Chronicles of Bon Bon

Chapters

Prologue #1
Prologue #2
Wake Up Call
Making A Path.
Catching Up With The Past
Skullface's offer
Meeting the Equestrian Army.
A Few Screws Loose
Chapter 9
Out the Door of my War-Bird,
Fire and Confusion
Unmasked
Just Some Turbulence
AirBonBon
Raid the Hollow.
A Gentleman's Conversation
Preparing to Send a Message..
Sending a Message..
Hail to the Sovereign
A Plan Comes Together
Let the End Begin
Hitting the Fan
The Wonderbolts
Freedom Falling
What Needed to Be Done
Patriots Disbanded
Five Months Later
The Hunt Begins
Setting the Trap.
Fillydelphia woes and setting the stage.
The Prison Riot
Surrounded and Superweapons
Loose screws and Loose ends..
Epilogue and things to come.

Prologue #1

"Five minutes till release." The Shadowbolt announced, snapping Bon Bon out of her slumber, She had gotten used to the routine: The Shadowbolts fly under the cover of night at a low altitude, release her 7 km from the Target, Wingsuit in and deploy the parachute at the last second to avoid detection.

"Control this is Commander Drops" Bon Bon said, she hated using her birth name, Sweetie Drops, but the Canterlot Defense Ministry doesn't make exceptions, even for the best.

"Commander Drops, this is Control, confirm your orders."

"Orders the search and rescue of Ambassador McTalk from a group of Griffon extremists." She replied, she would much rather let that scumbag McTalk rot, but orders are orders.

"Confirmed, The Ambassador is located on the hijacked naval vessel the SGNV. Enigma, Griffon forces are waiting on order to retake the vessel as soon as McTalk is extracted via Fulton Recovery, you will be extracted by F.R as well."

"Understood, Drops out." Bon Bon said cutting the radio off. After a brief silence it was broken by the Shadowbolt,

"Have you heard the news, they might be phasing us out." he asked with a hint of sadness

"Cant say I have," she replied

"Yea, some mare in Ponyville, Applesomething, is working with that stallion who made the clockwork exosuits to make flying machines!" he said

"Don't we have those already, Hot-air Ballons?" she replied

"Yea but these machines are supposed to go faster than, get this, the fastest Wonderbolt! Man Dash is gonna be so mad!" he said chuckling

"Times are changing kid, relics like me are bound to be replaced.." she said with a smile, she loved her job, but there was something she loved more waiting for her at home.

"You sound like you're looking forward to being replaced."

"It's cause I am, how long till release?" she asked flatly

"Ten seconds ma'am, Brace for release."
9...8...7..6..5..4..3..2..1.
"RELEASE!"

Bon Bon let herself drop a few feet away from the Shadowbolt before deploying her wingsuit, within seconds the suit was fully deployed sending her into what could be described as a controlled fall, after a few minutes the ship came into view, she noticed an accessible point on the Bow of the ship, scanning the area she noticed only one griffon patrolling the ship, the rest were most likely with the ambassador or asleep.

The griffon approached the Bow of the ship, it was only a matter of time before its eyes would refocus and compromise the mission, without a second to lose Bon Bon deployed her parachute to slow herself to the minimal speed of detachment and disconnected herself from the parachute, sending her on a collision course with the Griffon. Before the Griffon could utter a word the mare had made contact and used the Griffons body to cushion the fall, breaking the creatures spine with a loud crack.

"Sorry to drop in on you like that." Bon Bon said wanting to slap herself, she promised Lyra she would say a one-liner for her so she might as well have gotten it out of the way now."

Removing her helmet and goggles, Bon Bon let her blue and pink mane drop down to its normal resting place and fixed the straps of her eyepatch to a comfortable position on her head,
"Now, Lets get to work.."

Prologue #2

As Bon Bon entered the ship, she had a feeling in her stomach, something wasn't right, in all her years of service not once did griffons patrol alone, they were always with another in the area, but it was nowhere to be found. Slowly trotting down the corridor hugging the walls to avoid detection Bon Bon reached the door with "STORAGE" written on a plaque above the frame, if the Ambassador was anywhere, he would be there.
Slinking into the room she noticed the Ambassador: A Blue Stallion, with a black mane with a money bag as his cutie mark, blood was stained on his light blue suit and white shirt from the griffons "interrogations" and his tie used as a gag to keep him quiet, whether or not he deserved it was beyond her pay, she has one job: get him to safety.

Slowly approaching the stallion, Bon Bon assessed that the area was clear and proceeded to remove the tie from his mouth, she immediately regretted the action.

"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!" he spat

"sir, you need to stay calm and keep your voice down, we don't want to wake any of your captors." She replied flatly, the last thing she wanted was to have more paperwork when she got home.

"You idiot! They're all gone, they went to talk to some Griffon general and "get two stones with one bird or whatever, now get me out of this confounded chair and get me home!" His voice giving off a sense of superiority.

"Wait, Did you just say general?" she inquired.

"Yes a general, I didn't realize they'd send a half blind AND deaf person to save me!" He said chuckling to himself.

At this point Bon Bon wanted to punch the teeth right out of this upper class punk, but she had bigger problems at the moment, breaking radio silence she flipped on her radio to update the situation,
"Control, this is Comm-"

" Commander Drops! We have a serious problem!"

"sir, whats going on!?"

"IT'S A SET UP!"
control shouted into his headset Bon Bon's eye widened to the revelation that she just walked into a trap,
"Oooh buck, McTalk! WE. ARE. LEAV-"
She was cut off as an explosion went off in the boiler room of the ship, it was only a matter of seconds before the storage area was filled with water,
"LETS GO!" Bon Bon shouted at McTalk who was in shock of the situation at hand, without hesitation, he bolted for the door leaving her behind.

As she made her way into the corridor of the boat, McTalk had already made it out to the deck of the boat giving the occasional impatient "come on!"

making her way up the stairs she made her way onto the deck of the ship, the stern was already submerged,
"To the Bow, MOVE!" She said pointing to the Bow of the ship.
As they ran to the Bow, Bon Bon noticed the Body of the Griffon was missing and drag marks could be seen, they weren't alone.

"Shadowbolts! The package is ready for delivery are you ready?"

"This is Shadow one and two, we are ready for Pickup, deploy Fultons."

"Alright sir, we don't have enough time or room for a standard pickup so we are going to do a skyhook."

"A WHAT!?" He said his pupils shrinking to the size of peas.

"Don't worry, all you'll feel is a little tug and you will be home in no time!" she said attempting to calm him down.

"NO! YOU WILL HAVE HIM LAND FOR ME! I AM McTalk OF THE FAMILY OF M-"
before he could let out another word Bon Bon pulled the ripcord on his pack sending a balloon into the sky, moments later a cloud trail swooped in and picked him up sending McTalk into a high pitched scream as he was carried to saftey.

"Glad that's over with." Bon Bon said to herself "Shadow two, ready for my balloon?"

"Confirmed, awaiting deployment."

Pulling on her own ripcord, the balloon from her pack inflated and rose into the sky, letting out a strobe light to signal the Shadowbolt. She could see the shadowbolt catch and pop the balloon and hook the strap to his suit locking her in with a quick tug she was airborne.

"This is Shadow Two, I have the package, returning to base." the Shadowbolt said as soon as he finished his sentence a Griffon struck him from the side and grabbed hold of him, spinning him in a full circle before throwing him into a collision course with the deck of the ship, before Bon Bon had time to react it was too late, the strap meant wherever the Shadowbolt went, she did which just so happened to be the sinking ship she just left.

Getting her bearings back she noticed she was back on the deck of the ship, to her right the Shadowbolt laid limp with an expression of shock on his face, that griffon is going to pay. As if it had been called, the Griffon landed on the ship with a smug look on his face.
"Well Well, if it isn't the Legendary "Sweetie Drops" time hasn't been on your side lady, I could say the same for your friend over there!" he said coldly laughing at his own joke.
"You see, we don't care about McTalk, never did, we just wanted to take you out of the picture, something big is happening and we need you out of the picture!"

"Who needs me out of the picture?" She asked, attempting to stand but unable to.

"To be honest, Everyone! The Griffons, Changelings, Saddle Arabians, heck you even have a few Equestrains who want you dead, and I as a mercenary of honor, am happy to oblige!" The Griffon said, doing a mock bow.

"You aren't making it off this ship you over sized chicken." Bon Bon threatened

"What are you gonna do? Limp at me!"

"No, I'm going to use this." she said pressing a few buttons on the attached block to her hoof.

"OooOOOooo, not the block of doom! Whatever will I do!? You think this is my first Rodeo with you ponies I know what that is it's your species lame excuse for a shotgun! all I have to do is take a few steps back and guess what?" he said taking a few steps back with a smug look on his beak
"You cant touch me!"

"only one problem to that theory" she replied with a smug look.

"and what would that be?"

"I use slugs."

-BLAM-

what used to be the face of an eagle, now was nothing more than feathers and empty space.

"works every time" she said blowing the smoke off the barrels.

"Control, this is Commander Drops, my evac is KIA and I need immediate Evac, I can't move, need medical aid."

"Drops this is Control, we are sending backup hang in there. over?"

"Ov-oh celest-"

"Drops respond! BON BON!" Control screamed in the mic, hailing Bon Bons frequency for five minutes to no response.

The explosion sent Bon Bon flying into the cold waters, wounded and still attached to the remains of the Shadowbolt, She saw what looked as if the stars were moving faster than she ever seen in her entire life and then a glowing pair of white eyes, Then there was darkness

Wake Up Call

"Bon Bon. Bonnie!" tender voice whispered in Bon Bon's ear, she opened her eyes to see Lyra lying next to her
"Hey honey," Bon Bon said rolling over to face her marefriend,

"Now that you're retired we have all the free time in the world! I got some hayfries in the oven, I'll serenade you with some music and if your lucky.." she said giving a sultry look and winking at her this made Bon Bon blush furiously.
"How would I be so lucky?" Bon Bon said with a smile, nudging herself closer to the mare she cared for since the day she laid eyes on her.
"all you have to do is..." nudging closer
"WAKE UP!" her voice changed to a harsh male voice snapping Bon Bon out of her comatose state, her good eye jolted open to the sight of a stallion with an angered look on his face, as instict took over she grabbed the stallion by his vest and rolled him over the bed and slammed him onto the floor.

"Where am I!?" She spat but before she could get an answer she was kicked off the stallion with his hind legs sending her crashing into the wall, as she tried to stand up on all fours she fell over, then for the first time she looked to her hind legs and there was nothing but a stub where the leg used to be.
"what happened to me"

"The accident when you saved that worthless sack of sh- listen you've been in a coma for ten months, things have gone from bad to worse to what it is now! You are in the Ponyville Intensive Care Center, insurgents are coming this way to seize the city, we have to leave now. Quick put this on!" he said throwing a metallic peg leg at her, she quickly slipped it on and spent a minute or two gathering herself and getting used the the stiffness of the leg.

"You ready?" he said, Bon Bon could tell from the looks of this stallion he knew what he was doing, probably her replacement from her 'absence'.

"Y-yea I think so, lets get out of here." she replied slowly walking to the door to look outside, as she did she noticed the hospital was empty and they were the last ones.

"Where is everyone?" she said with a hint of concern in her voice if someone evacuated a hospital, staff included, it had to be bad.

"They are already evacuated, Princess Sparkle's orders."

"That little faith in our army?" she said with a smirk.

"You haven't seen what we're up against yet.." the stallion snapped giving a serious glare at her.
"lets go we'll walk and talk."

"I never caught you na-"

"It's Sifty, and you're the legendary Commander Drops well 'petty officer Sweetie Drops' now, McTalk had you demoted for disrespecting him even while you were in a coma

"Wow, That's low." she said in disbelief

"yeah, and guess what? Ambassador McTalk is now High Commander McTalk, talk about the good ol' boys committee!"
Bon Bon didn't like the sound of things already for there to be high commanders there had to be a serious conflict going on, which meant-
"listen, I know this might be too much to ask but, where is Lyra?"

"Lyra is.. Lyra was"

"WHERE. IS. LYRA." she said adding emphisis to every word slowly stepping closer and closer to Sifty with a fire in her eyes.

"Lyra went MIA six weeks ago, her unit was patrolling the outskirts of Ponyville for insurgents, I'm sorry we-"

"Who?"

"huh?"

"Who did this?"

"the insurgents"

"WHO ARE THE INSURGENTS!" she said tipping a wheeled cart over letting the contents cover the floor

"Ponies, mostly earth they don't seem to have a leader but they have someone on the inside giving them intel. Listen, I know you're mad, confused, hurt, I get it, but we HAVE to leave NOW."

"Promise me this, if we find who did this. We make them pay.." she said coldly

"Promise."

As they made their way to the exit of the hospital, a squad of Celestial Guardsmen were holed up in the house across the street, while a few were on ground level to direct any stray ponies. Each armed with new weapons Bon Bon had never seen instead of the old flint styled rifles that were standard issue, everypony had lever action rifles and the old uniforms were what looked more tactical than artsy.

"Seems like the army got an upgrade while I was out."

"Yea, most of the stuff that you had is standard issue now, times have changes ma'am."

"Yea..they sure have.." she said sighing looking around Ponyville, the once small town was now a well sized market city shops lined the street and she could make off in the distance the Library in the afternoon sky, it was taller than she remembered, losing her self in the memories of the past,remembering Lyra and all their friends.

"This is Sifty, the HVT has been collected, Returning to FOB immediately! Sift out."

"We have to leave the insurgents have entered the city, EVERYPONY fall back!"

"what!? we're just GIVING UP ponyville!" She said snapping out of her daydream.

"yes, we are, but we're going to counter attack soon!"

"fine, lets go." she started walking down the stairway when within seconds the once peaceful street was sent into disarray as two shimmering objects swooped by with a loud buzzing whir littering the street with small canisters that bursted open covering the street and houses with a vaporous liquid.

Bon Bon turned around to see what the source of the liquid was, it was those flying machines the Shadowbolt was talking about! What looked like a pair of wings with two propellers on the back with a tail to control it, and an EARTH pony was flying it!
"what the hay did I miss?" Bon Bon asked herself in disbelief, in nine months the earth ponies had access to fast flying craft without the assistance of pegasi! but her awe was cut short as she saw something that sent a shiver down her spine and made he peg leg tap erratically on the ground . A gigantic metal machine with multiple engines a toothy mouth was flying right at them and in an instant multiple flashes came from the wings of the craft.

"This isn't good"

"Oh Buck! GET OFF THE STREETS!" Sifty exclaimed pulling Bon Bon and himself back into the Lobby of the Hospital as the street filled with thousands of bullets in a hail of fire and destruction, there was silence and then three seconds later The air filled with what sounded like a thousand hogs yelling in rage right into her ears and then the craft flew over covering the city in it's shadow then its engines could be heard, it sounded as if an eagle had screamed into a loudspeaker.

"What was that thing!?" She exclaimed with the distinct sound of fear in her voice

"WHAT?" Sifty said rubbing his ears

"What was that!"

"That was only the beginning, we have to leave before the copperhead are deployed."

"Is anyone alive out there?"

"H-help!" They could faintly hear in the rubble of the building, running to the wreckage they noticed a uniformed unicorn mare with a red mane hiding in the ditch on the side of the road Bon Bon noticed her horn was missing,
"Oh my, your horn!" Bon Bon exclaimed

"Oh, that happens all the time." She said jumping up searching ditch for her horn and finding it with a "AHA!" bandaging it back into place she flicked it a few times and it sparked back to life as if it never fell off using her magic she picked up her rifle and slung it on her back.
"See good as new!" she said giving a toothy grin then her face fell flat.

"Commander Drops!" she exclaimed giving a salute with her hoof.

"Please, Bon Bon will do"

"Okay, Bon Bon!" she said giggling to herself for a mare in this situation she seemed rather calm.

"Kids these days.." Bon Bon said to herself as they started galloping through the city weaving from blockades destroyed by the flying metal craft to not be spotted by the patrolling fliers. Night had fallen and they took a break in a house that's door was blown open, being in a coma for so long put a toll on Bon Bon's stamina.

"Bon Bon! Your eyepatch!" The pony said pointing her hoof at the eye where Bon Bon's eyepatch was usually seated but it was bare.

"oh buck." she said using her hood to cover her bad eye, but losing balance on her prosthetic hoof and falling over.

"you alright ma'am, here, I always have a spare eyepatch just in case you can have it!" she said putting the eyepatch on Bon Bon's face, covering her bad eye.

"that must've hurt!" she blurted then covering her mouth with her hooves meekly letting a "sorry" slip out.

"It did, and don't be you didn't do this to me." she said not wanting to bring up bad memories.

"Who did it?"

"Those two traitors are behind bars, so its taken care of, now if you dont mind I don't want to talk about it."

"oh, okay.." the mare said obviously taking the comment personally

"Hey, I've only told one person this and she was close to me its not something I like to share, but hey Thanks for the patch, what's your name?"

She hesitated to tell her name but eventually she overcame her shyness and said, "My name is Backfire.."

"Nice name kid, Mines Sweetie Drops but I prefer Bon Bon." she reached out her hoof to give a bump and Backfire gladly partook in the gesture.

In the corner of her eye she say something shimmering and loud stomping noises coming closer. Bon Bon gave a motion signaling everypony to get down

"Sifty, come here."

"What is it?" he said slowly creeping towards the window.

"What are those?" Bon Bon Said pointing at the row of shimmering lights in the distance.

"Copperheads, We have to go, now." he said the way he keeps saying copperheads made Bon Bon feel uneasy,
"What could be worse than that thing that tried to kill us earlier today?" Bon Bon asked.

"Those things." Backfire said with a serious tone.

Sifty approached the opening in the house,
"At the count of three we run as fast as we can to that building over there, and make our way through the alleys, Copperheads are too bulky to navigate the alleys, and we get to the FOB and prepare for the counter assault."

"One."

"Two."

"Thr-" a Glowing white flare shot into the air and various spotlight shone on the house they occupied.

"RUN!" Backfire shouted charging up her horn and shooting a beam straight into the pillar of a building sending the entire side of the structure collapsing on the Invaders.

"Hey! It worked!" Backfire exclaimed jumping for joy.

"No time for celebratons! RUN!" sifty said dragging her along, Bon Bon followed in tow hobbling behind as fast as she could but before they could make it to the house a Copperhead came bursting through the wall, with a low growling noise it approached the trio, in one arm three barrels and a large belt of ammunition connected to it and the other, a huge claw for what looked like for loading and unloading. The thing was armored from head to toe with a decorative skull of a pony attached to the front for intimidation, and from Bon Bon's perspective, it was working, until it walked past a boutique and in front of a mirror, in it's reflection, she could see the back half of the copperhead there was a pony controlling the contraption and its backside is completely vulnerable!

"sift."

"yea?"

"you seeing this?"

"seeing what?"

"the mirror."

"His backside!" Sifty said as if something had dawned on him.

"I have a plan."

"What are you-"

"Wait!" Bon Bon said holding her hoof up,
"It's me you want, Commander Sweetie Drops, the HVT!" she said side stepping, the pilot pivoting the walker to point towards Bon Bon, forgetting the other two.
"Thats right, you want me!" still circling the walker then the walker stomped the ground sending Bon Bon to the ground.

"You think that trick would let you get behind me?" The pilot said as if insulted, "well answer me!"

"who said anything about me?"

"Huh?" without a second to lose, Sifty snapped into action into action, jumping on the exposed back of the pilot screaming various profanities at the pilot while pummeling his foe with heavy blows to the head with his hoof. Within seconds the pilot was beaten to a pulp and Sifty had removed him from the machine and the machine powered down.

"Nice one!" Bon Bon said Sifty giving a nod back.

Sifty checked the body of the pilot for any sort of intelligence that could be of use.

"Now what?" Backfire said to Sifty

"We follow the plan."

"What plan, the one that just got foiled and is about to have the enemy breathing down out neck"

"Guys," Bon Bon said

"What you have a better idea?" Sifty said, the stress getting at him.

"GUYS!"

both the mare and stallion turned to see Bon Bon sitting in the copperheads seat.

"I think I found our escape plan" she said with a smug look, hitting the large button that said START the machine whirring to life once more with a few sparks and violent tugs the copperhead stood back up and the internal HUD lit up
[WELCOME]
[SWEET APPLE ARMS COMBAT SUIT MKIII V2]
[COMBAT MODE: ENGAGED]
[HULL INTEGRITY 99%]
[AMMO: 100%]

"Lets clear a path!"

Making A Path.

Pushing the lever forward on the control panel the machine started its heavy walking down the alley.

"So whats the plan now?" Bon Bon said looking back at the pair with a smile on her face.

Backfire piped up,
"Umm, oh! We can take this road down to the old village and take the direct route out!"

"That's stupid!" Sifty

"So was the plan to get this beauty, and look where that got us? I'm doing it!" Bon Bon said refocusing on the street in front of her.

As they made their way down the street the copperhead's HUD flickered on
[23 friendly obejects 15 Meters N]
"lets give em' a run for their bit!"
[Friendly Fire Prevention System: OVERRIDDEN]
****DANGER****
IFF: OFFLINE

TARGETING MODE: ENGAGED

With the flick of a switch the barrels started spinning, first at a slow spin, then cycled until it was a blur to the naked eye, approaching the makeshift blockade, Bon Bon could see the ponies, dressed in average street clothing wielding strange weapons, not like the ones celesta's forces had, these had spinning gears and steam coming from them, the heat coming off of some had the metal a hot red. Then a stallion in what was an equestrian guard uniform with the insignia etched off trotted forward.

"Step out of the Copperhead!" the lead stallion said authoritatively

"Try and make me!" Bon Bon yelled out the back giving Sifty the signal to come here.

"You two run, I'm gonna make a distraction, I'll meet you at the library in old town in Ten-Thirteen minutes."

"Don't be late.." Sifty said signaling backfire to follow him.

The Stallion say the duo and pointed a search light at them,
"Shoot th-"

before the order could be executed Bon Bon pointed the spinning barrels at the crowd of insurrectionist and fired wildly first stunned by the mass amount of noise it had made, she stumbled back almost falling out of the seat of the Copperhead, it's weapon not hitting anypony due to her poor piloting skills yet close enough where the invading ponies didn't want to test their luck.

"Fall back to the old market!" the leader said, the ponies under his command retreating down the corner shooting at the once friendly war-machine.

[COMBATANTS DISENGAGED!]
AMMO:274
ARMOR:99%
ACCURACY DURING INCURSION: 0.00027% **SUGGEST IMMEDIATE LICENSE REMOVAL**

"Shut up you stupid machine!" Bon Bon said pushing the machine's lever once more sending the machine into a brisk walk following the various road signs she eventually made her way to the old town, nothing had changed since the last time she was here as if the city just grew around Ponyville and the town remained the same. She wondered to herself if Lyra kept the key to thier house under the flowerpot like she used to, then if the house was even there. Looking at the clock on the walking tank, she had a few minutes to spare so with another push of a lever, she headed down the road, HER road. A stall, once filled with the flowers Roseluck, her childhood friend, had grown now lied barren everything seemed like whatever was good in the once happy street packed up and left with the ponies. Now the only thing Bon Bon wanted to do was leave but before she could multiple spotlight shone on her at the end of the road, then a pony, covered from head to hoof in some sort of body armor approached, this pony was different, whoever this pony was walked bipedal using some sort of attachment on the back of his or her legs to maintain balance. The weapon it carried was also strange, instead of carrying a rifle they had a smaller version of the weapon the copperhead had with a ammo pouch attached to it, but the most noticable trait a mask, almost like a heavily armored hockey mask with a crudely painted white skull on it.

"Tag you're it Skull-freak!" Bon Bon said pointing the Vulcan at The armored pony.
Skull-freak in response raised a hoof and pointed at the copperhead, Bon Bon pressed the fire button,
nothing.
"Huh!" the HUD lighting up
[SYSTEM ERROR!]
[WEAPONS: DISABLED]
[LIGHTS: DISABLED]
[LEG MOTORS: DISABLED]
[PILOT EJECT: INTIALIZED]

"Oh, BUCK!" Bon Bon exclaimed as the seat collapsed as she fell out of the copperhead, her metallic peg leg stuck on the footrest.
"OH COME ON!" she screamed jiggling the false leg loose after a few seconds, then she remembered something, she had to get to her house!

"You give up now?" the familiar stallion said with a sense of joy and reveling in the irony of the situation.

"Like I'd give up to you, if it wasn't for your friend in whatever, that shiny boot would be so far up your a-"
The Skull-masked pony started to raise its gun towards Bon Bon and shooting before having a shot at her, Bon Bon reacted by bolting down the street towards her house, narrowly avoiding the hail of bullets from the pony's handheld death machine, with no time to check for the key she leaped through the window with a crash.
Then something got her to thinking, "Why didn't the other soldiers shoot at her?" "How did she miss?" "Why the buck am I sitting here wondering and not thanking Celestia I'm not a bullet sponge?!"
without a moment to lose Bon Bon sprung to action searching around the house as fast as she could, galloping upstairs to the bedroom she threw the mattress off the bed frame, grabbed the key, and ran to the closet. Inside she threw her various outfits on the ground, but then she stopped at one dress, LYRA's dress, she sighed letting the stress get to her, worry struck her mind, she just wished she could see her now, not this nightmare. Her nostalgia filled guilt was cut short by the door opening to the house, not forcefully though, as if someone had just came home from a long day of work. The voice in her head said to check it out, but the Tactician said grab the shotgun first. So reached into the safe, simply pushing aside lyra's mint colored dress, to brandish a simple double barrel shotgun, the first of its kind, Though it would be stated as "out of date" to many standards Bon Bon felt it got the job done. Grabbing her saddlebag some shells and the photo of Lyra and her together she approached the staircase she aiming the weapon down the stairs using the wall as a support while she slowly walked down the staircase, one hoof on the railing to keep her balance and the other the shotgun propped in her arm in case someone attempted to surprise her. At the end of the stairs she slung the shotgun on her back, she knew that she could take any of these ponies on, even with a false leg in hoof-to-hoof.

The downstairs was quiet, though the door wide open, she could see the blockade from here, all the ponies with their weapons trained on the house, she began talking to herself,
"only have a few moments to get out through the kitchen before they will..."
Right in front of her was the Bipedal skull-Pony itself, looking right at her, with two earth ponies tagging along to patrol, for a moment they stared at each other until the silence was broken when one of the stallions spun around shooting without aiming grazing Bon Bon's left leg going straight through, making her stumble to the ground in pain, though on the ground she brandished her shotgun and put one of shells into the stallion who was beside the one who shot her sending him flying into the wall with a heavy thud, though she was aiming for the one who shot her she wasn't going to be too picky. Gathering all the adrenaline in her body she bolted for the back door giving a quick glance to her adversaries the pony who had shot her was checking on his friend and the bipedal pony was attempting to intercept Bon Bon who was at the door, in a spur of adrenaline Bon Bon jumped and turned around in midair and shot the Bipedal pony square in the chest sending it flying into the kitchen table.
sliding across the grass of her back yard Bon Bon rolled onto her hooves throwing the now empty shotgun on her back and limped her way down the alley, she had to get to the library, Fast.

Catching Up With The Past

The now wounded mare hobbled her way along the alleyway using the wall as support, first her back leg, now a bullet wound in her front leg.
"You gotta stop getting hit on your left side Bonnie." She said slowly making her way down the alley to the Carousel Boutique, she went to the back door pushing it.

Locked, out of better judgement she hobbled away from the door and leaped into it sending the door crashing down with a heavy thud, rolling on the floor in pain Bon Bon realized the error in using a wounded leg to break in a wooden door.
"nice one Bonnie, you prolly woke the neighborhood too!" she cursed while dragging herself over to a fabric drawer she pulled out a sheet of cloth ripping it in half to make a temporary bandage, as soon as she applied it the once white elegant fabric was stained in her blood.
"I'm might need a Doctor for this.." she said slowly bringing herself to a standing position walking through the boutique, which unlike the last time she saw it was disheveled and filled with dust.

"Rarity must have seen this coming.." Bon Bon said to herself walking over to the table with various news clippings for the Equestrian Enquirer:
SWEETIE BELLE SHINES AT GALA! one of the headlines read, she had heard from Lyras letters while she was deployed on how all three of the crusaders had gotten their cutie marks. Lyra put it that the town "breathed a sigh of relief" when Scootaloo, the last of the crusaders to get hers, finally learned her special talent. Lyra said the town missed the antics of the trio but at the same time didn't mind the peace and quiet they had.
Bon Bon wondered where the crusaders were now, Who's on whose side? Bon Bon put those questions aside looking through the other clippings.

Ponyville Press:
Local CANDY SHOP OWNER COMATOSE AFTER BOATING ACCIDENT!
"Hey! I never owned a boat!" Bon Bon said about to throw the clipping into the wastebin when she saw.
Time Turner and Applebloom Create New Machinery to Lead Equestria to a Golden Age!
with a picture of a now older Applebloom wearing goggles and a coat with pockets filled with gears and tools standing proudly by a large machine with two loading claws that looked like a weaponless copperhead.
"Applebloom made those things!"
scanning through the various other clippings she was seeing a pattern: The earth ponies were making machines that made them more efficient than the unicorns magic could be filling the hypothetical room with a gas of hate and bloodshed all it needed was a spark and chaos would ensue and then she saw the last set of clippings at the end of the table paper clipped together.

Celestial council: All machines to be confiscated to the Equestrian government for immediate dismantling and re-purposed for government use only under the supervision of Flim/Flam Mechatronics

next clipping was various quotes on the response.

McTalk: These machines are key to our survival but we must make sure only the right people can use them!

Applebloom: That's Horseapples! This ain't over not by a longshot!

Flim and Flam: We are glad to see the people of Equestria will be able to sleep in their beds knowing the right thing was done.

ANTI-REG PEACEFUL PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT, MULTIPLE CASUALTIES.
SHINING ARMOR: NO COMMENT

ANTI-REG EXTREMIST DESTROY'S CANTERLOT EXPRESS TRAIN DURING DIPLOMATIC MEETING IN WAKE OF RIOTS, MULTIPLE CASUALTIES.
McTalk: Those savages will pay with their blood!

Then the final clipping in bold over-sized text:
WAR IN EQUESTIRA: TRAITOR LUNA SECEDES FROM EMPIRE!
The clippings fell to the floor in the shock Bon Bon was facing
"What have they gotten into?"

"That's what I said.." A strange voice uninterrupted, Bon Bon twirling around and aimed her still empty shotgun hoping to fool the hidden pony.

"Show yourself or I'll blast you into next week!" She snarled then her anger turned to fear as out of the shadow came the bipedal pony walking towards her, a few pellets in the armor where it had been shot but it looked more like a scuff than any actual damage.
"You're bluffing, and by the lack of shells in the ally means you still haven't loaded it!" the upright pony said, its voice muffled by the mask with the skull.

"Why did you miss back there?" Bon Bon asked

"Who said I was trying to hit you? No, we need you alive Bonnie" the pony pointed at the clippings, "You've read it yourself, We aren't the bad guys, they are!"

"I'm gonna need more than some clippings to prove to me!"

"Fine I'll play your game, your two pals, I have them surrounded. With the touch of a button the hell-raisers will burn the tree to the ground, but, I am the good pony here so I'm going to let you and your two friends leave, no one will touch you, you have my word." The pony said tapping on its armor where its heart would be.

"Why? Why all this trouble to get me and then cut me loose?" Bon Bon asked confused and exausted.

"Because, We already won the day." The muffled voice said. "Now go, and remember, We're the good guys. Not them."

"Let me see you face." Bon Bon said coldly

The pony was thrown off by this demand and its voice made it apparent.
"why?"

"True heroes don't cower behind masks!" Bon Bon accused hobbling right up to the standing pony, looking straight into what she believed was the eyes.

"I'm no hero." the pony said, standing still looking down at the wounded mare.

