pumping, and the sweat’s going, let’s start off the day with the best type of cardio and endurance: sparring!” Celestia said with a tone of excitement.

“Oh, how it brings me joy to see how much further you all progress in combat. Chief, you will be our first combatant.” Princess Celestia began, pointing towards the only one of the girls standing in PROJECT armor hugged by the Chief’s jacket.

“We will be doing a total of two rounds each, before continuing with physical strength and resistance training. All losers will fight the losers, and all winners will fight the winners. This means starting off with 1v1s to determine the winners and losers, and subsequently, after, there will be a three-way sparring session betweenst all the losers, and all the winners.” Princess Celestia explained.

“Now, Chief… Pick your first combat--”

“I-if you don’t mind…”

All the girls immediately whipped their heads to the voice that interrupted the Princess. Their eyes widened, though hidden by their visors, at Fluttershy, who raised her hand.

“I want to spar with her.” Fluttershy stated. Princess Celestia hummed in a curious delight, stroking her chin.

“Are you hoping to give your close companion a break with an easy session, Fluttershy? Such a thing goes against the spir--”

“I’m planning to win.” Fluttershy interrupted the Princess once more, before turning to face Pinkie Pie.

“It seems that the Chief hasn’t understood my value to the team, as of yet. I think this is a perfect chance to remind her that I’m not some weak, helpless coward. That I can be of use.” Fluttershy stated, with sure and direct confidence.

Pinkie Pie stared back at her, wondering just what Fluttershy was referring to, her heart racing with adrenaline due to the hostile feeling she got from Fluttershy.

She did not feel any malicious intent, persay, but Fluttershy was certainly feeling aggravated. That much, Pinkie could tell, simply by assessing her deeper presence.

“I see… Well, then, the first match shall be between Pinkamena Diane Pie, and Fluttershy.” Princess Celestia stated, before tapping some icons on her tablet once more.

The scene of the destroyed and dilapidated town, now shrunk down to that of a relatively small factory-like setting, with equipment and crates all over, metal and wood alike.

“Non-combatants, with me, to the spectating room. The first sparring match will commence in exactly three minutes.” Princess Celestia stated, as every one of the girls received a small peripheral of a timer, counting down from three minutes.

Princess Celestia began to walk back towards the lobby of the training room, to head up to the spectator’s room, followed by the other girls, the boots of their PROJECT armor clanging through the factory-setting.

“Are you angry at me, too, Flutts?” Pinkie Pie asked with a low and simple tone, trying to gauge her intent.

“...” Fluttershy was silent, as she simply began stretching her limbs out.

“I promise, I didn’t mean to get everyone punished like that.” Pinkie Pie stated, holding her arms out defensively.

“...” Fluttershy spoke no words, as the timer hit 90 seconds, simply preparing herself for the battle.

“Fluttershy, please… If you’re ups--”

“Pinkie Pie, do you think I’m weak?” Fluttershy asked plainly, ignoring Pinkie Pie, and cutting her off.

“N-... no…?” Pinkie Pie stuttered, deeply confused.

“Then why? Why don’t you trust me to help you?” Fluttershy asked.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened beneath her visor. That’s what this was about. Her brows furrowed. Fluttershy was being stubborn. It simply wasn’t the right time, yet.

Still, however, even now, Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but think of PPAI’s trust in Fluttershy. Her brain twisted in thought.

“Don’t be stubborn, Fluttershy. The time’s not right. You can’t help me right now, it’s just too dangerous right now. You saw what happened to me. I don’t want you to--”

“Don’t want me to what? Obviously, you think I’m weak, or I’ll hold you back, or something! Pinkie Pie, I’m going to say this one time, and one time only. I. Am. Not. WEAK!” Fluttershy yelled, stomping forward a single step.

“10…” The timer began to announce, their time coming to an end.

“You don’t want me to… but what if I don’t want you to, huh, Pinkie? How different could things have been if you had let me help you, earlier? Celestia had you on the edge of your life, earlier, and I have a feeling we’re the only things that stopped her from going the full length!” Fluttershy shouted at her, her emotions surfacing greatly. She had been keeping them in for some time, but seeing Pinkie Pie in that state deeply triggered her.

Pinkie Pie winced. It was rare for the girl to use such strength in her voice.

“5…”

“You’re so damn selfish, Pinkie Pie!” Fluttershy cursed frustratingly at her companion, fists clenched angrily. Steam began to arise from her PROJECT armor -- she was already empowering herself with sky magic. 

Pinkie Pie looked on with lifted eyelids, the pain in Fluttershy’s voice striking her directly in the chest -- she hadn’t realized the secrets she had to keep were so deeply bothering her.

“3…”

“But, I’m gonna show you… I’m gonna show you that I’m not some helpless little bunny. We’re in this together, and it’s about damn time you start treating me like it!” Fluttershy shouted, before hopping backwards. Pinkie Pie was stunned at her vulgar language. Fluttershy had clearly been deeply bothered by this for some time.

“BEGIN!” The voice announced, and just like that, in mid-air, Fluttershy disappeared from where she was.

Pinkie Pie was stunned by Fluttershy’s impressive display of sky-magic -- she moved from her spot mid-air, with nothing to push off of, with such great speed that Pinkie Pie immediately lost track of her.

Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, and as they reopened, a small, pink aura glowed over them.

From above, in the spectator’s room, Twilight’s eyes widened. The advanced vision technique Pinkie Pie was using, was one that required great precision and skill with arcane magic -- perhaps that is why she knew how to counter it so easily back in the War Games they played; she had already mastered the skill.

Though blocked by the visor, it was still easy enough to deduce what Pinkie Pie was attempting to do, as specific applications of magic created the same interferences that could be sensed.

Twilight’s fists clenched. Pinkie Pie was always a few steps ahead, it seemed. It was no wonder Princess Celestia seemed to favor her so greatly that she would so readily forgive her doing as she pleases, even if she went as far as to apparently even kill three royal guards.

As Pinkie Pie searched through the room with her vision-technique, she realized that Fluttershy had already cleverly placed many traces of her magical aura throughout the room, several dozens, in fact, which was greatly throwing off her ability to pinpoint Fluttershy’s position; this was a skill she learned soon after the War Games they played.

Pinkie Pie breathed in slowly, before breathing out. She tensed her body, as steam began to rise out of her PROJECT armor, too. Though she didn’t expect it to be easy, it was obvious that Fluttershy was going to put her all into this battle. So, out of respect at the very least, she would, too.

Instead of using arcane vision to sense Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie allocated her arcane magic to greatly enhancing her intuition, which would enable her to tell when the real Fluttershy was approaching, and from what direction, since the source of the magic itself would have the largest and most easily-identifiable presence once close enough; a barrier that could detect Fluttershy’s presence, essentially.

In a few more moments, amongst all the clutter of the magical traces Fluttershy left, Pinkie Pie suddenly felt one zooming towards her, and as she turned, conjuring a barrier, and reinforcing her body with earth magic, she was surprised to see it was simply a beam of destructive magic, that she easily deflected after it burned through her barrier.

Instinctively, Pinkie Pie twisted her head back, and that’s when she saw Fluttershy’s heel approaching her gut -- she immediately jumped over Fluttershy, but was taken aback when she saw her palm already glowing with that pale yellow aura…

*DOOMJ!*

Pinkie Pie was sent sailing into the sky, colliding with the ceiling violently, as she quickly recovered, landing on both feet -- her armor glowed orange all over. It wasn’t shattered yet, but it was close.

“That damn Fluttershy’s a silent grower, I see…” Pinkie Pie assessed within her thoughts, seeing Fluttershy disappear from her position once more.

Pinkie Pie reinforced herself greatly with sky magic, and she, too, decided she would use the environment to her advantage, buying herself some time for her armor to recharge.

Just as she hopped from one crate to another, she sensed a beam of destructive magic approach her, and using a conjured barrier to deflect it off to the side, she immediately searched her surroundings for the surely impending ambush -- nothing.

That’s when she suddenly heard a loud clang, and as she turned, a huge, metal crate was sliding towards her with great velocity; it was too large to simply jump out of the way in time, so, instead, Pinkie Pie held her palms out towards it.

As it impacted her palms, she scrunched her palms into the metal, and threw it over her head, as it crashed and collided behind her. She looked forward intently, expecting Fluttershy to ambush her from behind its confusion, but saw nothing.

“Agchk!” Pinkie Pie yelped in pain, as a powerful kick, centered in her back, sent her sliding forward some feet -- the orange ethereal armor now shattered, the shrill alarm blaring in Pinkie’s ears. The second she turned, a fist was already approaching her.

She caught it with her left, and punched Fluttershy back. The two stood across from each other for but a second, before running at each other.

Pinkie Pie, before reaching Fluttershy, shot off a large beam of destructive magic that Fluttershy just barely inched past, before they began exchanging blows.

By the third exchange, Pinkie Pie quickly jumped out of the way, and that’s when Fluttershy was blasted forward, the same beam of destructive magic shooting into her back; taking it at full force, Fluttershy’s ethereal armor completely shattered, as she tumbled and rolled across the ground violently.

Pinkie Pie cleverly shot the beam in a way that Fluttershy would not easily tell it was not aimed directly for her, but rather for a series of conjured barriers behind her that precisely deflected the beam back towards her.

As Fluttershy tumbled across the ground, she expertly recovered herself, being back on both feet while still sliding back from the momentum.

As she stood on both feet, dust rising beneath her boots, sliding back, she saw Pinkie Pie arrive in front of her once more, arm cocked back.

With no hesitation, steam began to lift from Fluttershy’s PROJECT armor in even greater volume, as she disappeared once more, closely dodging Pinkie’s punch. 

“Oh no ya don’t!” Pinkie Pie thought, before steam arose from her PROJECT armor in greater volume, as well, giving chase to Fluttershy.

Immediately deducing her destination based on which walls and angles she decided to jump from, Pinkie Pie made her way around to cut her off. As she caught Fluttershy’s calf, who tried to jump away from her off of a wall, she spun many, many times through the sky, before throwing Fluttershy with great strength into the ground; Fluttershy slid through the metal ground, creating a small trench.

Before she could get up, Pinkie Pie landed directly on her, straddling her, her fist held high.

*CRASH!*

…

A huge hole in the ground now lay beside Fluttershy’s head. Both were still, panting heavily.

Suddenly, a fist flew towards Pinkie Pie; she caught Fluttershy’s wrist, and planted it into the ground. She used her free hand to remove her visor by pressing the PROJECT amulet on her chest.

Another fist flew, and Pinkie Pie caught that one, too, planting it forcefully into the ground like the other. She leaned over, slightly closing the distance between Pinkie Pie’s face, and Fluttershy’s visor.

Now, she straddled Fluttershy, whilst pinning her to the ground. Her brows furrowed at Fluttershy.

“You’ve lost. You’re pinned.” Pinkie Pie stated simply. As much as Fluttershy tried to wriggle and shake underneath Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie was too powerful, and still had much more stamina than the puckered out Fluttershy, even with the advantage of Pinkie Pie having been previously injured.

“I haven’t lost--!”

“Shh, it’s okay. I get it, Fluttershy.” Pinkie Pie stated simply, holding Fluttershy down, staring at her visor, not being able to see her face.

“B-but, I was supposed to win and show you that I’m--”

*mwah*

Fluttershy’s words and motions paused, as Pinkie Pie had leaned over more, and kissed the side of her helmet gingerly, tenderly, despite her face being hidden behind the rough combat skin and PROJECT armor.

“Trust me, Fluttershy. I get it. And, I’m sorry. I won’t let you feel like that again, if I can help it.” Pinkie Pie stated, now letting herself off of Fluttershy, seeing as how she no longer struggled.

Fluttershy now removed her own visor, looking up at Pinkie Pie with teary eyes.

“Y-you mean it…? You’ll… let me help you…? Really?” Fluttershy asked, her lips quivering.

“I mean it. You’re strong, Fluttershy. Really strong. I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t think so. And I acknowledge how my actions may have been selfish. Truly, I’m really, really sorry.” Pinkie Pie stated, holding her hand over her chest.

With no words, Fluttershy hopped forward, hugging Pinkie Pie tightly, as both fell back onto the floor. Fluttershy rubbed her face into Pinkie Pie’s, tears cascading down her face.

“Alright, you two. Lock it up, it’s our turn, and the timer’s already going.” Rainbow Dash called out, walking into the arena with Applejack.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie pulled away from one another, realizing that the arena had been reset.

“Sorry. Come on, Fluttershy.” Pinkie Pie stated, picking herself up, and then Fluttershy after.

As the two walked past Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Pinkie Pie wished them both good luck in the battle, to which they simply nodded.

As Pinkie Pie made it to the spectator’s room with Fluttershy, she felt a veil of hostility emanating from Twilight, despite the lavender girl not paying her much attention.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes sunk ever so slightly. Twilight was still furious with her. Of course she was. Pinkie Pie had been the reason they were all training right now, instead of happily eating cake and goofing off in their quarters.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes fell onto Celestia, who watched the two combatants with focused eyes, awaiting the beginning of their sparring session. She sighed internally.

“How does one defeat a monster whose strength you cannot even yet calculate? PPAI… Just what is she?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself with bitter frustration, joining everyone else at the window, to spectate the fight.





“Nothing personal, ‘Jack, but you know I’m gonna have to win this, right?” Rainbow Dash chuckled with competitive arrogance.

“You’re right, it’s not personal. So don’t take it too hard when I bulldoze the concrete with your helmet, huh, sugarcube?” Applejack retorted, with an equal display of cockiness.

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash chuckled, before hopping around on both feet, shaking her limbs out. Steam began to lift from her armor, in a greater volume than that of Pinkie Pie’s or Fluttershy’s in the battle previously.

“Yeah.” Applejack laughed back, before the metal ground beneath her began to creak and groan underneath the power of her body, now being substantially powered by her earth magic.

“... BEGIN!”

In that instant, Rainbow Dash disappeared from where she stood, an incredible jet stream opening behind her, blowing everything behind her back with great force.

As she kicked for Applejack’s face, Applejack effortlessly guarded against it, using her wrist to defend herself. She quickly grabbed Rainbow Dash’s calf, and with two rotations, swung her with great velocity into the ceiling.

Rainbow Dash was quick on the draw, and with both her sky magic, and two stabilizing beams of destructive magic shooting out behind her from both palms, she completely avoided impact by stopping herself midair.

“Don’t get too hung up on being the fastest, Dashie.” Applejack said in a teasing manner, already being behind Rainbow Dash.

Before she could react, Applejack sent a powerful flying kick into her back, pushing her down towards the ground -- Rainbow Dash expertly recovered by slowing her violent descent with several flips and slides, coming to a stop with relative swiftness.

However, as she recovered, Applejack was already on top of her, both hands interlocked and raised above her head, coming down towards Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash, in that instant, immediately reinforced her body with earth magic, and blocked the impact with both hands crossed in an X, a large and forceful wind emanating from the impact.

“And I wouldn’t be so confident just because you’re the strongest either, country girl.” Rainbow Dash teased back, before flipping her body diagonally around Applejack, and connecting her calf with the back of her neck, sending Applejack skidding across the ground.

As Applejack recovered, she looked up, and saw two cyan beams of destructive magic headed towards her from different angles.

She held both of her palms out, immediately conjuring up barriers on either side of herself, effectively blocking the impact. As she did, Rainbow Dash was in front of her, fist cocked back.

However, Applejack was quick on the draw, and shot her neck forward, delivering a devastating headbutt to the cyan-colored girl.

Stunned for just a moment, Applejack shot her right arm around to Rainbow Dash’s ribs, but it was quickly blocked, before Rainbow Dash sent her own leg towards Applejack’s feet.

Applejack hopped over it, whilst spinning her body, preparing to deliver a roundhouse kick down towards Rainbow Dash.

As Rainbow Dash raised both wrists in a crossed fashion to block, she never felt the impact come. She looked up, and realized that a large light was glowing from behind her.

“Oh crap.” Rainbow Dash cursed aloud, before quickly turning and bringing her own two palms up, quickly diverting much of her energy to destructive magic.

Just before the large orange beam could consume her, her own cyan beam released, and a large explosion ensued, pushing both Applejack and Rainbow Dash back.

As both collided with several items violently, their armors shattered. They seemed to be evenly matched.

Both stood up as quickly as they could, panting, and surely feeling the damage from the other, standing in pained stances.

“Damn, ‘Jack… You’re a little tougher to kick down than I thought you’d be.” Rainbow Dash commented between breaths.

“What, you think I’ve been half-assing these drills, missy? Hah, get real.” Applejack retorted, panting just as heavily.

“Half-assed or not, let’s see if you have enough power left to stop this!” Rainbow Dash chuckled. She crouched down, and planted a single fist into the ground, as a gigantic volume of steam left her PROJECT armor -- it seemed to be an advanced application of sky-magic enhancements -- her body was steaming several times more than anything any of the girls had previously seen.

Even her combat skin beneath the armor seemed to don a low, pink, humming glow.

As Rainbow Dash was empowering herself, she felt a great atmospheric pressure release from Applejack -- she, too, had something up her sleeve, likely associated with earth magic. Rainbow Dash’s brows furrowed. Applejack was not going to go down easily.

“Well, then…” Rainbow Dash stated slowly, steam releasing from between her lips as she spoke, slightly obscuring her vision.

As the sentence finished, she disappeared from her position once more, and all that could be seen were blurs, as Applejack’s body was pushed and thrown around the arena with swift, devastating, nearly invisible strikes.

The only indication of Rainbow Dash’s position from the speed she was moving, were the jetstreams of smoke she left behind her wake -- however, the more she moved, the more she distorted her previous movements.

Applejack could feel herself losing consciousness, as much as she tried to pinpoint the zooming blur. She knew she needed to try something different, and quick.

Just as Applejack had thought, Rainbow Dash’s advanced use of sky magic required too much focus for her to completely efficiently mask her intent, and just when Applejack felt as if she would be hit from behind, she twisted her body, raising her fist, and with all the strength her body could muster, punched down.

*CRASH!*

Rainbow Dash laid still, in a deep crater of the metal ground. Applejack stood still, her fist still extended downwards towards the floor.

For the moment, she seemed to be the victor, until her body limped over, and she fell down into the crater besides Rainbow Dash.

Both were still, unmoving.

“Goodness, what an alluring display of speed versus strength… My children are growing so well.” Princess Celestia hummed, stroking her chin and watching the outcome with great intrigue.

“Princess!” Twilight yelped, watching the scene with fearful eyes -- it was a fierce battle; did the two kill each other? She couldn’t help but wonder with concern, as she turned back to face her Princess fearfully.

“At ease, Twilight Sparkle. The Chief’s concern for her team is ever present.” Princess Celestia noted, pointing back down to the stadium.

As Twilight turned back to watch, her eyes widened. Pinkie Pie was already in the arena, tending to the two, and making sure they were okay. She had not even sensed Pinkie’s presence, or realized she was so quick to enter the scene.

Twilight’s heart softened, as she watched Pinkie Pie hold one palm over Applejack, and another over Rainbow Dash’s, likely applying healing magic to both.

“Twilight Sparkle. Rarity. You are next. Your three minutes have begun. Please, be swift in entering the arena. Your Chief is already carrying the previous combatants to safety.” Princess Celestia stated, arms folded, as she watched Pinkie Pie pick up Applejack and sling her over her shoulder, whilst tucking Rainbow Dash beneath her other arm, approaching the stadium-arena’s lobby.

Twilight and Rarity eyed each other, before nodding.

“Understood.” Both girls spoke in unison, before descending from the spectator’s room. As Twilight passed by the pink girl carrying her two other companions, she mouthed a small and quiet thanks to her. Pinkie Pie stopped walking, not bothering to look back at Twilight as she spoke her next sentence.

“I appreciate the thanks, Twilight, but I’m part of this team, too. Of course I care.” Pinkie Pie stated, before continuing to make her way to the spectator’s room with the two unconscious allies.





“The two hardheaded brutes fought, and now we have the two arcane gals, huh, dear?” Rarity stated, making small talk before their last few moments were up.

“It’s certainly interesting that it worked out this way, huh? I hope you’re ready, Rarity. I won’t be holding back.” Twilight stated, as her magical aura began to accumulate around her body, flowing gently in her vicinity.

“Now now, Twilight. It wouldn’t do either of us any good if you underestimated me. Even a pretty girl like myself has to know how to fight in a situation like this.” Rarity chuckled.

“... BEGIN!”

In the instant the announcement began speaking, Rarity dashed forward, coating her hands with a mixture of earth magic and arcane magic, essentially reinforcing her arms and feet with not only the offensive capabilities of earth magic, but the destructive properties of arcane magic.

However, she was surprised to sense two other beings approach her from either side, and as she hopped back, she was confused to see two other Twilights stand in front of the main Twilight in defense of her.

Princess Celestia, watching above in the spectator’s room planted her palms against the glass, looking down with great interest and curiosity.

“My, my, Sparkle… Just how much of a genius can you be, to be capable of such advanced conjuration magic so soon? Oh, my super PROJECTs bring me such deep pleasure!” Princess Celestia cooed, her breath fogging the glass of the spectator’s room window, as her palms tightened and pressed harder against the window.

“Clones!? When did you even learn such a spell?!” Rarity cursed, jumping back further and further, as the two clones closely pursued her, Rarity narrowly dodging and ducking away from their blows, being followed a moderate distance by the main Twilight.

“I don’t think this is the best time to be asking questions, Rarity. After all, you’re already cornered.” one of the clones chuckled, holding out both palms, preparing to shoot a beam at Rarity.

The other backed her against a wall, cutting off her only exit, preparing to do the same.

As Rarity jumped to escape the two, she realized the main Twilight was already high in the sky, her own beam about to release. Truly, she was cornered on all fronts.

“So, that’s how it is, then?” Rarity hissed her teeth, her brows furrowing. Immediately, she diverted every last bit of energy she could muster in the short moment to destructive magic in her right palm.

She twisted her palm around to her back, and a large, powerful explosion blasted her with great velocity out of the way, before the three Twilights could decimate her on the spot.

Though she damaged her ethereal armor, as it now glowed orange, it was much better than surely being immediately knocked unconscious by the beams from all three of her opponents.

“Resourceful.” All three Twilights chimed in unison, before quickly approaching Rarity once more.

Rarity huffed, as her eyes glowed a bright, light blue color. She, too, had taught herself something unique, and interesting.

Feeling a new, unfamiliar power arise from Rarity’s aura, the main Twilight stopped pursuing, and watched, as her two clones closed in on her.

Before, Rarity was retreating from them, completely, but now, she seemed to exchange blows with them evenly.

Before long, she was easily countering them, quickly injuring and damaging them. After some moments of fighting, they dispersed into a lavender aura, having sustained too much damage to stay in form.

Rarity panted slightly, but was pleased with her triumph, and use of her arcane magical ability -- a vision-technique that not even Twilight seemed to be aware of.

“I get it. You’ve developed a spell that hyperactivates your ability to read a hostile’s combative intent… Is that it?” Twilight commented, clapping her hands slowly.

“My… You’re just as analytical as ever, dear. I didn’t think you would realize it so soon.” Rarity stated, turning to face Twilight, a dull glow being lit beneath the visor from Rarity’s eyes.

“But, it won’t be enough!” Rarity stated, dashing forward with great speed. She threw a punch at Twilight, which Twilight gracefully tapped to the side, easily dodging it.

Rarity swept at her feet, but Twilight rolled over it, and whilst standing on her hands, kicked Rarity in the head, before finishing her roll back onto her feet.

Stumbling back, Rarity quickly jumped, and swiped at Twilight’s head with her calf. Twilight fell backwards, arching her back, and punched a single hand into the metal, using the momentum to kick Rarity with great force in her helmet, sending her tumbling over the ground. This was a technique she borrowed from Celestia, on the first day all six of the girls had sparred with her.

