Odyssey to Canterlot: Vital Componentsby Michael HudsonChaptersChapter One: Campfire FightsChapter 2: How It Must BeChapter 3: Small TalkChapter 4: Panic AttackChapter 5: Riot ShieldChapter 6: Dog ParkChapter 7: Good Old Bad DaysChapter 8: MistrustChapter 9: ContactChapter One: Campfire FightsVital looked down upon the campsite from high above. The foliage should keep him covered, but if there were mechs within, it wouldn’t matter. Their sensors would tip off the person sleeping within, so it didn’t matter how stealthy he was; he would be caught. None came out though, so Vital could continue his investigation into the intruder he had noticed earlier that day. Vital put his telescope away into his metal case, noting that everything was still in there. He stretched out, happy that his light brown fur helped keep him fairly safe in the night, and the green hair supported that. Of course, he still sometimes considered cutting his tail off to make sure it didn’t get caught in something. Vital sighed as he started the climb downward, jumping from different floors within the abandoned building he’d been using as his vantage point. He was happy that he had contact again, but also knew what could happen if the intruder was hostile. Vital jumped from the second floor window onto a tree and spent the next half hour slowly climbing down. Upon landing, he checked that he wasn’t snagged in the bushes. Luckily, his jeans and t-shirt were safe, though he wished he had a new set to replace the ratty pair he owned now. Vital walked out into the open, trying to be quiet. He snuffed out the fire with nearby leaves, and moved towards the black bag that was left in the open by the stranger. Vital hoped he was wrong about what was within the large bag. As he reached for the zipper, a voice cut through the silence. “Stop!” Vital rolled forward and pulled out his pistol, turning it on the intruder, who was visible only by a short sword made of bright blue light. “Freeze. My name is Vital Point, so just take a guess where my first shot will hit. I’m not here to hurt you though. I’d rather talk.” The woman paused and nodded, the sword turning off, plunging them into complete darkness. It occurred to Vital that it could be a trick, and he strained his eyes to adjust, trying to see where she may be coming from. No attack came though; instead, the intruder relit the fire, adding some nearby wood to it. Now that Vital had a good look at the girl, he had to admit that there were worse people to be killed by. The girl was a knockout in a large black jacket and light green shorts that went with her light blue fur. He smirked as he thought about how hard night travel must be with the bright rainbow hair she had. The woman sat, looking him over as well; except probably not for the same reasons. Vital cleared his throat, reminding himself that this wasn’t some casual visit with a friend, but instead a chance to assess a potential enemy. “So, what brings you through these parts? You have to be new, seeing as how I’ve spent the good part of a year roaming this area. And while you’re at it, I should probably know the name of my home wrecker.” The woman paused, her tail flicking back and forth as she thought. “The name is Spectrum Flash. I’m trying to give my friend,” Spectrum said as she pointed towards the body bag. ”A burial next to his mother in Canterlot.” Vital’s mind flashed to imagery of wrecked buildings and swarms of mechs marching through the streets. “You don’t want to go there, trust me. All that awaits those who go there is death.” Spectrum shook her head to this though. “I have to, in order to keep a promise to a friend.” Vital scowled, but then his memories turned to Princess Twilight, and the creation the two had made together. He gripped his head, trying to get the image to leave, or at least shift, but he knew it would never happen. “Fine, but it’s a suicide trip. I was there six years ago and barely made it out alive, so I know first-hand how hard it is for an earth pony to get in and out of there. Without wings you stand about the same chance of making it into Canterlot as you do of outflying Rainbow Dash.” Spectrum turned away from him, walking back to her tent. Vital rushed past her and barred the way into the tent. “No. I need to hear you say that you aren’t going, or you’ll have to get past me.” Spectrum brought the sword back up, sparking it to life only four milimeters from Vital’s throat. However, the young man didn’t move, continuing to speak instead. “You wear a heavy coat, so I suppose your wings could be under there, as impractical as it would be. So if you want to go, show me your wings, or show me your resolve.” Spectrum lowered the sword, but immediately brought it back up; slamming the hilt into the side of Vital’s head. “I can take care of myself just fine, got it?” Vital shook his head and looked back at Spectrum, an unspoken challenge within his eyes. Spectrum brought her blade back up, her face hardening as she got herself prepared for the grisly fate she would give the young man. However, the battle was cancelled by the clanking of mechanical parts. Spectrum dashed back to her tent while Vital rolled behind a large rock to take cover. A tense silence filled the air as the clanking continued to get louder and louder. Vital saw the first mech pass his rock and stopped himself from growling in disgust. The mech had a humanoid form, made of iron, shining black as the firelight danced on its form. Its arms and legs were similar to normal person’s, and had a chest made of heavier iron, but wasn’t fully closed because of the split open sides they had. From there, he could see wires, and further beyond that, the green lit core. Vital momentarily thought of lessons Twilight had tried giving him on how her steel constructions worked; lessons Vital wished he’d understood. They probably would have made it even easier to take care of these disgusting iron constructs. Still, its rough bladed claws and feet made it a very real threat. At least it wasn’t one of Twilight’s cores, Vital thought to himself, glancing at the soft green glow from within the singular eye. These ones usually had slower reaction times than the originals. Just as he was going to step out, he saw the second set of bladed feet and cursed to himself. One mech was easy for him, but it was when they grouped up that most people had trouble. They started fanning out, searching the campsite for survivors. The third mech went around the tent, and as it passed the front Vital heard a screech of fury as Spectrum came out. The mech didn’t have time to react as lightning fast attacks rained down on it in the forms of kicks, slashes and punches. It was being pushed back, but what the mechs lacked in strength, they made up for in speed, and were closing on Spectrum fast. Vital jumped out from behind his rock, slamming his fist into the first mech as it came back, and barely twisted out of the way of the second’s claw. It swept its actual hand over his head, readying its bladed crab claw to go through the target. Vital fell back and rolled on the ground to avoid the deadly final strike, and retaliated with a rising kick to the metal plate that made up its chest. The mech went backward into the first, and Vital took a few steps forward as he emptied one of his five full clips of plasma he had into the set of mechs. Vital glanced over towards Spectrum to make sure the third mech wasn’t about to come after him, but kept his attention to making sure his own mechs stayed down. Once the lights in their eyes finally winked off, the young man turned to where the last scuffle was being held, with Spectrum drawing her blade from the last one’s frame. “Good job, but this is child’s play to the almost indestructible ones in Canterlot. More of them are made out of steel, instead of this hack’s sub-par iron.” Spectrum laughed hollowly as she sat back down. “Look, you might be lacking in your education, but anyone could have told you that the hack you’re referring to is the Flameron Corporation.” Vital looked at the woman, his eyes narrowing as he processed the information. “And those jackasses are why no one travels, and almost everyone is either dead, or a slave.” Vital shook his head, but then got up. “I haven’t really seen anyone in a few years, let alone had a chance to talk about current events, so I don’t know who the Flameron Corporation is. But, that doesn’t even make sense. What happened to Twilight? She wouldn’t have let this happen.” Spectrum’s face darkened at the mention of the name. The woman spat out, “Princess Twilight Sparkle, mother of mechs, chosen leader after the alicorn sisters’ disappearance, and Element of Harmony bearer, was killed by Flam and Doctor Caballeron when they took over her mechs and named themselves the leaders. That was fifty years ago.” Vital’s eyesight went out as he saw another flashback, of two ponies behind a mech, one that had its gun pointed straight at him. Vital Point collapsed while Spectrum went back to bed. Chapter 2: How It Must BeVital woke up, the sun glaring full force in the skies. He had a blanket over himself, something that he would have found comfort in if he owned a blanket. Vital pulled on his light green hair, trying to clear his mind. He remembered the mechs, and then talking to Spectrum. He groaned as he recalled the flashback. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, trying not to have another episode. “Looks like you're finally awake, so I can get going.” Vital looked over as Spectrum put a bowl of food next to him. “I’m only doing this because you helped me with the mechs. Not something I needed help with, by the way.” Vital chuckled as he got up and started stretching. “Sorry, but even if you could have taken out all three by yourself, I doubt you’d be able to deal with the ones in Canterlot. I’m giving you one last warning not to go.” Spectrum and Vital stared at each other, both noticing the resolve within the other’s eyes. Spectrum smiled as he heard the thrum of her sword activating. “And if I say no?” Vital smirked back at the cocky woman. “Then I come with you. I know how to get into the town, and get past what could be considered the deadliest of all mechs. Besides, I need to check this whole ‘the princess is dead’ thing, and I may as well have some company for a trip back to that hell hole. So what do you say?” Spectrum glared at the boy, biting her lip as she thought. “Why don’t you just tell me now? Besides, you aren’t one of the people who actually cares about my friend, so I don’t want you to be a part of the funeral.” “As I said, I want to check on Twilight seeing as how I once worked for her, and we had a very good employee-boss relationship in my opinion. Besides, I would just take you; I wouldn’t be a part of the funeral.” Spectrum face palmed herself, sighing. “Alright, either tell me how the hell you know a long-dead princess, or get out of my sight and admit you’re crazy.” “I am not crazy, but if you want to bring up skeletons in the closet, why don’t you tell me who your buddy is and what exactly he did to deserve to die. That, and how about the fact that you have a magic sword, a weapon that isn’t exactly common. So, since it doesn’t seem like you like talking, why don’t we agree to shut up, work together, and ignore the fact that the two of us have secrets, but we don’t care. Spectrum grabbed Vital by the collar of his shirt, pulling their faces within inches of each other. “I don’t need people. You’re a guy with a gun, so you could just shoot me in the back when I’m not looking. Working with you would be a death sentence. That, and you are just an earth pony yourself. You bring no skills to the table that I don’t have. So, do you have any reasons why I should work with you?” Vital met Spectrum’s gaze, never blinking, not even flinching. Vital brought his metal case up slowly, barely undoing the clasp and grabbing a paper from within. Spectrum plucked it from the young man’s hands and unfolded it. “What the fuck is this?” “A map. It has three different paths into Canterlot. One, is only accessible by a Wonderbolt level flier, and I don’t see a feather on ya. Next is through the catacombs. Enough mechs and beasts swarm that area that not even a mouse could get through without being devoured. The last one is a mountain pass which would take Daring Do five months to find, even if tipped off to where the entrance might be. So yeah, you might need me.” Spectrum