"Then what are you?" She asked

"Just another Soldier."
Then Bon Bon felt a pinch in the neck and felt with her hooves, a small dart was shot into her neck by a tranquilizer gun the pony had mounted on its shoulder.

"Good night, Bonnie"

Skullface's offer

Bon Bon opened her eye, looking around letting her eye look around she saw the bipedal pony she by now dubbed "Skullface" had her in a net carrying her on its back as if she was a bag.

"You could have just let me walk you know?"

"Your wounds needed tended to and I couldn't risk it." Skullface said, this was the first time Bon Bon had a chance to look at Skullface thoroughly, she knew a pony was under the suit due the the hooves but the sheer amount of armor hid anything that could identify a gender, the mask was large and slanted at angles that made it as effective in combat as it did covering the identity of the wearer. The skull, crudely painted on by hoof, had sharp edges and had an appearance as if it was painted and right after thrown on to fight causing the paint to bleed down. Various scratches and dings covered it and the bulky helmet Skullface wore. The suit left nothing for chance, covered head-to-hoof was an understatement, the suit from the back had various hardpoints for weapons and gadgets. Bon Bon's analysis was cut short when Skullface set her on the ground.

"We're here." cutting the net open and sidestepping to let Bon Bon have some room to get up.

Bon Bon looked up to see the library in front of her with multiple copperheads surrounding it, insurgents piled behind the machines for cover and a few carriages with a cab and bed, after seeing a giant flying machine and walking tanks the idea of a self propelled carriage didn't surprise her.
Skullface stepped beside her with a microphone from a speaker system attached to one of the carriages.

"Come out of the library with you hooves up and we will escort you to the outskirts of town, failure to comply in three minutes will result in me personally dragging out of there!"

silence

"How about you come in here so I can kick your ass!" a gruff voice came from inside the library taunting Skullface

The response seemed to anger Skullface, throwing the mic on the ground the pony stepped upto the library and kicked in the door with an explosive effect walking inside the dark library there was silence for a few second then various crashing sounds, yelling, profanities that continued for a good minute until *pop* followed by a rapid ticking sound, after another gap of silence Backfire slowly stepped out visually shaking at the amount of weapons pointed at her.
"Lower your weapons!" the muffled, but now exausted, voice of Skullface said stepping out of the shadows of the library, Skullface's armor now had more visible dings and cuts and a the most prominent sign of damage, a machete was buried into the back of its suit though it didn't seem to phase it. Dragging Sifty out of the library by his vest with a pair of claws, the look on Sifty's face was of discomfort as Bon Bon noticed two dart like objects with wires connected to them and a piece of skull's arm-guard connected to his chest. Disconnecting the wire, Skullface placed the twitching stallion into the back of one of the carriages and pointed for backfire to follow suit, giving her a boost up to the back.
Afterwords it walked over to Bon Bon,
"Sorry about your friend, I was only gonna talk to him I promise!"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you letting me live? Why is some recently comatose mare matter to you guys so much you send an army? The stress of the day getting to her and reaching her breaking point, "Why?"

"We have t-" Skullface was interrupted

"To what!? Destroy lives? Take the hopes and dreams of peace and rip them to SHREDS!"

"What are you talking ab-"

"You took the one thing I care about, the ONE thing that gave me a normal life, and you took her from me.." Bon Bon said breaking into tears, the bipedal pony stood there for a moment before extending a hoof to comfort the mare, in a show of speed Bon Bon swatted the hoof away, swiped her prosthetic leg at Skull's two standing hooves sending the pony to the ground and grabbing it's side arm.
"I swear to Celestia, if one hair on her mane is touched, I'm coming for you!"

The soldiers trained their guns on the mare ready to fire but skull gave a notion with it's hoof to stand down,
"She's safe."

"Where is she?"

"In good hooves at the moment, I promise." the voice, although muffled was sincere, Bon Bon lowered the weapon and threw it on the ground.

Bon Bon hobbled over to the carriage, getting assistance from backfire onto the back, Skullface then walked over to the back, throwing the machete that was once in its back and looked at Bon Bon,
"Give that to your friend when he learns some manners." it said "My Truck will take you to the outskirts of town, from there you are on your own, These men will follow my orders, but some of the more organized forces follow their own set of rules."

"You aren't the army!?"

"Nah, we're just the local militia" Skullface said pounding on the side of the truck signaling the order to drive.

"If they're the militia.." Bon Bon said.

"The army is worse." Backfire said tending to Sifty.

"What happened in there?" Bon Bon asked.

"Well, Sifty tried to get the jump on her before she could react."

"That explains the machete in it's back."

"Actually That was me!" she said in a giddy way, puffing her chest out in pride "She even complimented me!"

"She?" Bon Bon inquired.

"Oh yea Sifty hit her so hard in the face the mask FLEW open!" making extravagant gestures with her hooves before bringing them to her sides. "IT WAS AMAZING!"

"What did she look like?"

"Dunno it was dark."

"Then how did you know it was a mare?"

"The voice, without that mask her voice is very feminine, either that or it's a stallion who's REALLY compensating for something!" she said giggling

"Alright this sounded like Sifty was winning, what happened?"

"Magic!"

"Magic?"

"Yea! Sifty was mid jump and then her got caught in a golden aura of magic then pop!"

"Well, looks like she lucked out."

The Truck came to a stop, the militiaman peered through the back and gave a quick, "get out" Bon Bon helped Backfire lower Sifty to the ground. As soon as Backfire's hooves hit the grass the truck made a U-Turn and headed back into town. Sifty jolted up from the ground,
"Here comes Butterd-oh, well this is awkward.." rubbing his hoof through his mane, "where are we?"

"The outskirts of town." Backfire said

"As much as I want to kick in that stallions face, we have a job to do."

"ahem, HER and she wanted you to have this!" Backfire said removing the machete from her saddlebag.

"Him, Her, Whatever, this isn't over and she wont catch me off guard again!" Sifty said grabbing the machete sheathe and placing it on his hip.

As they walked to the FOB the question both of Bon Bons new allies wanted to know,
"Why let us live?"

"She said something about how they already, Sweet Celesita!" Bon Bon stopped to look at the carnage that was the frontline of the Solar Guard. trenches filled with fire and equipment strewn about. Bodies of solider's were covering the fields in front of the trenches. Approaching the base, A royal guardsman was lying on the ground in visible pain

"You alright soldier?" Sifty said running to the stallion,

"A few burns here and there but I'll make it."

"What happened?"

"The Main army happened." he said in agony, as every breath caused his burn wounds to expand and contract.

"Hang on soldier." Sifty said signaling Backfire to try and help him.

"I'm not a doctor!" She exclaimed

"Well you're the best we have at the moment so try!" As she tended to the stallion Sifty walked beside Bon Bon

"What now?" Bon Bon said

"I got a call from base before my little tango with your best friend Skullfreak, the Base is under siege by various machines, they can hold their own, our backup will be on this road," pointing on a map "they should be there by tomorrow so if we-"

"We hoof it to the point as fast as we can we can regroup and lead a counter assault." Bon Bon finished

"Exactly!"

"Let's Get going then, help backfire get that stallion on a cart and lets move out." Bon Bon ordered. "We have a counter-assault to lead!"

-------24 HOURS EARLIER---------
Celestia sat in her temporary throne looking at the map of Equestria Various arrows pointing towards the direction of troop movements on both sides.
A General approached Celestia
"Your Highness?"

"Yes, General?"

"We have sustained massive casualties from the equestrian guard, Their technology is too ancient to attack or defend, they were meant for Changeling incursions, not all out war!"

Celestia stood calm and collected, "Casualty range?"

"In the seventieth percentile ma'am."

A single tear fell down and hit the map a visible sense of rage could be seen,

"I have taken my sister too lightly in the past months, General?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Deploy the Military."

"Would that be the Guardian Tanks, The War-Birds, or the reclaimer?"

"everything."

"Yes Ma'am" The general said saluting the princess and trotting over to the phone,

"This is General E., Operation Illuminating light is a go."

--APPLEOOSA--
"TANK!" A cross-eyed pony with a grey coat and blonde mane flew in with a message for the other pony who was relaxing on his Guardian Tank, drinking a cool beverage from the store in town.

"Derpy! Whats the news?"

"Good news! You got orders! She said cheerily handing him the note.

FROM: GENERAL E.
TO: ALL COMMANDING OFFICERS IN SDI

OPERATION ILLUMINATING LIGHT HAS BEEN ORDERED PROCEED AS PLANNED.

The pony snatched up a loudspeaker and ordered his men:
"Saddle up boys! We're going to Ponyville!"
Cheers rang through Appleoosa as the Tanks roared to life their treads kicking up sand as they stormed full speed out of town and prepared to join the battle.

Meeting the Equestrian Army.

Along the side of the road Bon Bon and her new friends Sifty and Backfire and the wounded guardsman slowly made progress, Sifty singlehoofedly pulling the cart with both the wounded stallion and Backfire on the back, both out cold.

"You okay there Sift?" Bon Bon asked.

"Never better Bonnie, how about you?"

"Better than I was a few hours ago, thanks for the rescue."

"Think nothing of it."

"Say, what do we do if the FOB is gone?"

"We keep moving till we see friendlies."

"Sounds like a plan."

Walking down the path in silence Sifty spoke up once more,

"Bon?"

"Yea?" she replied.

"What are we gonna do with Backfire?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean once we get to the FOB, we just going to throw her off?"

"I haven't planned that far ahead yet kid, why?"

"I mean, I've seen her record, her past, we cant just leave her like she's some random pony! Maybe she can tag along with us."

"It isn't my choice, it's hers." Bon Bon looked at Sifty with her good eye and giving a teasing grin, "Looks like Sifty has a soft spot after all!"

"What? She'd make a great addition..."
"to the team of course!"

"mmhmm" Bon Bon said still holding her grin causing Sifty to wrinkle his brow and ignore her. Then in the distance they heard what sounded like multiple engines, large ones, and a music being played,

"What they hay is that and what is that terrible noise!?" Bon Bon said as multiple tanks rolled over the hill Blaring Dubstep from DJ-PON3

"That, Is our ride!" Sifty said unhooking the cart, running in sight of the tanks, the tanks screeching to a halt and pausing the radio.

The tank hatch opened up and a white Pegasus with a large soda cup that looked as if it was purchased from a convenience store from the town over.

"You made me stop at the best part!" The Pony on the tank said sipping his beverage.

"Well it isn't exactly regulation to blare music, it kind of kills the element of surprise!" Sifty retorted

"If you haven't realized, I am in a tank, Surprise isn't my strong suit!" The pony on the tank said his crew peeping their heads out the other hatches to see why they had stopped.
Bon Bon walked up to Sifty, "Wake Backfire." Sifty nodded and walked to the cart then Bon Bon walked up to the tank looking at the driver,
"You going to the FOB?"

"Yes Ma'am I am!" The pony said.

"Mind if we tag along, We have a wounded man and need to get to the FOB ASAP."

"Sure, we got room in the trucks behind us, but first, can I have some names?"

"That is Sifty he's a freelance, the mare he's waking is Private Backfire, and the wounded stallion is unknown, we'll ask him when he gets some aid."

"and you are" the pony asked making gestures with his hooves as if he was trying to hypnotize her.

"Sweetie Drops."

The Tank Commanders face went flat, "ITS A COMMANDER!" then in a flurry of moves she could hear rustling in the tanks and yelling in the other tanks.
"Don't worry, I'm retired." she said using her hoof to knock on her prosthetic leg.

"False Alarm boys!" The Tank Commander said another voice could be heard in the tank, "So we don't have to hide the stuff?" then a loud smack could be heard, "SHUT IT!"

"Don't mind them they're idiots!" He said giving the grin used when you were caught doing something you weren't supposed to be doing. "So lets make a deal, You ride with us, and we stay hush hush about the whole," making quotation marks with his hooves, "embarrassing situation."

Bon Bon gave him a smirk and nodded her head, "Deal."

"Well, we have a schedule to keep, the truck will be in the back, the names Tank by the way!" giving a salute and jumping back in his tank, the engine roaring up and rolling out.

"So we got a ride?" Sifty said with the wounded stallion on his back and a Half awake Backfire right behind him.

"Sure did he said we can sit in the back of one of the trucks."

"Works for me, Lets go."

After loading the truck there was a squad of soldiers in the back, The ponies helping the wounded guardsman in and the rest of the makeshift team.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem Ma'am" the soldier said with a smile, These soldiers weren't like the militiamen she saw earlier, these ponies were loaded with intricately patterned camouflage and weapons that looked less mechanical and more magic based.

"Whats that weapon?" Bon Bon said visually confused.

"Oh! This is the FF-2 Rifle, it uses unicorn magic to shoot instead of gunpowder, getting rid of the casing the rifle can shoot a larger bullet and pierce most armor!" The soldier said with an excited tone.

"Really? and whats that?" she said pointing at the large weapon lying on the floor of the truck.

"That would be Time Turners newest invention he called the Clockstopper-Belt-fed Machine Cannon! They say it shoots a round so heavy, it makes the Copperheads HUD fail!"

"That would come in handy!" She said impressed, brandishing her shotgun "Though this does the trick too!" nodding to the pony she went back to the end of the truck to see Backfire twiddling her hooves and bobbing her head to a tune in her head, Sifty sharpening his machete.

"So, Whats the plan guys?" Bon Bon said as both stopped what they were doing to look up and think of what to say.

"If I Want to come back I can't do this thing solo anymore," Tapping her fake leg, "I need a team."

"Are you saying?" They both said unison.

"Yes, I want you two to join me, it wont be easy, but from what I saw yesterday I know you can do this!" Bon Bon said
Backfire spoke up
"But I'm just a private, and my horn, and m-"
Sifty interrupted looking straight into her eyes
"You brought a building down with a single bolt of magic! Thats amazing, I couldn't see anyone other than the princesses themselves qualified for this position!"
Backfire tried to make another excuse as to why she wasn't qualified but instead all that came out was a giggle and a blush as she looked away with a meek "Thanks"

"I call it like I see it." Sifty said with a grin.

Bon Bon let out a small chuckle, then the radios came back on playing dubstep, causing Bon Bon's smile to fade to a scowl causing Sifty to chuckle.
"Not a fan of dubstep?"

"I'm more of a southern rock kind of mare." Bon Bon said with a bitter tone.
"This is going to be a long ride.."

---PONYVILLE---
Skull stood in Bon Bon's house looking around at the mess that was made only a few hours ago.

"Should've killed her when I had the shot!" A stallion said in a cocky manner stepping out of the kitchen with a beverage that was left in the refrigerator.

"What are you doing in here?" Skull said in a dry tone.

"Figured I'd see if she left anything of value." he said opening the nightstand by the couch, pulling out a small box, opening it revealed a Gold necklace with a Diamond lyre charm. "and I hit the jackpot!" he said with a snicker.

"No, You didn't." With the flick of her hoof, a barrel deployed onto a shoulder mount and fired one shot right between the eyes killing the stallion instantly. A squad of soldiers stormed the house to see the cause of such noise to see Skull using a magic aura to pick up the necklace.
"Let this be a lesson to the rest of you, Thieves get no quarter from me, get this scum out of my sight." with the wave of a hoof the soldiers picked up the stallion and drug him outside. Then another pony knocked on the door,

"permission to speak?"

"speak."

"We have caught a scout, A Wonderbolt!" the messenger said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Which one?"

"Soarin."

"I will interrogate him personally."

"Do you two have a history?"

"No, but we will.."

Skull stormed out of the house, the messenger looking at where the stallion had been shot and the empty jewelry box that laid on the floor.

A Few Screws Loose

--Ponyville--
One pony stood guard by the machine shop turned Makeshift prison, guarding the new prisoner, Soarin, when a mare with a light blue coat with a white mane and a screw for a cutie mark approached in a panicked frenzy.
"PLEASE, Help!" as the stallion approached the mare she grabbed him by his chin and ear and aggressively twisted snapping the stallions neck in one move.
"Thank you for your assistance." She said with a smile, patting the deceased stallions head grabbing his keys and trotted to the door to unlock it.
With the twist and kick the door flung open Causing Soarin' to jump, then the shop went silent he could hear rustling in the workshop area when a mare came through the room dancing with a large oil can in each hoof spilling its contents all over the floor.

"What the hay are you doing!?" Soarin' said confused.

"Covering my tracks!" The mare replied smile still on her face.

"Is this some sort of interrogation method, cause if it is it sure isn't working!" He spat

"Oh, silly silly soarin, I'm not with those buffoons out there blindly following that mare in the Armor!" Prancing and pouring oil on the walls and windows.

"So you're with the CDI?"

"Nope!"

"Then who are you with?"

"Hmmm, well there's me, and ME!" She said dumping the last of one of the containers onto the ground with an extravagant ballet spin, then setting the can on the ground to sit on to look Soarin' in the eyes.
"You see, you're a smart stallion, and you got some info that both sides want one, the location of Luna, and then the troop movement for Celestia's 'Operation Bad Light Pun', what I was thinking is y-" the mare said before she was interrupted by Soarin'

"I'm not telling you anything!" He said spitting in her face, without any expression the mare stood up and grabbed the other oil can and swung it at Soarin's head hitting him in the nose causing it to bleed.

"Tell? Why would I want that!?" she asked curiously

"The Intel I have, With it either side could win the war!"

"Exactly!" she said nodding her head, "Think about it. No Intel, no groundbreaking discovery, no clue, the war continues."

"You're insane!" Soarin said

"No-no-no, I am not insane, YOU are the insane one, I am a visionary!" She said striking a pose in the light. "You see I got to thinking, The princesses, YOU treat them as if they are gods. YOU follow them blindly, but me, I see it differently, I got to thinking," she said pausing for dramatic effect, "How do you kill a god? come on Soarin', you know the answer!" gesturing her hooves in a rotating pattern hoping to get the confused stallion to answer Then her smile turned to a frown and she slapped Soarin' across the face.
"ANSWER ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!!"

"H-how?"

"We let them kill each other." She said her smile returning

"They're hidden away for their safety, what could you possibly do to get them out of hiding?!" Soarin said with a raspy chuckle.

"Ah! I knew you were the smart one, I'm not going to do anything," standing up again she picked up the container with oil left in it and poured it on Soarin' then throwing the container at him bouncing off his chest with a thud, then a crash as it hit the floor, " I'm going watch the world burn, and I'll get a front row seat!" she said pulling out match,
"I'm not insane, I promise." walking away she stopped and turned around, "Oh, I almost forgot, send the people of the Canterlot Express my regards."
With the flick of the match it ignited, the Mare throwing it on the floor, the room started to catch on fire. leaving the building she closed the door and locked it, throwing the key into the bushes. Whistling to the tune of Hello Zepp, she walked down the street ready for the coming storm.

Chapter 9

Bon Bon was sitting in the back of the truck, A soldier with a white helmet with a red cross branded on it offered her a cup of coffee,
"Thanks." She said with a nod to which the soldier replied,
"No problem Ma'am, can I look at your hoof please?"

"I'm retired, so no need for formalities, call me Bon Bon, and sure." as she agreed the Soldier unwrapped the bandages and examined the wound, "Nothing too serious, I'd say stay off your hoof for a few weeks but knowing the High Commander I'd be surprised if we get to the FOB."

"Why would you say that?" Bon Bon inquired

"High Commander McTalk isn't known for discharging troops unless he is certain they cannot fight or hire someone else to fight for them."

"Did you just say HIGH COMMANDER McTALK!?" Bon Bon said slamming her good hoof on the bed of the truck causing the soldiers, Sifty and to jump and snap a look at her, Backfire was not fazed and was fast asleep, leaning on Sifty for support.

The Startled medic replied, "Yes ma'am, most of the generals, heck even Prince Blueblood, defected to the Lunar Coalition during the beginning of the war so most ponies in the Canterlot Elite jumped for the chance to get their names written in the history books."

"Sounds like Canterlot.." she said shaking her head.

"After the generals left most of our army went AWOL and changed sides as well so most of the army is now conscripted ponies and the few loyalists, We've been holding back the main force to defend Canterlot but I guess Celestia had a change of heart so we're taking the fight to them now!"
Bon Bon was silently collecting the information in her head, processing and thinking to herself about why would so many defect. Then came the voice in the back of her head,
"Maybe things aren't as they seem, what if she WAS on the wrong side?"
She shook the thoughts out of her head, she knew too little of the situation to make her judgement yet. The thought was interrupted by the sound of gunfire and various explosions and mechanical sounds.

"How far are we to the FOB?"

"Less than a minute." the medic said looking at his watch.

"How far from the FOB is the trench line?" Bon Bon asked, the medic waved over another pony with a large radio pack on his back and various navigational tools, switching seats with each other the communications pony opened up a map to show Bon Bon. unlike the other ponies in his squad he was a Pegasus instead of a Unicorn.
"Hi, Corporal BlueFire is the name!" He saluted

"Pleasure to make the acquaintance." Bon Bon nodded

Bluefire pointed on the map where the FOB was located
"McTalk set the trench line five hundred feet from the walls of the barracks."

"Where is his command center?" Bon Bon asked,

"Here," he said pointing at a bunker miles from the FOB.

"Typical McTalk," Sifty muttered "That useless heap of meat wants all the glory but doesn't wanna get his hooves dirty."

"So who is leading the troops on the frontline?"

"McTalk is, he uses loudspeakers to order his troops around."
Bon Bon Facehoofed at this revelation,

"Now I know why this war was being lost.."

"That's all going to change today though, Celestia and her council has approved the deployment of our most advanced arsenal."

"What do we have?"

"Our main force are the Guardian Tanks," Hes said nodding to the large tank with treads.

"The War-Birds, they're kinda li-" Bluefire was interrupted as multiple flying machines with Coaxial rotors flew overhead, some with crew cabins carrying multiple ponies, others bristling multiple machine-gun pods, each one had their pilots names written on the door beside them, some of the weaponized ones had large eyes and mouths drawn on them.
Then, one of the War-Birds was hit by a flak cloud sending it into a nosedive, smashing into the ground in a ball of flame. On Bluefire's radio, Tank's voice could be heard.

"ENEMY CONTACT, OPEN FIRE!" in an instant all of the tanks rapidly fired lighting the other side of the hill in muzzle flashes. As the truck came to a stop over the hill, the FOB came into view, the trenches were filled with ponies with rifles and mounted machine guns on both sides, mortars shelling the field pinning both sides down.

"Wake up backfire, we have a battle to win," Sifty said nudging her awake.

"Are we there yet?" She drowsily replied.

"Almost."

Then a War-Bird descended to the ground and landed, the pilot, a smaller than normal Pegasus, opened her door which said "Scoots" on it.

"Bon Bon!" The pilot said with a smile,

"Scootaloo?" Bon Bon peered with her good eye remembering the crusader returning a smile.

"McTalk needs to speak with you personally, come with me." gesturing towards the War-Bird.

"Can my friends come with?" Bon Bon said pointing at Backfire and Sifty,

"Sure, lets go." Stepping back into the War-Bird Scootaloo flicked a few switches and the rotors spun up and was ready to fly, Bon Bon entered and after a quick "Do I have to?" from Sifty and Backfire jumped into the cabin of the machine, Backfire in an excited manner.

"I never flew in one of these before!" She said enjoying every moment of this new experience.

Scootaloo's Co-Pilot gave Bon Bon a headset to wear and after adjusting the headset on her ears, Scootaloo spoke up

"Mind if we give these ponies a run for their bits before we hit the base?" She said giving a grin,

"Let's Show em' how it's done!" Bon Bon said nodding with a smirk.

"Alright get on the CGC."

"CGL?"

"The Clockwork Gatling Cannon, the big gun beside you!" pointing with her hoof to the weapon beside her."

"Oh.." Bon Bon said embarrassingly, mounting the door gun they flew right over the trenches,

"GIVE EM' HELL BONNIE!"
With the flick of a switch a loudspeaker blared a recording over the battlefield from the Canterlot Orchestra
"Seriously?" the Co-Pilot said in a deadpan tone.

Out the Door of my War-Bird,

The War-Bird flew over the enemy trench, the ponies inhabiting it looking up, some abandoning their post and fleeing into the woods. Bon Bon wasted no time flicking the various switches on the weapon, causing the barrels to spin after a few seconds a green light lit up on the side of the weapon.
"LETS DO THIS!" Bon Bon said pressing the large trigger on the handle of the gun, with a loud roar the weapon fired into the enemy trench filling it with bullets and what was left of the enemy.
"HOLY CELESTIA!" Bon Bon said in surprise, not expecting such destruction from the weapon.

"You havent seen anything yet bonnie, load the ammo belt with the orange tips!" The Co-Pilot said with a overly excited grin. Without hesitating she pulled the ammo belt out and replaced it with the ammo belt next to it with the orange tips, after going through the routine to load and prime the weapon the green light came on,
"IT'S LOADED!" She yelled,

"Bonnie! We have you on the headset you don't have to yell!"

"I KNOW, I JUST FEEL LIKE YELLING!"

The War-Bird flew past the trenches and over the treetops

"We gotta take out those Flak Cannons!" Scootaloo said,

"GOT IT!" Bon Bon said excitedly

Backfire leaning over to sifty, who had the expression that he would rather be on the ground.

"I think she's enjoying this a bit much.."

"Its the adrenaline," Sifty replied
Then Bon Bon opened fire on the Flak Cannon crews with the new ammo she loaded and on contact it ignited setting the deployment ablaze, igniting the ammo boxes causing them to explode, Bon Bon laughing as if she had just gotten off of a thrill ride.
"I hope." Sifty added.
After a few passes the Cannons were destroyed and all the ammo was expended, Scootaloo came on the radio.
"Alright enough fun, let's get to the bunker."

As the War-Bird flew over the Trench line Bon Bon noticed the battle was still raging, the tanks on the hill were shelling the enemy line, War-Birds landing to let their troops out, the gunship variants swooping and making passes. After a while the battle became nothing but flashes and cracks in the distance, as if it was a thunderstorm. Approaching the bunker on the side of the river the War-Bird descended and landed on the makeshift dirt landing pad, Bon Bon noticed the door of the bunker opening and ponies stepping out.

"Looks like the welcoming committee is here to greet us." She said as they stepped out of the War-Bird, A squad coming in to take their place inside and a crew to refuel and reload it.

As they approached the group a enraged McTalk blew right past Bon Bon and began yelling at Backfire

"YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? I SHOULD CHARGE YOU WITH TREASON, GET BACK OUT TH-" McTalk was interrupted by Sifty Grabbing him by the Tie of his uniform, McTalks entourage didn't raise their weapons, most enjoying the moment that they wish they could do.

"You listen to me you bag of meat! I have orders from THE PRINCESS HERSELF to complete my mission using ANY MEANS, she's with me, an do not think for one second I will not shove my hoof so far down your throat you will taste it in the afterlife!" He snarled

"Contain your animal Drops, Thats an order!" McTalk hissed

"Hey, I'm Retired!" She replied holding her hooves up in a 'its not my problem' manner.
Realizing the trouble her was in he went from iron willed to pleading,
"Alright! I'm Sorry for yelling at her, I wont charge her with treason! Just let me go!"

after a nod from Bon Bon Sifty let go of McTalk, who straightened his tie with some words muttered under his breath. He then looked at the stallion next to him
"Dont just stand there, Breif him!" he said stumbling back into the bunker, looking back every few steps to make sure Sifty was not following.

"Sorry about him, he's an ass." The soldier in a flak jacket and helmet with a black heart drawn on it with paint said.

"You can say that again, whats this about briefing?" Sifty said.

"Orders from the Princess, we are going to raid Ponyville in Swiftboats using the river as means of attack at night, you are to accompany us in the assault to rescue a downed scout."

"When do we leave?"

"Three hours sir."

"I'll be there, Carry on." Sifty said the soldier saluted and went on his way, as soon as the soldier was gone Sifty was thrown off guard by a sudden hug from Backfire causing him to blush

"Thanks for standing up for me.."

"I wasn't gonna let some Prick like him talk to you like that, he's lucky he's got an army guarding him.."

after a few seconds of silence they broke the hug and gave each other a smile and looked for Bon Bon, who was on the dock looking at the picture of Lyra she had taken from her house, she thought to herself that she had to go back into Ponyville, get some closure, if Lyra was alive rescue her, then she was done, she would head to Fillydelphia, sit the war out with her parents and live the rest of her life in peace. She loved the adrenaline she got from fighting, but at the end of the day, when the rush died down all she excitement felt was replaced by guilt and a desire to get away from it all. She had her demons she used to silence them with berry at the pub, then she met Lyra..
Bon Bon's Thought were broken by Sifty nudging her on the shoulder.

"You alright?" he said sitting next to Bon Bon

"Not really.." She replied

"Whats the matter?"

"I need to find her, this war, it isn't mine to fight!"

"It's everypony's war Bonnie, we'll find her, I promise."

"Dont make promises you can't keep."

"I don't." He said sternly.
The feeling that Sifty was telling the truth gave her that boost of confidence to not argue with him, and a faint smile grew on her face. Sifty continued

"Listen, I'm going back into Ponyville in three hours."

"Mind if I tag along, you know, to get some answers?"

"If you think you're up it, sure."

"Think you can keep me in check?" She said with a cocky grin.

"I'm freelance Bonnie, anthing goes!" Sifty said returning a grin extending his hoof for a bump, to which Bon Bon gladly returned the gesture to.

--Three Hours Later--

A swift boat pulled up to the dock. A Unicorn mare in Shutter Shades and a Non-Regulation hat behind the controls waved to the trio on the dock.

"The Radio said I was picking up one pony."
Backfire started to backpedal, but Sifty stopped her, Standing his ground the mare on the boat and Sifty stared at each other for a good minute the tension rising in the air before it was broken by laughter between the two and a hug.

"Man, we got you two good!" The mare said, extending her hoof out to shake Bon Bon and Backfire.
"The names Story, But you can call me SP for short, you guys ready to party?"

"Ready doesn't EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE IT!" Sifty said, jumping onto the boat and extending a hoof to help backfire on board, who gladly accepted the assistance. Bon Bon helped herself down before Sifty could offer to.

Looking around the boat she noticed it was very personalized.

"I take it you don't care too much for the rules?" Bon Bon asked

"See that sign up there," she said pointing at a metal sheet with STAY AWESOME etched into it, "THAT is my rule!" she finished with a smile that Bon Bon could only smile back to.

"I like that rule."

"Who doesn't?" SP replied

Then she turned on the engine and the boat roared to life, first puttering then it hit full speed down the river towards Ponyville. Bon Bon taking a seat across from Sifty and Backfire, She looked around, the sky filled with smoke and the occasional War-Bird passing over. Then two Gunships broke formation and followed the Boat. Confused Bon Bon asked

"Why are they following us?"

"We're breaking through some dams the militia built so we asked for some extra firepower."

"Makes sense to me," Bon Bon replied, "Hey, you got a FM radio on this thing?"

"Yea, I'd go crazy if I didn't!" SP replied.

"Turn it to the Classics, I wanna hear some of my times music!"

Everyone but Bon Bon Groaned as the radio blared a rock and roll/12-bar blues song, Bon Bon nodding her head to the music selection, Though for the situation the music was very poorly fitting, Bon Bon did not care, She felt like she was young again.

Fire and Confusion

After a long Boat ride down the river, night had fallen, they reached river that lead straight into Ponyville SP spoke up,

"Now I shouldn't have to remind you the downside of fighting against the princess of the night is she can see everything AT NIGHT, so the element of surprise has been compromised so we are going to go in loud and fast. I'd suggest Sifty get the Mounted Machine Gun, and Backfire, Get the spotlight."

"What about me?" Bon Bon spoke up,

"You just sit back and enjoy the ride."

"I can do that," with a nod SP went back to the controls and Backfire gleefully charged the spotlight with her horn. Bon Bon sat down again letting out a sigh, Sifty took notice and approached her,

"Something up Bonnie?"

"Just thinking about something."

"What was that?"

"Skullface, She said that they were the good guys."

"So what?"