“The thing is, Rarity, that won’t be enough. I’m not just the arcane girl. If I want to be the Chief, then like the Chief now, I’ve got to excel in everything. Those clones only have a quarter of my capabilities -- that spell is not as useful as it could be, yet. Your power won’t do much against someone who has been vigorously training for every moment they have.” Twilight stated, before rushing forward to Rarity.

Rarity, held her fists up once more, preparing herself. She hissed her teeth -- Twilight was being cocky, but, it was clear that she was outmatched, both in arcane magic, and close quarters.

Still, that didn’t mean she would just give up.

“Rargh!” Rarity yelled, shooting out a single beam of destructive magic at Twilight. As Twilight dodged it, Rarity smiled.

Behind Twilight, the beam splintered off into many smaller beams, that turned and homed back in on Twilight. Twilight, too, smiled, as she approached Rarity closer and closer…

*B-b-b-boooom!!!*

Twilight agilely and gracefully barreled herself through the air with a jump, narrowly avoiding each beam, and letting them instead, damage their creator, as Rarity was sent tumbling back, violently colliding with the wall.

The impact from her own magic shattered her armor, and the gruesome impact with the wall was the final thing needed for her to be staggered just long enough for Twilight to hold a conjured blade to her helmet, effectively pinning her down.

“I’ve won.” Twilight stated, smiling triumphantly underneath her visor. 

“Damn… You’re something else, Sparkle.” Rarity stated, holding her arm up. Twilight chuckled, helping her friend out of the rubble of the now destroyed wall.

“Hold back next time, will you? Bruises and blood are so unbecoming of a lady.” Rarity complained, feeling her body ache all over from the fierce battle.

Although she joked, Rarity was frustrated that she had not gotten to land a single blow on Twilight. Clearly, she was far too outmatched. She willed herself to try even harder -- next time, it would not be such a pathetic loss.

“Sorry, Rarity. You know it’s not personal though, right?” Twilight chuckled, now having removed her visor, shining brightly towards Rarity.

“Of course, dear. Of course. Come, let’s return to the Princess.” Rarity stated, beginning to walk towards the lobby. However, just then, a voice crackled out from the spectators room’s microphone.

“Sparkle, stay where you are. We have four losers, and two winners. Considering two of the losers have spent themselves greatly in their battle, we will forego the losers’ competition. However…” Princess Celestia began.

That’s when Pinkie Pie’s and Twilight’s eyes immediately met, as far as the distance between them were, with Pinkie Pie in the spectator’s room, and Twilight within the arena, still.

Both knew what the next words from Princess Celestia would mean. Twilight couldn’t help but smirk. Pinkie Pie’s face was unchanged, in her usual still, neutral manner.

“The two winners, seem to have not brushed off too much of their stamina. So, with fifteen minutes to rest, you two will be competing to complete this sparring session. Pinkamena, down to the arena, the timer has begun.” Princess Celestia ordered.

Pinkie Pie felt a sinking feeling in her gut, as Twilight’s mind combed over their previous exchange not much more than an hour ago…

“If there’s something you’d like to convey to me, Twilight, do it when we spar.”

Twilight chuckled internally with glee; this opportunity came much sooner than she could possibly have anticipated. It was yet another chance to attempt to prove herself for the Chief’s cloak, and to set Pinkie Pie straight for upsetting the Princess, with a nice one on one.

“Oh, gladly, Pinkie Pie. Gladly.” Twilight thought to herself, immediately formulating a plethora of potential strategies within her synapses.

Pinkie Pie sighed, the throbs in her body reminding her that she was injured, and tired. As she descended to the lobby of the stadium-arena, she could only hope that she would be able to withstand the whirlwind of emotions that Twilight was sure to let her feel through the blows of this upcoming battle…
> Showdown - Chapter 17
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"This… is for Fluttershy -- the poor girl who had to fall for someone that couldn’t even keep her in mind when she went on her selfish adventure to oppose the Princess."

>May 7, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 12:10 PM<






Pinkie Pie and Twilight stood across from one another in the center of a large dilapidated town. Celestia had changed the scenery once more for their battle, opting for a larger and more open space, seeing as how the two top contestants were soon to battle.

The timer had just ticked underneath ten minutes; Pinkie Pie stood with her arms folded, and her Chief’s cloak / jacket fluttering coolly in the soft breeze, her features hidden beneath her visor, which she had already reapplied. Twilight’s visor was not currently on, as she searched Pinkie Pie’s body for any sign, any behavior of which she could deduce her feelings with.

“You’re awfully relaxed for a young woman that just stole three lives, Pinkie Pie. Is there a reason you don’t want to elaborate on what was going on in that little noggin of yours when you decided to abandon Rainbow Dash’s birthday party?” Twilight asked, folding her own arms, gripping her forearms tightly, trying to conceal her frustration and hostility.

“...” Pinkie Pie was silent. She felt this conversation would not be well-received in the moment, when Twilight was clearly itching to battle her.

“The silent treatment, huh? Y’know, Pinkie, it’d be a lot easier to regain trust if you’d actually say something.” Twilight said, her voice becoming lower, as her teeth gritted against one another behind her lips, scrunched in frustration at her companion.

“Were it so easy…” Pinkie Pie sighed in a foreboding manner, her fists tightening slightly, as she recalled the events that led up to her altercation with Celestia not too many hours ago.

“Cryptic and ominous. That’s all I’ve sensed from you since our home was destroyed by the Flood. You’ve changed, Pinkie.” Twilight stated, disappointed features painting her face.

Pinkie Pie was silent for some moments, pained by Twilight’s words. Her brows furrowed.

“Things changed, Twilight. And when things change, so do humans. That’s what we’re supposed to do; adapt. You’re far too intelligent to just take things at face-value.” Pinkie Pie said in an almost pleading tone.

“And you’re far too intelligent to not have mulled over the consequences of your selfish actions, whatever the intent, having affected all of us! Can’t you see that what you did was unfair? To all of us?” Twilight spoke back, her tone becoming more aggressive.

“...” Pinkie Pie was silent for some moments, before uncrossing her arms, and dropping them to her side.

“I can admit that much, Twilight. It was selfish. And I’m sorry. Had I thought the consequences of my actions would rebound back to the entire team, I would’ve… gone about things much, much differently. Sincerely, I am sorry, Twilight. To you, and everyone else. You have to know… none of what happened today were my intentions, nor my will.” Pinkie Pie said in a pleading manner.

“Hmph. Is that so? You really expect me to believe that? How can I believe you, Pinkie Pie? How could anyone not see that we’d all be responsible for one’s actions, in an environment like this where we’re supposed to keep each other in check? Most of all you, as the goddamned Chief?!” Twilight yelled, holding her arms out, her gritted teeth grinding against each other in an open scowl towards Pinkie Pie. She collected herself, before sighing, and recrossing her arms.

“I’ll be carrying the burdens of the entire team on my back with this battle. I’ll be acting with everyone in mind. Something you’ve apparently failed to do.” Twilight stated, raising her chin up at Pinkie Pie in a snobbish manner.

Pinkie Pie felt her temple throb and her skin boil at that statement. Her eyebrows scrunched so deeply into her head, one would assume that they were burrowing directly into her skull.

“You’ve got a smart mouth for someone who doesn’t even know the ins-and-outs of the events that just transpired.” Pinkie Pie stated, her tone finally picking up in aggression.

“Oh?” Twilight chuckled, amused to see she finally broke Pinkie Pie’s usually very calm and calculated demeanor.

“Did speaking a few facts strike a nerve?” Twilight goaded, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes slimmed. That smirk was far too reminiscent of the Princess’, and it only further infuriated her. Twilight, truly, was an arrogant soul when she felt she was right.

“For someone that cares so little about her team, I refuse to see why the Princess believes you’re still the rightful owner of that ceremonial jacket.” Twilight stated.

“Cares so little?” Pinkie Pie scoffed in disbelief. She was silent for a couple of seconds. 

“Cares so little?!” She roared, stomping one foot forward, her fists tightening harder by the moment.

“Twilight…” Pinkie Pie began, as a deep and dark aura began to emanate from her being, seeming to almost absorb small volumes of light from her vicinity; it was reminiscent of the same darkness that overcame Fluttershy’s pod when they were first transported to the facility.

“You’re soooo smart, and yet you speak with such ignorance, such close-minded analyses, such arrogance…” Pinkie Pie spoke between tightened lips, trying to hold back her emotions, but to no avail. 

“Screw the Princess!!! The team is all I care about! You all, are my only concern! The team… my friends, are all I have left… And yet, here you are, running off your jealous little mouth because you’re pathetically envious of the Princess’ approval, and attention! Quit being a fucking teacher’s pet for one second in your friggin’ life! We aren’t in grade school anymore!” Pinkie Pie snapped, swiping her arm out in front of her with anger. Her chest heaved and puffed with fury.

Twilight was stunned for a few moments -- she had never heard Pinkie Pie directly insult another person like that; it was a testament to how much Twilight’s statements bothered her. After some moments, her slack jaw returned to a small smirk, before she simply pressed the PROJECT amulet on her collarbone, the visor and its connecting joints animating itself over her face and around her head.

“There’s two minutes left, Pinkie. I suggest you clear your mind, and focus up. Even sparring can be lethal, especially if not taken seriously, after all.” Twilight stated simply, turning her back, and increasing the distance between the two.

Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed, as she watched Twilight walk for a few moments, feeling the spiral of emotions within her spin tumultuously. She felt her chest ebb and flow violently, trying to hitch her breath to more controlled elevations. Finally, she took one deep breath before speaking her final words to Twilight before she was out of earshot.

“Likewise, Twilight…”

As Twilight distanced herself, Pinkie Pie felt the tension in her fists release, as she breathed through her nostrils, and out of her mouth… slowly… deliberately…

She would need to focus, now. Though this was just a sparring session, Pinkie Pie knew that for Twilight’s own reasons, it was much more than that.

And for Pinkie Pie’s own reasons, it was the same.

She couldn’t help but stare at Twilight, now several meters away from her. Pinkie Pie’s eyes were hidden beneath her visor, but she could feel Twilight’s eyes staring deep into her own -- as if she could easily see right through it.

There were so many emotions whirling around in those calm, arrogant, lavender orbs. Pain, envy, anger… and something more that Pinkie Pie could not quite deduce.

Pinkie Pie turned her head to look up at the spectators’ window. Her eyes met with Celestia’s, who looked on with what she could only describe as glee. Her stomach twisted.

That… “monster”, was at the root of the problems Pinkie Pie now faced. Simply for trying to discover the truth, she had accrued the wrath of all of her friends, and had inadvertently caused them turmoil. Her fists squeezed, before she quickly unclenched her fingers, recalling PPAI’s emphasis on keeping emotions subsurface, despite her glorious failure at that moments prior.

“That bitch…” Pinkie Pie thought to herself bitterly, her mind playing the events that happened some hours ago, over and over. How in just the span of a day, she had been driven into a corner. Her hands were effectively tied until they were deployed elsewhere. But, being in such close contact with her companions, and the Princess herself, there was no more snooping she could do -- not at the risk of her friends’ lives, and comfort. Especially if it would give rise to tensions like this.

Her jaw clenched tightly. As her mind wrapped around the Princess, the gleeful smile on her face gave birth to many hypotheses that bothered Pinkie Pie to her core. What would the Princess accomplish by scapegoating her, she wondered. Especially while still keeping her as Chief? Surely, the inner-turmoil Princess Celestia seemed to want to breed would only serve as a setback for the super PROJECT program.

Or, perhaps… Pinkie Pie was simply too cynical? After all, PPAI said to refrain from making premature judgements… But then, what did PPAI truly think of Celestia? 

Did the Princess simply trust that she would find a way to quell the discord? Pinkie Pie shook her head. She was giving the Princess too much credit -- she didn’t seem to make any efforts to come off as so kind to everyone.

Then what…? Why did she seem to enjoy toying with her this way? Why does she feel so sick every time she interacts with the Princess? What could possib--

“PINKIE!”

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie was ripped out of her thoughts by a young, shrill voice shouting her name. As she stared up, she saw Fluttershy holding three fingers up. Her eyes widened, as her senses finally opened up to her environment once more.

“2… 1…” The PROJECT announcement went; the time to reflect and reminisce had come to an end. Now, there was only one thing Pinkie Pie’s mind could focus on.

“Begin!”

And with that final announcement, both Pinkie Pie and Twilight disappeared from their positions. A violent gust of wind upset all of the settled dust and debris of the dilapidated town’s setting.

In the center of this force, was Pinkie Pie and Twilight, fists connected. Twilight’s free palm began to glow, but just before it could release destructive magic, Pinkie Pie skillfully kicked her wrist so that it shot out upwards, an ensuing explosion illuminating both of their visors, as their eyes stared into one another, squinted in focus.

“How predictable.” Pinkie Pie taunted, using the momentum from the kick to barrel-spin her body, setting up for a devastating kick. Just before her shin could land on Twilight’s head, a thin barrier defended her, allowing her to jump back and gain distance.

Pinkie Pie recovered herself quickly, and stomped into the ground with ferocious strength, breaking a sizable slab of concrete off, far larger than her body. As it stood vertically from her leverage, she pushed it forward with great strength.

Twilight, wasting no time, released a large beam of destructive magic, instantly shattering it into many pieces. Her eyes widened when she saw the pink glow of Pinkie’s amulet through the debris; a diversion to close the distance!

“It’s too elementary…!” Twilight thought to herself, her brain twisting in thought as she prepared to defend herself, amassing her own destructive power within her palm.

Pinkie Pie had a single arm extended, already glowing with a powerful mass of destructive power, but, instead of releasing it, she suddenly disappeared from her position.

“I knew it!” Twilight thought, shooting her free arm back and grabbing onto the forearm that was now directly behind her. She lifted off of it, narrowly avoiding the large beam of magic, and in the same breath, released her own, exploding with great force, and leaving Pinkie Pie in a small crater of concrete, her ethereal armor shattered, and her physical armor steaming.

Underneath the armor, the combat skin could be seen regenerating itself, shredded by the powerful blast.

Pinkie Pie quickly lifted herself up, and cursed mentally. Twilight had been holding back in her fight with Rarity -- the arcane magic she just used was far more powerful, and far more destructive, in a much shorter time.

Twilight truly was gifted with arcane magic, and Pinkie Pie would have to keep that in mind.

Furthermore, Pinkie Pie realized that she was able to use such a destructive blast at such close range with no damage to herself -- she was quite the expert at precision and control of arcane magic, something Pinkie Pie was still struggling with herself, despite excessive training in her off-time.

“Tch!” Pinkie Pie hissed between her teeth, her combat skin finally healing itself, though her ethereal armor would need more time. As she looked up from the concrete crater, she saw a sizable piece of debris flying towards her.

She swiftly kicked off of the ground beneath her, exiting the crater. As she sailed through the sky out of the crater, she felt her body’s exhaustion and previous injuries catching up with her. She was tired and spent from the day’s activities.

Twilight was quick to maneuver around the crater, immediately cutting Pinkie Pie off, not willing to give her armor a chance to regenerate.

They clashed midair -- Twilight threw a sweeping kick to her torso, which Pinkie Pie skillfully flipped over, using the momentum to bring her shin into Twilight’s side; Twilight blocked this with her forearm, both being pushed away from one another.

As both landed, Pinkie Pie stood still, catching her breath -- she was not out of energy, yet, but it was clear that her stamina was hitched.

Twilight, however, was quick on the draw: her body glowed with her lavender aura momentarily, before it completely left her body, amassing in physical light beside her. The light replicated itself, and in moments, there were four Twilights, all walking towards Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed -- she had no idea how much energy that conjuration trick truly took, and judging from Rarity’s fight, the clones were quite formidable. She sighed internally -- another obstacle lengthening a fight that she was already too drained for.

“Come on then, Chief. Show me what you’re made of.” The four Twilight’s spoke in unison, as they picked up into a sprint, crossing paths with each other several times.

Pinkie Pie held her fists up, watching as they spread out, two approaching her from either side. Mustering her strength, Pinkie Pie dashed off towards the Twilights on her right, not giving them the chance to entrap her.

Just before the two could react, Pinkie Pie once again stomped into the ground strategically, plucking another slab of concrete, this time with enough strength that it sailed into the sky. The two Twilights, not being able to anticipate exactly what Pinkie Pie would do, jumped back to avoid being thrown up with the concrete.

As it lost vertical momentum, and was just beginning to reverse its upwards acceleration back down to the ground, Pinkie Pie jumped up towards it, as steam rose from both of her legs, but oddly enough, not the rest of her body.

Planting her feet onto the concrete slab, she crouched upon it, and in one powerful and swift kick, propelled the concrete towards the two closest Twilights, while simultaneously propelling herself towards the other two Twilights, her fist cocked back.

The two Twilights behind her were crushed by the slab of concrete, and for the moment, staggered and stunned from the damage of impact.

The Twilights she approached both jumped out of the way of her fist, but the devastating impact from her momentum made either lose their balance and separate from one another; Pinkie was quick to take advantage of this, rushing up to one of them, and delivering three quick uppercutting punches into one’s stomach, before front-flipping to bring her heel down into her head with devastating force, as she crashed into the concrete.

Pinkie Pie jumped back, watching the clone dissipate into purple magic matter. The other Twilight sent a volley of destructive balls of magic, but Pinkie Pie was quick to coat her arms and legs in magic, and skillfully deflect each one back towards the concrete slab she had kicked away some moments ago, a large series of explosions ensuing.

“Judging by the density of magic in those, I’d say you’re the real deal… Rarity’s fight didn’t teach you to quit relying on those things?” Pinkie Pie stated, her shoulders heaving up and down.

Twilight, in turn, chuckled. “You think I need them to fight? They’re for gathering battle data, Pinkie.” Twilight spoke calmly, causing Pinkie Pie to raise a brow, as her chest heaved up and down slowly in fatigue.

“Such as being able to assess the fact that you’re tired, and spent. If you were at full strength, those clones would’ve never survived the initial slam you gave them; and needing a combo to take out the other one when I’m still learning how to perfect this conjuration spell? They aren’t so durable as to need such attention from you.” Twilight continued, cracking her knuckles and twisting her head.

“I won’t go easy on you just because you attacked the Princess and foolishly spent your energy, you know.” Twilight stated, walking towards Pinkie Pie slowly.

Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed; Twilight knew she had the advantage and fully planned to use it.

“I’ll just have to end this quickly…” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, as she held out a single arm -- from the arm arose a large amount of steam, and soon followed her legs; yet, her torso and other body parts did not release any volume of steam.

“That, is the one problem I may have, though. Your ability to harness sky and earth magic into specific proportions of your body is… impressively advanced. Such a prodigious manner of maximizing your body and spirit’s fuel and magic-efficiency.” Twilight stated, deducing why only parts of Pinkie’s body now steamed.

“But, that prodigious skill of yours… it’s exactly why I can’t afford to lose.” Twilight said with a lower tone, as Pinkie Pie lurched forward, preparing to attack.

Dashing forward with ferocious speed, she cocked her arm back, and within seconds, Twilight felt the force of dozens of punches come toward her; she was quick on the draw, conjuring a barrier, but Pinkie, being able to successfully focus all of her magic into specific body parts, quickly overpowered Twilight’s barrier, who could not estimate the large amount of power behind the single arm, despite her injuries and declining stamina.

As it shattered, Pinkie Pie used her free arm to toss a large ball of destructive magic towards Twilight, before quickly disappearing from her position.

As Twilight grabbed the ball with both hands, coating them in her own protective magic, she deflected it into the sky, listening to it boom above her head.

She quickly scanned the area for the Chief’s presence, but to no avail. Assessing the environment, she saw several tattered buildings, but one was still in relatively good shape.

“There!” Twilight concluded, as she stretched both arms outwards, helixes of magic spiraling down from her shoulders down into her palms -- she was supercharging a powerful attack to flush Pinkie out.

“As if I’ll give you the chance to recover!”

She brought her palms together, as the magic condensed into a bright, powerful, humming ball of energy.

“Incinerate.” Twilight announced with a calm demeanor, as the concrete behind her cracked and gave way, and a large beam released from her palms, completely engulfing the building in a bright, violent light.

From the spectator’s room, Fluttershy watched with horror -- what was Twilight thinking?! Such ferocity was far from necessary!

As the dust and debris settled, Pinkie Pie could be seen lying in rubble, her combat skin struggling to regenerate from her magic reserves, a testament to how spent she was.

“Don’t tell me this is supposed to be our greatest warrior.” Twilight yelled out cockily, strolling over towards the still Pinkie Pie. She watched her for a few moments, both unmoving.

“Knocked out already? I’ve barely used my reserves. Was all the confidence just for show? Heh, guess I didn’t have to worry too hard about your skill with magic enhancement, did I?” Twilight goaded on. She saw Pinkie Pie’s arm twitch, and in that moment, she picked up into a ferocious dash, preparing to finish the job.

Pinkie Pie picked herself up, and using her magic, flung several large debris towards Twilight, desperately trying to recover herself and allow her ethereal armor, and stamina, to finally recharge.

Truthfully, she was tired, and using her magic to defend from the violent attack Twilight had just done drained her stamina -- she was losing the fight.

“How predictable.” Twilight chuckled, taunting Pinkie’s previous statement, as she easily smashed through the debris using the sharp, offensive plates of her armor, trucking forward with the same speed as before.

 The gap had been closed, and Pinkie Pie only had enough time to reach her feet; but it didn’t matter -- she was tired, Twilight was faster than her.

“This is for Rarity!” Twilight yelled, as she jumped, twisting her body several times, landing a devastating kick to Pinkie’s head, as she stumbled and rolled across the ground, sliding on all fours to recover herself.

As she looked up, Twilight was already above her, descending with great speed, knee extended towards her. Although Pinkie Pie jumped back, the landing was ferocious enough that the blast knocked her off balance, as she desperately tried to recover herself, finally getting back on her feet.

“That, was for Applejack!” Twilight yelled, still rushing forward, two balls of magic in either of her palms. As she sent one forward, Pinkie Pie was quick to counter with her own, a small explosion engulfing the distance between them and obscuring their view.

Pinkie Pie was oblivious to the fact that Twilight had already cleverly begun to flank her from the side, and by the time she realized, all she could see was a purple glow from beside her visor -- Twilight directly planted the next ball of energy into her helmet, almost using it as a blunt weapon, the explosion thrashing Pinkie Pie into the ground.

“That one, was for Rainbow Dash.” Twilight said in a low voice, standing over Pinkie Pie, who could do nothing but gasp for breath, beaten and tired underneath Twilight’s relentless assault. She could feel liquid trickling down several parts of her forehead, and her body was bruised and battered all over. Her muscles ached from soreness and exhaustion.

Twilight reached down, and grabbed Pinkie Pie by the collar of the Chief’s jacket, holding her up face-to-face.

“Do you know what I wanted to say, Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked, as helixes gathered and twisted around her free arm, once again forming a devastating well of energy.

“I’ve studied the sociologies and psychologies of friendship. I understand this team’s dynamics; their strengths, their weaknesses, dreams, hopes, and desires… I’ve followed in Celestia’s footsteps for so long… Training tirelessly, even beyond our designated hours, to make sure that we never lose anyone again.” Twilight began, as their visors reflected off of one another’s.

Twilight was not simply gifted, but she was determined. Pinkie Pie was surprised to learn that she was not the only one training in excess -- and, furthermore, Twilight was doing it purely out of the will to excel. Pinkie Pie could not necessarily say the same.

“Admirable.” Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but think to herself.

“And yet, all the Princess sees, is you. Why? Because you were more gifted? Because you had an easy time excelling with omnimagical and physical training? Because your body acclimated to the Reclamations better? Because you’ve been able to adapt to the PROJECT armor quicker?” Twilight ranted, the energy in her palm glowing ever brighter. She sighed, stopping herself.

“What I wanted to say, Pinkie Pie… is that you haven’t earned that jacket. You haven’t earned the leadership. And everything that happened today, confirmed that. Your reckless endeavors, endangering all of us, and ruining Rainbow Dash’s birthday, and one of our only days off, is egregiously unbecoming of a leader. To act without consideration… it’s unforgivable.” Twilight continued, as she held her palm towards Pinkie Pie’s chest.

