An Impossible Task

Chapters

The Ruin City
The Gulid's Plot
The Journey Continues

The Ruin City

An Impossible Task

Chapter 1

The Ruin City

One thousand years ago to this day, there stood a grand city towards the south western part of Equestria. What remains there today is the badlands where dragons rule. But before the tragedy, hundreds of colts and mares lived in the prosperous city called Fortuna Evanesce. It had grand architecture, rivaling that of Canterlot. It was almost paradise, a clean and friendly metropolis. No city is without crime, but what did occur wasn't very serious. Families that lived there were usually ones that their ancestors had planted their roots when the city was first erected. It was joyous that fateful day. The Princess and Prince's foal was due to be born...

"She's so beautiful..." The exhausted mother said softly. The mare alicorn cradled a small filly, which was a pale white and had a brick red mane. She took after her mother and was an alicorn herself. The father, a pegasus, said nothing, for he was overcome with emotion. He raised a hoof and stroked his newborn daughter's hair. All ponies in the room admired the miracle resting before them.

But the happiness was not to last. Evil forces had worked around the clock, and conspired to bring down the city's government. A rat fighting against a cat. But an inured animal is at its most dangerous state. And toppling an Alicorn led city was no easy matter. They had planned for months on this day. In strategic locations, bombs had been placed around the metropolis. One happened to be in the hospital the royalty occupied at that tragic day. When the clock struck noon, all went off in unison. Cleverly placed bombs destroyed bridges and exits from the city, trapping its inhabitants inside. The hospital collapsed, and a joyous day became one in infamy. Yet something happened that the anarchist didn't expect. A hidden power inside the foal alicorn was released, and a massive force of energy, fire, and magnetic waves surrounded her. As the ground crumbled away, she fell into the catacombs. The powers enveloped around the foal, and created a protective sphere around her. The same could not be said for the city. Shock waves caused multiple earthquakes, and the city was put in a state of disarray. Buildings collapsed, fountains exploded into a gush of water. The city was left in ruins, and it was said that no one survived. No one, except for the little filly. Her mother didn't even get a chance to name her yet.

XXXX

"So that's how the legend of Fortuna Evanesce goes. And that's why Princess Celestia strongly believes that I should go investigate and try to find this lost foal. But of course, I won't be alone." A purple colored alicorn stood among two other ponies. The two of them were colts, one significantly younger than the other, yet he seemed like he experienced more hardship. The older, an earth pony, had a name tag on him, which stated that he was Shimmering Blade. The other had no name tag.

"Sounds interesting. So Twilight, is it just us coming with you, or are more going to show up?" The younger colt asked. He was oddly changeling colored, but his eyes looked like a normal pony's, yet were green. He had a horn, being a unicorn, and his mane was shoulder length, black with a green outline. Other than the coloring, he seemed pretty much like a normal pony.

"Yes Charon. Just the three of us are investigating this. Or are you not feeling up to it?" Twilight teased. The young colt scoffed.

"You know I'm up for anything. Being stationed at Canterlot bores me, since nothing happens." He replied to the smiling purple pony. The older colt shrugged.

"The only thing that has happened in Canterlot recently was the Changeling attack, and then the day when some unknown enemy ship...plane...thing attacked the city. Those were stressful days." As he mentioned this, Charon stared at the ground. He had a look of sorrow, and closed his eyes.

"I promised to never be like my kin. After what they had done, I'm glad I was rescued. I came a long way, from being a timid 15 year old pony to the confident 18 year old one that I am now." Twilight and Blade stopped to listen to him.

"So far, you haven't succumbed to them. You are strong. That's why I chose you to help. You and Blade are the best defensive ponies that I could find. We leave at sunrise tomorrow. Go and rest up, for we have a big day ahead of us." Twilight finished her briefing. The two colts got up, and left for the door. Charon reached it first, and left without a word. Blade, although, stayed behind.

"Twilight, I was wondering, what's up with Charon? I've never met anypony like him." Blade asked. The mare sighed, and looked into Blade's eyes.

"He isn't a normal pony."

"I know that much."

"Ugh, please don't interrupt. I mean, he is a hybrid. His mother is, how should I put this... Well, she Queen Chrysalis..." As Twilight said this, Blade poked his hoof on the ground.

"Oh, well that's...a bit heavy."

"That it is. But his father is JetFire, the legendary pony Spartan."

"You mean those super soldier ponies?" Blade raised an eyebrow to what Twilight was saying.

"Yes. His father, JetFire, was originally a human, though Princess Celestia turned into a pegesus upon his request. So, Charon is a Human/Changeling/Unicorn mix. I have no idea how he became a unicorn since his father wasn't one. I guess it's just genetics. But that's only part of his story. I'll let him tell you the rest whenever he's ready."