and Vital just stood there, watching each other. Vital saw the girl’s hand twitch next to her sword, reminding him how close he was to death. So close, so… “AHHHH.” Spectrum dropped him as the metal case clattered to the ground, Vital gripping his head. “No, I wasn’t doing anything. It was a rock, it was a rock!” Vital sat shaking on the ground, gripping his head, tears streaming down his face. Spectrum backed away from the young man, whispering, “Vital, what’s happening?” Vital started to calm, breathing deeply. He looked up at Spectrum, trying to smile as his shoulders shook from his breathing. “Sorry, just a small problem I’ve got. That’s all.” Spectrum sighed, stroking a hand through her hair, and then smacked Vital lightning fast. “The fuck is wrong with you? That is not a small problem, especially if that’s why you passed out yesterday. Look, if you want to come along I’m going to need to know just how weak you are.” Vital started laughing, shaking his head as he got up. “So, you do want me to come along? Sorry Spectrum, but I said we needed to let each other keep our secrets, and I may as well keep all I can, seeing as how you seem just a little tight-lipped. Sound like a deal?” Spectrum smiled at him. “You’re damn right I don’t want to talk. Especially not to some weak ass punk like you.” “I don’t know, it’s a long way to Canterlot, and it may get just a little boring if we never talk.” Vital smiled, extending his hand. Spectrum wished she could be happy. She wished that this young man gave her purpose. No, her purpose had been taken from her, and nothing was fixing that. This was a business partnership; no intimate details, only secrets. Shaking Vital’s hand, Spectrum knew this was how it had to be. Chapter 3: Small TalkVital glanced over to the woman with him, admiring her figure and how close they were, but annoyed at the emotional disconnection they shared. He had been happy to get someone to talk to, but that was exactly the problem. They weren’t talking. Vital scowled, and started his master plan. He began to hum. They walked at a controlled gait, enjoying the sun and peace. Or at least, Vital was, as he started a higher pitched melody, with Spectrum grinding her teeth. “Watch out, the ground ahead can be fairly unstable, and we don’t want to hurt ourselves by falling or something like that.” Spectrum sighed in relief, her ears aching. but it was cut off short as the resonance started once more within Vital’s mouth. “Ya know, I would really like a break from the humming, it’s getting old.” The humming stopped, though Vital brought his hand to his mouth, watching Spectrum as he walked backwards, inspecting his silent companion. As he opened his mouth though, he let out a gasp and started flailing about; almost falling into the chasm they were now crossing above. Spectrum shot forward like an arrow, grabbing the front of Vital’s shirt and pulling, ripping it off in the process. Vital let out a long, raucous laugh that was just a little infectious, as Spectrum giggled as well. Then again, Spectrum was also blushing, staring at the washboard abs that the young man now revealed. “Sorry, looks like I’m topless now.” Spectrum shook her head as she placed a hand on it. “Just don’t be an idiot, alright? You could’ve gotten yourself killed.” Spectrum passed by him, acting as cold as always, but Vital wasn’t letting this end here. “Ah, you actually do care. You know what? Since you don’t like the humming, let me sing you a song for this wonderful occasion. Now let’s see... what would be the right tune, perhaps ‘Love is in Bloom’?” Spectrum screamed at the offer. “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT SONG? How do you feel so safe here? How can you just act like there isn’t death and destruction all around us, and that this isn’t some deadly trip, but instead an Apple family road trip?” Spectrum was fuming, centimeters from his face, and he didn’t flinch, but instead blew air into Spectrum’s eyes. “Augh!” “Spectrum, we agreed not to say anything about ourselves. In fact, you seemed to prefer it that way, so no questions. Remember that.” Vital smiled at her, a glint in his eyes challenging Spectrum. Daring her to react, to not speak. Spectrum sighed. “Fine, new deal then. We keep the important stuff a secret, the parts of us we can’t show, we don’t. But if it means getting you to stop humming and some damned answers, I’m willing to talk. I’ll even give you first shot.” Vital stopped, pondering what might be the best choice. The right question to ask to open up their relationship and get Spectrum and him to be friends. His eyes drifted as he thought, but his mind screeched at himself as he wrenched them upwards. No, that wasn’t what he needed to think about at all. His eyes moved again, his mind pondering. The coat was just a bit too- NO! It didn’t matter. he needed a deep and thoughtful question for the beautiful woman next to him not something stupid like, “What’s your chest size?” Spectrum turned on a small rock pillar, glancing downward to the chasm as her face lit up with heat. Vital had smacked himself and almost fallen off the piece of the bridge he’d been standing on. His eyes spoke of curiosity and fear as he looked at her over his hand. Spectrum remembered when she first got to high school, how many guys had watched her body with the same gaze. It hurt, remembering those days that were so close, yet also so far. Vital started saying, “You don’t.” “C cup. Not like you’ll ever see them. My turn, and if you’re going to ask something like that,” Spectrum somehow blushed further, glancing at Vital’s slightly exposed ribs, but mainly the abs, “I may as well know how long your cock is.” There was a tense moment as Vital now blushed, unable to make eye contact with the pretty woman in front of him. And then he started chuckling. “Now now, that isn’t something you tell someone you’ve just met.” Vital blinked, but that was still enough time to not see the fist come across his face as he had been expecting. Spectrum struck him so hard that he had to take a few steps back, steps so far as to take him right off the bridge. Spectrum grabbed his arm, but it was too late as she felt her own footing give out from under her as Vital’s weight brought her down. She gripped a railing on the last piece of bridge, seeing the almost thirty-foot drop that awaited the two. Her arm burned, the right shoulder joint threatening to simply tear off. An added force was added to her left arm as Vital pulled himself upward, wrapping an arm around her neck and gripping Spectrum’s left shoulder. What was the idiot doing? Damnit, she had the strength, but her shoulder felt like it was going tear off, weakened from the pull of the initial grab she’d made. “Relax Spectrum.” She turned her head and saw Vital’s confident blue eyes staring back. “Relax your arm and let us slip back a bit. Trust me.” “Are you insane? I relax and we plummet, and as you so painfully like to point out, NEITHER OF US ARE PEGASI!” No words came from her companion as he simply kept his gaze up. No challenge, no threats, just calm assurance. Spectrum barely whispered, “If we die, you are going to pay.” And relaxed. For about a second, her arm felt okay. The pressure went away for a moment and then tripled in a blinding flash. However, Vital Point was already moving his second arm, placing it on Spectrum’s right shoulder. Her sight went pure white with pain, the blue girl’s grip threatening to break the crude iron she held onto. But then, nothing. In fact, her shoulder still felt the same pressure, but not nearly the same pain. “Go now.” Spectrum agreed as she lifted herself centimeter by centimeter, finally getting her left hand onto the rail as well. She lifted herself further and screamed, “Now!” Vital seemed to understand as he lifted himself by Spectrum’s shoulders, jumping off the small of her back and scrabbling for a hand hold. Spectrum lifted herself the rest of the way up, with Vital only moments behind. The two lay there panting, trying to calm down. Vital started chuckling again, and Spectrum groaned as she heard the familiar tone. “Alright, I didn’t answer and you saved my life. I think that deserves another question.” Spectrum let out a laugh of her own, startled at how genuine it actually felt. “Fine, let’s start with the shoulder trick. What the fuck did you do to me? Got a horn in that mess of green hair of your’s or something?” The two grinned at each other, sitting up and looking at the fall they had almost taken just now. “Nah, nothing quite that powerful. It has to do with my special talent, actually. Before all of this,” Vital gestured to the broken buildings, the deteriorated bridge, and the inactive mechs that lay in the gorge, “I was a masseuse. As for what I did to your shoulder, I merely put the joint back into place. It eased the pain you were in, but I could have shattered it if you had been putting extra stress on it. Sorry for not explaining it then.” “Wow. So what were you, the princess’s personal masseuse?” Spectrum and Vital had started walking, but now Vital stopped. “That’s two questions, so uhm, you don’t get to…” He had barely eked out the words as Spectrum came over to him, a blush coating his face. “Well, if you must know, yes. And we always did the proper style of massaging, and I always worry what will happen when I think about what she kept hidden under those robes. Especially when around other girls.” Spectrum glared at him, and tried one more time. “Look, nude massages were my specialty, but I can only keep myself calm during them.” Spectrum grabbed his hand and pulled Vital onwards. “Don’t worry about it, I hear she was always about my size anyways. It is a little annoying though, since you can probably imagine just what I look like now.” Spectrum stopped suddenly and turned to Vital. “Wait, if they were your specialty, why did you have to know what my chest size was?” Vital started walking again, sighing. “I worked for Twilight for a year, and when I started working with Twilight I didn’t get out much. I loved the time with her, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But I was sixteen then, and twenty-five now, and you’re the first person I’ve seen other than Twilight since I started working for her and I’ve been a bit lonely.” Vital smiled at Spectrum, and Spectrum almost went for a hug, changing her mind at the last moment. “Why did you have to be so alone?” Finally Vital shook his head. “Sorry, but I think you’ve asked too many, and I still have a question or two for you. Also, your information is wrong. Twilight’s breasts started growing when she became an alicorn, and she reached F-cup before stopping. Sorry.” Spectrum screamed in frustration. “DAMN IT! Even that egghead had to beat me? Kinda helped you think you had a chance with the stallions when there was at least one princess that was your size.” The two laughed over the fact, the tension from before gone. Yes, this was exactly what Vital had been hoping for. “Alright, now for my next question. Let’s see... the body bag is out of the question, though I like the string; makes handling it a lot easier. Therefore, my question is whether or not you you’re related to the infamous Rainbow Dash?” Spectrum paused, halting for just a moment. And then the bridge shook. Vital looked down at his feet and then turned back to Spectrum, a distant look in his eyes. “Twilight, run.” And then the ground collapsed underneath him. Chapter 4: Panic Attack“Vital!” Spectrum rushed to the edge of the bridge, looking over the gap. She searched desperately, searching for any sign of movement, anything to tell her she was wrong. There was nothing though, the space below the bridge desolate and quiet. Only rocks, grass and mechs littered the ground below. “Damnit, not again. Not again!” Spectrum stood up, preparing to jump. “Wait, I’m down here.” His voice had come out hoarse and strained, but it was there. Spectrum lowered herself over the hole again, and finally spotted the green hair that allowed her to know Vital was down there. She started crying, but she shouldn’t be. He was simply her guide, he hadn’t earned her loyalty. And yet she was so scared at the thought that she had failed Vital. “Spectrum, don’t come down here! Luckily, I don’t seem to have woken up any mechs with the fall, but I can already feel that a couple ribs broke!” His voice was hoarse, the yell barely able to be heard from the chasm. “It’s affecting my breathing