Chapters Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Part 1: The Destruction of Earth. Chapter 1
Chapter 1:
The Big Bang Theory Backfires...HARD!
I remember my last days on Earth like it was yesterday, and not two years ago, like it had been. For some reason, I fight well with that memory. But that's not the point. My story starts two years before I became a hero. Before the 'glitz and glamour' of Equestria. Before any of this happened. I was 15 at the time, and since my mom thought I was responsible enough to have a girlfriend, I did. Her name was Alisa, and the reason we got along so much is because we had a problem.
Meaning, we had a disease called cancer. No one else knew.
That is, until Reggie found out and told us his secret. Apparently, he had a problem as well. He was once accidentally dropped in a bin of toxic waste. He was lucky he survived. Then, when he was three, he had an incident with a wood chipper. His dad, being a scientist and all, made him a special arm that moved when he sent signals through his brain to the arm, allowing him to have total control.
We were the closest friends. And the best pranksters. Sometimes, we'd pull pranks on the High School Football Team in the hallway, like hiding behind corners with a thin wire to trip the quarterback. But one day, everything changed by the tip of a hat.
I got tripped by the High School Football Wide Receiver, Jake Abercrombie. Reggie tried to save me from a beating, and Jake pushed him against the wall. I got so mad, I broke my promise to Reggie, which was that I wouldn't get violent
And when I get violent, I was like a psycho who pleaded innocent of murder charges.
I punched Jake in the face, grabbed his backpack full of heavy books, dropped it on his bleeding nose, kicked him in the stomach until he coughed up blood, and kicked him down the stairs. I got expelled, and Reggie said I was no longer his friend.
A few days passed, and on the first day of Winter Break, I woke up to screaming, fires burning people alive. I got dressed in my Great-great-great...however many greats, grandpa's old leather duster from his time in WWII, a black muscle-T, black skinny jeans (which, by the way, look great on me), my bead necklace my father made for me, my Italian leather belt, and my fresh, new Jordan's I bought yesterday.
(My dad was a magician. We became rich, but I'm not spoiled. Oh, the irony.) Then I went outside, and Alisa was on the ground, her leg bleeding from puncture wounds. Her last words before she died were “Reggie...wants you dead. He's discovered he has powers...silly, huh? And...and he's...using them to blow up the sun......I-I loved you Max, and always will.”
And just like that, she closed her eyes for one last time.
§§§
“why the heck aren't you running to your bunker, you idiot? You'll get killed!” yelled Jake. For once, he actually cared. How 'sweet.' “I need to know what's going on first! Then I'll leave, Jake! And since you care oh so much, you're going with me to the bunker!” And I ran off towards the woods, where Reggie was trying to age the sun.
“What are you, NUTS!?! If you do this, you'll never make it out!” “Max, of course I will. I have powers that you never will. All you have is a disease that you'll die from...And no, I'm not nuts. I'm Reggie Phillips, Destroyer of Earth. AND I'VE DECIDED, THAT NO ONE ON THIS PLANET, DESERVES TO LIVE!!!” “Well then, here's a gift from me to you, Destroyer of Earth.” And I punched his nose so hard, it bent down like Professor Snape from Harry Potter.
“YOU DAMN HUSSY!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!” and he charged.
But it seems he's forgotten that I'm a very good climber.
Before he could grab me, I said, “You're gonna have to catch me first.” and I climbed a tree, swung from branch to branch, grabbed Jake, and swung from branch to branch until we reached my bunker. The government gave us these in case such an event happened.
We got inside, I closed the door on Reggie's face, and then Jake asked “Why are you saving me? I tried to beat you up a few days ago.” “sometimes, people need just a little forgiveness!” And I pressed the launch button, which made our bunker fly into space. And just in time, too. Because as soon as lift-off happened, the sun blew up, and with it, the entire solar system, asteroid belts included. “Jake?” “Yeah?” “Looks like home isn't an option, anymore.”
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 2:
FREAK OUT!!!
How the heck do you expect me, a tough tech wiz who doesn't take crap from anybody, to deal with a Jock? Simple. First, give them an old football and say you don't want it anymore (even if you do). Next, ask them about their life. He'll ask you about yours, and the final step is to ask if they want to be your friend. Normally, that would work, right?
WRONG!!!
When we got to the jock-asks-me part, he said “GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FREAK!!!” and threw the football at my face (perfect spiral, of course). But I blocked it with my hand and the ball bounced in a different direction. Just goes to show, people fight when they're scared. It also goes to show that people can have a SMOSH moment. “Why are you scared of me, if I saved you, fart-knocker!”
“...Good point. But...why did you call me a fart-knocker?” “Remember when you would fart at our table to annoy me and Reggie? Let's just say, they made plenty of noise.” Jake laughed, then took the football back. “Wanna know a secret? I lied when I told you the Football team accepted me for having a football-like determination. It's actually because I'm super fast.” ...Gee, wasn't expecting that. “...Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?” “I didn't know how you'd react.” “True.”
§§§
“Dude! Why didn't you tell me you had the latest of game consoles!?!” Said Jake, miffed by the video games in my bunker. “Technically, I did. By telling you my father was rich.” “...Oh...” “Now, Jake, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look at the space time continuum map and find a habitable galaxy to go to.”
“Uh, but what if some alien bugs come and eat me alive? I don't wanna die in Space! No one can hear you scream in Space!”
“Dude, lay off the star-ship troopers. I'm only gonna be in the next room. There is no such thing as alien bugs.”
“Uh, yeah. I knew that. Just...testing you. Yeah, that's it. Just testing you.”
“Whatever you say, Jake. Whatever you say.”
§§§
“Good news and bad news, Jakey boy. Good news, I've found and locked on to a habitable galaxy that uses the sames resources as humans. Bad news is the computer says it's going to take a two year trip.” “First of all, really? 'Jakey boy?' And second of all, WHAT!?! I don't think we'll last that long, man. What if—” “Jake...screw the what if's. Each one you tell me sucks and makes absolutely no sense. Then again, you are a Jock, after all.” “What's that supposed to mean?”
“Figure it out for yourself, Jake. By the way, your room is right behind you.” And with that being said, I left.
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Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Part 2: Obtaining the Pony Galaxy. Mini Chapter 1
Mini Chapter:
Meanwhile...
Reggie Phillips has survived, my friends. And he has made it to the Pony Galaxy before Max. He's turned it into his kingdom, and has married Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. They have made the world in question their playground. While Max grows stronger, The inhabitants of the W.I.Q (World In Question) are Rebelling against Reggie's order, with not much success. Let us hope there are still survivors by the time Max gets to the planet.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Part 3: The Arrival. Chapter 5
Chapter 5:
The Arrival of Max Stronghold.
Two years have passed, and Jake and I have grown both stronger and wiser. I was talking to Jake one day about the dream I had a year ago, and he seems to agree with me when I said that I believed Reggie was alive. He told me these exact words; “I agree. There's no way that punk just...died along with the rest of the Earth. If he was strong enough to make the sun blow up, he's strong enough to survive the blast.” On that same day, the bunker's alarm went off, and said, “We have reached the Pony Galaxy. Landing in two minutes. Brace for impact, for it is indeed imminent.”
We reacted a little too late, and soon, flames engulfed our bunker as we were about to crash into the planet. In a matter of seconds, I was able to look out a window, see an old, battered hut, scream bloody murder at the top of my lungs, and crash against the bunker door.
And then...everything went black.
When I woke up, I was stripped of my Muscle-T and my Leather duster. I had an ace bandage wrapped around my abdomen and my right shoulder. I was in a hammock, and when I turned my head to the right, so was Jake. He looked in worse shape then I did. He had an ace bandage wrapped around his forehead, his abdomen, and his left arm. I looked to the left, and saw a kitchen, where a...(I must be either dead, or insane, I thought) zebra was cooking in a large pot.
She turned in our direction, and said, “Ah, you are awake. I bandaged you, since you were in a damaged state.” Then she said, “I am Zecora, healer and herbs specialist.” “...Hello, Zecora. I am Max Stronghold, and my friend here is Jake Abercrombie. We are extremely grateful for your assistance, for as you can obviously see, we crash landed on your planet. Sorry about that. The bunker wasn't strong enough to control it's landing.”
“Why have you landed on this planet? Do you assist the tyrant Reggie Phillips?” “Heck no. If anything, I'm the reason for his crooked nose. I broke it by punching him in the face. He blew up his planet, and it also was our planet. And besi—wait, did you say 'Tyrant' Reggie Phillips?” “Yes, I did.” So I then said, “I'm gonna kill that son of a—Is there anything I could do to help free you from his cold, evil hands?” “No. No there isn't. You're still hurt. As well as your friend.”
“How's about I help anyway?” And I got up, felling no pain as I ripped off the ace bandage from my body. I looked down at my body, and saw scars where the ace bandage covered my abdomen, as well as my right shoulder. “How is that possible? No one could ever heal that fast.” “Well, I guess I have a somewhat high-powered hemoglobin system. Come on, Jake!” He got up as well, but decided to keep the bandages on. “You can never be too sure, Bro.”
§§§
What happened here, Max? The place looks like a ghost-town.” “Remember, Jake. There's a reason for that.” I said as we went into the village near the forest Zecora lives in. We came across a building with a sign that said “Sugar cube Corner.” I went in, and saw that the inside looked terrible. Not only that, but I heard a crying noise from above us. We rushed towards the counter, jumped over it, went up a flight of stairs or two, and followed the noise.
It was coming from a room two feet away. We entered, and saw two little baby horses in a crib, crying. I felt so sorry for them, so I came up to the crib, and sang a lullaby. The crying ceased, and they just stared, their eyes drooping. By the end of my lullaby, they were sleeping, drool escaping their mouths, which I wiped away using their shirts. I lowered the crib door, and kissed both babies on the forehead.
Then I raised the crib door, when I heard footsteps coming from the hall. I sprang into fighting position, one arm blocking the crib, the other in a fist. Jake got into fighting position too. We were determined to protect these two babies, no matter the circumstance.
Then whoever was in the hallway entered, and it turned out to be a pink pony with long, straight pink hair. “Oh, it's just the mother. I thought for a second there, it was Reggie. Sorry to trespass, but we heard them crying, so I sang them a lullaby so they could sleep.” “Oh no no no. I'm not their mother. I'm their caretaker. Their parents are dead. They were part of the rebellion against Reggie, and they were tortured to death by the tyrant himself.”
“Then, who are you?” I asked. “I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie. But you can call me Pinkie Pie, and before the tyrant came to Equestria, I had curly, frizzy hair. I was always happy, and I always threw parties. Those babies, Pound Cake and Carrot Cake, are the only ones left in this house, other than me. You see, when Reggie came, My hair flopped from being sad.
He destroyed everything fun. Then, out of nowhere, this gloomy fog came and darkened the skies. We try to fight him, but we're on the losing side. I pray every night that somepony will 'turn the tables' if you will.”