“Oh, and by the way?” Twilight went on, a wild smirk on her face, and a small chuckle pressing through her lips, as both of their visors began to glow in the light of Twilight’s palm, the energy raring to release.

“This… is for Fluttershy -- the poor girl who had to fall for someone that couldn’t even keep her in mind when she went on her selfish adventure to oppose the Princess.”

*BOOM!*

Pinkie Pie was sent sailing through the sky, smoke trailing off of her body, and her combat skin being even further disintegrated. As she sailed, and crashed through several buildings, an insurmountable volume of emotion welled up within her, most especially towards the last sentence.

A pink magical aura began to envelop her body, but it quickly darkened into the deepest shade of black, seeming to absorb the light in her immediate surroundings. As she lost verticality and stumbled and rolled across the ground, Twilight looked on with an anxious curiosity.

She felt something similar to the Celestia’s presence when she had trained them on intent -- something dark and monstrous was directing its will towards her, and as she moved forward to close the gap, she saw Pinkie Pie standing, arms swaying in front of her.

From her being, the black aura lashed and whipped about, and Twilight felt a ferocious atmospheric pressure from where Pinkie Pie stood. It felt as if Pinkie Pie’s presence was crushing her.

Pinkie Pie took one step forward, and in that moment, Twilight had an overwhelming amount of violent premonitions tick off every alarm in her body, as she jumped back with all her strength, immediately distancing herself.  She gritted her teeth, and watched the girl, trying to console her body, which was now pumping with adrenaline and endorphins.

Her heart rate had skyrocketed, and she couldn’t help but feel as if the end of her life was near -- it was more terrifying than Celestia’s own intent.

This made no sense… why did Pinkie Pie wait for Twilight to beat her up to unleash such power? Was she holding back? Going easy? Twilight shook her head in disbelief, combing her mind for an explanation.

But now was not the time to think. Pinkie Pie began to walk forward, her back slightly hunched, and her fists tightened with fury.

Each step she took, her speed increased slightly, until suddenly--

*BOOM-CRACK!!*

The atmosphere boomed in the fierce speed Pinkie Pie moved, and before Twilight could realize anything, she was slamming through several buildings, before finally colliding into a thick cement wall.

The alarms in her head shrilled -- her armor was shattered, and that one impact alone resulted in a beating on her body. Blinking the blood out of her eyelashes, she struggled to look down, and saw Pinkie Pie standing in the same spot, a single fist extended from her body.

“Tch!” Twilight hissed, forcing herself out of the wall, and sloppily dropping to the ground, rolling over. 

“I can’t believe that was a single punch!” Twilight thought, as she picked herself up onto her feet; she saw that Pinkie Pie was gone, and once again, that sinking feeling in her gut returned to her in full swing.

As she turned, she saw Pinkie Pie with her arm cocked back. She gritted her teeth, and held her wrists up in protection along with conjuring as sturdy of a barrier as she could, and even coating her arms in defensive magic; another powerful hit sent her skidding back across the ground, sparks and dust trailing up beneath her boots as she tried desperately to slow her momentum so that she could plan how to counter this ferocious beast.

As she slid past a light pole, she tried to grab it, but something made her grip weak, and she simply spun around it, before tumbling beyond it across the ground. As she picked herself up to her knees, she stared at her hands -- they were shaking profusely; even though she put all of her magic into defending herself during the last impact.

The sheer power the Chief now displayed was… overwhelming.

“This is ridiculous! This girl can’t be human!” Twilight thought to herself, picking herself up to her feet once more. As she swung her arms around slightly, she winced -- they were quite damaged, now. Perhaps sprained, and most certainly badly and deeply bruised. She would not survive another direct attack.

She didn’t know where Pinkie Pie was, but surely, she was bound to be on top of her in mere moments. This time, Twilight would have to counter. She applied half of her magic towards enhancing her body’s speed and agility, and the other half, she began amassing into destructive power, helixes of energy spiraling around her arm into her palm once more.

She looked around frantically, searching for where Pinkie Pie would appear from next.

But, she didn’t need to look -- Pinkie Pie had appeared in front of her once more, several meters away, now approaching her slowly.

“Don’t get cocky!” Twilight yelled, as her armor glowed lavender once more, and yet another clone was made. She passed off the devastating volume of destructive magic she gathered into the clone’s palms, knowing that her damaged wrists would not be capable of handling the pressure and impact.

Both of the Twilight’s zipped and dashed around Pinkie Pie, before jumping back in separate directions and disappearing behind buildings in the dilapidated town.

Pinkie Pie stopped in her tracks. She craned her head around slowly, searching, assessing…

Just as she turned to walk in one direction, her heightened hyper-intuition alerted her to something approaching her at a devastating speed.

She turned just in time to see Twilight, now only a few meters away from her, and both palms outstretched.

Like last time, a bright and nearly blinding light ensued as a huge, devastating beam left her palms, this one even more destructive than the last.

Pinkie Pie stood still, facing the beam, her visor illuminated in its fierce lavender glow.

Without taking any time to even amass any destructive power, Pinkie Pie simply craned a single arm forward, palm facing the beam, and in that moment…

*DOOMJ!!!*

A large, totally blinding and completely white light, and what sounded like the synchronized stomp of a thousand giants, filled the simulated town, completely dwarfing and engulfing Twilight’s own beam.

As the dust and light settled, Rarity and Fluttershy watched from the spectator room with widened eyes, their mouths agape. What in the world was Pinkie Pie thinking?? Why would she release such a volume of energy at point-blank range of Twilight?! They watched with horror, looking at the now decimated town, looking as if a worm of unfathomable size had crawled through the city, laying waste to the buildings and leaving a large half-pipe crater in its wake.

All that remained of Twilight was below her knees, her shins still smoldering from the absurdly powerful blast. Pinkie Pie walked past the dismembered legs, and kicked them aside.

Celestia chuckled profusely, intensely amused at the situation. When Rarity gasped and glared into Celestia’s back, without turning to assess the faces of her pupils, she spoke a simple sentence, calm and level-headed as ever.

“Watch closely, children. Your Chief, even in her rage, executes surgical precision.” Celestia commented.

As the girls returned their gaze to the arena, they saw the dismembered body parts disperse into lavender magic sparkles, much like that of Twilight’s aura. They breathed a heavy sigh of relief, although still not convinced that the real Twilight was safe.

Pinkie Pie walked through the now scorched earth that remained from her devastating blast of magic, the black aura around her whipping with a declining excitement.

Almost as if she knew exactly where to look, she punched down into a particular mound of debris, all the way down to her shoulder, kneeling as her arm dug around for a short few moments. As she stood, and her arm ejected from the debris, not only Rarity and Fluttershy stood surprised, but even the Princess herself.

Twilight’s face could be seen gritting in pain and anger from behind her half-destroyed visor; her lavender skin, bruised and battered, could also be seen in several places from the absolutely scorched combat skin, and destroyed pieces of PROJECT armor. She was being held up by her elbow within Pinkie Pie’s grasp; even the elbow plate was missing, presumably destroyed or damaged and fallen off. The blackened aura from her being seemed to relax, and recede back into nothingness.

The explosion of Pinkie Pie’s attack seemed to stir Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who silently joined the spectation, trying to gain their bearings on the events that had just transpired.

“She damaged the Reclaimer PROJECT armor that badly!?” Princess Celestia couldn’t help but exclaim. Her mouth was agape with disbelief, before she almost immediately regained composure. Then, her lips twisted into her usual sadistic grin.

“Diane… This power… How enigmatic, indeed…” Princess Celestia folded her arms, before cackling to herself madly, at least in the eyes of her pupils, who turned their heads to look at her with concern. Composing herself, she turned towards the door, and immediately left to head downstairs, beckoning her four students to join her.

“You’re… you’re a monster… The Princess might be… she might be wrong to trust someone like you…” Twilight coughed out between words, looking on at Pinkie Pie with something akin to fear, and animosity. The murderous and demonic intent that emanated from Pinkie Pie prior, and this massive display of power… Twilight knew in her heart that Pinkie Pie had to be reigned in, and immediately.

“I may be a monster, but I am your friend. All of you. Perhaps she shouldn’t trust me. But you should. I’m on your side.” Pinkie Pie retorted with a low tone, still trying to quell her emotions, as she laid Twilight gently onto the ground. She kneeled down and held her palms out, preparing to treat Twilight with some healing magic until the Princess arrived, but looked on with surprise when Twilight violently swatted her hand away.

“How pathetic would it be to lose, and then be shown mercy by the enemy? I need no further damage to my pride…” Twilight coughed out, falling onto her back, gasping for breath.

Pinkie Pie looked on for a moment, feeling a sharp pain in her heart, as she slowly stood up. She pressed her PROJECT amulet, as her helmet and visor retracted. Though not visible, her face stung with pain, as she stared down into the injured Twilight’s eyes.

She said one sentence to Twilight, before turning and walking off to the stadium-arena’s lobby to await further instruction for the day.

“I wish you’d realize that I’m not the enemy…”
> Enlightenment - Chapter 18
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"I am doing the right thing!! I’m not deserting. Going AWOL. Being a fucking traitor!!!"

>May 7, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 12:47 PM<






Pinkie Pie returned to the stadium’s lobby, leaving Twilight where she lay. Her brows furrowed in thought on her friend’s previous words to her.

‘Enemy’...

As the doors opened, she saw the Princess, and her colleagues awaiting her return. Now that the adrenaline began to settle, Pinkie could feel her body begin to drain rapidly…

“Congratulations, Chief. As expected, you’ve performed exceptionally well. What a display of power! One would think that was your first battle of the day.” Princess Celestia commended, clapping her hands, as the others reluctantly clapped alongside her, save for Fluttershy, who sensed a discomfort in Pinkie Pie.

“Thanks…” Pinkie Pie muttered, as she heard the doors open behind her, sensing Twilight’s arrival. Pinkie Pie wanted to speak up, but found that now, even speaking required her great effort. This was unexpected. She had been this drained before, surely. But no matter how hard she exerted herself, it was never to an extent where it took every heave of strength she had just to stand straight. Anxiety began to fill her being as she realized something wasn’t right.

She could hear Twilight’s boots clang sloppily into the arena, clearly still drained herself. She found herself too weak to even turn back to face her opponent, her body feeling heavier every moment.

“And to think that you began the battle in such a… deplorable state…” Princess Celestia chuckled, a wide grin on her lips. She walked forward, leaned down, and grabbed Pinkie Pie by her chin, holding her straight.

She stared within and right through Pinkie Pie’s lax and tired eyes, chuckling for a moment, as she squeezed Pinkie Pie’s jaw harder and harder.

“Diane, you’re my favorite type of soldier to have on the front-lines -- formidable, and tireless. Useful. Always something up your sleeve, eh Diane? You’re becoming something I can rely on…” Princess Celestia spoke so lowly that the others had to strain their ears to listen. Pinkie Pie’s stomach dropped; her mind replayed what she had agreed to the day she learned the classified intel that was PROJECT: Flood Control, and their role within it.

“I even say when you piss, shit, or die.”

Pinkie Pie began to gasp for breath through the tight squeeze of her jaw, already having had trouble collecting her breath without this obstruction.

Celestia suddenly softened her grip on Pinkie Pie’s jaw, before letting go, leaning back up, as Pinkie Pie willed all of the strength she had left to simply keep herself upright from losing the support.

“That application of magic you did earlier… Applying it to specific regions of your skeletal-muscular systems… It’s the first time I’ve seen it from you, despite-…” Princess Celestia paused, cutting herself off with a soft chuckle as she looked towards the ceiling. She then looked back down to Pinkie Pie.

“You’re an active learner, aren’t you?” Princess Celestia commented. There was a silence, before Twilight gasped, and soon the others followed suit, all watching Pinkie Pie with simultaneous faces of suspended disbelief.

“I… I suppose…” Pinkie Pie responded, as she felt her strength draining faster and faster. Her head began to pound with pain, and bright white began to obstruct her vision. Her face began to pale, and she found even her breathing slowed significantly.

Princess Celestia raised a brow, watching Pinkie Pie with a face of mild concern.

“Pinkie?!” Fluttershy yelled. Pinkie Pie couldn’t see, and could now barely hear, but she managed to turn to Fluttershy with a worried look in her eyes, confused as to why her body suddenly began failing her, despite having spent herself like this many times before, so she thought.

“Guys… I don’t…” Pinkie Pie began, as her vertigo began to spin violently, her head throbbing with devastating pangs of pain. She completely lost balance, as her weight shifted to one side completely, desperately trying to regain her footing as she stumbled two steps to the side.

“Feel so…” Pinkie Pie went on, as her words suddenly stopped, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

*djjt!*

Pinkie Pie fell onto the floor suddenly with a great thud, still, and unmoving.

“Pinkie!!!” All of the girls yelled, rushing to her aid. However, before they could reach, they were blasted back by a small, yet powerful push of force.

They looked at Celestia with worry and confusion, and she looked back with her usual unreadable face and cold magenta orbs, holding her palm out.

“Twilight,” Princess Celestia began, turning to her as she picked up Pinkie Pie’s limp body with one hand, tucking her in one arm.

“Yes, Princess?” Twilight responded swiftly.

“The Chief is out of commission. You will be resuming her duties, and preparing the team to further their endurance training for the remainder of the day’s session. That is all. Dismissed.” Princess Celestia stated, as she walked towards one of the Projection chambers to degear Pinkie Pie.

There was a thick silence. The girls watched as Princess Celestia, and the battered and bloodied Pinkie Pie under her arm, disappeared behind the Projection chamber doors in moments, Celestia moving swift and calculated as always.

The girls’ gazes fell from the door to Twilight. She, too, was battered, beat, and bloodied. A large range of emotions screamed between the girls within the silence of the room. Only Twilight and Pinkie Pie could know what words were exchanged, but one thing was for sure: it wasn’t settled in a pretty way.

Nobody knew how to feel about this new, deep tension with Pinkie Pie, and what it might mean for the team. What was Celestia thinking, endorsing this? It seemed there was a divide even deeper than before with the conclusion of today’s conflict.

Twilight herself felt quite enraged. She struggled to keep from balling her fists. Why was it that the Princess gave such special attention to Pinkie Pie, she thought, listening as the Projection in the next room whirred to life.

Why was it that the Princess couldn’t notice her special efforts, she thought, listening to Pinkie Pie degear beyond the walls.

She had spent a lot of effort and timing developing her clone attack, getting so far as to know how to use them for battle assessment at barely any cost to her magic stamina; why hadn’t Princess Celestia commented on that, she thought, as the sounds of Pinkie Pie and Celestia in the other room fizzled out into a small noise in the back of her mind.

Why was the Princess so attached to Pinkie Pie, instead of her, she thought.

“Even when she’s behaving less than stellar, killing three of your guards, and attacking you, no less?!” Twilight thought in fury, finally clutching her fists. Her brows furrowed deeply, and she glared holes into the floor beneath her.

Then, in the moment, she felt as if a gentle hand clutched her shoulder, shaking her from her thoughts with empathy. She looked up, and saw Rainbow Dash’s eyes, locked in a solemn stare. It was a gentle, soft, yet stern look.

The kind of look that made Twilight realize that now was not the time for petty emotion. Now was a time where she could will herself harder than ever to catch up to the behemoth that Pinkie Pie seemed to be.

She took a deep breath, flaring both nostrils, as her fists released into stretching fingers, before resuming a normal position. Now, was the time to show that she damn well didn’t deserve to be first loser on this team.

After all… There’s plenty of time to go before PROJECT: Flood Control is being put onto any leading positions on the field, she thought. And with that, she released her deep breath, relaxing herself into a calm, tempered fire.

“... Ahem!” Twilight cleared her throat with loud authority, one fist over her mouth. As she garnered all attention in the room, she stood out in front of the girls, assuming the Chief’s position. She crossed her arms behind her back, and spoke loudly:

“Let’s not lag. The Princess is quick to tack on slacker’s homework, and with the cancellation of vacation today, we’re gonna want that sleep.” Twilight stated, trying her best to cut through the awkward air and thick silence.

“PROJECT armor’s off… We’re running; ten times gravity, five kilometers to start. Then we’ll process a random strength training regiment from our curriculum. Let’s go, girls!” Twilight shouted with a forced enthusiasm. Only the sounds of shuffling metal-plated armor and silent tension filled the air in return. 

Nonetheless, the girls understood that there was no escaping the daily gauntlet that was PROJECT readiness training, and so, they began to head to the 2 available Projection chambers to strip off their PROJECT power armor for the day…

As Twilight stood, overseeing that each member got changed before going in last herself, she heard the occupied Projection room open. Celestia walked past without so much as a word, but the mostly unconscious Pinkie Pie’s eyes fluttered beneath Celestia’s arm, and she muttered something to Twilight with watery, shiny eyes.

“I’m on your side…”

Twilight barely picked it up, but the grating pain in which Pinkie Pie muttered those words triggered a deep sadness in Twilight, as she forced herself to only listen, not look, at Pinkie Pie and the Princess leave the stadium-arena in the elevator, hearing small mutters from Pinkie Pie out of earshot.

She furrowed her brows. She heard the last two of her fellow PROJECTs leaving the room, and knew it was now her turn last. She shook her head violently, as if to literally sweep out any thoughts accruing in the recesses of her mind, now. 

Now was not the time for petty emotion, she reminded herself. Now, was not the time…





Pinkie Pie awoke in a black abyss. Immediately, her heart raced… It was like an intense wave of déjà vu had just overcome her entire being. Her entire body had the soft buzz that was in her hand the first time PPAI made herself known to Pinkie Pie months ago, when she and her friends were being escorted to the quarters they now resided in.

Not only did she feel that familiar, warm buzz, but her senses seemed distorted; much like how the pill the royal guard fed her disabled all of her senses before. No matter how she tried to twist and turn, she could feel, nor see anything else, not even her own body. She tried to figure out what exactly was going on, but found that her thoughts seemed… hard to grasp; and far too jumbled and garbled, more so than usual.

The more she tried to hone in on a thought, the less sense any of them made to her, so…

She floated along as a simple entity in this black abyss, the warm buzz in her metaphorical body pulsing; ebbing, and flowing; not thinking of much of anything, but at the same time, hearing her a slew of thoughts.

“That’s her! She’s gotta be…” 

Pinkie Pie audibly gasped; her attention was immediately aroused at what sounded like a familiar voice, one that was not simply a stray thought of her own.

As she tried harder to hone in on it, she felt this odd curse of not being able to hone in on her thoughts kick in once again. This time, it was more aggressive, the voice becoming completely garbled, and seeming to sink into the blackness with a desperate speed, being drowned by surrounding noise.

Pinkie Pie’s metaphorical brows furrowed. She felt a tinge of dutiful responsibility, a deep obligation, to be with the voice. Like it needed company.

So, again, she tried hard to listen into the deep black space of gray noise… She strained as hard as she possibly could without any tangible body. Listening… Holding her breath…

“I…”

Pinkie Pie picked back up on something, but the deeper she listened, the more intense the ebbs and flows of the warm buzz in her body became; they pounded and beat with more ferocity, as the voice was drowned in blackness once more. But, stronger than ever, Pinkie Pie could feel a deep empathetic sadness for the voice; like she needed to find it, and comfort it. She already knew why, but… she couldn’t pinpoint it. The reason was just out of reach.

It was like staring at an old friend through a thick crowd, knowing who it was, but not being able to visualize the finer details of their face, or the intricacies of their personality. It was on the tip of her tongue.

Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed further. Her heart raced with a curious anxiety, as another wave of déjà vu washed over her; she remembered this feeling -- the feeling of suppression. Much like when she had remembered something of Celestia that was quickly wiped from her memory before PPAI subdued her.

“Not this time…” Pinkie Pie thought to herself with conviction, trying her hardest to hone in on this thought once more. She squeezed as hard as she could, trying her best to find it once more.

“Talk to her…”

There was the voice again! This time, with a soft, but urgent despair. 

And, once more, the warm buzz intensified; no longer a warm buzz, but a hot, uncomfortable panging and throbbing throughout what felt like her entire body. Pinkie Pie endured it; the voice was so, so distraught; distressed. She wanted to know what it was, and how to help it. She wanted to know why it was being suppressed.

“I have to try…”

Pinkie Pie heard the voice continue, and then begin fading out, but she focused on it once more, and the hot panging and throbbing intensified into a pounding burn; like metal mallets pounding onto her ribcage; it was then, that Pinkie Pie had yet another massive wash of déjà vu; this one more vast than the others; Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, as a wealth of information flowed throughout her; an enlightenment of sorts, and a great one at that. The déjà vu she felt now, became infinitely clearer; all those strange feelings she had in pivotal experiences, became so much clearer.

The feeling she had with her nagging intuition on the parasite’s impending arrival to her home; the feeling she had when she knew how to dodge and counter the parasites that night; the feeling she had when Celestia laid eyes upon her during her apparent ‘rescue’; when she first laid eyes on the stadium-arena; when Celestia demonstrated the combat skin’s resilience; when her PROJECT armor activated; when the Flood arrived in the Changeling simulation; when, when, when…

All the times where Pinkie Pie had surreal moments that seemed to trigger immense feelings of déjà vu in her, or an extreme phenomenon, such as a distortion of Space-Time allowing her to perceive time at incredible rates, came flooding into Pinkie Pie’s memory.

Now, something within her seemed to relieve its suppression, as a wave of clarity washed over Pinkie Pie, bringing within herself a deep, cooling sense of relief.

Suddenly, the pounding burn within her no longer brought her discomfort -- she finally understood its complexity more deeply, and that alone seemed to be enough for its hurting to cease. The pounding burn beat in a perfect offset synchrony with her own heart, as if the two rhythms were attempting to mimic each other in an infinite dance of pings; a resonation.

Her mind was still filled with a garbling of gray noise, but it now seemed less flooded; still unclear, and quite confusing, but all the sounds were clearer.

Pinkie Pie focused on the beat of the drum, pounding beside hers. She let her mind wander to the testing of the combat skin from Celestia… as her own heart rate accelerated, she found that the drum’s, too, sped up, keeping a level of consistency with her own, but clearly not synonymous.

She thought of the fear she felt when she saw those gigantic Flood changelings in the simulation; her heart rate skyrocketed, and yet, the drum beside her heartbeat saw only a slight increase in frequency.

Pinkie Pie breathed out slowly, as she began to understand more. She breathed in deeply, before honing back in on the voice that she previously was trying to find, desiring more confirmations of her enlightenment.

She felt the drum in her chest begin to race, and race, and race -- it beat even harder and faster than ever before.

All of a sudden, Pinkie Pie’s vision was enveloped with a bright whiteness, much like before she passed out, before she appeared somewhere dark and gloomy… it was hard to tell, but as her eyes adjusted, she began to make sense of her environment…

There was a lot of metal… a ceiling that wasn’t in sight; the walls also looked to be a shaft of some sort. There were crates of supplies and other utilities upon the floor around her, so perhaps it was a lift? As she looked around, her eyes continuing to adjust, they widened.

She saw a PROJECT, standing directly in the center of the platform, the only place with enough light to be easily visible. She looked at its amulet, but it was dull, and colorless, as if it was lacking power. It held two handguns in each hand, lowered, fingers to the side of the trigger. They had a segmented pattern much like Celestia’s rifle when she fought the parasite.

It seemed to be scanning the room for something, looking around slowly, carefully. And then, suddenly, a cyan light in the darkness glowed; the PROJECT aimed both of its guns over at the light with such swift fierceness that Pinkie Pie hadn’t even had time to pinpoint the light by the time her fingers reached the trigger, ready to squeeze.

The PROJECT’s amulet now began to glow itself, a gentle lavender. The cyan light in the darkness approached the center of the platform, and as it reached the lighter center of the platform, Pinkie Pie’s brows raised. It was,

“Rainbow Dash.” The PROJECT with a lavender amulet said. Rainbow Dash was in her PROJECT armor, but had her visor unequipped, her hair cascading over her armor; in her arms was a shotgun, segmented much like the other PROJECT’s weapons. Both of the amulets then died down, returning to a dull, neutral state.