a bit, but I should be okay. we were nearing the end of the bridge, so the drop wasn’t nearly as far as before. This will add an hour or two to my trek though, so you’ll get past first. Stay there, because past it, I can’t guarantee a damned thing. If I don’t meet you by tomorrow morning, consider me dead, and come to find my body. I promise I’ll leave a message that details the trick to getting into Canterlot with.” Spectrum didn’t hear anything. She tried straining her ears, hear anything that told her Vital was still safe. Nothing came though. Spectrum sighed. He must have decided to conserve his strength, or keep just another secret from her. As she brought herself back up though, she heard him yell out, “with my dead body.” Spectrum paused for a moment. He was scared. That arrogant, cocky, kid was scared. “Just stay safe. I’d rather get the secret from you alive than dead.” “Careful, with talk like that, people might start thinking you’ve got a crush on me.” Spectrum lowered her eyes, thinking about the last time she’d ever cared about a guy, the last time she put her hair up just to impress someone. She held one of the hip long strands, but let it go. Those feelings had died in her a long time ago to make sure her and Sniper Load would survive. New people were just trouble, and would cause only pain and suffering. They had to prove themselves, and even then an eye had to be kept on them. And so, Spectrum started walking the last length of the bridge, contemplating what she might do to punish him if he made it back to her alive. As for Vital, he was trying to get away from his mind. He’d barely gotten out long enough to tell Spectrum he was okay but now he was in a swarm of memories. He saw flashbacks of moments when he was not only hurt, but also of the few times in his life that Vital Point felt like he might actually die. He started whispering to himself, digging into the broken ribs he had, letting the pain get him out. Vital barely whispered to himself, “Come on, I need to get out of here. Spectrum will be waiting for me, and I can’t let her down.” Twilight flashed into his mind, a warm hug, laying in her bed, waiting for a massa- NO! Vital bolted upright, his side lighting up in pain. “I don’t need you anymore! I need reality!” Vital looked around himself, the edges of his vision filled with sparks of his memories. He could see a few mechs, far beyond repair. He glanced back up, guessing he had fallen at least fifteen feet. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that only a little earlier and he wouldn’t have been walking after that fall. Vital finally got up, gasping as the ribs dug in. Vital put a hand on his side, joyous that the brown fur was dry. His skin wasn’t broken, so he had fractures, instead of death. He started walking, a limp in his step from the pain. Vital pressed his hand further onto his side. Three, three were broken, all on the right side. Well, at least that meant his arm wasn’t broken, though he would want to check it when he was safe. The young man kept walking, past bushes and vines, watching mechs as he came across them. Once Vital knew what their current state was, he would either simply walk past, or give a wide berth if it could turn on. However, one field had three mechs, each with a soft green light coming from them. “Fuck. Me.” Vital looked at the field, and breathed deeply, accepting what he would have to do. Just the thought of it caused memories of mechs coming to life in his hands, and trying to rip him apart. Another image of Twilight came to comfort him. Her soft bosom, gentle lips, and the fantasies of one day falling in love with her filled his mind. He smiled, and pushed them away, looking past the kind and gentle pair of purple eyes, and into the cold and deadly blue eyes of his pseudo mother. His body went into autopilot, the world cast over the image of those eyes. So full of life, yet dead at the same time. He reached a pillar within the canyon, grabbing holes within the rock and scrabbling up. His side burned, but he smiled to himself, saying the line he always had. “Yes ma’am, I am having the time of my life.” He had said it to Twilight for about a month before meaning it, a natural lie to keep his new life. It now became a chant, to keep the image, and stay the pain. He started going faster, getting onto a ledge, and leaping to support beams underneath the bridge. He swung from each, the world disappearing further into the image as he swung from each beam, the pain growing with each swing. He slammed into the other side, Twilight tried to envelope his thoughts as he lay on a ledge across the chasm. But not even Twilight came to comfort him, only the horrors, only the pain. Vital didn’t know how long he was there, only that it was sunset by the time he had moved. By then he was numb, the pain dull, continuing to flair up only for moments, but he would wrestle it into submission. He slowly got himself back down, breathing a sigh of relief seeing that his plan had actually managed to get him past the mechs. Back to trekking I guess, Vital thought as he noticed the memories were gone. At least he had that. The brown man smiled as he saw the building he’d been looking for. He had been in this area for a year, and had made sure he could get anywhere he needed to. Including out from under this bridge. He slipped into the building, searching it for mechs; but soon found himself collapsed on a desk, sound asleep. ======+++++====== Waking up, Vital looked up, and his eyes widened, spotting a small green box with a red x on the front, covered in vines. A med kit, here? No, he must be back in his memories. A stab of pain reminded him about his ribs though, and that it would be well worth at least grasping at illusions if it meant possibly getting fixed. Vital’s hand shot forward, picking up the box. “Are, zzgk, having, chkunk, now?” Vital’s eyes went wide as he saw a person’s head, but the panic died down as the person’s head was replaced with that of a mechanical head that had been hiding behind the box. It had no spikes, so not a warrior, and too small of a head to be a rioter. No, it was far worse, and Vital let out a long peel of laughter at the disembodied head. “Repeat, Are, zzgk, having, chkunk, now? If no re,” It sparked with electricity, singing some of Vital’s brown fur. “Poor thing, you’re missing an eye. Mom would be very disappointed in you, or proud. Most of you don’t come out so far, not enough survival instinct.” For a moment Vital considered trying to get the voice chip back in place, seeing as it was probably just out of alignment, but decided against it. “It’s a good thing you’re merely a head, otherwise I would have to lie to you, or dispose of you I suppose.” “Prepare, hmmmmm, of misery.” The eye went from a soft pink light to a vicious red. This was when it would normally attack, ready to kill the foolish victim. Nothing was left though, and so Vital didn’t have to answer. Still the thing was trying to activate, probably working towards it’s death. Vital grit his teeth, his mind retreating as he said the all too familiar line, “Yes ma’am, I am having the time of my life, thank you for asking. Now go to sleep, I have no need for you.” The eye hesitated for a moment, but then powered down, going from red, to pink, to off. Vital wasn’t able to enjoy the dead mech, the image of the mech’s mother tearing into his mind. Not Twilight, but those eyes from yesterday, the cold dead eyes he had lied to for years. The memories with the creature threatened to flood Vital as he attempted to focus. He crashed around the office space, anything to get away from the bot’s one eye. It was dark though, or at least, it had been. As he panted, he noticed he could see the details within the building, slowly growing brighter. Vital sat for a moment or two, caught between memory and reality, before his mind connected what the light meant. The memories were banished from his sight as he rushed out of the building. He couldn’t worry about the pain or about the mech’s appearance. If he didn’t make it back soon, he would be late, and forgotten for no reason. And Vital was not losing the one connection to reality he now had. ======+++++====== Spectrum crawled out of her tent, the first rays of light warming her face. It was a pleasant warmth, but Spectrum merely sighed at the morning. “Guess he’s not coming.” Spectrum hoped she was wrong as otherwise it would mean a long day of searching for what would be a very depressing corpse. She had to admit, this would be the perfect way to end a really shitty month. Not that she could complain, seeing as she was still alive at least. In the world they lived in, nothing stayed constant, except mechs and death. Spectrum broke out her cooking equipment, starting to make tea from nearby plants. She wished coffee still existed, instead of the rancid tea she always tried to make. She would need to get more water though, and Vital could have probably helped with that. Spectrum looked down at the cup as she considered what would come next. She could keep going, unlikely as that was. She scowled at the steep wall that lay ahead of her. Spectrum had no idea as to how she was going to get past that. She could stay here of course. Vital Point had made it sound like he had cleared out most of the mechs in the area, so she might actually be safe; at least for a little bit. But then there was her duty, glancing at the body bag. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sensors. She cursed as she pulled out her sword. Out of her peripherals she saw two mechs coming up from under the bridge. They were both the warrior type that she was used to, so she could take them. She would want to stay on the side with the crab claw though, since they were usually slower to strike on that side. The first rushed straight at her, and Spectrum sidestepped, leaving one foot out, tripping the mech. What they lacked in brains though, they normally made up with ferocity. She bounced the next mech’s claws away with the sword, switching the grip to get in a few quick slashes onto the chest, scratching away at the breast plate. Spectrum was happy that her blade was reliable, but it lacked the power to tear through a mech quickly. At least that meant it never powered down all of a sudden. Her leg lit up in pain as the downed mech sliced open her leg before getting up. She spun around, a wide slash giving her room away from both. She then positioned herself between the two, keeping both within her peripherals. The downed one went first, an uppercut with the crab claw blade. Spectrum rolled to the side, using her arms to push herself back up. She grinned in triumph as the mech stabbed its cohort in the chest. At least now it had some real damage on it. The two rushed as one this time, both taking separate sides. Damn, they always did this, changing tactics on the fly. She ducked as they both swung their claws, clashing against each others’. Spectrum grit her teeth, and put all of her strength into a leaping lunge, straight into the undamaged mech’s chest. She stared into it’s single green eye as it faded away, a common sign that a mech was dead. It was a moment too long though. She looked behind her, the sun’s early rays being blocked out. There was the damaged mech, foot raised. It stomped down on her chest, and Spectrum thanked Celestia for the fact that the blades were on the top, and not the bottom. Otherwise she’d be dead. Not that it mattered, the glare off of the crab claw blinding her momentarily. Spectrum struggled underneath the mechanical foot, trying to get it off, but to no avail. Man this was a stupid way to die after all she’d been through. Then it hesitated, and Spectrum heard it too. Footsteps. For a moment, the scene was serene, the mech glancing up, the pressure easing just a bit. Then Vital burst in tackling the mech into the ground. The young man started beating into the mech’s head, not giving it a moment to recover. The mech went to use the claws, briefly reaching up to tear out his throat, but Vital caved in the head with one final punch. The claw fell, sparks coming out of the skull. Vital started standing, oil covering his fists. His left one dripped a red liquid as well, the fist that had dealt the last blow. The look in his eyes wasn’t of peace, or laughter. It was of a man gone mad, a man who wouldn’t have cared if he’d died, as long as the mech had been destroyed in the process. Spectrum took a step