XXXX

Night had fallen long ago. Charon sat down in his room, lost in his thoughts.

"A lot has happened these few years." He said to himself, fiddling with a quill. A roll of parchment paper rested before him, and a bottle of ink beside it. Charon, now aware that it was becoming increasingly late at night, began to write a letter.

Dear Octavia,

I've been doing well in Canterlot. The city life is alright, but I long for the air of Ponyville. I've been sent on a mission, due to its level I cannot say where, but its nowhere cozy. Hope you, dad, and ShadowFire are doing well.

Love,

Charon

He rolled up the letter, stamped, and set it on a bedside table along with the quill and ink.

"I'll send it tomorrow." He said as the pony laid back on his bed. Charon glanced outside his window, and saw the night sky twinkling in a friendly manner. "Good night, Luna." And a few seconds later, his mind drifted off into a slumber.

XXXX

If the badlands weren't ominous enough during the day, it was without a doubt scary as hell at night. No one lived there, or ever dreamed of. The night blanketed the badlands with pitch black silk. Darkness took on a new meaning here. But something stirred in the night. A sliver of light, only about an inch wide and 6 feet tall spontaneously appeared. It widened with length, becoming what looked like a tear in the fabric of time space. When it reached its potential width, two shadows appeared. Soon the shadows gained features, color, and shape. The two exited the rift completely, and then the portal disappeared. One was taller than the other. The taller looked like a human, with long, white hair tied back into a ponytail. The shorter one was a Lucario. He had fallen to the ground, causing the human to jump to his aid.

"Lu? Are you alright?" He said, lightly shaking the Pokemon. He stirred, and looks at the human.

"I think I'll be fine, Max. Just feels like I left my stomach back at the forest." As Lu spoke, an automated female voice sounded from Max.

"~Systems check. Scanning all systems...Defensive, check...Life support, check...hydraulics system, check...Structural integrity, check. All systems up and running at 100%.~"

"Thank you, computer. What is our location?" Max asked.

"~Locating position now.......scans show that we are on the largest continent of this planet, in the southeastern side.~"

"Can you identify what planet we're on?"

"~Scanning database.....there are no collective data of this planet whatsoever~."

"Damn, it's the same as last time." Max said.

"Last time?" Lu asked.

"When I showed up in your world. It had never been reached by anyone until recently, so it was uncharted and unknown."

"Well, instead of just standing here like fools, why don't we find out where we are?"

"FOOL! That's sounds like a excellent plan." A sword the Pokemon had on a belt turned into bright light, and a strange, short creature dressed in all white, with a top hat and can, appeared by Lu's side.

"Glad to see you too, Excalibur. What is your opinion?" Lu asked the weapon.

"Fool! My opinion is quite obvious."

"You agree with trying to find out where we are?" Max prompted.

"Precisely. It seems like this young man is the only one that's not a fool. For now, that is." Then, as quickly as he appeared, the weapon returned to the sheath on Lu's side. The Pokemon sighed.

"I don't see why I had to wield him."

"Because," inferred Max, " you are the "chosen one" spoken of from that old prophecy."

"Yea, yea, I know. It was a rhetorical question you heap of scrap metal."

"Alright, mange pelt, let's be on our way. I just hope the whole planet doesn't look as desolate as this place." And, the two began to walk northward, as the sun decided to make the sky gain a pinkish hue.

XXXX

Morning seemed to have come faster than night had. A royal guard had entered Charon's room, nudging his hoof.

"Sir? You need to wake. Princess Twilight requests your presence for her journey." He said in a stern voice.

"Yea, yea, she told me yesterday." Charon complained as he slid out of bed. He did a quick inventory check, and threw on his saddle bag. The guard waited for him to approach the door, then as Charon left, he closed it and accompanied him to the courtyard where Twilight and Blade had already gathered.

"Hey there, sleepy head. You rest well?" Blade asked. Charon glared at him.

"I'm not a morning person. I would rather be awake at night."

"Maybe you should have stayed in bed."

"Maybe you should have stayed in asshole school."

"Alright, you two. It's time to go." Twilight said, stepping in between them. Royal guards followed the three until they reached the city gates. With curt nods and a few salutes, they parted ways. Twilight led them, Blade to her right, and Charon to her left. They didn't speak for a good hour, with Twilight reading a map and the two on guard. They stopped as a raging river blocked their path.

"Aww, how are we all supposed to cross it?" Twilight said with exasperation. As she pulled out a book of spells from her saddle bag, Charon walked up to a tree. He lifted up a hoof and put it on the trunk. Closing his eyes, he concentrated.