Pinkie Pie looked at Rainbow Dash’s face; it was one of determination, pain, and despair. Her eyes were terribly bagged, and it was clear that she had been through some kind of anguish.

The unknown PROJECT held the palm of her hand over her choker, as the armor plating surrounding her head folded back, and the visor fizzled out of existence.

“Twilight…” Rainbow Dash said, as she dropped her weapon to her side, before throwing it over her shoulder, as it seemed to magnetically hold in place firmly on her back. Twilight’s arms hadn’t moved, her barrels still pointed to Rainbow Dash’s forehead.

Twilight’s eyes were furious; enraged. Her brows furrowed deeply into her skull, and there was a fire in her irises that could burn a village. But, alongside that fury, was betrayal. Pain. And, like Rainbow Dash, despair.

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily upon looking into the eyes of her special companion.

“Let’s not do this. Please, Twilight, it doesn’t have to be this way.” Rainbow Dash desperately pleaded, in a tone Pinkie Pie hadn’t even known she was capable of.

“What are you doing here--?” Twilight furiously rambled, before immediately cutting herself off; she already knew the answer.

“Why are you helping her?!” Twilight yelled in quick succession from her previous sentence, as she threw her hands in Pinkie Pie’s direct location, before quickly aiming back at Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie felt her heart rate speed up; her presence was noticeable?

“What’s going o--?”

“Helping her?” Rainbow Dash questioned sternly, pained desperation still lacing her words, pointing to the same direction, clearly talking over Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie was confused, raising a brow, but then quickly deduced that she was reliving something… a memory of sorts, it had to be; that’s why they hadn’t heard her. As she tried to look at herself, she realized she wasn’t physically here; an invisible entity, like she was still sailing in the black nothingness previously.

“It’s not about her, it’s about doing the right thing.” Rainbow Dash spoke, emphasizing her words, her tone still one of appeasement and desperation.

“I’m trying to do the right thing, Twilight, you should, too!” Rainbow Dash reiterated, but was hit with a rebuttal so swift she barely had time for her last syllable.

“I am doing the right thing!!” Twilight roared, her fury finally breaking to the surface. Her eyes became shiny and lubricated.

“I’m not deserting. Going AWOL. Being a fucking traitor!!!” Twilight spoke with a furious strain on her voice, her eyes shining even further.

Pinkie Pie felt her heart wring in pain, watching the two converse. What was she witnessing? What had separated these two like this? Why did it look as if Twilight was ready to kill Rainbow Dash? Why was the pain from both of them so tangible? Why couldn’t they just make up?

“She’s just using you for your her own agenda, Dashie. She already went after Applejack, and look what that’s done to Rarity…” Twilight continued, her voice becoming a tad softer.

Rainbow Dash’s features twisted in concern and worry, even more deeply than before.

“Is that what they told you…?” Rainbow Dash sighed, as she stared down into the floor momentarily.

Twilight snapped back into anger at being doubted. “I’m going to stop her! I have to, for the good of Equestria! For the Princess!! I have to…” Twilight spoke once more, stepping forward, as her fingers tensed further around the triggers of her weapons.

Rainbow Dash stepped forward as well, holding her hands out in a pleading manner. “You don’t have to prove anything. Come on… Let’s leave this place… We can get you help, figure how to stop that damned degradation!” Rainbow Dash begged, tears finally falling from her eyes despite trying her hardest to hold them back.

“Degradation?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, confused. Did Twilight have a complication with the Reclamation pills, or was there something else at play?

“You can trust me…” Rainbow Dash pressed with an anguished tone, stepping forward so close to Twilight that the barrels of her guns were mere inches from her forehead.

Twilight was silent for a few moments, her teeth gritting heavily, as her eyes shone more and more.

“Maybe…” She began, as her gritted teeth disappeared behind her lips. She bit her lips, as tears fell and streaked from her eyes in great volume. She closed her eyes, wiping her face onto her shoulder, but to no avail, as more poured out. Her arms weakened, her guns threatening to fall, but then, they stiffened once more, the previous fury joining the sadness in her cascading eyes.

“Maybe I can trust you, Rainbow Dash…” Twilight went on, as her brows furrowed deeply again, tears still falling.

“But, you can’t trust me.” Twilight said, as she pushed one of the barrels into Rainbow Dash’s forehead.

Pinkie Pie watched intently, as the small passing moments seemed to last eons. Rainbow Dash’s tears picked up, but as she blinked one out, she immediately began to turn and duck in the same motion, providing a swift sweeping quick to one of Twilight’s weapons, and as she raised the other to shoot, found herself being body slammed into the ground with ferocious speed, the other weapon clanging away from her.

Twilight caught herself before she made impact with the ground, and twisted herself away from Rainbow Dash, as both stood across from each other, fists raised and ready.

As soon as they took off, Pinkie Pie could only see blurs and lines; whatever skill level they were at now was far beyond her scope, she thought, watching dents and damage appear in the area surrounding her without ever being able to pinpoint a single one’s position. 

Suddenly, as they had a head-on clash with magic, a bright light enveloped the area, and as the light died down, Pinkie Pie found herself back in the black nothingness she was previously in.

As her senses were able to finally turn away from the scene unfolding before her, she realized that the pounding in her ribcage was powerful; banging, banging, banging, banging, banging…! And it had a burn to it… Like the one Pinkie Pie would feel in her chest when she was battling anxiety.

She had relived something traumatic. And something within her wanted not to remember that occurrence.

Pinkie Pie didn’t know how to feel. Was what she saw a vision of the future? Or perhaps of a previous life, like PPAI had mentioned? Was she only able to overcome the suppression of the memory or vision because of PPAI’s absence?

“And what the heck was that about Applejack…?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself -- as her brain asked this particular question, once again, her vision began to be enveloped by a bright whiteness, being forced into another traumatic experience, despite her barely being able to process what had just happened.

“Wake up…” Pinkie Pie pleaded with herself -- she didn’t want to be in this state anymore.

“Wake up!” Pinkie Pie pleaded once again, as her eyes began to adjust, and she was in a new environment.

Her eyes widened, and her pupils shrunk with shock, as she began to assess her environment; the first thing she saw, was herself in PROJECT armor… Standing with her foot over another PROJECT, a shotgun, barrel steaming, aimed down in her chest… The PROJECT had an orange choker and seemed to be gurgling blood out from her throat, clutching a large chest wound…

Pinkie Pie fell to her knees.

“Wake up… Please…” She whispered to herself, watching herself slowly pull the barrel of the shotgun up to the PROJECT’s visor.

“WAKE UP!!!”
> Overwhelming Reality - Chapter 19
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"And, yet… Here you are, attempting diplomacy. Are you afraid, Princess?"

>May 21, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 6:47PM<






Pinkie Pie laid in a hospital cot, hooked up to three different needles and tubes feeding fluids; one black, like the Reclamation pills, one a mix of hydrating substances, and the other a milky colored substance, for nutrition.

Machines beeped gently in care for Pinkie Pie, monitoring her state for nearby medical staff who would come to her rescue in a moment’s notice at the slightest sign of a potential criticality.

Pinkie Pie’s hair sagged over to one side of her head, still curled, but no longer puffed with its usual exuberance. Her chest ebbed with an astonishingly slow pace, heaving up for several seconds, before steadily releasing for several seconds. Slow. Silent. Stable.

And yet, Fluttershy, sitting in a chair beside her bed, stared at her with deep concern. For fourteen days, her companion had yet to arise from her slumber, despite round-the-clock care from what Celestia said were her most talented medical staff.

“Pinkie…” Fluttershy sighed aloud,  placing her hand over Pinkie’s being careful not to disturb any of the equipment connected to her body.

“It’s so lonely without you…” Fluttershy spoke softly, lowly, more so than usual. She rubbed Pinkie’s hand gingerly with her thumb.

“Everyone is weary of me after what happened…” Fluttershy said, pain tinging her voice, thinking back on how tense the training sessions have been for her over the last few days.

“But, even worse…” she continued, as her eyes sparkled with gentle lubrication.

“The way they speak about you… The things Celestia allows them to say of you… It’s not right.” she sighed defeatedly, squeezing Pinkie’s hand as gently as she could.

“I wish you’d come back, already. I wish that you listened to me… I wish that you confided in me… I wish you’d have let me help you… I wish…” Fluttershy continued, before the tightness in her throat, and a single tear caused her words to choke up.

“I wish you’d come back, Pinkie. I love you. Just… come back…” Fluttershy stated, watching Pinkie’s dull hair, and still, emotionless face.

She sniffled once, and stood, as tears began to pour down her face. She turned towards the door, deciding to leave before anyone else caught her here, on the verge of breaking down.

She held her palm towards the door’s panel, preparing to exit, before she heard a sudden, loud shuffle, followed by a desperate gasp for breath.

She turned, and saw Pinkie Pie sitting straight up in her bed. She was hyperventilating with deep gasps, and in moments, her skin seemed to saturate with sweat. Her pupils were constricted, and her eyes were wide. Fluttershy was stunned -- stuck between concern for this outbreak, and an overwhelming joy of Pinkie Pie returning to consciousness.

However, as she looked around the room and made eye contact with Fluttershy, she seemed to relax, or at the very least, seemed to contain herself, as after a few passing moments, her pupils returned to normal size, and her breathing stabilized.

Fluttershy’s lips almost cracked with how widely she grinned; she dashed over to Pinkie Pie’s bed with such speed that the sheets flew off of the bed.

She practically jumped onto Pinkie Pie, hugging her with a deep, tight, longing embrace.

“Pinkie Pie…!” Fluttershy squealed quietly, her hug tightening more and more. Pinkie Pie could feel her shoulder moisten with tears.

Pinkie Pie raised her arms and hugged back, speaking no words. Her embrace was loose, limp, and robotic, as if she hadn’t quite remembered how to use her body.

“I’m so glad!” Fluttershy exclaimed, pulling back from the hug, grabbing Pinkie’s cheeks in either hand, and giving her a thousand and one pecks on the lips.

However, her excitement died down slightly when she realized that Pinkie Pie’s excitement was not mutual; on her face was that deadpan, emotionless look she had in her state of unconsciousness -- like some kind of life was drained from her.

Her expression was blank, plain, drained… gray.

“Pinkie? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, staring into Pinkie’s eyes, whose own eyes seemed fixated on something beyond her. Fluttershy turned, and there was nothing. She could sense some people approaching, but there was no malicious or ominous intent, so surely, that wasn’t what was keeping Pinkie’s attention.

Pinkie Pie, noticing Fluttershy’s concern, tried to will a smile onto her face, but found it to be impossible in every sense of the word -- physically, emotionally, mentally, she was… incapable.

“I’m…” Pinkie Pie began talking, pausing momentarily as she realized how scratchy her throat felt, and how heavy her body now felt with the weight of the maddening knowledge that swelled her mind to uncomfortable proportions.

It felt as if simply talking required great strength of her. After the long and taxing experience she just had, simply sitting here, once again existing in this world of newly understood misfortune, seemed to be a feat of utmost difficulty.

Ignorance is bliss. Pinkie Pie had been robbed of her bliss; forcefully, traumatically, and she felt, prematurely. She felt empty, tired, and weak.

“I’m glad to be back, Fluttershy.” Pinkie Pie spoke plainly. She slowly craned her neck forward, and kissed Fluttershy’s lips -- and that’s when Fluttershy knew something was wrong.

The love was there -- the passion, the energy, the exuberance, however -- the life that was usually carefully planted in Pinkie Pie’s personality and actions had… dissipated.

Something changed. Fluttershy stared at Pinkie Pie in concern, looking into her now ice-cold, sunken blue eyes. Although one was covered with strands of messy bedhead hair, Fluttershy could see through those orbs that something inside of Pinkie Pie had severely broken or snapped -- something Fluttershy could only deduce as a complete “mutation”. 

Pinkie Pie had changed, like an adolescent child reaching adulthood and truly grasping the reality of their new responsibilities. Something within her died, or was dying.

“Are you… Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy asked with deep concern, clutching her chest worriedly.

Pinkie Pie did not speak. She simply nodded, slowly. Her head throbbed. She stared beyond Fluttershy, wondering to herself if this was finally reality, or another relived experience.

But, here she was: feeling Fluttershy’s sensations, being interacted with physically, and being able to completely sense her surroundings: this was real. Pinkie Pie felt her eyes sting, as she reasserted to herself with bitter regret.

“This is real.”

She did not want to be back here, in reality. But, before she could assess anything, a singular presence grabbed her attention, as her eyes darted to the doorway, watching the door like prey watching its predator’s every move.

“The Sun has arrived.” Pinkie Pie stated dryly, before they heard the door slide open. Fluttershy, becoming flustered, immediately lifted herself out of Pinkie Pie’s bed, reclaiming her seat next to the bed.

Princess Celestia, along with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Applejack filtered into the room. Pinkie Pie’s eyes still stared far off into the recesses of the room, her mind nearly absent.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice that all five of the new visitors watched Pinkie Pie with curious observation -- Fluttershy quickly deduced that she was not the only one who had realized a significant shift in Pinkie’s character. Even her aura signature seemed different -- dull, lifeless, limp, but more than any of that, her spiritual presence now seemed… stiff, and cold, like a bitter old person who’d only received the short end of the stick their entire life.

“Welcome back to the realm of the living, Diane.” Princess Celestia commented, folding her hands behind her back. She hummed lowly, as her eyes searched over Pinkie Pie’s entire person, seeming to assess her for something. Then, she gave an amused exhale from her nostrils, a small smile tugging on her lips.

“Barely, it seems.” she commented, walking up to Pinkie Pie’s bed, something arousing her interest.

Pinkie Pie looked up at Celestia, and as they locked eyes, everyone in the room immediately felt a heavy atmospheric pressure weigh onto their bodies.

Twilight seemed to be the most affected by this, her eyes widening with fear, as she remembered this precise feeling from her showdown with Diane a couple weeks prior.

But, it was short-lived, before the room seemed to return to normal.

“Oh-ho?” Celestia chuckled with great amusement at the anomaly, as she leaned forward, her nose mere inches from Pinkie Pie’s own.

She stared through the messy strands of hair, as if searching for something within Pinkie Pie’s own soul.

“It seems you’ve dreamed of me…” Princess Celestia stated slowly, something akin to a seductive drawl on her enunciation.

In a move that unnerved everyone in the room, she leaned her head forward, and dragged her tongue over from the scar on Pinkie Pie’s neck all the way to the corner of her lip, leaving a shiny trail of saliva on her skin. She cupped Pinkie Pie’s other cheek with her palm, her eyes still searching into Pinkie’s own icy-blue orbs.

“What have you learned in that ethereal journey, I wonder? The fear I can smell emanating from your being is ex-po-nentially more rich…” Princess Celestia chuckled, slowly enunciating her words still, before leaning back and standing straight and tall once more.

The room was silent for some moments, as Pinkie Pie and Celestia stayed locked in a staring contest. Pinkie’s face still had a plain and emotionless demeanor etched onto it, but clearly, Celestia saw something different.

“Fear?” The other girls in the room thought to themselves -- they sensed no such thing from Pinkie Pie in the spiritual sense, and she showed no physical signs of fear at all -- if anything, they could only sense the expected shock of waking up from such an extended slumber.

Most wrote it off as another one of Celestia’s disturbingly quirky moments, but Fluttershy and Twilight showed much, much deeper interest; they found themselves pondering on the exact meaning behind Celestia’s inquiry, and her strange behavior towards Pinkie Pie. They most especially focused on that phrase, ‘ethereal journey’.

“Twilight.” Princess Celestia stated, beckoning Twilight forward with a nod of her head.

Twilight stepped forward, the Chief’s jacket clinging to her shoulders. She slowly peeled it from her being, before gently placing it at the foot of Pinkie Pie’s bed.

To Pinkie’s surprise, she felt minimal malicious or ill-intent as Twilight returned the jacket. Something about her had changed in the time she was gone, Pinkie Pie thought.

However, she did still feel an uneasiness and hostility from Twilight’s being, and this spiritual exchange of emotion and information made Pinkie Pie think back to their showdown.

“Thanks...” Pinkie Pie stated plainly, not even reaching for the jacket. She seemed to be stuck in the same position, her eyes still deadpanning to something far beyond the room.

“We simply came to see for ourselves if the Chief had actually awoken from her slumber, and to return her ceremonial cloak.” Celestia stated, as she walked towards the door. Before she exited, she turned back to say one last thing to Pinkie Pie.

“The time is nigh nineteen-thirty. Training usually commences at twenty-three hundred, but come to my quarters at twenty-one hundred for a brief review on what you’ve missed. Dismissed.” Celestia spoke, before she exited through the doorway. Pinkie Pie made no reaction, simply internalizing the information as her brain twisted in deep thought.

The other girls began to leave as well…

“HEY!”

They all stopped in their tracks, frozen by the sudden and unexpected furious presence and loud, roaring shout. They turned, surprised to see that it was uncharacteristically from Fluttershy, who stood with an angry glare in her eyes.

“How dare you… How dare any of you, come here to see Pinkie Pie awaken after a two-week coma, and none of you even have the nerve to say anything?!” Fluttershy stated, before quickly softening under the attention of all eyes on her.

Pinkie Pie’s gaze, and stature, was still unmoved -- as if the situation was passing right through her.

“I-I mean… can’t you all even welcome her back…?” Fluttershy continued, sadness on her voice.

The girls looked between each other, before small smiles grew on their faces.

“Welcome back, Pinks.” Rainbow Dash waved, as she left. Pinkie Pie nodded.

“Welcome back, sugar.” Rarity waved, following Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie smiled dryly.

“Ditto, sugarcube. Glad you’re okay.” Applejack followed suit. Pinkie Pie gave a dry “Thank you.”

“... Welcome back, Chief. See you at twenty-three hundred.” Twilight finished lastly, exiting the room herself. Pinkie Pie waved her off.

Fluttershy sighed, releasing the tension in her chest, and trying to let go of the anger that built up as she saw her friends leaving without a word.

“Can you believe them?! How could they--” Fluttershy began, but was surprised to see that Pinkie Pie had silently begun climbing out of the bed, simply ripping the needles from her skin, and shedding off her bandages and disconnecting herself from the medical equipment.

“Pinkie?” Fluttershy questioned, standing up with her, preparing to follow her and spend at least some time with her before the day began.

Pinkie Pie ignored Fluttershy unintentionally, her mind elsewhere, as she slowly threw the Chief’s jacket over her shoulders.

“Pinkie!” Fluttershy said, more firmly this time, finally grabbing her attention. Pinkie Pie turned to face Fluttershy.

“It’s not long before training begins. You’ve been spending too much time with me, I’ve sensed you here every second of every day when you weren’t in training; I’m grateful, but go get some proper rest in an actual bed before training starts today.” Pinkie Pie stated, her voice dry and dull, just like the expression on her face, or her hair.

Fluttershy’s features filled with disappointment. It had been so long, and yet, Pinkie Pie was instructing her to sacrifice the first bit of potential time they’d have together? How mean, she thought.

“Besides,” Pinkie Pie continued, as she turned, walking towards the door.

“I need some time alone.”

And those were the last words Fluttershy heard from Pinkie Pie, as the door closed behind her, leaving Fluttershy alone in the room. She sighed deeply, trying to quell her intense disappointment. She looked in the bed, and saw strands of Pinkie Pie’s pink hair.

She sighed again, and climbed into the bed. After some moments, she felt her disappointment wane, just slightly, as she hugged the sheets harder, still feeling Pinkie’s presence within the cot, her natural scent lulling Fluttershy to sleep…





Pinkie Pie stood within the main quarters for her PROJECT team, mere inches away from the large glass window they had onlooking the cosmos.

Fluttershy nor Twilight was present, but Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were. Despite the proximity, chatter was slim -- Pinkie Pie made no attempts to socialize with the other girls, and they, in turn, felt turned off from trying to approach her.

They could sense from her a deep melancholy, and figured it best to leave her to her own wits for the time being -- there would be time to talk during training, but the girls hunched that Pinkie Pie was not in a social mood, judging from her behavior shortly after waking up.

On top of that, there was still a tension between her, Fluttershy, and everyone else regarding the incident with her and Celestia.

Pinkie Pie’s mind, however, could not be further from that situation. Unbeknownst to the girls in the room, Pinkie’s eyes leaked silently, dripping from her chin.

She had not looked at them, because she could not bear to. Every time she looked at each of their faces, nightmares screamed within her mind, and disturbing violent images of debauchery and death replaced their kind and gentle features.

Every time she saw their faces, she felt a maddening mixture of hatred, love, depression, joy, contempt, pride, shame, and emotions of the sort.

But she felt most overwhelmed when looking at Celestia -- she now knew exactly why she had felt such an aversion to her when PPAI had linked into the PROJECT amulet’s interface, and some of her memory unclouded.

Pinkie Pie felt a deep, sinking, helpless fear when even thinking of Celestia -- she gritted her teeth; despair and frustration ran through her veins. Celestia wasn’t just a monstrous being. She was a monstrous god. 

And it was only a matter of time before the Sun realized that Pinkie Pie’s newfound fear of her meant something greater; that she had new knowledge, and understood, truly, exactly what Celestia was.

Only now did Pinkie Pie understand what PPAI and all of her previous lives must have gone through: a single mortal was not meant to internalize the emotions, memories, desires, thoughts, and morals of a thousand other lives -- even if, in technicality, they were all her own.

A single mortal was not meant to so literally carry the will and soul of a thousand others.

For lack of a better term, she was overwhelmed -- but overwhelmed did little justice to explain the weight Pinkie Pie now carried within herself.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie felt a firm palm on her shoulder, and as she looked back, the person who touched her shoulder jumped back with caution, lurching her body forward, as if ready to defend herself against something fierce.

“Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash questioned, feeling a rather hostile intent from Pinkie Pie that quickly quelled itself. Rainbow Dash shook it off, assuming she had been mistaken, as she saw Pinkie Pie’s face wet with tears.

Despite what had happened, Pinkie Pie was still her friend, and Rainbow Dash felt her heart ache. Her body relaxed, and she walked up to Pinkie Pie, giving her a tight hug.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you, Pinkie Pie, but you know we still love you, right?” Rainbow Dash spoke reassuringly, holding Pinkie Pie’s head in her shoulder, being slightly taller than her.

Pinkie Pie could not find strength to talk, and instead, limply hugged Rainbow Dash back, simply patting her back in acknowledgement.

Rainbow Dash tightened the hug, gently caressing the backside of Pinkie’s head. Pinkie Pie’s own grip tightened. She did not know how bad she needed the comfort until the second Rainbow Dash so gracefully gifted her with it.

Her body shook, and small, almost silent whimpers left her lips, as Rainbow Dash felt her shoulder soak in tears.

Rainbow Dash felt a deep frustration -- clearly these tensions with the Princess that unfortunately extended itself to deep tensions with the team was birthed from something greater than all of them combined. Something was weighing heavily on Pinkie Pie, and yet, she felt the need to carry it alone.

“We’re here for you, Pinks. You should try to remember that, okay…?” Rainbow Dash spoke quietly, in a motherly and reassuring tone, still caressing her friend’s head.

Pinkie Pie nodded quietly into her shoulder, before the two eventually pulled back, Pinkie Pie wiping her eyes and nose.

“It’s almost twenty-one hundred, Chief. Don’t be late.” Rainbow Dash stated. Pinkie Pie’s head turned towards the clock, and true to her word, her meeting with Celestia was due in just four short minutes.

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie Pie said, attempting to look into her eyes -- but the images that replaced her face forced her to stare down into the ground after just a few seconds, as she turned and began to leave for Celestia’s quarters.

As Pinkie Pie exited the quarters, she froze, staring down into the hallway. The image of Rainbow Dash’s pained, bloodied face, with many different expressions and many different moods.