"What if she's right?" she asked

"Are you crazy Bonnie!? You saw those things they had! You sure that coma didn't kill some of those brain cells?" he said in disbelief.

"Maybe, forget I said anything."

Sifty looked at Bon Bon, who was staring out the back of the boat and decided against pushing the subject, returning to the front of the watercraft he mounted the gun, Backfire was waving the light around the treeline to make sure nopony was monitoring them.
Two War-Bird Gunship zipped over the SwiftBoat and the radio cracked.

"This is CP-1716, Do you copy?" The voice on the radio said

"This is SP, we copy."

"You ready to roll?"

"Ready when you are."

"Roger, beginning sweep."

With the conformation given the two aircraft buzzed the water, creating a trail in the water. Various spotlights shone on them as they approached the dams, with the press of a button the machine gun pods fired on the spotlights ripping the towers to shreds causing them to fall on the trucks parked next to them. The noise waking the ponies but before they could react one of the gunships fired what looked like a firework into the tent causing it to explode in a white hot flame. The other gunship focused all it's fire on the dam, creating a large hole in it.
"Swiftboat one you are clear for delivery" CP-1716 said over the sound of his machine gun pods.

The Swift Boat kicked into full gear as they shot through the opening, the ponies on the now crumbling dam were too occupied by the gunships overhead. SP yelled over the engine,
"We have FIVE MINUTES to get in and get the scout, intel says he's holed up inside a machine shop a few meters east of where I set you guys off, after you have him you come right back and we get the buck out of dodge! Understood?" all three ponies nodded to the plan and prepared to pull up to the side of the water. Bon Bon pulled out her shotgun and put two 'special' shells into it, Closing the breach, she holstered it and got ready to exit the boat, ahead, was various Lunar Coalition soldiers waiting for them.

"LET EM' HAVE IT SIFT!" SP yelled, Sifty charging the weapon that looked like two blocks with a barrel on each. When Sifty pulled the trigger the barrels recoiled back into the box that held the mechanism loading a large bullet, and with a loud noise that sounded like a hammer hitting metal the dual barreled gun fired, not as fast as the Gunships weapons but with more power behind each bullet. As Sifty aimed at the ponies, the bullets made contact literally ripping them to shreds. after just one sweep the entire line was decimated and SP pulled the boat up to the shore, Bon Bon and Sifty stepped out, Backfire was about to join them, but Sifty stopped her
"Backfire, stay with the boat, I'll be back in no time." Backfire gave a displeased look and showed a face of worry
"Promise you will be careful?"
"Promise." He said tapping his hoof to his chest as a sign of honor.
"Good luck" She said giving a reassuring smile to cover her worry.

Running through the streets of Ponyville evading the trucks speeding towards the dam, Bon Bon and Sifty made it to the shop which a mare with a light blue coat closed the door, throwing something in the bushes and trotting away whistling a tune that gave Bon Bon the chills. Then seconds later the windows exploded and flame whipped out of the windows.

"Oh Buck, Come on Sifty!" Bon Bon said galloping towards the door, trying to open the door but being unable to as it was locked. Bon Bon pulled out her Shotgun and pointed it at the wood right next to the door lock.
"COVER YOUR FACE!" She yelled, Sifty doing as she said, pulling both triggers on her shotgun the special rounds send a shaped charge right into the door around the lock causing it to explode into splinters of wood, where the lock once stood now was a hole the size of a soccer ball.
"Damn." Sifty said, his eyes widened. Bon Bon kicked in what was left of the door and to her horror, saw Soarin' the Wonderbolt covered in flames screaming in agony,
"WE GOTTA HELP HI-" Her plea was cut short as the oil ignited the reserve tanks causing an explosion sending Bon Bon colliding into the wall, in a dazed state she saw Sifty under a pile of rubble knocked out cold. The room filling with smoke, Bon Bon coughed, she slowly crawled to Sifty throwing the debris off of him. she threw him on her back and prepared to head for the exit, but as she turned the corner just like at her house she came face to face with Skullface. Tired, battered, and confused she impulsively let out a raspy scream
"WHO ARE YOU!!"

Unmasked

The ponies stood in the blazing shop, staring at each other, Bon Bon stared at the bipedal mare who stood in the doorway, her large weapon on her back letting both hooves hang at her sides. Bon Bon's head started spinning and she lost her balance, saving her from the hard landing was a magic aura picking her and Sifty up, levitating them to Skullface's hooves.

Bon Bon woke up lined up on a wall next to Sifty, Backfire, Story and a captured private, their front hooves tied with rope behind their backs
"Where are we?" Bon Bon said confused, looking around, then she saw in front of here three stallions, two wearing carnival like attire, and one in a business suit.
"You my dear, are in way over your little head." The stallion in the suit said.

"Blueblood!" Sifty Snarled, "You Traitor!"

"Traitor? ME?" Blueblood said offended

"You jumped sides when we were losing, you're nothing more than a spineless puss!" Sifty Spat

"No, You see since you all are going to die, I figure you should know the truth." Blueblood said looking at his hoof and cleaning it off with his jacket.

"You see," Flim said with a malicious grin, "We made a deal." Flam finished bearing the same grin.

"We found if we placed the princesses into secure bunkers far away from each other and placed a magic barrier over them, only what WE want them to hear gets through." Blueblood said.

"Indeed my friend!" The brothers said in unison.

"With just the right amount of information, The Princesses both think they're losing the war. In turn, Celestia buys more weapons from Flim and Flam and we buy ours from a 'Third Party Contractor'." he said nudging his head to Flim and Flam.
"We've worked real hard to make sure that everything looks so authentic too! The 'militia' is nothing but a bunch of under-trained mercenaries!" Blueblood said his monologue continued of his master plan to make this war an endless cycle and how with the demand for better technology it was only a matter of time before the Saddle Arabians and griffons would be dragged into the conflict for resources. The Bon Bon felt something loosen her restraints and place a familiar grip, her shotgun into her hooves, looking through the side of her eye she notices a golden aura placing a machete in Sifty's Hoof to cut the rope, and small side arms into SP and Backfire's hooves, looking up she noticed Skullface standing looking straight at her, her shoulder cannons laser pointer was flashing,
- .-- --- / .-.. . ..-. - / --- -. . / .-. .. --. .... - / - .... .-. . . / .. -. / -.-. . -. - . .-. (one left, two right, three in center)

"Why are you telling us this?" Bon Bon asked Broadly as not to let the trio onto whatever Skullface was planning.

"It's nothing personal," Blueblood said using his magic to pull out a small revolver, Shooting the head off the Random captured stallion. Backfire let out a panicking scream, getting a slap to the face from Flam. "It's just business."

"I'LL BUCKING KILL YOU ALL!" Sifty said his eyes burning with rage, instead of cutting the rope, he stood up RIPPING it apart, Targeting Flam the threw his Machete, striking him right between the eyes. Blueblood and Flim were immediately covered in a protective bubble as the pair cowardly ran away in terror of their plan gone awry, Bon Bon seizing the moment aimed her shotgun at the two ponies to her right blasting bother barrels at point blank range into their faces filling the air with a fine red mist. Bon Bon looked over to her left the pony primed his rifle to shoot her but in the blink of an eye what was a pony, now was only a crater and falling debris. Looking to the source, Bon Bon saw Skullface now wielding her large cannon, its barrel smoking.

"I SAID ONE LEFT!" Skullface said throwing Bon Bon's saddlebag at her, Bon Bon catching it and putting it on.

"You still didn't answer my question.." Bon Bon stated, reloading her shotgun.

"I'll tell you when we get out of here," Skullface said "We have to get out of here."

"Whats happening?"

"As of now all of you have been disavowed by your country for the murder of Soarin' and terrorism, we have to get out of Ponyville before the CDI's main force arrives."

"Who do you work for?" Bon Bon asked,

"The Good Guys." Skull Stated.

"Where will we go?" Backfire asked her hooves trembling due to the sudden realization, Sifty coming over to comfort the mare, though it did not lower her fear, she still felt better knowing she wasn't alone.

"The badlands in the territory of the Diamond Dog's, nopony will dare go there." Skull said

"Why should we trust you?" Sifty said

"Cause im the mare with the Big guns!" Skull Said reloading her cannon letting the oversized shell hit the ground with a loud *PING!*

In a split second a spotlight illuminated the group, a War-Bird circling them began to open fire from the door gun,

"WE'RE ON YOUR SIDE ASSHOLE!" Sifty shouted as the ponies dove for cover.

"They don't know that, as far as the army is concerned, you're all traitors." Skull said using a barrier to protect the group as they took refuge inside a building.
After letting out an onslaught of swear words, Sifty was eventually calmed down by Backfire.
"What do we do?" He asked,

"There's an armored truck at the end of the road, we will have to fight through the armies but I know we can make it."
As the ponies stacked up at the door, Skullface kicked it in with her hoof, the leg augments causing the door to fly off its hinges and into the street. The outside of the house was surrounded by the fourteen of the 'militia', In a booming voice Skullface yelled while kicking in the door, "PATRIOTS SHOW YOUR WORTH!" and in an instant half of the forces turned on their comrades executing all of the non-patriots before the door could hit the ground.

"Holy Celestia.." Bon Bon said in amazement, Skullface replied,
"I said I was with the good guys, didn't say it was Luna."
Turning to her comrades in arms Skullface gave the order to advance on the truck, the Patriots patrolled down the street gunning down the various mercenaries, When they reached the truck everypony loaded inside, Skullface and Bon Bon were the last ones in, as they entered the armored truck they sealed the back hatch, with the slam of Skullface's hoof on the side the Truck Started to drive escaping the city as tanks could be seen entering the city.

"I Guess I owe you one." Bon Bon said.

"and I owe you some answers." Skullface said lifting her mask, her mint colored mane shone in the night sky and her golden eye's paralyzed Bon Bon in place.

"Surprised to see me?" Lyra Heartstrings said with a smile.

Just Some Turbulence

The large War-Plane soared through the early morning sky over the desert in the badlands, everypony but Story and Lightning, and a single patriot in the cargo bay were fast asleep, the events of the last few days had taken its toll. Sifty and Backfire at first were on other sides of the cargo bay, now were snuggled up together Sifty bearing his usual serious face even in his sleep, while Backfire was leaning on Sifty for support, her mouth hung open letting out the occasional snore while the bandages holding her horn on were worn from the days events causing the horn to give a crooked angle. In bluebloods private quarters, and Lyra laid next to Bon Bon so tired she hadn't even taken her armor off, only raising her mask, Bon Bon laid beside her splayed out on her back letting out a heavy snore, then the plane started to rumble, causing Bon Bon to awaken from her slumber.

"Lyra, wake up somethings going on." Bon Bon said nudging the mare beside her.

"It's just a little turbulence Bonnie, go back to sleep" Lyra said, pulling Bon Bon closer with a magic aura causing Bon Bon to smile, she was about to doze back off when the plane shook violently, this time Lyra stood up
"That wasn't turbulence." She said standing up and heading up to the cockpit, Bon Bon followed drowsily behind grabbing her saddlebag and shotgun. looking down the hallway she could see into the cargo bay, Sifty was woken by the shaking, but from the expression on his blushing face he was less surprised about the sudden turbulence and more on the mare snuggled up on him.
Lyra reached the cockpit with Bon Bon in tow,
"What's going on in here!?"

"I cant tell, somethings hitting the plane though, maybe its a bird."

"No, Birds cant cause the plane to shake like that, I'm going to turn on the spotlights."
With the flick of a switch the spotlights on the wings turned on, Lyra's eyes widened, flicking them back off.

"What did you see?" Bon Bon asked Lyra, poking at one of her standing legs.

"Changelings, Lots of Changelings." She said in a fearful tone.

"What? Changelings aren't that bad, they're weak and as long as we dont let them on the plane we-"

"These aren't your average changelings Bonnie, these are savage."

"Savage?" Bon Bon said confused.

"While you were in a coma, the Changelings tried to raid the Chrystal Kingdom to get revenge on Shining Armor and Cadance."

"Lemme guess, They drove them back with the power of love?" Bon Bon asked with a smirk.

"Nope, ends up the tower they live in, It's a giant weapon! just charged it up and," with little magic made a puff of smoke "poof! No Queen!"

Bon Bon's eye opened and she simply said "Damn."

"Yea, after that day the Changelings scattered, some of them regrouped and named a new queen, but most broke off into small tribes scattered over the world."

"What makes these ones so savage?"

"These specific changelings evolved from their counterparts, they don't change, and unlike their equestrian brethren their chitin is stronger, and they are a heck of a lot tougher and their methods of feeding off love is..." giving a slight pause to think of a word to use, "extreme."

"How so?"

"Somehow, don't ask me how, they found out a more 'violent' way to extract love."

"Why don't they change?"

"They don't see a reason too, they prefer and I quote 'to see the fear'."

"How do you know this?"

"One of the patriots used to be one."

"WHAT!" Bon Bon exclaimed, drawing her shotgun and putting a shell in.

"This is why I didn't tell you Bonnie!" Lyra said grabbing Bon Bon's shotgun and snatching it away from her.

"I HATE CHANGELINGS!" Bon Bon screamed.

"He's saved my life once, I promise he's safe!" Lyra said, after a few minutes of Bon Bon staring at Lyra, she finally spoke up.

"Give me my gun back."

"Promise not to shoot my friend?"

"Does it have a name?"

"Tatau, now promise!"

"Fine, I promise I wont shoot Tatau! Now gimme!" Bon Bon said pouting, Lyra started to chuckle handing it back to her, removing the shell.

"You're cute when you do that face." Lyra said causing Bon Bon to blush.

"You're such a charmer." Bon Bon said Lyra was about to say something back before Lightning interrupted,

"WE ARE SURROUNDED BY THOUSANDS OF CHANGELINGS WHO LEARNED EATING PONIES IS A SOURCE OF NUTRITION AND YOU'RE HERE FLIRTING WITH EACH OTHER!?" he said slamming his hoof on the panel next to him, a feminine voice came on the speakers.

[SIGNAL FLARES DEPLOYED]

His face went flat at the realization of what he had done.

"Get on the speakers and wake everypony up." Lyra said,

"What are we going to tell them?" SP asked confused,

"Prepare for impact."
Nodding she picked up the microphone,

"BRACE FOR IMPACT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!" She yelled into the mic waking everypony up from their slumber, Backfire shot up and gave the same stare back that Sifty had the entire time, Tatau, simply sitting in his seat, listened to the awkward banter between the two, savoring the taste it gave off, years of self disciple had enabled him to control his hunger and feed off love through a passive means, he once tried to explain this ability to a pony but was told it was 'impossible' yet somehow he could, he thought to himself. He then focused intently on the outside of the plane, he could sense his brothers outside, and he knew they could sense him, Standing on all fours he walked over to Sifty.

"They're going to try and breach the ship, not crash it." Tatau said.

"How do you know that!?" Sifty said questioning him.

"Because I used to be with them!" Tatau said changing into his original form, a large changeling with chitin that overlapped each other creating what looked like sharp edged armor, instead of it being a glossy black, it was a matte black with white tribal markings covering his entire body, wings included.

"Holy Sh-"

"Language like that will not get you anywhere, now come, We have to protect her!" Tatau said pointing at Backfire.

"Why me!?" Backfire said pointing at herself with her hooves.

"Because, they see you as a source of food as with your mate."

Both Sifty and Backfire looked at each other with shrunk pupils and thrown off looks, then at the large tribal changeling, then back at each other.

"You ponies are strange, did you not hear me!?" Tatau said grabbing his rifle, an old battered lever action rifle etched with various words of the changeling language, walking over to the speaker in the cargo bay,
"iwi poʻo, The Savages will try to breach the plane, we need to land or they will tear this ship to pieces looking for food!"

"I noticed Tatau, they're going to go after the pony in the vest and his friend, keep them safe that's an order."

"You have my word iwi po'o." he said cutting off the speaker, signaling Canvas and Hilt to load up, he then walked over to Sifty

"I can sense by your attitudes and your pheromones you do not trust me and that is understandable, but we need to work together, they are going to try and breach the plane and use you as food, you do not want this." He said, Sifty stood with a scowl,

"I can take care of her myself bug, How about you worry about yourself!"
This would have been the time where Tatau would have just shot the pony, but he promised iwi po'o that he would keep them safe.

"I was not offering." Tatau stated staring right back into sifty's eyes, "You are filled with blind hate, if you are to become a true warrior you must throw warrant-less hate."

"What do you know about being a soldier, let alone a warrior!?" Sifty said as he did seven Savage Changelings tore through the hull and landed in the room.

"I will not tell you, I will show you Hûpô." Tatau said facing the seven invaders, the changelings hissing at Tatau some muttering traitor in a multi-toned voice.

"I did not betray you, you became weak!" he said using his magic he grabbed he rifle and fired at the first one, causing his head to explode into black and green pieces, the second Changeling leapt, Tatau using his rifle as a sledgehammer swung down bashing in it's skull, the other changelings stood mouths agape, then all at once charged at him, Tatau stood still until the last second where he jumped back using the hooks on his arms he latched onto two of the five remaining foes slamming them into the ground with a sickening crack.

"Then there were three." he said emotionless.

The three Changelings cowered into flight trying to get out of the small rupture they have created two of them got away the third was kicked away by his brothers. Tatau approached him.

"Will you yield?" he said as the changeling jumped at him in on fluent motion he dodged the leaping strike, hooked one arm into the Changelings back chitin and the other in the back of it's skull, and with one tug separated the two.

"Such a shame." Tatau stated removing the head from his arm hooks he carried it in his green aura, throwing it in front of Sifty.

"Is this proof enough of my loyalty Hûpô, now? Are you ready to fight for your mares honor!?"

Outside the Changeling Swarm prepared to breach the descending warplane from all sides.

AirBonBon

The Changelings swarm landed on the surface of the aircraft, pulling panels off of the plane with their magic, a few careless Changelings flew too close to the engines causing them to get sucked into the turbine with a loud bang the engines set on fire.

"They took out our engines!" Lightning said, SP swiveling her chair around to face Bon Bon and Lyra,

"Listen, we can try to land the plane in the desert, but those changelings are weighing us down."

"Kill them all, got it." Lyra said coldly snapping her head forward causing her mask to close with a metallic ring.

"If my math is right, you have five minutes." SP said, Lyra and Bon Bon going to Blueblood's Private room to load up. Lyra putting on her shoulder cannon and picking her over sized weapon up with one hoof.

"Five minutes to wipe out a swarm!?" Bon Bon said, even to her that seemed near impossible.

"No, we just have to get them off the plane." Lyra said

"How are we going to do that?" Bon Bon asked, The pair walking into the Cargo Bay Canvas and Hilt clad in tactical gear and Shemagh's passing out weapons from the aircraft's armory to the other ponies, these rifles unlike the others, had most of their mechanisms hidden and a large trigger in front of a box, and instead of a stock they used a pivoting hoof mount so the pony could walk one second and prop themselves up to fire the next.

"What kind of weapons are these?" Bon Bon asked confused.

"They're supposed to be the firearms of the future, no magic or complicated clockwork gears required, so the simplicity of a lever action with the effectiveness of a clockwork." Lyra replied. "As far as either sides reports know, these don't exist so it isn't stealing." she said using her magic to give a rifle to Bon Bon, who slipped it on her hoof and folded it up along the side of her arm.

"Be careful it shoots three shots, so watch when you shoot it."

"Thanks, but I still think nothing beats the Boomstick Lyra." as she said that, the rear ramp of the airplane ripped open and flew off by the magic aura of the Changelings depressurizing the cargo bay, everypony hung on as papers and various things that were not bolted down flew out of the plane, Sifty hung onto Backfire in one hoof and the seat they were in, Tatau stood using his hooked arm to latch on to a metal poll, firing into the swarm with his rifle pumping and firing with one hoof, ensuring the Cargo bay was clear.
Then out the back of the plane the ground could be seen getting closer, until eventually the plane skidded across the desert sand, Bon Bon losing her grip was sent flying out the back of the plane and unto the sand, Blacking out. When she awoke she was being dragged away by two changelings looking over she saw Backfire was with her, then down to her hoof she still had the rifle, with a flick of her hoof the weapon deployed and the two changelings turned around just in time to see Bon Bon, her weapon trained on them, with two presses of the large trigger the weapon let out two bursts leaving three holes in the Changeling's heads. As they hit the ground Bon Bon rolled over to Backfire who was knocked out, her horn missing.

"Backfire, Backfire wake up!" Bon Bon said shaking the mare until her eyes cracked open, her eyes then shot open.

"My horn!" she said looking around for it.

"Backfire, I'm sorry but we have to get out of here," Bon Bon said looking around, "Wherever we are.."

"I'm useless without my horn though!" Backfire said, tears forming in her eyes.

"That's not true and you know it." Bon Bon said looking right in her eyes/

"What do you mean?"

"Can you fight?"

"Y-yea"

"Can you walk?"

"Yes,"

"Do you want to see Sifty again!?" Bon Bon said raising her voice in an inspiring tone to raise Backfires spirits."

"YES!" Backfire shouted a bit too enthusiastically but the fact that she was on four hooves and ready to move was good enough for Bon Bon.

"Then let's get out of here," she said walking down the burrowed cave, "Wherever the way out is.."

Raid the Hollow.

Sifty was laid out on a mat, the last thing he remembered was Backfire being dragged underground by burrowing changelings and getting bitten by one of them after that he blacked out. Now he felt a slight pinch on his hoof, as he slowly became aware the pain became more intense until it felt as if somepony had covered a cut in salt. Sifty prepared to stand up but was held down by a green aura.

"Be still." Tatau said, Sifty using his eyes he looked down to see that Tatau was using ancient tools to create a tribal band on the part where his foreleg and hoof connected.

"What in the hay are you doing!?" Sifty said with rage, he didn't like being held down, ESPECIALLY by a changeling.

"I am giving you the mark of my ancestors, you are a soldier now, but soon you will be a warrior." He said adding the finishing touches to his work. Sifty in a fit of rage shot up as Tatau finished the band.

"Oh, you're trying to tell me how to be a warrior? So sorry, man! I thought I was just a worthless pissant, and not some highly trained killing machine that's ripped apart hundreds of your kind with my bare hooves. So sorry, bro, didn't mean to make that assumption!"

"I assure you, if you killed them, they were not like me." Tatau said coldly staring back at Sifty with his blue eyes. Then Tatau continued,

"I am not finished."

"Looks done to me." Sifty said looking at the band tattooed on his arm.

"I must empower it."

"That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard, and I've been to canterlot!" Sifty said mocking the Changeling

"Do you want to save her?" Tatau asked staring at Sifty

"She's alive!?"

"Yes, they are in the hallows below, if you wish to join me, then you must let me finish." Tatau stated, knowing he struck a chord.

"Fine! Lets get this over with." He said laying down, as he did Tatau's horn charged up the Symbols coming alive and moving, almost speaking to him, then in a instant they stopped.

"What was that." Sifty said confused.

"Your compass."

"You're a strange Changeling.." Sifty said

"Enough talk," He said throwning sift the tip of Backfire's horn as he put on a saddlebag and poncho, "now shall we save your mare, eh?" Tatau smirked

"Lets kick some ass." Sifty shot up from the stretcher and the pair made it to the entrance of the cavern, joining Lyra, Canvas and Hilt, and the remaining soldier waited by the entrance, Lyra spoke up.

"Tatau, you sure we can find them in there"

"iwi poʻo, I know we can because we have him." pointing towards Sifty.

"You gave him the tattoo didn't you." Lyra said giving a smug look

"That I did." Tatau said nodding.

"What exactly did he give me?"

"Tatau here is the Changeling version of Zecora, what he put on you is a enchanted marking. It leads you to the person you hold closest."

"Does it work?" Sifty asked curiously.

"How do you think I found Bon Bon?" Lyra retorted.

"I'll be damned.."

"No, if I wanted to damn you, I would have made the marking on your back hoof." Tatau said with a informing grin.

Lyra chuckled at the comment, but everypony else just stared at the two ponies.

"Ma'am you are one strange pony, no offense." one of the soldiers said.

"Enough talk! We have some ponies to find!" Lyra said loading her cannon with a canister, and slinging Bon Bon's saddlebag and shotgun over her cannonless shoulder. Making their way down the cavern a patrol of two changelings came in sight of the group, before the Changelings could react Canvas and Hilt simultaneously created a magic wave slicing the two in half.

"Works every time!" Hilt said with a grin getting an immediate shush from his brother

"This IS a stealth mission you know!"

"Didn't say I couldn't kill anything!"
Hilt was about to say something snarky back but was interrupted by Lyra signaling them to be quiet. With a nod they silently regrouped and the party continued down the tunnel until Sifty noticed his tattoo starting to chant.

"Whats going on?" Sifty asked,

"They are close," Lyra said "Mines going off too"

Tatau closed his eyes, using his wings the rubbed them together creating a light humming noise, listening in he felt the presence of the two missing ponies, then down the cavern they were in a large group of Changelings heading for them.
"Are you ready" He asked the group.

"Why?" Lyra asked,

"They are going to swarm them, soon."

"where are they!" Lyra demanded,

"right below us."

"We can't make it to them at this rate of travel I shall make alternative route" Tatau said sniffing the air, then reaching into his pack pulling out a jar of powder, spreading it around the group in a circle he then flew up to the ceiling of the cave and attached a rope.

"What are you planning?" Hilt and Canvas said at the same time in a worried tone.

"SHORTCUT!" Tatau said in a maniacal, out of character tone lighting the chemical with his magic the cave filled with a flash of light and the floor gave in as they fell through the newly created hole landing a few feet below right in front of the pair of ponies surprising them. Sifty shook the dust off of him, his Tattoo chanting.
"How do I tell this thing to shut up?"

"Just touch the mare and the chanting will stop until you ask it to find her again." Tatau stated. as Sifty touched the mare who was frozen in shock by the sudden entrance through the roof the chanting halted immediately.

"Backfire?" Sifty said with a smile, Backfire snapping out of her trance a grin forming on her face she picked Sifty up into a hug throwing Sifty off by the sudden show of strength from her.
"Whoa, Good to see you too!" he said wiggling his legs in a manner as to ask to be put back down, Backfire complying with a blush and an embarrassed giggle, Sifty reaching into his vest he pulled out Backfire's horn, her eyes widening as large as her grin, with lightning speed she had Sifty in a thankful kiss completely stunning the now blushing Sifty with the sudden show of affection, Tatau stopped mixing some chemicals to look up and take in a breath of fresh air,
"Aahh, I love the taste of romance in times of peril!"
The comment from the changeling snapped the lovebirds out of their trance, after another awkward silence between the two that was sure not to be their last, Sifty place the horn on her head and took out some bandages and wrapped it into place for her, with two taps it sparked to life.
"Thanks for everything." She said,

"Just doing my job." He said with a smile.

"what is wrong with you ponies!" The solider said.

"I find nothing wrong with this." Tatau said defending the couple as he placed the various jars around the tunnel they were in then flying up the hole he created.

"Well you're a Changeling!" the soldier replied.

"This changelings getting out before his chemicals cave in the whole place." He said using his magic to scoop up the two brothers and throwing the rope down for the others, Lyra scooped Bon Bon in her arms, without a word and climbed the rope with her magic, Sifty and Backfire followed behind as they ran out of the cavern, hisses and snarls could be heard from the coming swarm.

"iwi poʻo, will you do the honors?"

"With pleasure!" Lyra said rolling a large bomb down the tunnel the beeping became faint then the snarls changed to screams of horror at the sight of the bomb, then suddenly the cave entrance collapsed with a puff of sand.

"That was anti-climactic." Sifty said.

"quite, I was hoping for a good fight, but we sealed the tunnel so it will be months before they can even think about trying to burrow out." Tatau said shrugging.

then Lightning and SP came trotting over the dune,

"HEY! WE FOUND A RIDE!" SP shouted enthusiastically, a few meters away a large truck with caravan style trailers was parked, each trailer was covered in armor and weapons all to protect one single tank of water. As the group approached the cab a peek hole opened, noticing Tatau immediatly sealed shut,
"You scared our ride." Sifty said sarcastically
"With respect, you are wrong." Tatau replied
then the hatch on the top opened up and a roughed up changeling popped out of the hatch.

"Hey I remembered the right place!" The changeling proudly exclaimed with a smug grin.
Tatau spoke up,
"Meet my brother, Ritz, he will be our method of transportation."

"Can we trust him?" Bon Bon asked Lyra,

"Yea, he's too lazy to try anything funny."
Bon Bon accepted that response as good enough and they boarded the trailer of the truck and began their ride to the base,

"Here's your stuff back." Lyra said handing the saddlebag and holster to Bon Bon,

"You're the best."

"Only on the days that end in Y." She said with a smirk.

A Gentleman's Conversation

--Fillydelphia--

A light yellow mare with two yellow bows, Lemon Drops was in the kitchen placing a kettle on the range. The Patriarch, Dudley Drops, a Built Stallion, his cutie mark showing his one true talent,pugilism, yet his most iconic feature was a large, well trimmed, mustache. He was reading the paper while smoking a pipe, as he flipped the page he saw a large mugshot of his daughter, Sweetie Drops.

WANTED!
SWEETIE DROPS/BON BON
Wanted for: High Treason, Murder, Espionage, Extortion, Infiltration, Deception.
Sweetie Drops is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous! Do NOT approach this suspect, approach your nearest Peacekeeper for immediate apprehension. Rewards for information leading to the Capture of said suspect will receive a reward of no more than 1,000,000 bits and no less than 250,000 based upon quality of information.

-Equestrian Defense Initiative
-Security for Peace

"What a load of bollocks!" Dudley said crushing the paper in his hooves, then throwing it into the fireplace.

"Honey, I'm sure its just a misunderstanding the government will sort it out in no time." Lemon Drops said, attempting to comfort her husband.

"The government is the REASON she's in trouble!" he said blowing off his wife's comment, "After all the years she gave them, THIS is how they treat my Bonnibelle!" He said his mustache frilled with rage. Then they heard a knock at the door, Lemon Drops approached the door opening it she saw High Commander McTalk.

"May I help you" Lemon Drops asked sincerely with a genuine smile on her face.

"Are you Mrs. Drops?" McTalk asked,

"That I am!" She stated with pride,

"May I come in? It's about your daughter."

"Oh! Please do!" She said inviting him in, his two guards followed behind and made their way into the main living area, two walls adorned with trophies from Sweetie Drops and Dudley Drops, showing their various achievements. The patriarch stared at the house guests a sense of hostility entered the room.

"Can I help you boys?" he said, his voice gruff and harsh, McTalk approached the stallion extending his hoof as to shake,
"I am Hi-" McTalk was interrupted,

"I know who ya are, now Talk." He said in a straight to the point tone, not budging from his seat.

"As you know your daughter is wanted for treason, we are here to ask you a few questions."

"Then quit yer yappin' and talk!" Dudley said with a growing impatience.

"I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM HIGH COMMANDER MCTALK OF THE EDI," McTalk continued his rant on his political standing for two whole minutes, the whole time Dudley simply sat in his chair sipping from a large mustached mug, signaling his leadership role in the house, then McTalk said a sentence that he quickly regretted.
"I HAVE YOU KNOW I CAN HAVE YOUR FREAK OF A DAUGHTER KILLED WITH THE FLICK OF MY HOOF!"
At that sentence, Dudley slammed his mug on the table in front of him cracking the floorboard with the force exerted,

"Boys, leave us." He ordered to the guards who fearfully complied.

"Y-YOU COWARDS!" McTalk yelled,

"That's the first rule of being a leader, you could be the princess, but unless you have respect, you just have a fancy title and no power. We used to call people like you paper tigers, all fearsome till' the going gets tough!" Dudley stood from his chair approaching McTalk, in response McTalk raised his hooves into a fighting position.

"BACK YOU RUFFIAN. I WILL SHOW YOU HOW MUCH OF A FIGHTER I AM!" McTalk said Dudley smiled then raising his voice,

"One of you boys come in here." he said as a guard came into the sight of McTalk

"uuuh sir, I wouldn't do that if I were you!" The guard said trying to calm McTalk down.