"Ex muto atque alterius." When he muttered these words, the tree began to twist and fold. It then lost its form, and became several wooden planks. They rushed over to the river, and formed a sudden bridge complete with rails. Twilight stopped in her search and stared in awe.

"Wow, Charon, I think you might be better at magic than I am!" She exclaimed.

"Nah, it was just a simple spell. I'm no miracle worker." With the river obstacle out of the way, the ponies' quest could continue.

XXXX

After two day's travel, the majestic forest the three passed through had come to an end. Trees had become less, and the grass began to wane. Soon only rock ground was left. They had officially entered the Badlands. In the distance, the outline of a city was visible, being the only significant landmark in the entire area.

"I assume that's our destination?" Blade asked. Twilight nodded her head.

"Yes. Lets hurry, night is falling. I don want to be out in the open in the dark here." Twilight said as the three walked further into the badlands. Not too far away, the telltale sound of falling rocks echoed throughout the desolate place.

"Twilight? Did you hear that?" Charon asked he alicorn. She nodded in confirmation. Shimmering Blade stared in the direction of the sound.

"Is there a reason why you asked us to join you other than protect you from monsters, ma'am?" Blade asked.

"Yes, there is actually. Rumor has it that there are power hungry ponies searching for powers lost in the ruins. They sort of control the badlands, what the dragons don't occupy that is. And an alicorn would be a prime target to kidnap or assassinate. They dispose our rule, and hope to overthrow us." Charon yawned.

"Well I'm glad to know that there is more to the fact of you taking us than just keep monsters at bay." They all decided that it was best to be quiet for now since they were traveling into unknown territory.

XXXX

"Damn it, are you trying to let them know we're stalking them?" A dark looking colt snapped at another.

"Sorry! I'm no good at stealth." The other said in a hushed voice. The two watched the travelers pass by.

"One of them is an alicorn. She'd fetch a pretty price if we manage to get our hands on her." The first said. The other scoffed.

"Yeah, if those two weren't with her. I fear we'd have a hard time kidnapping her with them around."

"So, we'll just have to find a way to separate them." The dark duo turned from the travelers and disappeared into the darkness.

XXXX

The night had nearly fallen again. A dark, dank cave opening loomed against the violet sky, with two bipedal figures standing outside it.

"Should we go in?" Max asked Lu. The lucario shrugged.

"I know not. Should we ask-"

"Don't ask Excalibur. Let's just go inside and see where it takes us." He quickly said. Almost seconds after they entered, the darkness was overwhelming. Max kept hitting his head on low spires and kicking rocks. "Damn it, this hurts. Computer, night vision please."

"~Night vision engaged. Set to automatically disengaged when sufficient light is detected.~" It reported back to him.

"Thanks. Lu, are you seeing good?"

"Of course I am, I'm canine. Inherit night vision." Something caught Lu's eye, and he stopped walking. Max noticed him.

"Something wrong?"

"Yea...look at the wall here. These something inscribed on here." They both examined the wall.

"It looks like some sort of language. I can't say that I know it." Max said.

"What about your computer?"

"It's a long shot, but it's worth a try. Computer, scan these inscribed letters."

"~Scanning.....scanning.....scanning.....negative. No records in my database are relevant to the letters shown.~"

"Damn. Only thing to do is continue through this cave. It continues to intrigue me." Lu said. They continued through the quiet cave, with the silence broken only by their footsteps.

Author's Note

This is one of my bigger stories that I've been wanting to get uploaded. Just took me a while to type it.

To learn about Max and Lu's story before An Impossible Task( http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8009117/1/The-Order-of-the-Knights ) and the sequel( http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8035397/1/The-Quest-for-Gearmaster )

The Gulid's Plot

An Impossible Task

Chapter 2

The Guild's Plot

The campfire was crackling merrily as the two of the traveling ponies were snoozing soundly. Shimmering Blade sat in the firelight, watching for any danger, and a rifle at hand. Twilight had fallen asleep almost immediately, but it took Charon a while. Eventually the comfort of sleep overcame him. Blade yawned, and looked down at the fire. The dancing flames lit up his face, which showed sorrow. His sapphire blue eyes reflected the fire as tears, albeit seldom, welled in his eyes. Blade closed them, and let his thoughts come to pass. Pain and suffering were coming and going, each one stung more worse than the last. Finally, the wreaking memory had arrived. A pang of guilt and misery flashed across his face, and a tear escaped his clenched eyelids. The colt looked back into the fire, and wiped the tear from his face.

