Mega Man Zero: For Endless Fight

Chapters

Chapter 1: Captive Legend
Chapter 2: Siren General
Chapter 3: Draconian Commander
Chapter 4: Cruel Shadow

Chapter 1: Captive Legend

Running.

That was the only thing that these ponies could think of now. Run. Keep ahead of...whatever it was that was chasing them. Every second, more of their numbers were falling to the unstoppable monsters. There was no mercy, the creatures would rip apart the ponies who fell behind. So they kept running. They had a destination they needed to reach, or it would be all over.

By the time they were getting close, very little of the squad was left. And now, it seemed hopeless. In front of them was a massive door, blocking progress, with the shadows closing in. One of the ponies left stepped in front of the door. “I'll handle this! Stand back, Posey!” He placed a box on the door, gave it some distance, and pressed a button, detonating the box and blowing the door open.

The remaining ponies ran into the now-opened chamber, with one stallion standing guard at the doorway to buy the others more time. That just left a mare, another stallion, and a small creature floating next to the mare. They made their way to the center of the room, where they found what they were looking for. The stallion was shocked. “It can't be...”

The small floating creature answered. “It is.”

There, right before them, was a stallion. He was bound and unconscious, many wounds covering his body. His coat was red, with a long, blond mane. He was what they needed now, the one thing that could help them.

The mare, Posey, spoke. “It's really him. Zero, the legendary Hunter.”

The stallion tried to approach Zero, but was knocked back by some kind of force. “He's protected. We can't get to him,” the small one explained.

While they were still unsure of how to free Zero, a scream from the door alerted them. The stallion standing guard had fallen, many wounds bleeding out. The responsible shadows climbed over his body to move closer to their prey.

The remaining stallion pulled a gun from a holster and started firing. “Posey, you have to get out of here now!”

Posey looked between her comrade and Zero. “But...but what about Zero?”

“There's no time! Run! While you can still esca...” He was interrupted by a blast of darkness impaling him through the chest, killing him.

Posey screamed his name. “Lucky!” She knelt next to his body, losing sense of the world around her.

Her floating friend tried to shake her back. “Posey. Posey! POSEY! You don't have a choice! You need to use my power!”

Posey looked back. “But...if I do, you'll be...”

The small one closed her eyes and nodded. “It's alright. You need to get back safely.”

Posey stood up and held her friend. “Okay. Thank you...Dayflower.”

Dayflower flew into the barrier protecting Zero, and as the two collided, there were sparks of energy. It absorbed Dayflower's body, removing it from existence. Nothing happened, and the shadows were slowing moving closer. There was no other way out, Posey was going to die.

Just as she gave up hope, Zero's shield shattered and his body was surrounded by a pillar of blinding light. Once it had dissipated, Posey saw Zero, standing, fully healed, facing the oncoming threat. She was amazed, the impossible had happened. “Zero...has been resurrected.”

Zero didn't respond, only glaring down those that tried to approach him. Posey needed him now. “Zero? Please...help me.”

Without thinking, Zero picked up Lucky's fallen gun, sending some kind of energy into the weapon, changing it. He fired onto the crowd, the blasts killing anything it hit. His shots freed them, and he wordlessly signaled for Posey to follow as he ran into the hole they came in through.

The shadows that had come close were not the only ones trying to kill them, there was still an army. Before, an opposing force this big would have meant guaranteed death, but Zero was doing things differently. Effortlessly, he was destroying everything standing in their way, moving forward, a trail of destruction in his wake. Posey could only watch as he was doing alone what an entire army of ponies could only dream of.

With Zero's abilities, the two of them made it back the way they came, now blocked off by piles of boulders. Posey scratched at the rock obstructing them, panicking at their entrapment. “It's blocked off! What do we do now?”

Preoccupied with worry, Posey failed to notice the ground beneath her giving way. Zero saw the cracks appear, and dashed to her, grabbing her just as they fell, landing safely far at the bottom. Posey was absolutely amazed. “T-thank you. There should be a Trans Server around here, we can use it to return to the base. Follow me.”

As Posey took the lead, Zero asked questions. “So, who are you? What are you doing here?”

“My name is Posey. I came here looking for you, Zero. You're our key to winning this fight.”

“Zero? Is that my name?” He paused to recollect, and came up blank. “I can't remember anything.”

“Just relax, Zero. You've got hibernation sickness, your memories will come back in time. We came looking for you because you're the legendary Maverick Hunter of days past, the one who defeated Queen Chrysalis alongside X and Axl.”

“X? Axl? Those names sound familiar.”

They reached another wall blocking their progress. Now that they weren't being chased, Posey could look at the situation more calmly, and she turned to face Zero. “How nice. The passageway has collapsed. Shall we go back?”

Though Posey didn't seem to notice, Zero heard something from the other side of the wall, growing closer. “Posey, stand back!”

She didn't react in time, as a large hand broke through the wall and pulled her back in. Zero chased after it, coming into sight of a large shadow creature, with Posey in its hand. “Zero, get away! This thing's a Golem, you can't beat it!”

Zero didn't see why he couldn't fight. Everything else that had tried to stop them had fallen, this was just a bigger monster. He fired at it multiple times, taking careful aim to not hit Posey. The Golem wasn't reacting to the shots, firing lasers of shadow energy, knocking rocks off the ceiling to rain down, he was taking quite a punishment.

Zero realized he really couldn't beat it, but he wasn't going to let Posey die like this. He wasn't sure what to do, until a small bright light appeared near him, holding something. “Zero...use this...”

“What? Who are you?”

“There's no time...take this...you have to save her...” The light tossed what it was holding, a small cylinder, to Zero, and vanished. Zero held it, and something about it felt natural. He had no idea how he should use it, but completely naturally flicked a switch, igniting a green blade from the end.