“I think you've met that 'somepony'. You see, Reggie once was my friend, up until he blew up my planet. I'd like to help you win the war. Already, I've realized you suffered for far too long. If you have any friends, I'd like to meet them, and tell them my plan of action.” Pinkie Pie smiled, and I was starting to see her mane and tail frizz up. Her coat, mane, and tail became a brighter shade of pink. And just like that, she had a wild look in her eyes.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Thank you so much! I'd like you to meet my friend Fluttershy first. I think it's time she's had some comfort. She's so scared, she won't come out of her cottage anymore.” “Alright. I will. Jake, come on.” “Hold on, I'm coming.”
§§§
“Whoa.” Were Jake's exact words as we came across the cottage of Pinkie's friend Fluttershy. “I guess Reggie's the reason for Fluttershy's fear. He probably tried to kidnap her for some reason” I told Jake as I knocked on the door. I heard someone inside say “Go away.” in a whispering voice. “We're not here to hurt you. We just came to talk to you.” I said to the voice inside the cottage. Then I heard footsteps, followed by the turning of a doorknob, and who I saw was shocking.
The pony facing me was amazing. She had long pink hair, a light yellow coat, and lovely ice-blue eyes. I guess she was a Pegasus, because she had wings. She looked scared though, and it made me sad to see her that way. “Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you, okay?” I said calmly. I put my hand under her chin, and looked at her, explaining that I had a plan to get rid of the tyrant. She started to cry, and I brushed away the tears. Then I asked if Jake and I could come in. I guess you could say I'm kind of a softie when I'm not fighting.
“So, what is this plan of yours? After all, I doubt it will work. None of the plans the rebels use ever work. I've lost hope. He's killed those who he captures. It's like as though he sees things happen, before they happen. He's too strong.” “Not as strong as me, Fluttershy. I broke his nose, and I intend to break other parts of his body as well. Now, I have a plan, but first, I need your help to tell the rebels...and, your friends.
§§§
“Well, um, here's everypony...I think.” said Fluttershy. “Good. We'll need everyone's help for this.” I said.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 6:
The plan.
“Hello, and welcome Phillies and Gentlecolts. I have a plan that will help us overthrow Reggie Phillips. You see, he's literally my reason for being here. Two years ago, He and I were friends. Then, I did something that changed that. A few days passed, and on the first day of winter break, he returned the favor by making the sun explode and with it, the entire solar system. Me and my friend here Jake survived because we were in a bunker.
“We know not how Reggie survived, but we do know that he's turned a once beautiful place into a house of horrors, where those who are imprisoned are immediately executed. But that all changes now. We have a plan that will turn the tables, and make the losing side, the winning side. And if we all follow the plan, then Reggie Phillips, Destroyer of Earth and Tyrant of Equestria, will never see it coming! And we, my fellow survivors, will restore Equestria to it once beautiful , and once righteous place!!!”
Every pony in the audience cheered, and then four ponies came up to the stage. “I don't know who you are, or how you expect to do this,” said a purple pony with wings and a horn. “But I'm glad you're here to help us.” “As am I.” “I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The Pegasus to her right, who had; a rainbow-colored mane and tail, magenta eyes, and a blue coat said, “I'm Rainbow Dash. I'm the leader of the Rebels, and my other friends here are Rarity and Applejack. I will give you some Intel on everything you wish to know. Welcome to Ponyville. Welcome...to Equestria.”
§§§
“Wait, that's your plan? To surrender ourselves to that demon? That'll be like giving up.” said a surprised Rainbow Dash. “Listen, that's not all. From what I've heard, he lets certain prisoners live a day after he captures them. The next day, he kills them. I am your advantage, Because I'm smart. So, without being interrupted, I'd like to finish explaining. After we surrender ourselves, You will be allowed the option to enjoy the sunlight for one last day.
“I will stay in my cell, and convince the guard to look after the other prisoners by acting defenseless. The guard, not knowing me at all, will not suspect I'm lying. I will scan the perimeter of the cell to find weak links within the cell. Then, at night, I will break free, and free all the other prisoners of war. Then, after doing the same for you six, we will kill the guards, then look for the chambers of Reggie Phillips. And I myself, will put him to sleep...for good.
“Then, we head back here, and wait for dawn, and when Chrysalis finds his husband dead, she will be out for blood. But we will have a one up on her, for she alone is defenseless against the Elements of Harmony. That's where you all come in. You will use the Elements of Harmony on her, which will rid her of Equestria forever.
“After that, we free the royal sisters, Celestia and Luna, and restore Equestria to it's rightful place. Excellent plan, huh?” “...Yes. Actually, it is. What should we call this plan, Max?” “Operation: Stronghold.”
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Mini Chapter pt2:
Send the assassin!
Reggie Phillips knows of an increasing popularity off in Ponyville, and he's well aware of a new presence in his kingdom. His right-hoof colt, who spied on the rebels, tells Reggie of the newcomer, and who he is. Reggie, now aware of the plan, decides it's time for him to send someone to kill the newcomer. He chooses to send his greatest Hench-colt, who will do anything to gain power and infamy. Even...kill.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 8:
Time to get down to business.
Once again, my fellow readers, Max is having nightmares. We will now view his ghastly dream, and figure out the problem;
He is at the castle of Reggie Phillips, Emerald katanas in hand. With Fluttershy at his side in human form, he feels reassured that victory was imminent. He brings out all his might as he kicks the gates down. But as he does, all of Reggie's little minions surrounds them, and throws spears at them. A second before the spears hit them, Max wakes up.
“Augh!!!” I yelled as I woke up. I saw an ace bandage wrapped around my abdomen...again. I saw Zecora hovering over me. “Zecora...we have got to stop meeting like this.” Zecora chuckled, then said “Mother's right here, my little Max. She's right here.” as she hugged me. 'Hmph...never thought of her as my mother, up until now.' I thought. “I know, mom...I know.” Kind of odd, calling a zebra your mother. But hey, she saved my life twice with care. What was I supposed to consider her as, my nurse?
“Where's Fluttershy? Was she killed by that assassin?” “No. She is outside. I will bring her in.” Two minutes later, I heard galloping headed my way. Fluttershy immediately started tearing up, apparently worried I had died. She started babbling like a madmare, talking about seeing me holding my side where blood was pouring out between my fingers, and that I fainted, and that she got Rainbow dash to drag me to Zecora's hut.
It took a while for me to calm her down. “I'm fine, Fluttershy. Really. I wouldn't be awake if I wasn't. What makes you think a small knife would kill me? As long as I'm ticking, I will always be kicking. All we have to do is remove the assassin from Reggie's game plan, and then we can come up with a plan that will knock Reggie off the top of his throne! As soon as I rid of him, we will regroup, and think of something else.”
“Are you sure you're alright?” asked Fluttershy. “Listen to me, Flutters. I've been healed by Zecora, an Herbs specialist for crying out loud. There is no way that I can't, be fine.” And so, I got up, and headed out of the Everfree Forest. I headed to the Sugar cube Corner place I mentioned, and went up to the counter. There, I saw Pinkie Pie standing in front of an oven. She must've been baking muffins, because a beautiful scent filled the air that made me think of home baked goods.
Then, I looked around, and noticed that the place looked a little better than before. Then I looked down at the counter, and saw a hotel front desk kind of bell. I tapped it, and Pinkie turned around.”Oh! Hi, Max, I was just making these muffins for when you come to. I heard about the near assassination thing, and I knew you wouldn't go down so easily. I'm just waiting for the—” and a timer finished her sentence as it made a satisfying 'ding!' “Ooh! They're ready! Hold on just a sec, okay? I'll go get the muffins!”
“Now, what's your reason for coming over here? Did you come to visit the little ones upstairs?” she asked as she handed me two of her freshly baked muffins. “That's the thing, Pinks. I came...to adopt them.” She instantly had a shocked face that made me crack up on the inside. “...YES, YOU CAN!!! I don't know anyone who could be a better father than you! Caring and ready to defend anyone if they are defenseless.
“And I've only known you for a few hours. But after meeting you, a few hours is plenty. Besides, I've had to give them a snack before they could stop crying. All you did was sing, and they stopped. They even went to sleep! They've stressed me so much, I have gray hairs. See?” and she pulled back her mane using her hoof, revealing quite noticeable slivers of shining gray mixed with the pink. “Wow.”
“But first, can I still take care of them from time to time?” I said “Sure,” and went upstairs. I saw the babies playing around. Pound Cake (the boy) was using his flight to walk upside down on the roof. Carrot Cake (the girl) was having power surges, and making her toy ducky fly around while she imitated the sound a duck makes. Then they looked at me, and they immediately stopped doing what they were doing and sat down. I smiled, and said, “You two ready for a new home?”
They started laughing, and I scooped them up in my arms. I left, but not before thanking Pinkie Pie for the delicious muffins, and left, heading downtown to where the stores were. I saw one in particular that got my attention; a mini-palace, with jewel-encrusted walls for the exterior, and a purple flag on the top. Above the door was a beautifully crafted wooden-sign that read “Rarity's Boutique-the to go place for the finest ensembles.”
It was the only place that seemed untouched. I went inside, and immediately heard a wind-chime. Rarity came in and said in what seemed to be a mid-Atlantic accent “Hello, there! My name is Rari—oh! It's just you, Max. Why have you come here, out of all places?” “Because it's the only place not falling apart, obviously. And because I'm in need of your assistance.”
“Oh, sure! Just settle the children down here.” As I did, she then insisted that I follow her. “Now, my reasoning for asking is because your my first male customer. What ensemble can I make for you?” “I need something for when the new plan gets put into action. It's an outfit I used to put together when I was twelve and it was almost Halloween. I even drew a picture of it a day after my thirteenth birthday. I keep it in my pocket at all times. Now, it should be of good use.” I said as I handed her the picture.
“It looked very complicated, and I do love a good challenge when it comes to making ensembles. Let's see what materials I have that you want. Oh, and it's on me since you're being so kind as to try to free us from Reggie.” “Okay. Let's see.” “We have many luxurious fabrics, like silk, satin, and most importantly, fine imported leather from Itaily. Which would you like?”
I thought about it, and realized I'll need all three since I never perform well without comfort. Then remembered that my new untold plan was supposed to be covert and secret. Therefore, I'd need it in black, with a hint of white. I told her this, and she said it'd take her about a half an hour or so. I left, babies in hand, and went to Zecora's hut.
§§§
“WHAT!!! Are you out of your mind, Max? You'll be killed in a heartbeat!” Said Zecora. I told her my plan, and she thought it was crazy-talk. My first part of the plan was to sneak into Reggie's castle, and kill his spies randomly when no one is looking. Then, I'll tell everyone about the new plan, and since Reggie will have no spies, he'll never see it coming. “No, I won't. I'm getting a special outfit designed for this mission right now. I'll never be spotted.”