"It's all in the past...I can't change that." Blade said to himself quietly. He tipped back his head, and looked up towards the stars. The millions of lights twinkled like there was no tomorrow. A sudden crunch noise came from Blade's side. He snapped around to see what it was, and saw that a deer had treaded on some leaves. He sighed, and turned back towards the fire. He had just enough time to see the butt of a rifle slammed into his face. He fell back and landed on the ground, and in pain.

"Damn it!" Blade shouted. Awakened, Charon came running out of the tent.

"What's up?" He quickly asked. Blade had gotten to his hooves and was fighting with the unknown assailant. Knife drawn, he dueled with the rifle wielding pony.

"This asshole thinks he can just waltz into our camp and hit me in the face!" Blade shouted to Charon. All around them, more shady looking ponies appeared. They headed towards Charon, ignoring Blade's fight.

"So, I'm assuming you guys aren't here for s'mores?" Charon jested. They continued to advance towards him, mute. He sighed. "I thought not." Turning towards his left, he chanted a spell. " Consurgens petram turris!" A spire of earth rose up and tossed three shady ponies into the air. One retaliated by firing a rifle, hitting Charon on his front left leg. The bullet went through and left a bloody hole in his leg. "Son of a bitch!" One of the ponies jumped onto his back, and grab around Charon's neck. He tried to throw the attacker off him, but to no avail. Everything began to be fuzzy, and blurry. He felt tired, a sudden urge to go to sleep. Everything became light, and a darkness overcame him. Blade was still fighting with the armed pony when Charon lost consciousness. The shady ponies overcame the second of Twilight's guard as a chloroform cloth was fastened around Blade's face. He stopped struggling, and fell still. Without any protectors, the shady ponies moved to where Twilight slept. As a safety precaution, one shot a sleep-laced dark into the princess so that she would remain asleep. Dispatched and unconscious, the three were drug off into the darkness by the midnight attackers.

XXXX

Max and Lu walked through the tunnel, with their only light being one from Max's left wrist. Their footsteps echoed throughout the damp rock.

"How much further does this go on, I wonder?" Lu asked.

"Not much further, I think. There's a light up ahead."

"Oh yea, I can see it..." The tunnel bended, and a torch was resting in a steel hold.

"What? I think something lives down here." Max said.

"Or someone." Lu replied.

"FOOL!" The holy blade Excalibur had left Lu's sheath and stood before them. "Of course there is something down here, those inscriptions at the entrance were proof enough."

"We know this, but it's just-" Lu started

"FOOL! Do not tell me what you already know! I already know what you already know before you already know it!" The two stared at Excalibur.

"I'm sorry, what?" Max asked.

"FOOL!"

"Get back in the god damned sheath Excalibur!" Lu shouted. The weapon bowed, and transformed back into sword form, rested tightly in its sheath. "I swear to Arceus I'm going to melt that weapon down."

"Let's not be too hasty, Lu." The tunnel widened, and the exit was ahead. Light flooded into the tunnel, and the light hurt the two's eyes. "It can't be daylight, not yet. Sunup isn't for another 3 hours." Max stated. The tunnel ended, and they entered a large underground room. What looked like a city was built before them.

"Huh. Talk about déjà vu." Lu said.

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean this place is like Bone clan's city. They had it built in the mountain's underground tunnels. These natives must have had the same idea." The structure of the city was pretty much the same, wood/stone/straw style houses. The ponies that lived here all looked poor, like hardship had fallen down on all.

"Be stealthy. They might panic at the sight of us." Max noted. He scaled a wall, and the Pokemon followed behind. Both hid from the citizens view on the rooftop.

"Easy access to every building in the city. Smart move, Max." Lu complimented. They jumped from rooftop to rooftop, moving towards the center of the city.

XXXX

Twilight woke up due to a hard bump. She was knocked to the other side of the carriage, and fell onto a sleeping Charon.

"Ugh...what? Where am I?" Twilight asked herself. The three of them were stuffed into the back of a carriage by some unknown ponies. Twilight scoffed. "To think they're so ignorant as to kidnap an Alicorn." She focused her magic to teleport the three away. A few seconds passed. And then a few more. "What's going on? My magic isn't working!" She said, beginning to panic. She put her hooves up to hold her head, but her hoof brushed against something foreign. She felt around the strange obstruction. Then a sigh of relief came from the purple pony. "Oh thank Celestia, my magic is only blocked. I though I had lost my powers." The carriage hit a few more bumps on its way. The other two were eventually stirred by the bumpy ride.

"What..." Charon said drearily. He then jolted up. "Night raid!" He shouted. An annoyed Simmering Blade smacked him upside his head.

"That's what happened last night, moron." He said.

"Well I'm sorry I was asleep when they attacked. It was your shift, anyways." Charon snapped. He then winced in pain, due to the bullet wound. "How'd I let my guard down like that? This wound is painful."