As if through born instinct, Zero held the saber up and leapt towards the Golem, slashing at the beast. He landed and turned the blade off, and the Golem did not react to the strike. It lunged towards him before abruptly stopping. It looked down at itself, where it finally saw that it had been cut clean through. The top part of its body fell off the bottom before both segments faded away in black smoke, leaving Posey unharmed.

She saw Zero standing majestically, as her jaw dropped. “You...you killed a Golem. You really are the legendary Zero. You proved that by beating a Golem.” She stepped onto a platform on the floor, and gestured Zero to her. “This is a Trans Server. It's connected to other devices across Equestria and beyond, allowing instant transport between them.”

Zero stepped on the Trans Server with Posey as she hit some keys on a nearby panel, lighting the floor beneath them as they were surrounded by energy, moving them somewhere else.

Now that they had returned to their base, Posey quickly cleaned herself off from the dirt she accumulated on the mission. Zero could see the mare that rescued him, that he returned the favor for, clearly now. She was an earth pony like him, yellow coat that matched his mane, and a pink mane as long as his. Something about her appearance was nagging at Zero's subconscious memories, but there was no way he'd remember that if he couldn't even remember himself.

“So, now that we're somewhere safe, would you please explain who I am?”

“You still don't remember? We're not really sure of the effects of hibernation sickness, or how long they last. Well, a hundred years ago, the Changelings had invaded Equestria, killing most of the ponies, sending the rest into hiding or rebellion. The Maverick Hunters were a group formed to fight the Changelings, and Zero was their leader when Twilight Sparkle stepped down.”

“Twilight...I feel like I know all these names, but none of them are coming through clear.”

“Twilight is unfortunately very important to what's happening now. Zero, along with his new friends Mega Stallion X and Axl defeated the Changeling Queen and freed Equestria. But...Zero died in the final battle.”

Zero was very confused. “If this Zero died, why did you bother coming to find me? What were you expecting to find?”

“Legends. To tell the truth, I didn't know what I was going to find in that cave, but I heard you still existed and we could find you, and we need you now. After the Changelings were defeated, Twilight was appointed as Princess, and continued to rule. She led Equestria into a prosperous age, where all different species came together and lived under one country equally.”

“But something happened to her. The power got to her, and she went crazy. She adopted dark magic, and created the shadow monsters that attacked us. In her insanity, she killed the Maverick Hunters, and she's been treating anypony that opposes her like a Maverick, claiming 'justice' and 'utopia'.”

Zero listened to Posey's explanations. “Okay, so what do you want me to do? You brought me back, and why?”

“Well, I don't know if you're going to like this, but we want you to kill Twilight. Her death is the only thing that can save us all.”

“Who else is in this 'us'?”

“Everypony else in the base. We're the Resistance, the ponies that escaped Twilight's capture and are devoted to putting an end to her evil. Some of them doubted your existence, calling it childish to believe in one pony that was strong enough to save us all. But your presence is proof that there are miracles. Will you help us?”

Zero didn't give a straight answer, but his question did enough. “If I'm going to help, I'm going to need more explanations. What is the thing that gave my sword?”

“I couldn't get a clear look at it, because I was being held by a Golem, and it was emitting a really strange, bright glow. But if I was going to guess, I'd say it was a Breezie. They're used by all kinds nowadays for their strange powers. Do you know what I'm talking about?” Zero shook his head. “Breezies are departed souls, for those that never fulfilled their purpose in this world. They return as those small creatures, each with their own unique power. Once they're used, they die and move on for good. One of them freed you from your binds.”

Zero nodded. “Okay, I think I've got enough to go on for now. But know that I don't have much of a reason to believe you. If I find out you're withholding information from me, there's going to be consequences. Where should I start?”

“We need you to secure resources for our Operation Righteous Strike, which will give an opening for you to find Twilight and finish the job. You've got four locations to start with: a factory, prison, military base, or transport.”

Zero considered the options in front of him. “The prison. Transfer me there.”

Posey nodded, and pressed on the keypad, lighting the Trans Server up and teleporting Zero out. She looked down and silently said, “Come back in one piece, Zero.”

Author's Note

Later chapters aren't going to follow Mega Man Zero's dialogue so closely.

Yes, time to take on Mega Man Zero. In keeping with the game series' tones, this one is going to be darker than Mega Man X: Paradise Lost. Going to keep it Teen, though, no need to get graphic. Also, unlike my previous two Mega Man stories, this one will not have chapter structure on the boss fights, because I don't think the bosses in the Zero series were that memorable. The Four Guardians will be taking the spotlight instead.

Chapter 2: Siren General

Zero was standing at an outer wall of the shabby hideout the ponies fighting back were forced to call a base. Located directly next to a desert, it didn't provide much protection against nature, and the harsh conditions the hot and dry climate would create. Coupled with how close they were to an enemy base, it hardly seemed like a good location.

He also had to question what he was given for the mission. It was a suit of armor, with a dark undercoat, a similar color of red to his coat, and plenty of white outlines and highlights. It had horns on the helmet that accentuated his ears, and thick boots. He subconsciously hated armor, reminding him of something from his past, but he didn't know what. He asked Posey through the communicator he was given. “Is there a reason you needed to give me this armor?”

On the other end of the receiver, a voice came through, but definitely not Posey's. This one was a stallion, entering the conversation uninvited. “That's a specially designed armor I invented, based on legends and subsequent drawings of Zero in the Changeling Wars. Not only does it provide extra defense, but it gives you the ability to dash, climb walls, double jump, and charge your weapons. I just never thought the real Zero would be the one using it.”

