Prologue
Gram bisected the last android in the room with his Dante Plasma Sword and he heard the familiar whine of the door unlocking. He sighed an actual sigh. He had grown tired of the sounds of the Purgatory Towers. All the pipes hissing, the androids materializing, the guns firing and the androids dying and resetting. He needed to hear the sounds of nature. Not just the files from his extremely large database, but the sounds you would hear if you simply went outside. But he knew that would never happen. Ever since he got his first good long look at the barren wasteland that he called home, he lost all hope of seeing nature at its finest. As the mechanical door opened to reveal the shiny hallway that lead to Deucalion's chamber, he gave a solemn look, which looked strange, considering that his head was in the shape of a railgun. He walked down the corridor, unmindful of the luxurious design of the hall. He had seen it many times already. Why would he want to see it again? As he approached the door, it automatically opened, such are all the doors in the Purgatory Towers. He entered the room and was unsurprised to see that it was empty. He gave a blank stare as he walked up the spot where Deucalion once rested.
"Every time..." He thought to himself as he looked around. Nothing had changed. He didn't doubt it. Why would the towers ever change? The floors were as shiny as when he last saw them. The pillars were as pristine as the first time he laid eyes on them. And at the very spot where Deucalion rested, was an engagement ring. His engagement ring. He knelt on one knee and picked it up. He stared at it for a good long while with longing in his eyes. He always felt like this whenever he saw his engagement ring. It was a reminder of what he sacrificed for his faux freedom. Beatrice, his beloved. He stowed it away in one of his wrist compartments and proceeded to the top of Purgatory.
At the top of the tower, he took in the sight of the barren wastelands that stretched as far as his extended sight could see. He hated it. He hated all of it. At this moment, the image of his old friend, Statius, flashed before his eyes.
"I wonder, when will someone as powerful as you be able to find release?" Statius said as he lay dying and his body melted into Elixir Skin.
He cringed at the memory. Then, the memories of all the friends he lost in the tower came.
"I'm sorry, boss..... I was blinded by my pride... But now, I can finally rest....." Mars said.
"Is that you, boss? I know it's you. Sorry for attacking you.... I was envious of you.... I tried so hard to be like you, even directly copying you! But I know that you are too strong for me.... Farewell..." Lycaon said.
"Boss? I'm sorry.... You always told me not to let my emotions cloud my judgment..... But I failed you... I was so angry and he used that against me.... Please, let me sleep like this...." Minos said.
"Captain.... What did I do to deserve this? What did I do wrong? ....... I was afraid.... Afraid, but I didn't do anything and he shot me in the back.... I didn't do anything!.... But, I guess doing nothing is a bad thing too, huh?" Briareus said.
"Captain Gram.... I apologize for my behavior..... I didn't realize it was you..... I wanted to be better than you at one point..... But then, I wanted everything..... Captain, don't mind me.... I'm just rambling... I pray that one day you may find release....." Sphinx said.
"Captain? That's you isn't it? Sorry about attacking you..... You know, I always knew that I wasn't strong enough to fight you, so I tried to absorb all that I could.... But I see that it wasn't enough.... Goodbye, captain..." Alcmaeon said.
Had Gram been human, he would be crying right now. All those memories coming in at once became too much for him to bear. Incapable of crying, he simply stared at the heavens and resorted to something he rarely did: speech.
"I'm tired of this. I'm tired of drowning in my memories. I'm tired of fighting without reason. I want release..." He said as he heard the door opening behind him. His right arm quickly changed into the Dante as he turned to face whatever had come out of the door. It was an android armed with a Samurai Drive III. It raised the blade and dashed towards Gram. He already knew it was coming. He sidestepped the attack and quickly cleaved the android in two, the two body parts quickly melting into Elixir Skin. He stayed silent as he walked over the liquid Elixir skin and it was absorbed into his body. He was about to enter the way he came, when something under the shiny substance caught his eye. It was a data chip. He found this odd, since data chips are often destroyed once the android carrying it is killed. He picked it up and fit it into a slot in the back of his head. He could only find two folders within the chip. One read 'New Records' and the other read 'I'm Sorry'. 'New Records' was empty, so he opted to open the 'I'm Sorry' folder. He opened it and found two files. One was a text file that read 'Read me' and the other was a set of coordinates that read 'Read the first one'. Following the instructions given by the folders, he read the 'Read me' file.