"He does have a point. But this bickering won't solve anything." Twilight told the two arguing colts. "There nothing we can do right now. The only thing we can do is wait."

"You try to wait with a gaping bullet hole in your leg."

XXXX

"Hold on for a moment, Max." Lu said, right when the human was about to jump to another rooftop.

"What's up?"

"That carriage." He said, pointing towards it.

"Something significant about it?"

"Aside from the fact that its escorted by at least 20 of these ponies? No, I think it's purpose is purely innocent." He said with sarcasm.

"You could've just said there's something fishy about the carriage. C'mon, let's follow it." Max said, altering their course on the city rooftops.

XXXX

The covered carriage holding Twilight and her companions had come to a stop. The back opened, and light flooded the dark inside. The three squinted their eyes, adjusting to the brightness. A few of the captors pulled them out of the wooden transport, and gave them a moment to stretch out.

"Get your grimy hooves off me. I can walk jut fine, thank you." Blade said as he was pulled out. Charon stood up, but fell just as fast. A few of the ponies rushed to him.

"He's bleeding out!" One mare shouted. Another managed to get Charon on his back.

"We need to get him to the infirmary, and quick." The colt said. Nodding, the mare focused her magic and teleported Charon and the colt. Twilight walked towards the mare.

"Where'd you send him?" She demanded.

"Weren't you listening? He was bleeding out from hat wound. I sent him to the hospital. He'll be fine." The mare said to Twilight, turning away.

"Fine? It's because of you ponies he was hurt!" The mare sighed.

"Yes, I'm full aware of that. The troops were ordered to not harm any one of you, we just never anticipated he'd pull off such impressive magic." Twilight sat down.

"Ugh! This was my first assignment as a princess, and it's going terrible!" She said, anger and sadness clashing.

"I'm sorry. Truly. We we hoping we could use you as a bargaining tool."

"Use? What do you mean "use"?" Twilight shouted. The mare sighed.

"For months now, we've lived under the fear of a terrible foe. He's been using our ponies for free labor, and every now and then his "people" raid the city. I've been the only one that managed to stand up against them. I gained followers, but not nearly enough to take him one." The unicorn lowered her voice. "He's used some magic that no one has even dreamed of before."

"Does this person have a name?"

"He never gave us one. He only left this." The unicorn held up what looked like a gear.

XXXX

Up above them, two eavesdroppers anxiously listened to the two mares conversation.

"What is she holding?" Max asked. He reached around to a pouch and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Looking through them, he saw a small gear in her hoof. "Hey, Lu. Check this out. He handed the pair to the Pokemon. He stared through it for a few moments, and looked away.

"Finally. I think we've caught up to the bastard." Lu said with a wide smile.

XXXX

"Do you think we can help?" Twilight asked.

"Maybe. Your friend does have exceptional magic. Combined with mine, yours, and all the muscle we can muster, we'd probably last a good ten minutes. Give or take a few." Twilight frowned. Then her face light up.

"Have you heard of the legend of the Ruin City?" She asked.

"Yes, but what does it have to do with our predicament?"

"Legend has it the lost filly has unimaginable powers! If we can find her, maybe we can help your people gain freedom once more!"

"That's a great idea. But it's only a myth, right?" Twilight shook her head.

"That's the whole reason why we're out here. I was sent to try and recover the lost foal." The unicorn looked at Twilight with an expression of triumph.

"Alright! Where do we start?"

"Ruin city. By the way, what's your name?" The alicorn asked.

"Tranquility. Just call me Tranq. The leader of the Stone City guild." As they spoke, two figures dropped down near them.

"If you're gonna charge head on into this, you'll need our help." Max said. Tranq took one look at them and screamed.

"What? A raid? But not now!" Lucario stepped forward.

"Don't worry, we aren't a raiding party. We're the guys chasing after the bastard that's got you all under his thumb. The name's Lu." He said, holding out his paw. The unicorn cautiously took it, and shook.

"Great! Now that's all settled, we can get a move on-"

"FOOL!" The holy sword Excalibur left the sheathe, standing in between Lu and Tranq.

"Not now Excalibur!" Lu shouted.

"FOOL! I may make an appearance whenever a feel like it. You are a curious creature. What might you be?"'He said to Tranq.

"Well thanks. I'm just a-"

"Fool! I already know what you are."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"Fool!"

"Get back in the damn sheathe!" Lu yelled. Excalibur bowed, and turned back into sword form, resting silently on Lu's belt. "You get used to him."

"Anyways, we need to get to Ruin City. How soon can we leave?" Tranq asked Twilight.