Pinkie Pie had not even blinked for two minutes, trying to get her mind to focus on something else, before she suddenly felt a deep darkness whip her out of her frozen state -- as that sensation had reawoken her, the task of meeting with Celestia immediately burned itself into her mind once more -- as if she was summoned…

Pinkie Pie breathed in deeply, giving her best attempt to collect herself, as she applied a small boost to her speed with her sky magic, before zipping through the hallways to make it to Celestia in time.





“Diane.” Princess Celestia welcomed, watching her doors open, as Pinkie Pie strolled in with slow, careful, cautious steps. She stood across from Celestia’s desk, next to a chair.

“Princess.” Pinkie Pie greeted, her tone plain and dry. She tried to quell the accelerated heartbeat thumping within her chest to no avail.

Staring into that face brought back memories, struggles, and revelations that Pinkie Pie couldn’t believe, yet knew to be true. Pinkie Pie was further appalled to know of Celestia’s true involvement with the Parasite, and exactly what it was. She struggled to keep her bile within the region of her stomach. A violent mix of disgust, fear, hatred, and despair welled up from within.

“You seem to be quite distracted since you’ve returned, Chief. What is the cause of your distress?” Princess Celestia asked, folding her hands in front of her mouth, leaning her head upon them.

“All due respect, Princess…” Pinkie Pie began after a long pause, releasing a deep sigh, as she attempted her best to steel her nerves even further.

“I’m fine. And you should stop asking. The answer will not change.” Pinkie Pie spoke with an overly stern tone, wishing to expedite the meeting.

“Oh-ho…?” Celestia chuckled, a wide smirk growing on her lips as she leaned back into her chair. Pinkie Pie felt a crackling excitement emanate from Celestia’s aura.

“You’re maturing so much faster than I’ve expected… Your aura…" Princess Celestia began, wafting the air to nostrils playfully. 

"It smells like it has the seasoned experience of a thousand lives, and now, here you are, carefully guiding this iteration…” Princess Celestia continued, smiling intently as she rubbed her chin.

Pinkie Pie felt her heart beat into her throat, but she effectively kept her cool, at least externally -- but Celestia was too seasoned to be fooled by such a guise -- the immediate focus Pinkie Pie sent directly into her own eyes alerted her to the fact that her student was not ignorant. Her smirk further widened.

“But, let me reassure you of one thing…” Celestia went on, ominously drawling her words along.

“You are a child. A thousand lifetimes is an infinite too little to step into the elden world of Cosmic Magic you are meddling in. You are involved in the politics of a world that is foreign, and with foes that far outrank you in age.” Princess Celestia spoke.

Pinkie Pie felt her skin glow with heat, sweat droplets forming all over her neck. She did not quite understand what Celestia spoke of, and yet, the words brought her great discomfort.

“W-wh--?”

“Silence, Diane.” Princess Celestia interrupted, as she continued to stare into Pinkie Pie’s eyes, continuing her message.

“True as it may be that I am relatively weak in this realm as it is your 0th iteration, I am not such an amateur that I could be usurped by a child. You know it yourself, do you not? That this struggle far predates you; that relative to myself, you are but an infant.” Princess Celestia went on.

Pinkie Pie was confused, and silent, but was shocked to find her mouth begin moving on its own.

“And, yet… Here you are, attempting diplomacy. Are you afraid, Princess?” Pinkie Pie’s lips formed the words on their own, much to her surprise and further confusion.

“No more than you, child. We know there are only two ways to stop this cycle; we know that you wouldn’t survive enough precedential iterations to achieve one outcome. And, furthermore, we know that you would be fighting a war on two fronts if you attempt the other outcome -- what the Parasite and myself fear the most. Do you want to squander what little Cosmic power you have on such a ridiculous gamble?” Princess Celestia argued calmly. As Pinkie Pie watched the Princess, she realized that although Celestia was staring into her eyes, she wasn’t looking at her.

“A ridiculous gamble? Hah! Rich words coming from the almighty Sun so desperately clinging for a diplomatic resolution with an infant. What’s that you said to me some lifetimes ago? Were it so easy…?” Pinkie Pie’s mouth once again formed on its own. Princess Celestia chuckled, amused at her student’s response.

That’s when Pinkie Pie knew what it must’ve been -- she must have been communicating with PPAI in some shape or form.

“Humph, so you are still capable of sentimentality. Truly, you still are, and always will be, my star pupil. No progress for us this time, it seems?” Princess Celestia inquired.

“You already knew the answer to that. Just like you knew this conversation was pointless. Just like you knew initiating this conversation to prove my arrival was pointless. Because you already knew… that I was here… coming for your neck, as you’ve known for the last several times.” PPAI spoke through Pinkie Pie.

“Hm-huh… I don’t suppose, then, that you will let me remember this conversation? In good faith, of course, seeing as how I ‘already know’?” Princess Celestia asked, reaching her hands out towards the scar on Pinkie Pie’s neck.

As her hands closed in, her fingers bent backwards unnaturally, as if pushing against a forcefield; uncomfortable crackling of bones and tearing of skin filled the room. Pinkie Pie could feel her own lips twist upwards into a sadistic smile at the sound of Princess Celestia’s bones breaking.

“Of course not. This is the most precedential lifetime to rid you and the Parasite of your Cosmic power, and to end this Cosmic Trinisette of pain and war.” PPAI responded promptly.

“A shame, really… But, you know, it’s only a matter of time before I decipher your technique. This route you’ve chosen… it will be your last life. It doesn’t have to be… You know you still have a place beside me, don’t you?” Princess Celestia commented. Pinkie Pie could feel a sorrowful beating in her heart. Pinkie Pie’s vision started to turn white, much like in her coma.

She felt her heart rate speed up with anxiety… There was absolutely no way -- was she still dreaming??

“Princess, I have seen many times what becomes of myself, my friends, and all the people I love when you dominate. To you, your intentions may be pure, and for the greater good, but to I? Allyship with you is nothing more than slavery -- psychological rape.” PPAI spat, as Pinkie Pie could feel a thousand generations of hate, fear, disgust, and all the like of negative emotions well up within her violently.

Princess Celestia, for the first time ever in Pinkie Pie’s eyes, shed all character from her personality, and in her eyes, was a gleam of sorrow, and regret; like a villain being faced with the harsh reality of the outcome of all their evils. It was the most human Pinkie Pie had ever seen Princess Celestia seem.

“I wish you could see just what these lifetimes have turned you into. No being of this realm was ever meant to be trusted with the godhood that is a Cosmic Presence. You have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, but you’re no longer human…” PPAI said with a stern, almost scolding voice, but one with a quiet tone of sadness and disappointment.

“Hell, even I’m losing my humanity. Desensitization of all the violence from overexposure turns to pleasure when your psyche seeks stimulation… And that’s just one centimeter of the iceberg. How could you enjoy this sick cycle? We are corrupted.. Broken… That’s why I’m leaving everything up to her.” PPAI explained, as Pinkie Pie felt her palm slam into her chest with a prideful force.

“You say this will be my last life? Indeed it will, Princess. Either my Cosmic presence will be eradicated and my existence wiped from everything, or… Oh, but you already know the other outcome, don’t you?” PPAI said, before Pinkie Pie felt an involuntary chuckle heave from her chest at the fearful look from Princess Celestia.

But, the fearful look from Celestia was quickly replaced with a small smile. “Oh, I do know…"

Princess Celestia’s smirk grew even further. “… But does she?” She chuckled, pointing directly towards Pinkie Pie -- this time, Pinkie Pie knew, she was the one being referred to.

Before anything else could happen, Pinkie Pie’s vision was enveloped with white, and after a few moments her vision cleared; she found herself staring at a door.

“And Chief?”

Pinkie Pie jumped, her skin buzzing with anxiety, hearing Princess Celestia’s voice behind her. She turned to face the woman.

“Don’t forget to catch up on the training routines. You’ve been out of commission for some time. You’ll need to catch up.” Princess Celestia stated.

Pinkie Pie was frozen in place -- what had just happened? She looked at the clock -- it was nearly 2300 -- but, that wasn’t possible… The conversation that just took place was barely twenty minutes.

Then, Pinkie Pie realized what must have happened -- whatever just happened, must have been an isolated moment; as far as everyone else was concerned, that interaction didn’t exist.

Yet, PPAI felt the need to let her witness the interaction despite being capable of manipulating the outcome much sooner -- she wanted her to have some sort of insight as to what this ‘struggle’ between herself, the Parasite, and the Sun was exactly, Pinkie Pie deduced.

“Chief? Are you not feeling rested enough for today’s session?” Princess Celestia inquired, finding her student’s eyes lost in the clock.

Pinkie Pie shook her head, immediately collecting herself -- she needed to remain calm, and keep Celestia off of her -- their, trail, especially after PPAI must have worked hard to ‘reset’ things, so to speak.

“I’m fine, Princess. I’ll rendezvous with the team in the arena.” Pinkie Pie said, promptly making her exit. As she made her way to the arena, her mind replayed the conversation between PPAI and Celestia over, and over, and over…

How long would it be before anything made sense to her, she wondered.

How much longer would these memories torment her, before the resolution was reached?

Everything made her head hurt, and filled her heart with fear and anxiety… She found herself wondering…

Would it be so bad to let the Parasite and the Sun wage their own war?
> Final Assessment, Pt. 1 - Chapter 20
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"Consume life? Is that what you believe? Ponder this, child: do I take life, or give it…?"

>September 19, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 9:26PM<






Pinkie Pie stood, surrounded by a plethora of different flood forms, in a room full of the parasite’s biomatter.

She was in her PROJECT armor, a special firearm in her hands, held in a standby state, seeming to be specially-made and compartmentalized like that of Celestia’s weapon the day that she saved them. She did not have on the ceremonial Chief’s jacket.

“Why bring us here? Why go to these lengths to separate us from the Sun? Surely, you know that she has quite a precise control of Space-Time magic.” Pinkie Pie spoke, cautiously looking around her, her attention snapping between each form that made the slightest movement.

“That creature’s ‘precise control’ of Space-Time magic is not infallible. To think I would waste time luring you and your kin to these lands if I expected her to be able to simply find us with ease, is a great fallacy.” One of the forms spoke, communicating for the Parasite.

Pinkie Pie was quiet for some moments, mulling over its response.

“I brought you here, child, because I know what you are. I wanted a chance to see you for myself. To assess you, without ‘Her’ meddling... What is it you humans say? That knowing is half the battle?” A different form spoke. Pinkie Pie placed a single hand on her hip, craning her arm so that her firearm rested over her shoulder. Her fingers were still closely hugging the trigger, however.

“So… what? You thought you could bring me here, and we could just talk it out? Chop it up? Like we’re buddies? Give me a good reason to not char you all into the ether and go find my squad, freak. Daylight’s burning, and the Chief won’t appreciate my apparent AWOL.” Pinkie Pie spoke with a seemingly uncharacteristic personality.

“Oh, how impatient you children are.” One form spoke.

“Your people are one of a kind.”

“Insolent, impatient, and unwilling to see the larger picture.”

“The Sun has bred such a large family, and the apple seems to fall upon the roots.” Yet a different Flood form spoke with each sentence, in a low tone, sounding almost annoyed.

“You are the Third, are you not? I can smell such a rich Cosmic Presence these days, and yet, the Sun no longer shows herself to me.” The Parasite spoke, as the Flood forms shifted around the room, some closely slithering by Pinkie Pie, small breaths being heard, as if they were smelling her.

“The third what? Start talking sense, tentacles, because time’s short.” Pinkie Pie urged, as she dropped the barrel of her weapon back into her palm, displeased with what she thought to be the Flood stalling.

“There is no need to feign ignorance with me, child. If you are an infant, the Sun has barely reached adolescence. I, however, can be considered to be an elder. I have had hundreds, perhaps thousands, of precedential iterations. Your Sun has had but a few dozen. I presume this will only be your first.” The Parasite stated, all Flood forms in the room ceasing their movement, hoping to not further agitate Pinkie Pie, who brought her weapon to a more ready-state.

“Will be? I thought you said you’re an elder. You should know that this, right here, is it.” Pinkie Pie corrected, holding back less information seeing as how the Parasite was so privy to the context.

“Your infancy is a lighthouse in the dark night. One is not simply born into a precedential life.”

“The Sun is keeping you in the dark, it seems.”

“She shrouds her entire kingdom in a damning darkness.” The Parasite continued on.

‘Diane! What the fuck are you doing!? You know defection is outside of your control, you aren’t to communicate with the Gravemind at all!’

Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed beneath her visor. She decided to ignore PPAI.

“Time’s short, zombies. So, I’ll ask you one last thing before I make my leave. What exactly are you?” Pinkie Pie asked, genuinely curious to learn more of this newly-discovered intelligent Flood.

“I?"

"I am the culmination of an insurmountable volume of lifetimes of planning."

"I am not a coincidence, nor an accident."

"I, was orchestrated.” The Parasite continued through many forms. Pinkie Pie’s brow raised.

“Orchestrated? By who, or by what? If you were created, then where is your creator?” Pinkie Pie inquired, as Flood forms began to shift about the room slowly. Pinkie Pie’s eyes darted around the room, as she spun around ‘playfully’, carefully marking each and every target in her mind.

‘Diane, seriously, it’s time to go. Dis-engage, now.’

“The Sun, child,” it began, as Pinkie Pie’s eyes immediately widened, then narrowed with curiosity.

“I was created, orchestrated, and perpetuated by the Sun. Your own leader.” The Parasite said with a low chuckle. Pinkie Pie scratched the top of her helmet performatively.

But, that didn’t make sense. How could the Gravemind have been the first in the Cosmic Trinisette if Celestia created it?

“These mind games are useless. The Sun and I will burn you into ashes regardless of whatever dirty tricks you try to play.” Pinkie Pie retorted, leaning forward, clearly waiting for a response.

A small zap of electricity buzzed in her neck, trying to get her attention.

All the Flood forms seemed to growl lowly, as their movement around the room seemed to excite.

‘Diane,’ a voice began, chuckling.

‘You don’t fucking get it, do you? This thing’s attribute is corruption… It’s going to work its way into you one way or another. Why can’t you trust me and just get the fuck out now?!’

Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed once again, as she lifted the gun above her shoulder, and banged down into her armor with significant force, planting her feet firmly down into the ground in response.

“Your people are flawed.”

“Weak, guiding the gaunt.”

“Imbeciles, leading the foolish.”

“Abundance leaving you in want.”

“Your greed is a deep-rooted parasite that has seeped far too steeply into existence.” The Parasite continued to communicate through multiple forms, seeing as its guest was willing to stay.

“We’re greedy? Us? Coming from the thing that wants to consume all life?” Pinkie Pie smirked behind her visor, before throwing her free hand up into the air. 

“Hah, so you can be amusing after all.” Pinkie Pie chuckled a low, but haughty laugh, finally lowering her hand on her hip, smiling at the parasite.

Immediately, the entirety of the flood forms paused movement, before skidding and sliding around the room at a furious pace. Pinkie’s features hardened once again, but she remained calm -- she was pleased to see that the ‘elder’ was so easy to manipulate.

“I know that you might not get this, being a hivemind and all, but just because one person leads us, doesn’t mean we always agree with them. Welcome to humanity, when were you born, yesterday?”  Pinkie Pie retorted sarcastically behind her hardened features, carefully watching the activity of the flood forms around her whilst retaining her lax posture.

“My ‘greed’ is simply that I wish for my friends to be safe, no matter when, or where. I don’t care for anything else.” Pinkie Pie inquired. The forms were silent, although they still slithered and moved around the room. Finally, it spoke:

“Consume life? Is that what you believe? Ponder this, child: do I take life, or give it…?” The Parasite retorted with a tone of annoyance, snarling over Pinkie Pie before she could respond.

That’s when Pinkie Pie’s intuition kicked off -- something told her this was now less of a conversation, and now a clashing of ideas, and that soon, formalities would cease.

“Truly, you are an infant.”

“You think it isn’t greedy, or selfish, to desire autonomy and control over all outcomes in every life existing or to exist?”

“In every world and dimension that is, and will be?”

“You know not what this requires.”

“You know not, of the sacrifices that must be made, on your behalf and the behalf of all in this universe.”

“You know not, of the suffering you must afflict.”

“The Sun has explained nothing to you. An adolescent leading a child.” 

“And the child knows not, just how deep the knife driven by the adolescent goes. You both amuse me so.” The Parasite spoke, a clear tone of angry bitterness lacing its words as each form continued taking turns to speak.

“Plans to betray me or not, Parasite, our interests align, for now -- at this stage of the war, I am invaluable to her. She needs me, and you have no shot against two Cosmic Presences.” Pinkie Pie spat in rebuttal.

“She needs you?”

“Hm-huh…”

“Lies for the weak. Beacons for the deluded.”

The flood forms paused speech momentarily, still zipping around the room.

“Your ‘interests align’? Do you take me for a fool?” The Parasite growled lowly, snarling, as the speaking flood form’s three-pronged right arm whipped about furiously, slowing down as it approached Pinkie Pie clearly, the Gravemind wishing to display a physical monument of his emotion.

“A child like you hasn’t even begun to grasp everything that the Cosmos could be, and you have an interest? Your ‘interest’ has the scope of your own two eyes. You are but an infant. Even to your ‘big sister’, you are degradingly inferior. My path is one of unity, and righteous vengeance on this entity that has been abusing me across dimensions!” The form’s growl grew as it spoke, taking small steps forward.

‘Diane…!’

“If injustice is what will save my friends for the eternity of eternities, then so be it. I’m willing to commit evil. I’m willing to be your villain.” Pinkie Pie stated with sure confidence.

“Because I’ve seen what your ‘unity’ is, and motherfucker, nobody wants that shit!” 

The Flood forms seemed to become greatly agitated, as they all began to swarm around the room, only a select few sticking on standby to continue communications.

‘Diane…!’

Pinkie Pie realized that several forms began to layer down in strategic lines of sight, as they pushed green needles out from beneath their skin. Her brows furrowed -- greenlight, greenlight to engage.

“I am immortal. I have millennia -- no, mega-annums upon mega-annums of wisdom. You humans hoard stolen arts from my ancestral selves, and delude yourselves with ‘moral’ motivations. But, I have been reborn. My fate is to be your curse. And cursed, you all are.” The Parasite went on, as only a single Flood form stood still for it to speak, now.

‘Diane!!! They’re about to come at you, we’re out of time!’

“Your Princess--” The Flood form began speaking, before pausing, and a throaty and groggy, but amused, “Hah!” could be heard emanating from its being, as it leaned forward closely to Pinkie Pie, staring directly into her visor. 

“Your commander, calls you and your kin ‘Reclaimers’? Hm-huh…” The Parasite chuckled lowly. Pinkie Pie’s danger-sense flew off the handles, and she quickly turned her gun to the closest red dot she saw on her radar -- a flood form, tentacles outstretched and hardened, looking to pierce Pinkie Pie -- and squeezed the trigger, blowing it to smithereens, before turning back to the Flood form that was still speaking.

“The irony is amusing!” The Flood form roared, before all the forms jumped towards Pinkie Pie’s position. In that instant, time slowed to an unfathomable fraction, everything gaining a slight blue hue, including Pinkie Pie herself.

In a few moments, Pinkie Pie’s eyes darted around, and her body’s hue grew in color, but not completely back to normal; she was still frozen, but her eyes and magical aura assessed the situation around her -- she saw the creatures with green crystals under their skin shooting them out towards her position already; she saw multiple flood forms in strategic physical positions to strike, flank, and even receive counters or intercept subsequent dodges -- damn, they were very intelligent, and even more coordinated.

She sighed, breathing out slowly, as her pink aura exited her mouth. The aura was sparkly, unlike usual. This allowed Pinkie movement, but only at about a fifth of her own normal speed; however, this was plenty.

As Pinkie Pie began to move, she coughed, and a heaving of blood splattered across her visor. She wheezed momentarily, as more pink aura leaked out of her mouth -- for a few moments, the world seemed to come back to closure before Pinkie Pie gasped in again desperately, her eyes straining so hard that blood vessels flexed into life all over her eyes, her brows furrowing in strain.

‘Why don’t you just listen to me…? You know how hard this will be to get out of. You’re matured, but you’re not spiritually and physically peaked enough for this degree of Cosmic Interference.’

“I don’t listen to you because I’m tired of that fucking voice in my head. I’m tired of you telling me what to do. I’ll tell you what I want. You help me do it. That’s it, and that’s all.” Pinkie Pie finally spoke, as her eyes began to profusely leak tears, before slowly leaking blood. “Copy?”

‘... Copy.’

“Good,” Pinkie Pie smiled, as she took one more deep breath in, closing her eyes as blood continued to streak down her cheeks from her eyes. 

The combat skin underneath her PROJECT armor began to glow and steam, as her muscles immediately enlarged underneath the suit in response to her magic -- a highly advanced application of earth magic.

In moments, both of her nostrils instantly began to leak blood, as if being pressured out by a faucet at an alarming rate, and each eye began to leak two additional streams of blood in greater volume -- of course, PPAI was correct; such strain was far beyond Pinkie Pie’s capabilities, and she could only keep up such a thing for mere seconds in the natural state.

But, Pinkie Pie knew that in this state, this was all the time that was needed.

“I want to crush the Gravemind’s forces without alerting anyone else to my survival. That means we have to suppress this thing here, and now, before the other PROJECTs trace us. Since you’re so good at battle support, go ahead and up my chances.” Pinkie Pie stated with a wild smirk, as she began exhaling deeply.

‘On my mark…’

Pinkie Pie continued exhaling, as the pink sparkly aura escaped her, time returning to normal.

In a mere instant, seemingly due to the self-enhancement Pinkie Pie just underwent, a massive well of energy amassed within the palm of her hands, crackling with a plasma-like, fiery substance.

In that instant, the Flood’s assault slowed, if just for a moment. Now being in the zone of battle, Pinkie Pie suddenly knew what PPAI would say next in response to their caution, and lunged forward.

‘Mark!’





Pinkie Pie shot up out of her sheets, desperately gasping for air and feeling cold beads of sweat all over her neck and face.

“W-what…?” Pinkie Pie gasped out loud, looking around the room frantically, before her senses finally began to realize she was not in danger, and her adrenaline began to level off.

She sat in bed for a moment, thinking about the dream -- her body was wet with sweat, and her palms stuck to all the fabric on the bed. She looked up towards the clock, reading “20:48”.

She stared down at her palms, her mind focusing on the dream -- it was one of those déjà vu nightmares she had been having early into the PROJECT program.

But, what unnerved her, was that this one in particular was one she already had before. And now that she had been ‘Enlightened’ following her showdown with Twilight some months ago, no part of the dream was hazy to her.

It made Pinkie Pie ponder deeply in thought -- how much of this world would turn out to be the same as these memories that existed within her?

She, too, would have to communicate with this… ‘Gravemind’, at some point. But the Reclaimers should be far from making any meaningful contact with the Flood, so, then… why was this dream coming back now? Most of her visions were of events soon to come, and that worried her.

As far as her memories told her, the Flood exercising such sentient intelligence should be at least another two or three years away, and yet… Here she was, her memories foreshadowing an indirect encounter with the Gravemind.

“Oh, PPAI… What’s going on…?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, feeling inside of her heart a deep fear and unsettling expectation.

Pinkie Pie looked up to where she would usually hang her ceremonial Chief’s cloak. The rack was empty.

Suddenly, she heard the receiver above her clock crackle into life.

“PROJECTs, rise and shine! The Princess wants us down to the briefing center at twenty-two hundred sharp, as usual, but today, I am calling you all to the lounge for a 30 minute meeting beginning at twenty-one thirty.”

Pinkie Pie looked up at the receiver, hearing Twilight’s voice.

“Chief’s orders.” The receiver continued, before crackling out of life.

She stared at the clock once more. “20:52”. It was time to get ready, Pinkie thought, walking over to the bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush.