Hello, honey. I just wanted to apologize for everything I've put you through. I was acting selfish. I only thought of what I wanted without thinking of your wishes. I forced you through the tower so you could get your memories back. I didn't take into account how much emotional pain you'd be in. I forced you to go through H.E.A.V.E.N. so we could meet and you destroyed me. Well, I can't blame you. What I'm trying to say is that now that I have fulfilled my wish in bringing you back, I want to fulfill your wish. If you're wondering how I know what your wish is, you made it very clear when you shot me with that Railgun. You wanted release. You wanted your life of senseless fighting to end. And since you're an A.D.A.M., you can't commit suicide.
In this data chip, there is another file that will point you towards another project of mine. It's a portal. I made it using the technology that transports you between floors. Only on a much larger scale. I have one preset destination that I'm sure you'll like. That world has hardly any fighting in it. I'm sure that's what you want. This is my gift to you, love. Be sure to enjoy it.
With love, Beatrice.
P.S. Lock your memories. You'll have a much more enjoyable time if you do. You can unlock them again if you wish.
P.P.S. I might have a surprise waiting on the other side :)
Gram closed his eyes as he muttered a 'thank you' to his lover before heading back down the tower. He had things to do.
Gram stood before the terminal, which looked vaguely like an eagle's beak, and it opened, revealing several metal arms that moved to modify his body. He made all the necessary adjustments for his trip. Increased overall durability, increased resistance to physical and energy damage, increased heat resistance, increased damage output and weapon efficiency. He upgraded his body until there was nothing left to upgrade. He was now the most powerful A.D.A.M. in existence. He could easily dominate any android that came his way. Too bad he was going to leave now. Satisfied with his upgrades, he put an objective marker on his map that lead to the portal and his new life.
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A few days later....
Gram jammed a Faux Dragon Fang Claw into the rusty door and pulled. The door opened with a loud screech, the sound echoing throughout the abandoned laboratory. He looked inside and found what he had been searching for. The portal was waiting for him. It and the room were in pristine condition, contrasting the rest of the laboratory's decay and filth. The room and its components were still shiny, as if they were brand new.
"You did all this.... for me..." He said as his arm morphed back to normal. The portal was a simple archway lined with several Spatial Distortion charges. Beside it was a console with a small screen. On that screen was a location.
"Equis, Equestria. Is that the name of the world?" He asked himself as he looked over the console. He found that the jump coordinates were really messy, so he decided to clean them up and set a more specific teleport location. He did this by simply removing the unneeded parts. He then pushed the button on the console. The charges lit up and they detonated, filling the archway with spatial energy as a sound akin to missiles exploding rang throughout the laboratory. Gram didn't flinch even a little. This was a gift prepared by Beatrice. He trusted her completely. He was ready to step forward and into the portal, but only one thing remained. He locked his memories and put a warning if ever he tried to unlock them.
Beatrice told me to keep my memories locked if I wanted to have a good life. I should listen to her. With the mental equivalent of a deep breath, he walked into the portal, ready to face whatever Beatrice had prepared for him.
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Sunlight shone through the stained glass of the throne room of Canterlot castle as Celestia took in a breath of fresh air. It was definitely a fine day. She got up and off her throne as she walked towards the garden, relishing in the sweet morning air. This had to be her favorite thing to do in the morning. A simple walk in the garden while she absorbed all the splendor of nature. As she approached the garden, she looked at Discord's statue. Even in stone, he mocked her with his pose. He held his lion paw to his chest as he looked as if he were singing out to the heavens. This always made her insides churn. He was a good friend, until his antics got out of hoof. She sighed.
"You wouldn't be like this if you weren't so immature." She said and Discord gave a telepathic response.