"As soon a Charon's better. I won't leave any of my friends behind."

"The healing will take maybe three days. That gives us enough time to supply and be ready."

"I'm sorry, but can you please tell you cronies to get their hooves off me!" Blade yelled. The unicorn made a motion with her head, and they let him go. "Thanks."

"So, we'll all have to be ready in three days. Be ready by then, ok?" Twilight asked them all. They nodded in response. "Alright. Let's all meet back here in three days time."

Author's Note

Apologies for this being late. I've been struggling with my writer's block. I'm glad I managed to put this chapter out. So, thanks for waiting.

The Journey Continues

An Impossible Task

Chapter 3

The Journey Continues

The hospital, granted it was in a poor town, was surprisingly elegant. The design of the exterior humbled those of the surrounding buildings. The inside was just as magnificent. And it was clean, something hard to pull off in a underground village. Twilight and Tranquility walked down one of the sophisticated hallways of the hospital, heading for Charon's room.

"This place is amazing! How did you all manage it?" Twilight said in awe.

"People come here for cures to what ails them, to give birth, for broken bones to be mended, lesions to be sewn, and sometimes, sadly, to pass away. We take care into making this place look comforting to all of those who require its services. Your friend's room is just up ahead." Tranquility opened the door for Twilight, allowing her access to the room. She walked inside, and saw her friend resting. He saw the alicorn, and sat up.

"Oh, look who dropped by for a visit." Charon said with a hint of cheerfulness. Twilight smiled. He caught Tranquility's eye, and she looked away almost immediately. "Who's that?" He asked.

"It's Tranquility. She managed to get you here quickly when you took a turn for the worst." The mare said. Charon laid back and sighed.

"I hate being bed ridden. How much longer am I going to be here?" He asked, staring out the window.

"About one more day." The doctor pony chimed in. She had walked into the room, clipboard at her side. Aside from the hospital dress, she was a light grey pony with a sleek, silvery mane. "There are some things that magic just can't do. You suffered a serious wound. Blood must be regained, and the wound kept clean." The doctor said. Charon sighed again, and looked back to Twilight.

"Talk about a setback. We could have been at Fortuna Evanesce by now, looking for the lost foal." He said, somewhat upset.

Twilight snickered. "She's the expert, Charon. You have to rest until you're fit to leave. Until then, we'll plan and wait." She gave her friend a hug, and walked out of the room. Tranquility looked back inside, and met his gaze again. As quickly as before, she looked away, and followed behind Twilight.

XXXX

The two heroes sat outside the hospital, waiting on the mares to exit the building. Lu and Max, along with the dormant Excalibur, discussed what might transpire in the next few days.

"We've managed to track him down to, well, wherever we are, and luckily found natives that know him." Max said, tapping his fingers on the bench arm. "Seems like Lady Luck is on our side for now." The two drew many passerby's attention, but they could plainly see sadness and fear wrote on the ponies faces.

"They don't seem to be a happy lot. I'm surprised they can speak the same language as us, being ponies and all." Lu replied. Max stopped and looked at him.

"And it's not surprising to find yourself in a world full of intelligent creatures of all sorts named Pokemon? You can't have imagined what awe I was in."

Lu shrugged. "Fair enough." He yawned, and glanced back at the hospital. "How much longer are we going to wait here? I think I may fall asleep."

"Don't snooze just yet." Twilight said. She and Tranquility stepped out of the hospital, and trotted towards them. Twilight looked Max in the eye. "We still need to ask questions." She said, taking a serious tone.

"That's right. We need to address the matter of what exactly you two are." Tranquility chimed in. "The only bipedal beings I've ever come across were hostile to my ponies." She said, her snout curled with anger. Max looked at Lu, then stood up.

"I have no intention or reason to lie to you. We came here on a mission to hunt down a person who made war with my companion's fellow pokemon and threaten my life. He escaped here, but we managed to follow through the trans-dimensional portal he left. Now, it's just a matter of finding the coward GearMaster." Max finished. Tranquility sighed.

"He currently has my ponies under his oppression and in fear of his power. We are unable to send out any distress messages to Canterlot or any other neighboring cities. He made sure we couldn't go that far. But, we may be able to make it to the place he is entrenched in." She said, gaining a confident stride. "He set up his forces in the old castle of Fortuna Evanesce. If we can lead an assault on the castle, and discover the lost foal in the process, we may just win." A glint of bravery showed.

"You may have an idea there. I like your style of thinking. What do you think Lu?" Max asked his friend.

"It sounds solid. If we can pull this off, we-"

"Fool!" As if on cue, the true form of Excalibur stood in the middle of them. "Of course it's a solid plan! It isn't wise to doubt yourself."

