Chapter 42: Escape

The metal halls stretched on endlessly as Luna and I ran through the ship. It seemed like we'd never find what we were looking for.

"Luna, I'm not sure... how much longer we can... keep this up..." I expressed in-between panting breaths.

Luna didn't answer back, looking much more worn out than I as she breathed heavily and her coat was matted in sweat. I finally managed to find a weapon, a Verix plasma rifle. However it was extremely low on ammo and Luna was on her last legs with her magic. As we turned right at another corner I heard the sound of another energy discharge as a bolt of plasma soared at us.

"Get down!" I shouted to Luna as I tackled her to the ground and immediately took aim.

With a swift motion I lined up the head of another Verix soldier and let loose my own shot, this time finding its mark. The sound of twisting metal filled the corridor as it's head exploded in a mix of molten metal, crimson liquid and blue plasma.

"Jeez Luna that one almost killed you!" I stated as I quickly got to my feet and began running.

After a few moments I noticed I didn't hear any more hoof steps, and looking back I realized why. Luna lay on the ground panting hard and trying to stand up on wobbly legs. I quickly ran to her aid and helped her stand.

"Come on girl, just a bit farther. We have to be close to their hanger now. Just cool it on the magic for a bit okay? Let me handle this for a bit." I asked as she slowly nodded and walked alongside me.

As I passed the body of the Verix I just dropped, I swapped the rifle for the one it was holding to keep up on ammo. I was gonna need it.

"I'm sorry Jake..." She wheezed out. "All the spells I've cast in such a short time... I've completely emptied my reserves. I'm of no use right now. If I push myself too much harder I might..."

Shaking my head I snapped back. "Don't say that, just hold on a bit longer and we should be-"

Right as I was finishing that sentence, we turned a corner to reveal a HUGE room full of Verix fighter-class ships.

"BINGO!" I shouted as we quickened our pace with renewed hope.

Immediately we came under fire from catwalks above us, and I took a shot to my right shoulder. I seethed in pain but pushed on towards the nearest ship, shooting Verix after Verix off the catwalks as we went. Once we reached the door to one i slammed a nearby console and the ship roared to life and a door slid open. Luna and I ran in as I closed it behind me and took a deep breath.

"Luna, do you think you have enough magic to levitate this rifle?" I asked as she nodded. "Good, here i'm gonna go try and fly this damn thing." I finished as I threw the rifle to her which she caught in mid-air with her magic.

I sprinted to the control room of the ship and sat in the pilot chair, looking around quickly for any controls to get off the ground. Then I felt my heart hit the pit of my stomach.

"No... nonoNO!" I yelled as my fists came down on the sides of the chair. "GOD DAMMIT!" I quickly got up and ran back to Luna, where I could see her shooting through the now opened door as she took cover next to it where I joined her. "We have a problem!"

"What now?" Luna questioned back as she fired another round out the door.

"The fucking controls!" I yelled at her.

"What about them?" She answered back.

"THERE ARE NONE! The bastards must just plug themselves in directly!" Groaning I slam my fist into the wall behind me. "I'm officially out of ideas..."

*Zzzt*

"And I'm out of ammo..." Luna said in defeat as she threw the gun away and hid behind the door frame.

My brain went into a panic as I tried to think of a way out of this, something we haven't tried yet. But nothing came to mind.

"I... I don't know what to do. Do you have any ideas?" I asked Luna desperately.

She went to answer but suddenly stop as her eyes widened for a moment, before her ears fell. "W-well... I-"

"Come out... of the ship! You have... 10 seconds... we only wish for information." A voice screeched from outside. "If you resist you will be... destroyed."

We both looked at each other for a moment and peeked outside the ship.

'Oh my god...'

There were easily a hundred of them. Or more, all aimed and ready to fire at the ship. We quickly pulled back inside the ship desperately searching for escape.

"Five... seconds!"

Something...

"Three!"

Anything!

"One-"

"WAIT!" I shouted back as I stepped out into the door frame, hands up. "We surrender!"

Luna looked at me with surprise in her eyes, but followed my lead out the door. We slowly walked out as the Verix formed a small circle around us.

"Luna... I'm sorry I got you into this mess..." I whispered as we walked.

"Do not worry yourself... I'd never leave you alone in a hell like this." Luna whispered back.

The Verix fighters finished forming a circle around us and kept their weapons trained on us. Then, suddenly they parted ahead to allow another through. This Verix was... different. And when I say different I mean, something spawned from a nightmare. It adorned many of the features of the rest of the Verix fighting force, however with some VERY noticeable differences.

Like actual eyeballs, reptilian in nature held together by metal and red tendrils of... something living, and pulsing.

Or the exposed skull that looked like actual bone, screwed in place with metal and bolts.

Or perhaps the fact the figure was currently coughing like it's about to hack up a lung.

The metallic coughs rang through the hanger for a moment before it stopped in front of us, about 5 feet away. I noticed a slight shimmer of blue as it looked at us, like he was made of air.

'A hologram...'