back from the brown man, blade raised. Vital let out a gasp as he turned back to the decapitated mech, who had lifted itself up and stabbed him in the chest with the crab claw. Vital pushed the blade out, and then put his right fist into the hole in it’s chest, a blinding green light flashing out. Then Vital stood, an eye twitching. “Vital?” Vital’s head snapped over to looking at her, blood streaming from the wound, and only now did he really seem to take note. He undid the latches to his metal box, bringing out a large green box. No, a medkit! He opened it, pulling out the salve within, and applying it to his chest. Spectrum sighed as she collapsed, her leg coming out of shock. Vital noticed the movement and reached back in, pulling out two different items. One was a smaller medkit, another green box, but this one was covered in vines. This he threw to Spectrum stating, “I just found it. Apply the gel, but don’t use the primer.” Spectrum nodded, looking at the other object, a long wand type apparatus. There was a shorter one within her own box, but it was a one use. The one in Vital’s hand must have been custom made. Vital put the primer against the gel, and the metal stick glowed purple, a color Spectrum had never seen from a primer. For a moment nothing happened, but then the gel turned into green light, going into the chest cavity and closing the wound. The labored breaths that Vital had before now came out clear and calm. “Are you okay Vital?” Vital walked over to Spectrum, handing her his primer. “No, but I’ll live. Now leave me be. I would rather not think right now. So catch up, or get left behind.” Spectrum fired the primer, the effect immediate as her leg felt like new from the mix of green and purple light. Spectrum tried to put a hand onto Vital to comfort him, but the image of the brown figure bashing in the mech’s skull flashed into her mind, and she couldn’t. She simply couldn’t. Chapter 5: Riot ShieldVital led the two of them over to an old electrical door. Spectrum sighed, the silence getting to her this time. “Awesome, so now we have a way through the wall, but unless you’ve got the code, we’re stuck on this side.” Vital didn’t respond at first, only examining the panel. “I’ve made the journey up before, and trust me, you don’t want to. However, we should be able to break this open together. For now, just go over to the handle.” Vital started to pull at the panel, going painstakingly slow, his tongue protruding a little. It came off with a sickening screech of metal, and his hands shot into the circuitry. “This was my other job for Twilight. Fixing broken mechs by adjusting parts. I never learned a damn thing about putting them together, but I can make almost any piece of circuitry break down, or be dismembered by my hands. However, that also means breaking almost everything I use. Will you please start pulling the handle?” Vital left his right hand within the panel, sitting on a rock. Spectrum pulled the lever and the young man gestured for her to continue. “Any idea what’s beyond this?” “Nope. It’s been about a year since I’ve left this area, this wall being a part of the reason I stayed. Hopefully it’s not just a wall of mechs as far as the eye can see outside.” Spectrum sighed at the monotone, missing the jovial nature Vital had before. She’d seen people before, but this was the first time one had been… alive. “Ah, hot. That should do it.” Sparks flashed from the panel and Spectrum pulled one more time. A bang came from the door, and it swung open. “What did you do?” Vital was already walking through, the same attitude he’d been giving her all morning. “I moved a few parts closer to the motherboard, and as the lever was pulled, those parts heated, frying the motherboard. A simple trick really.” Vital took a step forward and suddenly slid out of view with a yelp. Spectrum came rushing forward and slid on the loose gravel on the other side as well, stopping just a little above Vital, who was on his back. “Careful Spectrum, it’s a little steep.” Spectrum smiled back at the grin Vital gave her, but it faded as she looked up. No, it couldn’t be. Could it? “You coming?” Spectrum looked down and saw Vital already sliding down the gravel. No, she was thinking too much. It was nothing, Spectrum thought as she turned away from the valley, and the town that lay within. “At least we might be able to find you a new shirt down there.” Spectrum smiled to herself, happy that there was a chance that Vital would able to cover up again. The two scrambled down the hill, once more silence settling over the traveling companions. At the bottom Spectrum finally caught up with Vital as he reached a ratty old building. He was standing, looking down the way of the train tracks. “What’s up Vital? Something wrong?” He shook his head, and turned to the forest. “Nothing, just trying to figure out when the next train might come.” Another grin came from Vital while Spectrum smacked herself. “Even if one was coming, we aren’t taking it.” Vital turned back to Spectrum, an eye cocked up. “Railways mean open space. Even if it took us straight to Canterlot, we’d be running too big of a risk. Besides dogs guard the tracks usually, and we don’t want to mess with them.” Vital nodded, still looking out to the plains. “I’m surprised that you’re still standing.” Spectrum grinned at Vital as he stepped off towards the forest. “Can we not talk about that right now? I spent a day stuck in my memories, and besides, dogs rarely malfunction. Besides, they at first had a pup mode that was quite fun.” Spectrum ran to catch up, getting back into a steady gate with Vital. “You’re kidding right?” Vital threw up his arms as he responded with, “Of course I am. Those things are terrifying.” As the two laughed, Vital’s nose twitched as he tried to place the smell that had entered the air. It was definitely familiar, and brought back memories of singed fur. A humanoid mech came out from behind a tree and struck Spectrum in the gut with a gauntlet coated in electricity. Vital’s eyes went wide as the riot guard turned towards him, the eyes of the mech focusing in him now. The mech in front of him stood even with him in height, taller than the warriors. He jumped back as one of the two gauntleted hands came his way. Ozone, that’s what he could smell as electricity arced off the mech’s hand. “Spectrum, you okay?” “I’m fine, just can’t see. I really hate these ones, the lightning really screws with your head.” Vital had to agree as he kept dodging. A new sound entered the fight though, a low whining that was quickly rising in volume. “Vital, look out!” Vital had forgotten the secondary feature for these mechs, the ability to charge the electricity in the gauntlets. And then lightning struck him from behind. Yep, fur definitely singed. Vital managed to stay on his feet, but only barely as the first mech slammed a fist into his gut. What these mechs lacked in strength, they made up in the stun capabilities. In low doses it could cause paralysis. Another hit or two though, and Vital’s heart might stop. He saw Spectrum getting up, about to attack the mech who was readying another punch. Vital ducked, shouting, “Run Spectrum! We can’t fight them here; we need a clearing. Otherwise they’ll use the same tactic they did on me and slowly kill us.” Spectrum nodded, rolling to the side as a blast of electricity passed over her head and into the mech in front of Vital. It paused, giving Vital the opportunity slide underneath it’s legs and take off after Spectrum. Vital scowled, wishing Spectrum wasn’t so fast and that the mech’s failsafes didn’t work. Normal mechs would have been at least stunned by that blast, but a lot of safety locks were in place to make sure these one’s didn’t short circuit. Of course, it was an easy enough problem to remedy. Vital burst into a clearing, a light blue sword to his throat. “Damnit Vital, I almost decapitated you.” Vital grinned at Spectrum before he turned back to the forest. One mech came forward, the other one able to be seen as it charged it’s gauntlets. “You can’t fight these, can you?” Spectrum had a worried look in her eyes, but Vital just smiled. “Take the one in the forest,” Vital said, stepping back from the frontal mech, and then dropping to the ground as the lightning blast sailed overhead, “I’ve got this one.” Spectrum nodded, dashing ahead as the mech started charging again. Vital smirked at the one in front of him, flexing his hands. “Well then, let’s dance.” Spectrum’s initial strike overrode the mech’s command to charge for another blast, but this one wasn’t nearly as susceptible to her flurry of blows as the warriors were. The mech started throwing wild punches, ozone filling the air. Spectrum just let a laugh as she spun around the mech, never getting more than a foot away at a time. She glared at her sword though, knowing just how long this chore would take. It took long enough to rip apart the warriors, but these had more reinforced armor to hold the lightning, which meant even more swings until an opening would appear. Vital on the other hand, wasn’t even touching his mech. It was very well made, the crack within it’s chest component smaller than the warrior’s. It still had the humanoid form, which meant solid arms and legs, so crippling was an option. But these weren’t the types of mechs you did that with, not with their ranged capabilities. It didn’t help that he had to keep his breathing even, to keep away the times when a rogue charge would activate these stupid mechs. Vital smirked as his moment came. He jumped to the side as the mech brought both fists down, an electric shockwave going through the ground. The young man spun around, reaching into the exposed left side. A flick of a wire here, a nudge of a gear, and out he was. “Spectrum, I’m good here.” The mech watched as Vital got out of striking distance, starting to charge it’s gauntlets. Vital flopped onto his back as it shot, hearing pops as circuitry fried itself. Spectrum was still dealing with hers as she heard Vital shout. She scowled, having to retreat. Even if she could attack while it prepped strikes, the blows from earlier were getting to her, causing her reactions to slow along with lowering the strength she could put in each strike. The mech put it’s gauntlets next to each other, lightning arcing between them. Spectrum backed up into a tree, breathing heavily. “Fuck.” The gauntlets touched and it’s slow moving electric blast erupted from between them. Spectrum hesitated, losing her chance to dodge to the side. She raised her blade, the only thing she could think to do. The bot was coming on fast behind his blast, so at least her blade was already up. The blade caught the blast, the electricity disappearing as the blade itself glowed bright white. Spectrum’s heart rate rose even higher, hammering into her ears, the electricity was getting to her. That, or fear. The gauntlet was raised, electricity glowing around it. Ozone cooked the air, the smell burning itself into her nose. A tear ran down her face. She had survived so much, and now just wanted to go home. The image of the town, the town from the valley, flashed into her mind. She did all she could think of to get home, and swung. The bright white blade sliced through the iron, ripping the mech’s arm off as she sliced open it’s chest, its green light drifting out. Her blade turned off afterwards, scalding Spectrum’s hand. Spectrum came walking into the clearing and promptly started to attack Vital, who was still lying on the ground. “What are you doing? What the fuck are you doing?” Vital’s hand shot out, pinching into Spectrum’s neck and stopping the girl. Spectrum slowly came down onto her knees, sobbing. Vital looked into the her eyes, the deadly wrath met by kindness and calm. Vital shifted his fingers only by mere centimeters, but Spectrum let out a gasp of relief. “I’m sorry, I should have come and helped. I’m not used to having a partner. Besides, you keep telling me you’re fine.” Vital paused and looked down before finishing with, “But that’s no excuse.” Vital let go, and Spectrum rubbed ar her neck. “Can we just clear this up now: we talk. Doesn’t matter if I want you dead, or your weird psycho problems are acting up, we talk. And if we are in a fight, no one is done until every mech is dead. Got it?” Vital nodded. Then he stood up and gestured slowly for Spectrum to follow. “I just said we-.” Vital rushed back over and put his hand over Spectrum’s