“Are you sure this will work, Max? Reggie may not be very smart, but he's smart enough to know when to attack. And he's smart enough to know when someone's in his domain. Are you sure you want to take this risk?” “Yes, mother. I'm sure. I'm also sure that my mission outfit is ready. See you tomorrow morning. I'll be here before you wake up so that I could cook up some breakfast.”
§§§
“Thank you for the outfit, Rarity.” “It wasn't a problem at all making this ensemble, Max. Don't thank me. Thank yourself for having such a perfect fashion sense, even when you're about to get yourself killed.” “Let me pay for it.” “No. You're wasting your time by staying here. Go!” And she pushed me out the entrance. “Okay, then,” I said, cracking my knuckles. “Let's get down to business.” And I ran.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 9:
Surprise, Sucka!
I've made it to the castle, it seems. And man it is pretty high up. And when I say 'pretty high up', I mean the height of exactly Mt. Everest and the Freedom Tower back on what used to be Earth combined. I guess he knew that one day, somepony would climb it. But I guess he should've made it a little higher because, like I've said, I'm a great climber.
I grabbed on to a pipeline attached to the outside of the castle, Broke off a long piece, and put it in my special holster #1. The costume felt great;
A black-satin hoodie with a silk ninja mouth cover sewn onto the front of the hood, a Black leather Jacket with a thin white line running along my collar-bones, two special holsters made of Leather-built to fit anything from rusty pipes to 6-foot long katanas, Black Leather Gloves with White lines running down towards the end from in between my knuckles worn over my hand, which I wrapped in ace bandages up to my elbows, black cargo pants made of black leather, and Belted Combat Boots with a white line that shows the contours of my foot.
If you asked me if I was prepared, I'd fist pump and scream “TOGA, TOGA!”
So anyways, I then climbed the pipeline all the way to the top, where I looked above the roof. I saw two strong colts with knives strapped to their sides. They seemed to be chatting. I managed to overhear what they were talking about;
Colt #1: …“Yeah, I see your point. But what I don't understand why we have to secure the roof entrance. It's not like anypony would be dumb enough to attempt breaching our top of the line security. We've got some awesome toys, so to speak. We've got a bunch of Security-colts, infrared laser beams, motion sensors, and the most recent model of code alarms. nopony would try guessing it, because they don't even know it. Hah!”
Colt #2: “But what if they do make it past all that, hmm?”
Colt #2's got a point, I thought.
Colt #1: “Then if the system feels it's been successfully hacked, it will send the Pony-robotron model 1, a destructive robot that will kill anypony stupid enough to go against it.”
...Good thing I have this rusty pipe, I thought shortly afterwards. I slowly took it out, but they must've heard it, because Colt #1 said “Who's there?” I improvised by making an owl noise. “Don't worry, Drake. It's just that noisy owl Twilight Sparkle owns. What, are you afraid Owlowiscious is going to give the rebels an advantage? Twilight wouldn't understand owl.” Said Colt #2. “Lets just check anyway, Garret.” Said Drake.
So I quickly looked around for anything to help me, and to my left I saw another pipeline. I jumped towards it, grabbed on, and got onto the roof. I waited until they reached the edge where I was standing, and slowly crept up behind them. I took out my rusty pipe, and whacked them both on the head. When I hit them, I heard the thunk noise you only heard in comedies. Afterward, I guess I knocked them into sleep, because then came some snoring.
Making sure they were out cold, I then went through the roof entrance. I guess I forgot to mention that I stole a few things from the two colts; a knife holster with a knife in it, a decoder, a taser, sticky gloves, and those special sprays used to reveal the infrared laser beams Drake mentioned.
So first, I sprayed the floor, and saw lasers shooting across the floor and walls, starting from in front of me. I put on the sticky gloves, which were made of a stretchy fiber, and crawled to the ceiling. I then put the mouth cover over my mouth and nose, and started to crawl above the lasers. Then, I reached the motion sensors. Since the wires connected to the sensors ran along the ceiling, I took out the taser and jabbed it against the ceiling. I then heard a power down sound that told me I was able to walk along the floor now. But first, I sprayed the floor, making sure I was safe for walking.
No beams.
I'm safe.
I pushed away from the ceiling and landed on my back. There I threw my legs forward and got up like in those awesome spy movies I watched at 11 years of age. I walked slowly, making sure nopony would be ambush me. I reached the end of the hallway, where a door was unlocked.
'#Geniusmoment scoreboard shows; Villains, 1. Max, 0. For once, having a zero as your score is a good thing' went through my head as I opened the door to reveal a flight of stairs heading down the hallway. I went down them, and when I reached the end, I saw an alarm system. Time to use the decoder. I took it out and plugged it in the bottom of the alarm, where four numbers appeared on the decoder screen; 8425610101.
I pressed in the numbers, and the two iron bars in front of the door slid into the walls. I was about to go through to the next room when I heard a clanking sound. I turned around, and saw it...the Pony-robotron. And mam, was it...short. The freaking thing came up to my knees, and the Security-colts on the roof said this was a killing machine!?! When it charged, all I had to do to break it was smack it with my pipe. Then I stood above the broken machine and went up and down over the machine, saying “T-baggin', T-baggin'.” Then ran into the next room.
Due to my outfit, nopony would see me, which is good, because there were a ton of Security-colts having a party. Though for what I don't know why. Then I found out shortly afterwards when I saw Reggie about to make an announcement on the stage at the other end.
“Hello, My fellow villainous Phillies and UN-Gentlecolts. It's an honor to have you all here. I'd just like to make a toast to a successful two years of ruling the world. Huzzah! Now, I'd also like to announce that my beautiful wife Chrysalis and I are having a baby. I've thrown this party for her, because tomorrow, she will be giving birth, so I thought 'Hey, why not celebrate? Seems like the best thing to do.' And here we are, enjoying ourselves, having lovely entertainment, eating, drinking and-Let's be honest here-being merry!
“Oh, and before I forget, if someone would please go get Drake and Garret and bring them down, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you, and have a wonderful night.”
'Time to climb', I thought. I faced the door and jumped onto the wall above it. I crawled above everyone in the room, and reached the other end. I jumped down, and whacked the guards at the same time with my pipe. I got off the stage, and went through a door. I crawled along the wall, and waited above two colt-spies, then when one of them turned around, I grabbed the other one and snapped his neck. Then I dropped him, which caused the other one to look up just in time to see a fist of black and white. Checked his pulse, and it was very faint. Out cold.
I ran along the hallway, and stopped immediately, because there were cameras. I jumped onto the wall, and took out the knife. I sliced one of the cameras down, and jumped towards the other side. I took the pipe, and smashed the other one.
Meanwhile, my fellow readers, while Max was taking out the cameras, a Security-colt in the surveillance room was sleeping, when all of a sudden, He heard a loud 'Tshhhhhh' noise that meant the cameras were down. The Security-colt woke up, and took out his walkie-talkie. He spoke into it, saying “Reggie? I think we have a security breach.”
I was reaching the end of the hall when I heard the sound of hot air coming through the air vents I was crawling on. It was coming closer, so I crawled even faster, out-crawling the hot air, and pushed away from the wall, this time landing on my feet. I ran down two flights of steps and I saw the door locking, so I charged the door, and broke it, splintering the wood.
'Great. Now my damn shoulder hurts', I thought. But I didn't have much time to recover, because then I got whacked with a huge mallet-right across the back, too. “AAH!!!” I said as I flew across the courtyard. I turned, and saw Reggie. “Max, this is gonna hurt you...a lot. But believe me, it won't even make me flinch.” And he swung at my already throbbing shoulder. I heard my shoulder crack as he hit me. “AUGH!!!” I looked up at him, and my vision was blurring.
But my hearing wasn't fading.
I heard him say “Dump the waste, John Mare! While he's down!” And right after he said it, I felt some green slime run down all over me. I coughed, because some of it got in my mouth. I puked blood as I got on my hands and knees. The waste chemicals were coursing through my veins, and it didn't feel good.
I then felt a hand on my throat lift me from the ground. Reggie was right next to my ear, and he said, “Think of this waste as a gift, White hair. Don't give up on me” And I had time only to say, “Wha—” before he threw me so far in the air I crashed into the center of Ponyville. My blurring vision became black as I passed out.
But the last thing I saw before my vision went black...was a Medi-colt and three nurses.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Part 4: Deadly Alliances... Chapter 10
Chapter 10:
Recovery Hurts...
I guess you could say I thought I was dead, because when I woke up, I saw a Pegasus flying right above me, a lovely smile on her face. “Am...am I in...Pony Heaven?” My voice sounded dry, like as if I swallowed sand (not literal). The Pegasus then said “No, silly. You're in my room. I'm letting you recover here.” That's when I started noticing different things, like the bunny next to me, and the bookshelves at the front of the room. Then I realized where I was; and the answer was definitely not dead.
I was in Fluttershy's room.
“What happened? Wh—where are my clothes?” “Oh, you see, the doctors removed your clothes so they could operate. Don't worry, though. They only operated on your upper body. They left your pants on.” I looked down, and saw pants on. 'Oh, good. That'd be embarrassing', I thought. “But if I'm in your room, then where have you been sleeping?” “Downstairs on the sofa. I don't mind, really. It's just as cozy.”
I got up, But stopped halfway and held my abdomen. I was in bad shape. I looked at my gut, and saw a scar that stopped at my sternum. War wounds, I guess. Then I looked at the shoulder I used against the door—the same shoulder that Reggie cracked with a mallet The size of his arm. A scar ran down towards the end of my shoulder starting at the end of my trapezius.
“It took them a while to fix your ribs. It also took them longer to fix your shoulder, since bits of bone were separated and splintered. They also noticed something about your blood...said it was radioactive. They told me to make sure you fully heal. Otherwise, they bring you to Zecora's hut. An option they think is scary because the Everfree Forest isn't grown like the rest of Equestria.”
“Do I have to? I feel fine.” “You holding you gut tells me otherwise. Don't worry. They also noticed you heal pretty quick. They believe you'll be completely healed by about midnight.” “Fine. Can't be too bad, I guess...Hey, Fluttershy? Do I have white hair right now?” “Um, Yes. Why?” “Before Reggie flung me across his castle boarders, he said 'Think of this waste as a gift, white hair.'” “What waste, Max?” “He dumped toxic waste on me right after he broke my shoulder.” “...Oh no. That stuff is poisonous. It kills all cells on contact.”
“I think it only killed my cancerous cells. I had heart cancer. It was terminal. I was luckier than any other cancer victim. I had two years and a month before I died. I think the radiation in the waste killed the cancer cells. Did my eyes change color at all?” “Yes. They're silver.” “Crap. That sucks.” “If it makes you feel better, I think you still look handsome.” I grinned, and said, “Thank you, Flutters.”