"NONSENSE, I WILL TEACH THIS SAVAGE HOW A TRUE GENTLEPONY FIGHTS!" He cockily said.

"Yer' seeing this is just a fair 'gentleman's' duel right?" Dudley asked the guard to which the guard nodded voiding Dudley of any legal ramifications.

"COME AT ME YO-" With one swipe of his hoof he clocked McTalk square across the jaw knocking four teeth out of his mouth, sending him spiraling to the ground.

"Maybe you forgot, Dudley Drops: Equestrian Games Three Time Pugilist Champion!" he said smugly pointing at his trophies "That or you just can't read!" Pointing to the large plaque on a trophy. Then extending his hoof to help the stallion up, like any gentleman would do, McTalk stumbled up with his assistance. His cocky attitude now gone replaced by a frightful and straight to the point manner.

"Do you have any knowledge of your daughter whereabouts?"

"Nope."

"Then why did you make this so difficult?"

"Because I had to make sure you knew," Leaning closer to McTalk he whispered in his ear, "If you hurt my daughter in any way, I promise you a good solid beating will be mercy!"
Lemon Drop popped her head out of the kitchen,
"Tea?" She said cheerily

"Of course honey," he said with a cheerful smile to his wife with a nod, "Would you and your guards care to stay for tea?" The petrified McTalk fainted out of fear, his guard speaking up.

"I'd like a cup!" he said with a grin.

after a few stories of Dudley's adventures through Equestria and the other nations, the guards happily listening to the story while sipping their tea, when the night was over the two guards said their thanks and threw McTalk into the back of his private car and entered the driver and passenger seat.

"I say, today was quite a day!" one guard said, as they started the car, Lemon Drop came running out of the house,
"Boys! You forgot your Tea for the road!" she said giving them each a cup of tea in disposable cups.
"Thank you kindly miss!" the ponies said

"Oh, and here's McSpeaks teeth!" She said gleefully giving them the little tooth filled bag, she then happily trotted back into the house and closed the door.

Preparing to Send a Message..

The Multi-Axel Truck arrived at the gates of the small shanty town, Lyra shook Bon Bon, who was snuggled up against her heavily armored body,
"Bonnie, Wake up." She said with a nudge,

"Five more minutes," Bon Bon drowsily replied, pulling herself even closer to Lyra and going back to sleep. Lyra looked up Sifty was asleep holding Backfire in his hooves, Backfire was fast asleep snoring, her breathing making her horn poke Sifty's jaw waking him up.

"Where are we?" He asked with a quiet yawn as not to wake Backfire.

"New Paradiso, it's one of the few towns in the Badlands that can hide our activity and provide adequate defensive purposes against Changelings or Syndicate PMC's."

"Who are you with?" Sifty inquired

"We are the Patriots, a team of the best of the best from all of the nations, Changelings, Griffons, Ponies."

"Griffons? What do they want in the war?"

"When the Griffon Sovereignty fell to the ultra-nationalists nine months ago, the ones who remained loyal fled to the badlands and found us, after making a deal we joined forces and became the patriots, the engineering skills from the Griffons are remarkable, most of the inventions of Flim and Flam Mechatronics are poor copies of theirs." Lyra explained

"So who's paying for all this?" Sifty curiously asked,

"Even though the Chrystal Empire is remaining a neutral 'refugee sheltering' nation, Shining Armor sent some of his best men from the empire to help and a bottomless bit purse to end this war."

"That seems like a hard thing to cover up."

"It is, that's why we don't, most ponies hear stories about the Chrystal Tower and its 'unique' abilities." as she finished up the truck came to a stop and cut it's engine in the center of the large town, various tents and camouflage netting covered various buildings, suddenly the hatch swung open and out popped the battered looking Changeling and Tatau.

"Yo, the names Ritz," looking at Backfire then Sifty, "Nice gal!" he said with a wink visibly angering Sifty causing him to jump back into the cab and seal the hatch with a 'you can't get me' snicker.

"Don't worry, he will not try anything funny," Tatau said

"You got him on a short leash or something?" Sifty assumed

"No, He's just lazy." Tatau said with a shrug as he jumped off of the trailer he motioned for the ponies to follow him, as the group gathered their things Lyra picked up the still sleeping Bon Bon and carried her over her shoulder, Sifty waking Backfire and the rest of the ponies in the back of the trailer. After everypony had everything together Tatau opened the peephole and told Ritz to take the truck to the motor pool, the truck came to life and putted along out of sight. Tatau guided the ponies to a tent with just enough cots set up for everypony.

"Here we are, your home away from home!" Lyra said setting Bon Bon on a cot, "Now we can get some actual rest and some real food for once!" as she said that a messenger pony walked into the tent.

"Ma'am!" he said saluting

"At ease, what do you have?"

"We found a syndicate HVT, Intel says Jet Set and Upper Crust are in a Villa in a town not too far from here."

"No rest for the wicked.." rubbing her eyes, "Everypony get their rest, I have to plan for tomorrow." Lyra said walking out of the tent, Bon Bon still fast asleep, exausted from the days events, soon after everypony else did the same and the tent was silent.

In the makeshift command center Lyra stood over a model of the town,
"Jet Set and Upper Crust have the entire town in their coin-purse, and most of the civilians that disagree have left or are already dead. So I think we should just meet them head on."
A Griffon with a large scar on one of his wings swiveled his chair around to look at the model as well, in an accent that gave away that equestrian common was not his primary language,
"Dah! we give these ponies, how you say, a show of force!" he said with a smirk.

"Glad to see we're on the same page." Lyra said with a smirk as she drew a large red line pointing straight for the gate.

"Let's send a message."

Sending a Message..

"Bonnie Bon!" Lyra shook her marefriend,

"Five more minutes." Bon Bon repeated, rolling over expecting to be in the bed of the truck, instead she rolled off of the cot and onto the floor with a loud thud.

"Smooth one!" Lyra said teasing her, Bon Bon simply looked up at her bipedal marefriend and said laughing,
"Shut up, and help me find my leg!"
Lyra looked around the tent for the prosthetic leg but to no avail, "Nothin'" She said then as if on call Ritz came backpedaling into the tent using Bon Bon's prosthetic like a fencing sword, soon after Sifty stormed in machete in a hoof loop to hold it in place about to engage in combat with the Changeling,

"YOU STAY THE BUCK AWAY FROM HER!" Sifty snarled,

"Hey man! I was just giving her a set of keys!" Ritz said giving his reason, then getting into a battle stance, "engarde!" Sifty prepared to beat the life out of the Changeling when Tatau came from behind, grabbed his machete, then clocked Ritz square on the head with it,

"My apologies, he is still new to the passive feeding methods I use, sometimes he gets carried away." Tatau said picking up Bon Bons fake leg and throwing it to her then dragging Ritz out of the tent for a stern lecture, as she put the leg on Lyra motioned for Sifty to step outside, replying with a agitated nod he left the tent leaving Bon Bon and Lyra alone, Lyra pulled out a small map and gave it to Bon Bon
"What am I looking at?" She asked

"The villa stronghold of the notorious Jet Set and Upper Crust." Lyra replied

"Those rich pricks? Does everyone pay into power these days?"

"No, when the war broke out they took their money and ran to the shanty town of Santa Muerte buying out the Gangs in the town they managed to get themselves a nice cartel business running, after they gained some notoriety they took a position in the Syndicate to funnel money and evade heavy taxes from both sides."

"Lemme guess, we're going to stop that?" Bon Bon assumed

"You guessed correct, We're heading out now so load up and meet me in the square in five." Lyra then walked out of the tent leaving Bon Bon to herself, walking over to the cache in the corner of the room she opened it to see a vast array of weapons she saw a familiar weapon, grabbing the rifle that looked closest to the one acquired on the plane she mounted the bracers on her foreleg and folded in the stock so it rested on her side, then she slipped on a small ballistics vest just in case. As she walked out of the tent she scooped up her saddlebag and her shotgun throwing it on her back she made her way to the center of town, Two buggies were parked in the square one with Canvas, Hilt, and Story, and Lyra was sitting in the back of the other Dune buggy with a griffon driver,
"Took you long enough, hop in!" Lyra said gesturing to the seat beside the griffon. Accepting her offer she jumped into the side seat and got comfortable in the seat. The griffon extended his clawed hand to greet her,

"My name is Mir! It is pleasure to meet you!" he said as Bon Bon shook his claw with her hoof, The two Buggies roared to life and sped out of town.

"The same, hey I thought Griffons worked in pairs?" She asked curiously

"Oh, you will see my wife soon enough." He said chuckling, the two buggies bounced around the sandy dunes, Lyra spoke up,

"So while we attack, your two friends Backfire and Sifty are going to meet up with us once we make it to the marketplace, from there we attack the Mansion."

"Sounds simple enough, though don't you think we're a little under armed for an attack on a stronghold?" Bon Bon asked bringing up the fact that two buggies were going to attack a well defended villa.

"We have a plan, Don't you worry!" Mir stated

"Mir's right we have a plan." Lyra assured

"If you say so." Bon Bon shrugged as they rode through the sands the buggies suddenly jumped onto a paved road on the coastline causing Bon Bon to let out a sharp yelp of surprise, causing Lyra and Mir to bust out laughing, then the Villa came into view, Lyra lowered her mask and propped her cannon on the roll cage of the buggy, various gears latching on, making it mounted. The gate came into view, the various ponies with outdated weapons created a blockade with themselves and a old self drawn carriage, Mir picked up the microphone from the dashboard of the buggy,
"Paz NOW!" and at that order a Co-axial rotor flying machine that was much larger than the Celestial War-Bird, but instead of a side by side cabin the co-pilot sat in front of the pilot manning a large cannon, the cabin was closed off but a few ponies could be seen peering through the windows of the door, beside the door were various pods and other weapons, The rotors engine making a loud screeching noise instead of the War-Birds buzzing noise.

"Meet my wife!" Mir said with a cocky smile, then the flying machine fired various missiles and the main cannon into the gate covering it in shrapnel and flak sending the ponies scattering and destroying the entire gate leaving a gaping hole in the wall of the coastline fortress, as the Machine pulled off and flew away the two buggies busted through the now decimated blockade and made their way down the main street various ponies could be seen peering through their windows, some cheering on the team as they made their way to the marketplace of the town.
"Where are all the guards?" Bon Bon asked looking around for any sign of hostility,

"To Equine-tech standards, this place was impenetrable as they have copperheads and have a few guardian tanks that were being shipped to the front but were 'misplaced' so Jet Set and Upper Crust have most of the thugs holed up in the villa."

"So Griffon tech is that good?"

"OF COURSE ITS MADE BY GRIFFONS!" Mir said puffing out his chest in pride as they stepped out of the Buggy. As they did the various villagers appeared now wielding weapons from pitchforks to crude flintlock rifles, cheering at the sight of their 'liberators'

"Seems like the locals don't mind us kicking in the door." Story said walking over to the group with Canvas and Hilt scanning the area for any hidden threats. A single pony, his age showed in his wrinkles approached Bon Bon,
"You're Sweetie Drops! It took you long enough to wake up lass!" He said with a joking smile, giving her a firm hoofshake,
"I assume you are here to take those two upper class Scoundrels down a few pegs?"

"We are." Bon Bon stated

"Hope you brought more than a few ponies and a Griffon, we still need to get into the mansions perimeter!" The pony noted

"We?" Bon Bon asked curiously

"Aye, this is our town, and I'll be dammed if I just sit back and let you do all the work!" As he said that all the ponies in the mob let out a war cry and started to chant out various profane filled words for the ponies in the Mansion. Then Lyra approached the stallion,

"We need to make open space in the market place, could you move these stalls?"

With a nod, the mob moved the stalls clearing a large opening Lyra threw a canister at the center of the opening, the canister letting out a large puff of Teal smoke that covered the sky with the smoke, moments later the Large Flying Machine flew back this time carrying a very large shipping container bigger than the body of the craft. As the crate hit the center of the marketplace the ponies inside the cabin of the craft rappelled down and landed on top of the crate, unhooking the straps they signaled to the Griffon, Paz, That she was clear, Bon Bon picked up from the communications that it was called a 'Peacemaker'. The Peacemaker pulled up and moved into position to assist in the assault, Bon Bon focusing on the Peacemaker, she was at awe on how something so heavy was flying so fast, but her focus was snapped to the large shipping crate when the front dropped and a set of treads could be seen rolling out of the crate, Bon Bon expected to see a guardian, but instead was welcomed to the sight of a larger than needed tank, with added armor, dual layered treads, a pointed plow in the front and a menacing Quad-Cannon, and as an added touch, a set of shark mouths were painted on each side. Bon Bon stood in disbelief at the size of the tank, and then on how the Peacemaker could carry it, her jaw remained in the dropped position as the hatch opened and out popped Backfire wearing a Tank-Commander helmet with a hole drilled into the top so she could slip her horn through.

"BONNIE! Ritz gave me a tank!" She said with an excited grin causing her horn to spark, she then promptly popped back into the tank and continued to drive towards the gate of the mansion. Story walking up to Lyra putting on a pair of shutter shades she found on a stall
"And to think you just gave me a buggy..."

Hail to the Sovereign

As the gates of the mansion came into view a loud horn could be heard blown signaling that the enemy was about to retaliate, seconds later the main gate opened and two fully loaded trucks, four Copperheads, and one stolen guardian tank got into defensive positions around the gates entrance, the ponies disembarking with personal riot shields and what appeared to be grenade launchers made a small wall in front of the copperheads.

"So how exactly are we going to get through that with one bird, one tank, and a group of townsfolk?" Bon Bon asked, Mir proudly puffed out his chest once again,

"You underestimate the power of the Sovereign Tank!" pointing towards the tank. On cue, the Copperheads aimed their large anti-tank cannons at the the Sovereign Tank and fired, four large shells came zipping at high velocity, then a loud beep could be heard and four small counter charges shot from small pockets on the side of the tank hitting the shells before they could make impact leaving a puff of smoke in front of the unscathed tank, the crowd of townsponies behind the tank let out whoops and cheers at the defensive prowess of the tank, then the tank rolled down the street at a surprising pace for the sheer size of it, the ponies at the gate fired wildly at the tank and the crowd of ponies, the tank deflecting the shells and explosives that would cause any serious damage and letting the others simply hit and armor leaving only scorch marks. The Guardian Tank rolled past the line in a bee line charge for the other tank firing its main cannon as it charged the main cannons on the Sovereign Tank took aim and fired at the Guardian, the shells piercing the armor and exploding from the inside causing the hatch to shoot open in a plume of fire. To this site the other ponies holding the line took this as a cue to turn tail and run, abandoning their Shields and Copperheads leaving the gate wide open. Bon Bon was surprised at the efficiency of the tank that alone took down the gate's defenses.

"Well I'll be, why don't we just carry that thing around with us!?" Bon Bon asked Mir, who had an 'I told you so' look on his face.

"The Sovereign Tank is powerful,the armor and weapons comes at cost though, little streets and tight corners are," rubbing the back of his head, "Difficult to say the least."

"I could see that being an issue." Bon Bon nodded

"Yes, Sovereign can take many shells, but it is no good if it brings down building or bridge on itself!"

"I could see this being an issue, but enough talk we have to get in there before Jetset and Upper Crust escape!" Bon Bon said cutting the conversation short.

"Agreed, get in the tank we will make shortcut!" Mir said as he opened the hatch and hopped in, Lyra helped Bon Bon into the tank and closed the hatch.

"Bonnie, take care of those uptight jerks, I'll clear the courtyard!" Lyra said over the radio,

"Alright, you be careful." Bon Bon replied putting the radio back, Backfire was manning the controls of the tank and Ritz was in the gunner seat,

"Bonnie! This thing is AWESOME!" Backfire said looking back, a look of excitement and glee as she pulled a lever putting the tank into a boosted charge, as it plowed through the courtyards various fountains, shrubbery, guards, and divider walls leaving a clear path straight to the door of the mansion

"FIRING EVERYTHING!" Ritz exclaimed with a maniacal laugh pressing all the buttons on the console, every weapon on the tank exposed themselves from their hidden ports and fired at the door pelting it with bullets, shells, canisters, mortars, and Bon Bon could swear she saw a flamethrower through the smoke, then the plow on the front raised up covering the front of the tank as it crashed through the front of the mansion and into the extravagant lobby. Opening the hatch, Bon Bon popped out of the tank and slid down the side to the sight of Jet Set and Upper Crust Hugging each other against the wall, their luggage splayed out on the floor.

"Going somewhere you two?" Bon Bon smugly stated.

"What do you want! Is it money? I have money!" Jet Set said throwing the suitcase next to him at Bon Bon, in response she kicked the money away,

"I don't need your blood money!"

"Then what ARE you here for?" Upper Crust angrily replied standing up to Bon Bon

"I want information, everything about the Syndic-"

"I don't know who you think you are but when Blueblood gets that amulet from that witch-doctor he will destroy everything you ever loved, especially your Precious Ly-" Her rant was cut short by a bone shattering right hook from Bon Bon, sending her falling to the ground.

"CRUSTIE!" Jet Set ran to his wife's side as Bon Bon climbed onto the tank and got on the radio,

"Lyra, we got a problem."

---two hours later--

The Mansion was secured, the Guards were rounded up and put into the very prisons they once guarded, in the courtyard Jet Set and his now conscious wife sat in a small cage surrounded by the now parting villagers they once oppressed. In Jet Set's personal office The team gathered around to debrief.

"So we captured the mansion, found out Blueblood's plan, and we suffered zero casualties, I think that's a mission success!" Ritz said splaying out on the desk,

"No, not yet." Lyra said,

"Lyra's right, we need to stop Blueblood before he can get his hands on that amulet!" Bon Bon said,

"Whats the big deal about this amulet?" Backfire inquired as she spun around in the swivel chair.

"The Alicorn Amulet is a very powerful relic, Lyra was with me when this magician, Trixie, got her hands on it, she gained nearly limitless power and it made her corrupted her, thankfully her aim was only on getting revenge for Twilight beating her in some showmanship duel or something, but Blueblood aims to take control." Bon Bon shuddered at the thought of Blueblood taking power.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Nopony will believe us, we have to clear our names, if we can somehow get the princesses to see that they have been lied to, maybe we can turn the tables and end this war." Bon Bon said, Ritz was rolling on the desk to scratch a part of his chitin, getting a piece of paper stuck under his wing, instead of removing the paper he simply let it stay under his wing, when SP spoke up

"Yea, only one problem, How are you gonna find these princesses, didn't he say they hid them in Bunkers or something?"

The room sat in silence as everyone thought, then backfire pointed at the paper under the Changeling's wing, "LOOK!" the Changeling using his horn lazily poked it and pulled it out from under his wing, reading the paper without removing it from his sharpened horn, silently reading the paper he then ripped the paper of his horn,

"You ponies just caught lighting in a bottle, a invitation to address The Princess herself on the situation on the ponitarian aid of the badlands, Wow, either Luna is that gullible or they can pull off a mean lie!"

"They're politicians, so whats going to happen?"

"A Boat will arrive in," pausing to calculate the date of the boats arrival to today's date, "Three days."

Sifty Spoke up,

"I found some guard uniforms earlier, so we can board the boat disguised and sneak in undetected."

"Good idea, only one problem, I doubt Jet Set and Upper Crust will willingly play along." Bon Bon added,

"Leave that to me." Tatau said with a flare of green fire he disguised himself into Jet Set.

"Alright we have half the puzzle, now to complete the set." Lyra said giving a nod to Tatau.

Ritz laughed to himself,
"You ponies are so Dumb! A Changeling cant be two ponies at the sametime! You'd need two Changelings that knew what those ponies loo-" Ritz's eyes shot open at the realization of what they were planning,

"OH NO I AM NOT CHANGING INTO A MARE!"

A Plan Comes Together

"I hate every last one of you.." Ritz said in his own multi-toned voice.

"Aww, I think you look adorable!" Backfire said playing with The Dress the disguised Changeling was in.

"you know, if your Special Somepony wasn't a machete wielding nutjob, I woulda cocooned you and had your love for breakfast!" Ritz threatened.

"He's not a wacko, he's just very," Pausing to think of the right word, "Defensive!"

"Craaazy!" Ritz said changing his voice to a more feminine tone, then puffed out his female chest and with a huff trotted out of the room, Sifty walking into the room soon after, after an exchange of greetings they held each other in their hooves looking out the scenic window.

"So what are we going to do when this is all over?" Backfire asked,

"I dunno, go back to Equestria, keep doing what I did before the war."

"and that was?" She inquired, Sifty thinking of a word to use for what he was as he never really thought of the title it was usually whatever the princesses needed done without the media knowing.

"A..Bodyguard, What about you?" he said hoping to get off the topic.

"I have nowhere to go, I signed up in the army just to find a purpose, I had no reason to stay anywhere, I was hoping," She hesitated, "Forget I said it."

"No, what is it?" Sifty looking her dead in the eyes, her eyes welled with tears.

"I've always wanted the Equestrian dream, you know? White picket fence, two foals and a dog, that kinda thing. Give a few fillies the childhood I didn't have."

"I see." Sifty said, he thought to himself, he never really looked into a family nor did he ever want one, but something just seemed right when he thought of it now. "How about this, after this is all over we go to this nice little diner I know of, and we start from there?"

"Really?" Backfire said a smile grew on her teary face.

"Sifty's Honor." he said using a free hoof to make a gesture over his heart. The couple staring out the window of the room each with a smile, imagining possibilities in the future, below Bon Bon and Lyra were in the Kitchen of the mansion,

"So how long till this boat gets here?" Bon Bon said grabbing a sarsaparilla out of the cooler, using the corner of the table she took the cap off and propped up on the table.

"It should be here in an hour, the villagers have cleared out and taken the prisoners to the base, some have even offered to join us so viva la patriots!" Lyra said sipping water from a straw that was connected to a canteen covered in armor on her side.

"You ever going to take that armor off?" Bon Bon said with a smile, yet with a genuine sense of concern.

"Soon."

"Is something wr-"

"I SAID SOON ALRIGHT!" Lyra said with venom and rage shocking Bon Bon with the sudden spurt of anger, then realizing who she yelled at guilt washed over her face, "I'm so sorry Bonnie, it's just, I promise, later."

"Fine, but I'm holding you to that!" returning to a relaxed yet on edge state.

"I know you are," Lyra said reaching into a small chest on the counter of the kitchen pulling out a Red prosthetic hoof, "Try this on." She said handing the leg to Bon Bon who removed her peg leg and replaced it with the new leg. The leg gave the appearance of a regular leg save its metallic finish and crimson red appearance.

"Save the Red and metal, it looks like I never lost it!" Bon Bon said setting down the Sarsaparilla, jumping down from the table to try out the leg, making a few laps around the kitchen she got used to the weight, a counter balance inside the leg prevented the hobbling motion that she had with the peg leg.

"The guards here wear pants so the color will not be a problem, now I know you like you family heirloom but you cant take that with you," This caused Bon Bon to show a face of disappointment, "BUT I added THIS!" with the flick of a switch and pivot of a lever, three breeches popped out of the leg in a triangle shape.

"You added a shotgun," Looking at Lyra, "into my leg."

"Yes!" Lyra said with a proud tone, placing her fore hooves onto her hips. Then with a sudden movement Bon Bon tackled Lyra and stood over her.

"Oh how I love you!" Bon Bon said with a seductive grin.

Elsewhere in the house Tatau and Ritz enjoyed the pleasant feast they were having while preparing for their roles in the mission.

--Later--

Canvas, Hilt and Bon Bon threw on the Olive Drab uniforms and black masks covering all but a large hole for their eyes, the three ponies grabbing a standard issue rifle and one hidden weapon, Bon Bon loading the three shells into her new leg, Canvas a small vial of a special mixture of paint on his belt, and hilt a small blade sheathed on his shoulder attached to his vest.

The Disguised Tatau and Ritz stood in their dress and suit in front of the trio as the Boat arrived,

"You think this will work chief?" Ritz said in his male voice.

"Not with that voice!" Tatau said in character with a grin.

"Har Har Har." Ritz said in the correct voice.

The boat reached the dock and a single stallion stepped onto the dock.

"Greetings sir, madame," Bowing his head to each, "will your guards be accompanying us today?"

"I feel only the most trusted should have the honor of guarding me and my lovely wife!" Tatau said in a smug, elitish tone attempting to insult the boat pony. Who though offended accepted the answer as the usual.

"As always say sir, right this way." he said guiding the group onto the boat the guard pulling Bon Bon aside,

"What hay happened out there?" he said pointing to the destroyed mansion lawn.

"Jet Set thought it would be a good idea to 'fit in'." she said using her hoof to quote.

"Idiot.." the guard said.

"Hey, they pay me to protect the guy, not say hes a genius!" she said walking back to the group causing the guard to grin and nod in agreement.

"Idiot." Bon Bon thought to herself.

Let the End Begin

Blueblood sat in his private car the dirt road causing it to bounce, in his hooves was the small chest containing the alicorn amulet, after months of searching and tearing apart the Everfree Forest his prize glowed a dark crimson, he could feel the power coursing through him even though it was sitting in the box. he looked outside to see the sun high in the sky,

"The suns a bit bright today, no?" Blueblood's adviser said looking out the window as well.

"Agreed, I thought we told Flim to tell the princess to keep it darker as to hide the troop movements."

"We did sir, maybe he is having a change of heart after Flams demise?" The adviser said trying to give a reason.

"He would never DARE cross me, SUPREME COMMANDER BLUEBLOOD!" He said holding the tiny chest up, "and with this, nopony, not even Celestia herself could stop me!"

"S-s-sir? I thought the amulet had negative side effects, you sure it's a good idea to use it without proper research from our scientists?"

"Nonsense!" he said blowing off the advisers comment and placing the amulet around his neck, feeling the power coursing through his veins he then charged his horn up, the adviser panicked at the realization that she was the target, a red glow formed around his horn, "I found the perfect test subject right here!" he then shot the beam at the mare but before it could make contact the car violently flipped over, Blueblood gathered his bearings and looked up to see the rest of his convoy burned smoldering ash, the truck nothing but frames, and through the fire he saw the sight he never expected he would see, Celestia, her wings flared, a expression of pure rage and eyes with a greenish haze.

"A-a-a-auntie?" Blueblood said in fear at the sight of the Alicorn,

"ADDRESS ME AS YOUR QUEEN!" Queen Celestia barked using the royal Canterlot voice

"H-How!?" Blueblood fearfully asked.

"Find out about your little plan?" She let out a smirk, and in her normal voice she stated "I knew from the beginning, I just waited until you had what i wanted." Her voice then turned cold and her eyes shot to the amulet, "Hand it over."

"Never!" He said jumping onto four hooves, charging his horn he shot an empowered beam at Celestia, The Queen stood her ground until the very last second and with a blur of light she moved out of the way, Blueblood saw this and made a whiplash with the beam the power causing the trees on the roadside to explode into a flurry of splinters, the frames of the trucks were sliced in half, yet the princess evaded it with ease then with a charge of her own horn a sickly green and black aura covered her eyes and horn and four crystals shot out of the ground stabbing Blueblood in the legs and holding him up so he was face to face with Celestia, using the crystals she forced him to remove the amulet and hand it to her. Then placing it around her neck, suddenly the sun changed to a blood red.

"Dark magic, but you outlawed its practice!" Blueblood said coughing up blood,

"I am a GOD, I AM ABOVE EVEN MY OWN DECREES!" she said the once kind princess all but a memory in Bluebloods head.

"What happened to you auntie?" tears welling up in his eyes.

"THE WAR HAPPENED!"

The now the wounded prince tried to talk some sense into his aunt,

"Please, Auntie, d-don't do this, you're under some sort of spell, something, THIS ISN'T YOU!"

"THIS IS THE FUTURE, THIS IS MY WORLD, AND I WILL HAVE PEACE, I WILL HAVE ORDER, AND THE WORLD WILL FALL IN LINE OR I WILL DESTROY THEM!" The eyes glowed a sold color as a green and red flame licked from them, an aura of power could be seen radiating from her. Then she leaned closer to Blueblood,
"Tell me where my sister so I can end this war once and for all.."

Blueblood realized he was at deaths door, his life flashing before his eyes, realizing he had done nothing but wrong in his life he figured he would at least do ONE thing right.

"Buck...OFF!" he said snorting and spitting right in the corrupted Celestia's face.

"IF YOU DON'T WISH TO TELL ME I WILL FIND OUT WITH FORCE!" She screamed flaring her horn she shot a beam at Bluebloods forehead, digging through his thoughts she found the information she was looking for she cut the connection, a look of horror was plastered on the now dead Blueblood.

"It's a shame you didn't see things my way.." She said as she teleported away from the carnage and into the bunker, a crater stood on the ground right beside the large map, a bloodstained bowtie lied on the ground.

"E." She said looking at the map.

"Yes Ma'am?" The pony said fearfully as Celestia jabbed a spear right into the middle of the water.

"Send the Warbirds here, no survivors.."

"Ma'am?"

"DID I STUTTER!? NOW GO!" She screamed at the general causing him to scramble to the comms. room and relay the orders to the army. Celestia walked through the bunker looking at the various ponies at their stations, she could feel the fear, she loved its smell, its taste. She knew it was only a matter of time before ponies felt a change of heart, when they would stand up against her, but she had anticipated this, walking into a extremly spacious warehouse holding hundreds of upgraded copperheads, Warbirds, and guardian tanks, each with extra weapons and large gyroscopic rings instead of places for pilots, with a flare of her now amulet empowered horn she shot a prism on the roof of the room causing it to strike every unmanned war machine, the Gyroscopic rings spun alive with a crimson aura in the center, screeching to life the machines roared an unnatural scream. With a nod, the unmanned machines made their way out of the exit.

"Now we let the end begin.."

Hitting the Fan

Bon Bon and the two brothers sat on the deck of the ship as it sailed into the opening of the sea base, Bon Bon caught a glimpse of multiple battleships, bristling with cannons and rams sailing to the west.

"Wonder where they're headed," Bon Bon said aloud, the captain overhearing her.

"They're arming up at the naval yard a few miles west of here."

"Something big going down?"

"Big is an understatement!" The captain said laughing, Canvas and Hilt gave Bon Bon a look to silently say we need to make peace fast, Bon Bon nodding in agreement as the boat reached the dock they disembarked with the still disguised Tatau and Ritz.

"Have a fun boat ride?" Ritz said with a grin.

"Shut up." Everypony said,

"That's no way to talk to your boss!" Ritz said enjoying the moment of being the boss, when Tatau leaned in

"Honey,"

"Yes dearie?"

"Shut up."

"You're no fun!" Ritz said pouting as the group made it to the elevator with the press of a button the elevator shot down to the lowest floor, then the door shot open and right in front of them was the princess of the night.

"Aha! guests so good to see you!" Luna said in a cheerful tone.

"Ma'am." The two changelings said bowing to the princess.

"Changelings with respect, most intriguing!" Causing Tatau and Ritz to jump up in shock and change out of their disguises Ritz speaking up.

"W-what! How!?"

"In all my years even before the war, Jet Set and Upper Crust never bowed to me, that and your eyes were the wrong color." Everypony stared at Ritz in a disappointing manor.

"What!? Who makes eye contact these days?" He reasoned, Bon Bon taking off her mask and throwing it on the floor approached the princess.

"Princess, we need your help."

"I know."

"How?" Bon Bon asked confused.

"Your friend," pointing to Ritz, "was napping on the boat on when the boat made it past the barrier, as the protector of dreams I like to hear the news of the outside world from the ponies who travel these crafts, it is much more reliable than that treacherous Blueblood!"

"You knew?"

"Of course, that's why he never visits me personally sending envoys."

"So why didn't you do something?"

"Because the second I leave this base my location is revealed!"

"If Blueblood gets that amulet, it wont matter if Celestia finds you!"

"Amulet?"

"The Alicorn Amulet! If he gets that amulet, you can kiss your nation goodbye!"
Luna sat in her chair prodding her chin with her hoof.