mouth, barely whispering into her ear. “There is a dog, right behind you.” Chapter 6: Dog ParkSpectrum froze, looking into Vital’s eyes as she spoke. “Where?” Vital slowly started walking backwards, keeping an eye on the space behind her. Spectrum took a step forward, but then turned back. “What are you doing?” Vital hissed as Spectrum began walking towards the tree line. Spectrum brought out her sword, flinching as she was reminded of the burns on her hand. “The bodybag is still back there.” Vital’s eyes grew wide. Spectrum was risking life and limb just going to Canterlot to bury this guy; Vital seriously doubted a dog would deter her. Vital sighed as he thought of a plan to stop her from dying. He turned on his heel, and started running. “Hey pup, I’m over here!” Vital felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the dog burst out of the treeline . It had three pairs of yellow eyes, all of which locked onto Vital. It had a flat face that made Spectrum think of a demon more than a dog. The face spoke of terror, just as the first of four bladed feet did, as it slammed down in front of her. The arched barrel body passed by her quickly, a great feet considering the heavy plates of steel that covered the body. Spectrum just stood there for a few moments, her breath catching at the sight of the beast. “Get it now, before it manages to eat me!” Vital was yelling as he reached the treeline, the dog not far behind. Spectrum turned back towards the way they had come, and started sprinting, desperate to get back in time. We had just fixed our problems, and once more Vital was about to die. Vital wasn’t worried about death though, because he had a plan. He hit the trees, immediately scrambling up the branches. However, Dogs were able to rip through train cars, so the tree wasn’t going to stand a chance. A quake went through the branches as the dog crashed, and Vital used the force to throw himself into another tree. Holy son of a bitch! I am not going to be able to keep this up. Vital got up, his legs still shaking from the impact. He grit his teeth, now worried about just how much time Spectrum had to get back, and what they would even do then. He braced for the next impact, and waited, and waited. Come on already, attack already! Vital looked down, and saw the yellow eyes staring back. Vital waved at it while his heart slowly eased back to a steady rhythm. The dog growled at the hand, but stayed firmly on the forest floor. Vital simply watched it for a bit and then started running along the branches and jumping to different trees. Vital still had to be careful though, because whenever he drifted too low the dog would try to jump and bite at his legs. So, the trees are like trains cars, aren’t they puppy dog? Vital swallowed hard. Of course, that’s only until I reach its critical threshold. That’s when dogs ripped apart the train cars they protected. “Fucking Celestia!” Spectrum almost had a heart attack upon seeing the dog and almost fell in her hurry to get into the treetops. She saw Vital as he threw a twig at the dog and it roared back at him. “Vital, how did you get over here?” Vital stood up, and braced himself. “Pass me the body. If we simply pass him along, we don’t have to drop to the ground. As for how I’m over here; the dog thinks the trees are train cars. At least, that’s my best guess.” Spectrum grinned at that. “Sounds good, but why don’t you just feed it a clip of plasma into its eyes? Then we can keep walking.” Vital chuckled as he took the body and carefully stepped across the branches. “Yeah, about that. Well, you see, at the camp when we first met, not that I really am that-.” Spectrum glared at him, fire within her eyes. Vital’s words came out in a torrent now, “I was bluffing. I can see where I should hit them, but I suck at using guns.” Spectrum stopped right as she was passing Vital the body bag into the next tree. “So wait, I could have stomped your ass into the ground, and your pistol would have been useless?” Vital huffed at her, but then looked down. “It’s not like I can’t shoot it. I just can’t really hit anything outside of… ten feet?” “Ten Feet! Great, you really can’t hit anything.” Vital looked back up at Spectrum, about to yell. However, the grin on her face quickly shut down his argument as he blushed at falling for the taunt. “So, any ideas as to what we’ll do when he starts tearing apart trees?” Vital bit into his cheek, but slowly nodded. “Think so, but I really don’t like it. It involves a lot of running, mainly on my part. Oh, and just in case,” Vital brought up his iron case and opened it. He then pulled out a piece of paper and scrawled something onto it before shoving the scrap into the box and closing it. He then unholstered his pistol and held both the gun and case out to Spectrum. “The box holds a lot of personal things and now that includes the secret of surviving Canterlot. There’s a map within that leads to a safer way into the city, and a few rations for food. Past that there’s the primer. However I’m out of medkits.” Spectrum looked at him as she took the body bag, her eyebrows furrowing. “Why are you bringing all that up?” Spectrum furrowed her eyebrows as Vital smiled at her. “Well, you’ve got a burned hand, and actually, there are some bandages within that might help with that.” Vital’s smile dropped as Spectrum scowled at him. “I mean, why are you giving me your stuff?” Spectrum heard Vital take a deep breath as he turned to towards the edge of his branch. “In case the dog gets me of course.” Vital shoved the gear into her arms as he leapt off of the tree, the dog’s eyes turning red. He rolled forward and recovered on his feet, running fast towards another part of the treeline. The dog gave immediate chase, tearing into the ground as it started moving. Spectrum knew it would follow relentlessly now, and that Vital was most likely screwed. There was nothing she could do though, so she turned her attention to the clearing ahead and felt her heart leap into her throat. “No fucking way.” Spectrum took off, aiming for the dirt bridge she had crossed so many times before. Hopefully she would be home, or at least have left something that would be useful. Vital slammed into the first tree, and braced himself. This time the dog crashed straight into it, and flung him into the next tree. He felt splinters bouncing off of his coat. Now it’s serious. A roar came below as the tree shuddered from the dog jumping on it. Vital prepared to brace himself. The dog didn’t shred this tree though. Instead it rotated its head, causing the mouth to be parallel with the trunk. Vital felt the tree shake as it bit into it, but then had to grab ahold of a branch as it yanked the tree out of the ground. Vital held on at first, but was quickly thrown away as the dog tossed the tree. Vital looked up, scrambling to his feet. The dog roared, but that gave him time to start running. There was no time to get back into a tree, not yet at least. Vital glanced over his shoulder to confirm that he was still being followed, and being gained on. He grit his teeth as he focused and for a moment his memories of leaving home flashed in his mind. “Argh.” Vital pushed them away as his muscles burned from the exertion. He barely heard his signal; a lack of sound coming from behind him. Vital skidded to a stop, turning to face the dog, now in a murderous leap towards him. He only had enough time to take a few steps forward before rolling into a tight ball, going underneath the dog. Vital hurt. The dog landed mostly behind him, but the hind legs had caught him, and flailed out, continuing to beat into him. He got up, the dog turning around. Vital looked into the beast’s eyes, his blood turning to ice. Vital grit his teeth as the dog came charging once more. ======++++++====== Spectrum dashed across the bridge, every step bringing her closer and closer to safety. She grabbed the handle and pulled; surprised to find it locked. She started pounding on the door, her other hand on her sword. No way I’m going to let some free-loading, squatter stop me from-. Spectrum wasn’t sure her head was still working as the door opened. Butterfly couldn’t still be alive, not with all the time that had passed. Yet here she was, holding up a sign in front of her chest that said Hello Spectrum, how have you been? She just stared at the yellow woman, confusion clouding her happiness. “Butterfly, it’s so good to see you.” Butterfly gave her a smile before turning around and gesturing to be followed. Spectrum was amazed by the ankle length pink hair, but something else felt off about her. Spectrum blushed a deep crimson as she put it together. “What are you wearing?” The yellow girl looked down at herself and scrawled on the notepad she had. My clothes? “Those aren’t clothes, they’re underwear!” Spectrum couldn’t help but glance down at the barely contained chest within a pink bra, but had to turn away as she took in the large yellow wings, pain filling her chest. “Please tell me you’re wearing panties.” Butterfly let out a small giggle, and nodded when Spectrum turned back to her. She then started writing on her notepad again. Spectrum glanced at the note and scowled, the anger refocusing her. “They don’t matter. I’m not that type of woman now, got it?” Spectrum was close to Butterfly, glaring down at her. Butterfly didn’t cower though, merely nodding. “Now, do you have anything to put down a dog?” Butterfly looked at her puzzled and turned the writing pad. Why? Spectrum rolled her eyes as she searched the house. “Because I have some idiot with me that is going to die soon if I don’t save him.” Another giggle came from Butterfly as she wrote something down. She smiled at Spectrum as she turned the pad to her. You have no reason to worry. The dog finished his final lunge and is enjoying his lunch in peace. Spectrum paled as she looked at her friend. “What?” I don’t like watching as my pup rips apart other people. Spectrum took a few steps back from Butterfly, simply staring at her. “What do you mean your pup?” Butterfly knocked on a metal headband on her head, something Spectrum had merely shrugged off before. The headband allows me to control the mechs as long as I meld myself with them first. Spectrum smiled, heaving a sigh. “You would not believe how happy I am to hear that. Now, can you call off the dog so Vital will survive?” Butterfly sucked her lips into her mouth as she wrote once more. I already said this. He’s dead, as he should be. Spectrum’s eyes went wide as she scowled. “Don’t you fucking dare presume that cocky moron is dead. Now get your dog to come back, and I’ll go find him. He’ll need some help.” Butterfly’s eyes narrowed and she bit into her lip as she wrote down on her pad. Follow me. I need to explain something to you. Spectrum followed Butterfly as she went upstairs. Butterfly entered one of the rooms and gestured around her, a deadpan stare to her eyes. Spectrum took a deep breath as she entered. There were notes everywhere. They’ll come soon, I know it. Its been years, why won’t they visit. Friendship is magic, right? Who needs them, I can survive, right? The mechs ripped apart Angel yesterday, what am I to do? I found a new Angel, I only hope he will continue to keep me company. My stare, it seems to give me control, and for once, I want it. I wonder if Fluttershy would be proud of who I am? Fuck Fluttershy, I am who she could never be. I am strength, I am death, I am survival. Spectrum turned to Butterfly, her eyes wide. Her breathing was shallow, afraid to look at what Butterfly had just written. I missed you. All of you. I was so alone. I had no one to talk to, and now have forgotten how to. I am no longer a fragile butterfly, able to be crushed underfoot. Instead, I changed, adapted, and in turn became silence. I don’t need you, and I will not take the risk of new presented by new people. Your friend will stay where he is. Spectrum looked down, tears filling her eyes. She squeezes them tight though, forcing the tears back, forcing back the feelings that she had learned to repress to survive. This wasn’t Butterfly, this was not her friend. Spectrum’s hand shot out, pushing Butterfly to the ground. Butterfly was about to get up as she heard a hiss and a light blue blade appeared in front of her face. “You don’t want to give a shit about anyone else? Fine. However, I don’t give a fuck about what you think of him, I need him. Now you claim to have learned how to survive; so I would