Zero asked a question back to the stallion talking to him. “Who are you, and what are you doing on the communicator?”

“That was Cerveau, the Resistance's mechanic. He's incredibly skilled at making armor and weapons. If it wasn't for his expertise, we never would have survived as long as we have.”

“Posey, can you just tell me what my mission is already?”

“The hidden base is somewhere in this desert. Your job is to find it, infiltrate the prison, and free the Resistance members trapped inside. But we don't know where it is, and we don't have any idea on what kind of security will be inside. Everything's resting on you. Just...come back safely, Zero. We just found you, please don't strain yourself too hard.”

“Understood. Beginning the mission now.” He looked out at the vast wastes before him, completely empty to the horizon in every direction. Finding a hidden base in this would be almost impossible. So, that left Zero with hunting down clues in the sand. He knelt down close to the ground, searching for any sort of visible prints, but the harsh winds shifted the sands, washing away life's marks, reverting the landscape to an untouched state.

In these conditions, it would be impossible to find anything without combing the entire desert, a task that could take weeks with the sand stretching beyond sight. All that could be seen was a swarm of vultures flying in a circle, nothing very...wait, vultures. “Posey, I haven't found anything, but there's vultures flying above, and I have the feeling that means something.”

“I wouldn't get your hopes up, Zero. There's not much life out there, but there's still some, the vultures would just be picking at something that died. Death happens, just an inevitable fact of life.”

Zero didn't listen to her advice and turned off the communicator, dashing to the birds' location to investigate whatever they were pecking at. Once he approached, the vultures flew away in different directions, leaving their body behind. Close enough to make it out amidst the sands, Zero could see what they were eating.

Half-buried was a camel's dead body, some of its skin pecked off, the hot sun decomposing the flesh faster. He was about to dismiss this as a false lead, but then he noticed a small giveaway. Right before the body sunk below sight, a ring of blood had stained the animal's coat. It could be quickly explained as the work of the vultures, but Zero could tell it was too evenly distributed. So something else killed this thing. Probably cut straight down the middle if it bled all around. Perhaps there's answers at the bisecting point.

Kneeling down as close as he could get without lying down, Zero began digging down, pushing the piles of sand off to his sides, working his ways down for over a foot, the blood on the camel getting thicker and seeping into the sand, dyeing it darker and damper. Once it was fully bloodstained, Zero hit something hard. Curious, he dug out more to the sides to reveal what he had found, and while it was red, he could very clearly tell it was metal. Excavating closer to the body, the cause of death was apparent; it had somehow gotten caught between the closing metal doors and was crushed.

And that means the door is still jammed open. “Posey, I've got it. There's a hidden door under the sand here. I'll try and pry it open and see where it leads.”

“If your Z-Saber has the same power the legends say, you should be able to just slash it open. See if that works and it lives up to the stories.”

Zero did as he was told and fiercely cut across the door and the body sticking out of it. He held the sword high, in momentum from the attack, as it appeared nothing happened, both objects remained intact. That is, until a few seconds later, when the divide inexplicably appeared, slicing whatever it touched clean open, sending both metal and flesh tumbling down the hole below. Without hesitation, he followed.

The drop was dark, the only illumination the small area of vision his saber's glow could provide. It was only enough to alert him to the approaching floor moments before collision, and while his new armor would allow him to take gravity with no adverse effects, he didn't know that. There was something inside reminding him of something, a maneuver that he could use, but he had no idea what the source was. Nevertheless, he grabbed onto the nearby wall with one front leg and both back legs, slowing his descent. He softly landed at the bottom, readjusting his body from the impact.

“You did it, Zero! The hidden base has to be beyond here! The scanners on your armor say there's an invisible barrier in front of you, give me a minute to disable them.”

“Wait a minute, scanners? Why are there scanners on my armor?”

“They collect environmental and combat data, as well as biometric readings, which provides us with important information on your condition, what sorts of soldiers Twilight is using, and dangers around you. And the barrier is disabled.”

“Yeah, well I didn't agree to it. How do I know that you're not doing anything more that you're not telling me?” No response. He grumbled in frustration at his personal wishes being ignored. These ponies don't deserve to be trusted. They have to be hiding something else, everything is too suspicious. Should I even listen to what they have to say or what they want me to do? He considered the options before him, before looking down the path that Posey had opened up for him. If anything, this hidden enemy base might have more information I could use. He dashed into the darkness, looking for any answers that his mission would provide for him.

Once again, the limited green glow of his sword was all the vision he was given. Now even deeper below the surface, Zero could barely see one foot in front of his eyes. Because of this, he obliviously stepped forward into yet another pit, his hooves slipping into the hole as the rest of his body tumbled down with no grace. He was turning and spinning in midair, making him unable to grab the walls again.

Zero fell in silence as he tumbled downwards, not fazed by the drop. The only interruption was him crashing against the surface of water below, the armor protecting him from the hard splash. The armor's weight also began pulling him down, and no amount of paddling could keep him afloat. He gasped for one final breath before the coldness fully surrounded him.

Falling to the bottom of the pond, where the pressure should have been increasing, Zero was giving up chances of surviving this ordeal. He was under, unable to ascend, and was going to drown soon. He closed his eyes, though it meant nothing in the complete darkness he had been in ever since he dropped below the sands. “D-damn, not here...”

“Z....Zero...Zero! Do y.......e in? Ca......he....e? Da........veau, inc............gnal! Can you hear me, Zero!? You're not drowning, the armor has systems and protocols built in for conditions impossible for ponies to survive! You can survive underwater just fine, the armor's got a complete facemask!”

He opened his eyes again and, against his better judgement, took another breath. Sure enough, Posey was telling the truth, and air filled his lungs again. While most ponies would be happy they had survived a fatal situation, Zero was hostile. “And why wasn't I told about this?! You'd think it'd be important to tell the pony you're sending out to fight for you what they're capable of!”