§§§
'It's now three in the afternoon, according to the clock in Fluttershy's room, and I'm starting to feel better', I thought as I got up. I Walked toward the chair at the front of the room, where I saw my hood, jacket, and gloves. I went in my Jacket pocket, took out my ace-bandage roll, and wrapped it around my Shoulder, and my gut. Then I wrapped more of it around my hands and forearms, up to the elbows. I put on my hoodie, my jacket, and my gloves, then left the room, heading downstairs.
I stopped when I reached the front door, and asked Fluttershy “How long had I been out?” “A few days.” “Time to make up for lost time.” I opened up the door, and...it was snowing. Apparently, I landed on Equestria on the last few days of autumn. “You know, it's a shame that this lovely snow will be tainted with Reggie's blood.” I said as I left.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 11:
The New Plan.
“Phillies and Gentlecolts! As you all know, I've been unconscious for the past few days, due to bad injuries, and a forty-foot drop from the lovely heavens down to the hard Earth. But, I've healed fully, thanks to the hemoglobin that is within my body, the toxic waste that killed my cancer, and Fluttershy's kindness. Since a few days ago, when an assassin stabbed me, I came up with a new plan, phase one already successfully performed. The second half is that I give you all the ability to turn human, and we wage war on Reggie Phillips, for the strength of a man is not measured by his power, but by how he uses it.
“It is not measured by what he says, but by how he acts. And strength is not measured by greatness, but by numbers. What one person lacks, an army does not. And we have something that Reggie does not. We have...Friendship. We have loyalty. We have Honesty, generosity, kindness, laughter...and most of all, we have the thing that binds it all together; Magic. And starting today, WE WILL TAKE BACK, the one thing THAT REGGIE HAS TAKEN FROM US; PEACE!!! This may sound corny as heck but, WHO'S WITH ME!?!”
I waited, and watched. I started to think they lost hope, when all of a sudden, I heard stomping. It started out faint, but grew stronger, until everyone was stomping against the floor, saying “MAX!” repeatedly. They gained speed, and I was so happy they hadn't lost faith, that I raised my fist in the air, and they all cheered.
“Now, don't flinch. This will surprise you...it may scare you, but I promise it won't hurt.” and I blasted them with a ray that shot out of my hand. I took my hand back, and everyone in the audience was human. Including the 'Main 6'. “Now, We arm ourselves with weaponry, and we put on armor.”
I walked up to Fluttershy and her friends, and they gave me something wrapped in a cloth. Twilight said immediately “These just appeared. Thanks to you, we have a new Element of Harmony; Peace. These katanas are made from emerald. They are the Element of Peace. They have titanium inside, so they'll never break. You've also given us the Element of Hope, Which is within these...what do you wish to call them?” I looked at the objects, and said “They resemble an object on Earth we called...guns. Duel Desert Eagles, to be exact.”
“Okay, then. Please take them, Max Stronghold-Defender of Equestria. May these weapons show your righteousness, Max. And may you represent Peace and Hope forevermore.” I kneeled down on one knee in front of her, took the weapons, sheathed the sword in my special holsters, put the gun straps around my waist, and said “Thank you. I shall forever be in your debt, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” I got up, took some black face paint from my right jacket pocket, And put two black lines on either side of my face. I pulled up the mouth cover, and made sure I had everything from my last mission.
“Now, then. Time to end this.” I said as I cracked my knuckles.
This new plan is still called Operation Stronghold, but this time...this time we will succeed.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 12:
Operation Stronghold.
“Three weeks have passed-almost a month-and nothing has happened. And with good reason, too. Both The Rebels and Reggie's army have been making final preparations before we go into war. I've learned something new; Electricity. I'll be using it when I come face to face with my former friend, Reggie. His mallet versus my brute force; a battle worthy of the Gods, I guess. I'm afraid for my new home, though. I worry about it's 'people' dying on my watch. I understand that sacrifices are made every time you go to war but, I don't feel this is the best option.
So, I've decided to go it alone. Without anypony except Jake...Ha. Now I'm talking like all of you too. Shame that I'll probably die before I can live peacefully...Seems like so long ago, when the bunker crashed in the middle of the Everfree Forest, and Zecora cared for Jake and I. If I die though, it will be AFTER weakening their defenses. But I hope your memory of me doesn't falter. Also, I just wish to be buried, like everyone else when I die. This way, I can be even closer to the heart of Pony-Gaia.
I'm sorry that I did this to you, Flutters. I loved you, and I always will. I just feel it's better if I go. Everyone should be spared. Me and Jake decided to end something Reggie refused to end himself.
―Maxwell Alexander Thorns-bury Stronghold.”
This was the note I left three hours ago before saying my goodbyes to Pound & Carrot cake, Kissing my wife, Fluttershy on the forehead, jumping out the back window of Fluttershy's Cottage, Waking up Jake, Gearing up, and leaving Ponyville. “Goodbye, Flutters...I'm sorry that I'm about to put you through all this.” I said. Then, like a shadow in the night, I vanished through the window.
§§§
“Max?” Said Jake as I put on my gun holsters on. “Yeah, Jake?”
“Got three things for you to know; First, if we make it out alive, I'm thinking of going steady with Rainbow Dash. I need your blessing and her father's.”
“I give you my half of the blessing. Why you need it from me, though, I do not understand.”
“Thank you,” he said, obviously ignoring my remark. “The second thing is, Pinkie Pie likes you. I'd suggest making a clone before we leave. But first, make him have slightly different features. We don't want your wife Fluttershy going and killing herself, now do we?”
“Fine. Give me some space.” I then Split my cells mentally, to the point where my body was able to make a clone. It had blonde hair, sea-green eyes, freckles on his cheeks and nose. Strong features, tan, and a foot taller than me. Other than that, he looked just like me.
He had a red shirt, a denim jacket, skinny jeans, and high top Adidas on. “I'll name him...Austin Levi. Austin, Whatever you do, be warned. I'll know. My brain will be able to read your thoughts, see your actions, and allow me to control you if I wanted to. If you hurt Pinkie Pie, I will make you stab yourself to death. Understand me?”
Austin, looking at me with a mischievous grin, said, “From what I can see through your memories, she's just like me; A PARTY FREAK!!! There's no way I'd hurt her.” “Good. Now go, Rico Suave.” Obviously getting the joke, Austin laughed, and ran; probably to get a party hat, and some roses.
Last thing, Jake. Then, we leave.”
“Is this a revised Operation Stronghold?”
“Yes, Jake. Yes it is.”
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 13:
Power down.
“So, we managed to bring down the snipers, but how are we getting inside without getting noticed?” said Jake as we climbed the pipeline. “Best if you don't talk, Jake. We're climbing a pipeline here, and it's quite hard to do while speaking to each other. Besides, I've got a plan.” I said at the top of the pipeline.
“Watch this.” Were my exact words as I put my hands on the concrete roof we stood on. I concentrated on the source of energy inside the building, which was immense. I then drained it all, leaving the only power left for the elevators, electricity becoming visible as it ran along my arm. Then, the electricity vanished from around my arm as I heard metal thumping coming from the stairs. The door then slammed open, and Pony-robotron stuck it's head out the door. He got ready, then charged. I shot, but the thing was fast, so I relaxed myself. Then, at the last second, I punched the robot with an electrifying punch―literally.
Pony-robotron exploded, shattering into millions of little pieces of shrapnel. “Come on.” I said to Jake. “Hold on a sec, will you?” said Jake as he got his things together, trying to put his ninja mask on while I ran down the stairs. “Okay, Shinobi. Just make sure you got those C4's ready, okay? As soon as we're done, we're blowing the place sky high.” And I ran down the steps.
§§§
“Ooh, I see someone up ahead, by the battery core. Let's stealth-kill him.” “Are you intentionally trying to act like Deadpool?” But, I decided to do it anyway. I took out my katanas, and tip-toed to the guy ahead. I poked him in the shoulder, ducked when he turned, and stuck my swords in his head from under the chin. I then ripped his face in half with the swords as I pulled them out. “Gotta admit, Deadpool was right. It is pretty cool to stealth-kill.” I said as I sheathed my katanas. “Maybe you could let me do it next time?” Asked Jake. “Sure.”
§§§
“I'm wondering right now why the snipers and that dude I killed were human. Do you think...do you think maybe some people survived?” I asked. “If some people survived, then that means we're not the only ones-besides Reggie-alive, right? That's a good thing, right Jake?” “I don't know, to be honest with you. What if the blast traumatized their memory, or something? You can never be too sure.” said Jake.
I still hoped he was wrong though, because if some people did survive, then maybe Alisa was alive, or something. You never know. After all, Reggie could have possibly resuscitated Alisa. I understand I'm married now, but that doesn't mean I can give up on Alisa, right? “Let's go through this vent, here. It should take us to the monitor room, if I'm correct.” I said, opening the vent above the ladder.
I went in, then grabbed Jake's arm, pulling him in after me. The vent had a lot of space, so it was easy to move freely. Twenty minutes later, we reached a vent opening that showed...the monitor room. I saw no one in there, so I punched the vent opening open, and went to the computer. I decided to put my tech skills to use, and hacked into the computer footage. I brought up a piece of footage from the night before, and set it to loop for the remainder of the night.
“That was easy. Now, we can easily pass through that hallway when we head out.” I then climbed back into the vent, and crawled along. I stopped, and turned right. “Where are we going now?” Jake whispered. “To the room of the Changelings. I learned from your girlfriend's files that Chrysalis is Queen of the Changelings. I'm gonna take out her subjects.” I whispered back. “Oh.” After that, we reached a hole that went down into the Changeling chamber.
I took out a C4, jumped down the hole, and planted it on the ground. I pressed a few buttons, and the red light went on. “C4 securely planted. Coming back up.” I glided up using electricity, and grabbed on to the ledge ahead of Jake. I got up on the vent ledge, and continued to crawl until I reached another hole that went down. I jumped down, then got Jake to come down as well. We were in the room with the monitors. I shocked the hallway, shattering the cameras. The looped video was on, so the cameras were useless to them.
I ran across the hall, and opened the door to the courtyard. I jumped, boosted myself up off a few bricks, and grabbed a pipeline running across. I got on top of it, and ran along it. I reached the end, and looked to my right. There was a window ledge, and I grabbed it. As soon as I did, I heard footsteps headed towards the window. I crouched on the pipeline underneath the window, and waited until the footsteps reached the ledge. I looked up, and saw a gun barrel sticking out the window.
I grabbed the barrel, tugged real hard, and watched the sniper fall two five feet down. He landed with a thud, and I saw his arm and leg land in different areas. “Damn, that's gonna hurt. Good thing I ended his misery.” I said as I shot him six times with electricity (the fourth, fifth and sixth time was to check). I grabbed the ledge from behind, and somersaulted into the hallway. I made myself static, and stuck to the wall. I crawled along, and stopped in front of an elevator, and waited. I only drained light, not power in general.