As Pinkie Pie finished brushing her teeth, and began combing her hair, she stared in the mirror at her appearance. The memories and experiences plaguing her only seemed to further deteriorate the exuberance of her appearance that she was once so proud of.

Her hair was no longer puffy, and bouncy, but was now straight and silky. It did not shine like it once did, but seemed pale and looked relatively stiff, like moderately damp cardboard.

*Knock-knock-knock*

Pinkie Pie finished combing her hair before approaching her door, and as it slid open, there stood Fluttershy with a beaming smile.

“Flutts?” Pinkie Pie inquired, tilting her head slightly with a quizzical stare.

“Pinkie. It’s only appropriate for the older girlfriend to walk her companion to the destination, no?” Fluttershy chuckled. Pinkie Pie smiled ‘warmly’, but as usual following her Enlightenment, the smile was void of any genuine emotion.

Fluttershy’s own smile wavered slightly.

“How kind, milady. I’m ready to be escorted.” Pinkie Pie stated, grabbing Fluttershy’s hand, as she walked out of the room. But, to Pinkie’s surprise, Fluttershy stood firmly in her spot, effectively pulling Pinkie Pie back.

“Say… Pinkie…” Fluttershy began. Pinkie Pie’s brows furrowed momentarily, before her features softened. She knew what was coming, already.

“Do you remember when I got all pissed off at you shutting me out, and then you promised that you would let me help you?” Fluttershy asked.

Pinkie Pie sighed internally. “I do.” She replied dryly.

“Well, last night, I had a dream.” Fluttershy began. Pinkie Pie looked up with an intense curiosity -- their talk of “dreams” was usually only ever about those regarding the hyper-intuition PPAI instilled within them.

“And?” Pinkie Pie inquired.

“And, I just wanted to say, I forgive you. I never accepted your apology back then, and I never planned to until you made it right, but… ugh, I dunno… Something’s telling me I was being selfish. I know you’re trying your hardest, and, well--”

Fluttershy paused momentarily, before looking directly into Pinkie Pie’s eyes. She stared deep into the void, but what stared back at her was soulless and lost -- fragmented, like the personality an elderly madwoman battling PTSD. Her Pinkie Pie was slipping away day by day.

“I just don’t want to be part of anything that contributes to… to this.” Fluttershy said, as she gently combed through Pinkie’s hair with both fingers, gesturing towards her features; she was referring to the clear stress Pinkie Pie was under -- her eyes were bagged and gray, and slightly sunken; her hair was dull and lacking luster; and her personality was greyer than ever.

Pinkie Pie looked up at Fluttershy, the woman being a few inches taller than her now, at their full maturation. After thinking for some moments, she cracked a small, wry smile.

Wry as it was, Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile back -- it was the first real smile she had seen from Pinkie in weeks. There was still something in there after her recent changes, after all.

“The worst of it was… in my dream, you just disappeared one day… No words, nothing. You were just gone all of a sudden, and there was this…” Fluttershy paused, inhaling sharply as she reminisced on a feeling that was far more familiar than a dream. 

“This-this… This maddeningly intoxicating, psychotically inebriating burn of-of… sorrow… and regret…” Fluttershy went on, rambling through her thoughts lowly, as her eyes softened, and watered, the pain of the dream resurfacing surreally.

Then, Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened -- a small whimper escaped from Fluttershy’s lips, as she backed away from her, and plopped down onto the bed, covering her face in her palms.

“I was so damn frustrated…!” Fluttershy cried out softly between whimpers.

Pinkie Pie felt her heart ache with a pain that made her knees weak. She immediately went over to the bed and sat down, slinging her arms over Fluttershy’s back, gently massaging her as her back heaved gently with her soft whimpers.

“I was… so frustrated th-that… I d-d-didn’t get to say… how-ow I f-f-felt…” Fluttershy cried out softly into her palms. Pinkie Pie’s own eyes watered, her brows furrowing in frustration with herself, as she more deeply massaged Fluttershy in response.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened when Fluttershy threw Pinkie’s arms off of her, standing and retreating from her embrace suddenly.

“So I’m saying how I feel now. I still love you. I forgive you. I’m not angry with you, I’m deeply upset and frustrated at whatever is making you feel like you have to hide things from me -- whatever is making you feel like you have the right to carry all this crap by yourself, and be the hero all by yourself. I’m angry that you think shutting me out is necessary!” Fluttershy rambled between sniffles, and whimpers, and shaky enunciations, before taking a deep inhale.

All Pinkie Pie could do was look up at her, still sitting, and absorb the full brunt of her emotion with a still face, closely assessing all of the information and internalizing it.

“But, I don’t want you to forget that I’m in your corner.” Fluttershy reiterated, as she regained a more professional stature, wiping her eyes, and steeling her wobbly facial features. Her puffy eyes stared down directly into Pinkie Pie’s ice-cold blue ones.

“So, when you have to go get lost one day, and you make the stupid decision to leave behind the people you love for some greater good… As long as you believe in what you’re doing… No matter how angry I am with you, no matter how frustrated I feel…” Fluttershy began, as her eyes squinted, focusing into Pinkie’s pupils.

“I don’t want you out there all alone thinking that I don’t forgive you for it all; that I don’t love you, and accept you. I don’t want you to feel lonely. I’m in your corner.” Fluttershy monologued, exhaling softly, as she turned towards the door, away from Pinkie Pie, to wipe her eyes once more.

Pinkie Pie stood there, silent for some moments, before taking her own deep inhale, mulling over Fluttershy’s words.

“You know, Fluttershy, I meant it.” Pinkie Pie stated, the small, wry smile returning to her face with a bit more width.

“When I said you’re strong. I’ve…” Pinkie Pie began, but thought of words appropriate enough -- worthy enough, to respond to Fluttershy with.

“I’ve had so much to think about lately, that I haven’t been considering things from your perspective -- hell, I’ve got a lot of perspectives to think about right now, but--” Pinkie Pie cut herself off from rambling before regaining focus.

“But… You’re strong, Fluttershy. So much more than you know.” Pinkie Pie said, staring directly at Fluttershy. This Fluttershy had yet to go through the things Pinkie Pie was thinking of when she referred to her strength, but all that mattered was that she was Fluttershy nonetheless -- here she was, conceding and constantly taking the higher ground for Pinkie’s own sake, even though it discomforts her so.

“My promise isn’t broken, it just hasn’t been able to be kept yet. Today is graduation. When we aren’t so close to Celestia, I can let you in. On everything. Okay?” Pinkie Pie said to Fluttershy, who smiled warmly, nodding.

“I’ll remember you said that. It’s bad juju to lie to your elders, don’t you know?” Fluttershy chuckled, spinning around to flick Pinkie Pie’s nose; in the moment that she spun and flicked, Pinkie Pie could see it -- it wasn’t much; just a slight upwards pull on her facial muscles, and a slight flex on her brows -- things Pinkie Pie could notice more easily now with her new aptitude from the super PROJECT program.

But these slight variations, things that were consistent with frowns, or cries, or other expressions of negative emotion, were out of place in such a playful behavior.

Pinkie Pie could see it. She wasn’t the only one holding something much heavier than what she made visible.

Even now, Fluttershy was fighting with everything she had for her sake, too, and for the rest of their friends. Pinkie Pie felt a massive resurgence of motivation course through her veins.

Pinkie Pie stood in her position, feeling the sting on her nose gingerly. Once again, a small smile tugged at her lips genuinely once more.

“I know, Fluttershy. This time, I’m not lying. I promise.” Pinkie Pie stated, before grabbed Fluttershy’s wrist, gently lowering it out of the way, and sharing a small, but deep and longing kiss with her partner.

Fluttershy pulled back with slightly widened eyes, and her mouth agape. It was the most passionate kiss she had received from Pinkie Pie in weeks. Pinkie Pie walked forward around her towards the door, but was quickly stopped by Fluttershy grabbing onto her collar with her usual gentle pull.

Pinkie Pie looked back over her shoulder quizzically, and found Fluttershy staring back down towards her with a blank but focused stare.





“Twenty-one thirty on the dot, huh? That’s close, even for you, Pinkie.” Twilight commented, turning to face her as the Chief’s jacket coolly followed her movements. She stood in front of the large glass onlooking the cosmos in their living quarters. The others sat around within close proximity of Twilight.

“Perhaps closer than we think, her hair’s still messy for goodness sake.” Rarity chimed in.

Fluttershy’s cheeks flared slightly, as she immediately began to straighten her own hair, walking towards the others to take a seat.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack seemed to have their own understanding of the events, looking between the two girls, then between each other, and snickering.

“They slept late alright.” Rainbow Dash chuckled, hiding her smile.

“Okay, well, since we’re all here…” Twilight cleared her throat, as she stiffened her stature, facing the girls with a tall chin.

“Do you guys know what the date is today?” Twilight asked, looking around the room. A short few thoughtful whispers later, and a mix of layered murmurs could be heard, but all said “September 19” one way or another.

“And how long is this first phase of the super PROJECT program meant to last?” Twilight asked. As the silence settled, and realization dawned on faces, Twilight smiled knowingly.

“That’s right. Based on my calculations, studying everyone’s pain receptors, organ activity and responses, as well as our anecdotal information… today is the final dosage of Reclamations. Or is extremely likely to be. Which means…”

“We graduate!?” Rarity yelled more than asked.

“Holy cow!” Applejack cheered.

“Just my assumption guys… But, I’m never wrong, so…” Twilight chuckled, before snapping her fingers -- upon everyone’s laps appeared a small plate with different types of cake on it.

“Enjoy this: I negotiated with Celestia over the last few weeks to get these for you guys. It’s your favorite, so eat up.” Twilight smiled, as she caught her own plate out of the air, and the fork shortly after, taking a bite.

“Gee, Twi, you’re the best! ‘Preciate ya, Chief!” Applejack smiled warmly, mouth full of dessert.

“Second that!” Rainbow Dash joined in, chuckling with her own mouthful.

The others thanked her, too, and began to eat.

As Pinkie Pie looked down at her cake, and took a bite, her mind couldn’t help but revisit the dream that she had.

If today was graduation, they would be leaving -- they would be away from the Sun, and thus, exponentially more exposed to the Flood.

Furthermore, the Gravemind in her dream knew that she and her friends were ‘Reclaimers’, and yet, that should be closely guarded information, even amongst other PROJECTs; in addition, there was no shot that the Gravemind knowing of her and her friends to this extent would ever benefit Celestia.

Therefore, this could only mean one thing, Pinkie Pie thought: the Gravemind was actively seeking for and hunting down information about her, and might already have a leak, or at least a lead on a leak.

She would have to be careful and consult with PPAI further when they left this place. Her brows furrowed deeply as she stared down at the cake, chewing blankly.

How much did the Parasite already know about her? Celestia was apparently keeping a dossier of information on her and her friends prior to being picked up for this PROJECT program. So, then, could the Gravemind have gotten access to this data? If so, how? Through who? Where?

Then, Pinkie’s brows burrowed even further.

She knew that Celestia couldn’t benefit from exposing information about herself to the Gravemind, as this could inadvertently give a lot of views into Celestia’s own strategies…

But, what if there was a benefit that outweighed the dangers? Then, surely, Celestia would give them up. But what could that benefit be?

These questions and constant state of confusion and unsureness was driving Pinkie Pie to madness.

Why? Why did that dream have to come now, she questioned in anxious frustration.

“Sheesh, why the scrunched-up face? Ain’t graduation supposed to be excitin’ sugarcube?” Applejack joked, patting Pinkie’s back playfully.

“When you graduate from school, work naturally follows. My face is scrunched up ‘cause it’s time to work.” Pinkie Pie sighed, getting up as she stuffed the entire remainder of her slice of cake into her mouth.

“panks bor buh ‘ake, ‘C'iefb!” Pinkie Pie said through a full mouth, being the first of the group to break off.





“Isn’t this so nostalgic, my children?” Princess Celestia asked with a small chuckle, sitting at the end of the conference desk.

Just as the day they had been indoctrinated into the super PROJECT program, PROJECT: Flood Control, they all sat alongside the briefing table, facing Celestia at the end of it.

However, instead of having two Royal Guards cater to them like the last time, there was a single PROJECT, who stood at attention, chest out, back tall, and visor equipped -- their PROJECT amulet did not glow a particular color, but was rather dull, and gray, a mode that could be intentionally activated so as to avert confusion in larger PROJECT groups, along with other intended uses.

“Please, Celestia, we’re not so young anymore.” Rarity corrected, her legs crossed and her arm slung over the chair.

“Agreed. Perhaps it’s time to drop the ‘children’ part, don’t’cha think?” Applejack chimed in, playfully leaning back in her chair, flicking a bullet up and down between her thumb and finger.

Princess Celestia smiled warmly. She was fond of how she had grown on the pupils. Her laidback nature was imprinting on them, and she couldn’t help but smile at their newfound comfort.

“I mean, just look at us. We’re frickin’ huge now!” Rainbow Dash chuckled, flexing her arms. True to her word, the Reclamations had aged them all into full-fledged adults. Though the children were still in teen years, they all now looked to be in their late twenties. Their voices were no longer high-pitched, but had the bass of those beyond adolescence.

They seemed to grow quite accustomed to Celestia, over the months.

“Dashie, please. Keep your language in mind with the Princess. She is our commander.” Twilight said in a hushing tone towards her close companion, sheepishly looking between her and Princess Celestia.

Princess Celestia chuckled at her pupil’s concern.

“Do not be concerned, Chief.” Princess Celestia began, prompting Twilight to clutch at the fabric laying over her shoulders, almost using it as a shield, sheepish against her teacher’s stare.

“After all, today is your final assessment. So, for a majority of the day, you may be at ease. Let us enjoy our final moments together for a long time.” Princess Celestia chuckled softly smiling. It was the first time any of the girls had seen her actually converse with such a warm, casual nature.

For a moment, they all felt their pride bolstered up by the pride they sensed Celestia now felt for them, having grown as her personal PROJECTs.

“Unfortunately, after today, I’ll be giving my children away to other PROJECT leaders to continue to supplement your development.” Princess Celestia explained, folding her arms upon her desk.

“I don’t suppose today’s assessment has anything to do with the fact that you’re wearing a combat skin, Princess?” Twilight asked. True to her word, Celestia was not in her usual garments, but rather wore combat skin.

“How attentive, Chief.” Princess Celestia began, a small smile coming to life on her lips, as she closed her eyes and folded her hands again.

“But, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.” Princess Celestia grinned, not bothering to hide the sadistic nature behind her smile as it uncontrollably grew inch by inch.

“Oh, brother. Look at how riled up she is, of course it’s got something to do with it.” Applejack half-sighed and half-chuckled, feeling adrenaline build within her blood.

“And I assume that the PROJECT over there isn’t just here to help us spar today, is he?” Fluttershy inquired, gesturing to the PROJECT standing at attention in the far corner of the room.

Their head turned slightly to look towards the table, returning the gaze of the curious girls, before turning back to look at the wall away from them, seeming to be in their own thoughts.

“All in due time, my pupil. This PROJECT’s assignment will be revealed to you in due time.” Princess Celestia vaguely responded.

“Now, let’s get down to brass.” Princess Celestia began, as she stood. She handed Twilight a familiar container.

Twilight promptly walked around the room, emptying two of the shiny, onyx-black pills into her friends' palms.

Twilight returned to her seat, before sharing knowing gazes and glances with her teammates. They all nodded, before simultaneously swallowing both pills.

They all sat, feeling nothing, save for Pinkie Pie, who felt a disgusting, intoxicating twinge in the pits of her stomach. After some short moments, Celestia laughed, and then began clapping.

"Congratulations! Just as projected, you have all just wasted one-hundred and twenty-thousand of the Kingdom's equins!" Princess Celestia bellowed with uncharacteristic cheer, standing from her seat, continuing to clap.

Then, suddenly, her features hardened, and her hands returned to her sides.

“There will be no graduation ceremony. Only the final assessment, and my handing you all off to this PROJECT that is in company with us today.” Princess Celestia explained.

“Before you all depart tomorrow, you will be required to complete the necessary paperwork for me to file you all in official databases as Field Marshals, as promised. Furthermore, keeping in mind the requests you have all made, your specially-requested and specially-crafted shifters will be shipped to your next base ahead of time,” Princess Celestia continued, as she picked up a rifle from beneath the desk.

It was the same compartmentalized rifle she used the day that she saved them in the Ville. As she fed magical instructions into it, it shifted and formed into many different versions of itself, presumably with different capabilities.

“These weapons are expensive and direly complex to create; these will be the only ones you receive for free. As such, I hope you have all thought long and hard about your requests.” Princess Celestia stated, before placing hers on the table.

The girls seemed quite excited at the mention of finally receiving the final part of their PROJECT equipment that had been promised to them some time back.

“Today’s schedule is short. The graduation process and assessment should be no longer than three hours. After, we will be debriefing you on the current status of your next area of deployment, and your tasks. Finally, I will see you all off under the jurisdiction of PROJECT: CT. I suspect you will all do a great deal to assist the effort against the insurgency resistance.” Princess Celestia explained, as she began to walk towards the door.

“So… that’s it, then…?” Pinkie Pie inquired, at a slight disbelief that their basic training was coming to such an abrupt end. The six months felt like six years -- no, six eternities, and the end of it just approached like a bullet train.

This moment was everything she had been thinking of since her attunement with PPAI, and more specifically, her previous lives.

‘The time is nigh.’

‘It’s almost over.’

‘The Sun will burn.’

Pinkie Pie could hear many iterations of herself proclaim to her that a major development was soon to arrive.

“Excited, Diane?” Princess Celestia inquired, turning to face Pinkie Pie directly, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

“Allow me to reiterate, then,” Princess Celestia began, taking a single step forward towards Pinkie Pie, before disappearing and quickly reappearing directly in front of her.

In the small moment of movement, a strong force blew through the room, and as all eyes laid upon the two, the black tips of the combat skin covering Celestia’s fingers could be seen centimeters away from the wound on Pinkie Pie’s neck.

Pinkie Pie’s palm squeezed around the wrist of Celestia’s forearm, stopping her in her tracks from making contact with Pinkie Pie and the scar. Pinkie Pie had not bothered to look up, understanding that the reaction was an instinct not entirely her own.

“Oh-ho?” Princess Celestia chuckled lowly at her student’s display of maturity, surprised to see her movements stopped without Pinkie Pie ever leaving her seat.

“We’ve only just begun, my dear.” Princess Celestia cooed, finishing her sentence, before ripping her arm away from Pinkie Pie’s grip. She walked towards the door, and before exiting, turned to address the room once more.

“Your assessment, as will be the case for every junction of PROJECT: Flood Control and other specialized PROJECT efforts prior to your full maturation as Reclaimers, will be up to the PROJECT leader you’re being given to. That means, in order to graduate this time, you must earn this PROJECT’s approval in their specified task or mission.” Princess Celestia explained matter-of-factly, holding her finger up.

Expecting more details to be inquired upon, Princess Celestia continued.

“The mission, as has been designated by the PROJECT standing before us now, is, quite simply, to spar with me in combat and successfully restrain me, alive.” Princess Celestia spoke, pausing momentarily to savor the tension filling the room upon reception of her words. Her smile grew as she added on more information.

“Additionally, I have been specifically instructed by this PROJECT that during this exercise, you are all highly valuable assets, marked with a level 5 KOS,” Princess Celestia continued, the small gasps filling the room filling her appetite.

The pupils, despite their maturation, were afraid to go against Celestia in an actual death-battle, especially while having to hold back.

“Naturally, I will be in my full PROJECT arsenal, but the handicaps this PROJECT has set for the exercise are as follows:

1) No firearms. This goes for everyone.

2) No visors, thus disabling full PROJECT power armor functionality -- this handicap is specific for me.

3) No externally-offensive magic -- this means no magic that shapes the environment to help or bolster attacks, no conjuration magic for the sake of attacking, no destructive magic, and overall, just use a common sense understanding of keeping any offensive use of magic strictly internal, i.e, physical enhancement -- this handicap is just for you.

4) The last and final handicap, once again only for you, is that healing magic cannot be used on one’s self. 

Failure to adhere to any handicaps will result in a failure, and a helluva lot of trouble for me, and for you, as I have to readjust.” The Princess explained, holding up four different fingers as she explained each point.

“That is all. I will see you on the grounds in thirty. I'd suggest using this time to prep.” Princess Celestia spoke, as she walked towards the door, the other PROJECT preparing to leave with her.

“Oh, and pupils, one last thing?” Princess Celestia asked, turning back. The girls gave her their attention.

“This might be cheating, but I’ll give you a little advice -- this joker here thinks for some reason that you all can kill me, or even might. Take it from me -- you wanna be coming at me to kill, otherwise, you’ll fail and have to see me again.” Princess Celestia continued on, chucking profusely after her sentence.

“And believe me, you do not want to see me again so soon.” Princess Celestia continued laughing, as she exited into the hallway, the PROJECT following her closely.

Sharing looks between one another and implicit understandings, the girls quickly shot out of their seats to gear up and begin strategizing.





The girls all stood in the lobby of the stadium-arena, donning their PROJECT armor, visors equipped, and nerves steeled.

They had come up with strategies and roles for different basic situations, but this was Celestia they were up against; they had never quite seen her fight, had little intel on her fighting style, and did not know her full strength -- in short, they were being thrown naked into a pit of wolves.

However, they understood that this was a penultimate test of PROJECT: Flood Control -- to be thrown into impossible odds, and survive.

If there was ever a time that their lives were truly in danger during this program, this was it.

As the thirtieth minute of prep expired, the doors to the arena opened, and the girls all simultaneously turned their heads to look at one another, confirming the dread they all felt.

Inside, they could see Celestia, donned in her PROJECT armor over the combat skin, standing in the middle of a large, plain, grassy field. It was a bright and shiny noon setting.

Princess Celestia’s arms were extended outward from her body, her palms facing the sky, as two furious yellow suns glowed with fierce power above them, energy helixing from the environment into the mass of destructive energy.

On her face was a small, wry, grin, but her eyes glowed a devilish yellow, and her aura seemed to spike with an excitement foreign to every one of the girls, even Pinkie Pie.

They all watched on with an extreme air of caution, sensing a devastating bloodlust from Celestia.

As they filtered into the stadium within seconds, swiftly working their way through the spiritual intimidation, they stood side-to-side, surrounding Celestia from some feet away in a semi-circle format.

“Girls, do you remember what I said about tracking tangible signs of growth?” Princess Celestia called out to the girls.

For a moment, the girls were still, their synapses firing in an attempt to recollect the memory Princess Celestia called for.

Then, as Celestia’s grin let loose of all attempts to conceal its sadistic excitement, the girls all began to move:

*SNAP!*

With a powerful snap from both hands, the balls above Celestia’s palm burst into a maddening array of streams of bolts of energy, aiming into several different directions and angles redirected at the girls.

As they all dodged, the projectiles seemed to bounce and ricochet off of invisible platforms around the arena, zooming and shooting back and forth between the girls as they all dodged frantically.

“I can see them now!” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, as she twisted herself around the bolts that targeted her, expertly and agilely flipping and propelling herself through the air, dodging dozens within milliseconds, assessing how to maneuver around what was left.

As Pinkie Pie expertly landed on the ground, avoiding their onslaught, she saw that her friends, too, were able to react quickly enough to dodge every last one. None were harmed, and everyone’s shield strength remained at optimal levels. “Good!” Pinkie Pie thought. There was nothing to worry about, she simply had to focus on the advance, and be aware enough of her surroundings as to not trip anyone else up.

As she remembered last time, grouping up too hastily made it easy for Celestia to use their mass against them.

Effectively, it was one weak creature six times her size -- each body part had to be used effectively, or Celestia would exploit it and cause the whole body to fail and take damage.

The others, too, must’ve made this conclusion, because nobody charged in hastily after dodging the projectiles.

Princess Celestia gave a pleased chuckle -- the tangible sign of growth started to become apparent; she could feel their battle-sense, but now was the real test.