“...I-I'm sorry. Y-you're right, I should have told you up front what your new capabilities were before you went out. I would have told you if I knew you were going somewhere it would be needed, but I wasn't expecting deep water when you were sent into the desert. But for climates, the only other things the armor provides is better resistance to extreme temperatures on both ends of the scale.”

“Ooh hoo hoo! What kind of a stallion do we have here?”

Zero turned to face the speaker, hard to do when there was nothing but pitch blackness. The voice giggled, a light and bouncy feminine voice. “Oh, can you not see? Hold on, let me fix that.” There was a snap, distorted by passing through water, and a series of bright lights turned on in a contrast that would be blinding if his facemask didn't compensate.

Now fully visible, Zero could see who was talking to him. Only a few feet tall, it was a blue pony-like creature, but the bottom half of its body merged into one appendage, a fin. It also had two smaller fins where a pony's front legs would be, and one of them held a trident almost as long as its wielder.

“Well well well, aren't you a handsome one? So what's a cute colt like you doing way down here,” she asked, her voice not distorted by the water.

Zero pulled out his blade, also not affected by the liquid, holding it in front of him. “What are you? What are you doing down here?”

The strange creature pouted. “Oh, a rude one! Everypony should know who I am! Well, I can't say I don't like a little naivety in my boys, so allow me to introduce myself.” She swung her trident to the side and took a bow mid-swim. “I am the seapony Wavebreaker, one of the Four Guardians of Master Twilight. Now, I'd like an answer to what a pony with access to technology like your armor is doing all the way down here.”

In a split-second, both of them were pointing their weapons directly at each other, perfectly parallel. “That's interesting, because I'd like an answer to what you're doing with a hidden base underneath the desert! What purpose does it serve, why this location, and what's hiding inside?”

Wavebreaker swung her weapon to her side again. “You're a curious one, aren't you? One that doesn't know where to stop, when to stop asking questions. I'm sure Master Twilight will be pleased to receive the body of a Resistance member who doesn't know his place! Don't go easy on me because I'm a girl!” She gripped the trident in both her fins.

Zero did the same with his Z-Saber. “That was never an intention, Wavebreaker.” He leapt towards her, his armor allowing him natural movement in the water, his sword poised for a hard slash.

But Wavebreaker wouldn't be a seapony general if she couldn't move masterfully in the water, and effortlessly dodged Zero's attack, where his momentum worked against him by forcing him past his intended target, opening his back for a nice, clean attack from Wavebreaker. She grinned as she pulled her trident back, where one solid swing could take out her opponent.

Zero sensed the blow incoming, enhanced by the ripples movement in the water created. Not that it would have mattered, no one could move fast enough to do anything about the attack, forcing them to be aware of their inevitable death before it could even happen. That was something Wavebreaker loved, her target feeling true fear, the kind that could only come from death looming over, and she smiled sinisterly knowing she'd feel it again.

The sound of clashing metal soon echoed through the waves that surrounded them, and Wavebreaker's grin grew wider at her success. Until she could see what caused the sound. In an instant, Zero had somehow ignited his saber behind himself, blocking the trident's edges sharp enough to pierce his armor. The force pushed him away, giving him space to retaliate. He pulled the saber back to his frontside and spun, facing him towards Wavebreaker to see her shocked expression, just as the green glow of Zero's blade slashed across her midsection, just shallow enough to merely cut her.

Zero fell further and landed on the solid ground, keeping a close eye on Wavebreaker. He pointed the tip of his sword, and she did the same like he had done nothing to her.

Wavebreaker stared at Zero menacingly from above, ready for the fight to continue, not that it would last long when her opponent had suddenly ceased his assault. She held her trident behind her and charged forward, before stopping abruptly halfway. Her face suddenly transformed into one of excruciating pain, her eyes widening and bulging, her mouth open and teeth grimacing. Shaking, she put one of her fins over her body, and red began seeping out of the cut, clouding the water around her.

“Gr...grraaghh! I...I told you not to hold back! What kind of a noble warrior are you?!” The blood cloud moved upwards, starting to cover her vision. Without a clear view, she could only see her attacker's silhouette, and her limited sight suddenly made everything fit. A shadow of a stallion, long mane and sword in hoof, skill unmatched. “It...it can't be...,” she whispered.

The water amplified the sound, allowing Zero to hear her nearly silent remark. “Can't be what? What are you talking about?” Wavebreaker used the fin not holding her cut closed to place her trident on her back, and pressed her now-free fin onto her face, activating something. “Hey, where are you going,” Zero called out before Wavebreaker turned to light and teleported out.

“Zero, the energy signature I was picking up suddenly vanished. What happened down there?”

Zero looked around for any sign of Wavebreaker, but when he realized he was indeed completely alone, he sighed and responded. “Nothing you should worry about, Posey. I found the hidden base, and I'm investigating it now.”

The communication went silent, and Zero was left contemplating one thing Wavebreaker had said. Four Guardians...Each of them will be out for my blood to protect Twilight. I guess beating all of them will be necessary if I want to reach her. But what kind of guardians are they?

Author's Note

Yeah yeah, took 5 months. Not hearing any of that.

Chapter 3: Draconian Commander

Wavebreaker sat in a large tank of water, still clutching her wound fiercely. The water would heal the cut, but it would take time, keeping her out of commission and unable to fight. And she had a superior she had to deal with. “Master Twilight, I apologize for my failure. I was not expecting my opponent to be as strong as he was.”