"Very well, have you talked with my sister about this?"

"That's the problem, as far as the Celestia knows we're all extremists."

"I see, then we must have haste, come with me!" Luna said getting up and trotting towards the elevator, as the group entered, she pressed the top button as the elevator climbed up the radio in the elevator played a record from Bon Bon's youth,

"Don't you have anything, you know, NOT OLD? you know, DJ-PON3, Neon Lights?" Ritz said visibly irritated by the song choice.

"Excuse me, I was a teen when this came out!" Bon Bon said offended

"Wow, what are you fifty?"

"Fourty-seven..." She said scowling at the changeling

"Man Lyra likes em' aged." Ritz said snickering before Bon Bon could lay a right hook into his jaw Tatau stopped her and nudging his head towards Luna,

"Do not worry, I have seen Drops at the gala when one of our guests said Lyra's tune was off." the still masked Canvas leaned over to Bon Bon

"That was you?" He asked in disbelief

"Nopony talks about my Heartstrings like that."

"Note taken." he said, the elevator reached the door and it shot open to the sight of a crimson red moon.

"Oh no." Luna said her eyes fell to a look of sorrow,

"Whats going on!?" Bon Bon asked,

"She holds the amulet." Luna Flatly said.

"So whats the deal?"

"The amulet carries such power that it can even corrupt the mind of a being as powerful as an alicorn, it was meant to be used only if the elements of harmony failed. Something must have happened to drive her to such desperation to use such evil means." Luna said using her enhanced perception she felt the presence of hundreds of flying crafts some with pilots others with strong magic fields.

"We have company.." She said as the the War-birds came out of the clouds and into sight, some of the war-birds were upgraded with two large pivoting engines on the ends of the wings, under the wings were a large assortment of machine guns and missile pods, and a large cabin for holding troops.

"Luna, We have to go." Hilt shouted from the elevator,

"Not until everypony is evacuated!" Luna stated

"If you die, we lose EVERYTHING!" Bon Bon exclaimed

"Then I shall not die!" She said and with a flare of her horn various panels folded down and away from the walls and roof of the sea base and large turrets and flak sites rose up from the gaps, over the intercom orders were stated by a feminine automated recording on loop

[CODE BLACK: EVACUATE, ALL NON-DEFENSIVE FORCES ABANDON SHIP, FALL BACK TO COORIDINATES STATED IN SECTION 7-1-o23]

Bon Bon opened up a crate that was against the wall inside was a strange looking box with four tubes and a pointer attached to it, the directions stated,
1.POINT AT ENEMY 2. PAINT ENEMY WITH POINTER 3. DO NOT STAND BEHIND LAUNCHER!
picking up the launcher she slowly trotted over to Luna who was focused on the wave of attackers coming in.

"So how long does it take to evacuate the base?"

"Twenty minutes."

"and how long can you hold up all these defenses by yourself?"

"Fifteen."

"Nothings ever simple is it?" Bon Bon said visibly frustrated.

"You of all people should know things are never that easy!" Luna said with a smirk.

"Story of my life."

Small life boats shot out of the Base and headed towards the direction the fleet of battleships were heading as the War-Birds focused on the large base every pony prepared for the onslaught ahead. Ritz looked at the aircraft and looked down to realize he was still in the dress.

"Can I take this Damn thing off yet?"

The Wonderbolts

The War-birds opened fire on the floating fortress, Luna charged her horn with more power, the multi-barreled Turrets protecting the base aimed at the incoming hostiles and returned fire sending a flurry of rounds and shells towards the aircraft, some of the rounds struck the missiles preventing them from reaching the ship.

"This base was never intended to be found, the ammo on these weapons will not last!" Luna said as the small crafts evacuated the base with a feminine intercom voice

[BASE EVACUATION:50%]

"That was quick!" Bon Bon said, sitting on her Flank she readied the large four barreled box, using the sight she painted over an pilot-less War-Bird, she smacked the large red button on the side and a missile shot out of the tube and started to fall until the boosters kicked in and sent it flying into the air on a collision course with the craft, the vehicle exploded into a ball of flame as it sunk into the ocean.

"Aim for the Red lights on those things!"

"Got it!" Everypony shouted as they aimed their weapons at the strafing craft, then a streak of the colors of the rainbow, and three clouds of smoke zipped over the base throwing canisters at the turrets causing them to explode.

"Shit! Wonderbolts!" Ritz said still in the dress Backfire put him in wildly firing into the air hoping to hit something.

"They destroyed the defenses! Its only a matter of time till they have the base locked down, we have to leave NOW!" Hilt said throwing off his mask so he could use his magic to slice a blade off of one War-bird sending it colliding into another,

"Hilt?" Luna said in confusion.

"Yes, but we don't have time to talk we have to leave!" he said reasoning to the princess, at first she refused but after seeing the transport war-birds swarmed over the base caved in and ran into the elevator, Hilt, Canvas, Ritz, and Tatau followed behind.

"BON BON COME ON!" Ritz screamed in Lyra's voice knowing it would get her attention, Bon Bon snapped to the source of the sound, noticing everypony was in the elevator but her, right above the group was a Transport War-bird, its hatch opening to multiple EDI ponies readying their weapons to fire at the group.

"WATCH OUT!!" She said warned propping up one more time and firing the three remaining rockets with three rapid presses, the missiles shot and struck the Transport War-bird in the engine causing it to spin wildly with only one engine to support it, various ponies leapt out of the back hatch the Pegasi soldiers catching the earth ponies. The now ponyless War-bird fell towards the deck right towards her,

"OH BUCK!" She threw the weapon on the floor and ran the opposite direction of the elevator to avoid the wreckage crushing her, galloping faster than she ever had in her entire life she reached the end of the deck and jumped preparing to dive into the ocean, before she could a large muscular pony in a Wonderbolt uniform with small wings crashed into her, she could her the crack of one of her ribs by the sudden change of direction in such little time.

"Gah BUCK!" She blurted as the Pegasus crashed through a window of the fort using Bon Bon to soften the blow to him, then throwing Bon Bon across the mess hall she slid off of a table and hit the wall.

"That was for Soarin'." The large pony said in a deep enraged voice, a second smaller framed mare flew in, another Wonderbolt who grabbed the radio attached to her shoulder, "This is Cloudchaser, we have found Drops," looking up at the mare who was now standing on her four legs again with a sinister grin, "in critical condition."

"This is Captian Dash, I want her alive!" The element of loyalty said, her words bitter and sharp.

"You heard the lady, alive, but that doesn't mean you have to be awake!" Snowflake said cracking his hooves. Bon Bon collected herself and looked up at the duo, spitting blood on the floor,

"Nice legs, Compensate much?" She said pointing at his wings, Snowflake reared up in rage and charged at the mare, Bon Bon jumping out of the way then Cloudchaser shot up and caught her in midair and spun her around and threw her into the kitchen of the mess hall and into a rack of pots and pans.

"Shit, you're getting old bonnie." Bon Bon said catching her breath trying to get up a shot of pain came from her chest, "AH BUCK! Yep it's broke!" clenching her ribs with her hoof

"You give up yet?" The Wonderbolts said at the same time in a cocky tone,

"Why don't you come in here and find out Blunderbolts?" She said egging on the pair.

The door swung open and the two Wonderbolts searched the kitchen for Bon Bon the pile of pans was spread around the floor, Snowflake kicked them out of the way,

"WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"Right behind you!" Bon Bon shouted, the large pony turned around to the sight of a pan knocking him out cold,

"That was for throwing me through a window you bastard." Bon Bon painfully said, the simple swing drained most of her energy.

"SNOWFLAKE!" Cloudchaser screamed pulling out a small survival knife with a scowl she snarled "Bring it!"

"Buck that! I have a pan!" Bon Bon refused the challenge, instead throwing the pan at the mare clocking her in the head with the frying pan, the mare slumping to the floor.

"Why the hay are these things so darn effective?" Bon Bon asked herself as she stumbled out of the kitchen and back into the dining area to the sight of Rainbow Dash in an armored up Wonderbolts uniform and what looked to be a small magic powered engine to boost her speed even faster, on each hoof a small machine-pistol with a top fed magazine pointed right at Bon Bon, seconds later the room flooded with EDI Soldiers all of them trained their weapons on Bon Bon

"You are under arrest for Treason and the murder of Soarin'"

"Buck me." Bon Bon muttered as the soldiers slapped a pair of cuffs on her and dragged her back up to the deck using the stairs, once they reached the deck one of the Dual engine War-Birds landed and opened its back hatch the ponies inside dismounted as Bon Bon was thrown in, the guards who carried her resumed their sweep of the base as Rainbow Dash picked her up by the scruff of the neck and threw her into a seat, getting face to face with Bon Bon she demanded answers

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"DONT PLAY WITH ME!" she screamed as she slapped Bon Bon, "WHY DID YOU KILL HIM!?"

"I DIDN'T!"

"LIAR!" She slapped her again

"YOU CAN HIT ME ALL YOU WANT BUT IT WON'T CHANGE A BUCKING THING!" Bon Bon spat back looking Dash straight in the eyes,

"You will pay for what you did.." Rainbow Dash said, composing herself as the remaining Wonderbolts helped their now conscious teammates onto the bird, Bon Bon looked around the Bird the inside was spacious but in her condition she wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight, she remembered the three shells in her false leg, but had decided that killing anypony else would only make her situation worse.

"High Commander McTalk, This is Captain Dash, we have the HVT captured, we are en route to to your position, out." she cut the radio and she trotted over to Bon Bon getting in her face,

"You ready to go home for the last time traitor?"

"Listen things are not as they seem Dash."

"Things look pretty clear to me! I see one Traitor who killed MY FRIEND, and don't think I'm going to defect at your whim, I am the element of loyalty for a reason!"

"Loyalty blinds you." This answer caught Dash off guard causing her to storm to the front of the aircraft.

"Get us out of here."

"Yes Ma'am course set, Fillydephia."

Freedom Falling

The aircraft was silent for most of the trip, the woods around Fillydelpia could be seen in the predawn mist, from the open hatch of the craft. the occasional cough came from the two Wonderbolts Bon Bon had faced, everypony glared at Bon Bon with hate as she looked around scanning each pony with her eye. The Wonderbolts were attaching armor and backs similar to Dashes, Bon Bon getting a closer look at the technology, it appeared to be very small wings that enabled short range gliding and flaps for sharper than usual turns.

"Looks like the Wonderbolts got an upgrade." Bon Bon said noting the flight packs.

"Shut the buck up." Thunderlane said bitterly

"That's no way to treat a prisoner!" Bon Bon said acting offended.

"The only thing you are is a dead mare!" He snapped as Bon Bon but a hoof on her leg for a pulse.

"My pulse says otherwise." She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Not for long.."

"So Dash, the Wonderbolts!" flailing her chained hooves in the air, "is it all it was cracked up to be?" Bon Bon looked at the seated dash with a grin.

"Yea it is! We are the best fliers in the world!" her pride showing, Bon Bon decided to switch the topic.

"So 'Loyalty'?"

"Yea something you wouldn't know about!" Dash snapped

"So how many did you kill for your country?" Bon Bon asked, Dash pressed a button deploying her wings and walking to Bon Bon who was near the back of the craft, various tick marks were covering the wings.

"I've killed enough." Dash said with a scowl as Bon Bon scanned the wing counting the marks.

"How does it feel?"

"I was..scared, at first, but it's what I have to do."

"Have to, or told to?"

"Whats your point?"

"Nothing." Bon Bon stated without any care for the subject.

"No. What's it to you?" Dash got closer to Bon Bon, who came closer to dashes ear to whisper,

"So I had time to do this." Dashes eyes shot open as Bon Bon broke out of the now unlocked cuffs and delivering an uppercut into her jaw knocking her unconscious, then using her as a shield she slipped on Dashes two machine pistols and bounced to the parachutes putting it on all while pointing her fake leg at the other Wonderbolts.

"NOPONY MOVE!"

"What are you gonna do? Kick us?" Thunderlane said retaining his cocky grin,

"No, but I will do this!" using dashes hoof she flicked a switch on her hidden prosthetic shooting a shell from her leg, the round hit the control panel of the aircraft causing it
to nose dive. the two unicorn pilots bailed out to avoid the flames,

"Three Wonderbolts, Three ponies who need saved!" she said as she threw herself and Rainbow Dash out of the back hatch and into freefall, as she fell she kicked the unconscious Dash the opposite direction of he descent, The three Wonderbolts shot out of the crashing bird as Snowflake and Cloudchasers cloud zipped for the pilots while Thunderlane went for his Captian.

"That should give me some time." Bon Bon said to herself with a grin as she reached the minimum altitude and pulled the ripcord to release the chute descending into the woods she landed into a tree getting tangled in the branches dangling in front of a small unicorn filly,

"Hey." Bon Bon said waving to the small pony.

"Hi miss!" The filly said with amazement,

"What are you doing in the forest at a time like this?" Bon Bon said still dangling from the tree.

"My parents were in the resistance," the filly frowned "but something happened, these men came and pa told me to run so I did," she broke into tears, "and when I came back they were gone.."

"I'm sorry," Bon Bon tried to comfort the small filly, "If you help me down and lay low, I'll help look for your parents." the filly frowned a little but changed the subject.

"Let's worry about right now, help me up."

Bon Bon then gave the filly a boost up to the branch and without words the filly pulled out a small switchblade and cut the strings of the parachute causing Bon Bon to fall to the ground, the short fall would not have phased Bonnie, had she not broken a rib the day before as she fell face first into the ground and laid on the ground in exhaustion as the simplest tasks became efforts due to her fatigue.

"You okay miss?" She asked, sliding down the tree and running to Bon Bon.

"Yea, just old," She said with a chuckle as not to worry the filly, "So whats your name?"

"My name is Aniseed!"

"Sweetie Drops, but you can Call me Bon Bon." she extended her hoof to shake as the filly returned the gesture,

"We should get moving," Aniseed said helping Bon Bon onto her hooves "its only a matter of time before they sweep the area." leading Bon Bon into a cave in the woods, using her magic she covered the entrance with some leaves and sticks. walking over to a small lamp the pair sat down.

"How long have you been out here?" Bon Bon asked

"Four months, Mom and Pa taught me how to stay hidden and survive if anything were to...happen." Aniseed let out a small sigh

"How long ago did it happen?"

"Five months.." Bon Bon's heart ached just imagining the fillies sorrow,

"So you're telling me you have been in the woods for FOUR MONTHS alone?"

"Pa taught me what to and what not to eat, and where I can hide from the patrols, he wanted to make sure I was safe, that's all he ever wanted." Aniseed started to cry Bon Bon using her hoof brought the filly into a hug which the she returned back.

"It's so lonely here." She weeped into Bon Bon's tattered uniform to muffle the cries.

"Shh, don't worry I'm here." she said comforting the filly looking at her cutie mark where four Aniseed Candies, Bon Bon had an idea in her head.

"So how'd you get your cutie mark?" She asked changing the subject to better times, as the morning sun rose, Aniseed told the story on how she applied for an apprenticeship and wowed the owner with her vast knowledge of candies and other confectioneries, Then Bon Bon lifted the Pant-leg of her uniform showing her three wrapped candies and telling her own story. With the mood lightened the pair fell asleep in the cave, Bon Bon in a slouched position and Aniseed snuggled close, after four months she was no longer alone..

What Needed to Be Done

At the Lunar fleet the situation was chaotic, civilian craft were sailing towards the fleet, and various Peacemakers were zipping to the carrier and letting wounded off to head back into the fray, Luna walked into the bridge of the ship

"What is going on here!?" She demanded from the Captian

"Ma'am, Thank goodness you made it, Celestia and her mechanical army are personally assaulting the town in the badlands, we tried to send some forces but we've been tending to the wounded!"

"I understand, is a beach landing possible?"

"Yes Ma'am, we have landing craft below deck."

"We have to defend that city, send as many as you can!"

"Aye!" The Captain picked up the radio and gave the green light, the ponies in the carrier loaded up into the boats and rode full throttle towards the flashes in the sky.

Tatau and Ritz jumped into the last craft in their unchanged form startling the young troops, Ritz throwing the dress he was wearing the entire time in the water and snatching up a spare helmet he placed it on his head,
"Lets Go!" He snapped impatiently to the driver of the landing craft as the engine putted out of the opening in the carrier and regrouped with the other crafts. At the sight of a red flare the craft stormed the waters towards the mansion various War-birds zipping over the crafts trying to pick off the soldiers before they landed.

"Whoa, Celestia be pissed!" Ritz said to Tatau

"Shes gone mad with power, she will burn every town to the ground until she finds Luna."

"You think it has to do something with that amulet?"

"I know it does, I fear it maybe too late to save her."

"So what do we do?"

"We do what we have to, so you with me?" Tatau said extending his hoof,

"Till the end brother." Ritz said as they brohoofed.

"Sifty is gonna be pissed." Ritz added

The crafts landed and the doors dropped, the ponies charged out onto the beach in front of the mansion, gunfire could be seen from the windows of the mansion.

"Looks like the patriots are holding the mansion." Tatau observed the surroundings noticing the armored up Lyra who was destroying the magic powered copperheads.

"I just thought this, what are we going to tell Lyra?"

"The truth, now lets go!" Tatau said charging through the backyard of the mansion to the makeshift cover beside Lyra,

"Nice of you to show up!" Lyra said teasingly, "So guessing from the backup Luna's on our side?"

"That is correct, they are tending to the wounded at the fleet, so whats the situation?"

"Well, we're swarmed from all angles by these freaky mechanical freaks, kill one another takes its place!"

"Where's Celestia?"

"She's being stalled by the big guns, her shields are taking all the damage we are running low on ammo though."

"I have an idea, how do you say, wish me luck?"

"Good luck!" Lyra said with a mock salute as Tatau ran into the mansion, as he ran up the stairs the walls shook by the explosions going on outside, the Griffon tanks could be heard making various beeping noises as the defenses activated, making his way to the Library he opened up a large case and pieced together an oversized anti-tank Rifle then Tatau grabbed a single bullet with an explosive charge at the end and made his way to the east wing of the mansion to a vantage point, propping the rifle on the window sill the crosshairs slowly focused in directly on Celestia Tatau observed the surroundings as the rifles magic and mechanisms torqued the bullet into the firing position noticing Sifty trying to talk some sense into the Insane Queen.

"CELESTIA, WHAT THE HAY THIS ISN'T YOU!" Sifty shouted at the top of his lungs catching her attention,

"Sifty, This is what I NEED TO BE, you of all ponies should understand!"

"Why? Why are you doing this!?" He said stepping over the barrier, though in the line of fire the machines avoided firing at Sifty.

"FOR PEACE!"

"This isn't PEACE!"

"THE BLOOD OF THE EVIL WILL WASH AWAY THE WAR AND BRING AN ERA OF PEACE!" Celestia screamed the shield flickered as she lost focus,

"That's not the Celestia I KNOW, what happened to the caring princess that I knew!" Sifty pleaded as Celestia prepared to charge her beam it seemed as every move was being resisted but the corruption was winning the battle for control as her horn flared a demonic red and green flame, her head reared back to charge and the shield dropped, as it did a small red dot appeared on her chest.

Tatau could barely hear Sifty's words over the chaos, but he could tell by the emotions in the air he was trying to reason with the queen. The aroma the queen gave off was nothing but hate as she yelled back at the stallion, Tatau then noticed Sifty jump over the barrier and stand defiantly in the carnage yet he was not mowed down, then he noticed a new smell coming from the Solar Goddess, one of love, like a mother, years of service could a maternal care have arisen in what Tatau thought was usually an emotionless godess?
Sifty stood tall in the fray as he and the princess exchanged shouts until the princess charged her horn, then the air filled with the scent that overcame Tatau, she was FIGHTING herself, but the darkness overcame the emotions the princess had used for power, rearing her head back to charge the shield dropped and Tatau took aim, instead of the head like he had originally planned, he aimed for the small amulet on her chest and pulled the trigger as the bullet hit the amulet her beam shot towards the east wing of the Mansion,

"Ku'uipo, I am coming." Tatau closed his eyes and smiled

Patriots Disbanded

Lyra fended off the onslaught of war-machines, the lunar soldiers caused them to flinch but continued advancing, while Lyra's cannon created an explosion of shrapnel and parts turning the once beautiful garden into craters and smoke. Ritz tasting various emotions in the air but putting them off for the time being,

"These things wont let up!" Lyra said reloading the huge cannon, a shell bouncing off the floor with a loud metallic ping.

"Where's Tatau!?" Ritz asked as he handed another shell to Lyra and helped load the weapon, with the cannon reloaded Lyra began to push back the machines one at a time,

"He's in the mansion, something about having a plan," Lyra looked around frantically, "where's Bonnie?" Ritz could hear the worry in her voice.

"She.."

"Ritz, Where is she?"

"We don't know, listen, I'll tell you everything that happened AFTER this is over, I swear." Ritz reasoned with Lyra who hesitantly accepted the deal and returned to the barrier to fend off the machines as Ritz ran into the mansion, in the lobby he saw the hole where Backfire drove the tank through, the tank now sat right outside the hole to cover the breach firing at a shield pulled up by the princess, running to the west wing of the mansion he ran into the study to see SP, Lightning, and Backfire posted on the windows with mounted machine guns firing at the advancing possessed guardian tanks,

"Where is Tatau!?" Ritz yelled over the gunfire,

"What?" Backfire said pointing at her ear,

"WHERE IS TATAU!?" Ritz repeated,

"I don't know, we didn't know you guys got back, wheres Canvas, Hilt, and Bonnie?"

"Canvas and Hilt are with Luna, she's safe."

"and Bon Bon?" Backfire asked Ritz remained silent looking down at his hooves,

"Later, now I have to find Tatau!" as he bolted out of the study he made it to the kitchen peeking outside he saw Sifty jumping over the cover and into the line of fire,

"Dumbass," He muttered as he ran to the library to grab the only weapon he would think could bring down Celestia and noticed the case was open and the weapon inside was taken, as he ran the layout of the mansion through his head he knew the one vantage point that Tatau would use, the east wing. as he made it to the lobby of the mansion a loud shot came from behind the door and a second later Ritz was sent flying into the west wall of the lobby, in a dazed state he opened his eyes to see the entire east wing was missing, the only thing remaining was the charred foundations, he tried to reach out to Tatau telepathically, no response.

"TATAU!" Ritz screamed, still dizzy from the blast,
"TATAU!" he began to panic running into the charred remains of the east wing he began throwing the rubble around looking for Tatau, for the first time in his entire life, Ritz shed tears for his fallen brother, looking up he saw the War-Machines fall to the ground, Ritz thinking the blast might have been the culprit he then saw Celestia dazed but alive, standing up and throwing the destroyed amulet on the ground, as she did the sun turned to its original color, though slightly darker, then the now weakened goddess teleported away from the battle leaving Sifty standing alone in the destroyed front yard.

--eight hours later--

In the town Lyra and Ritz sat at the local bar, they were supposed to be briefed by Luna on the next phase of the attack, but they did not care, for the second time, Bon Bon was gone, and for Ritz he had lost the one person who gave him a reason to stick around, the pair grabbed the largest bottle from over the counter and threw some bits at the bartender and began to drink their sorrows away,

"So what now?" Ritz asked, taking a shot of the beverage,

"I dunno Ritz, who's left?"

"You, me, Paz and Mir, that griffon messenger, and a tank." Ritz said tallying up in his head the heavy losses the patriots faced. Ritz started to speak up about a rebuilding process but Lyra stopped him,

"The Patriots are gone, got a letter from Armor right after we briefed him on the situation, as far as he's concerned the Patriots was a failure and are to disband and 'never happened'." Lyra said unfolding the letter and giving it to Ritz,

"What are we going to do?" Ritz said,

"I'm finding Bonnie's parents, I couldn't save her, but I can at least save them.." She took another drink, "So you gonna stay with the group?"

"Tatau was the only reason I stayed, as far as we're concerned this isn't our war anymore, we did our part now we let the heroic Sifty take over." he said with disgust,

"So wanna go to Fillydelphia and kill everything that tries to stop us?" Lyra gave Ritz a drunk grin and bro-hoofed making their way outside they entered Ritz's truck and drove into New Paradiso, Paz and Mir laid a wreath for the fallen patriots and saluted the crosses laid out, noticing Lyra and Ritz paying their respect they approached,

"You heard the news?" Paz asked, wiping a tear away with her talon,

"Yea, I didn't know they'd screw us all over like that, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, we can find a new homeland.."

"So where to now?" Mir asked,

"what do you mean?" Lyra asked confused.

"As far as I'm concerned, we're the only thing we've got so we stick together."

"As 'Patriots'?" Lyra inquired, Ritz speaking up,

"No, as family."

"So where's the peace-maker?"

"Lunar Coalition 'confiscated' it for R&D." Mir said in a disgusted tone.

"So how are we gonna reach the mainland?"

"Well," Ritz spoke up, "We can 'confiscate' something back."

"Let's do it."

Five Months Later

As the season of winter began, Bon Bon entered the cave, her lunar uniform tattered and her mane unkempt to the state where her signature curl was no more, instead she wore a brown trapper's hat to keep her ears warm from the chilling wind, as she entered the cave Aniseed woke from her sleep and sneezed,

"Hey Bon Bon! Find anything useful?" Aniseed asked curiously wiping her nose as Bon Bon reached into her pilfered EDI saddlebag,

"Just the usual rations from the patrols," then digging deeper into the bag she pulled out a bag of medicine, "and I figured I'd dig around in town and see what I could get." giving the giving it to Aniseed who scowled at first but took the foul tasting medicine. Aniseed propped up on from her makeshift bed, Bon Bon put her hoof on Aniseed's forehead to check the temperature,
"Slightly warm, but better than a few weeks ago, the forest isn't the best place to be in the winter!" She said happy that Aniseed was feeling better, she handed her a ration and the filly began to chomp down on the bread

"So have you seen your parents yet?" Aniseed asked with her mouth stuffed with the ration,

"One. Don't eat with your mouth full, and no, they have my family on watch since my escape, the minute I step near them I'm a goner."

"So how long do you think the war will last?"

"I dunno Anni, Hopefully it will end soon, I'm running out of things to teach!" Bon Bon said rustling the mane of the filly.

"Ugh, but math is SO BORING!"

"Yeah, but one day this war will be over and you need math even with this war you use math everyday!"

"Nuh uh." Aniseed shook her head,

"Oh so, you don't use math when you make candy?"

"Well that's different!"

"Is it?" Bon Bon asked as Aniseed rolled her eyes.

"Fine, math is important!" she said in defeat

"You'll thank me later."

"If you say so.."

"I know s-" she was cut short by the sound of rotor-blades flying over the cave echoing throughout, as she peered outside she saw the War-birds fly into the city limits,

"See anymore of those magic powered ones?" Aniseed whispered

"Not as frequent, they need to recharge every few weeks and it takes too much energy to fully charge, so I think they only use them for emergencies now."

"As long as they don't go on another hunt for us that's fine by me!" Aniseed said remembering the day they were almost found.

"That makes two of us!" she breathed a sigh of relief, "Though we still need to be careful, If the radio chatter is correct, the Wonderbolts and some mercenaries are going to be searching the woods for us again.

"What did you do to make them so determined?" Aniseed asked why tilting her head.

"They think I killed one of their own, Soarin'."

"Why not tell them you didn't!" she stated,

"It's not that simple, I've tried to but they're too blind to listen to reason."

"Well I believe you!" Aniseed said with a toothy grin,

"That's all that matters." giving the filly a hug, the moment was cut off when a buzzing sound of multiple motors zipped over in the distance, then a large explosion was heard and could be heard from inside the city, flicking on the radio Bon Bon heard nothing but static.

"What's going on!?" Aniseed asked Bon Bon replied with a shush noise and rotated the dial a few clicks,

"This is Shadow-1, "Full Effect! making a second pass!" the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance followed by loud explosions of flak cannons. after a few minutes of explosions the radio cracked back to life

"THIS IS SHADOW-1, I AM GOING DOWN, MAYDAY MAYDAY, I'M GOING TO TRY AND LAND TH-" static echoed through the cave, Bon Bon snatched up the old lever-action rifle Rifle she found in a raided convoy of confiscated weapons,

"Aniseed, I'm going to go investigate, you know the drill."

"Yes Ma'am," She said giving a salute and grabbed a small remote with a button, then she ran over to Bon Bon and gave her a goodbye hug, "Be careful."

"I'll do my best, see you soon kid." Bon Bon then lifted the cover from the entrance and stepped out into the cold gust, looking into the sky she saw a trail of smoke going off into the distance, the wreckage would be swarmed by EDI soldiers soon, so Bon Bon made haste to the wreckage.

After a few hours of travel she made it to the wreckage the small aircraft was torn into two pieces by a tree the tail was stuck in a tree, and the cockpit of the small bomber was buried under a pile of snow, walking over to the cockpit brushed away the snow and saw an unconscious pilot in Shadowbolt attire wearing an oxygen mask and helmet, opening the cockpit she shook the pilot, who awoke and seeing Bon Bon tried to reach for her sidearm, but before she could Bon Bon had her rifle pointed at her,

"You best think long and hard on your next option.." She stated in a cold and merciless voice,

"Alright I give EDI scum." The Shadowbolt said putting her hooves in the air

"I'm not EDI, the names Drops." She said offering a hoof to the pilot who accepted.

"Drops!?" She said in surprise. "We thought you were dead!"

"Well you thought wrong, now we can talk about the current situation later, but for now, we gotta get out of here."

"Agreed, lets get out of here." as the duo took the long trip back to the cave night had fallen, the Shadowbolt was about to enter the cave first but Bon Bon stopped her,
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why's that?" The Shadowbolt asked as Bon Bon shouted into the cave

"Anni, I brought some candy." she said using a cryptic code.

"and what kind of candy is that?" a small voice replied,

"Peppermint, the best kind." various clicks were heard from inside the cave as the all clear was given, the two ponies walked into the cave, the Shadowbolt looked up seeing two shaped charges on the roof and then three to her right.

"I see what you mean.." The Shadowbolt said as Bon Bon walked over to Aniseed,

"Alright fun times over, it's time for bed" she said to her getting a groan in response as she tucked in the filly who went to sleep a few minutes later, eventually the Shadowbolt took off her helmet and mask and set them down, her opal coat and amber mane were matted down by the helmet, Bon Bon went next to Lightning Dust and sat down,

"The names Lightning Dust, thanks for saving my flank."

"There's no Lunar forces in the area, what are you doing here?" Bon Bon said jumping to the point.

"I've been sent to block the communication in the area, after Celestia lost the amulet we've been pushing them back."

"So how long until the army arrives?" Bon Bon asked

"Currently we've taken back Ponyville but Appleoosa is taking longer than expected."

"Why Appleoosa?" Bon Bon asked

"We believe Time Turners main plant is located there if we can take that out the Guardian Tanks assembly line will be crippled, I was sent here to see if I could disrupt communications."

"So it's going to be a while I assume?"

"That's the way it seems."

"So where are the Patriots?"

"As far as we know the Patriots were dissolved in the Lunar Coalition not soon after Luna emerged from hiding."

"Do you know anything about Lyra heartstrings, Sifty, Backfire?"

"Lyra and the Changeling, Rips I think, went AWOL soon after the battle, Sifty and Backfire are running classified missions looking for the vault Celestia is hiding in."

"AWOL? Why?"

"Dunno, they just got up and left without warning stealing a cargo ship with a prototype tank, and left with the transmission of 'shove off', we are ordered to shoot on sight."

An awkward silence took over the cave as Lightning Dust looked at the sleeping filly,

"So whats with the kid?" Dust said,

"Excuse me?"

"She's a hazard, she could compromise your position." Lightning Dust said about to say something else about the mission she was cut off by Bon Bon,

"I owe her my life, and if anypony in this cave is a hazard, it's you." Bon Bon coldly stared into the eyes of the Shadowbolt.

