Revenge of Fury

Chapter 4

Mild West

The train arrived in Appleloosa the next morning. Most everypony had slept on the ride over. Groggy eyes and loud yawns greeted the sun as it peeked over the horizon.

As the train skidded to a stop, everypony grabbed their bags. Everypony was tired, a few were stressed. They got off onto the platform, and made their way towards the exit. Applejack sighed. "C'mon, everypony. Let's go find Braeburn. Maybe he can help us," she said.

Nopony objected to that course of action.

Rarity stood at the edge of the steps, looking down. Dirt. Her greatest enemy. Call her a neat-freak, but Rarity hated dirt. Absolutely, totally hated it. The fact that it existed alone caused her to cringe in disgust. But, she was trying to change right? And colts liked dirt, and getting messy and filthy and disgusting, right? Right?

She sighed, before stepping in the dirt. She cringed as she felt it touch her hoof, tarnishing her. Alright, she would step in it, that didn't mean she had to enjoy it. Pinkie noticed her discomfort. She shrugged, turning to her own thoughts as she bounded along.

To the casual observer, nothing unusual could be spotted about Pinkie Pie's actions. She seemed as chipper as ever, and had a big smile on her face as she bounced along the road. But internally, Pinkie was the living definition of worry. She fretted about Reaper. Where was he? Was he alright? Why hadn't he sent any form of communication to them? Why didn't he tell them where he was going in the first place? What if he showed up in Ponyville and they weren't there?

Pinkie's worry continued to rise, with nopony noticed. She exhaled, not unhappily, so as not to draw attention. Nopony needed to know about her problems. After all, she was the moral support of the group, right? It was her job to make sure everypony else was happy. And if she was upset, how could anypony else be happy? No, for the sake of her friends, she had to stay happy.

No matter how much she really wasn't.

*  *  *  *  *  *  * *  *  * *  * *

Ganglion sighed, leaning back against the wall. Number thirty seven. That was the thrity seventh operation for the day. There was a knock at the door to the operation room. He groaned. "Yes, Phobos?" he asked.

"Doctor, it's an emergency! Someling's leg got crushed by falling rocks!" she shouted outside.

Ganglion grinned. Finally, he could treat something other than hunger and depression. Neither of those were really treatable, anyway. Not without food, at least. He removed his dirty apron, replacing it with a fresh, clean white lab coat. "Send him in!" he called out.

Phobos, the dear soul, came through the door. The patient was already on a mobile bed, which she pushed in. On of his forelimbs was crushed at the shoulder and upper limb. Bits of rock were embedded in parts of the exoskeleton.

"Hmm," Ganglion mumbled. "Phobos, go check if we have any new patients, and contact the family of this one. I'll be done shortly,"

Phobos nodded, before walking out.

The patient was groggy. "Doc? How bad is it?" he asked.

Ganglion looked at it. "Well, I won't lie. It's terrible. You're in fairly bad condition. How did this happen?" he asked.

The patient gulped, and coughed. "Construction accident," he said.

Ganglion just went "Hm," before levitating a bone saw. He grabbed a pair of goggles, and positioned them over his eyes.

"Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to amputate it," he said.

The patient practically jumped. Luckily, Phobos was smart enough to have restrained him sufficiently. "Wait what?" he asked, once he calmed to an extent.

Ganglion nodded, levitating a rag into the patient's mouth. "You may want to bite this,"

The patient's eyes filled with fear. "Whuh abouth anethteticth?" he asked, his voice slurred by the rag.

Ganglion shrugged. "Hard times, friend. No anesthetic left," he said, before lining up the saw.

Phobos jumped at the screams coming from the operation room. Her ears fell as she realized what was happening. She sighed, levitating a pair of earmuffs she kept for situations like these. As she placed them on her head, the screaming was gone.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The group arrived at Braeburn's ranch at about noon. Normally it would not have taken so long, but spending so long on a train with no stops meant that everypony needed a bathroom break, and they had also stopped for breakfast. Applejack knocked on the door to Braeburn's house.

The light yellow colt opened the door. He immediately beamed upon recognition of the ponies outside his house. "AJ! Hey, cuz!" he said, embracing Applejack.

"Hey, Braeburn," Applejack replied, smiling. He then took notice of the rest of the mane 6.

"You brought your friends! Hey, ya'll!" he said.

Twilight and the rest smiled and waved. Braeburn then took notice of Lightning, Shamrock, Willus, and Derpy. "Ah'm afraid Ah don't recognize you folk. Ya'll friends of AJ's?" he asked.

They all nodded, Willus a little more vigorously than the rest.

"Ah see. Well, welcome to Appleloosa!" he said.

"Thank you," Shamrock said. "No, could you be so kind as to direct me to the nearest saloon? Out long ride has me thirstier than a....." he paused.

