Falling Into the Unknown

Scattered grains of sand blew into my face as the chariot flew above the barren landscape, stinging my skin when they hit. I held a hand in front of my face to block off the mini-storm of particles, thankful that we weren’t traveling any faster. If we had been, it would have become much more annoying.

The other unicorns inside of my chariot didn’t seem to mind that much. Then again, they could – and probably did – cast some spell to block the sand or something. And they also had military training, something that I lacked.

All around me, thousands of pegasi and hundreds of chariots full of unicorns flew above the flat landscape, the cracked ground occasionally giving way to sandy sections. I couldn’t help but notice how barren the landscape was. Well, at least I now knew why it had been given the name of ‘The Badlands’.

It made sense that only the Changelings would live out here.

Despite the sand and grit flying through the air, when I looked down at my rifle, it appeared clean and free of sand. A slow pull of the bolt showed that the interior was also free of any particles. Looking forward again, I could tell that there was something massive in the distance, but I couldn’t see what it was due to the small amount of sand in the air and the heat.

Did I mention the heat? It was at least one hundred degrees right now. The sun felt like somebody shining a laser on my back.

“Four minutes until we arrive!” One of the pegasi next to our chariot shouted at us, straining to be heard over the sound of the wind. We were moving at about eighty miles per hour through the air, faster than I really expected the chariot to be capable of.

Ahead, the shape in the distance grew ever larger. Slowly, the amount of sand in the air died down as we approached, even though the land under us was now composed completely of it. Through the heat distorting the air, it was clearly visible: A massive mountain, topped in a spire of a peak, with massive ridges running from it in random directions, creating small canyons that stretched all the way to the edges.

“Celestia, that’s massive.” One of the unicorns said.

“No kidding.” The one next to him replied.

The formation began to break, different parts moving to hit from separate sides of the mountain. His section headed for the part directly in front of them. Black dots started to rise from the canyons in the hundreds.

“Changelings!” One of the pegasi shouted.

The black dots quickly formed into the expected shapeshifters. They closed with us as the section cleared the edge of the massive rock mountain, finally meeting us right as the chariots were descending.

Black blurs shot past our formation, green bolts flying from several of them, many fo those finding pegasi and chariots. The unicorns in the formation began to fire back in their own way as many of the pegasi gave chase.

Our chariot suddenly descended into a canyon, touching down seconds later as it rapidly descended. As soon as it hit the groups, the unicorns hopped out, and the pegasi pulling it unlatched themselves. All around us, more pegasi and chariots were landing, dropping off their cargo.

The canyon itself was small and winding, about twenty to forty feet wide, with the edge a hundred feet up. When I looked around, I could see almost two hundred ponies in my area alone. When everyone was finally organized, they started to walk down the canyon, with me near the center of the group.

We didn’t encounter anything in the first two minutes of walking. Above us, Changelings and pegasi occasionally flew overhead, locked in aerial duels. It might have been fun to watch, if I hadn’t been at risk of being hit while up there.

After yet another twist in the canyon, a black hole showed in the wall of the cliff. It appeared we had found our entrance.

The group immediately broke out into a run, many pulling out spears and clutching them, as we turned and went into the passage. When I ran inside, I was struck by how gloomy it was. The only lighting came from green and white crystals imbedded in the ceiling, spaced at fairly regular intervals. The tunnel itself was about twenty feet in diameter, with a fairly smooth floor.

Some shouts came from ahead, and a moment later I found myself in a very large cavern, stretching off in both directions for as far as I could see. It was at least two hundred feet wide, and almost eighty feet high. What looked like houses were built into solid rock in the sides of the massive cavern. Stone pillars every hundred feet or so rose from the ground of the cavern into the room, providing support for the massive structure.

The ponies fanned out, the unicorns in front immediately springing into action as several Changelings came out of houses, rushing at us. Multicolored bolts of magic flew at them as I raised my rifle, firing at the first one of saw. With the group as spread out as we were, we could afford to move forward, so we all did.