“Double double…” Princess Celestia began chanting, her body glowing bright-yellow with her aura.

“Toil in trouble.” “Toil in trouble.”

In that split instant, Princess Celestia split into two of herselves, both immediately disappearing from their positions.

“Echo, double timing, yours is A, other’s B!” Twilight shouted immediately, as her eyes glowed with a dense aura, her pupils darting across her eyes at sonic speeds.

“Echo, one on your 8, another on your 14, we’re formed up on you!” Twilight finished instructing.

In that instant, Pinkie Pie formed up with Rainbow Dash and Applejack, immediately dashing forward towards one of the directions Twilight shouted. 

“Oh-ho?” Celestia ‘A’ chuckled, looking down at her approaching assailants, sailing through the sky towards her.

Rainbow Dash was the first to reach, throwing a straight; ‘A’ blocked it with one forearm, bringing her leg up to kick, but was immediately punched to the side by Applejack.

Before she could recover, or the momentum could even begin slowing from the last impact, Pinkie Pie grabbed her arm, and spun her against the momentum back into Applejack, who Rainbow Dash had just regrouped with, 

Both of their bodies began to steam profusely as they both simultaneously slammed ‘A’ downwards, as it began sailing towards the ground. However, as it sailed, Pinkie Pie noticed that its forearm seemed to steam; she was preparing for a counterattack, they should approach carefully.

The other Celestia, ‘B’, took her chance to take on the other 3 instantaneously, seeing as how her counterpart would keep those 3 occupied.

She dashed forward towards Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy who were now grouped up together. They brought their fists up defensively.

“Too slow!” ‘B’ shouted with a wide grin, as her feet glowed with her yellow sunlike aura, and she bulldozed through the three girls with devastating power, a trail of her aura imaging behind her.

In that instant while the three girls flew and barrelled through the sky, ‘B’ cautioned herself, seeing the spinning bodies smirk at her.

“You’re too slow!” one of the bodies yelled, as its eyes and mouth seemed to glow with an overwhelmingly powerful lavender light.

*BOOM!*

‘B’ flew through the sky, the dummies exploding on her impact. As she lifted her arms from her face, she saw the three girls already on top of her.

In a series of punches, throws and kicks, B found herself sailing towards the same exact destination as A -- both would collide midair soon.

Twilight noticed that B’s left calf downwards began to steam profusely, and saw that she was preparing to recover with a flip and push off of her palm.

Pinkie and Twilight immediately echo’d to their teams the next instruction.

Both Celestias collided in the ground, sliding within it and creating an upheaving of dust and gravel from the impact.

Out of the dust shot out two jetstreams headed towards either group.

One headed towards Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, dashing towards Rainbow Dash first.

As they got closer, and Pinkie Pie saw that Celestia began to flex her muscles, she shouted, “Dash, left leg!”

This Celestia paused momentarily, before she took an incredibly short moment to reposition her power and stance, and flip into a heel-kick using her right leg.

Rainbow Dash was able to use this time to effectively counter, blocking successfully by crossing her arms above her head. Even though she blocked, Celestia was powerful, and that kick alone, despite her defensive magic, felt like it fractured her wrists.

She hissed her teeth. That would certainly make reinforcing barriers, and any hand-moves hard.

Nonetheless, she pushed through, and kicked off into a low-barreling jump in a crouch position, before launching her legs out at full power, sending this Celestia sailing across the ground.

This was enough time for Applejack to follow up, as she came sailing down from above with immense speed and power, knee extended outward, as she completely impaled Celestia into the ground.

Applejack looked into her lifeless eyes, before she dissipated into the familiar yellow aura.

The other Celestia at this time reached Fluttershy on the other team, before Twilight shouted, “Shy, right arm, careful!”

The same thing -- Celestia paused, and had to reposition herself, jumping to the side onto a conjured platform that she quickly shot off of towards Fluttershy.

However, just before she reached Fluttershy, a sharp rock protruded from the ground with great velocity, directly between Fluttershy’s legs, straight through Celestia’s throat, who did not have enough time to reposition once again after dedicating so much momentum to her movement.

However, Celestia wasn't going to let her assailants off so easy -- she carried through with her momentum regardless, and delivered a devastating kick to Fluttershy's rib, who was too encumbered by the rock to move.\

As she got sent sailing back, she was quickly caught by Twilight, who fed her magical reserves to jumpstart her PROJECT armor's shield recharge.

"Sorry about that, Fluttershy. But, I -- we, caught her. Good stuff." Twilight patted Fluttershy on the back, as she looked off in the distance at Rarity, who had immediately closed the distance with Celestia, enlargening the rock to further obstruct her movement and wound her throat.

Fluttershy simply nodded in response, clutching her rib, sure that some bones were fractured in the powerful impact. Celestia wasn't a foe they could endure blows from, even with the handicap of her visor being unequipped -- she was eons stronger than they could anticipate.

Celestia hung there momentarily, being held off the ground by this rock impaling her neck.

She gurgled, and blood splattered everywhere. Despite that she should be feeling pain, all Celestia could feel well up within her body was pleasure. The battle sense was excellent -- she purposefully only tried to enhance parts of her body so that it wouldn't be noticed, and even switched out with her clone for good measure in case they had a counter ready, but to her surprise, both teams had a counter ready for either assailant. Celestia was proud.

Another feeling that welled up within her was curiosity. How much had her pupils grown? They were already so mature, Celestia thought. They grow up too fast, she thought.

But, how much had they grown?

By this time, the others had regrouped, and now all six watched her, not even wincing. This did not phase them -- basic training was filled with many horrors.

“She’s still breathing, and we can artificially oxygenate her whilst she’s restrained like this. I think that counts, wouldn't ya say?” Twilight smiled, looking up at their trophy as she dusted her hands off.

As soon as the others began smiling, they all felt a deep, dark opposition weigh onto their beings -- it carried that same atmospheric pressure that Twilight felt from Pinkie Pie during their showdown. They all immediately snapped their necks back in horror to look at the direction it was emanating from.

“I wouldn’t say.”

Horror wrote itself all over the girls' faces, as she smiled down at them, speaking with gurgled scratches.

“I love you children, so I was being gentle, and giving you a chance… But I see you’re still far too innocent.” The princess continued, as her smirk grew and widened, blood pouring down the corners of her lips.

“It’s time to show you what kind of monsters are on the battlefield…”

Pinkie Pie watched Celestia’s hand slowly raise to grab the shorter end of the rock impaling her throat, and felt her stomach twinge with anxiety, sensing that soon she would be hyper-aware of her Cosmic powers.

In an instant, Celestia shot her heel up behind her with such an instantaneously-gathered, massive well of energy that it caught all of the girls off guard.

In moments, the entire rock began to shatter, even within her throat.

Before she could fall to the ground completely, she sucked in a monstrous bellow of air, and blew fiercely at the girls -- the rock that had shattered and began falling within her throat was now being blown towards the girls as projectiles at hyper-speed, exiting from her nostrils, mouth, the wound itself, and everywhere in between.

Celestia was so dedicated to the attack that she cared not for the projectiles shredding through her own flesh to escape her body.

In moments, their PROJECT armor’s shields were shattered, and the alarms blaring in their ears. Instinctively, they all retreated, spreading out slightly to decrease the effectiveness of her projectiles. They made sure to stay within a moment's reach, as part of their prior-made plan.

“What?!” was all they had time to think of, before Celestia restructured the remaining debris into several larger projectiles, and shot those off now that the smaller ones had stripped their shields.

She shot them towards them as well, and her feet had not even yet touched the ground.

The girls’ eyes all immediately steeled over with intense focus, blood vessels flexing into life as they immediately pulled more than their entire selves into the battle -- they would need 110% for this battle.

Before those projectiles could make it, Twilight conjured a barrier in front of all of them, which the other girls quickly reinforced with their own magic, effectively blocking them from the approaching danger.

Finally, Celestia landed just as the shield they conjured began being stripped by her assault. She landed with as much strength as possible, shaking the foundation of the crust in the immediate area, and in this moment of lost balance, she repaid Twilight the favor.

“AGCKH!” Twilight shouted in pain, a small rock streamed up from the ground, impaling her throat. Her eyes widened -- had she not sensed the impending attack and leaned back, the rock would have impaled her in the face, likely causing fatal brain damage.

“She’s actually trying to kill me?!”

Within the same second, Twilight grabbed the rock with the palm of her hand, and disintegrated it with just her touch. She coughed up blood, and immediately lifted her visor to clear it. She gasped for air, realizing that she could no longer breathe with the hole in her throat.

She lifted her hand to heal herself, but then didn’t, knowing what would be next. She cursed in frustration, and simply held up a single arm to help with reinforcing the barrier, using her other hand to reapply her visor, and then guide her focus on using her earth and sky magic to slow the pace of her blood near the wound.

Pinkie’s brows furrowed watching the situation -- Twilight needed to be healed, but they were all preoccupied simply keeping the shield up against the onslaught of projectiles; she not only countered their initial assault, but countered again when they tried to defend themselves.

Furthermore, while Twilight could use other types of magic to prevent the injury from getting worse, the fact of the matter was that Twilight had a better leading sense than she did, given her passion for it.

Thus, with Twilight’s communications severely slowed and limited with that hole in her throat, Celestia had a very good chance to completely cripple the team here.

Celestia wasn’t about to let them come up with a contingency plan, however. As she sent yet another volley of projectiles, this time she covered them in her aura, giving them extra strength.

She then coated herself in her own aura, and took off after the projectiles, moving closely behind them.

Just before she reached, she was pleased to see that nobody had prepared for her arrival; her camouflage was a success.

She zoomed forward in front of the projectiles, and smashed the barrier with her own strength, as the projectiles all zoomed past.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were able to narrowly dodge all incoming projectiles, suffering only grazes and slits.

The others, however, were not so lucky, suffering multiple stab wounds in parts of the armor that could not effectively deflect the projectiles.

Pinkie Pie cursed, looking up at Celestia between her arm, having shielded her face from the flying debris that did happen to deflect off of her allies’ armor.

Celestia stood in between the six of them, landing with powerful force, catching all of them off guard -- in the middle of them all, stood this being with a gaping, bleeding hole in her throat, surrounded by other small gaping holes from the projectiles she used to strip their shields, who still smiled with sadistic and masochistic pleasure despite her state.

This was a monster. A goddamned monster.

“Come now, children!” Celestia laughed groggily, as blood splurted out of her wounds. She scanned her palm over her face, immediately and effortlessly reversing the wounds previously afflicting her.

“Can’t you restrain me?” She continued, her voice returning to normal, as she dashed forward towards Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, the only two who had not been impaled by anything.

She moved for Pinkie Pie first, but Pinkie Pie was swift, moving forward before her to counter with a straight -- it landed and cracked Celestia’s nose.

Celestia smiled, and pushed back against it, throwing her own straight -- Pinkie lifted a single forearm to block it, but was too late to realize that Celestia was using her sixth sense against her, as she sensed Celestia approaching from below; fooled by a premonition!

As Pinkie Pie used her other arm to try and block beneath her, Celestia faked out, tipped back, and in her palm, immediately conjured a blade that she stabbed directly through Pinkie’s left palm, into her right forearm, restricting her movement for the time being.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened in surprise -- how the hell did she even have enough power to impale her like that while moving backwards?! And now that she looked at it, her nose was no longer cracked...! How long had she been under her spell?

This machine was always two steps ahead -- Pinkie deduced that Celestia must have known that she was confident in keeping up with her physically, and as such, used the premonition to fake her out. However, the manipulation of her sixth sense was simply the first half of the fake out, and she simply would've never expected the follow-up. But, even if she did, Pinkie Pie frustratedly realized that Celestia likely would've been able to get out of a counter for that, too. Not to mention that she didn't even recognize when the manipulation of her sixth sense began in the first place!

The girls were beginning to understand exactly what Celestia meant when she said that experience was important. This kind of battle IQ was beyond them because they were simply lacking in experience.

Truly, this woman was terrifying. She was as smart as she was powerful, and even against six super PROJECTs, she was not losing any ground -- without full armor functionality, at that!

Pinkie Pie’s teeth gritted in frustration as she tried to spin a plan in her brain; anything that could better the odds.

Celestia twsited her upper body towards Rainbow Dash in the middle of tipping back from Pinkie Pie, and with immense speed, flung three throwing-blades at her. Rainbow Dash tried her best to block them with her forearm, seeing that she was too late to dodge, but Celestia’s aim was as precise as it was swift, and she found one impaled her cheek, the back of her hand, and the final one directly through the knee.

Rainbow Dash’s brows furrowed -- Celestia was a highly intelligent combatant -- Rainbow Dash was the only one with enough speed to keep Celestia from being able to completely take control of the battlefield, and a lot of their strategies subsequently relied on that…

Furthermore, she made sure to throw the first two blades at critical points on her upper body that would cause fatal damage, so that she had less time to recognize that the last one was aimed at restricting her mobility.

In such a short moment, she had taken out what was arguably the two strongest components of their team against an opponent like her -- their ability to restrict her control, and the brain of the team.

Celestia's grin widened even further, her pupils dilating in fantasy. She was enjoying herself.

She was systematically suppressing them until they'd be too weak to effectively counter. And she took pleasure in letting loose. It's as if she was waiting for this moment.

In the short two seconds that the encounter between Celestia, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash took, the other four girls were already on top of Celestia, preparing to support their allies.

Twilight was in front, and Celestia immediately turned and ducked beneath her shin-kick to uppercut her directly in her wounded throat, following up with a precise punch to her bicep, where another piece of rock was impaled, pushing it in further, stunning her.

Celestia flipped over Twilight’s back to counter-kick an approaching Fluttershy directly in her rib, where a projectile had stabbed her, pushing it further in. She too, staggered.

Rarity and Applejack flanked Celestia from either side, one punching and one kicking, but Celestia hopped up over both with a barreling spin, delivering a punch and kick to either party in return, lodging the projectiles deeper into their bodies as well, as they slid back against the ground, the other girls forming up on them.

With all of her pupils staggered for the moment, Celestia paused, onlooking her PROJECTs. She could not see beyond their visors, but she could sense the fear that leaked from their being.

“Remember, my pupils… My PROJECTs don’t lose, and they certainly don’t run…” Celestia said, beckoning them forward with her hand. They all stood still, injured and tired, panting.

There was a fiercely monstrous enemy in front of them, and it’s not as if they had been holding back. Yet, here they were, backs against the wall.

“Oh, come now, children, don’t tell me you’re not into this!?” Celestia spoke, suddenly bursting out into maniacal laughter as she held both hands above her head, a large ball of destructive energy immediately forming.

Force tattered through the sky, hair fluttering wildly in the winds, as Celestia threw the ball towards them. Instinctively, those who could muster the strength and focus, conjured a barrier.

*CRCK-BOOM!*

A massive cloud of smoke followed the blinding explosion.

The barrier was nigh-helpless, as momentarily, six different streams of smoke could be seen sailing through the skies at high velocity.

“COME NOW CHILDREN!” Celestia bellowed with laughter towards the girls. Not giving a second of respite, Celestia lurched forward, pushing off of her position approaching the girls once more. She disappeared into the cloud of smoke.

Soon after, she exited the smoke cloud with fierce speed, picking up even more velocity within its camoflauge.

Pinkie Pie immediately noticed that due to Celestia leaving the cloud with such velocity, it was moving quite fast, and might be creating cover for projectiles.

She immediately created a handsign, and in a small, almost transparent font, a small logo appeared on all of the girls' visors -- it was a code for 'concealed attack'.

The girls would have to piece the rest together, all Pinkie could do now was prepare to counter -- Celestia had not yet trailed off to a specific target, and the blast was proportioned outwards, so as to separate them.

Whoever she went for next, she would be trying to disable. She had to be ready.

“ISN’T THIS FUN?!” She shouted between a toothy smile, smoke billowing from her mouth and nostrils, and trailing behind her. She sailed through the sky even faster than the girls, swiftly approaching them before they could even control their momentum.

As Pinkie Pie struggled to crane her neck forward against the force to look at Celestia as they sailed through the sky, she felt deeply unnerved at the width and passion of her smile.

Pinkie’s heart rate increased greatly, fear flooding her being even more greatly.

She gritted her teeth, forcing her palm backwards so that the blade was no longer pinning her palm to her other forearm. She then pulled the blade out of her palm itself, and winced. With the way Celestia used those impaled objects against her allies, she sure as hell would rather simply bleed out and use her magic to slow the bleeding than get a blade kicked deeper within her.

With every second that this ‘assessment’ dragged on, Pinkie Pie knew that they were not fighting a Princess or a Commander, or even the Sun.

In this moment, they were attempting to survive against something primal and savage.

They were fighting for their lives.

And they had better figure out how to take this beast down before their staminas drained…
> Final Assessment, Pt 2 - Chapter 21
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


PM
↓↓↓↓↓

"HONOR. VALOR. ALLEGIANCE! ... YOU. ARE. WORTHY!"

>September 19, 3015<
>Flood Control Mobile HQ, 11:11PM<






The girls all sailed through the sky, smoke trailing them, as Celestia closed the distance between them all.

It was still unclear exactly who she would be targeting, but Pinkie Pie was sure that with the intentional widespread dispersion of her previous blast, that Celestia’s goal was to finally separate each limb from the body, and take it down one piece at a time.

Watching Celestia’s eyes and body carefully for any signs of movement, anything that could possibly give away any intent, Pinkie Pie was carefully using her non-injured hand to begin slowing her momentum with a controlled output of energy -- still, she winced in pain, as the stab wound on her forearm made putting pressure on it hard, and she could not heal herself. Reinforcing the bone and surrounding tissue would have to do.

Celestia blinked from her position, reappearing directly above her, immediately matching her position as well as her speed.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, as her entire body flexed. She boosted her body with earth and sky magic, and coated herself with aura as both a protective and offensive arcane measure. There was no telling what was next.

As the two sailed through the sky, Celestia held her palms over one another, forming a small ball of spherical energy that glowed with an intense brightness. Immediately, Celestia's face shone against Pinkie's visor, and seeing the steel within Pinkie’s eyes, Celestia’s grin maddeningly widened.

Pinkie’s brows furrowed. A close range arcane exchange wasn’t going to bode well, not when she’d have to focus so much energy towards stabilizing her wounded body and keeping up with the Princess’ speed and raw power. 

Then again, it was either that, or having a physical exchange while defending the two stab wounds to avoid any more handicapping damage; that was unlikely… Celestia was an insanely attentive fighter, clearly capable of hammering wounded areas repeatedly. Her brows furrowed further.

Powerful pink helixes spiraled into life over Pinkie’s forearms, as she slammed both of her wrists together in front of her, palms facing Celestia as a massive well of energy formed between them. Pinkie Pie was barred from releasing destructive magic, so instead, she was welling up her aura with an outward push to act as a barrier and stabilizer for any impending force.

This time, learning from her encounter with Twilight, Pinkie Pie made sure to stabilize her body against the blast force so that she would not be sent down into the ground and take even more impact.

Celestia released her destructive magic, and a line of explosions zipped across the sky as they zoomed by, before suddenly, a singular poof of black smoke could be seen trailing towards the ground before colliding with the dirt in a mighty crash.

A second trail of smoke followed quickly after it, hungrily chasing its prey.

Pinkie Pie laid on the ground, and only had time to rise to a single knee and take 2 huffs before Celestia was already close. Her arms were weak from the impact, barely being able to hold her up in the kneeling position, and she needed healing before they’d be greatly useful again; but, nonetheless, she had to hold out until everyone recovered and could regroup with her to provide support.

Her brows furrowed with intensity, as she coated her left palm and right forearm with a thick layer of reinforced magical aura -- it wouldn’t totally stop impact, but it would provide protection, and hopefully ease impacts enough that the pain would not stagger her.

Pinkie Pie’s mind twisted in stress and anxiety. Celestia had always drilled into their heads that on the battlefield, wounds were unavoidable; people get hurt, people die.

“Even PROJECTs aren’t invincible. Just because you’re the ultra-elite, don’t expect that you won’t get hurt.”

Of course, this was obvious. They surely still felt pain when sparring with Royal Guard veterans, so why wouldn’t any other enemy of such skill be able to hurt them?

But living it? Oh, living it was a different reality.

Pinkie Pie reminisced on this, as she realized that this battle was one where she could no longer consider how to not get hurt; instead, she was simply trying to mitigate the impending pain. It was no longer a toss of cleverly overcoming or dodging the enemy -- it was a straightforward battle of attrition, where only wits and the right moves would put her -- them, ahead.

This was it -- Celestia was on top of her.

She landed down with a devastating drop-kick, with such a powerful stature that Pinkie knew she had to jump back. The impact was powerful, the blast slightly disorienting her.

As Pinkie jumped back, Celestia jumped forward right after her, and threw a right hook; Pinkie Pie was able to just inch past it leaning back, but was slow to realize that Celestia was leaning into the right hook to strategically flip into a heel-kick as well.

Pinkie Pie would have neither the time nor speed to escape Celestia’s reach -- she held up her left forearm over her head to block, and as Celestia’s calf connected with Pinkie Pie’s forearm, blocking the impact, Pinkie already had a massive well of earth-magic built up in her right hand.

She winced, however, as focusing some of her aura to this counter attack left her blocking forearm weak, and with the damage it already sustained, her nerves and bones now felt as if they were on fire from the impact.

Pinkie Pie steeled herself -- a counter like this didn’t leave enough time for proper reinforcement, not against a foe this formidable and monstrous -- the magical aura she used for impact-defense would not doubly work as a stabilizer for impact-offense -- in short, this was going to break a bone or two with the damage already sustained.

That would effectively be both of her arms out of the game…

*DOOMJ!*

Pinkie Pie winced with great pain, but was pleased to see her counter landed, watching Celestia barrel through the dirt. She immediately realized that she couldn’t use her vision over the distance she pushed Celestia, and tried doubling back to her arcane capabilities to sense out Celestia’s impending counter-counter.

Just as she began getting ready to retreat and prepare herself, she saw Celestia disappear, and a blur heading straight for the center of her head. She leaned back, dodging it narrowly, before kicking off her feet to flip away.

“You’re helpless.”

Pinkie Pie heard a voice in her ear, and before she knew it, she felt a strong presence behind her.

“It was a premonition?!” Pinkie Pie thought, and as she did, she felt an incredible bloodlust strike through her neck. She barely had time to bring her hand up, before…

*Schlint!*

A small blade struck right through Pinkie’s palm, into her neck, as she crashed down into the ground with a small, but devastating bounce from the momentum.

“Hnngaah!” Pinkie Pie shouted in pain. Time seemed to freeze for the moment, as all sorts of chemical-hormonal changes took place in Pinkie’s body, pushing her for survival.

Pinkie Pie scrunched the dirt between her fingers to stabilize, and lifted her body to kick Celestia directly in her chin -- her bloodlust left her wide open for the counter, and it staggered Celestia enough for her to retreat a fair distance.

She cursed, the pain making her entire body feel simultaneously hot and cold -- if Celestia did not leak her intent with the savage bloodlust leaking from her being, she would not have had time to protect her neck, and the blade very well may have made two new entries in her throat without her palm to act as a buffer.

“Pinkie!” A shriek was heard from behind, and before Celestia could counter again, Twilight was already on top of her.

“Fluttershy, handle her!” Twilight yelled, as fierce impacts were heard in the background; her injuries were healed prior to this reengagement, it seemed. Pinkie Pie kicked up off the ground and then immediately stumbled, the blood loss and tiredness of her body disorienting her. Fluttershy quickly joined her side, keeping her up.

“Make it quick… Tired… can’t… breathe…” Pinkie Pie struggled to speak through her wound, watching as the others zoomed past them to hold Celestia off while her wounds were tended to.

Fluttershy nodded, and without wasting a moment, pulled the blade out of Pinkie’s neck and palm, blood splattering over the ground.

She held her palm over Pinkie’s neck, and only repaired major tissue. Every second counted, they needed to reenter the fight immediately, there was no time to be clean about recovery.