A Hench-colt came out from the elevator, wide-eyed, and said “Hey...who turned out the lights?” Before I dropped down from the ceiling and twirled while holding his head, instantly snapping his neck. “Sorry, mind if I borrow your elevator?...I didn't think so.” I then went in the elevator, and lit my arms with electricity. I saw the buttons clearly, now. I pressed 4f, and had to deal with listening to the Muzak that described what I've been attempting to do; Stayin' alive.
Finally, I heard a 'ding' as the door opened to reveal a ton of Changelings. I grabbed on to the ceiling with static again, and planted another C4. “Jake, I have officially planted the second C4.” I said to Jake on the walkie talkie. “I'm going to capture Reggie and Chrysalis, first. Then, I'll plant the final C4. If I don't come back in the next twenty minutes, that means I'm dead, and you must therefore detonate the C4's. Do you understand?”
“―Copy That―” Said the tinny voice from Jake.
“Good.” I said. “The twenty minutes starts now.” I immediately got in the elevator, and pressed 5f. I heard the song 'New york, New york' and halfway through hearing the second verse, the 'ding' went off again, and it revealed the hallway. I walked along the hallway, and checked every room (which was easy, since the doors to each room was open). Finally, I reached these huge doors-painted a rich green color with golden door knockers-and peaked through the slight opening in the door;
Reggie looked tense, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Chrysalis, obviously not happy, got up and whispered in his ear that nothing was wrong. Then Reggie said that he believed her, then lied about saying he was up to get the baby to go back to sleep. Reggie got up, and walked up to the baby crib. The baby started to cry (I could understand why, with an ugly face like Reggie's). Reggie scooped up the baby, and rocked him to sleep, singing a lullaby so intoxicating I almost fell asleep.
The baby instantly fell asleep, thumb in mouth, and Reggie put him back in the crib. He smiled, a genuine smile, and went to bed. He blew out the candle, threw it out in the garbage next to him, and went to bed. I spoke into the walkie talkie, whispering to Jake that there was a baby in the targets room. He understood, and said to get the baby first, give it to him, then acquire the targets. I agreed, then became a soft yet powerful wind. I floated beneath the baby, lifting him, and flew down to Jake.
He grabbed the baby, and I went back to the great doors, turning to normal again. I flattened, slid between the doors, and popped back into regular shape. I took Reggie, and slid him out of bed. I woke up Chrysalis though, and I didn't realize this until I had a knife to my throat.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Mini Chapter pt4:
Greater Evils!?! IMPOSSIBRU!!!
My, my, my. It appears to me, my fellow readers, that Max is being held hostage by Chrysalis. He's kind of distracted though to think clearly, because Chrysalis was beautiful. She had a light caramel skin, with eyes the color of topaz. Her long dark blue hair flowed naturally, and her lips were full. She wasn't wearing makeup, but the makeup she was wearing was her skin tone, adding a naturally lovely look. She was wearing a lacy camisole, and the left strap came off the shoulders a little, revealing a tad bit of skin.
He did love Fluttershy, that was true, but even she didn't compare to Chrysalis on certain things.
'Think, think, think Max. Not stare, stare, stare.' went through Max's mind as Chrysalis asked why he was here. Even her voice was beautiful. He wanted to beg her for forgiveness, but that was a no no. He came to arrest her and Reggie. “Bah, never mind! I know why you're here. Just here me out first, before you throw me in the brig. We are being forced to rule this land. There's a greater evil in Equestria than us.”
“Why don't I believe you?” Max said.
“Because we rule this land and we don't mention it. I can understand why. But of course we're not going to say anything. We can't tell anyone. I told you because I'm tired of being hated.” Said Chrysalis.
'Good point,' though Max.
“So, will you let us help?”
“...Fine. But you're coming with me. Can't have you dying.”
“What do you mean?” Said Chrysalis as Max held Reggie.
“We're using the castle to make fireworks.”
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 14:
Yes, we can!
“Thank the Royal Sisters, you're alive!” said a crying Fluttershy as I came into Ponyville's boarders. “Reggie had woken up a while after we blew up his palace. Also, I've decided not to kill them, because they claim there's an even greater threat among us.” “Okay, then. But I'm just glad you're okay. I read your note, and became a little worried.”
“Well, I'm here now. I get to watch the sunrise with you after all. Okay?” “Okay.” “Reggie, head down to that red and black building over there. That's our HQ. Tell them I sent you. If they ask why, tell them to ask me that. Flutters and I have some sightseeing to do.”
§§§
“Wow. Quite the view. It's a good thing Rainbow Dash allowed us to borrow this cloud.” “She's easy to persuade sometimes.” Said Fluttershy as she leaned her head on my lap. I stroked her hair, aware that she had lack of some sleep. I told her “Why don't you go to sleep, okay? You had a rough night, worrying over me. Don't worry, I'll tell you about how the sunrise went, alright?” “Okay” Said Fluttershy as she tried to stifle a yawn. She curled up, and closed her eyelids.
I stroked her hair until she was deep in slumber, then I rested my eyes until the sunrise began. It was beautiful, so colorful and amazing. Fluttershy woke up, now fully rested, and asked how the sunrise went. I said it was lovely, gave her a kiss, then looked down at the ground. I heard someone call me down. I jumped off the cloud, landed on a nearby house's pipeline, and vaulted off of it. Flutters got the cloud to go down, slipping herself off of it. “Reggie's asking to be questioned, sir!” said a blue beret pony. He was actually the Commander, a light brown stallion with a silvery-gray mane and tail, a gray mustache, and eyes the color of a crackling fire.
“Then question him, Commander Ryan.” I told him. “I can't, sir! He asks for YOU to question him, sir!” “Okay, then, Commander Ryan. I'll be over in a sec.” I grabbed Fluttershy's hand, and lead her back home. After that, I headed over to the HQ and went inside to question Reggie.
§§§
“Hey, Max. How's it's been? Just so you know, I'm secretly glad you blew up those changelings. Their faces creeped me out.” “Your welcome, Reggie. Now, just so you know, I'm willing to be nice and not bash your face in as long as your willing to cooperate. Okay?” “Yeah, sure. Ask away, Sir 20 Questions!” Said a calm Reggie. “First of all, I'm going to ask a two year old question that's been on my mind; How did you survive the blast? I'd like to know, since no one else except you, me and Jake made it out.”
“I made a force-field of a bubble surrounding me. The explosion sent me so fast throughout space I landed here. I accidentally hospitalized two Ponies in the landing process.” “Next, how did you become the Tyrant?” “By three months time, I met someone. My lovely wife Chrysalis, who gave up on trying to be a villain and became close friends with the Mayor of Ponyville.”
“And?” I asked.
“And, I started hearing voices in my head. Called itself Discord, Master of Chaos. He filled my head with images of wealth and power, me sitting on a throne made entirely of gold and silver. It was enough to drive a man mad, and it did. I overthrew the Royal Sisters as they slept, locked them away deep in the Everfree Forest, and became the Ruler.
“Soon after this happened, gloominess covered the entire world in the form of storm clouds. I saw something different, though. Through my window, I always saw the world before I ruled. That's why I always arrested the Rebels instead of stepping down.”
“Last question, since you gave me a lot of information; What are our chances of defeating this...Discord, character?”
“You'd die before you can touch him. One mistake is all he needs to play with your mind. He can drive you to the point of insanity. If your will is weak, he makes you so insane, you wind up killing yourself to end the madness. I've seen him at work, and I regret watching.”
“Seems we've got our work cut out for us, eh, Reggie?” “Not even close, Max” “Well, it doesn't matter. We'll send some boys to go and find your old home. Then, we'll have some people help redecorate. You and your wife can relive your lives as normal villagers just like everyone else.” “Great! I do kind of miss helping people.” “Good. You can start tomorrow.” “Last thing you should know, Max.” “Yes?”
“Do you really believe you can take down Discord?”
“Yes, I do, and I can. Remember Obama? Yes, We Can!”
“Good.” He said as I left the premises.
§§§
“Who's Discord, Flutters?” I asked while changing Pound Cake's diapers. Fluttershy gasped as she dropped her watering pot, and as it cracked, I heard it make the noise of ceramic breaking. Water formed a puddle around her feet. And then...she fainted.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 15:
“Who's Discord?”
“Ah, thank the Royal Sisters you're okay.” I said as Fluttershy woke up in the hospital bed. “Wh...what happened? And...where am I?” “After you fainted, I dialed the hospital and got them to bring you here, in the hospital. I got worried, and they willingly allowed me to stay here for a few nights. They offered me a bed, but I told them it was okay, and that I didn't need one.”
“Oh. Thank you for the concern but I'm okay now so don't worry.” “I'm afraid I have to. The same thing happened when I fainted. About three months ago. You worried for me. Only seems fair I follow that example.” Fluttershy lifted her arms up, and I gave her a hug. She sat up, and that's when I asked her “Listen, Flutters. I need your help. I need to know; Who's Discord?”
“Discord? The last time I heard that name I, turned him back to stone with the help of my friends. I don't understand why...Oh no!” She started sobbing, and I leaned over and gave her a tissue (by then I was sitting). She took it, and dabbed her eyes. “How was he revived?” “I don't know. All I know is that he's the reason Reggie ruled. So I need you to tell me...who. is. he?”
§§§
“So, you're sure you have Discord in the archives?” I asked Rainbow Dash as we walked down the corridor to the archives. “Of course. We keep a record of all the villainous creeps out there. There was a point when we had Chrysalis, but then we burned her file, because she became a regular villager among us. But it doesn't matter anymore. She's once again a normal person living among us.”
“Feel free to look into as many files as you want.” She said as she closed the door behind me. I opened up the drawer for files A-F. I skimmed my fingers through the files, looking for the letter D. Finally, I found Discord, and pulled it out. I opened up the manilla envelope and took out the papers. I read silently to myself;
'There was a time when Discord ruled over all the land, and used the ponies as his source of amusement. He was a tyrant, who used his persuasive tongue to play with people's minds. If you fell for his mind games, he would cast a spell on you that made you insane, or forget your true self. He was a chimaera, and a ruthless one, too.
'One day, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna (who were not yet of royalty) turned him to stone using the Elements of Harmony while his guard was down. They put him for display as a fountain ornament, for all those who walk by to know what he did. But he did not remain stone, for as a school trip occurred, chaos-as small an amount as it was-broke him free. History came back to haunt them. This time, however, It was Twilight Sparkle and her five friends who ended his extremely short reign.
'It was a challenge, however, for Discord learned from his previous reign, and somehow managed to steal the Elements of Harmony, and hid them where “It all began.” Twilight mistook the riddle he stated, and thought that he meant the maze in the back of Princess Celestia's Castle. When Rainbow Dash flew away, Discord told them they were headed the wrong way anyway, for it wasn't in the Maze.