"You two... are quite the *Cough* resilient duo. Aren't you?" The figure spoke out in a voice that chilled me to the very bone.

Not because of the innate nature of a Verix's voice, which sounds akin to nails on a chalk board. But how... alive it sounded, however disguised by a shroud of machinery.

"You definitely put a *Wheeze* dent into our forces on this ship... but I knew you would falter... eventually." It said as it grinned, just another thing that sent shivers down my spine. "They all do in the end..." It slowly walked forward, analyzing every feature of Luna in specific. "And aren't you quite the species... so much power tucked away in that... thing on your skull. Your horn. My how strange the English language is." It said as it slowly reached forward to her horn, causing Luna to pull back a bit and the Verix to train their guns on her. "Hmph. No matter. Your secrets will be revealed." He went into another coughing fit for a moment before finishing his little speech. "Time reveals all..."

'Who the hell is this... THING. We have no data on anything like this ever being in the Verix army. Although it was foolish to think they really fought with no purpose' I though to myself as I tried to take in as many details as I can of this figure.

If I live to see another day, what I learn now may very well tilt this war in our favor.

"Anyway..." The being proclaimed. "I'm done here."

He began walking toward the opening of soldiers he emerged from, before stopping for a moment and turning back with that sadistic smile on his face once more.

"Contain that one..." He started, pointing to Luna. "And... kill this one. It has a strong will. We will gain more from the AI tucked away in it's stomach." He finished as he dissipated in a blue haze.

I blinked for a moment before I looked around me, panic setting in as all their guns whirred up and pointed to my body. Luna took on a look of absolute horror as she attempted to muster any magic, but to no avail.

This was it.

Time slowed to a crawl.

This was the end.

And nothing happened.

I opened my eyes to a barrage of gunfire, all being soaked up by a defensive bubble shield sustained by Luna.

"Luna!" I said as I knelt down to her height and saw the expression of immense pain plastered on her face. "What are you doing! You know you can't keep this up! JUST GO!"

"I..." She began as tears flowed down her face.

"Luna this will kill you... you're straining your body too much! You need to-"

Luna quickly interrupted me, looking me in the eyes with a tear stained face. "And if I don't they will kill you!" She explained through the pain. "You will honestly, never understand how much you mean to me. You are the first, true friend I've ever had." She stated as she winced and fell to her knees.

"A good friend isn't worth killing yourself over!" I said back, getting her to wince.

"It is for me..." She whispered back as her shield faltered for a moment and a shot from the barrage got through, striking the ground next to her.

I evened her gaze with my own, and leaned in. "I probably should have done this sooner..." I whispered as I pressed my lips upon hers.

Her eyes shot open for a moment before closing and pushing back into the kiss herself. The sound of gunfire was drowned out as we both lost ourselves in the kiss. It was a slow, passionate kiss that felt like it lasted for ages, both of us battling for dominance over the other as we pushed against each other. Luna moaned into my mouth and I wrapped my arm around her neck, before we both broke apart panting for air.

"You... dummy~" She said with a huge smile on her face.

I nodded up to her horn. "Better?" I finished as we both stood up.

Letting out a small smile, she nodded forward. "Lucky that you seem to be a walking magical battery. You had a lot more of my magic in you that I... took back." She finished with a quick glance. "Do you trust me?" She asked as she closed her eyes.

"Yes." I replied.

"Hold on to me." She said as her horn grew brighter and brighter. "It's about to get very cold..."

I quickly latched onto her with both arms, and just as I did the ground around us began to freeze. I watched as her coat began to change from it's normally blue color... to a cascade of black and purple with stars flickering all over. Her mane changed from its free flowing blue ethereal color... to a black void that seemed to devour any light that touched it, and began flowing erratically. Luna's eyes flew open to reveal deep crimson light, much like how Celestia's was pure white.

"You... voyagers of the stars with no purpose but to kill... FEEL THE STARS' FURY!"

Everything went white, the sound of destruction filled the air...

Then silence.

We floated in space, the two of us alone in a magic bubble surrounded by debris in every direction. Luna maintained her form as she looked around solemnly, then down to her body and began to cry.

"Whats wrong?" I asked.

Shaking her head and sniffling a bit, she answered. "I... I promised myself I'd never use this form again... I-"

I placed my hand on her mouth, silencing her. Her red eyes receded and her teal orbs looked back at me.

"Shhh. Its in the past. And you saved my life as well as your own. Whatever you may have done to cause yourself so much grief with this power is long behind you..." I paused as I pulled her in for a hug. "This, is the real you Luna. It is and always will be. Don't ever think any different, OK?"

Luna pulled me into the hug further and nodded. "Thank you..." Pulling away she looked at me one more time before her eyes filled with crimson light once more. "What say we get back home?" She asked as I nodded eagerly.

As I held onto Luna, I could feel as her magic enveloped me, and began to pull me to a new destination. Right before it finished, I vividly remembered the giant fucking kiss I just planted on the Princess of the Moon.

'Sun-butt is gonna have my head'

Author's Note

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