“Thanks…” Pinkie Pie gasped for air. Her neck was still bruised and damaged, but this would have to do -- she reinforced the areas with her magic, and her eyes steeled over with focus on Celestia, as she held her forearms out for Fluttershy to quickly attend to as well.

“Team, listen up --” Pinkie Pie began, speaking through the comms on their PROJECT armor, as Fluttershy swiftly tended to her arms.

“Celestia can be read. Even the Princess can become excited and get ahead of herself. Pay attention.” Pinkie Pie advised.

Nobody responded, too busy trying to hold the beast down. As Pinkie re-entered the fray alongside Fluttershy, she realized something with each strike she exchanged with Celestia.

Not only did her bloodlust give her away earlier, but Celestia’s strikes seemed to be getting easier to mitigate after all this time.

“She’s still human.”, she thought, a small, wry smirk growing on the corners of her lips.

Pinkie Pie could sense that Celestia was getting tired keeping all of them at bay at once -- she was likely operating near maximum output for the entire duration of the battle, and it was finally starting to show, if only slightly.

Pinkie Pie threw a straight kick at Celestia, who leaned back to dodge -- Applejack approached from the side with a downwards punch, but Celestia skillfully barrel-flipped to the side to dodge -- Rarity, quick to follow-up, zoomed through to land what looked like a clean hit right on Celestia’s torso.

As Celestia skidded back in the dirt, and it cleared, she was standing there with her forearms crossed against her body -- she blocked the impact, but remained unmoving.

In this short moment of respite, the two units observed each other -- the girls were tired, lurched over in exhausted fighting positions, with their backs and chests heaving with each breath.

However, they noticed that this was the first time Celestia hadn’t immediately recovered to assault them. She was standing upright, but her posture was not as strict and straight as usual.

As this difference clicked in all six of the girls’ psyche simultaneously, the entire mood shifted, they looked between each other momentarily, before all eyes fell onto Twilight.

Twilight, however, was unmoving, trying to find a decision.

Celestia finally began straightening her posture, and this movement spurred Twilight into a decision.

“With a beast like this, we can’t afford to lose out on any offensive power… That means it’s all up to you, Fluttershy…” Twilight began, as the girls’ postures began to straighten up as well. Fluttershy’s brows furrowed, as she took a few steps back from the group.

“Girls… commence Operation SuperNova.” Twilight instructed underneath her visor.

As the final sentence was spoken, the atmosphere in the battlefield seemed to completely shift. Instantaneously, rich and saturated magical auras enveloped their beings. A colorful rainbow of magical auras were now pouring from the group.

Celestia took a single step back, bringing two fingers to her chin, smiling with amusement. She understood.

She let her fatigue be choreographed to them, and they were leaping on the chance to exert the greatest amount of energy they could, here and now, in order to immediately overpower her before she had time to settle into a new strategy whilst she loses her physical edge.

A wide smirk grew on her face.

“Double time! Don’t break form for even a second, and don’t let a single injury slow you down! Trust each other!” Twilight barked, and as she finished, all six girls disappeared from their positions. Fluttershy suspended herself in the air, watching the others dash forwards towards Celestia.

As they closed in on Celestia, Celestia couldn’t help but smile. These girls were monstrous, indeed -- after the absolute beating she had been making them endure, they managed to reserve enough energy and stamina for a power-up this substantial?

In fact, this was obviously a prearranged plan; they were playing an advanced strategy of attrition.

Celestia could feel it in the atmospheric pressure their auras created… if she did not fight to kill now, they would surely tear her apart before any magic could save her. After she had so much fun baring her fangs, holding back enough to not kill her would be the furthest thing from their mind in such a desperate last stand. Sweat droplets began to trickle down Celestia’s neck.

She could not stop thinking about how rough and fierce this next exchange with them would be -- they would fight hard to make this the final exchange, evident from how much energy they were now exerting.

Celestia could sense a plethora of premonitions in which her dear pupils violently and savagely damaged her body. Her cheeks became hot, and her lips were shining with salivation.

Additionally, her body was now quite fatigued -- keeping up with six super PROJECTS in fully functional armor, whilst all she had was the armor itself, was not exactly easy, even for someone as strong as herself.

A single slip up would surely mean death, or at the very least, the type of injury that wouldn’t soon be easily recovered from.

As this acknowledgement of true danger activated an excited adrenaline response in her being, she could feel her lips and body quiver with pleasure.

Once the girls were in close distance with the Princess, she looked down at them with a lustful stare -- her body was beckoning for the thrill of this deadly exchange.

A genuine and soft giggle escaped Princess Celestia’s lips, before she lurched forward, preparing to dash forward. The girls were unphased.

Just as she bent her limbs to push off, Rainbow Dash showed up in front of her, leg already wound back for a devastating kick.

*Dij-crck!*

Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise, feeling the pain ring throughout her body -- even trying her best to defend, Rainbow Dash fractured her wrist. She sucked in a breath, her eyes slimming and steeling with immense focus once more.

“Rragh--oof!” Celestia roared with strength, grabbing Rainbow Dash’s calf with her injured arm; however, in that moment, her world began to flip many times, seeing another boot in the chaos. The impact was directly in her chin, stunning her momentarily.

As Rainbow Dash spun with Celestia, she immediately took advantage of Celestia’s disorientation, kicking off her hand, and grabbing her wrist in the same motion.

As they spun, Rainbow Dash increased the velocity severely, throwing Celestia towards her teammates.

Celestia caught her wits once again, and forced her magical aura out from all directions with precise control, instantaneously stopping her movement. In that moment, the girls could see her face was now wrought in focus, teeth gritted, and brows wrinkled.

In that same moment, she zipped around behind the 2 girls waiting to ambush her, immediately letting off a large beam of destructive magic.

To her surprise, she sensed the girls’ auras closing back in on her, and soon, they emerged from the beam of magic, smoke flying off of their bodies, and a large portion of their combat skin melted away, some of it even fusing into their melting skin.

Celestia blocked one’s punch, ducked the other, and in one swift moment, sent her fist directly through one’s abdomen.

“Applejack!” The girl beside her yelled; however, this moment of distraction was just enough time for Celestia to raise her shin and kick directly into her neck, her head bending into an unnatural position. She fell with no words.

Before Celestia’s leg could reach the ground again, she looked up, and then immediately jumped back, retreating, as two more PROJECTs crashed into the earth.

Just as Celestia’s feet tipped back onto the ground, she steeled herself to move forward, before feeling a premonition behind her.

As she turned, she felt another boot clang into her chin, knocking her off of her feet. Working through the disorientation this time, she immediately recovered, landing on all fours and kicking up to her feet to begin exchanging blows with the PROJECT.

“That speed… This one is Rainbow Dash…” Celestia thought, as she tried her best to still match the ace of movement.

“And judging from the spike in auras I just felt, Fluttershy’s not engaging because she’s on support… Those two are already healed, and I’ve only been exchanging with Rainbow Dash for mere moments!” Celestia’s mind continued turning as she realized things were going to go south if she did not overpower them now.

However, one thing was bothering her this whole time… She hadn’t yet exchanged any blows with Pinkie Pie since this little plan of theirs went into action, and she was having a hard time pinning her location with the saturation of magical energy currently in the environment.

“No matter!” Celestia barked out loud, as she felt three more PROJECTs closing in on her position again.

She ducked, sweeped Rainbow Dash off of her feet with unprecedented speed, and jumped back to retreat.

Just as Celestia dropped into a subtle horse stance to counter the three approaching PROJECTs, her danger sense flew off the handle, as time seemed to slow to a fraction. Her eyes widened with surprise, before quickly slimming again.

She felt a devastating presence closing in on her position -- she wouldn’t have enough time to dodge -- there was simply no way with how close the object was and its current velocity.

As she turned to see it, she could see, undoubtedly, the PROJECT that was Pinkie Pie, and unlike before where the saturated aura engulfed her body, now, it only engulfed her fist in a massively dense cloud of aura that streamed behind her as she jetted towards Celestia.

“Well, there’s still that, but I suppose they’ve earned this one…” Celestia chuckled to herself, simply raising her defenses to ensure this impact would not kill her.

*BOOM!*





A large boom went off, and a control room full of operators were shaken out of their seats. A disgruntled captain is the first to rise from his seat, angered.

“What the hell was that? Moonlight, you know if ya’ hit somethin’, the Princess’ll--”

“No, Cap’n, sensors are sayin’ that came from inside the ship!” Moonlight, another operator corrected, watching her screen.

“And it was a damn serious tremor. We need to correct our course!” Moonlight advised.

“The hell are those monsters up to, now…?” the Captain muttered, fingering his chin for a few moments.

“Alright, let’s get this thing back on course people! The Princess is on a tight schedule!” he barked.





A devastating boom and explosive force reverberated through the air, waves of dust quickly clouding the environment. Pinkie Pie kneeled over Celestia, gasping, looking at her fist -- it was directly through the breasts of her commander, bloodied and covered with gore. The hole was slightly larger than her armored forearms.

Celestia’s eyes were grayed over, her pupils small and dilated. Pinkie Pie sighed a final, deep sigh of relief, as her body began to hunch over and relax, her gasps becoming much, much heavier.

After a short few moments, Celestia’s pupils twitched into life, darted towards Pinkie’s visor, and the bloodied mouth of her Princess curved itself into a slight, wry smile.

Immediately unnerved, and feeling a foreign essence of hostility within herself, Pinkie Pie raised her fist, about to strike back down once more, but found that her fist stopped just inches from her face.

Another PROJECT had grabbed her elbow. “Objective states that we need her alive, soldier. Stand down.” Twilight gently commanded, pulling Pinkie Pie off of the princess, staring down at what looked to be a corpse.

“Applejack, you’re the strongest; restrain her, we can’t take the chance that she still has some fight left in her.” Twilight instructed, as Applejack swiftly obeyed. All of the girls had subsequently powered down, lowering their guards. Sighs of relief washed through the room like the tide.

As Applejack lifted Celestia to bind her arms and legs, Pinkie Pie could see the wry smile on her face was no more. At that moment, her head began to throb uncomfortably, the vision of her bloodied smile flashing through her head, and uncomfortable, but familiar memories filling her mind.

She took a moment to turn, and stare into the sky. Something about seeing Celestia like this seemed intimately familiar, and yet still so vague. Every time she confronted her in these manners, there was always an unsung story of undeniable, recognizable rivalry.

It’s as if the Princess knew they were meant to be at odds, and took pleasure in pushing her -- no, it felt more invasive than that… as if the Princess yearned for her. Pinkie Pie’s stomach twisted; she felt sick; her fists clenched. 

What was the motive? Glory? Pleasure? Power? Was she pushing them to succeed her? Is that why she tosses herself at them like their lives depend on it?

What was it, really?

“Not all is as it seems.”

Pinkie Pie’s fists clenched harder as she reminisced on the words that PPAI had said to her. Nothing was straightforward, so could she trust her deductions in the first place?

Her head fell down towards the ground, as she raised a single palm to her helmet, trying to soothe her maddening thoughts.

“Guys… we have a problem!” Applejack shouted out suddenly.

“Seriously?!” Pinkie Pie thought to herself in a rattled frustration. As she picked her head up to look towards Applejack and Celestia, a weak, but substantial enough forcefield pushed all of the weakened and drained combatants several meters away from Celestia.

“There’s… no goddamned… way…!” Applejack shouted, grunting as she lifted her tired body up.

“C’mon teach… This is ridiculous!” Rainbow Dash chimed in, panting with her hands on her knees, lurched over in exhaustion.

Celestia fell forward, blood splattering beneath her. However, in a few short moments, a soft and gentle bloom of aura pushed out from her back, lifting her body as her limbs swung lifelessly, the hole within her chest slowly filling right in front of them.

Celestia’s eyes were low and sunken; her mouth, jaw, and body looked gaunt, as if it took almost all of her reserves to recover; her breaths were ragged and sharp; however, her limbs regained life, and she stood on her own two feet.

“I must admit…” Celestia began, taking another ragged breath, as she pulled a piece of earth out of the ground to lean on. The girls all straightened their postures once more, feeling a sense of vengeance emanating from their commander.

Their bodies began to quiver, despite their best attempts to quell the reaction. This, was unbridled fear. Just how unstoppable was this occult being?

“It’s a sound strategy…” Celestia wheezed out, before taking one more deep breath, her chest filling in more appropriately, and her breathing evening out.

“To save your reserves for a final push…” Celestia chuckled lowly, holding a palm over her face. She quickly quelled her amusement. 

“However, I want to take this moment to teach you all two things.” Celestia began, holding up one finger, a sly grin on her face.

“The final push strategy, what I like to call a “Last Stand”, is a widely practiced and almost default strategy.” Celestia explained, as she walked forward, pulling the earth underneath her feet with each step to extend into a small cliff, overlooking her tired students.

Slowly, she extended her second finger, grin widening.

“Secondly…” Celestia began, as she took in a long, deep breath, closing her eyes, facial features returning to neutral momentarily as she focused.

*Bwsshhh!!!*

In that same moment, a rich, saturated aura boomed from her being, before quickly restabilizing into a small, jagged aura that fit neatly within a few inches of her body. Her eyes reopened, shining with a fierce yellow, just like her aura -- like the sun.

“You have much practice to do on your magical enhancements -- if you wish to overpower your enemy with a Last Stand, what good does it do you to have all your aura spill straight out of your being?” Celestia questioned, beckoning at her neatly packed aura, in contrast to the streams of aura being released when the girls powered up.

They all gritted their teeth -- not only was their idea not all that special, but Celestia had a much better understanding of how to apply her magic. Her strength would not deplete as fast as theirs did.

“So, children. I am skinny, having spent so much of myself to recover; weak and spent from this long exchange of blows. This is the final test; if you expend me here, I will concede.” Princess Celestia smiled at her pupils, holding her arms out to her side once more, relishing in the fear that was written all over her students’ body language.

Truly, she was pleased. They did not know it, but whatever the outcome now, she was sure that the PROJECT would gladly mentor them. Not even they were able to push her this far -- to the point of live-atrophy.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie dropped to her knees, the exhaustion in her body boiling over. She was barely paying attention anymore with the exhaustion that had built up within her at this point.

Finally, after some struggling, she fell onto her chest, and as she did, a loud, piercing voice reverberated through her ears.

“ON, YOUR, FEET!!!”

Pinkie Pie’s head shot up, looking towards the source of the command.

Twilight shouted it, but hadn’t turned her head from Celestia, still standing, facing her. Pinkie gritted her teeth, and tried her best to push up from her arms, but her entire body quivered, before she fell back over.

“I ca--”

“Don’t tell me you can’t, goddammit!” Twilight shouted, one arm hanging lifelessly at her side, whilst the other was raised in a sloppy fighting stance. Her legs wobbled. She stumbled. But, she stood.

That was when Pinkie Pie noticed that it was not only her that had collapsed, but everyone else, too. Twilight was the last one standing, desperately giving it her all just to stay standing, stumbling side to side.

Suddenly, another aura boomed from Twilight’s being once more -- this one was not nearly as saturated as the last, but it was still formidable. It was sloppy, but taking her teacher’s advice, she tried her best to keep it contained. Her aura was not sharp and jagged, but wobbly and soft; amateur.

She stomped forward once, shaking the earth immediately around her to stir her teammates from impending unconsciousness. Pinkie Pie plopped into the air a few inches, and landed back with a thud and ‘Oof!’

“Honor!” Twilight shouted, her voice cracking with fierce desire. She stomped another step forward, making sure to shake her teammates once more.

This time, Pinkie Pie was strewn into consciousness enough to soften her fall back into the earth. She scrunched earth into her palms, trying to muster the strength to stand once more.

“Valor!” Twilight yelled, before stomping forward once more, this time even stronger than the rest.

However, this time, Pinkie Pie had gained just enough energy to completely soften the impact and the landing, being fully reawakened by Twilight.

“ALLEGIANCE!” Twilight screamed from the top of her lungs, panting heavily. She swallowed.

“Don’t you dare leave me hanging! We, will, graduate!” Twilight barked, slamming her fist onto her chest.

Pinkie Pie laid on the ground for a few more moments, smiling and chuckling to herself within her head.

“Honor. Valor. Allegiance, huh?” Pinkie Pie thought to herself, scrunching dirt into her palms once more as she pushed hard to lift her body once more. Finally, she got onto all fours, her smile widening.

Honor, valor, and allegiance were the three virtues of the Royal Guard, and subsequently, virtues of the PROJECTs as well -- it was a call to action, on their pride as PROJECTs; on the pride of all the stress and grit it took to make it to this point.

However, despite the motivation, her body froze, the exhaustion once again overcoming her, panting sharp, ragged breaths. Her movement paused, but she endured, and stayed on all fours.

“You. Are. WORTHY!” Twilight roared with everything she had, before dashing off towards Celestia by herself.

At that moment, all the strength in Pinkie’s body flared, and she flexed every muscle to get to her feet. As she looked around her, the rest of their teammates, too, were rising. She looked towards Twilight, who had already begun engaging with Celestia, and smiled.

Pinkie Pie had to admit, Twilight was an excellent leader -- in the moment of near defeat and total exhaustion, she found a way to combine everyone’s love language into one, and give everyone a final push that fit all of their personalities well enough to stir them awake once more.

From the gentle, but firm pushes; to the kind and affirming words; to the everlasting race for victory… She understood them all, intimately, and stirred them to action.

Twilight hopped over a sweeping kick that Celestia performed, but was too slow to guard from the kick she sent from the ground, flying back.

As Twilight sailed through the sky, her aura peeled off her body, threatening to dissipate.

However, Pinkie Pie caught her, sliding around to crouch in front of her, digging her heels into the earth, slowing their momentum as she held the side of Twilight’s helmet gingerly.

Her pink aura began to mingle with Twilight’s own, repairing her aura, giving Twilight the stamina to pull her reserves back into action before losing herself.

“Don’t give up now, Chief. This is our last chance.” Pinkie Pie said, both nodding at each other, as they kicked off the dirt, closing in on Celestia once more, who could only stand and grin at the marvel of her super PROJECTs.

As they closed in, they felt the other girls also power up for one final, desperate last stand. This was it.

Twilight reached first, ducking past a straight punch, but too slow to dodge the following uppercut. As she coughed up all of her air, she mustered all of her aura into precisely the bottom of her palm alongside her pinkie finger, and countered with a chop into her neck, giving everything she had. She collapsed onto the ground, unmoving, as Celestia staggered momentarily.

Pinkie Pie took this moment to dash forward, jump, and give a devastating spin kick to Celestia’s head, knocking her tumbling down through the ground. She landed, trying to catch her breath for the moment, watching as the other girls zoomed past her.

“C’maahn!!” Rainbow Dash roared back at her team, being the first to close the distance with Celestia.

Celestia recovered, still zooming through the air with momentum, and shot a beam of destructive magic, which Rainbow Dash just barely inched past. In the same moment, she kicked up a piece of earth into the beam, and as it dissipated, kicked the now sharpened piece of rock directly through Celestia’s thigh with swift and accurate execution.

Celestia, not being able to match Rainbow Dash’s speed now after the disorientation of the last two strikes, could do nothing as the projectile pierced her thigh. She gritted her teeth, before suddenly reversing her momentum, zooming beyond Rainbow Dash, grabbing her calf, and swinging her directly into the approaching Rarity with ferocious strength, teeth gritted in desperate struggle.

The two zoomed back, crashing through the dirt and landing back by Pinkie Pie, still catching her breath.

As Rainbow Dash got up, she heard Rarity cough, and upon looking at her laying within the trench they made, noticed her eyes were grayed over, as if she already fell unconscious. 

Then, it hit Rainbow Dash that she hadn’t felt much of the impact. Rarity had absorbed it for her, she realized.

“You two… are the fastest…” Rarity managed to spit out, before holding her palms out. A small, purple light shone, and four blades, two pairs of daggers, were conjured into existence.

The daggers, and Rarity, clanged onto the floor, moments after. Before they could be concerned with Rarity, they felt a premonition of an impending impact, and as they grabbed the blades before rolling out of the way, noticed that it was Fluttershy and Applejack being sent sailing back, their auras dissipated.

Their eyes laid on Celestia, whose aura, too, had finally dissipated. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie nodded at one another, before dashing forward and quickly closing the distance.

“GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT, PINKIE!” Rainbow Dash roared as they zipped around Celestia twice before striking.

*schling, schling!*

Celestia ducked underneath Pinkie Pie’s slashes, and bunny hopped over Rainbow Dash’s. The slashes were so powerful that the jets of air were visible with each slice.

*schling, schwit!*

Celestia twisted her body in the air to duck Rainbow Dash’s next slash, and kicked her heel into Pinkie’s next to dodge. This time, Rainbow Dash’s slash was so swift and powerful that the force extended enough to slash Celestia, just slightly.

*Pow, schling-swish!*

Pinkie Pie countered with a quick kick into Celestia’s back, sending her sailing into the sky, where she was sure to have a harder time with movement. Rainbow Dash quickly followed up by jumping after her with another series of slashes.

Celestia skillfully parried Rainbow Dash with the harder plates of her PROJECT armor, perfectly showcasing how the armor itself was a great weapon and shield.

Still, however, the force extended from the blades was still damaging her slightly, and she could do nothing but guard from the two, now.

Pinkie Pie jumped up to join the fray.

*Schling, schlatt, swish!*

Despite all their best efforts, Celestia smoothly dodged each strike, taking minimal residual damage each time, before landing back on the ground. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie landed shortly after, before Rainbow Dash shot a look of disbelief towards Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie seemed to sense Rainbow Dash wavering, and shouted.

“IS THAT EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT, RAINBOW DASH?!”

Pinkie Pie stomped forward, her aura boosting up just slightly, as she engaged with Celestia one final time. Rainbow Dash’s brows furrowed. She shook her head, and promptly joined Pinkie Pie, doing the same.

This time, each slash came with ferocious speed and less concern for friendly fire; their boosted auras very shortly began to shrink smaller and smaller until they were no more. 

However, to the point of their pupils rolling back into their head, they were still fighting with everything they could give.

Celestia’s foot play was fantastic, and for many moments, she was able to narrowly dodge each blade, until, suddenly…

*Schlint-swink!*

Both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash finally managed to land solid strikes on Celestia, blades drawing significant blood. In that moment, Celestia dropped into a deep horse stance, with her arms straightened out from her sides, and let off the final reserves of her aura in a forceful blast, pushing her combatants away with ferocity.

As they tumbled through the ground, immediately losing consciousness, Celestia straightened, her pupils shaking, and vision hazing. Still, however, she stood tall. Seeing no movement after some moments, she sighed deeply, her posture significantly slanting.

She lazily turned to the spectators’ booth, above the Projector, and smiled faintly at the singular spectator.

“They’re… all… yours…” Princess Celestia mouthed weakly, before falling over onto the ground and collapsing alongside her pupils.

...

The PROJECT, however, did not move from his spot for many moments, glued to the scene of the battlefield.

Chasms, vast and deep, scattered the lands. Craters, the size of asteroids, were in several locations. The ground was cracked and irregular, ravines and sinkholes lay around, leveled from all the constant seismic activity resulting from the impact of their battle.

“How terrifying…” The PROJECT sighed, folding his hands behind his back, as he cleared his throat.

“Projector, clean up. Alert arcane-class medical, seven gravely injured PROJECTs, they’ll need seven caskets.” The PROJECT spoke, walking off with heavy thuds of his armored boots. He would need to reach the stadium-arena’s stage to oversee their recovery.

“Neural interface detected. Scanning…” the Projector began, a default routine from a first command.

“PROJECT SA-003, Mythic ‘Shining Armor’, commander of PROJECT: CT, acknowledged. Entered into the database with appropriate administrative privileges.” 

“Welcome home, PROJECT. Cleaning arena... Arena reset. All arcane-class medical onboard have been notified. Will there be anything else, Shining Armor?” the Projector inquired.

"That'll be all." he spoke, as the elevator doors shut, taking his ride down to the stage.