'Twilight realized the Elements were hidden in the Library where she lived in, and had to regather all her friends, who had fallen for Discord's mind games in the maze. After this, They finally managed to turn him back to stone. And ever since then, Ponyville had been freed of the Chaos Discord had created. He has been known for his mind games and his mastery of chaos.'
“It appears to me that this file needs to be updated.” I said as I put the file back. I then left the archives, and decided I need to go to Princess Twilight Sparkle for help on this one. So I decided to take a visit to clouds-dale and ask for some of the rainbow they create up there. I went over to the mayor's house and asked if she had any books that involved the temporary wing spell Twilight once used on Rarity.
I explained that I needed it for a visit to clouds-dale. The mayor looked for it somewhere, then gave me it. She asked me to come more often. “And bring Fluttershy with you next time! I need to ask how she's been!” “Yeah, sure thing.” And I headed home. I performed the spell, and the result was wings that looked like they belonged to Icarus from Greek Myth back on...never mind.
I went into the bedroom and kissed the Cake twins on the forehead. Then, I went to the backyard and knelt down. I let all the blood rush to my legs, and kicked myself into the air, holding on to my wings at the top. I flapped a few times, then held steady as I ascended into the clouds. “Time to get some Rainbow.” I said.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 16:
FREE THEM!!!
“Now, why do you need rainbow?” Asked Rainbow Dash as she walked with me to the Rainbow Factory. She stayed in her Pony form while she was on Clouds-dale to prevent falling to her death. “I'm headed deep into the Everfree Forest on a rescue mission with Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. I need the little bit of rainbow to put in a jar so that I can see in the darkness.” “Oh. Well, that makes sense.”
“Exactly. Now, are you coming to talk with the boss or am I alone on this one?” “I'm coming. The manager of the Rainbow Factory hardly knows you. He'd assume you to be a threat, and send security to throw you out.” “Well, then...after you.” I said as I held the door. She laughed, and walked ahead, leaving me to close the door and follow.
“It's amazing in here.” “No, it's not.” said Rainbow Dash quickly as she lead me along the first floor. “Why not?” I asked.
“Because I've seen what goes on in here. You haven't.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. She just walked along, face showing all signs of sadness.
Yep. She was serious, alright.
So, finally, we reached the elevator. There were splashes of red paint on the elevator door. It gave it a star-burst effect. The elevator door opened, and she walked in, me following. She raised her hoof and pressed the button at the top of the buttons. After a few hours, the elevator stops, and the door opens. I walked out, Rainbow Dash ahead, and sitting at a mahogany desk was a short, pudgy Zebra with a short mane and tail. “Oh, nice to see you took some spare time to visit us. But, since you never really left us, you're back to stay.”
And just as he smiled, Colts in suits appeared, using their horn's magic to hold daggers. “I'm sorry you had to get caught in this, Mr. Stronghold. You can leave if you want. There are some...personal matters mingled in this situation.” I took out my emerald katanas, enraged by this ambush, and said “Nah, I think I'll stay.” Suddenly, the pudgy colt's eyes-whites and all-turned sapphire blue, pupils becoming slits. He morphed into a Changeling, whose legs matched their personality; Full of holes (In other words, they were conniving little suckers, who just didn't care).
“Damn it, you're a changeling? Well then, you're not going to like the news I'm packing for when I kill you.” I said as I got into fighting position. “Yes, I'm a changeling. And I already know of your act, Mr. Stronghold. I never really cared for my brethren. You know," he said. "I was really hoping I wouldn't have to kill you. The more ponies you protect, the more...subjects, we can extract the essence of the rainbow from."
And his smile faded as he said, "GET THEM!!!" I immediately turned and slashed one of the Colts in the face, then I stabbed him, katana blade going through his mouth. I took it out, and he fell, spread eagled, leaking blood through his mouth. I then sheathed my katanas and jumped over Rainbow Dash. I reached out and snapped the neck of the Colt nearest to me, and threw him out the window. I sommersaulted and kicked the Colt so hard his horn ripped off. The Colt screamed Bloody Murder until I stepped on his head. The last one moved like a ninja, so I thought I could trick him. I pulled out my guns and jerked my arms back, cocking the gun. I stood my ground, took my aim, then teleported behind him and shot him in the head. "Whoops, did I do that?" I asked in a cheap imitation of Steve Urkle. I then put my guns back in their holsters and walked towards the pudgy Changeling, watching as fear had erupted in his eyes.
"You know, since you're running short on 'subjects', how's about I 'help' you?" I said. I had clearly gone insane at this moment, because I realized the Rainbow Factory's purpose. They killed Ponies and dropped the remains in a special machine that turns them into colors of the rainbow. I conked him on the head with my good ol' rusty pipe, and he became unconscious. I dragged him by the horn and brought him to the Rainbow Room. I brought down the chains that ripped its victims into pieces small enough to go through the machine, then cuffed the ends around his fore and hind legs. I then waited for him to gain consciousness. When he woke up, he looked down, saw the machine beneath him, then looked towards the ledge 20 feet away form him. There I stood, hand on the lever that would rip him apart and send him down the same machine that will kill him as it had once served him.
"Any last words, before I perform this brutal kill?" I said, creepy smile on my face. "Yeah, I do. Fuck you!" "Whoa! Temper, temper! Now, this may hurt a lot! But soon, it will all be over with." I said, flexing my fingers. I pulled the lever so fast I broke it. "Whoops! I guess it won't matter anyway!" I yelled over the Changeling's screaming. He was being pulled and stretched, and before he ripped into six different parts, I flew over to him, Got in his face, and pulled out my gun from the right holster. I said "You sure were born with powerful lungs, weren't you?" and put the gun in his mouth. I pulled the trigger, and watched as he was ripped apart, guts and everything falling into the machine. I unlocked the chains and threw the fore and hind legs into the machine. It spewed out black and blue.
I then flew back to the ledge, and took some things out of my pockets. With them, I made a C4, and I pulled out a trigger. I plugged the trigger into the C4, and waited for the green signal that would indicate I could use the trigger wirelessly with that particular bomb. The C4 was about the size of 5 ponies lined up next to each other while lying down. I saw the green, then unplugged the C4. I grabbed Rainbow Dash by the forelegs and zoomed through the Rainbow Factory, gliding along with my wings. I grabbed a jar from the counter on one of the desks in the corridor, opened it, and when I reached the cauldron filled with Rainbow, I lowered my hand, and I didn't slow. Suddenly, the jar filled with rainbow. I lifted my hand up and closed the lid over the jar.
I then noticed that Rainbow Dash let go of my arm and was trying to catch up to me. I looked ahead of me and saw a window. I formed a energy shield around me and Rainbow Dash and crashed through the window. I removed the shield and Opened my wings sharply, stopping me where I was. Rainbow Dash halted and got onto the ground.
"Dashie?"
"Yes, Maxy-boy?"
"We need to talk."
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 17 1/2:
FREE THEM!!! (Part 3)
I've finally made it to Mt. Ray-mare, and man, it is COLD!!! Yet I knew this (somehow) and brought on the thermal clothing. I ran up the mountain and saw a group of bald headed Stallions (Tsunami clan monks, I guess) meditating. I walked up to one of them, and they stood. I bowed, a clear sign of respect, and he bowed back in return. I then asked "I've come to learn the wisdom and technique of the Tsunami clan. Who do I speak to?" "Me," said somepony from behind. I turned, and in front of me was...Alisa.
§§§
"Alisa...is that...is that you?" "Yes, Max. I'd like to know why you're here though, instead of dillly dallying and walking down memory lane. So?" "Right, um...I'm here to learn from the Tsunami clan." "And for what purpose, Stronghold?" "Discord." Was all I needed to say before Alisa welcomed me into the temple behind the 50 monks ahead of me. I walked and started to wonder, 'How is she alive? I saw her die back on Earth!' "I know what you're thinking, Stronghold. No, what happened back on Earth wasn't a staged death. I actually died. But Reggie, feeling sorry for me, extracted some of my blood. When he landed on Equestria, he started tinkering a cloning device, and put my blood into the machine. I came out, only remembering that my name was Alisa Burnheart and that I was a 15 year old teenage girl. Reggie told me my past, knowing the Cloning would wipe out my memory. He then told me to go to a clan on the highest peak of Mt. Ray-mare, believing they would have a cure for Cancer.
"I went, and was greeted by a tan Stallion with Braid where his mane should have been. He cured me and taught me how to fight. He saw the future, for he was a wise old one. He said that one day, I'd be need in the line of battle, for a bringer of chaos would appear by the name of Discord. I became like a daughter to him after that, and inherited the status of Leader to the Tsunami clan. I was afraid of this Discord character bringing about chaos, and I was scared for my 'people'. So I trained hard, and now, I can see the training will soon show. I was given the power of sight after my new father's death, and it hasn't failed me yet. Step inside, we're here." She said as she opened the entrance to the temple.
"Show me what you got, Stronghold," said Alisa as she threw me a staff. "Are you actually going to fight me? No, 'Let's start training' or, 'If you can solve this riddle, you know more than you should?' What's up with that?" "Why do you think we're about to fight, genius? Whew, for a tech wiz, you aren't very smart." And she lunged. I blocked and threw her away from me. I circled the area, her doing the same.
Suddenly, I lunged. But she saw this coming (pun NOT intended) and jabbed me in the gut with her staff. I fell onto the floor, and felt rage consume me. Who was she to kick my but then fill me with knowledge? I Got mad, and flames surrounded me. She then tried to hit me with her staff (which became metal), and I grabbed the end that almost hit me in the face and bent the end so far it looked like a large boomerang. I then grabbed the staff again and pulled it out of her hand and held on to it, slowly melting the metal. When it was a puddle of silver liquid, I grinned crazily and said "Whoops! I guess if it can't take the heat, it should get out of the temple." And I lunged, fire going away, and judo flipped her, arm on her neck. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?! You've definitely changed Alisa. But I don't know why and I want to know NOW!!!" "Get your weak arm off my neck, and maybe I can explain?" "Why, if my arm is so weak?"
"Just 'cause your arm's weak, doesn't mean your weight isn't. Duh." 'Good point,' I thought. So I got up and took my arm off her neck. She sat up, gasping and holding her neck, and finally said "If you're going to lead battle like in my visions, you're going to have to learn to expect the unexpected...as well as some other things. You passed, surprisingly enough. But we're going to train more. Come to me after you free the Royal Sisters. Then, I will professionally train you. Got it, Stronghold?" "Okay. But no more of that staff jabbing and maybe your next prized possession of a fighting staff won't get melted." "Yeah, sure whatever. Just GO ALREADY!!! The sooner we can free the Royal Sisters, the sooner we can get even more of an advantage. Thank god my memory was wiped out. I probably would get a migraine from memories of you flapping your gums."
I got up, and was so angry I muttered "Fucking bitch was less of a crab-ass back on earth." and walked out before hearing Alisa say "I heard that, ass munch!" And so, I walked out, taking another jar to gather lightning bugs for my special lightning-rainbow lantern.