reconsider your earlier decision.” Silence’s head nodded slightly. The headband glowed slightly, the upside down T on the front flaring red for a moment. Happy? Spectrum just looked at her friend through loose strands of rainbow hair. She felt her age, felt all she had done. Butterfly could have helped with that, but that wasn’t happening; not now. Spectrum turned off her sword. “I’m going to wait for Vital outside. We’ll discuss the past later, but he comes first.” Spectrum didn’t look back, fighting back tears as she slammed the door. Chapter 7: Good Old Bad DaysVital stalked the halls of Canterlot Castle, trying to find the stairs he needed to take to the labs below. “This would be so much simpler if Twilight gave me a map or something!” Vital slammed his fist into the wall, almost immediately regretting it as he heard metal scrape against the stone. “Looks like your pendant can’t fix that, can it?” Vital looked at the cracks in the stone, sighing as he realized that this was his turn off as he pulled a purple book from a nearby bookcase, the wall sliding sideways. Vital started the descent, the steps quickly exhausting him. Vital persevered though, tired of being weak. I’ve spent the last two weeks recovering from this accident, which should have been enough time to get my strength back. Unless that royal bitch has been drugging me or something. Wouldn’t surprise me. She probably loves having a personal slave to order around. Vital reached the bottom of the staircase, happy that the torchlight would stop now. Twilight only accepted magical lights within her labs in order to make sure the light stayed consistent. Vital scowled as he tried the door handle. “Identification please.” Vital sighed at the voice. Always monotone, and always asking something that was completely unnecessary. There was no one else in the Castle, so who else would be trying to get in? However, Vital still groped at his chest, his hand wrapping around a star pendant on it. He held it in front of the door, always feeling like an idiot since he couldn’t see what he was holding. “Open up already.” A purple glow came off of the door, and the same glow resonated from the invisible object in his hand. The door opened, revealing the lab within. Vital clenched his teeth as he saw Twilight standing over her machines, probably triple checking them for faults. Not that she can ever find all of them, Vital thought as he rubbed his right arm. “Hello Twilight. What are we working on today?” Vital donned a white labcoat of his own, glancing at the figure in the room. He had once admired the purple woman, even had the same fantasies as most guys his age about her. That was before the- “Augh.” Twilight finally glanced over, and he felt his mind ease into comfort by her magic. Vital shot her a murderous glance as he hissed, “I don’t need your help.” Twilight scowled, putting her hands on her hips. “Then perhaps you should stop thinking about it. I’ve told you several times by now that your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is very sensitive. I still believe it’s from your almost photographic memory, which I still worry about. You aren’t grasping the concepts I’ve been telling you about as you should.” The last line was said with a gentle care in the tone, something Vital chose to ignore. “I’m soooo sorry that I can’t be a perfect slave for you Twilight.” “The term is assistant.” Twilight watched as the boy bared his teeth, watching her. She prepared herself for the normal scolding. Even though Twilight had rationalized it in her head, she knew in her heart what she was doing to him was wrong. However, Vital merely shook his head, deciding on a different topic. “I’ve never been here before. What are we working on, and where is the coffee maker?” Vital sighed as he thought about how often that was all he did now. “I’ve kept this place a bit of a secret because I’m working on a new form of magic here. It is a type of magic that may be able to be used by everyone, as it resides within everything within the world. However, for the most part the magic is unrefined, and cannot be used except by us unicorns, and even then in a very weakened state.” “But what does that have to do with what I’m doing here?” Vital rolled his eyes as Twilight blushed at her mistake. “I’m letting you in on my secrets, seeing as I do not know when I will be able to let you go. So you get the chance to see the creation of soul magic. I hope to use it to enchant metal so as to make it almost indestructible, and the magic will be able to make possible mechs I’ve only seen in my dreams.” Twilight was staring at the consoles with a look of triumph. Vital laid the sarcasm on thick as he said, “Oh yeah, more powerful mechs and more violent malfunctions. Sounds fantastic.” Twilight’s arms lowered, her eyes darting away from Vital. For a moment he felt a jab of pain, his own conscious letting him know he had gone too far. “I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t mean that.” Twilight shook her head while replying softly, “No, you are correct. I only hope my calculations are correct. It... it’s time to speak to the subject.” Twilight tapped on a microphone, and a screen turned on, showing a pink women jumping up and down with a bunch of wires dangling off of different parts of her. Twilight almost screamed, “Pinkie stop! Those machines are very sensitive, and this is dangerous enough as it is.” The woman shrugged and sat down on a bench, pulling her legs in to wrap herself like a ball. “Pinkie, I’m sorry if it’s a little cold. I’m worried about the amount of heat that will be generated, so it’s for your own safety.” Pinkie’s voice came out a little muffled from the speakers. “Okie dokie Twi.” Twilight smiled, watching her friend, her energy comforting the nervous unicorn. Vital grabbed Twilight’s shoulder, turning her to him. “Did I just hear that right? Did you say Pinkie? As in the party extraordinaire of Equestria, the women who cares about everyone regardless of what they’ve done, and not to mention; your best friend? And now we’re experimenting on her?” Vital was holding Twilight by the shoulders, glaring at her. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Twilight’s horn glowed, removing Vital’s hands and pushing him back. “Pinkie is part of what inspired the idea. She has a natural magic to her that has already culminated in an ability, her Pinkie Sense. Hopefully it will make the process easier and safer.” Vital could have said more, but the slumped shoulders and downcast eyes were enough to hold him back. His job had once been to relieve people of stress and pain, not add it. “When do we begin?” Twilight nodded and said into the microphone, “Pinkie, I’ll be starting the energy transfer now.” Pinkie gave a thumbs up, but then started tapping her fingers on the steel table she was sitting on. “Twi, this bot, it’s supposed to protect you and keep you company for thousands of years right?” Vital looked at Twi accusingly, but Twilight didn’t notice as she went back down to the microphone. “Yes Pinkie, that is correct.” “And that it will be able to be with you for longer then I will, right?” Pinkie stood up, starting to walk to the area where the wires on her ended. “Pinkie, I wouldn’t go near the core. Sit back down.” Panic was starting to creep into Twilight’s voice as Pinkie walked, the pink girl’s hair slowly going down. Vital looked back at the screens and held his head as the algorithms confused him. However, he knew enough to know that the process was stable. “One last question Twi.” “What is it Pinkie?” “The more of me in this core the stronger it will be, right?” “I don’t see why that matters when I’m- Pinkie!” Vital stepped back from the consoles as he heard the screech of metal. He looked down at the experimental room where Pinkie was holding a pink glowing object. Pinkie grit her teeth being brought to her knees from the pain. The wires connected to her started to fray as multiple shades of pink light began to leak from them. They swirled and danced like shadows around a bonfire, the shades separating and manifesting themselves in human forms. They each touched Pinkie, before walking into the core that was within Pinkie’s now black hands. “Shut it off!”Twilight’s scream snapped Vital out of the scene as he hit the safety switches. A pink energy wave hit the machines as he reached them, and none of the safeties activated. “Pinkie, stop it!” Twilight was crying, screaming into the microphone pleas to get Pinkie to stop whatever she was doing. Vital started looking around the room, his mind searching for a way to end the misery and chaos around him. Vital saw it. He didn’t know why his eyes had focused on it, but he saw what could work. He ran over to the external regulator, jamming his right arm into the machine. His hands worked fast, moving wires, shifting circuitry, and then ripping out a gear. The short blew every machine in the room, and a surge of pink energy blasted Vital away. He was thrown into a table, one spot on his ribs lighting up with a stabbing pain. The worst pain was his right arm though, which had been ripped away from him when he got blasted away. Vital’s vision was blurring as he heard the hum of machines restarting. “Pinkie! Pinkie, please respond! Please, do something! Give me a smile, give me anything! Please Pinkie, please.” The last one roused Vital to action as he stood up and stumbled over to the princess on the floor. She was crying in the fetal position, muttering to herself. Once Vital slumped down next to her, Twilight’s hands shot out and grabbed his lab coat. “Please don’t leave. I know I’ve done such horrible things to you, but don’t make me be alone. Please, please.” Twilight was sobbing into his lab coat, shuddering with each breath she tried to take. Vital could get his revenge. He could get up, grab a medkit to heal his side, and leave. She deserved it. However, Vital knew the truth, and knew what he would do. So Vital put an arm around Twilight, relieved that he could only feel a little blood coming out of his side. He looked at what was left of his right arm, the wires sparking and the metal bent and ripped apart. Vital sighed as he said, “Don’t worry princess, I’m not going anywhere.” Chapter 8: MistrustVital sat up in bed, his body screaming in protest as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. He was panting hard and clutching at his chest, his hand grasping onto the star shaped pendant he still wore. He glanced down at it, but only saw a handful of brown hair that was matted down by the pendant’s weight. Vital blew out a sigh of relief as his heart started to slow down from the panic of the memory. It was just a dream Vital, one more memory. Vital swung his legs around to the edge of the bed as his eyes searched for his metal case. However, the room was barren besides the bed he had been sleeping on, and Vital’s heart rate went soaring for a few brief moments. Fortunately, Vital remembered giving it to Spectrum, and guessed that he was now in a home that she had found. Or shack I suppose, given how wrecked this place is. Vital looked around to see if he could scrounge up a new set of clothes, but his search was in vain. Vital was shaking his head as he walked out of the door and into a small kitchen area. However, he stopped when he heard an electronic whine and turned. “Spectrum, wait!” Spectrum was holding his plasma pistol only a few feet away, and it was aimed directly at Vital’s head. “Sit down Vital.” Spectrum walked with Vital as he sat down, scanning the brown chest. “Where is it? Where is the pendant?” Vital scowled as he looked down. “Where am I?” Spectrum slammed her foot into Vital’s chest, driving the chair down so that Spectrum was now standing on him. “Don’t change the subject. You came back with the dog, dangling out of his mouth with a mechanical arm and a pendant on your neck. Explain.” The last word came with a growl as Spectrum bent down, the pistol merely inches away from Vital’s face. “Alright, but please get the gun out of my face. Besides, you have the safety on.” Vital felt tears sting the corners his eyes as Spectrum kicked him across the face. “Do you think this is some sort of joke? I was starting to actually trust you and now I find out that I’ve only barely scratch the tip of the iceberg! How am I supposed to take that?” Spectrum was breathing hard, holding back tears as she kicked herself away from Vital. “I thought you were dead.” Vital was silent for a few moments before standing up. “I’m sorry Spectrum. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I promise. How about I try to make it up to you.” This time Vital found it with practiced ease as he removed the star shaped pendant. Vital’s body glowed brown and purple, the magic swirling around him before retreating into the pendant. In its wake left were a few scars on his chest and a steel mechanical arm. “The V1T4L prosthetic arm. Specially made for the use of a masseuse it has a full range of motion, full neural calibration, and a soul core matching the person using it. One of Twilight’s finest works, and only ever able to be used by me.” Vital watched as Spectrum stared at the arm, slowly reaching for it before he felt her hand brush against the steel. “It is kept warm by the core at a temperature close to that of a normal person, and the pendant has a strong enough illusion magic within it that people believe it even looks and feels like a real arm. My arm. The pendant’s true function was to allow me the ability to one day return to everyone else without being seen as a freak and being unable to perform my job.” Spectrum saw Vital open his mouth as if to say more as he slowly tried to stand up. She just watched wide eyed, trying to take in all that she had just heard. But how did he get the arm? Spectrum was shivering from the thought as Vital doubled over, gritting his teeth and crying out in pain. Spectrum rushed over to his side. Vital was whispering, “It’s not a weapon, it’s not a weapon so why are you attacking me? Princess, why is this happening? Why?” Vital curled into the fetal position as he sobbed. Spectrum stood up, backing away from Vital. She moved over to the door leading out the back and said, “Silence, we’re good.” Silence walked in, Spectrum’s sword lit in her hands. She looked at Vital and then glanced at Spectrum, an eyebrow raised. “I think something’s wrong with him. He just collapsed. It isn’t the first time something like this has happened either.” Silence rolled her eyes as she held up her board. Who cares? Did we find out if the arm and pendant are dangerous? Spectrum scowled. “Yes. His arm works like you would expect a mechanical arm would, but the pendant has no special offensive abilities.” Well let’s get him back to talking then. You have more questions, right? Silence walked over to Vital and attempted to kick him in the gut. However, Vital’s hand stopped the foot, looking up at them with bloodshot eyes. Vital pulled Silence down and was on top of her about to strike when Spectrum kicked him in the chest and put her blade to his throat. Vital’s body tensed up as the massive bruising flared in pain. “Stay down before I decide to put you down. Now spill why you keep seeming to see things that can’t possibly be there and why they seem to cause you pain, and sometimes extreme anger?” Vital needed no further prompting, gritting his teeth. “It’s called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In laymen’s terms it causes me to flashback to traumatic parts of my past. However, Princess Twilight theorized that my photographic memory is why I have such a severe case, and that the disorder may be why I can’t recall the past with my old accuracy. However, Princess Twilight agrees with me about the first memory that started my problem. The moment I first lost my arm.” Vital took a sharp breath as his left hand gripped the steel arm. Spectrum took the sword away, kicking herself for falling into Silence’s mistrust. You don’t always have to threaten to kill him you know? “I’m sorry.” “It’s not your fault. Comes with being allowed to keep secrets I suppose.” Vital looked at the yellow figure in the room, scanning her. His eyes widened slightly. Is her chest bigger than Twilight’s? Vital smacked himself, remembering the trouble that thinking like a teenager had already gotten himself into on this journey. “Who is your friend?” “Her name is Silence, and I would take in her chest now since she’s only escorting us out of Ponyville.” Vital’s face burned red as he said, “I learned my lesson last time. I am not going to care about chest size even,” Vital took a moment to clear his throat, worried his head might combust, “even if they’re almost completely exposed.” To this, Silence finally put an arm over her breasts in a futile attempt to cover the impressive mounds. She extended her board out. Can we go now? The faster you’re out of my home, the better. Vital furrowed his brows, trying to look away from Silence’s chest. “Spectrum, can she not talk?” “She says she can, but that she bonded with a damaged mech. It can’t speak, and that makes her unable to talk either.” Vital nodded at this, thinking. “What do you mean by bonded?” Silence rolled her eyes. I stare them down and they form a link with me. Now can we go? Vital bit into a finger as he took in the information. A new type of soul magic? If only Princess Twilight was here. She’d be able to figure out for certain. “I suppose we should get going. Don’t want to overstay our welcome.” Vital stood up, stumbling for a moment as he put a hand on the table to steady himself. Spectrum put an arm under Vital’s shoulders. “Come on, we don’t need you collapsing, now do we? We used enough medgel to heal cancer, so you had better be movement ready.” Vital smiled at Spectrum. “You can’t cure cancer with medgel.” Vital flinched as Spectrum’s palm met the back of his head, the two laughing. Silence walked past them, opening the door. Come on love-birds. Out. And I expect to be repaid for that medgel sooner or later. Vital almost collapsed as Spectrum came out from beneath him shouting, “We are not a couple! He is my guide, and nothing else!” Spectrum stormed past Silence while the yellow pegasus rolled her eyes. Vital walked out, and heard a growl from behind him. Turning around he saw the dog, its eyes yellow once more. Vital took a deep breath and then stepped forward as he put his mechanical arm into a gap in the plates. A deep rumble was emitted by the hulking mech, but then a deep voice came out saying, “Of a bitch! If you even try to hurt him I will rip your… head off.” Spectrum turned around, coming back to examine the dog herself. “What was that?” The dog spoke once more in its low rumble, “It was me, Silence. I’m guessing your friend here fixed the voice box.” Silence turned around and started to walk away while the dog ran up next to her. “A thanks would be nice.” Vital sighed as he started walking, blushing slightly as his head followed the sway of Silence’s barely concealed ass. Spectrum scowled and said, “I need to talk to Silence. Alone Why don’t you act like a scout and run ahead.” Spectrum waited a moment or two for Vital to think before the brown man nodded, and the two ran to catch up to Silence. Listening to Vital’s labored breathing, Spectrum felt a twinge of regret. I shouldn’t be doing this. Why am I doing this? Silence raised an eyebrow at Spectrum as Vital ran past. “Is there a problem?” “No, of course not!” Spectrum looked away from Silence, ignoring the smug smile she had. “I told you it would be easier to just let him die. Also, why didn’t you ask him how he got those scars? They may have been from some gang initiation that we’ll be facing soon.” Spectrum shook her head. “I think I’m the first person he’s talked to in a while. Besides, why would he fix your dog if we were about to be attacked?” Silence sighed. “Fine. Now, the case. Open it.” Spectrum turned on her friend glaring at her. “I told you before and I’m to say it one more time, no!” “We just found out he has more secrets then we could possibly imagine. What if his arm isn’t the only part that’s cybernetic? What if he has more weaponry in his case? Twilight spent the resources to make him a specialty arm. You already said he had more than one job underneath her, why not guardian? He sucks at the pistol, so why is that his only visible weapon? So once more, open the case.” Silence stared at Spectrum for a few moments before the blue woman turned away and continued to walk. Almost half an hour later they came to the center of town, the decrepit remains of the town hall in view. Spectrum only spent a moment admiring the old town, the memories she still kept from her time here. Unfortunately, she also saw the prospective sniper posts, ambush sites, and narrow alleys that could hold people away from sight. Spectrum sighed as she gestured for Silence to stop, pain filling her chest as she remembered when she once had undying loyalty. “About time.” “Shut up Silence before I kick your teeth in.” She undid the rope on the case before opening it. Silence immediately snatched it, her hand picking up items and throwing them to the side. “String, useless. Rations. Awful, but still harmless. Primer, hold.” Silence gave the primer to Spectrum, who then took the case away from the yellow pegasus as well. “I will conduct the search. You might break something he cares about if I let you keep searching.” Spectrum started shuffling the miscellaneous papers around, noting a map with instructions on it. He holds the secret to Canterlot fairly close to the chest, so I should probably leave it to him to tell me. Otherwise I might let it slip that I know, and then I’m the one who deserves to be mistrusted. Not like this isn’t better. She sighed as she kept shuffling around, finding pictures in a small pocket. Pulling one out Spectrum’s face turned a bright red. “What is it?” There was a slight huff to Silence’s voice as Spectrum handed her the picture. Silence’s eyes widened as she said, “Wow. Twilight looks good natural. However, I don’t remember her chest being that-” Silence shut up, giggling as Spectrum snatched back the photo and shoving it into the case. “Hey, why did you guys stop?” Vital was looking back, the two hopefully behind the dog. “You should really warn me when you do things like that. Vital shook his head as he scanned around, his eyes landing on what he could only guess was a town hall. Note to self. They mentioned Ponyville earlier, so remember to investigate later. Vital looked up as he saw electricity arcing from the top of the building. “What the hell?” “What the fuck is this?” Vital turned as he heard the dog shout, seeing Silence holding a dagger in her hand. As Vital was about to respond, a crack of thunder resounded across the clearing, a ringing setting into his ears as the lightning struck the dog. Vital’s eyes went wide as he saw the lightning crash around the dog, Silence collapsing, and Spectrum crashing to the ground, his case crashing onto the ground beside her. Chapter 9: Contact“Silence!” Vital ran towards the now still body. However, as he approached Silence, he paused when he saw a glint in the grass. Vital knelt to pick up the large dagger that Silence had been carrying. It’s not like she had anywhere to hide this, so where did it come from? Vital glanced around the town square, his veins turning to ice as he realized just how little cover there was here.. He dashed behind the dog, leaving enough space between him and the mech to make sure no electricity would arc onto him while Vital took a closer look at the dagger. It had a curved blade the polished steel gleaming in the sunlight. Almost a foot in length; it was made of steel, but it also looked as if it had never been used before. In a time period when weapons of this quality were scarce and invaluable, it was usually a reason to be cautious around it. Vital continued his inspection with the short, navy blue pommel. The steel ball on the bottom had been painted red, perhaps in someone’s attempt to be funny. Vital squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he felt his head start to swim. However, when Vital finally looked at the other side. His memories finally crashed into reality as he stared at the yellow circle painted there. He was back in the lab, pulling out the cause of the stabbing pain in his side. He looked down, a small spasm of pain in his side as the memory and the present synched up and both Vitals held the same knife. He glanced at Spectrum, spotting his open case to her side. Pictures were strewn across the ground, and upon smelling the rose perfume he knew at least some of his oils had broken. Vital grit his teeth and raised his fist to strike Silence’s still body. “Now now, you don’t want to hurt such good breeding stock.” Vital’s eyes widened as he heard the deep booming voice. He jumped away from