"I wasn't doubting myself Excalibur, I was just saying-"

"Fool! Do not question my higher intelligence. I've won wars you know." He said, waving his cane in Lu's face.

"That's nice." He put a paw on it and lowered the cane. "How long till we leave?" He asked.

"We still need another day. Charon need to finish healing up and them he's good to go." Tranquility said, staring at the ground. "It's my fault an innocent pony got injured. I should have never tried to kidnap you Twilight."

"A sad tale indeed." Excalibur said, sitting on the bench sipping on tea.

"Wait, where did you get the tea from?" Lu asked.

"Fool! A proper hero always comes prepared." He said, continuing to sip. The purple mare shrugged.

"It's alright, Tranq." Twilight wrapped a hoof around the unicorn. "But that's in the past. Charon is an easily forgiving pony. I should know, I've known him for years." The alicorn looked back at Max. "We should go over what supplies we need. This will be a trying quest." Twilight turned around. "Let's go. We don't have much time to waste." The three followed the ponies down the street, heading south.

XXXX

Charon was sitting in his hospital bed, reading a book to pass the time. The title read, "Odd Thomhoofs".

"Hmm. A colt that can see the dead...yet solve mysteries? This isn't something you come across everyday." He said, flipping the page. The story managed to hook him, because time seemed to disappear. The day quickly dissolved, and night soon took hold. Outside light diminished, Charon used his magic to turn on a bedside lamp. He was so absorbed into the tale that he didn't notice when some pony entered the room.

"Interesting story?" The voice made Charon jump.

"Gah!" He said, looking at the pony. A familiar mare unicorn stood beside him.

"Hey there, how ya' doing?" Tranquility asked, waving a hoof.

"Fine, I've been through worse. And yeah, it is an interesting story." Charon dropped a bookmark in the pages, and closed it. "Did you come here just to say hi? Visiting hours were over a while ago."

Tranquility sighed. "No. I came here to apologize. It's my fault you got shot, and ended up here." She looked upon him with remorse. "All I was concerned about was the safety of my ponies." She stopped suddenly. She stared at him in silence. He stared back at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Tranquility suddenly threw herself onto him, pressing her muzzle to his. Charon's eyes went wide, but then relaxed. She seemed to be running the show, forcing her tongue into his mouth. They kissed deeply, and held it for a few moments. She pulled back, leaving a small stream of saliva. The unicorn took a few steps back, blushing a deep red.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She looked at the colt, but couldn't keep his gaze. "I've gotta go!" She said, making a run for the door. She opened it without hesitation, and quickly exited the room. Charon was left there, completely dumbstruck.

"What was that?" He asked himself, tuning on his side. "This has been a strange couple of days." The confused colt said.

XXXX

Charon awoke, and felt great. Disregarding the fact that his foreleg was recently damaged almost beyond repair, he sprung out of the hospital bed, and stretched.

"Ugh! It feels good to move again." He said, popping his neck. "I've missed walking." He trotted in circles as the mare doctor walked in.

"Looks like someone is up early." She said with a smile. "I was hoping to run one last test on you, but seeing as how you're spinning in circles renders that inert." The colt stopped and acknowledged the other pony.

"So does that mean I can leave this place? I hate hospitals." He said, almost dancing in place.

"Yeah, you can leave. We just need to sign you out and you're good to go."

"What about the bill?" Charon inquired.

"Tranquility took care of that earlier." As she mentioned the unicorn's name, Charon blushed.

"Oh yeah, her. She seemed to be a nice pony." Avoiding eye contact, he shuffled his hooves. The doctor pony scoffed.

"Yeah, she's pretty generous. Let's get a move on." She said. Both left the room, and headed towards the front desk.

XXXX

Supplies ready, Twilight and Tranquility waited near the cavern exit. They had food and camp supplies all assorted into saddlebags and modified bags for the bipedal companions. The alicorn sighed, and plopped down on her plot.

"What is taking them so long? I told them all to be here at exactly 7:00! It's 7:01 now!!" She said, having a schedule fit. Tranq laughed, and glanced down the road. A smile came across her face.

"Looks like your pal Shimmering Blade is on his way. And he seems to have brought two of my guard along." The three ponies, two colts and a mare, approached the waiting pair. Twilight turned around, and stormed over to Blade.

"I told you to be here at a specific time! This is a very serious matter we are handling, and we can't allow any slip ups!" The lavender pony said, chewing him out.

"Sheesh, don't be so defensive ma'am. I was only bringing along extra protection. I hear they're the best of Tranquility's freedom fighters." The two ponies beside him weren't complete strangers. The colt, a burnt red coat and cobalt mane, was the large pony that hoisted Charon onto his back to escort him to the hospital, and the mare was the doctor. The mare stepped forward.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Silver Scalpel, but you can call me Doc if you want." She held out a hoof to the lavender mare, who gladly accepted it.

"Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine."

"So, who does your friend happen to be?" Twilight inquired. The colt cleared his throat before speaking.

"I am Bounce. Although it's an odd and original name, I prefer to be called Bo." He didn't offer a hoof to the alicorn, but bowed. Twilight looked around.

"Wait, if you were Charon's doctor, where is he?" She asked. Sliver looked around as well.

"I have no idea actually. He was with us when we left." She responded. Down the road, they could see him hurrying towards them, along with Max and Lu. The colt came to a stop next to Bo, panting.

"Sorry, I got lost. Luckily these two were walking by." He said between gasps of air. Blade snorted.

"How did you get lost? This place isn't that big. What, did a mare distract you?" He taunted.

"No!" He said, getting defensive. "I was hungry. That hospital food wasn't the best, I thought I'd have some pie before I left." He walked past them, and approached Twilight. "So, is this all were taking?" He waved a hoof at the saddlebags. The alicorn nodded.

"This is all of it. Here." She used her magic to levitate a bag and put it on Charon. "Now you're ready." She begun to evenly distribute he bags between the group. Max and Bo, since they were the biggest, got the heavier supplies. Doc carried all of the medical since she was the expert.

"Alright, are all of you ready?" Tranquility asked. She looked at all of them, getting words or nods of yes. When she looked at Charon, she couldn't help but smile. She turned around, almost clumsily. "The castle is a day's walk from here." She said, taking the first step.

XXXX

Their path took them to a deep canyon. Due to the dry weather, only a small stream of water flowed through the deeply cut stone crevice. The 8 companions, 9 if you include Excalibur, walked along this ancient riverbed. Twilight and Tranquility were at the front, Bo and Silver right behind them. Charon and Blade held behind the cave city dwellers. Max and Lu pulled up the rear.

"Ah. I enjoy the morning." Max said, looking around the canyon. "I mean, even if this place isn't the prettiest, it's almost magical." As he said this, Twilight looked back.

"You should see Canterlot. It's on a mountainside, and the view is magnificent!"

"And don't forget little old Ponyville." Charon chimed in. "That's one of the nicest places you can visit."

"Maybe after this we can all go visit!" Silver said, bouncing. She stopped, and changed her demeanor. "I mean, yeah. Those sound like good places to go."

"What was that? Did you just let loose, Doc?" Bo said, leaning down to her.

"No! I have no idea what you're talking about." She lightly pushed him away from her. "I'm just saying, I like traveling." Up ahead, Tranquility was smiling with Twilight.

"Hehe. It's been too long since I saw my friends having a good time. Out of all the ponies that were affected by this "GearMaster", she was hit the hardest. The old chief doctor died, and Silver being so young, was landed with the responsibility of main practitioner. She's done well, but I fear it caused her to change too much." She sighed, and smirked. "These past few months have been difficult. The only consolation I can offer them is that we're taking the fight to Gear-whatever he is."

"GearMaster." Lu said from the back of the group. Tranquility turned around.

"You can hear us?" She said, bewildered.

"Hey, I'm canine. I can't help that I have hearing beyond yours." He said, shrugging. The whole group began to laugh, the sound echoing of the walls. "What? Was it something I said?"

XXXX

Soldiers in armor worked around the clock to repair the castle. Each wore full suits of armor, which were the same design. They were all assigned to different parts, walls, flooring, interior design. Every single one of these bipedal beings had the emblem of a teal gear. The soldiers who weren't working on repairing the millennium-old ruins were focused on war devices. Scientist, mechanics, overseers. Many vehicles, weapons, and other assortments could be seen.They all worked tirelessly for a cause yet unknown.

A person stood in watch, enjoying the sight. As he smiled in glee, one of the soldiers approached him.

"Sir!" He said, standing at attention. "We've received reports that the shipyard in the mountain range north of Canterlot was completely destroyed!" An odd silence fell.

"Hmm. That's an obvious problem to our operation. But, seeing as how I've recently reunited with an old friend, my need for that shipyard is no longer necessary. Get a guard ready, Chrysalis will be looking here for refuge. I can afford to loose something like that shipyard, but powerful allies are harder to replace. Also, prepare a banquet for our guests. they should be here within a few hours, for we have much planning to discuss. Dismissed." GearMaster said. The soldier saluted, and left hastily.

"Ugh, I'm getting too old for conquests. But we need to rebuild our empire." He smiled, continuing his soliloquy. "The pieces are in place. It's only a matter of time before we strike."