Twilight sat in her ornamental throne, at the head of the room. The large windows behind her were cracked and the curtains torn, yet there was somehow still very little light entering, only enough to see. Twilight was bent forward, her hoof on her chin with her eyes closed as she was lost in thought. “But are you sure that this stallion you saw was Zero?”

“I didn't make the connection at first, but it could have only been him. Even without considering the looks, he had that fire in his attacks that would only come from a master swordsman, with the skills to match. He bested me far too quickly for someone of my position. It was incredible.”

“Well well well, sounds like a certain seapony's got a crush on her enemy.”

Twilight didn't bother to look, but Wavebreaker did, and she saw one of her comrades hiding in the shadows, the famous purple and green dragon. About as tall as Twilight, his body was thin and long, but muscular. Wavebreaker grumbled, “Yeah, well, I don't particularly care what you think, Spike.”

Spike shrugged, and walked into whatever light the throne room had, and knelt before his princess. “Pardon me princess, but how much faith can you put into what Wavebreaker says? No offense, but think back; you remember that Zero died, don't you? How would he possibly return, let alone why? There's no reason, that's why! Aren't there far more important matters for us to attend to than looking at some rumor about a stallion who's been dead for a hundred years?”

Twilight held her hoof up to be imposing, and her eyes opened. Dark purple smoke, darker than her coat, poured out of the sides of her eyes and the pupils glowed bright green. “Hold your tongue, Spike! You have no right to speak up to your princess out of turn! You will also not disrespect the judgment of another Guardian! Very well, if you doubt her words, you will be the one sent to inspect her post. Depart soon, and do not disappoint me!”

Even with the berating he had received, Spike smiled. Reaching behind his back, he pulled a hilt off his belt. Pulling the ignition, it emitted a blade much like Zero's, close enough to make Wavebreaker flinch, but purple. “You will not regret your choice, Princess Twilight.”

“The door to the base is open, Zero. I don't know what kind of things you're going to find in there, so watch your back.”

“Alright Posey, I plan to investigate as much as I can. I'll contact you when I find something interesting.” Zero entered the hidden base and climbed the ladder, the only means of continuing. He carefully peeked over the top in case there would be any more enemies waiting for him. But he was only met with empty hallways. At least there was light here, so he could see what he needed to.

“You're not one of them, right? What are you doing here?”

Zero turned to the source of the voice, and found a stallion behind bars. He had a red coat and a brown mane, clad in a green uniform and goggles over his eyes. Zero approached the cell door. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

“We're members of the Resistance, but Twilight's shadow soldiers captured us and imprisoned us here. They all left a few minutes ago, and I was about to try a breakout. Did Posey send you here?”

“Yeah, she sent me here to investigate what this base was. So it's a prison, then? How many of you are in here?”

“There's eight of us trapped here, but it isn't a prison specifically. I heard Wavebreaker talking about it, one of the rooms here has a database computer, she said something about important information on it. If you're going to unlock the cell, you'll need to find whatever guard has the key, which could be hard if you can't find the guards at all, so...” He was interrupted by Zero’s saber igniting and slashing at the door lock. The bars swung open, as Zero put the sword back on his hilt.

“A-amazing…but that sword...it can’t be…C-could you really be the Zero?”

“That’s what I’m told. I’m just here to investigate this place, and I’m getting back to that. Can you rescue the rest of your squad?”

“Leave it to me, Mr. Zero! You take care of that master computer, shut down their operations! Colbor’s taking care of his team!” He saluted and ran off into the empty hallway.

Zero watched him take off, and briefly considered following him to make sure he freed his team safely, but decided against it. “I need to focus on my own mission, see what’s on that computer.” He ran in the other direction, and was met with a large door, which wouldn't open no matter what force Zero used on it.

He would have kept attacking the door, but he saw a panel on the right side at face height, with a screen asking for a password. This would normally indicate that Zero needed to find and “coerce” a guard into inputting it for him. He punched the screen instead, causing sparks to fly from the shattered glass, and the door pulled open. He walked through the open doorway into the supercomputer's room.

While the computer was taking up a sizable portion of the room, the screen connected to it was small, the size of a piece of paper. Zero approached the screen and looked at what it was displaying. “A data file on ‘Breezie Wars’? What the hell are they looking at, what does this have on me?” He searched the database for “Zero”, and found a result, which he opened the file for.

“Zero, we just got a transmission from Colbor, and he said that you’re looking at Twilight’s database? Are you in?”

“Yeah Posey, I was about to look at the file they have on me. I need this mystery about myself solved, understand?

Posey was silent for a few seconds before she responded. “A-alright, do what you have to do. But can you do something for us? If you open a communication channel between that computer and ours, we can transfer the data for Resistance use. Can I put Cerevau on to direct you?”

“Okay Zero, Posey told me what I’m helping you out here with. Open a terminal on the computer and enter this…”

Zero listened to Cerveau’s very detailed instructions and followed them exactly. He had just finished typing exactly what he was told, and had only just confirmed the command when a purple blade ignited over his neck from outside his range of vision. He didn’t turn to look, only stood still to listen.

“Maybe you should have just stayed dead, Zero, you just keep getting into trouble. Master Twilight has taken interest in you, you've been proving yourself since your return. Such a shame that someone with as much potential and history such as yourself is fighting against us. That's why I was sent here, to cut off a loose end.” The saber was pulled away, to bring it closer to its wielder.

Zero quickly took the opportunity to jump, igniting his sword in the air, landing away from his attacker. Given a clear view, he looked over who had entered the room. He was a purple and green dragon, a limber and fit 6 feet tall, holding two purple blades just like Zero's. His eyes were piercing, his sharp teeth bared for the fight.

Zero growled, “Another one of Twilight's goons, huh? Your seapony friend had the same sense of self-importance, and she lost a harsh fight. Do you think you'll fare better, dragon?”