Derpy looked at him expectantly. He shrugged. "I got nothing. I'm thirsty, that' s my point,"

Braeburn chuckled. "Of course, partner! Just head into town and take a left. Ya can't miss it!" he said.

Shamrock thanked him, before leaving to go find the saloon. "You know what? I'm thirsty too," Derpy said, before following him.

There was a slight pause. Then, Fluttershy leaned close to Braeburn and whispered, "They don't happen to sell hard cider there, do they?" she asked.

Braeburn looked surprised at that, looking Fluttershy up and down in shock. Then he smiled, and nodded. Fluttershy let out a quiet, "Thank you," before following after Shamrock and Derpy.

After they left, Braeburn led them inside. As everypony walked in, he pulled Applejack to the side. "Hey cuz, Ah just wanted to say sorry 'bout Granny. Ah hope she gets better," he said.

Applejack smiled weakly in appreciation. "Thanks cuz. It means a lot to hear you say that," she said.

Braeburn smiled, before turning to Twilight Sparkle. "So, what brings ya'll here anyway?" he asked.

Twilight sat down, sighing. She noticed that she got tired more easily than usual. She took a deep breath, before speaking. "Princess Celestia sent us. We're just stopping by, as we're on a very important assignment," she said.

"Oh really? How important?"

"Fate-of-Equestria important!" Twilight said.

"So, the usual," Rainbow added.

Braeburn chuckled, especially at the glare Twilight gave Rainbow for interrupting.

"Anyway, I'm sure you remember hearing about the fact that the Changeling Hive's location was revealed? More importantly, that it's only a few hours' walking distance from here," she continued.

Braeburn nodded. "Yeah, folks got real on edge after we got the papers for that. Lucky for us, nothin's happened yet," he said.

"That's odd," Willus noted. "You'd expect a species on the verge of war to at least do a little reconnaissance. Why has none been reported?"

"Maybe they're just that good," Lightning suggested.

"Or maybe there's something we don't know about," Rarity added.

"We won't get anywhere by making conspiracy theories!" Twilight interjected. She took another deep breath, before continuing. "Anyway, Princess Celestia sent us here to see if we can discuss a peace treaty with the Queen. But to do that, we need to get to the hive first," she said.

Braeburn nodded. "Well, Ah can't help ya," he said.

Everypony's heart sunk. "But Ah know who can," he finished. "Go into town, and find Sheriff Silverstar. He knows where the changelings are, and he can give you some pointers as to how to find them," he said.

Twilight smiled. "Thanks, Braeburn. Everypony, stay here and rest up. I'm going to go find this sheriff and get some directions," she said, before heading towards the door.

"Woah woah woah," Lightning called out, causing her to stop. "You're crazy if you think I'm letting you go alone," he said.

Twilight blushed. "Lightning, I won't be gone long," she said.

"So? We're a team, Twilight! I can't just let you go off on your own in a dangerous place!"

"Actually, Appleloosa is incredibly sa-"Applejack was cut off by Rarity.

"Ssh! I want to see what happens," she said.

Twilight sighed. "Fine, Lightning. Let's go," Lightning Hawk beamed before following her outside.

The rest of the group relaxed. Applejack got up. "Ah'm gonna get some fresh air," she said.

She stepped outside. There was a long pause as everypony rested their hooves in anticipation of the long trek ahead. Finally, Willus broke the silence. "I need some air too," he said, before rushing outside after Applejack.

Applejack sat on a porch, looking out over the desert. She had the katana Reaper had given her, and was absently twirling it slowly with her hooves. Willus sat down next to her. "Something on your mind?" He asked.

Applejacks sighed. "It's Granny Smith. She's been real sick for a while now, and it's got me worried," she said.

"How sick?"

"She coughs every night. Ah can hardly sleep at night, it's so loud. She's getting weaker and weaker. The doctor's not sure if she'll be alright,"

Willus nodded. "That's tough," he said.

She nodded back. There was a moment of silence. "Look, AJ, if you ever need somepony to talk to, I'm here for you," Willus continued. Applejack looked at him and smiled. She set aside the katana, before hugging him close to her with one arm. He returned the gesture, as they looked out over the scorching plain.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Fluttershy slammed the door to the saloon open, alerting everything inside to her arrival. Everyone turned to look at her. She stood heroically, but just for a moment. She immediately returned to her timid state. "Sorry, too loud?" she managed to force out. Shamrock and Derpy appeared behind her, the former rolling his eyes. There was a murmur for a moment, and the crowd inside the bar returned to their respective business.

The three made their way to the counter. "Two waters, please," Shamrock asked the bartender. "And one hard cider, also, please," Fluttershy added. The bartender gave her a strange look, surprised. But he said nothing, and with a grunt left to go retrieve their drinks.