The group of about twenty Changelings were quickly killed, with several knocked out. After some shouting, about forty ponies stayed behind to guard the entrance, as the rest of us moved forward, heading further into the cavern.

I was at the left side of the group as they walked forward. Yet again, several dozen Changelings came out to attack us. Yet again, after we suffered a few losses, they were beaten off. I estimated we had gone about a mile into the structure now, and would be nearing its center. We occasionally found small groups of Changelings simply staying in the houses and looking out, but other than leaving a few guards every once in a while to secure areas, the self-appointed leader of our group, apparently a captain, did nothing but urge us forward.

I could almost cry at the brilliance of his plan.

Then again, the guards seemed to be doing much better than I had expected. Maybe the training they had gotten at the last minute in the camp had helped after all.

The cavern began to widen, becoming bigger and bigger, until it cut off, and we were left staring at the largest cavern we had ever seen. At the center of the mountain, stretching around two thousand feet across, and two miles high, was the most massive chamber I had ever seen. Holes in the wall dotted the level we were on, with a full pathway stretching around it as well. On the other sides, from the gleaming of gold I saw, it was apparent that other groups of guards had arrived as well.

“Jesus Christ, that’s big.” I said, looking at the massive room.

“So that’s where they’ve been hiding all those Changelings.” Another guard said, looking down. Following his gaze, I could see what was almost a small city settled at the bottom, surrounding a large lake in the center. Even from this distance, I could tell that hundreds of Changelings were in the town, rushing around.

“Well, that’ll be a problem.” Another guard stated. Even now, I couldn’t help but agree.

“Where do you think Chrysalis is?” I asked.

“Probably somewhere near the top.” A unicorn said as several of the pegasi began to take off, heading both up and down as several Changeling began to fly from both the top and the bottom.

“I’ll be on that attack team.” I said.

“Ok, go to that unicorn over there. Good luck, Human.” The guard rushed off after pointing to another section of the still-large group.

I walked over to the mentioned group, noticing it was made mostly out of pegasi, with a few unicorns. The apparent leader, clad in bright gold armor, walked up to me.

“So, you’re with us, I suppose.” The guard said in a deep voice. “Good. We’ll be flying up a group of unicorn, and together with other sections of the assault force, we’ll head for the top of the tower.”

“Sounds about right.” I said, nodding.

“Ok, everypony!” The unicorn said, turning to the rest of the group. “We’ll be flying up now. Unicorns, go to your assigned pegasi. Glistening Spear, I was you to take the human up.” A pegasi nodded, apparently Glistening Spear. “Just remember to stay together. There’s somewhere around two hundred Changelings and pegasi in the center of the cavern, flying around one another. Alright, let’s go!”

The ponies rushed to the edge of the cavern, pegasi quickly picking up unicorns. I felt a pressing on my arm as the pegasi the guard had told to lift me picked me up, sending a pout of vertigo through me. As they all flew off the edge and climbed up, the one carrying me did the same, following the pegasi in front of him.

All around me, Changelings and pegasi rushed through the air, locked in combat. Magical bolts of all colors flew through the air, occasionally striking targets, both guards and Changelings.

As we flew higher and higher in the cavern, I noticed that, ahead of us, there was a in the wall of the cavern, right next to the top. The group of pegasi angled towards it, flying faster. I fought down my vertigo and the urge to struggle. I had always been afraid of huge heights, but this was just ridiculous.

Finally, we flew above the level of the cave, immediately diving down into it. I was dropped fairly softly on the ground as pegasi landed unicorns on the passage. I noticed we were a couple pairs short, probably from the flight up, but I didn’t mind.

Ahead of us stood about a hundred Changelings, many clad in midnight blue armor. They turned to look at us, shocked expressions still plainly obvious.

I raised my rifle, flicked the selector to full auto, and squeezed the trigger.