"ME?" Dust said pointing to herself, "I scored top marks in the survivalist courses at the academy!"

"Good, then we shouldn't have a problem, but," walking over to dust whispering in her ear, "If ANYTHING happens to her, you will WISH I left you there for the EDI." she said without hesitation. Then she put on a smile, "Now, you should get some rest," handing her a blanket as Bon Bon scooted under the covers of the makeshift bed next to Aniseed who immediately closed the space between them as she had for the past months to Bon Bon's amusement. Then the two fell fast asleep, Lightning Dust was wide awake making a mental note to herself not to cross Drops.

The Hunt Begins

As night fell, a week had passed and the trio sat around the fire built inside the cave, Bon Bon had a small radio and was fiddling with the dial picking up various communications.

"One week," Bon Bon looked at Lightning Dust who was eating a can of beans, "You think that mattered on the frontline?"

"I hope so, the sooner I can stretch my wings the better!" Lightning Dust replied looking at the little filly handing her the can to finish, the filly happily snatching it up with a nod of thanks she gobbled down the rest of the beans. When the can of beans was empty she placed it in the corner next to the other cans. Bon Bon stood up and made her way to her pile of camouflage.

"So whats the food situation?" Dust asked, Bon Bon prodded her chin with her hoof,

"I need to make a run into town, there's an old sporting goods store in town, they should have some preserved food." Bon Bon put her hat over her messy mane,the tattered uniform and vest, and threw on a white poncho covering her back and her now curl-less tail, Bon Bon sighed at the sight of the grey hairs in her mane, pushing them out of sight and into her hat she threw on an empty saddlebag and loaded her fake leg with a shell and headed to the door, Lighting met her outside,

"Going into town that's kinda dangerous," Dust said concerned, "you sure we cant just get some berries and things?"

"No we take anymore we will give away our position, I'm ready to take the risk, I'll be back before sunrise." she waved goodbye to Aniseed and the two ponies went back into the hideout.

--Town:2 hours later--

As Bon Bon forced open the door of the rundown sporting goods store, she noticed a sign 'BY DECREE OF THE ROYAL QUEEN CELESTIA ALL ASSETS ARE NOW PROPERTY OF THE EDI'. She couldn't believe they were afraid of a sports store, the store looked as if it was simply abandoned one day, the shelves remained untouched, as Bon Bon made it to the outdoors/camping aisle and she spotted the preserved food she was looking for, packing her saddlebag with the food she placed as much as she could and placed the remaining food to look as if it was not touched in case somepony else needed it or she was followed, then in the distance a loud crash could be heard and flashlights shone on the roof and down the hall, Bon Bon quietly ran to the back of the store and vaulted the counter and kept low,

"I saw her, I know I did!" A male voice said,

"Me too, I can see those bits already!" another voice said,"So what are you gonna buy?"

"Let's worry about finding her first!" The first stallion said.

"Right, so you hear some big mercenaries are coming in to the area soon, I guess Dash put a bounty that caught the attention of a few notable ponies."

"You hear that one mare from Ponyville, Screwloose, used to be in the same squad as Drops before she went insane?" Bon Bon's eye widened ignoring the rest of the conversation the two were having,

"Screwloose?!" Bon Bon remembered her old squadmate, reckless and considered collateral damage a record to beat, if she was looking for her, Aniseed was just as much danger as she was, she had to get out of town. On the wall on a rack was a black crossbow that folded into a compact square that rested on a hoof-mounted rail that covered the arm Bon Bon slid on the rail sleeve and grabbed the Crossbow placing it on the rail snapping into place with a click. The noise getting the attention of the duo,

"What was that?" they said in unison, walking towards the noise

"Buck!" Bon Bon muttered scrambling behind the counter looking for the bolts, she found a box of bolts and a quiver, quietly she took the bolts out of the box and into the quiver slinging it over her back she thew a empty can on the other side of the store, the two ponies took the bait and she silently made her way out the back before the two could notice her presence. Bon Bon walked through the alleyways, the sound of pegasi zipping over the city, Bon Bon peeked her head out of the alley and noticed little yellow eviction notices covered the doors of the buildings, the silence gave Bon Bon the chills, the silence was disturbed when four trucks stormed down the street and stopped, multiple ponies and griffons stepped out of the trucks and passed around their weapons, Bon Bon brought up her scope and examined each of the ponies, Mercenaries.

"Great," then Bon Bon's old squadmate jumped out of the driver seat and with a scream ordered her men,

"WHAT THEY HAY IS GOING ON HERE, WE PLAYING AROUND!?"

"We just got here!" a griffon said, Screwloose shot her head to the team,

"Who said that, WHO SAID THAT!?" The merc team silenced,

"I'm not mad, I'm not, lets try this again, who said that?" she asked her voice changing from one of pure rage to a calm and loving tone,

The Griffon stepped forward, "I di-" but was cut off when she pulled out a pistol and shot the griffon in the head,

"Anyone else have a question?"

"Yea, can I have his share?" one of the ponies said, Screwloose busted out in laughter,

"I like you! Yea you can.." in a tone as if he had said the greatest joke in equestria. Then the two ponies from the store could be heard exiting and talking with eachother,

"Yo, who are these pricks?" Screwloose said,

"Prolly looking for Drops like us," one of the mercs said, Screwloose placing a cigar in her mouth, "Eh, let's kill these Buckers." the group opened fire on the duo, Bon Bon took cover and ran the other direction running towards the woods, she covered her tracks and waited in a tree for the rest of the night to ensure nopony followed her back, when the sun rose Bon Bon made it to the cave and said the code words to enter, as she did she was welcomed to the sight of Lightning Dust fast asleep in her corner of the cave, and a griffon with goggles and a messenger bag hanging upside down in a net. Aniseed stood guard by the hanging griffon with a proud smile.

"Bonnie look what I caught!" She said with pride

"Whoah, how'd you do that!?" Bon Bon said in disbelief, The griffon speaking up in a flat tone,

"She cheated."

"Did not! I just hit him with a rock."

"Cheated."

"Both of you, knock it off!" Bon Bon said to the filly hunter and her catch, approaching the two she patted Aniseed on the head with a smile,

"Good job."

"So you promote this kind of behavior?"

"In moderation," cutting the griffon down she grabbed him by the tail before he could move, "hold on there, gimmie a name."

"Ringo, now let go of my tail!"

"Promise not to run?"

"Fine," he said looking down in shock by the sight of Aniseed with another rock in her hooves, "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT ROCK!?" Aniseed raised an eyebrow,

"We're in a cave." she said,

"Touche."

"So what's in the bag?" Bon Bon spoke up,

"messengers secret."

"Hand it over." Bon Bon said,

"No I will not hand ov-" her leg made a click signifying it was ready to fire, "don't make this hard."

"Woah woah, Alright!" giving the bag over to Bon Bon who dug through it.

"Tape, half eaten apple, instant coffee, I'll take that, a mug, and a letter." she said opening the letter, the letter was in a code that could not be deciphered by her, but it bore the Lunar insignia,

"Well that doesn't help me.."

"Nope, now if you don't mind I have a message to deliver!" he said tapping the small stopwatch on a chain.

"Fine, but I'm taking your coffee, tape and the bits you got."

"WHAT!? Is this a robbery?"

"In a way, I'll pay you back."

"You're a weird mare."

"I get that a lot."

"I'm not surprised."

As the now robbed griffon left the cave embarrassed, he stealthily left the area, if any griffon or pony heard he got knocked out by a filly he would never hear the end of it. After a days flight to the Lunar Coalition Base in Ponyville he landed by one of the tents, entering he saw Backfire and Sifty looking at a map, Canvas and Hilt playing chess in the corner. Backfire looked up from the map and a smile grew on her face

"Ringo!" Backfire happily yelled, the two doing a secret handshake that they had done since they were young,
"Back, its so nice to see you! How are things?"

"Alright, could be better, have a seat." She pulled out a chair and pulled out a pot of coffee and a mug, Ringo pulling out his mug. The two spent the day talking about how they have been, and when the current events came in as the topic, Ringo figured he could share with the small group.

"Promise to keep this a secret?" Ringo said.

"Sure," Backfire said, "Won't we guys?" the three stallions nodded an oath of silence.

"I got mugged again.."

"How old?"

"A kid, eight,nine, and a older mare."

"AGAIN!?"

"Yea again and the worst part she held me up with A LEG GUN!? Who has one of those?"

Canvas and Hilt looked at each other then at Sifty,

"What did she look like?" Canvas asked.

"I dunno, I was busy being robbed!?" Sifty walked up to Ringo,

"What. Did. She. Look like." he asked in the most serious tone Backfire had ever heard,

"I'd answer the question if I were you Ringo." Backfire said, surprised at the sudden seriousness.

"Blue and pink mane, tan coat." Ringo said,

"You don't think?" Backfire looked at Sifty

"I'm going to find out." Sifty said putting on his vest and placing his machete over his back.

-Meanwhile-
The Transport War-bird stormed towards the bunker of the Queen the engines turned forward for a speed boost. McTalk sat impatiently with his Ivory Guard. The best Unicorn soldiers in Equestria that followed his words and his alone, McTalk read over the letter.

///////TOP SECRET////////

TO: HIGH COMMANDER McTALK.

FROM: EDI COMMAND

YOU ARE TO REPORT TO THE COORDINATES AT **REDACTED** IMMEDIATELY FOR BRIEFING

////EDI COMMAND////

The War-Bird reached the Bunkers entrance and the rotors pivoted to a hover and landed the Ivory Guard created a perimeter around the War-Bird a scientist in a lab-coat approached McTalk with a salute he greeted the commander.

"McTalk! Thank you for coming things have gone from bad to worse!" The scientist said his eyes sagging from lack of sleep.

"I am a VERY busy pony, This better be Celestia herself who wants me!"

"That's just it sir," looking around and whispering in McTalks ear, "Something happened with Celestia." The snide McTalk's face went to one of confusion,

"What did!?"

"Follow me." he lead McTalk to the elevator to the bunker one of his guardsmen joined them as the rest stood guard by the War-Bird,

"What happened?" McTalk said in a flat tone.

"Well, Five months ago after the battle where she lost the amulet she has been very," pausing to think of the correct word, "delusional."

"How so?"

"Yelling at herself, canceling orders as soon as she made them, but this, this is something I've never seen before!" He said his face one of confusion.

"What did she do?"

"She encased herself in some magic cocoon of sorts, the only thing we could find that sounded anything like this were from the logs of Starswirl and some old archaeological digs." the elevator reached the end and it opened and right in the middle of the room Celestia floated in the large crystal cocoon that glowed like the sun,

"When did this happen and what is it?"

"Yesterday she was screaming louder than anything I've ever heard sir, then the Bunker just lit up and when it dimmed she was as she is, as for what it is like I said from the logs we found when an Alicorn is weakened they go into a meditative state to 'heal' if you will, what I've read is that this is the only time you can truly kill an Alicorn, as is why there are so few, they were once a mighty race until Discords arrival where he caught them in their weakened state leaving the last sisters 'born' as Alicorns, the rest were made sir. It's all rather fascinating!"

"Yes, fascinating, how long until she awakens?"

"Thats the problem, if I read this correctly this 'Seraphic Sleep' varies on how bad the injury whether it is physically or mentally she seems to have the capability to raise and lower the sun but other than that she is in no state to lead."

"So who will lead the nation!?"

"That's why I called you here sir, you are the leader of the EDI now.."

McTalk's face went to one of concern to a sinister smirk as he looked at the comatose queen.

"Then let's inform my people of the situation.."

Setting the Trap.

Another week had passed and Bon Bon was fast asleep with Aniseed snuggled next to her, the smiling when suddenly the cave started to fill with smoke, Lightning Dust shook Bon Bon,

"Drops! They found us lets GO!" Bon Bon's eye shot open and she woke Aniseed up

"Come on Anni!" she said grabbing the small radio, her outfit and the Crossbow, Lightning Dust grabbing up the old rifle while Aniseed slipped on both of Rainbow Dashes custom machine pistols, Bon Bon was about to stuff the food in her saddlebag when a white and red canister with a flame painted on it was thrown into the cave enterance,

"GRENADE GET DOWN!" Bon Bon screamed as she jumped on top of Aniseed, throwing a blanket over to cover her from the blast, the canister exploded in a ball of flames and ignited the food the trio had stocked up on, throwing the blanket off she noticed Lightning Dust had taken cover behind a corner of the cave,

"They're in here!" The pony said outside the cave in a muffled voice, his silhouette came into view of Bon Bon who snatched up the tiny remote from beside the now ruined bedding, as she waited the pony stepped into the cave and saw the three,

"GOTCHA!" He said reaching for his rifle but before he could unsling it she had pressed the button and the pony that stood exploded into a red mist, the walls began to shake,

"We gotta go!" Bon Bon said leading the group outside to the sight of the woods ablaze,

"What are they doing!?" Lightning Dust screamed looking around at the chaos.

"They're trying to burn us out." Bon Bon said, she saw in the distance flashlights coming her direction to respond

"So what are we going to do?"

"You have to take Aniseed and get out of here!" Bon Bon ordered the two ponies did not like the sound of this plan

"What!? You're insane!" Lightning Dust

"No, I'm giving you a chance, they're looking for me, not you two, take Aniseed and get her to safety!" she then knelt to Aniseeds level.

"I need you to be safe," she started to cry a little, "Please." Aniseed jumped at her giving her a hug and began to sob

"I don't want to lose you too, everyone I love is taken from me." she said trying to hold back her tears.

"Anni, I will come back for you, I promise." Bon Bon said looking into the fillies eyes, "As long as you promise to be safe for me."

"I promise." Aniseed said tearfully nodding, Bon Bon held her for a little longer, the lights getting closer she let go, her heart fighting every move, she looked at lightning
"You keep her safe."

"I will." she said the two gave shook hooves and Lightning Dust placed Aniseed on her back and ran the other direction deeper into the woods towards the long trek to Ponyville, Bon Bon looking at the lights flicked her hoof causing the crossbow to unfold a small sight popped up as she pulled back the bowstring and loaded the bolt, waiting until the group was nearby then she breathed in she held her breath to focus, noticing the lead pony shouting out orders she pulled the trigger, the bolt struck the pony in the neck, the other mercs panicked by the elimination of their leader.

"It came from this way!" the mercs ran towards the cave only to find their other comrades remains painted on the cave walls,

"Sweet Celestia, what happened!?" They said to each other, trying to create a plan to search the woods for the mare worth a million bits, meanwhile she had ran over to the body of the now deceased pony a look of panic frozen on his face, Bon Bon searched the pony for anything useful and took his grenade belt, and earpiece and radio set, placing it in her ear so she could hear every movement, and a small hoof blade, slipping it on the hoof without the crossbow,

"She ain't here anymore, lets go check on flint and call it in." Bon Bon overheard the conversation and placed a grenade under the stallion she used some of the tape she acquired from Ringo to weigh it down, then she used a string from the ponies coat to wrap around the large hoop pin.

"You want war, you got war you bastards.." Bon Bon coldly said to herself, all she wanted was to live in peace, but every time something had to happen to her, Wonderbolts, Screwloose, EDI, Lunar Coalition, Blueblood, McTalk, she was sick of it all, today she'd send the message to them all that if they got in her way they will die. After setting the
trap she hid behind a tree as the group made it back to their friend,

"Aw buck! He's dead man!" the first merc said

"You think!? He has a bolt in his neck!" the second merc snapped back

"Both of you shut up! We gotta call this in, help me find his radio." another said, she heard them patting down the ponies body, when suddenly she heard a loud metallic ping,

"BUCK GRE-" a loud bang shattered through the woods, Bon Bon stood up the grenade she taped down was not the one she had expected, as she looked at the remnants of the ponies scattering the woods and a large crater where the trap was, the radio came to life,

"Red team, STATUS NOW!" Screwloose demanded over the radio,

"RED TEAM, BUCKING ANSWER!" she repeated then she ordered all the teams to close in on the source of the explosion, Bon Bon picked up the only intact weapon, a belt fed weapon and slung it on her back, then she pulled out her viewing scope and looked through the woods mentally tagging each of the fire teams, three teams of four, she waited nearby until they all regrouped at the small crater in the ground,

"Loose, Red is gone."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN GONE!?"

"They're dead!"

"Do you know where she is?" Screwloose demanded an answer

"Negativ-wait a minute, sweet celestia! GET DOWN!" the radio was filled with the sound of the belt fed machine-gun tearing through the grouped ponies and griffons, mowing them down in four sweeps the belt ran out and Bon Bon threw the weapon aside.
--Meanwhile--
There was complete radio silence after the events transpired, Rainbow Dash and Screwloose sat silent inside a small command truck outside of the woods,

"What the hay just happened?" Rainbow Dash said, not comprehending the situation overheard. Screwloose replied in a calm, carefree manner,

"She killed the first wave, so what? You send your pawns in to face the queen then BAM you get her with yours!"

"You're Sick, those are living things not chess pieces!"

"Noponies gonna miss them!" "besides, SUPREME Commander McTalk has given me a bottomless bitpurse, so I can just buy some more." then she trotted beside Dash "Come on, we can work together! besides, I have a plan to root her out."

"That is?" Dash said confused,

"We set up a trap of her own!" she said opening Bon Bon's file and pointing to the picture of her parents.

Bon Bon spent the next two days alone in the cold woods, Bon Bon made her way to an open snow coated field, hiding behind a fallen tree, pulling out her scope she looked down range seeing two ponies, an aged stallion and a mare, Bon Bon had not seen any patrols in the past two days since she dealt with the ones by the cave. Focusing in she got a good look at the two ponies, her heart sank, it was Dudley and Lemon Drops, the two bound up and had a patch of cloth over their eyes. Bon Bon's Radio cracked alive.

"Bon Bon, you're losing your edge, even I know modern radios have proximity sensors!" Screwloose mocked over the radio, Bon Bon remained silent. "Now lets get down to buisness, here's how it's going to go down, we have you surrounded and we have a wonderful family reunion right here, so give up or this will become the resting place of the Drops family."

Bon Bon clicked on the microphone on the radio,
"You'll kill them anyways!"

"No she won't," the armored Wonderbolt came out of the woods, "If you come peacefully I promise we will let them go at the DMZ, no strings attached."

"I'd take the offer Bonnibelle," Screwloose said, "You have ten seconds."

Bon Bon began to think over he situation, if she fought back she was a goner, if she didn't give up, her parents were dead, and she was surrounded

"FIVE."
"FOUR."
"THREE."
"TWO."
"ON-"

"I'm coming out." Bon Bon said in defeat, she removed her weapons and stuffed them into the hallow trunk of the tree. covering the hole with a rock, she then made a off course path to appear like she came from a different angle to hide her gear. As she stepped into the open she noticed multiple squads hidden in trenched on the other side of the field, waiting for her to try anything. "Let them go." Bon Bon said,

"No." Screwloose said, as she did two bullets zipped from the treeline striking Bon Bon in the fake leg causing it to shatter into tiny red pieces, Bon Bon fell into the snow, when she looked up Screwloose was over her with her hoof raised when it came down Bon Bon saw nothing but darkness..

"Take her to the Reformation Camp.." Dash said, the sound of War-birds approaching as Bon Bon faded out.

--ONE DAY LATER: New Paradiso--

The group sat in the bar of the village, ever since the fall of the patriots they slowly rebuilt a small force of local ponies and the remainder of the patriots, they had spent months planning an assault on Fillydelphia, all for two ponies. Suddenly Mir kicked in the door,

"TURN ON THE RADIO, EDI NEWS NOW!" He ordered as the bartender turned the dial of the radio,

\-J Belle here with the news: Our biggest report, Notorious Terrorist Sweetie Drops who was terrorizing the local populace of Fillydelphia was captured in a daring raid by the heroic Wonderbolt Rainbow Dash, Reports say she has pleaded guilty to counts of treason and is to be executed on Supreme Commander McTalks Birthday in two weeks. This is DJ Belle Signing off, Back to your favorites tunes!//

"Did she just?" Ritz looked at lyra, Ritz now covered in markings like Tatau was his eyes changed from a teal to glazed white.

"She's alive!" The still armored Lyra said excited

"Not in fourteen days." The Bartender said,

"Mir, can we make it to Fillydelphia in time?" Mir thought, a frown grew,

"Luna's forces seized anything that could be used as transportation so as far as that, we're stuck on this island until the cargo ships in three weeks.."

"I have an idea!" Lyra opened the storage compartment in her armor and unfurled a image of the half destroyed Mansion, in the background a Lunar Coalition Carrier with mutiple mimicked Peacemakers on its runway, in the back of the carrier was a large silo, "This was taken a week ago by our scouts, inside is a Magic-powered Missile, if we detonate it midair over the EDI territory, it will cripple anything mechanical for a good day or two, this will give Bon Bon enough time to escape from wherever she is."

"You're putting a lot of faith in blind luck." Mir said,

"Well it's the only thing we can do to help." Lyra said pleading to the group. The bartender said as he slipped on a flak jacket and grabbed a bazooka from under the counter,
"sink some Lunar pricks boat and possibly save a mare, I'm in."

"The bartenders in, so I'm in!" Mir said

"Ritz?"

"We're gonna need some backup, Attack at Dawn, I'll take care of the forces on the ground.." Ritz said downing the bottle of his potent beverage, jumping down from the barstool he made his way to the cellar, with the press of a button a hole opened in the floor and he dropped down using his one wing to slow the long descent, when he reached the bottom he was inside a large spacious cavern, cracking his neck he breathed in and his markings glowed. Ritz let out a disharmonious scream echoing throughout the cavern, he spoke in the Changeling tongue, to the average pony it sounded nothing more than ear piercing screams, but to the Changelings it was the call of a leader to send his swarm to battle, as he continued his chant the walls began to rustle and millions of the swarm looked at their leader heeding his command, the ground began to crack around ritz as three gigantic six eyed changelings that resembled an arachnid more than a pony rose from the ground. Ritz's multi-toned voice was harsh and filled with hate, in his language he spoke,

"Take the city, leave the boat."

The Swarm mobilized flying around the cavern the three large Changelings started to use their sharp claws to tunnel through the stone walls of the cave towards the city.

--elsewhere--

Sifty and Ringo were halfway to Fillydelphia,

"You don't talk much do you?" Ringo said,

"Nope."

"So, got any family?"

"No."

"So how DID you meet Backfire?"

"She was on the team with me and Bon Bon."

"She's usually very shy you must be some Casanova, that or you have a-" he was cut off by the sound of snow crunching,

"Shut your beak and get down!" Sifty ordered scowling at the Griffon, as they waited a mare came into view of the two, when they stood up they pointed their rifles at the mare,

"Don't move!" Sifty said,

"I was about to say the same." The mare said with a smirk, then behind them was a filly with two machine pistols on her hooves.

"Drop em'!" She said her voice to the point

"YOU AGAIN," Ringo said, "Can't you just fight fair?!"

The filly noticed the pony was wielding a machete and remembered the story's Bon Bon told her,

"Sifty?"

"That's me, Do I know you?" He said his voice remained neutral. Aniseed lowered her weapons and a glimmer of hope shone in her eyes.

"Dust! It's Sifty, he can help us!"

After the group filled each other in on recent events as they ate, the filly savoring the meal, while Lightning gobbled it up quickly.

"So where is she now?"

"We went separate ways when they attacked, I fear she may have been captured or worse.." Dust said handing him a makeshift map of the forest she grabbed before they left,

"I see, Ringo, take them back to Ponyville and meet me at the cave where they were, QUIETLY!"

"As you wish Boss, come on you two." Ringo placed Aniseed in his messangerbag and the two flew away leaving Sifty alone in the woods.

"Bonnie what have you gotten yourself into?" he said continuing on his way.

Fillydelphia woes and setting the stage.

Dudley and Lemon Drops were returned to their home, their unconscious daughter laid in the back of the truck as it turned the corner of the empty street and out of sight, silence covered the Drops household, Lemon Drops went to the couples bedroom alone and closed the door, the occasional sob could be heard, Dudley remained in his private room, pulling out a glass and a bottle of the strongest spirit he had he sat in his chair looking at the many awards both he and his daughter earned, a picture hanging proudly of the small filly when she got her cutie mark, then of her graduation, then of one with Lyra, Dudley was never to fond of Lyra, but she made his daughter happy so that's all that mattered to him, he breathed a sigh of sadness when suddenly a crash came from the backyard, running to the back yard he noticed a malnourished stallion, brown coat, grey eyes, a mellow look across his face, yet Dudley sensed the fear in the boy, a tag on his left ear said twenty-three.

"You alright there boyyo?" He said in a calm manner with a smile to comfort the pony, visibly shaking, Dudley looking down at the hooves of the mellow pony a coating of fresh blood matted down his fur.

"You're from the reform camp aren't ya?" Dudley said curiously, slowly approaching the stallion slowly stepped back,

"I'm not gonna cause any trouble, I promise just, please don't call the guards, I don-I CAN'T go back there!" The pony said his teeth chattering to the cold gust,

"I'm not gonna call the guards, now come in here and lets get you some food on them bones." Dudley said beckoning the pony, The pony stood his ground, shivering,

"Listen, I was just forced to hand my daughter to those bastards, I don't want to hurt anypony else.." Dudley sorrowfully confessed, The skinny stallion spoke up,

"Why?"

"If we didn't the whole block would be send to the camps."

"I'm sorry.." He said,

"It's not your fault boy, now please, come inside." Dudley pleaded to the stallion how slowly approached the house, when he entered a warm flow of air greeted him as he entered the kitchen of the small house. Dudley placing a kettle on the stove as he walked past, his wife walking down the steps to hear the commotion, her eyes puffy from her tears as she entered the kitchen,

"Who's this?" She said through sniffles,

"This is our guest deary, I do not know his name, but he needs a place to warm up so we will give it to him." Dudley said with a smile, Lemon smiled back she then looked at his hooves,

"My goodness! Are you alright!?" this caused the pony to jump and slowly skid towards the door, when he felt a force stopping him, looking over he saw Dudley had stopped him from cowering,

"It's aright, let us help you kid, whats your name?"

"S-Scully." he said, Lemon Drop guiding him to the table to take a seat, Lemon Drops grabbed a washrag and started to wash the blood off of the stallion, cooing while slowly wiping the blood off calming the stallion,

"So what happened?" she asked him, he paused for a moment then he started to speak,

"I-I was almost out of the city, but right before I could make it to the woods, I was ambushed by some soldiers, I CAN'T go back, I WON'T!" his voice getting more agressive, his hooves tensing up,

"It's alright, were you followed?"

"I don't know, I just ran, and here I am." A knock on the door caused the three ponies to snap to the source of the noise,

"It's THEM!" Scully panicked starting to hyperventilate, Lemon Drops trying to calm the stallion, she guided him into the basement to hide, she gave him a 'shh' as she closed the door.

"I've seen that face before, he's shellshocked." Dudley said, remembering his days in the Equestrain Foreign Legion, Firearms were in their infancy at the time so infection was a common issue, ponies would need to have entire legs amputated to stop the spread, this introduced young soldiers to the horrors of war, Dudley snapping out of the memories he looked at his wife, "Go down stairs and make sure he stays put, bring the kettle and calm the boy." his wife nodding as she grabbed the kettle and walked downstairs, Dudley walking to the door, as he opened it he was welcomed to the sight of a Griffon and a pony with a very angry look on his face, both wearing postal outfits,

"Hi, EPS can you sign for this package!" The griffon said cheerfully as he gave Dudley a notepad,

'HERE FOR BON BON.'

Dudley looked up at the two,

"You realize you have to check in with the two ponies next door?" making a notion with his eyes towards the building where the two watch-ponies post up.

"They are dead." The pony said coldly,

"Right then, lets go take the package to the study!" he said with a smile leading the two in as he closed the door, the griffon smiled at the pony,

"Told you it would work Sifty!"

"Shut up Ringo"

Dudley and the two walked into the study, Dudley closed the shutters to the room, the two placed the boxes on the ground,

"Where's Bonnie?" Sifty said straight to the point,

"Reform Camp.." Dudley said sorrowfully,

"A what?" Sifty cursed, Scully walked out of the basement,

"A Reformation Camp, they round everypony who they see as a threat and left them to starve, get sick, or go insane."

"Why didn't you fight back?" Sifty asked, Dudley speaking up,

"The first thing they took was the machines, then the weapons, and then they started rounding up the homeless, nopony cared, then they started to take people they deemed disloyal, then they targeted earth pony 'Spies', but by the time we realized what was happening it was too late."

"Lemme guess? For the safety of the people?" Ringo said

"Yea, trust the EDI they said! Bah!" he said flailing his hooves,

"So what now?" Ringo asked,

"As much as I hate to say it there's nothing WE can do at the moment, but if I know my Sweets, she's got something up her sleeve, and when she does we'll be there!" Dudley said sitting on his chair, lighting his pipe.

Bon Bon opened her eye looking around she noticed she was in a small shed, her ear hurt when she scratched it feeling a tag. her leg was now a crudely made wooden leg,

"Where am I?"

"Prison twenty-three, and you came at one hell of a time!" The voice in the corner said causing Bon Bon to look, a familiar Pegasus pony, the communications pony from the frontlines, Bluefire his blue coat dirtier and his blonde mane and chin patch grown out,

"Corporal Bluefire?" Bon Bon asked,

"Just Bluefire now, after you left McTalk had our battalion court-martialed just for giving you a ride," peaking his head out the shed, "Isn't that right Tank?"

"Yep." the unamused ex-tank commander said.

"What's going on here?"

"This is where McTalk sends the ponies he deems, 'not worthy' to rot," Bluefire helped Bon Bon up and outside, the ground muddy and wet, ponies huddled together for warmth in the cold weather,

"This is wrong."

"You think he cares?"

"Why would Celestia allow such a thing?"

"At first he kept it a secret, taking away rights little by little, then he started having staged trails, now we're here, and with McTalk as the new leader of the EDI it's only going to get worse."

"What happened to Celestia?"

"The 'official' story is she was poisoned by a Lunar assassin."

"Poison an alicorn?"

"That's what Fancy Pants said, now he's a member of prison one." The three prisoners stood in silence looking at the atrocities, Bon Bon leaning on Bluefire for support,

"You wouldn't happen to have a peg leg lying around?" Bon Bon asked,

"Nope." Bluefire said,

"So do they feed us?"

"Once a day, three loafs of bread."

"We have to do something." Bon Bon said,

"Most of the ponies here are just civilians, They separated our battalion so we couldn't organize a revolt, and if something happens they just send in that," Bluefire said pointing at a large six wheeled Armored tank with a large water cannon the top, as soon as Bon Bon saw the large tank her eye widened and a spark shone in her eye.

"I have an idea, gather everypony round."

The Ex-Patriots entered the city with open hooves of the villagers, who hid them under the cover of night in hopes they could liberate their town once again as the Lunar soldiers had only brought back an oppressive colony under martial law, when the sun rose the half destroyed mansion came into view, large turrets were spread across the field in front of the mansion and the large carrier, wires guided from each turret to a magic generator,

"Those things are autonomous, they'll shoot anything that moves to shreads!" The Bartender said, Lyra remained Silent standing up she picked up her large cannon and walked outside of the house and into the driver seat of the truck,

"Stay down, and keep everypony indoors."

"You're going alone!?" Mir and Paz said with confused looks on their faces,

"No, so they don't mix up who is the enemy."

"They?" a villager said as Lyra shifted the truck into gear and drove the truck full speed towards the makeshift blockade, the turrets spotting the truck took aim and as did the ponies guarding the blockade, Lyra slamming on the brake stopped in front of the blockade. one of the ponies grabbed up a microphone and barked over the loudspeaker,

"BY THE ORDER OF LUNA, YOU ARE TO STEP OUT OF THAT-" the ground began to rumble when three holes emerged from the ground and large claws grabbed a generator and quickly dragged them under, the wires snapped by the tension and the turrets were dragged underground, the guard ponies began to look down the holes, the sound a angry howls could be heard, the captain then saw thousands of eyes staring back at him,

"Oh buck." then the swarm shot out of the three holes in the ground, blackening the sky with their numbers, the Ponies on the Boat tried to hail command for backup but the sheer number of changelings in the sky jammed anything from getting through. as the battle raged the Lunar soldiers were overran and they started to abandon their post and retreat to the ship, meanwhile Lyra and Ritz climbed up the side of the carrier using the battle as a distraction, as they made it to the deck of the ship the flight crew were trying to launch planes into the air, as the first fighter shot off the runway a swarm of changelings broke off and immediately attacked, tearing one of the wings off, sending it into a spiraling course into the ocean.