§§§
"Oh hey there, Maxy-boy! Came over to pick up some apple fritter?" Said Applejack when I got there. "As delicious as that sounds, I'm not here for that. I need your help with a particular mission involving the liberation of the Royal Sisters." She just looked at me and smiled so hugely saw teeth and gums. "YEE-HAW! FINE 'LLY, WE CAN LIVE IN--" "Don't say peace, Applejack. We're not going to live in peace until Discord is as good as dead. I need you to help when we reach the place they were imprisoned in. Ready to show your stuff, AJ?" "I sure as sugar am, Max! Just hold on while I get someone to take over my shift here." and she went inside the farm to talk to Big Macintosh.
She came out with some saddlebags and said "Okay, count me in. But first," she said as we were walking to the Golden Oaks Library. "What's with the lightning bugs and the rainbow?" "I'll be using them to make a special lantern Twilight told me about. She found the book in the Library. I'm going to get it and make it before Twilight, you and I go into the Everfree Forest. If I'm right, these lightning bugs plus the jar of Rainbow should produce a special that never goes dim, and brings light from Dusk to Dawn and only during then. It's made by crushing the lightning bugs, turning them into glowing mulch, then it gets thrown into a cauldron filled with rainbow. You stir it and after a few minutes, you pour it into a lantern."
"But, Max, if you know how to make it, then why get the book?" asked Appejack
"Because there's a specific way you have to do it."
"Oh...Okay, then."
§§§
"Please just put a little more magic powder in, Twilight. ." I said as I read the final instructions for the lightning-rainbow lantern. Twilight brought the magic powder pouch and used her magic to open it and sprinkle a little bit of magic powder into the cauldron. "Now, to stir the ingredients for five minutes and we'll be done." I said as I took out a wooden spoon. Five minutes later, I took out the spoon and put it in the sink in the washbasin I brought in. I took the cauldron and a freshly cleaned jar, and poured the rainbow in. The rest I poured down the sink drain. I drilled two holes into the top of the jar and expertly made a sturdy handle to put on the jar. I asked Twilight to turn off the light, and when she did, I held up the newly made lantern and yelled at the top of my lungs "AND SO, THE ALMIGHTY GOD SAID 'LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!'" (I'm a christian, so I read the bible. I memorized the whole thing). Twilight turned the lights back on, and I strapped the lantern onto my belt. "Okay, let's go.
§§§
I sniffed the air as if it was fresh, even though we were in the heart of the Everfree Forest. "Ahh! Home sweet musty old home! Surprisingly I miss the constant sounds of the jungle. Anyway," I said, leading AJ and Twilight. "We can't stay long. One day, a young Stallion died here. It's said he sank through the mud. That's why during the fall, when I came to Equestria, I was told not to stay in this spot for very long. Zecora and her side conversations of superstitions. hah! I've dealt with High School, the roughest heartbreaks, and being called a geek just because I can reprogram a computer within mere seconds. A fear of falling through mud doesn't seem my type of scare on the fear factor." I get the feeling I spooked them out a bit, so I told them I was sorry for possibly doing so, and continued to walk.
We stopped in front of a cliff, where we realized that we'd need to make a bridge. I volunteered to make it, since I was the fastest with building things. I quickly fashioned myself an axe by using a large carveable branch and two stones, one of which was a rock called flint, and tied it together using a strong vine. I then started to chop down some tress and whittled them into planks to walk on. Finally, I poked holes using a flint rock I shaped into a spherical wedge, and tied them to our end of the cliff with another vine. I then used my wings and flew to the other side, where I tied the other end to the that side of the cliff. I then flew back and said "Ladies first." However, they insisted I go since I was the one holding the lantern. So I gladly took the offer and went first. I was surprised at how this 45 minute project was holding the weight with ease.
"Come on, the bridge is holding it's ground...or air, or whatever. Let's get this over with." After a five hour walk, a few trips and stumbles, and getting caught in vines and shrubs, we made it to where Reggie told us he locked away the Royal Sisters. "Applejack, if you'd be so kind as to break the lock, please." "With pleasure" said AJ as she ran towards the gate and bucked the lock with all her might. The lock broke and fell to the floor, leaving the door wide open from the force of the kick. "Thank you, AJ. Now, we need you to stand here and watch. Me and Twilight will go inside and find the Royal Sisters. If you see something that puts the mission at risk, yelp and I will send a temporary clone to help you. But hopefully, it shouldn't come to that because your the strongest pony I know other than Dashie."
"Aww shucks. Thank you for the compliment, but it ain't necessary."
"Trust me, it is. Some Stallion or Mare out there would be lucky to have you. Not me, though. I'm fine with Flutters. Anyway, are you coming, Princess Twilight?" "Yes. Just hold on a second." She said as she flew over. I gave AJ the lantern as I tried to light my hand. I finally saw a spark form as my hand lit up. "Alright. Now, before we free them, we'll have to be careful how we act around them. For all we know, they could've lost some of their sanity being trapped in here for so long."
When we got there, though, it was a different case.
The Royal Sisters were unconscious, spread on the floor with their eyes closed. When I opened their eyelids, all I saw was glowing white. "What the..." was all I said before I decided to put my hand against their forehead and find out what was happening. When I did, I saw them chained to the wall of a cell. Some guard in full body armor holding an Assault Rifle guarded the cell in both minds. I took my hand off, and said "SHIT! They're...they're trapped in their minds. I've got an idea, but it'll take a great deal of magic." "What's your idea, Max?" asked Twilight, unsure of whether or not it was any good. "I need you to transfer my soul into one of their minds. When I'm done freeing one, I'll contact you via mindtouch.
"You will then have to use mindtouch to connect, and transfer my soul to the other's mind. I'll contact you again, and you'll take my soul and transfer it back to my body. Do you think you can handle it?" "I...I don't know, I..." "Listen to me, Twilight; If there's anyone I trust to do this, it's you. I know you've got the power to help, and I know you wouldn't back down to a challenge that could mean the difference between your people's life and/or Death. I believe in you, Twi. You know your kingdom is suffering, and you want to help. This could be the chance that could help end it." Twilight looked to the ground, with a face that showed she wasn't sure what to do. I knelt down, grabbed her hoof and looked her in the eye. "You can do this," I said. "I know it."
She stood tall and said "Okay, Max. Get ready." And she then pointed her horn at me, and I could've sworn I saw blushing as she took my soul and transferred it into Celestia's mind. Suddenly, I fell through a hole that appeared in front of me, and I fell on a cold concrete floor. I was behind a wall, which was good, because ahead was a bunch of guys in body armor. I unsheathed my swords and melted into the wall. I slithered behind a guard who was taking a smoke and talking to another guard. I came out of the wall and stabbed my sword through the back of his chair. He had his helmet off, so I saw his blood come out of his mouth as the ciggarette fell and he breathed in short gasps.
I then grabbed his head and said "Aww, does it hurt? Here, let me end the pain" as I snapped his neck. The guard who was speaking to him got up from his chair and turned around to sound the alarm. But when he turned around, I had teleported through the floor and landed in front of him. I said, "Surprise, motha fucka!" and took out my left gun, stuck it in his mouth, and pulled the trigger. I grabbed his body, smashed a window that was nearby, and threw him out. I did the same for the first guard and sheathed my swords.
"Now, to go--" was all I got out before I turned and got slashed across my left eye. "AUGH! Can't see." I said as I held my left eye. I opened my right eye and saw that it was the same guard I saw when I looked into Celestia's mind. I could tell by the scratch across his helmet. He was holding a double-edged longsword. On it's tip was my blood. "Oh, so you wanna fight, eh? If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" And I got into fighting position. I charged and motioned a punch. But I cut over to the side and punched him in the ribs. He got down on one knee, and quickly got up.
He jabbed me in the gut with the butt of his sword-or actually, tried to-and I sidestepped and grabbed his forearm. I twisted his arm to where the elbow faced upwards, and bashed my head against it. He backed up as his arm lolled to the side, leaving him with his left arm working.
Turned out though, he was ambidextrous.
He picked his sword up off the floor, and slashed my left shoulder. "What is it with you and the left side!?!" I yelled. He simply charged, sword pointed at my gut. I knew that at the speed he was going, that I wouldn't make it. I got enfuriated at this, and did the thing I didn't know I could do; I slowed time to a near standstill. I watched as everything slowed down. I walked up to the guard and smacked my hands onto the sides of his sword. With a sharp motion, I snapped off half of the blade. I then grabbed his wrist, and twisted it upwards, applying deadly force on it. I brought back my hand and slammed my palm against his chest, the force of impact ripping his arm off his body.
I followed the trail of blood and stopped in front of the guard, staring at him with a look of pure rage and insanity. "You think just because you're a guard means you could kill me in one fell swoop? I don't think so," I said as he looked up at me, then said "Fuck you." And I then said, "Ooh, I think someone needs to be punished. I'm about to book you an all expense payed trip to Satan's playground." And I put my foot against his chest, leaned down, grabbed his head, and tugged so hard it came off.
"Maybe next time, you should quit while you're a-head !" I went up to the cell that Princess Celestia was in, and grabbed the prison bars. I tugged, and ripped them out of the wall. I threw the bars aside and walked in. In front of me was an Alicorn, battered and bruised, chained to the floor, and showing signs of malnutrition. I put my hand on her head and asked, "Need some help?" She nodded, and said in a whispering voice, "Thank you." I then assured her there was no need as I grabbed the chains and pulled them out of the wall. I tore them off of her fore and hindlegs, and held out my hand. She gladly took it, and as she got up, she turned human. And I had a look of shock on my face because she looked like...my mother from back when Earth was still a planet. "Mom?" I asked, looking up at Princess Celestia's face.
"What?" asked the Princess with a confused face. "What? Oh, nothing. It's just...you look like my late mother." She smiled and said, "Well, I bet your mother was lucky to have you, uh...what's your name?" "Max Alexander Thorns-bury Stronghold. But you could call me Max Stronghold, or Max, your highness." I said while bowing. She urged that I get up, saying, "You saved me. There is no need to bow." I got up, and mindtouched Twilight. She then transferred my soul to Luna's mind while Celestia vanished into thin air. I then apppeared in front of the cell that Luna was in.
I punched the bars into an opening wide enough for me to go through. I then yanked the chains off, and guided her out. But before I mindtouched Twilight, I felt my side tingle. So being me, that told me something was up. I unsheathed my sword, and turned around, stabbing the air with an 'ugh' noise following. the air shimmered, and revealed a guard with a camo-cloak. "Ooh, nice cloak. Mind if I 'borrow' it?" I asked as I removed my sword. He fell facefirst (looks like dead people know the flop, too) and took his cloak. I put it on, and flipped the hood over my head. I immediately vanished from Luna's sight. I then hacked and slashed every guard to assure the success of the mission.