"What? I was just being me! You can't blame me for that!" His voice rang in Celestia's head and she chuckled in response.
"True. But I guess you being you is just a bit too much for the ponies of Equestria." She said as she walked off. These telepathic conversations with Discord were usually very small, much like this one. She usually started the topic and Discord would end it quickly.
Celestia breathed deep as she reached the edge of the garden, which overlooked most of Canterlot's commercial district. Ponies chatted away and shop owners advertised to anypony who passed by. Celestia smiled. All was right with Equestria and nothing could change that. Well, maybe it would change. Celestia then felt a sudden throbbing in her head.
"Augh...." She groaned as she fell on her haunches, clutching her head in agony. The pain was intense. She felt as though her skull would explode. But, as soon as the pain came, it was gone. She slowly rose to her hooves and shook her head to rid herself of the remnants of the headache.
"Again?" She asked herself. Lately, she had been having these random throbbing headaches. They would come and leave quickly and they were completely random. She had no way of predicting them. But every time they happened, some sort of gut feeling rose and told her to go to a specific location. She would have followed it, but she was far too busy to do that. This headache was one of the strongest yet and it told her to go to a different location. It pointed her towards the west, within the Drackenridge Mountains. Then she felt the gut feeling coming. The nearly uncontrollable urge to go wherever the headache told her. She sighed again. She didn't know if it was the headache or her common sense talking, but she knew that if this one wasn't investigated, it could be very bad for Equestria. She rubbed her temples as she walked to the barracks. If her headache was right, this would be a very dangerous object and she would need some soldiers to help her approach it.
Before she knew it, she was at the doorstep of the barracks. She opened the door and saw some of the Lunar Guard sitting at a table, playing cards. One of them soon took notice of the princess and calmly stood at attention.
"Princess." He said as he gave a quick salute, his comrades doing the same before they sat back down to continue the game. The difference between the Lunar and Solar Guard was publicly speculated to be that they were the exact opposites of each other. This is only half true. During work hours, the Solar and Lunar Guard both fulfill their roles as guards perfectly. They both stand loyally by the side of their respective Princesses. During their time off, they act completely different.
Did you ever have that friend in high school who would always have the initiative? That friend who would always do the stupid thing first? The first guy to hit on that cute girl in the bar? The first guy to jump off of the roof of your house and into the swimming pool? That was some of the Solar Guard on leave. You see, when they accumulate enough vacation time, say three weeks, they would all go out for a small vacation with their buddies and spend the rest of that time with their families. They would go to each other's houses and screw around. They would try to make each other feel like idiots the day after a big party by showing each other embarrassing pictures of each other. This was the vacation of the typical Solar Guard in a nutshell.
The Lunar Guard, however, is a different story. At one point, they acted very similar to the Solar Guard. But a while after Luna was taught fun, she found out about another form of fun: gaming. She often played when she had no work, which was usually a few hours after she raised the moon. She is what many would call a versatile gamer. She could play anything and she always got excited when a game she had been waiting for came out.
Luna was not the kind of pony to hide her hobbies because she thinks others will think less of her. Turning into Nightmare Moon taught her that a pony's opinion of her does not matter, so long as you have your own opinion to believe and stand by. She often waited by the mailbox for hours on end to simply get a new game she pre-ordered. Her actions had naturally rubbed off on her guards. So now, whenever the Lunar Guard was on leave, a lot of them would go out and play video games with their friends.
Celestia walked over to the training grounds, where she knew that Shining Armor would be. She opened the door, revealing the stallion in question training with one of the other guards. He was practicing CQC and he managed to pin his sparring partner down in only three seconds. As soon as his partner's body hit the ground, he noticed the Princess enter.
"Alright, I think that's enough for now." He addressed his subordinate, who responded with a crisp salute before trotting off. He then turned to the Princess.
"Yes, Princess? Is there something you need?" He asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Celestia could only stare silently before moving on with the matter of her headache.