“You will not compare my abilities to Wavebreaker! I have been by Twilight's side since hatching, I am her highest-ranking officer, and you shall not underestimate me. I am Spike the Dragon, and my Harpuia Blades will slice you apart! I'll send you back to the afterlife you belong in!” He spun his swords and entered his battle stance.

Zero stood still, opting to stay back and observe his opponent instead of rushing into a fight. If the dragon was Twilight's highest Guardian, he would be a skilled combatant, and his dual blades gave him an edge.

Time passed, neither moving to set off the other. It was quiet, more serene than expected for a match between two skilled swordsmen. Spike's eyes narrowed, and he pulled his swords back. “Are you trying to freak me out?! Do something, react, acknowledge that I'm here!”

Zero was a little shocked at the outburst. “What's your problem? Does Twilight's top commander require reassurance that he's needed at all?”

“SHUT UP! I'll rip you apart, tear your legs from the rest of your body, pull your heart from your chest!” Spike gripped his swords' hilts tighter, hard enough that it looked like they would snap from the pressure. He charged forward, screaming a battle cry as his feet quickly tapped across the ground.

Zero jumped back, surprised at how quickly Spike had gotten fired up. Still in motion, he held his saber before him, perpendicular to Spike's two blades, blocking them both. However, the force of the strike pushed him back, his two hind legs sliding across the floor as he resisted the attack. They clashed against the force of the opposing sword, both fighters strong enough that they wouldn't be pushed away or beaten.

Zero wasn't stupid, he could tell when a struggle was pointless, and he wasn't going to waste his energy on a fruitless attack. Instead, he stopped resisting with his saber and leaned back, letting Spike's force carry him forward. He stumbled, his dual swords just missing slicing Zero's torso open. With an opening, he pulled back and swung his hind leg, sharply kicking Spike in the side of the head and knocking him into the wall. While he was recovering, Zero taunted Spike, “You know, Wavebreaker taught me that little trick. I thought Twilight's number one commander would know how to counter his subordinates.”

Spike was on one knee now, really mad at Zero. He slammed his fist onto the metal floor, creating a large and noticeable dent. “You're dead, Zero!”

He was losing his nerve, something Zero could take advantage of. Back on his feet, he charged with one of his hands on top of the other, holding both Harpuia Blades in the same grip held out away from him. He wanted a joust, that's what Zero would give him. While the dragon was bearing down upon him, Zero held his saber out as well, unwavering. It was only when Spike was just about to impale him that he dodged, one foot to his side.

The two combatants were standing side to side, back to back, their swords held in front of them. Zero's eyes were narrowed and stern, while Spike was panting and breathing very heavily, but he wasn't going to let his exhaustion force him to bow out of the fight. “You're...you're a worthy opponent, Zero. I can see how you bested Wavebreaker, but I won't let you get the better of me!”

Zero smirked. “I think you've already lost this. Look at your side.”

Spike was feeling a sting on his side, but he was ignoring it to focus on the fight. With attention brought to it, he couldn't help but look. There it was, a gap on his torso, smoke emanating from the pierced flesh and veins. It wasn't bleeding due to the nature of the weapon that caused the injury, nor was it already fatal, but it was deep enough that it must have punctured something vital, and leaving it untreated would surely result in death.

With no other option, Spike was forced to retreat. “This isn't over, Zero! Twilight's master plan will still come to fruition, and the Resistance scum will all pay for their disobedience!”

“Data transfer complete. The files are encrypted, so it'll take time to decipher them, but we'll get them soon. Colbor's team is confirmed sage, preparing to bring you back.”

“A piece of advice, dragon. If you're sent to stop someone from stealing your data, you should probably do something about stopping it instead of letting it run while you get into a fight.” With that, Zero teleported out, leaving Spike loudly growling alone, more at anger than pain.

Chapter 4: Cruel Shadow

“Are you worried about the away party we sent to the factory,” Cerveau asked Posey.

“Of course I am, but without contact, we can't do anything for them. We don't even know if Zero is any better off.”

“He survived fights with two of the Four Guardians, and beat them. Honestly, I'd be amazed if that stallion's capable of injury.” The door opened, and the red stallion entered. “See? He's fine.”

Posey trotted up to Zero, looking him over. “Y...you're not injured?” It was hard to tell if he was bleeding when his coat was already red. “You fought Spike and came out without a scratch?”

“He was naive, not prepared for a real fight. I suspect he won't make that mistake again.”

Posey jolted back in shock. “Spike, naive? You're crazy, Spike is Twilight's oldest guard, they say his blades have felled hundreds of opponents!”

“Guess he didn't expect to see a ghost, then. That is, if I really died. Any progress on that data I sent?”

Posey hesitated before answering. “We still have to decode it. I'll work on it, it's bound to have some useful information. Until then, if you're up for it, we lost contact with an away party we sent to the factory, and we'd like you to check it out.”

“Factory?”

“It produces a lot of the materials and supplies that Twilight's forces use. To exterminate ponies like us. This seemed to be a good time to strike, but once they got onto the supply train, their signal disappeared. Will you investigate?”

“Unbelievable. I rescue a team you sent into danger, and while I'm helping, you do the same to another group of your followers.”

Cerveau stepped in. “Listen Zero, this is war. Sacrifices have to be made for the victory, and these soldiers knew the risks. They're capable of making decisions without a legendary hero to order them around.”

Zero and Cerveau butted heads. “So you consider it justified to throw ponies at a problem like they're expendable? When you have that hero that can do it by himself? Why go to the trouble of waking me up if you're not going to reduce your death count?”

“Because the reason we went looking for you was solely because of Posey's insistence you existed! I'm certainly not ready to trust you.”