I took the hood off, and mindtouched Twilight again. With a wave of a goodbye, Luna (Who I forgot to mention turned human as I lead her out of the cell) vanished and I was transferred back to my body. I woke up, and saw Twilight help up the Royal Sisters. "Good to know it worked, huh Twilight?" I said, getting up and wiping the dust off my clothes. She nodded, then asked, "What should we do about the place?" I took off my shirt, revealing two belts with Special grenades I made holstered. "Blow it sky high." I made the grenades, so I had to give the top a quarter turn. I then took both belts off, since I did this to all of them.
"Run, Twilight! Get Applejack and go back to Ponyville! I'll be right behind you!" Twilight hesitated, then turned tail (no pun intended) and ran. When she left the tower, I said to Celestia to get on my back while I held Luna in my arms. She wrapped her forelegs around my underarms and gripped on tight. Luna did the same for my neck. I started to get ready to run, but the grenades had reached their 20 second time-limit, and lighters came out. "Aah, god DAMN IT! Gonna have to make a shield." I said. I used my magic and made a protective bubble around me, Celestia, and Luna. Then, the lighters flicked on, and BOOM!
When I opened my eyes, I was left untouched. Good thing it was the same for the Royal Sisters. I then removed the shield and pumped the power from it into my legs. I felt as if I could run around Equestria twice and still have the energy to do the Running of the Leaves event. I crouched, leaned forward a little, said "Hang on," and ran so fast I reached the entrance to the Everfree Forest in a mere matter of seconds. I saw Twilight there with AJ, and they were both crying until I put the Royal Sisters back on the ground and poked their shoulders. Then Twilight looked up and turned human, giving me a hug.
Then she blushed, and let go. "Uh, Max. We're glad you're alive and all, but please cover up. You're very...distracting...right now." She said. I rummaged through my bag, and found a dusty 49er's jersey. I put it on, and said, "Now that that's done, I think it's best we head home." When we did, it got dark out, and I went to bed, thinking of the battle to come.
The End...For Now
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Maxwell Alexander Thorns-bury Stronghold remembered the day it all happened a little too well. Every time he looked out into the void of space as his bunker tried to find a habitable land, he remembered too much for a dying 17 year old to take in.
The fires, the people running and screaming at the top of their lungs, and the person who caused it all; his “friend,” aging the sun so far ahead of it's time it blew up the solar system. But what if you knew the story after this sad event. The story of how he saved another world from the clutches of a Tyrant? How he became the hero of Equestria, land of the ponies? And how he befriended the ponies of Equestria, giving him the power and magic...of friendship.
This story is about how one young, powerful, 17 year old saved the world of ponies. This, is Stronghold: the Pony Chronicles.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 3:
An Early Christmas exercise.
I woke up to hear some Christmas music coming from behind my bedroom door. I got up, went to the bathroom, took a nice hot shower, brushed my teeth, said, “Man, that steam really does wonders,” and got dressed in an olive-green muscle tee, ripped black skinny jeans, and my leather belt. Then I opened the door, and confetti hit me. “Merry Christmas!” Said Jake as he was working out. “...huh?” “Oh, excuse the Christmas music. During Winter Break I listen to it while I work out.” “Okay, mind if I join you?” “Sure.” And I grabbed 2 20 lb dumb-bells.
“You sure that's safe?” “Dude; In space, the heavy objects seem lightweight since there's no gravity. In fact, I'm going to try the 40 lb dumb-bells.” As I grabbed the 40 lb dumb-bells, I accidentally hit the NORMAL-GRAVITY button, and heard an 'umph' sound come from the main room, where Jake was exercising. I ran, and saw him trying to lift the weight, asking me, “What did you do?” “I bumped into the normal-gravity button. I didn't mean to.” “Oh...so that means we didn't have much gravity?” “I'm pretty sure I made that clear when I explained the concept with the 20 lb dumb-bells, Jake.”
“...Another good point.” And he continued attempting to lift the weight. “Wanna continue exercising, don't you?” “Duh, Max. Don't you?” “I have dumb-bells in my hand, don't I?” And with that, I used the dumb-bells.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 4:
King of the World.
Max is dreaming...Let's see what's making him toss and turn, shall we? Time to view this nightmare;
He's reached the pony galaxy, after exactly two years, which was the designated time distance. But, something's wrong. Why does the world he's landed on look so dark and gloomy? He read the information, but it said there was no issue causing this. He looks around, unaware of what's going on. Then, the ground beneath his feet starts to crumble, as a hand lifts him to a echoing laugh, he turns around, and sees none other than...Reggie Phillips, Destroyer of Earth. And he seems to be the ruler of this new land.
“AAAAAAAAHH!!!” Was the first thing out of my mouth as I woke up, felling cold, dizzy, and sweaty at the same time. I leaned forward, and put my head in my hand. Thinking back on it, I realized something must be wrong if I saw that, and believed it. There's no way I could have enough imagination to come up with that. I got up, and went to the bathroom, where I saw something I didn't exactly like.
Why did I have gray hair on the sides of my head?
“What the heck?” I asked. I decided that it must be some prank that Jake did to get payback for hitting the normal-gravity button or something. But I must have been wrong, because when I tried to wash it out, the white hair didn't go away. Which means, I'm dying. “Damn it!” I yelled as I slammed the sink, which cracked under my fist. Questions went through my head, like, “Is it possible that Reggie...survived?” and “How long do I have until I die?”
I decided to take a shower, and get dressed since I couldn't go back to sleep. I put on a white guinea-T, black boot-cut jeans, socks, and my black Jordan's. Then I went to a simulation room, and set it to training mode. The simulation became a room full of thugs. I set it to at least 10 of them. Then I pressed start, and the thugs charged. I immediately started fighting. I punched and jabbed and kicked, and 5 minutes later, every simulated thug was lying on the ground.
After that, I went to the main room, looked in the fridge, grabbed a red bull, and stared through a window, looking at the stars. Even though it didn't look it, I know a year has indeed passed. Just one more year, and we (meaning Jake and I) won't have to rely on oxygen from an artificial machine in the engine room. “Just one more year, Max,” I said. “Just one more year to go...”
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 7:
preparations.
“Listen up, ponies! If we're going to put this plan into action, we're going to need some volunteers. We're also in need of outfits, weaponry, and prisoners. Lots and lots of prisoners. Does everyone understand?” A whole wave of nodding was my response. “Good. Now then, separate yourselves into four groups; Volunteers, prisoners, blacksmiths, and sewers. When you are ready, go with your group, and help your group out by doing your specific job.
“We meet here at dusk, and those not done today may finish tomorrow. Is this alright?” Another wave of nods. “Alright, then. Let's get down to business.” Everyone went to different sections, except for a little colt wearing a golf hat, a green sweater vest, and loafers. He had a honey blonde main and tail, deep blue eyes, and a light yellow coat.
“You lost, little guy?” “No. But I think you are. You don't know what you're getting yourself into.” “I know plenty.” “Alright then. Did you know he sent an assassin?” “What? Who?” “Me.” And he took out a knife, stabbing me in the ribs. “Ack!” I said as I coughed up blood. He had stabbed me in a spot where there was a scar. He probably hit a vital organ, because blood kept coming out of my mouth when I coughed. “Get away from here, you little cheat. Don't ever come back. If you do, Reggie's gonna lose a minion.”
“As long as you're dead, you will never be able to see it through. Good bye, Max Stronghold.” And just like that, he galloped away, and I blacked out.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Mini Chapter pt3:
Meanwhile...
Down at the castle, fellow readers, Guards are doing their night shift, some of them snipers in the windows of each floor. Let's zoom in on where the source of action will become;
Max charges himself by draining his fifth and final battery. Suddenly, as he does this, he thinks of the video game he used to play. It was his favorite, a game called inFAMOUS©. This time though, he wasn't Cole MacGrath, accidental hero. He was Max Stronghold, the Thunderer. He got ready, aimed his hand at the window on the bottom level, and Shot a thin arc of electricity. It caught the floor one sniper dead in the eye. He fell out the window, and bled to death on the newly trimmed grass. “Damn your good at this, Max,” said a surprised Jake.
“Learned how to shoot with precision. Drains a little energy, though. So I have to aim perfectly on the first shot.” And he shot the sniper on floor two with the same thin precision shot, this time in the chest. “Just four more to go.” He aimed at floor three, and to add comedy, he shot the sniper in the scope with his hand forming a finger gun. “Very funny, Max. Got any other tricks?” “Actually, yes.” Said Max as he shot another sniper in the forehead with his eyes closed. He then shot the last two with a normal shot.
“You ready?” Asked Max as the last sniper fell headfirst into the ground, looking like an imitation of an ostrich.
“Yeah.”
“Good. Let's go.” Said Max. Then, they climbed the pipeline, and they disappeared from sight.
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Chapter 17:
FREE THEM!!! (Part 2)
"...And that's the reason all this happened. I didn't even know he knew I left. That's why I had no problem coming with you." Said Rainbow Dash as I walked onto the edge of a cloud. "Well, good news is, the Rainbow Factory is done for." Were my exact words as I took out the detonator for the C4 and pressed it. The Rainbow Factory blew up in the distance, leaving me satisfied. I then turned around and dived headfirst into the air between the cloud and the Earth. At the last second, I opened my wings sharply and flew to the hospital. I was paged by the doctor who took care of Fluttershy while she was passed out.
§§§
"Congratulations, Mr. Stronghold." said the Doctor as I held on to Flutters' hand. I couldn't believe it.. I was going to be a father. Apparently she was two months into pregnancy. I'm glad that things are looking up...for now. It won't be long, though, before I go and fight this 'Discord' thing. So, now that I knew what was going on, I got up and kissed Fluttershy on the forehead. She was going to stay at the hospital because apparently, she's been having fainting spells and they want to keep an eye on her. I left, and ruffled my wings. I was going to a place I've heard of, only through myth and maps.
I was going to the Ancient Tsunami clan of Mt. Ray-mare
Stronghold: New Beginnings.
Acknowledgements:
Now, here's the part where I say thank you to the kind people; First off, there's my mom, who doesn't care that I'm a Brony and for believing I'll one day be a great Author. Next on the list of people to thank is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Not a show, I know). I'm thanking them for being the greatest show and for giving me the inspiration for this story. But the greatest thank you of all time goes to...you.
You, the reader, deserves the greatest thanks for many reasons;
You gave me honest opinions about what you thought. Thank you for that.
You gave me suggestions to make a story better. I want to learn as much as possible if I'm going to be a great author one day, so thank you for that, too.
Thank you to those who are now following me. Sure am shocked that I have followers. Didn't even know I was that good.
Last but not least, this thank you in particular goes to the people who faved my story.Thank you for enjoying the story and reading it and liking it. I actually wasn't expecting people to fave my story, so thanks for surprising me, and adding my story in your faves.
Until next time, my fellow readers; Keep Calm and Brony on!
Yours now and forever,
Ian Lawrence DelValle