"I thought they would be a little harder." Lyra said, commenting on the ferocity of the changeling attack,

"Fancy planes don't matter when it's a million to one." Ritz said, the two fighting their way through the ship with ease, when they made it to the bridge of the ship, the door sealed shut with a lock.

"It seems they don't want us getting in there!" Ritz said, "No matter, cover your ears Ly." Ritz then began to scream in a incomprehensible chant, behind the sealed door the crash of windows could be heard and gunfire as well as discordant screams, then silence struck the boat, the silence was broken with a clunk of the locks and the door swinging open to one changeling at the door, a small framed changeling with a grin on its face,

"Nice job Aya!" Ritz said, the Changeling giggled,

"Thanks Ritz!" The Changeling said in a multi-toned feminine voice,

"Wait, a female changeling?" Lyra said, she always though their was only one female and the was the queen.

"Not every girl want's to be the queen you know!" Aya defended, Ritz speaking up to bring the group back to the mission at hand.

"Ahem, We have a mission to finish here!"

"Right." Lyra said walking over to the weapons control panel she found the launch codes for the missile, as she input the codes and pressed the launch button, when a loud buzzer came out of nowhere and a timer started to countdown:
[6 DAYS/7 HOURS/23 MINUTES/57 SECONDS.]

"What they heck does that mean!?" Aya said confused at the lack of a launch, Ritz reaching into the dead captains pocket pulled out a manual, starting to quote from the book,

"The M.M:MK VIII air-burst weapon," Skimming through the book he reached the desired page, "Who would make a stupid rule like this?"

"What?"

"In the event of a siege on the ship, a captain can order a temporary lock-down of the launch sequence until the situation is contained, the orders can be canceled by the commanding officer or when the time reaches zero." Ritz said, the three then looking at the dead captian,

"So we have to wait?" Aya asked,

"Its all we can do.." Ritz said, Lyra looking out into the mansion grounds, the changelings had won the day, but Lyra felt like every second that ticked by was a failure,

"I'm sorry Bonnie." Lyra said taking a seat at the captain's chair pivoting to face the large clock waiting for it to hit zero.

Two days had passed in the yard of Prison twenty-three, Bon Bon had became proficient at running a decent pace with three legs, which was more of a skip than a run, Bon Bon looking over noticed a female guard staring at her through the barbwire fence, motioning for Bon Bon to come over, slowly she approached the mare,

"Is there a problem?" Bon Bon said with venom in her voice, the mare reeling back from the harsh tone,

"N-no, I just Figured you should have this," handing her a peg leg, Bon Bon was struck with confusion, most of the guards were just as immortal and violent as McTalk himself.

"Why are you doing this?"

"It's the least I can do, I hope it helps with your plan." Bon Bons eye shot open,

"You KNOW!?"

"Yes, the other guards don't, as they tend to stay indoors, I'm the only pony who really comes out here."

"So why don't you help the ponies escape?"

"I did, there was this pony I knew before this, a really nice guy, worked at the hospital, he would volunteer for whatever her could do, simple things like common colds, and a few not so simple things, but he was no doctor he just liked helping ponies any way he could, one day I gathered enough strength to ask him if he wanted to get something to eat, he was so nice and he always smiled with that mellow look." She said with a smile remembering better times, her face then changed to sorrow, "Things were going great and we were inseparable, then the war happened, as the war raged, the hospital got worse, with the trained doctors hooves full with the patients they forced him to operate with little to no knowledge on ponies, he blamed himself for everything, so one day he just quit, and the next day he was charged with treason and he was one of the first of the prisoners of this complex."

"What happened to him?"

"As a guard here, I was able to make life easier for everypony, by bringing extra food, water, shelter, and for him, company, but as the prison started to overcrowd things only got worse, and eventually there was nothing I could do. The Wonderbolts made a base of operations in that thing over there," pointing towards the small trailer turned into a camper, "and when ponies try and escape, HE stops them."

"Who's he?"

"Nopony knows, he just sits and watches us all, and if anypony tries anything he shoots them twice for good measure."

"so where's your friend at now?" Bon Bon asked, The mare sighed out of depression,

"I tried to help him escape with a group of ponies," She began to whimper, ", but right before they were in the clear HE saw them."

"What happened?"

"What do you think he did!?" She snapped causing Bon Bon to appologize.

"The last thing I saw was he was being dragged away, that was two days ago."

"I'm sorry," Bon Bon gave her condolences to the mare,

"It's my fault, its everyponies fault, if we would have done something when we could stop it, none of this would have happened!"

"Hey, you still can do something!"

"What?"

"I need you to listen closely, cause this has to go perfectly."
After Bon Bon told the mare the plan she parted ways, the mare walked into the guard quarters where she ran into The Leader of the Wonderbolts.

"What was that all about Private Moka?" Dash said closing the door behind her Moka stood at attention,

"Ma'am, I was just checking on the prisoners!" Moka said Dash circling the mare,

"I saw you were talking to Drops, what did she want?"

"She asked about her parents." Moka lied, Dash sat silently for a moment,

"What did she say?" Dash asked waiting to see if the response would be like something she would say Moka remembered stories of the Drops being very defensive about family and now to bring them up. Then she thought in her head of Scully, her pony, and imagined how she would be if somepony had threatened him she then spoke on impulse.

"That if a hair on their mane was harmed, she would pluck every feather out of your wing with a rusty pair of tweezers." Dash shot back from the violent threat, gulping even though the mare was locked behind barbed wire an uneasy sense fell into the air.

"Well, she won't be doing much threatening in two weeks!" Dash said with a smile,

"Why do you want her dead?" Moka asked, Dash turning around came face to face with the mare,

"She killed my friend!" Dash snarled, Moka curiously asked another question,

"Were you there?"

"No, I don't need to be, I can feel it in my gut!"

"and killing her will bring him back?" Moka said leaving the guards quarters without another word.

Dash standing alone in the room thought to herself, but the thought was pushed away by the hatred she harbored.

--ONE DAY UNTIL LAUNCH--

Bluefire was dragged into a small room by the two Wonderbolts Cloudchaser and Snowflake and forced him into a chair, Rainbow Dash turned around to face the pony, dismissing her subordinates they left the two in the room, Dash pulled out a large file throwing it on the table,

"You have quite the record, Bluefire, or should I say Blue Thunder?"

"Whichever makes you happy." He said giving the mare a wink, Dash ignoring it and continued to read the file,

"You first enlisted under the name Blue Thunder a few years ago, it reads you were dishonorably discharged for punching a commanding officer and ordering a unauthorized airstrike on a changeling hive, the only reason you weren't given life was because the media hailed you as some sort of hero, then you grew a beard and falsified your cutie mark under the alias of Bluefire to reenlist, there you were placed in B company to accompany the Guardian Tanks to the front line where Drops and you had met, and here we are, did I miss anything?"

"Yea, the part where B company were wrongly accused." he said folding his hooves,

"You were charged for helping a traitor to the government." Dash flatly said,

"BEFORE she did, and I don't think she did." Blue Thunder said adding his input,

"You leave the justice to the people in charge." Dash ordered,

"Cause you ponies know what you're doing?" He said laughing at the mare,

"Whats so funny?"

"Nothing just thinking to a joke I heard a while ago." he said to change the subject. Dash began to interrogate him agian,

"So Drops has been pretty active in the yard, what is she planning?" Dash said bluntly,

"A surprise party for McTalk with streamers and cake, want an invite?" He said sarcastically

"You think this is funny, shes a traitor! A TERRORIST! You know what that is?" Dash said insulting the other Pegasus

"I do, and FACIST, you know what THAT is?" He snapped back, Dash growing impatient gave up and ordered her teammates to take the pony back to the yard, as he was dragged out he winked at the mare again knowing it enraged her."

Moka sat in the cafe inside the hospital that she had always went to, sitting in the corner of the room she drank her coffee alone, then she was joined by the captain of the Wonderbolts, she personally hated this mare, but had to show her respect or she would end up becoming a prisoner of the place she guarded,

"I was thinking about what you said a few nights ago," Dash started, "I want to know, why do you defend her? You know as well as I do that is enough evidence in itself for you to be prosecuted." leaning back in her chair ordering a cup of coffee with some ice, then returned to the topic at hand, "Why?"

"Because my father raised me on how justice is really done, where you are innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around."

"This had nothing to do with prisoner six?"

"Who?" Moka lied, she knew the pony registered under that number,

"Scully,we booked him for abandoning his post in this very hospital, if I recall you and him were close, this has nothing to do with his disappearance, does it?" Moka shot Dash a look,

"That's none of your damn business!" Moka spat,

"Oh, but it is my damn buisness," She pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Moka

"What is this?"

"Its a confession, you sign, you resign from the FPD for sympathizing with the enemy, you lose all commendations, stripped of rank, lose all state assets, including housing, after that, we part ways, no string attached."

"If I refuse?"

"You will be charged with the highest form of treason and executed." Dash said without hesitation, "the choice is yours." she handed Moka a pen, Moka hesitated at first, but signed the sheet and handed it to Dash in tears,

"It's nothing personal, its just for national security," Dash tried assuring the mare, Moka coldly looked her right in the eyes, ever since she was a filly she had always wanted to serve on the police force like her father.

"Is this an immediate resignation?"

"Yes, its nothing personal, I swear." Dash repeated,

"I understand," placing the bits on the table as she threw her badge at dash, the cafe went silent as everypony looked at the two, "It was the best years of my life before the war, patrolling the streets, meeting the ponies, making friends, creating a close knit with THIS very community, it was good times indeed, have a good night Wonderbolt." Moka left the cafe, as she was heading out various ponies patted her on the back for support, turning to scowl at the Wonderbolt sitting by herself in the corner, the waitress giving her a disposable cup of coffee, she was about to reach into her bit-purse but the waitress stopped her,

"I'd just leave if I were you."

"Is that a threat?" Dash said scowling at the waitress, the waitress simply walked away, "Hey! I'm talking to you!" She demanded but nopony answered her, she grumbled a few profanities as she left flying back to the guard quarters, the ponies inside playing cards, the random banter on how they hate their jobs and hate being labeled as murderers, cutting the conversation when Dash entered the room,

"Where have you been?" The first guard asked nonchalantly,

"Getting Moka's resignation papers signed." Dash flashed the papers to the three, who looked at each other with confused faces,

"Why?"

"She's confessed to conspiring with the enemy!"

"You bring this up with the chief?" The second asked,

"Why would I? I'm above him in the chain!"

"That's his daughter, and one of the best cops in FPD." The third said, "I Fold, Imma smoke."

"Me too."

"Hold up!" All three guards walked outside and lit a cigarette using their magic to hold them in the air as they walk by the fence line,

"This is Bullshit!" The first one said, the other two nodded,

"So they fire the sweetest gal cause she likes to take care of some ponies, I hate these EDI shits!" as they walked along the fence one of the police stallions flashed a light in the tall tower, with no reflection they knew they weren't being watched, the first guard looked over and saw Drops in the shadows smiling he looked at his friends,

"Hey, you know what would suck?"

"What?"

"If a group of careless ponies just 'happened' to drop these keys," dropping the key ring close to the fence,

"Oops!" he said putting a hoof over his mouth,

"Oi, I got one!"

"What would that be?"

"Good thing we're alone, I seem to have forgotten the code to the armory!"

"You mean Two, Four, Seven?"

"Oh right, silly me!" The three ponies laughed and kept walking along the fence line, then throwing their badges into the dumpster they strolled into town,

Bon Bon ran into the shed of the three ponies, Blue Thunder talking about his real name and apologizing to Tank for lying to his mother,

"It's just a name!"

"That's still lying to my mother you jerk!"

"I'm sorry alright, I'll tell her first thing when we get out of here!"

"If we get out of here.." Bon Bon made a noise to get the attention of the two, she jangled the keys in front of the two who smiled,

"Tank?" Tank said with a eager grin.

"and armories." Bon Bon said, Tank letting out a fanboy squeel.

"When do we move?" Blue Thunder asked,

"Why not now?"

Scully sat in the study sipping on a cup of tea while looking through the shutters to a house, three police ponies laughing to each other, one spotting Scully, frozen in fear he did not move, the pony simply saluted him with a smile and kept walking along,

"What a strange group of constables!" Dudley said standing next to Scully causing him to jump,

"You scared me!" Scully said catching his breath,

"Sorry bout that boyyo, I figured I'd tell you, we will be having some guests over, I was at the hospital for my medicine, ends up some lass got blackmailed out of house and home! Sad if you ask me, anyways she'll be over soon as she needs a place to stay, so as far as she knows you're my son, Mellow Drops, Don't ask it just came to me!"

"Thanks, I guess." Scully said with a chuckle, as the doorbell rang, "That's her!" the two made it to the front door, Dudley opened the door and greeted the mare, "Pleasure to meet you, my name is Dudley Drops," Shaking her hoof, "and this is my son Mell-" Her eyes widened at the sight of Scully and his did the same, a second later she ran into his hooves and they both started to cry tears of joy, Lemon, Sifty, and Ringo peeked down the stairway with firearms at the ready, Dudley looking confused closed the door and looked at the three upstairs,

"Well this was unexpected!" He said with a confused grin.

The Prison Riot

--TWO HOURS UNTIL LAUNCH--

The ponies in the prison yards spent the night smuggling weapons under the cover of the night, all of the ponies gathered inside the large shed, each carried high end weaponry stolen from the armory, Blue Thunder stood in front of the ponies,

"Here's whats going to happen, we have only a few minutes until the EDI realize whats going on so they will be coming and they WILL be coming in force, Drops and Tank will secure the armored vehicle and bring down the gate, the rest of us have to hold the line and give them that time, anypony having second thoughts?" Nopony moved, standing defiantly as one, then in the sound of the gate opening made the room fall silent, Blue Thunder nodded to Bon Bon and Tank who slipped out the back, as Bon Bon and Tank slipped through the hole in the wire they made it to the small motor pool attached to the guards quarters and to the six wheeled tank, as they entered Bon Bon stuck the key into the ignition and Tank pressed the button, nothing,

"What the hay!?" Tank said angrily, Bon Bon looking at the key, A763, popping out of the hatch she looked at the tanks serial number, A536, then she looked around

"This isn't the right tank," Bon Bon said,

"What do you mean the WRONG TANK?" Tank said, Bon Bon grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and pulling him out of the hatch,
"THAT'S our tank!" she said pointing at the tank with A763 printed on the side,Tank's face lit up when he saw that instead of a small water cannon on the front of the Tank like the one he had just tried to start this one had a large recoilless rifle strapped on the top, the two ponies ran to the tank and jumped in with the turn of the key and press of a button the tank roared to life, as it did gunfire could be heard from the prison yard, then a high powered rifle cracking through the sky from the tall tower overwatching the prison, Bon Bon aimed the large rifle at the tower, pressing the button she heard a charging noise,

"This is for my leg you sack of Sh-" Bon Bon was cut off when the high-powered cannon screamed across the sky crashing into the tower in a puff of smoke, when it had settled, the only thing left was the base around where the tower once stood, cheering could be heard from the prison,

"Lets go get our friends." Bon Bon said, Tank pressing the accelerator rolling forward, as they turned the corner of the motor pool the entrance was blocked by the Wonderbolts,

"Can we kill em?" Tank asked looking back at Bon Bon,

"Nah, lets embarrass them." she then pointed the cannon at the quarters where they lived, "Aim for the center tank."

"Aye Ma'am!" He slammed his hoof down the tank shot forward with incredible speed, when the shack came of distance, Bon Bon shot the Rifle right into the center causing the wall to explode, the tank smashed through the personal belongings of the Wonderbolts and crashed through the other side of the building leaving a destroyed shack and confused Wonderbolts behind them, after the small detour they made it to the gate, the Prisoners holding back the EDI riot forces, at the sight of the tank the soldiers retreated to the joy of the prisoners, Bon Bon jumped out of the tank, grabbed the winch of the front and hooked it to the fencing, with a signal Tank put his tank in reverse and tore the fencing right off it's hinges, the ponies inside the prison began to scramble out of the prison, Bon Bon noticed the Wonderbolts had retreated as well, entering the destroyed quarters she noticed her hat and poncho in a crushed locker of possessions of the prisoners, after some prying she forced it open placing on her winter apparel she overheard on a small radio, Rainbow Dash had retreated to gather the army to exterminate the prisoners that were escaping but making a specific kill order for Drops. Walking back to the tank she warned everypony about the incoming waves,

"They're going to be coming for me, if I split from the main group I can buy some time." Bon Bon said, Tank leaned out of the hatch,

"I'm staying with you, if this thing AND you can't buy some time, nothing will." Blue Thunder was about to stay as well but Bon Bon stopped him,

"They need a leader, take them to Ponyville, they will be safe, if we can't get them there safely this was all for nothing." At first he rejected but gave in realizing she was right,

"Good luck." He said rallying the ponies down the street, Tank poked Bon Bon on the shoulder,

"How long until they get here?"

"I'd say an hour, maybe less, we have to hold them back."

"That's for sure, I hear town square has choke points to where we can bottle neck them in, and if something happens the stores will make good cover."

"I always wanted to have a blaze of glory in my home town." Bon Bon said with a grin as the two rolled into town square,

Everypony in the Drops household was quiet as usual listening to the radio new update, The usual propaganda filled nonsense, then they noise was cut off by the sound of explosions and gunfire, everypony peeking outside saw a tower explode into a ball of fire and smoke, leaving nothing afterwards, the radio broadcast switching over

[THIS IS THE EDI NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM, A UPRISING HAS OCCURRED AT PRISON 23 ALL RESIDENTS ARE ORDERED TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES, MARTIAL LAW IS IN EFFECT.] the message looped until Dudley snapped of the radio,

"Well ladies and gents the time to act is now!" Dudley said pressing a button causing the walls to rotate revealing a plethora of weapons, Dudley grabbing a lever action rifle from his days in the service, Ringo and Sifty loaded up with rifles and ammo, when ringo saw a weapon that made his beak drop, a large custom action single-shot rifle meant for taking out tanks, as he walked towards it Dudley stopped him,

"I wouldn't touch that." he said,

"Why not!?" Ringo begged like a child until Lemon Drops came skipping into the study, wearing an old safari outfit with a pith helmet, snagging up the rifle she slipped the large bullets into her pockets and saddlebag to the confused amusement of the group,

"What? I used to hunt Manticores in my day before they went all soft!" ringo's beak hung low, Dudley closing it for him with his hoof,

"I love my wife." he said with a smile walking over to her and giving her a kiss, he then walked over to Scully and Moka,
"I understand you two may not have any prior military training so if you want to lay low I will not feel offended. Moka shook her head,

"This is my city, I'm going with you!" she said snagging up a shotgun off the wall, Scully on impulse snatching up a small six shooter, "I go where she goes!" Dudley looked at the two,
"You sure?"

"Sure as ever."

"Then lets go!" The group opened the front door to the sight of prisoners running down the streets, others riding on stolen trucks, a Blue Pegasus leading them towards the outskirts of town. Dudley hailed the pony who flew over to them,

"I'd stay indoors if I were you," He warned,

"Sweetie Drops, where is she?" Dudley asked,

"She went into the town square to distract the main forces, if I were you I'd steer clear." the Pegasus flew back to the group leading them out of the city,

"Well, it looks like we're going into town." the group navigating the streets, the sight of multiple War-birds were on the horizon..

--
Fifty War-Birds swarmed Towards the city, some with Guardian Tanks in tow, others filled with soldiers, onboard one of the War-Birds Dash sat across from Screwloose and her gang of Mercs,

"You should've killed her when you had the chance." Screwloose said flatly,
"Good thing McTalk gave us the okay to do what YOU couldn't."

"and what's that?"

"Martial Law mean anything goes, collateral damage, casualties, oh the carnage!" Screwloose shivered in joy,

"You're insane.." Dash said Screwloose snapped to look Dash right in the eyes,

"I'M INSANE? ME? No no no YOU are the insane one! You think you can capture Drops, you think that some extravagant execution is going to bring some dead sucker back to life! If thats sane, I don't want to be." silence covered the cabin, the pilot spoke up,

"Ma'am, Drops is in the courtyard."

"Deploy the troops and surround the courtyard!" Dash ordered, slipping on her armor, she jumped out the back of the War-bird, Screwloose and her mercenaries placed their body armor on,

"Boys, I want Drop's head and I don't care how!"

"Yes Ma'am!" The mercenaries nodded as they repelled out the back of the craft to join the forces surrounding the tank.

--0:00 BEFORE LAUNCH--

The battle had raged on for an hour and a half, the Tank's treads were destroyed and the tank was smashed into a bakery the main gun out of ammunition, Tank looked at Bon Bon,

"This is it, it's been an honor." he gave himself and Bon Bon a cigar, the two lit the cigars and opened the hatch of the tank, rolling down the front of the tank they landed behind the counter of the bakery, gunfire ripping the wall behind them to shreds, the sound of machine-gun pods roaring covered the night sky, Bon Bon using a mirror was able to see they were surrounded by Guardian Tanks and War-birds, a few burning wreckages used as cover by the foot ponies, looking at the magazine of her rifle, she had ten rounds left, Bon Bon closed her eyes thinking of Lyra and Aniseed she popped up, she was immediately Blinded by what she thought was a searchlight.

Her thought was this was the end.

Surrounded and Superweapons

Bon Bon was blinded by the light, when she looked again a wave of magic covered the sky in a shockwave clearing the clouds out of the sky. Moments later the sound of engines grinding to a halt created panic as War-birds turbines stopped turning sending the crafts falling to the ground, the tanks unable to move blocked passageways and trapped ponies in their hulls, Bon Bon looked to her right to see a wounded Tank next to her, throwing him over her shoulder she made her way through the carnage, the ponies that were trying to kill her were too occupied with avoiding the falling metal to mind her slipping around them, noticing another building that was missing a wall she jumped into the building for cover from the chaos, setting Tank down in the corner of the cafe she checked his wounds, he was bleeding but it was nothing serious, grabbing a towel she handed it to the stallion,

"Keep pressure on it." She ordered, Tanks eyes widened as he jumped at Bon Bon knocking her over, the corner of the wall was riddled with bullets, Bon Bon looking to the source she noticed an angry Dash,

"You put up a good fight, but its over!" She said the fully armored mare reloaded the machine pistol and prepared to finish Bon Bon off but was cut off when somepony shot her with a shotgun sending her flying into the wall, her body armor absorbing the blow but knocking her unconscious,

"I SAID SHE'S MINE!" Screwloose said loading another slug into the shotgun, she pulled the lever to fire but the weapon jammed, Screwloose attempted to clear the jam, but before she could Bon Bon was in her face and delivered a right hook then a back leg kick breaking the shotgun in half, Screwloose rolled on the floor, standing up she shook off the blow, as she did a transport war bird crashed into the floor above the ponies igniting the second floor on fire.

"ALL THESE YEARS, YOU PUT ME IN THAT DAMN ASYLUM!" Screwloose spat

"You're a lunatic, you needed help! YOU STILL DO!"

"I'm NOT CRAZY!" Screwloose charged at Bon Bon, she swung her hoof at Bon Bon who blocked but before she could react Screwloose kneed her in the gut causing Bon Bon to fall to the ground

"You trained me years ago, always go for the cheapshots, you must have gotten soft!" She said kicking the downed mare, "WHEN I KILL YOU, I WILL KILL EVERYTHING YOU CARE FOR, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THAT WHORE LYRA!" Screwloose reared back for a fatal buck but as she did a fire lit inside Bon Bon, who rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the bone-shattering kick grabbing the back leg she grabbed the back with her hoof and delivered a punch right into the knee, the leg caving in Screwloose fell in pain,

"NOPONY BUCKS WITH LYRA!" Bon Bon sat on top of the screaming Screwloose and deilvered consecutive punches to her face, her nose broken and bleeding from the barrage of punches, Rainbow Dash snapped awake to the sight of Bon Bon as she picked the mare up in a show of strength and stood on her hind legs, throwing her into the street Screwloose rolling on the floor outside the cafe Screwloose looking up to see a rifle that had fallen out of the War-bird that crashed. Bon Bon started breathing heavily as she slowly walked towards Tank, helping him up the two made their way out the back. Then Screwloose shot up with the rifle,

"DIE DROPS!" Screwloose screamed, then the building groaned as the front of the buildings front supports gave out sending the War-bird crashing to the ground in front of the shop and rubble filled the floor below, when the dust settled Bon Bon looked around the area suddenly the backdoor shot open and Dudley Drops appeared ordering everpony to stay out of the unstable building, he made his way into the room,

"Sweetie!" He said in relief tearfully hugging his daughter,

"Dad!" The two sat in a hug until the sound of clicking was heard, Bon Bon turning around to see Dash pinned under a pile of rubble, both machine pistols aimed at her, yet the guns were too damaged to fire, Bon Bon approached the mare and gave one swift punch, then she walked away Dash spoke up,

"So what now? You gonna kill me?" she said spitting in Bon Bon's direction,

"No, I wont, but I wont save you either."

"What!?" Dash said panic in her voice,

"This building has a good, ten fifteen minutes until it collapses in on itself, lets see if the how fast the fastest team in Equestria really is."

"You bitch, THIS ISN'T OVER! I WILL FIND YOU!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Bon Bon said carrying Tank out, Dudley following behind as they left the cafe,

"You're going to leave her to die?" Dudley said about to give a lecture to her daughter."

"She'll live, besides, I've had enough of the 'Fastest Flyer in Equestria' for a lifetime!" The three ponies made their way back to the group in the powerless city, the Drops embraced each other in a group hug, Lemon Drops noticing Bon Bon's false leg,

"What happened!?"

"The job did," Bon Bon said, "I can explain later but can we get out of here, I just want to get a real meal for once!" Bon Bon chuckled as the group readied to leave the city, the skies clear of War-Birds meant the ponies could safely walk through the streets, as they did, EDI soldiers were tending to their comrades ignoring the group, some seeing them but as they tried to shoot their magic charged weapons to no effect threw their hooves up in defeat at the groups advantage, when they returned to the drops household the drops packed up their belongings into a old self drawn carriage and loaded essential belongings into the back, the rest was thrown into a personal vault to prevent anything valuable from being looted, as the ponies jumped into the back of the carriage, Sifty volunteered to help pull the cart, as the group rode out of town, they made a stop to collect Bon Bon's gear hidden in the fallen tree, after that they rode towards Ponyville, for the first time in years the city was quiet and there was no skyline, the only thing lighting the sky was the stars and the moon.

--Six Days and seven hours before launch--

The War-Bird zipped over the battlefield, outside the rear hatch the battlefield raged near the War-Factory of the EDI in Appleoosa, the occasional bullet struck the side of the War-bird, McTalk sat unfazed, his personal guard accompanying him as they landed on the helipad of the factory, McTalk walked through the factory, Ponies were in a frenzy building the guardian tanks, and rolling them into battle to be used, McTalk brushing past the workers opened the door to Time Turners private office, the pony writing a letter,

"Supreme Commander, What a suprise!" He said weakly saluting, his eyes droopy and complexion showed that he hasn't been in the sun for quite some time.

"Enough with the formalities, is the weapon ready?" McTalk said tapping impatiently, Time Turners face changed to one of horror,

"You said you wouldn't use it unless it was of dire importance!" He pleaded,

"THIS IS OF IMPORTANCE!" He screamed slapping the stallion to the floor, "and if you want to see your family again you will lead me to it!" Time Turner sighed and stood up in defeat, the walls beginning to shake from the impact of shells.

"Very well, right this way.." The two walked through the descending hallway to a large warehouse,

"Is it operational and to my specifications?"

"Y-Yes sir." Time Turner said ashamed of his creation,

"Good, guards take this stallion to my transport, I want him on lockdown." McTalk ordered coldly,

"WHAT!?" Time Turner said betrayed, "You said I could go!"

"I lied." He said with a smirk as he trotted over to the open cockpit, taking a seat he pressed a few buttons and the cockpit closed and snapped into place, the HUD lighting online.

\ARCHANGEL ONLINE//

Braeburn charged the line with the Lunar Coalition Copperheads and the Buffalo Tribe, the Guardian Tanks began to retreat behind the walls of the factory,

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAW!" Braeburn whooped at their victory over the oppressing force, Lunar planes began zipping over their heads and striking the factory with bombs, after a few minutes of shelling War-birds could be seen evacuating their posts in droves,

"WE WON! WE WON! WE-" A large groan roared from the factory suddenly the roof of the factory exploded and a Large quadrupedal the size of the factory, the walls collapsing out of the way,

"Sweet Celestia! SHOOT IT!" A soldier could be heard, the whole force firing at the strange machine that stood its ground, occasionally flinching from the shells of the Coppedheads, the Ponies had to reload their weapons, The Machines movements screeched making the sound of screams, it braced into a firing position as multiple flaps opened on the four legs of the craft, then a loud beep made the ponies cover their ears as the missiles zipped into the sky targeting the flying planes turning them into balls of flame and wreckage, Braeburn running over to a Lunar Soldier,

"You gotta take that thing down!" He begged,

"WE'RE TRYING!" He yelled back in a panicked voice snatching up a radio, he tuned it to the emergency frequency,

"This is Private Sparks, I Repeat this is Private Sparks!"

"Private Sparks, This is the LNS Aurora, this broadcast is for emergencies only, you are t-"

"LISTEN, There's a Massive, THING, it just came out of nowhere, it's not reacting to our weapons, WE NEED HELP!"

"Stay calm Private, Where are you?"

"Appleoosa." He said his voice cracking, There was a pause in the radio the machine started to move forward,

"We have been authorized to use the M.M:MK VIII, your orders are to hold your position while we prep the launch, out."

"When can we expect support sir?"

"As soon a-what they hay is going on out side, OH BUCK CHANGL-" The radio went to static the pony standing in fear, he looked up to see the Large machine charged up a cannon attached to his head, the panels on its back shifting and heating to a red hot, the machine swept across the line eviscerating everything in its path.

McTalk looked at the carnage from the peephole,
"Status." He commanded,

[STATUS]
ARMOR
[99.9%]
AMMO
[98%] MACHINE GUN
[100%] M.M:MK X PROPULSION-LESS RAIL DEVICE
[0%] PRISM BEAM (REQUIRES CHARGE) [12:00 DIRECT SOLAR HOURS RECOMMENDED]

"To think they wanted to do more tests!" He said snickering, imagining the wars end in his reach..

Loose screws and Loose ends..

In Ponyville, Backfire was playing cards with Aniseed, Lightning Dust reading a paper, when Canvas and Hilt came into Bon Bon's house,

"Backfire, we need to talk outside." Canvas motioned towards the door,

"Whats the matter?"

"Outside, now." Hilt ordered,

"Fine, I'm coming." Backfire rolled her eyes and stepped outside. Canvas speaking up

"There's a chance Bon Bon is arriving soon, a carriage was spotted rolling through the woods, scouts can only identify Sifty and another stallion as of now." Canvas said as Backfires face lit up,

"That's great news! Aniseed will be so hap-"

"We just go orders from Command to either capture or.." Canvas stopped

"Or we kill her." Hilt said without hesitation,

"Why!?"

"Command believe she is working with Lyra and is responsible for the Hijacking or the Aurora and the reason we lost Appleoosa." Canvas said giving Backfire the letter of their orders,

"What about Aniseed?"

"What about her?" Hilt said, Canvas punching him with his hoof, "What was that for!?"