The trio sat, and Shamrock looked around the bar. It was small, mostly wooden and humble. Most of the customers were cowponies. Except for one group, at the far end of the bar. Sipping on some hard ciders was a small troupe of Minotaurs. They were all dressed in armor, and were heavily armed. One stood out. His armor was gold, and he wore a helmet. He also had a simple red cape the flowed behind him. While the others drank, he simply sat, sitting. Shamrock couldn't help but feel oddly familiar with this minotaur.

The minotaur noticed, before huffing. The simple, quiet action was enough to get the attention of his subordinates. He rose, and they followed. The bartender returned, before eyeing the minotaurs warily. The golden armored one brushed past Shamrock. "Stay out of our way, ponies. We have a job to do," he said in a tone that didn't sound threatening - which only made it more intimidating.

Shamrock glared at the minotaurs as they left the saloon. Derpy huffed. "What's their problem?" she asked.

Shamrock didn't answer, absently grabbing his drink with his magic, trying to remember the golden minotaur.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * *  *  *  *

Twilight and Lightning walked through Appleloosa. "So, you okay?" Lightning asked.

Twilight was lost in thought. She hardly noticed him, thinking. What was she going to do? Now that she was pregnant, that changed everything! What would Celestia say? What would her friends say? What would Lightning say? What if he left her? What if he didn't want to be a father? What if he disappeared overnight and she had to raise the foal all on her own?

"Uh, Twilight?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she suddenly responded, snapping out of her train of thought.

"You okay, Twi'? You've been really out of it lately,"

"Oh, I'm fine, Lightning. Thanks,"

Lightning Hawk eyed her. "Well, if you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here for you," he said.

"Hmm," Twilight replied, once again getting lost in thought.

They walked on for a little longer, silence passing over them. Finally, Lightning extended one of his wings, and hugged her. Twilight smiled at him, for a moment, some of her worries slightly abated. They kept on walking, until they reached the Sherriff's office. Twilight broke from the light embrace, and the pair walked inside.

A colt with a noticeable mustache wearing a Stetson sat behind the counter. "Sherriff Silverstar?" Twilight asked.

The Sherriff looked up at her. "Twilight? What brings you to our little sandpile, little lady?" He asked. "And who's this fine gentlecolt you bring with you?"

Twilight blushed. "Oh, this is my coltfriend, Lightning Hawk,"

Lightning waved. Silverstar winked. "You're a lucky guy, Lightning," he said.

Lightning nodded. "I sure am!"

Twilight decided to return the conversation to it's desired outcome. "Sherriff, we were sent here on a mission. Do you have directions to the changeling hive?" she asked.

Sherriff Silverstar's expression darkened. "The Hive? So war really is going to happen, ain't it?"

Twilight nodded. "Unless we can stop it. Princess Celestia wants a peaceful solution, so she's sending us,"

Silverstar nodded. "Well, it's not too far from here. Less than a day's walk. But be careful. There's treacherous terrain between here and there, and Tyrant's Gorge is something you'll have to go around completely," he said.

Twilight rose an eyebrow. "Why?" She asked.

Silverstar was quiet. "It's a bad place. Let's leave it at that," he said.

Twilight nodded. "Well, thank you," she said.

"Would you like some water before you go?" he asked.

Twilight nodded. "Sure, that'd be great," she replied. He placed a glass of water on the desk. Twilight levitated it. Or tried to at least. The glass was unnaturally heavy. With great effort, Twilight lifted it an inch. She was sweating profusely by the second inch. Panting, she dropped it. "Are you sure that's water?" she asked.

Lightning lifted the glass. "Yeah, just ordinary water. You okay Twilight?" he asked.

Twilight began to worry. "I-I'm fine. Let's go," she said, getting up abruptly.

Lightning shrugged, but seemed a little distressed.

The pair left the building, returning to Braeburn's house.

*  * *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * *

Reaper stopped running, panting. Sputnik stopped next to him, also wheezing mechanically. "So boss, how ya been?" he asked.

Reaper chuckled. "I've been just fine, Sputnik. I see my orders were followed to the letter,"

"Yup! Wait exactly eighteen hours, then find you! Just like a game of hide-and-seek!"

Reaper nodded. "Yes, just like a game of hide-and-seek. Congratulations, Sputnik, you won,"

Sputnik leapt for joy, cheering. "So now what, boss?"

Reaper sat down and sighed. "Well, we really should get to Tyrant's Gorge. I've worked my magic, and we should have a few allies at this point. That said, I'm sure Chryssie has the army hot on our tails,"

"So should we get going?"

Reaper shrugged, leaning against a scraggy tree in the desert. "Well, they're probably scrambling around, both sides trying to get organized. The way I see it, we have about a half hour to rest,"

"Okay!" Sputnik chimed, plopping down. "Also, I found a really cool surprise for you boss!"