Bullets slammed home on many of the Changelings, the armor doing little to protect them. Many of the unicorns were opening up on the Changelings as the pegasi took to the air, flying at the bug-like creatures.

Many of the Changelings took to the air and fired back, charging at us. Green bolts flew through the air, and I also noticed several of them wielding crossbows. When the magazine finally ran out, thirty rounds later, I swiftly reloaded it, clicking the new magazine in placed and pulling the bolt back a mere four seconds later.

I slung my rifle and pulled out my G-17C, ready for more close-in combat. A Changeling in front of me started to rush forward, only to be put down as three 9x19mm rounds impacted it. Another one dueling with a Pegasi wielding a spear was killed as two more bullets passed through its chest, impacting most of its vital organs and piercing its heart.

I turned to my right and put one bullet each into two Changelings rushing a wounded unicorn, killing them. Turning to the front again, I scanned for more targets, only to find none.

Our group of forty had killed all of the Changelings but at a cost of half the group killed and some of the remainder wounded.

“Four of you, stay back with the wounded!” The leader of our group shouted. “The rest of you, up that passage!”

I noticed that, at the other end of the small caver, there was a single exit: A ramp heading in a spiral upwards. I ran for it, slowing down once I reached it, and heading upwards. The rest of the group was behind me as I walked upwards, pistol held outwards.

I must have walked the equivalent of four stories before the first Changeling came into view. It was unarmored, and I fired the moment I saw it, unloading two rounds into it. The body fell to the ground, twitching once before becoming still. I stepped around the corpse, continuing my climb upwards as the guards followed me, probably content to let me deal with the threats.

We climbed the equivalent of another two stories, and then another six, until I was wonder when our trek upwards would end. Finally, the spiraling passage leveled out into a straight section around twenty feet long. A single metal door stood on the right side, while the passage ahead of that ended in rock.

Four Changelings stood in the corridor. I quickly fired two rounds at one, killing before realizing that my pistol was empty. I thumbed the clip release, catching the old one and stowing it, before inserting a new one. By that time, the unicorns had sprang into action, killing the remaining three.

“She will be behind this door, in all likelihood.” The leader of our group said. “I’ll prepare the explosive spell. Everypony else, stand back.”

With that, we all went away from the door, standing to the side as the guard’s horn glowed brighter and brighter. Finally, it released in a large bolt, blowing the door out in a large explosion.

Immediately, all of us rushed to the door, running inside. The first thing I saw in front of me was a virtual wall of eight Changelings; all gathered around the large one I had seen earlier that week. Chrysalis.

I opened fire on the first one that came into my sights, putting three bullets into it and watching it fall. A unicorn felled another two with a barrage of magical bolts as I fired twice more, killing another. The pegasi rushing forward stabbed two more through with spears as I killed the last two with six more bullets.

All of the guards were dead, and Chrysalis stood in front of me, a scowl on her face.

“So, you think this is over?” The Changeling asked as the rest of the ponies stepped back.

“Yeah, it is.” I said, pointing my gun at her head.

“You will not kill me. You do not have the will. Besides, how will you get back to your earth without the spell I know?” Chrysalis said, taunting me.

“Oh, ways.” I replied in a cheery tone. “But you’re not going anywhere but hell.”

With that, I pulled the trigger.

The single bullet I fired did the rest.

“Well, that’s how you kill a Changeling queen.” I said as I stood over the body. I turned back to the guard, smiling. “Now, what happens next?”

“We’ll go to the evac zone.” The leader of our squad said, holding out a scroll. “I just got word from the rest of the sections: Resistance is collapsing as we speak.”

I went to the edge of the window that I just noticed. Looking out over the sea of glass, out from the mountain, I could see the groups of ponies at the edge of the mountain. Small groups of black dotted the area: Captured Changelings. I knew that cleaning up from this would be hard, and sorting out the results even harder, but I also knew that I would have no part in it.

After all, I had a portal to catch.