Posey usually had a quiet, calm, almost motherly demeanor, but something in Cerveau's accusation made her snap. “That will be all, Cerveau. You're dismissed,” she aggressively ordered. Unable to disobey his superior, Cerveau merely scoffed and left. She took a deep breath to calm down, and turned back to Zero, back to her old self. “I'm sorry you had to see that.”

“Looks like you're having issues with trust.”

“...yeah. Maybe you have a point about the ponies we're using as soldiers, what we're sending them for. But Cerveau has a point too, that you can't do it all by yourself, that the other ponies are just as necessary. Maybe it was childish of me to go on a hunt for a legend like it would solve all our problems, but we found you. And I trust you, I promise.”

Zero stayed silent for several seconds. “It's not smart to place faith in a stranger. It's the quickest way to get stabbed in the back. So where can I find this train?”

“You're going to go? You don't need to rest first?”

“I'll be fine. Just tell me where to go, when the next supply train leaves.”

She didn't quite believe it, but Posey hurried to the nearby computer, hitting a few keys and changing windows. “Looks like there's one leaving in 10 minutes in the station to the east. You can make it if you hurry.”

“Roger, I'm on my way now.” Zero trotted out, in a hurry to catch his train, but he turned back at the doorframe. “Think about this discussion. You've got good ponies if they're willing to follow you into almost certain death. Don't throw that away.” He departed, leaving Posey confused, but feeling secure as well.

The landscape flew past Zero as he sat on an open cargo car, his ponytail flowing in the fierce winds. The supply train left the loading station just as he arrived, jumping on board as it pulled out, and now he waited among the boxes for the transportation to reach its ending. There wasn't anything to do during the wait, so Zero watched Equestria pass by him.

Honestly, this didn't look like a war-torn landscape. It looked...serene, peaceful, calm and quiet. The sunset was passing below the horizon, dying the sky not a menacing blood red, but a beautiful orange fading fast. “This is the world ruled by a dictator? A world that needs saving?”

“No, this is a perfect world. Master Twilight has brought peace to this battlefield of a country, life where there previously was none.”

Zero jolted up onto all four hooves, frantically looking up for whoever responded to his questions. Everything was empty, even as he ran across the car's floor, checking every corner and blind spot the shipment covered. It was getting harder to see, the sun's light disappearing by the second. The intruder, he sounded close, he had to be on the car. “Show yourself! Are you using an invisibility spell?!”

There was no reply as the last illumination vanished. Now, it was dark, only making the search more challenging. Zero reached for the blade on his belt for some amount of glow, when something appeared in the black wall of night before him. Two golden circles piercing his gaze. Not perfect circles, more like...eyes. Just as he realized this, they moved forward, as their owner stepped out of the black. A matching dark purple coat, he was almost a pony, but his body was off. His wings were thin and sharp, no feathers on them. His ears had tufts of fur on their tips. “A bat pony? Twilight sure likes to keep her guardians diverse.”

“My name is Ei. As you deduced, I am one of the Four Guardians of Master Twilight, a phantom of the shadows. And I am loyal to the death, so you'd better prepare yourself. I won't let you interfere with out plans!”

“Plans?! What are you going to do,” Zero demanded as he ignited the blade of his Z-Saber.

“Enough talk! It's time I showed you, exactly why a lost legend should remain lost!” Ei reached a hoof to his haunch, pulling out a pile of metal stars. Zero stood in a battle-ready stance, prepared to react at a second's notice. The eyes of the warriors locked, neither moving a muscle. As soon as one of them did something as small as twitching, the fight would begin.

Zero saw it, just as the train car bounced on the track, Ei jerked to throw a star, and he took the chance, dashing forward to confront the guardian. Ei's shuriken flew at the crimson hunter's head, before being swatted out of harm's way by his saber, swinging it back around just as he reached the space a few feet before his opponent. However, at the last second and so fast Zero didn’t see it, the guardian unsheathed his own silver sword and intercepted the swipe.

Ei smiled at Zero, though with a demeaning sense to it. “A fellow user of the blade, I see. However, you use the same uncivilized sword as Spike, a sparring opponent I can defeat with ease.”

“Well then, we have that level of skill in common.” Hopping an inch off the floor, Zero thrusted his sword forward. Without the leverage to force himself closer to Ei, he instead pushed himself away, landing a few yards back. Taking the room to breathe he gave himself and throwing it away, he charged back into the fight, and clashed with Ei once more.

No matter who was on the offense or defense at any particular split-second, every swing was perfectly parried by the other. The sounds of metal clashing against energy echoed across the empty night, only drowned out by the roar of the train speeding to its destination, imposing a time limit on the battle. And no matter how many times Ei pushed Zero away, the red stallion kept getting back up and attacking. “Why won't you stay down,” the ninja shouted. “Why keep approaching your opponent with a sword?!”

“You Guardians can't keep a cool head in battle, can you? All that time thinking you're the best has softened you up, same as it did with Spike.” If Zero could play Ei to his advantage, he could get out of another fight easy.

As the words sunk in, Ei stopped fighting. “...you're correct, I've gotten unnecessarily worked up. My mission is to kill you, and until I accomplish that, I will be a cold, ruthless killer.” He sheathed his sword and threw it off the side of the train car. “You were staying close because you were afraid of my shuriken. Now I have no reason or temptation to fight you on your terms.”

Crap, he saw right through me. The one star Zero deflected earlier was a lucky hit, if Ei went all out with projectiles, he wouldn't be able to survive for long. In an attempt to fix the situation, he charged in close again. Against a sword with only stars, Ei wouldn't stand a chance. Just as before, he bolted forward and, off the ground in a leap, sliced at Ei's position, straight through his body...hitting nothing. In fact, where Zero saw an enemy seemed to dissipate.