"Oh? What is it?"

"I can't say! Then it wouldn't be a surprise!"

Reaper rolled his eyes. He levitated a book, the journal of that pony. Well, as long as they were waiting, he may as well do something productive. He opened the first page.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The Journal of Sickle Star

January 5th, 991st Year of Celestia's Reign

My comrades and I have found a bunker in the Everfree Forest. It is old, and seemingly infested with vermin, but it will serve our purpose well.

We have found the remains of a cat nearby. Our research into necromancy suggests that for our experiment to work, it must still have tissue. I can only hope we can fabricate a new body for it before the process of decay sets in.

Food provisions are at a sustainable level, and morale is high. It is likely that with this new weapon, we can finally topple Celestia's regime, and persuade her to a new, socialist regime.

I can only hope.

*  *  *  *  * *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

January 20th, 991st Year of Celestia's Reign

We have begun fabrication of the robotic shell our weapon will inhabit. We have also used the rats in our compound to our advantage, killing a few and using their corpses as test-models for our ultimate weapon. The tests have proven difficult. The Necromancer has been able to resurrect the robotic vermin, but not for much longer than twenty minutes. He says that it may be necessary to harvest a living brain from something sentient for our weapon to work.

I look at my comrades, and I know that they would all gladly give themselves to the Cause. I pray it will not come to that.

*  *  *  *  *  * *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * *

February 17th, 991st Year of Celestia's Reign

Something extraordinary happened today. Today, my longtime colleague, Hammer Hooves, arrived. He had been in the west, exploring. He sympathizes with our cause, and offered assistance. Not only that, but he provided the missing piece of the puzzle - a sentient being with a brain ready to donate. And alive, at that!

The being is a changeling nymph. I had never known they even existed, although I had heard stories from travelers in the west for many years. A few griffons and minotaurs I've spoken to have also been familiar with the beasts. All have agreed that they are vermin - sentient vermin, but vermin nonetheless. I have no regrets for the procedure it will soon be placed under.

The thing calls itself "Marauder." A fitting name, for one whose sole purpose is to bring misery and despair. It whines and cries continuously. I am looking forward to finally ending its misery under the needle.

The robotic chassis has been completed. Our fears that we would require organic tissue were slightly unfounded. The flesh and skin have all decayed away, but it would seem that the skeletal system is sufficient for the project. We have codenamed the creation, "Sputnik."

Of course, this is just an experiment. A proof of concept. We have found something powerful, and if we can achieve the desired results, not even Discord himself could stop us.

An new day is on the horizon.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Reaper paused. Marauder? Why did that name sound so familiar? Reaper tried to figure it out, but couldn't. He had to admit, he was surprised at the fact that technically, Sputnik was a changeling. Well, sort of. He kept reading, his curiosity forcing him to dive deeper into the rabbit hole.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

February 19th, 991st Year of Celestia's Rule

What have we done? This thing - no, this abomination! It's come to life. It's worked beautifully. Horrifically beautifully.

The changeling was dealt with easily enough. A bit of anesthetic, and we were able to remove the brain without incident. We transmutated the brain matter into a form that would be compatible with Sputnik. We wired it, and powered it up.

At first, Sputnik worked like a charm. It followed our directions, and hunted down vermin with alarming efficiency. We all had hope. We had programmed it to be the perfect killing machine.

What fools we were.

Today, it turned against us. Hammer Hooves was the first to go. The Necromancer followed soon after. None of my comrades remain. I am all that is left. Luckily, I was able to disconnect it's main calibration chip. But I am mortally wounded. I will not survive the night.

Let me pray, that if others find this manuscript, and what we have done here, that they put caution before audacity and see that it meets no other eye.

Celestia have mercy on my soul.

*  *  * *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The rest of the pages were blank, save a few bloodstains here and there. Reaper huffed. Not surprising. Wasn't it known that one should not mess with death? Messing with death never ended well. No wonder Sputnik had turned against his creators. He himself had seen the destructive capabilities of the cat-bot on more than one occasion.

But he was still bothered by the name. Marauder. Who was it? He recognized it from somewhere, but he still couldn't figure it out. It was really bothering him. "Sputnik?" He asked. "Does the name Marauder mean anything to you?" he asked.

Sputnik shrugged. "Can't say it does, boss," he said, before resuming picking flowers.

Reaper grunted in acknowledgement, trying to solve the riddle. Then it hit him like an angry Rainbow Dash.

He remembered. Marauder was his twin brother. Long ago, when they were but nymphs, he had disappeared. He had never been found.

Reaper eventually forgot about him, but now his fate had been revealed.

Which meant that therefore....

Reaper couldn't believe it, but that meant that Sputnik was his brother.