"She'll be fine at the orphanage in town, a filly like her should be adopted in no time."

"She won't like this, not one bit.." Backfire warned,

"She doesn't have to." Hilt walked through the door into Bon Bon's house, looking around, he turned around to realize the windows were open, Facehoofing,

"We have a problem."

Bon Bon was sitting in the interrogation room of the Ponyville Police Department, she looked through the window, then a well decorated pony spoke up,

"Miss Drops, I've read you're record, commendable but there's one problem."

"That would be?" She asked with a raised brow,

"You're a hero, but we don't need heroes Miss Drops we need SOLDIERS."

"I don't see the difference." She said folding her hooves,

"A soldier follows orders, a HERO does what they feel is right, you and your friend Miss Heartstrings stole a weapon and you saved thousands, but that weapon could have been used to save MILLIONS."

"I had no idea she would do such a thing, I was, you know? CAPTURED! Besides I didn't see you try anything to help!"

"WE HAD MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS AT HAND!" He shouted back, regaining his posture he folded the page, "Where is L-"

"I'm not saying a damn thing until I see Aniseed and my Family is granted Pardons."

"You don't get to make demands!" He snapped,

"Yet here you are."

"Alright,I can promise you family and friends have full pardons IF you cooperate with us." Dodging the subject of Aniseed, Bon Bon calling the pony out,

"WHERE IS ANISEED!" Bon Bon slammed her hooves on the side of the table causing the pony to reach for his sidearm but hesitated to remove it from the holster,

"You will talk to me with respect!"

"Just who are you anyways?"

"I am General Eyrus, I have kil-"

"Alright Eyrus, lemme tell you one thing, I have killed Changelings, Dragons, Ponies, Griffons, and Saddle Arabians and I sleep like a baby, so if you're trying to intimidate me, just stop." Eyrus paused when Bon Bon caught his bluff, he flipped through the dossier noticing most of the pages blacked out,

"Why are these hidden?"

"Cause they're classified, I figured someone of your rank would know that by now."

"I know that, but a 'Candy Salespony', doesn't have redacted records!"

"Maybe it's a secret recipe?" Bon Bon said with a smirk, a blood vessel could be seen on his forehead

"I wan't to help you but you are making this very difficult.."

"Then say what you want and get out of my face." She demanded,

"You will infiltrate the Bunker complex containing Celestia and McTalk and his weapon, if the weapon is deployed from the bunker," He pulled out another file showing pictures of the bunker and a cleared path to where the weapon entered the bunker, "we will consider the mission a failure and deploy the tower, we have found a defector, the notorious Time Turner, who has told us the reason it has not DECIMATED our forces, is its power consumption is extremely high, we have only encountered it twice and both times the forces suffered massive casualties."

"Where is the bunker?" Eyrus pointing on the map to the location,

"If you succeed, Full Pardons for everypony, I promise."

"This is a Suicide mission isn't it?"

"The odds are low." He honestly stated,

"Can I see my family one more time?"

"You may, but the plane leaves tonight."

"You seem confident I'd agree to this."

"Because I know you want this war over as much as I do, so we have a deal?"

"Yea, we do."

Bon Bon was escorted to her house where everypony was staying, as she said her goodbyes to everypony she reached her Mother,

"So who's this Aniseed filly?" Lemon Drops said with a grin, Bon Bons heart jumped,

"SHE'S HERE!?" she said looking around,

"Upstairs, she's in your room, maybe you should go talk to her."

"I will, Ma, if something happens, can you keep her safe, she's a handful but I-"

"You will come back, for her." Lemon Drops said with a sten nod, Bon Bon hugging her mother, her father joining in the hug,

"End this Bonnie." Dudley said, as they broke the hug Bon Bon walked up the steps of her house and into her room Aniseed balled up in the middle of the bed,

"Anni?" Bon Bon said Laying on the bed next to Aniseed, who crawled next to her,

"Why?" she said,

"Why what?"

"Why do you have to fight, why can't we just leave and go with Lyra like you said we would?"

"Because, Somepony has to do the right thing, this war will never end unless I do this."

"Why you though?"

"If I don't they will take you and my parents away, I can't let them do that." Bon Bon sighed squeezing the filly,

"Is that all?"

"No, I saw what that thing did to Appleoosa, I can't let it be used again on anypony, I must destroy it entirely if anypony else got their hooves on it they would only rebuild it for their purpose."

"What if you don't come back?" Aniseed asked, Bon Bon paused, Aniseed would not accept a comforting lie, so she told her the truth,

"Then you have to live on, for me. You must promise that you will take care of Dudley and Lemon, if you need any help, Sifty and Backfire will be there for you, just NEVER give up, and always do what is right, even if you stand alone." Bon Bon said looking the filly in the eyes,

"I promise." Aniseed said, Bon Bon kissing her on the forehead,

"Good, never forget that I love you, now I have to go now, so behave, and don't run away again!" Bon Bon said with a stern look.

Bon Bon left the house and entered the truck that drove to the makeshift airstrip, Backfire looked around the house,

"Where's Ringo?"

--Two hours later--
Bon Bon was in the back of the large aircraft, the hatch opened to the cloudy skies over the bunker the green light lit up signaling for her to jump, as she began her freefall she reached the minimum deployment altitude, pulling the chute she landed in the woods next to the bunker's entrance, she noticed multiple ponies in white body armor standing guard by the entrance signaling that McTalk was there,

"Showtime Bonnie!" She thought to herself as she approached the first guard using a hidden hoofblade she stabbed the guard multiple times the other guards running to the source of the noise, reacting to their presence Bon Bon bucked the stallion into the other two guards causing them to stumble and in two jabs silenced them both, wiping the blood off her hooves, she looked behind her scanning the grounds as she inspected the corpses of the Ivory guards while dragging them into the shadows, Bon Bon snatched one of the ponies ID tags slidding it into the reader unlocking the elevator she stopped on the third floor: Research & Development

Bon Bon stepped out of the elevator looking around she noticed the open warehouse filled with prototype weapons dismantled and laid out across multiple tables, A brown coated stallion shot up from his work and looked Bon Bon straight in the eye,

"You're not with the EDI are you?" He said slowly stepping back, Bon Bon holding her ground,

"Nope," She said looking at the stallion who sighed in relief,

"I thought he was sending one of his goons to get rid of me!"

"Get rid of you?"

"McTalk's been holding me and my team since the beginning of the war, we're prisoners of our own government!"

"Celestia let him get away with this?"

"This is classified, but a few months before the war, Celestia was possessed with this SHADOW, it made her, violent, very sporadic, but when she acquired the amulet it only got worse, after the amulets destruction she encased herself in some sort of cocoon to purge the force out, now McTalk is using her to power Archangel. Please listen, McTalk is mad, you have to do something!"

"I Plan on it, Where is Celestia?" Time Turner leading Bon Bon to the elevator, pressing the button it shot to the bottom floor, when the door opened the cocooned Celestia shone brightly illuminating the entire room, Time Turners jaw hung low,

"Amazing,"

"What?"

"She never glowed like this, this is new!" the inner scientist inside came out as he examined the cocoon, Bon Bon walking up to it extended her hoof and touched the Cocoon, she was suddenly blinded by a white light and when she regained her vision she was in a grass field Celestia sitting looking into the stars, noticing Bon Bon she smiled beckoning the mare over

"Ah, Miss Drops!"

"Queen?"

"Please call me Princess, I am ashamed enough of my actions already." She said the smile fading to one of guilt Bon Bon rested her hoof on Celestias

"What happened?"

"A few months before the war, Luna accompanied me to the Chrystal Kingdom as we had heard rumors of King Sombra hiding in the frozen caverns, attacking travelers to increase his strength, after we had found him he had put up a tough battle, we thought him defeated, I was wrong, when I realized what had happened it was too late, he was in control."

"So this whole time?"

"Yes, it was not of my own will, I had hoped somepony would notice my changes, but instead they ENCOURAGED it, imagine seeing your peaceful kingdom being changed to one of hate and prejudice in front of your eyes and there was nothing you could do to stop it." This was the first time Bon Bon had seem the princess cry,

"Que-Princess, where are we?"

"This is the ethereal field, when an Alicorn is in the state that I am, we go here to heal or purge any corruptions, when your Changeling friend spared my life and destroyed the amulet weakening me to a state where I could take back control, and here we are now."

"Changeling Friend? Tatau.."

"I am truly sorry, I tried everything in my power, I-I couldn't stop myself."

"He gave his life for you, if I know Tatau, he saved you because he thinks you have purpose still, and I need your help."

"I know,"

"You do?"

"Yes, I may be comatose, but I can still sense the world around me, I fear McTalk may be corrupted with the same magic as me, I knew him before the war, he was rotten then, now I doubt he even has a good side."

"So will you help me."

"Yes," The Princess said nodding "It will not be easy, his men are all loyal to his bitpurse or blinded by the dark magic, and will fight us to the end, he is prepping the launch of Archangel."

"Archangel?" Bon Bon raised a brow as Celestia guiltily looking at the ground,

"It was a weapon we had created to deter invasions from enemy forces, we intended to never use the weapon though, it seems McTalk uncovered the schematics and built him a smaller variant."

"A SMALLER variant!?"

"Yes the original was only pilotable by an Alicorn as the power needed was immense."

"I don't mean to sound rude, but how can I kill it?"

"You can't" Celestia said in sorrow,

"What!" Bon Bon looked confused,

"The only thing that could possible stop it is if he personally ejected!"

"Then come on, we have work to do."

"I can't," Celestia said,

"Why?"

"The corruption still exists inside me, it will take years to fully remove its taint.."

"Celestia, we have to go though, they WILL use the tower on this base,"

"I know, Foresight is as much a gift as a curse."

"If you die who will raise the sun!?"

"My faithful student of course, she was always meant to be my successor, despite what many believe, we are just as mortal as the average pony, we are just extremely gifted, my sister has many years ahead of her, and so does my pupil, if anything happens, it will be fine."

"you used if, why won't you tell me what happens?" Bon Bon curiously asked,

"Because there is always choice, and if I influence in anyway I could doom Equestria to a reign of darkness, now go." Celestia ordered,

"I will NOT leave you here Celestia!"

"I wasn't asking," her eyes glowing white, "GO, END THIS WAR, THAT IS MY ORDER TO YOU!" the light intensified blinding Bon Bon again when she moved her hoof she was back in the room, time turner examining the cocoon,

"You okay?" he cautiously asked,

"How long was I in there?"

"What are you talking about? You touched it a few moments ago, what happened?"

"Not important, where is McTalk?"

"In Archangels Hangar, what are you going to do?"

"I know we can't directly stop it, but if we can force an ejection!" Bon Bon said Time Turner running to the phone on the wall pressed a few buttons after he conversed with the ponies on the other line his face smiled,

"Good news! We have a few shaped charges and an anti-tank launcher in the armory, it can't hurt it but it can sure slow it down!"

"So what are we going to do?"

"I have a plan, go to the hangar, STALL HIM, we will go along as it happens!"

"Right!" Bon Bon ran to the elevator,

"What floor?"

"Six!"

"Thank you!" Bon Bon shouted pressing the button the elevator shooting up to the sixth floor the door opened and Bon Bon was greeted by two scientists who sighed in relief,

"You must be here to help, come on!" The scientists took Bon Bon into the armory, she stood in the middle of the weapon filled room, she stepped forward to grab a rifle but the scientists stopped her,

"No, you won't last a second with that, you need the N.O.M.A.D!"

"N.O.M.A.D?"

"A New-age One Man Army Device." As he explained the systems the unicorn held Bon Bon vertically, the other pony slipping off Bon Bon's false leg and replacing it with a shaped leg and placed a balancing tool on her other leg, the pony letting her down she stood Bipedal like Lyra had.

"I can walk on two legs?" Bon Bon said walking around to get her bearings

"Yes, only three are in existence so far, Prototype stuff so please don't break it!" the Scientist pleaded, then they placed her on a platform with two hoof marks in the center, placing her hoof and false leg into position mechanisms started to activate as pieces of armor magically levitated from the wall and attached to her Body locking into place, a large body armor piece was placed on the mare with the assistance of the two scientists, Bon Bon looking in the reflective glass, her armor was like Lyra's, the helmet came down from above and settled around Bon Bon as the helmet sealed with a click, the HUD lit up displaying various vital signatures, Bon Bon looked up towards the door small red diamonds appeared on her HUD. Looking at the scientists,

"I need a weapon." She said, the scientists stepping out of the way to reveal her weapon, Bon Bon smiled under her mask,

"That'll do!"

The scientists helped Bon Bon attach the large ammo box to her back, then they guided the weapons into position,

"Alright, crash course of the plan, we are going to set the charges on the exit tunnel for Archangel, you need to stop McTalk from reaching the machine, everypony who is going to try and stop you is behind that door, give us time and STALL McTalk!"

"Alright who am I up against?"

"A bunch of McTalks Ivory Guard, A Wonderbolt, and that crazy merc."

"What!?"

"Yea, and if I heard correctly they're pretty pissed."

"Thanks for the heads up." Bon Bon nodded, the scientist stood in front of the mare,

"Calibrations, follow my hoof." He raised his hoof, Bon Bon watching the hoof she noticed a large shoulder weapon following her head movements, "Good! It's calibrated, now to your left is your Shoulder-Launched Anti-Tank Launcher just fire and forget, the weapon loads automatically, you have twenty shots so make them count, this weapon on the other hand," nodding towards the large black box hooked to the underside of her hoof, "is the focused particle weapon, its charged by magic but its been modified for your use, when the weapon rings rotate the gear on the side for seven seconds and you will be ready to fire again. Now your armor can take small arms fire but that does NOT mean you are invincible, so stay in cover, and PLEASE don't break it!" Bon Bon walked towards the door, the red diamonds growing larger,

"No promises." She said opening the door and firing wildly into the hallway with the beam weapon, the door shutting behind her,

"They ALWAYS say that!"

Ringo scanned the front entrance of the bunker,

"Where are the guards?"

"Oh they're dead!" a female voice said behind him causing him to jump, his eyes focused in the night sky to the sight of the cross-eyed mailmare.

"Derpy?" Ringo said in suprise,

"Who'd you expect Santa Hooves!?"

"What are you doing out here?"

"What are YOU doing out here?"

"I asked first!" Derpy said crossing her hooves

"Fine, I followed Bon Bon here, I feel she might need some help."

"Oh, we can help each other!"

"We can?"

"Yes my sweet timey wimey muffin is the head researcher in the base come on!" Derpy started skipping towards the bases entrance, Ringo confused, decided he had nothing better planned out so he went along with the mail-mare who went to the elevator as they did it shot open to the sight of Time Turner and his scientists each with a saddlebag of satchel charges,

"MUFFIN!" Derpy said jumping at him causing him to let out a yelp,

"It's good to see you too honey."

"Where have you been!" she said not in a question but a demand.

"Appleoosa, I would have told you but it was all so sudden."

"Fine, but you have some explaining to do!" Ringo cutting in,

"I'm sorry I have to ruin this," using his claws to quote, "'heartwarming' occasion, but what the hay are you doing with those charges and where is Bon Bon?"

"Bon Bon? OH! She stalling McTalk so we can seal off the tunnel," Time Turner said pointing to the large now open double doors that lead through a winding tunnel.

"If Project Archangel leaves this base, he will be unstoppable!" Time Turner said emphasizing the urgency.

"Fine, wha-" Ringo was cut off by a loud mechanical scream from the tunnel,

"Archangel is online, HURRY!" Ringo and the ponies jumped into a small car and drove down the tunnel stopping at certain points for the scientists to set charges, when the last one was set Time Turner flicked on his radio,

"IF YOU CAN HEAR THIS THE CHARGES ARE SET, GET OUT OF THERE!" the radio was silent,

"Hello?"

As static filled the air, Derpy flew into the Driver seat of the car,

"Ringo, get in the car and man the gun, we're going in!" Ringo hopped in the back as Derpy ordered deploying a large mounted weapon and loading it, Time Turner running to Derpy,

"What are you doing!? You can't go in there!"

"Timey, you take the scientists out of here, if I'm not back in twenty promise me you will set the charges off?"

"I Can't!"

"You will." Derpy glared at him with her one eye, the other looking at the lighting.

"Fine, but you come back now!"

"Okey dokey!" She slammed the pedal sending the car screeching forward, Ringo bracing for his life,
-Meanwhile-
As the door closed Bon Bon took cover behind a crate, the small diamonds getting closer, until one was right around the corner, Bon Bon turned the corner and delivered a kick with the new leg, Bon Bon hearing a mechanism inside the leg shifting delivering an extra strike on the pony, the sound of bones cracking made Bon Bon cringe, but she continued to fire at the group of Ivory Guardsmen, each with small sidearms her HUD informing her of their minimal threat she stood in the open and began a charge towards the ponies, the bullets ricocheting and being absorbed by the armor,

"SOMEPONY STOP HER!" one of the guardsman shouted,

"I'm Trying!" The other said, Bon Bon in close range of the ponies swung with her hoof to deliver a punch hitting the soldier in the helmet causing it to split in half, the now helmetless pony shook in place as she delivered a headbutt knocking him out, the other ponies backing up continued to shoot at Bon Bon, looking at the ponies small green X marks highlighted over the diamonds on her hud, after she tagged the last pony the shoulder cannon locked on and shot one shot at each pony sending them to the floor,

"I see why Lyra loves this thing!" Bon Bon said to herself, in the now body filled hallway as she opened the door at the end of the hall she walked through the door and into a large control room, through the large windows she noticed the cockpit of Archangel open and unmanned, in front of her McTalk, a bruised Rainbow Dash, and a handful of Ivory Guardsmen.

"I had hoped they would have held you longer." McTalk said honestly,

"Sorry to disappoint." Bon Bon said sarcastically,

"So what is your next move?"

"Well, I was going to kick your flank so hard your non-existent children would feel it, but I'm feeling generous, give up and I'll let you have a trail first." Bon Bon said giving her ultimatum, as she did the door behind her opened and she felt a barrel on the exposed part of her armor,

"Miss me Bonnibelle?" A angry voice whispered, Bon Bon could tell who,

"Screwloose!?"

"It'll take more than that to kill me!" Screwloose stepping in front of Bon Bon, most of her face burned, the teeth visible through a hole, suddenly a team of mercenaries swarmed the control room pointing their guns at McTalk's men before they could react the mercenaries fired killing the last of his guard, Dash taking cover behind a desk,

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" McTalk snapped,

"You think I'd actually work WITH YOU?" She laughed, "No I just need to get close to this beautiful piece of work," walking towards the door of Archangel, "All I have to do is put in this key and press go!" McTalk patting his pockets,

"YOU BITCH!"

"Aww, thank you! Now if you don't mind I have another war to start!" Screwloose trotted through the door, then she peeked in her head, "Oh Dashie, Bon Bon wasn't lying, I killed Soarin' I bet he screamed like a bitch when he burned, alright boys, kill them." she said in a cool tone closing the door and stepping into Archangel. Her Mercs prepared to shoot but Dash popped up and sprayed her machine pistols through the room screaming at the top of her lungs, killing all of the Mercs in one swipe,

"STOP HER!" Dash ordered Bon Bon smashing through the door and firing her beam at the cockpit, the hatch closing before it made contact,

"BUCK!" Bon Bon shouted,

The Machine screamed to life, the gears spinning and grinding as the lights covering the machine activated, then the machine started to speak it's commands,

[ARCHANGEL V 1.2 ONLINE]

[NEW TARGET ACQUIRED//CHRYSTAL TOWER,CHRYSTAL KINGDOM// ERROR OPEN SKY MUST BE ACHIEVED.]

Rainbow Dash's face was one of horror as her friends were in the Chrystal Kingdom,

"Listen I know it doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry, Please you have to help stop this thing!"

"I was planning on it!" Bon Bon said running and jumping on top of the cockpit she began to fire wildly at the transparent glass, the shots being absorbed, the machine started to move causing her to lose balance and fall, Rainbow Dash swooped down and caught the mare,

"You're heavy!" She said using all her strength to carry her,

"It's the armor!" she quipped, as Dash set her down the quadrupedal machine turned around in the large underground warehouse, the back of the machine smashing into the wall, Bon Bon aimed her missile launcher at the machine and fired two shots that struck for no effect.

"This thing has to have a weakness!" Dash said,

"Not any that we can use directly!" Bon Bon said trying to find something they could use, then the room lit to a crimson hue and a loud voice came on the speaker,

"The Emergency Self Destruct Sequence has been activated, please reach the minimum safe distance in T-Minus ten minutes."

"McTalk!" Dash snarled the decorated pony was last seen running through the door and out of site,

"It looks like it's just us girls!" Screwloose said over a speaker, then over the intercom McTalk came online,

"I hate to leave in such a haste, but I have a train to catch, anyways, for giving me a chance to escape you have earned my gratitude, and I figure I'll Throw you a bone, Automated Systems, Attack Project Archangel, I hope we do not meet again!" The microphone cut off and various drones climbed over the machine, some running into the gears to jam them others wildly shooting at it, Screwloose became preooccupied with the drone when a car came zooming down the smaller tunnel and drifting to a stop in front of the two,

"GET IN NOW!" Ringo yelled, the two gladly complied, as the car burned out it peeled away from the large machine,

"YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASY!" Screwloose screamed as she brushed past the drones and tried to fit the giant machine through the smaller tunnel but the large missile silo prevented her, instead she took the larger path, the machine making a fast pace towards the car, the dividers between the tunnels giving enough space to see each other,

"She's gaining on us!" Dash said, as she did Archangels main weapon charged up and shot a focused beam barely missing the car but striking the support of the smaller tunnel causing it to start to collapse, Derpy changed gears and jumped the dividers into the bigger tunnel driving in reverse the group was face to face with the machine,

"SHOOT!" Ringo said, everypony fired at Screwloose, Bon Bon's missiles causing it to flinch, but it persisted, Bon Bon reached for the radio, Derpy pulling the brake causing the car to make a one-eighty.

"This is Drops, Lunar command do you read!?"

"Command here, Status?"

"Archangel is active, I am retreating out of the tunnels of the base, I need the tower at the ready when it steps outside!"

"Roger that, standing by at your mark!"

"Get us out of here!" Bon Bon ordered Derpy who out of nowhere pulled out her own detonator and pressed the button the explosive covering the cave detonated the line of explosions could be seem behind them and gaining on them fast,

"WHAT THE HAY DID YOU DO!" Ringo snapped

"I IMPROVISED!" She said with a wall eyed grin the tunnel began to collapse around them, Derpy without any expression but a carefree grin dodged the falling debris, the entrance to the tunnel was in sight,

"We made it!" Rainbow Dash said excited, when a missile hit the back of the car sending everypony flying in the air, Ringo, Derpy, and Dash all took to the sky with their wings, but Bon Bon flew from the car and skidded across the pavement, the armor only lightly cushioning the fall yet Bon Bon felt the impact as she rolled a few times and came to a stop outside the entrance of the bunker, Bon Bon painfully rolled over noticing that archangel's cockpit was in the open she called in the strike, what sounded like a hammer hitting steel echoed through the woods surrounding the Bunker, everyponies ears rang as a blue beam struck the cockpit multiple times, when the strike was finished Archangel was splayed out of on the ground the cockpit cracked and the pilot inside bleeding from the head, but it started to move, Bon Bon felt a surge of rage course through her veins, the only thing running through her head: Screwloose WILL die. Bon Bon stood up and ran at the machine her leg augments giving out, the weight of the armor coming down on her, unhooking the straps and locks the armor fell off, throwing the ones that didn't aside Bon Bon made her way to the cracked cockpit, grabbing a rock she began to slam it on the window, the crack getting larger, Screwlooses face turned from on of snide superiority to fear as the window smashed open and Bon Bon fell into the tiny space with her, Bon Bon laid out punch after punch to the mare, thinking only of what Screwloose said she would do to Aniseed and Lyra. As rain started to pour Bon Bon's rage faded, looking at her blood coated hooves she saw what was left of the now beaten to a pulp Ex Squad Member, Bon Bon reached into Screw's pocket and pulled out a cigar, stepping out of the cockpit she took a seat in the now muddy ground, Lunar forces started to converge on the location, Luna herself stepping out of one of the vehicles lighting the cigar she sat in the rain in silence.

Epilogue and things to come.

Years later Bon Bon sat in a small rocking chair, her hair now covered in gray hair, strands of Blue and Pink fighting back the age, wrinkles now started to form on her face yet she maintained a fit lifestyle for a mare her age, a small pennant with a lyre rested around her neck,

"And that's how I saved the world," She thought to herself, "again." She said to a filly and colt, ensnared in her story, the filly raised her hoof,

"Mrs. Drops, What happened to McTalk?" She asked Bon Bon let out a sigh,

"To be honest, I don't have a clue, the last time I heard he emptied his bank and wiped all records of him from existence, he's practically a ghost." She said a hint of anger in her voice as she hoped she would have had the chance to finish old business. A small colt spoke up

"Dad said if he ever saw him again he was gonna k-"

"If I know your father he wouldn't want you saying that in front of a lady now would he?" Bon Bon cut off the almost swearing colt, the colt covering his mouth as his pupils shrank causing Bon Bon to chuckle,

"I don't wanna sound rude, but Aunt Bonnie's gotta stretch her legs." Bon Bon left her rocking chair and walked out to the backyard of their house in the outskirts of Ponyville, Lyra was tending to some vegetables in the garden,

"They wanted to hear the story again didn't they?" Lyra asked with a grin,

"Yea, they always do, but one day I'm gonna be too old to remember this kinda stuff you know?"

"You? Nah, you still remember our anniversary and when I forgot four years ago."

"Seven." Bon Bon corrected

"See!" Lyra said with a matter of fact tone,

"Yeah yeah, I'm gonna go talk with Pa for a bit, watch the lil ones." Bon Bon said, Lyra nodding and walking into the house, Bon Bon steadily trotted over to the tree under it in the shade was a small tombstone,

HERE LIES

DUDLEY 'DASTARDLY' DROPS

"Hey Pa, it's me again, been sometime since I just came up here and talked, things are going good, Lyra's getting faster than me though, gotta change that!" Bon Bon snickered, "Aniseed is doing just fine, she's off seeing the world as some Bounty Hunter, Mercenary whatever, I know you'll keep her safe Dad, well, I know it hasn't been that long but I miss you every day, I'll take care of Ma and myself and keep Lyra in check." Bon Bon walked away from the tombstone stopping to look back,

"Love you Dad."

Brushing away a few tears she reentered the house Lyra was playing with the children, after the war the government let her keep her legs as she had gotten accustomed to walking on two legs, as such the children climbed over Lyra as if she was a jungle gym, Bon Bon then heard a knocking at the door, when she opened the door she was greeted to the sight of Backfire and Sifty, Backfire wearing a spring dress and Sifty still wearing the same vest from years ago,

"Hey Bonnie!" Backfire said, "How were the twins?"

"Good, They sat through the story again."

"Did you tell them the part where I threw the machete?" Sifty interrupted the two,

"Yes Sifty I did."

"Good, I like that part." He said with a proud grin, Backfire looking around the house,

"Hey wheres Anni?"

"Manehatten something important came up, wouldn't say much else." Bon Bon said, "Care to stay for dinner we're having salad!"

"We would be Honored!" Backfire said smiling the three old friends spent the night reminiscing about old times, and current affairs, after the war Sifty continued his job as the personal 'bodyguard' of Luna and the Royal Family, after Bon Bon destroyed Archangel the remaining forces surrendered on fair terms and Equestria was unified in a month under the same banner, not as the lunar coalition but Equestria as it was before the war. As the years passed grudges faded and things returned to as normal as they could, Technology had found a middle ground on the ordeal of who should be able to use what through moderation and common sense. Bon Bon never kept up with politics as even today it aggravated her to no end, though she would occasionally turn on the news to stay in touch, or get the news from her Daughter Aniseed, who after the war was adopted to the name Aniseed Drops, then The couple was banned from entering fifty feet of the orphanage as they had a heated hoof fight on who would be the mother, which is Bon Bon.

"So how's Princess Twilight doing Sifty?" Bon Bon asked

"Alright, though it's kinda weird."

"What is?"

"Sometimes the Princess comes running out of her chambers in a frenzy saying she forgot to raise the sun when the sun is clearly in the sky!"

Bon Bon smirked, knowing the reason why, but did not say anything as it was in her eyes need to know, and nopony needed to know. She then looked into the sinking sun letting out a sigh, later that night Backfire and Sifty had taken their kids and left, leaving Lyra and Bon Bon alone the two laid on the couch,

"Whats the matter?" Lyra asked stroking Bon Bon's mane,

"I'm worried about Aniseed."

"Don't, She's a big girl, she can handle herself.." Lyra said comforting the mare,

Aniseed crashed through the window of the Doughnut Shop, rolling onto her hooves, a gang of stallions in leather jackets surrounding her,

"When you look for House, you look for trouble!" The leader said,

"Ha! All I see are a bunch of colts in thrift store jackets!" She mocked, the lead stallion charging at her with a switchblade, back-stepping her horn lit up, the form of a small diamond dog's fist shaped around her hoof she delivered a gut punch to the stallion then using the hand to grab the stallions leg and threw him into the other ponies, she fought the ponies one by one, not noticing another appearing from around the corner with a Crowbar held in a magic aura, as the pony made his way into the fray unnoticed he raised the crow bar to strike her down, Aniseed turning just in time to see the crowbar flying towards her, before it could make contact, a loud bang covered the block and the aura dissipated and the pony fell to the floor a bullet hole in the back of his head, his friends scrambled into the shadow of the night, through the window of the doughnut shop Ringo the Griffon holstered his large revolver,

"That's why you don't mock first!" He lectured, Aniseed's ears drooped

"I had it under control!" She defended,

"Yea, and then I'd have to face the wrath of your parents," he let out a sarcastic laugh, "no."

"Thanks," She said her head hung low,

"Not a Problem! You'll be like your mother in no time!" Ringo assured, taking the mare into the shop, ordering a cup of coffee and a doughnut for her,

"So, we have no new leads on House, but we have practically closed down most of his smuggling rings in Manehatten, so now what?"

"I was talking with a friend of mine, he believes he may have a location on House and the rest of the Syndicate remnants in Las Pegasus, so tommorrow he is meeting you at the airpo-"

"NO,NO,NO I am NOT getting on a plane!" Aniseed snapped, waving her hooves,

"Aww, you used to love flying in my saddle bag when you were a little filly!"

"Yea, but you're a living creature, those metal death traps, NO!"

"Anni.." Ringo said tapping his talon on the counter,

"Fine! I'll go, but I want sixty percent of the paycheck!"

"Deal," Ringo nodded, handing the mare two tickets, "He will meet you there, prolly the only griffon than me in Manehatten so you wont miss him, just be careful he's a handful."

"I'm a big girl!" She quipped,

"You're only twenty!"

"Twenty-two thank you very much!" She scowled finishing her coffee, she stepped away from the counter, "Now if you excuse me I have to pack!" a playful grin on her face as she waved goodbye, peeking through the broken window as she left,

"Sorry for the window!"

"I'll put it on your tab." The barpony said, Aniseed trotting into the dark to her apartment, Ringo walking to the window pulled the blinds down, The barpony changing form into Ritz, the elderly patron in the corner changing to Aya,

"You sure she can handle herself, I can send a few watchers if you'd like?" Ritz offered

"She can handle herself." Ringo declined the offer, "if worse comes to worst, my friend can help."

"I hope your right." Ritz said cleaning some glassware, meanwhile Aniseed was in her apartment cleaning the machine pistols Dash had let her keep as a gift for her ninth birthday, smiling to her mothers reaction, dragging Dash out of the room and giving her a stern lecture. Looking at the television in the apartment the screen tearing from time to time due to interference, the news reporting on the anniversary of armistice and how they were having a big ceremony for a 'special forces' team that raided the Solar Bunker and destroyed Archangel ending the war.

She shut off the television, put the weapons away, and set the alarm for tomorrow.