“Too slow, Zero!” He looked up at the source of the yell, finding Ei high in the air, not using his wings but instead at the apex of a jump. He filled his front right hoof with stars glistening in the moonlight. Before Zero could even blink, they were all spread out and flying towards him, forcing him into dodging backwards by jumping, multiple times. It worked, as he saw the projectiles lodging into the metal floor before him with a small shower of sparks, until his back hit something hard. The boxes being moved, stopping his dodging for a critical second. Nowhere to go, the final star stabbed through his armor, piercing his skin with a shallow wound.

“Nowhere to run,” Ei shouted as he descended. “Face me with honor!” He began preparing another hailstorm of attacks, forcing Zero to hide behind the shipment.

He's right, Zero realized as he pulled the blood-tipped weapon out with a grunt of pain. He's got the definitive advantage here, so long as he has range on his side. Frustrated, he punched the wooden box he was using as cover, splintering the side as its contents slid out, and he noticed, picking it up. “What the hell is this thing?” It was a completely foreign object, a bulbous cylinder that appeared to fit over a hoof. “A buster?” Why did I call it that? He had no idea, why he had a name for it, or why he put it on. He even had an assumption of its function, enough to formulate a plan.

Ei was sneaking closer, ready to strike with a mortal blow. “Come out, Zero. Greet death with dignity. You won't feel pain for long, I will deliver a quick end for you.”

This'll be my only chance to pull this off, Zero acknowledged, pointing the buster at the floor beneath him. Despite seeing this for the first time just now...possibly, he somehow instinctively knew how to use it, mentally willing it to fire a bolt of plasma out, melting through the metal car as soon as it touched it.

From Ei's perspective, all he could see was a sudden flash of light, coupled with a crashing sound, similar to an explosion. It was enough to make him hesitate, stop in his tracks to question what was happening back there. Relaxed for that brief second, he could only watch as Zero jumped out from hiding, leaping away like he was being propelled by the blast. He perfectly landed on the end of the adjacent car, igniting his Z-Saber in the same motion as using it to cut the coupling between the cars. Now the engine was separate from the load, drifting further apart, Zero was still traveling to the destination while simultaneously leaving their supplies and Ei behind.

The guardian wasn't having that. “You're not getting away that easily!” The gap between the two cars was still minimal, so Ei ran forward to catch it. Zero put his saber back on his belt and pulled up the buster again, firing at the spot where Ei's hooves were about to hit. The resulting shock, dust and debris sent flying, made the ninja unable to simply leap over or around it. And Zero kept the assault up, forcing Ei back just long enough to make his escape.

Their divide increased to the point that a simple vault wouldn't make it. In a last-ditch effort to succeed in the mission, Ei did another jump high into the air, silhouetting himself against the moon. “No, you're not getting away, Zero! This train shall be your tomb!” He had lost his sanity again, he would do anything to not fail his master. Readying his hoof full of shuriken again, he was just about to throw a wall of stars, one that would be impossible to evade.

For a final time, Zero held the buster up, pointed straight at Ei in the sky. “Unfortunately for you, guardian, there's something else we have in common.” An orb of glowing yellow energy fired from the barrel, rocketing towards the airborne ninja, giving him no chance to make even the minimal leg motion to throw the stars he was holding. The plasma struck Ei straight in the chest, knocking him back and out of his attack. “Our shots never miss.”

Ei fell, stunned from the hit, on a path straight to the tracks below. The fight was over, Zero relaxing the buster as he watched Ei descend. However, just about to hit the ground, he changed course, canceling his midair momentum and landing on the edge of the same train car. Wings. Of course. Zero readied his saber again, not ignited yet, in the hopes he could survive another round without the element of surprise.

Ei only faced Zero, making no motion to draw any weapon. He was leaning forward, breathing hard and clutching the spot on his chest where the plasma hit. “…well played, relic. I now understand how Spike and Wavebreaker fell to you. You truly are extraordinary.”

It was clear the guardian wasn’t going to attack anymore, so Zero stood at ease. “Then maybe you should tell your fourth to stay out of my way, lest you come before my saber when I’m not feeling so merciful.”

“Mercy?” Ei chuckled sinisterly. “Then you are weak. Anyone not strong enough to survive a fight is not strong enough to lead the world to its ultimate destiny.”

“No, I’m not like them. I will not be responsible for anypony’s death. Senseless killing is not how we advance.”

“Naïve…Then consider this my parting gift. You won’t have to learn this lesson painfully in the future.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Without a killer’s instinct, you won’t last in this war. So I’m taking your future! You won’t live to see Master Twilight!” Ei pulled out…something, an orb completely unlike his previous weapons…

“A bomb?!” No time to run further into the train (if any of it would survive the explosion), Zero did the only possible escape by jumping off the edge into the surrounding wilderness. But the timer on Ei’s bomb was short, it was only meant to be a suicide blow, and it exploded while Zero was in midair. His armor protected him from the heat, but it had nothing for the impact, sending him barreling away, the intense white light and deafening ring blinding him.

Most of his senses were knocked out, but he could still feel himself rolling down a decline, crashing through all manner of fallen branches, leaves, large rocks, the shattering of his armor and bones all the way. Finally, he hit something, probably a thick tree trunk, all motion entirely stopped as he couldn’t move himself either. Zero was fading out of consciousness, alone in the cold night, blood pooling around him chilling quickly. He couldn’t fathom why, but the bitter bite of freezing was the part that hurt the most, his final observation before descending into certain death.

Author's Note

I swear, I'd really like to do more of this, but these beginning parts are the hardest. There's interesting stuff coming, so long as I can get to it.