"Yes, Captain. I need you to assemble a Fireteam and accompany me to the Drackenridge Mountains." Celestia said as she rubbed the last remnants of the headache away. Now, a Fireteam on Earth would normally consist of 4 highly trained soldiers. But in Equestria, along with being very well-trained, Fireteams are usually a small group of unicorns who are adept at destructive spells, most usually fire spells, hence the name 'Fireteam'. In Equestria, Fireteams are very rarely deployed and are only deployed in dire circumstances. Usually for raid, defense and assault missions on enemy countries. But since the inception of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Fireteams had fallen out of use, nearly being lost to time. But if Princess Celestia, the one who banned them in the first place, was asking for one to be deployed now, it had to mean that something very bad was going to happen to Equestria.
"But Princess, we haven't had a Fireteam put together in centuries! Why would we need one now?" Shining asked, shocked at the decision of the ruler of Equestria.
"Trust me, Captain. We're going to need it." She said in a very serious tone that worried Shining. After mentally preparing himself, he looked in his Princess' eyes with conviction.
"Yes, Princess. I will get started right away." He said as he moved to his office to search through the soldier profiles for suitable members for the first Fireteam in modern Equestria.
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Later that morning...
"Alright, Princess. We're ready." Shining said as the Fireteam boarded the chariot and it took off towards the Drackenridge Mountains.
During the ride, Shining spoke up.
"Princess, why exactly did you request me to assemble a Fireteam?" He asked as the wind rushed by them. Celestia didn't look in his direction as she answered.
"I just have a feeling, Captain." She said as she continued to stare at the approaching Drackenridge. They were some of the rockiest and most dangerous mountains in Equestria. They were home to countless Quarray Eels and several tribes of Rake. Rakes looked like grey, emaciated humans with shadowy faces and are said to have claw-like prostheses that enable them to hunt and kill better. Their eyes are completely black and they shine in the dark, allowing them to hunt during the night and during the day. They are extremely fast, carnivorous and aggressive, but only when provoked. They tend to keep to themselves, only emerging from their tribal sectors when it's time for them to hunt. This is the reason why the Drackenridge is completely devoid of equine life.
As they flew over the mountains and to the specified location, Shining saw why there was no civilization here. He noticed a pack of strange, humanoid beings running towards a goat with arms outstretched and claws bared. They closed the distance in a matter of seconds and took it down in even less time. As soon as they pinned the helpless animal down, one of them opened their mouth. It's jaw extended to three times the norm and a row of two inch, sharp and black teeth replaced its regular teeth and it bit into the animal, blood flying into its shadowy face as it gorged itself on the dying goat. Although, Shining didn't see this, considering he turned his head the other way in disgust. He turned to the Princess, who also had a similar expression of disgust. He opened his mouth to voice his opinion of the area, but the Princess beat him to it.
"I know, Captain. This place is terrible..." She said as she observed another goat getting taken down and devoured by the vicious Rakes. The rest of the ride passed by in silence. Soon, they reached their destination. They landed the chariot down at the mouth of a seemingly random cave.
"Princess, is this the place?" Shining asked as his horn glowed brightly.
"Yes, I can feel it." She said as they entered, Shining's horn giving off light as they walked. The inside of the cave was exactly as one would expect from an uninhabited one: Dark, dank and crawling with insects. The skittering of the insects and the horrid smell did nothing to break the focus of the group. They were here for only one reason: To investigate the strange feeling of the Princess. Soon, Celestia stopped the group.
"Hold on. I think it's close by." She said as she and the squad began to look around. They looked in all possible places in the cave that a powerful magical anomaly would be hiding. They checked every nook and cranny, but they didn't find anything. Eventually, Shining called out to the rest of the ponies.
"Hey! You guys might want to look at this." He said as his expression contorted into one of curiosity. They all rushed over to him and Celestia nodded as she got a look at the strange object.
"Good work, Captain. I think we found what we've been looking for." She said as she turned back to leave.
"Bring it to the chariot. We have to get it back to Canterlot to figure out what it does." She said as they all made their way to the chariot. They had a lot of work to do.