Silence, getting to his feet, ready to fight. What he saw was a red man in a pair of blue jeans with a shaved light blue scalp, laughing at him. “Do you travel with these two?” “Yes. Now who are you?” Vital put his dagger back on the ground, his breathing slowing down as he calmed down. “The name is Cattle Racer. Now, if you don’t mind, may I look at the new members of my herd?” Cattle slipped off his backpack before pulling out a length of rope. A brown arm barred his path as Cattle tried to step forward. Cattle unfurled his wings as he stood his ground and grinned at Vital. “Ah, do you care about her?” “Yes. Besides, I’m not about to let you tie my friends up.” Vital stepped towards the red pegasus, putting his face only centimeters from Cattle’s. “Cattle, you really should… wait for me.” Vital turned to a gray girl with yellow hair who was breathing heavily. However, he turned away blushing as he realised she seemed to only be wearing a shirt and a small pair of underwear. Of course that’s nothing compared to Silence, especially with how flat the girl is. Cattle smiled wider as he said, “See something you like? Well little Short Circuit here is my wonderful little assistant, and has been great at keeping me company, especially late at night.” Cattle let out a peal of laughter as his hand clapped firmly onto Circuit’s backside. Vital noted the almost cowering she did at the motion. “Nice to meet you Short Circuit, I’m Vital point, masseuse.” Vital held his hand out to the young girl, giving her a comforting smile. Circuit hesitantly extended her hand before gripping his lightly and shaking it. “Electromancer.” “Well Vital, it’s been fun, but we need to tie up your friends here quickly before they wake up. Circuit’s bolt may have been strong, but she really isn’t all that great at magic.” Cattle ignored the downcast look from Circuit, instead slamming his shoulder into Vital’s, causing the brown man to take a step back. “Hey! Don’t think I’m just about to let you take them.” Vital once more stepped in front of Cattle, causing him to sigh. “Circuit, can you tell the young fool exactly why he should back off and let me have my way?” Circuit cleared her throat as she stepped forward. “Lord Cattle Racer has an ideal world for us all. He wishes for us all to be happy, but there are too few for us to be happy. This is why he will use the knowledge of his ancestors on how to raise and control cows on woman. With these woman, he will pick the best of them to use as breeding stock. He is as strong as an earth pony, fast as he is a pegasus, and will use his pathetic unicorn Short Circuit to think, seeing as she is useless as breed stock.” Circuit looked down, her eyes filling with tears. Vital growled at Cattle, “And what happens if they refuse?” Cattle smiled as he took in the praise and said evenly, “They don’t.” “I don’t think I quite approve of you simply deciding girls are your little sex slaves.” “Are you saying no to me?” Cattle was back to trying to intimidate Vital, and finding little success. Circuit gently put her hands between them and softly pushed against their bare chests. “Well, maybe if he got some experience with us, he would understand better. I would even be willing to become his first cow.” For a moment Circuit smiled at him, but as Cattle kept scowling her confidence withered. “Of course I would miss your rough and stern touch, but perhaps I could teach him how to properly treat a girl if he’s gentle?” Cattle took a deep breath as he thought about it. “Fine. He can come with us. However, I will be taking the other two to teach them how women are supposed to behave. And one last thing,” Cattle said as he pushed the rope into Vital’s arms, “tie your friends up first.” Vital looked down at the rope in his arms, trying to keep his breathing even. Don’t speak, your voice may betray you. Now just go over to Spectrum, put the rope over her, slide the pistol out of its holster, wrap a loop around her arms, take off the safety, and turn! Vital paused before he turned, his eyes fluttering, preparing for what he was about to do. Two minutes. Two minutes, and then my odds of being able to win drop drastically. One last deep breath in, and Vital turned, bringing the pistol to bear on Cattle’s face, only a foot away from the barrel. “Argh!” Vital screamed as Cattle forced the two shots to go wide by gripping Vital’s hand in an attempt to crush it. He then pulled Vital in close, putting a hand under the brown man’s arm before flipping him over Cattle’s head. “Well this is disappointing. Circuit, tie up his friends. I’ll take care of this idiot.” Cattle attempted to stomp down on Vital, but he rolled to the side, barely getting up as he watched him. Vital kept his eyes open as Cattle kept up a barrage of strikes upon him. Vital tried throwing a punch back, but Cattle spun around him and spread his wings in a blow that sent Vital to the ground. Vital felt a spasm in of pain, forcing his eyes to stay open, even against the tears building around them. Glancing around himself, he spotted his primer, and his dagger. Cattle picked up Vital in a bear hug, Vital straining against his arms. One minute Vital, time for the counterattack. Vital jammed the primer into Cattle’s side before hitting the button and holding it. The effect was immediate as the magic surged into skin to calm the nerves. Normally this was used with medgel to allow for regeneration and healing. However, when no medgel was there and applied in length, the magic worked similar to a low power taser. As Cattle’s body started to shake, he dropped Vital, only to be quickly hit by an uppercut. “All right, let’s play kid.” Cattle unfolded his wings and beat Vital down as he took to the skies. Cattle flew after Vital as he started running, tackling him to the ground. Cattle was just about to throw Vital the young man brought the pistol up towards Cattle.. Cattle felt his heart almost pause. However, it wasn’t because of the gun. No, it was due to the lightning bolts that flew past the two, one striking Vital’s right arm. His right hand opened up as Vital’s nerves burned and an arc of lightning from Vital’s arm blasted the two away from each other, the hair on Cattle’s chest burning. The pegasi smiled though as Vital grabbed his right arm, trying to get it to move. “Lightning’s a bitch, isn’t she? Don’t worry, you won’t have to deal with the paralysis for long.” Vital simply stared at Cattle as he kept attempting to get the arm to move again. Wait, I have a fight to win, this can wait. Besides, I should be used to losing my arm at this point. Vital brought his arm up to block Cattle’s attack when he charged at him, but then Vital forgot what he was doing. Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds after the fight had begun, Vital finally blinked. Waiting within the darkness were the blue eyes of his pseudo mother, and the times he had fought her in his seven year stay in Canterlot. Beyond those were his worst memories, waiting for the shock and pain of the combat to get to him, allow him to be distracted so that they could try to take over his reality. Each time it broke Vital’s focus, forced him out of the rhythm of the fight and his opponent. With this, Vital lost his advantage. Whoomph Vital’s eyes snapped back open as Cattle’s fist was shoved into his gut. Cattle followed up by beating into Vital’s defense, blows landing all over the poor man’s body. “Last chance to join or,” Cattle finally grabbed Vital by the neck and pressed him against a wall, “die.” Vital gargled out a response, an action that got Cattle to slam him back into the wall. Vital then kicked off the wall and brought his feet into Cattle’s face. Vital slammed into the ground, unable to catch himself with only one hand. Gasping for a breath, Vital sat there for a moment to try and collect his thoughts. A wave of electricity passed by him getting him to turn away for a moment, spotting Spectrum dodging Circuit’s attacks. She needs your help Vital, get it together. Cattle came back, attempting to kick Vital in the head. Vital hopped to his feet, his body protesting as he squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the memories out of the way until he found the one he needed. Vital’s left hand pulled started to search on the mechanical arm for the restart button, while duck, dodging, and diving to get away from Cattle’s attack. “Get back here kid!” “Fine, come get me.” Cattle hesitated. The brown man was holding his paralyzed arm, trying once more to get it working. He seemed different now. He was simply standing there. There was no fear on the young man’s face. None of the respect Cattle think he so rightly deserved. The cocky bastard thinks he can beat me? And to think I was going to let him enjoy one of my harem! Cattle roared in anger as his veins bulged in his face. Spittle flew as Cattle started running at Vital, charging at the young man who was now his enemy. Vital watched the lumbering gait, taking in nuances that were within the older man’s movements, memorizing them as he had tried before. Vital stepped to the side as Cattle’s right shoulder cocked back for a forward punch. Cattle swung his left arm around, and Vital ducked underneath before rising behind the older man’s back. Vital clicked the reset button on his right arm, freeing it from the forced shutdown, and wrapped it forward as he gripped Cattle’s jaw. Vital then put his left palm on the back of Cattle’s head, and pushed. The snap that came was deafening within Vital’s ears. He almost fell as Cattle became much heavier in his hands. Ice flooded Vital’s veins, numbing his hands as he slowly lowered the man to the ground, waiting for him to blink, to move, to do something. Vital slowly put two fingers against the man’s throat, his mouth becoming dry as his hand touched the man. No pulse. Why is there no pulse? Vital stared at his hands as tears started to fall upon them. Once upon a time they were meant to bring relief to those in pain, to lift the spirits of the weak, and to bring sleep to those who needed an escape from reality. As I aged they were used for pleasure, pleasure I was overjoyed to give as it showed how much trust these lonely women would put in me. However, after the incident, they changed. They no longer touched flesh, soft or otherwise. However, they still gave hope to people. Hope that the one who led them was strong and dependable. They still soothed one’s worries and sought to fix what was broken. But now they have broken. They have become that which they once prevented. “Help me! Please, save me!” Vital glanced in the direction he thought he’d heard the noise come from. That is if I didn’t just imagine it. Vital numbly watched as Spectrum threw the Circuit onto the ground before slamming a foot down into her gut. Ignored the increasingly desperate screams as Spectrum drove the boot in harder. However, as Spectrum raised her hand, he was momentarily blinded by the sun bouncing off the object within her hand. Vital’s eyes widened as Spectrum’s smile widened, her eyes twitching. Vital screamed, “Spectrum, stop!” ======++++++====== “Circuit, tie up his friends.” Circuit looked down, sighing inwardly to herself. “Okay. I’ll get right on it.” Circuit felt tears sting her eyes she turned away without Cattle having even acknowledged her. Not that it’s anything new. I don’t matter and I’m okay with that because I’m alive. Circuit rubbed at her eyes as she picked up the rope next to the blue woman. That is, before Spectrum grabbed herm causing her to fall. “Ack!” “Who the fuck are you?” Spectrum clutched at the girl’s foot as her body tried to wake up. However, Spectrum had just enough functioning nerve control to keep the girl on the ground. Circuit tried kicking Spectrum in the face but the grip almost felt like it was going to break her ankle. Circuit’s horn glowed ice gray as she brought her hand down and rubbed Spectrum’s rainbow hair. Good, just enough for a good sized charge. Collect, Sparks of electricity started winding around Circuit’s hand as she gathered her magic, amplify, a ball of electricity burst into life in her palm, and discharge! The ball became a bolt as it struck Spectrum in the spine. Her hand opened as the rest of her spasmed on the ground, the shock taking control away from her again. Circuit gripped her head for a moment before crawling away. However, the single shock put Spectrum’s system back in check after the spasm. Spectrum stood up, reaching for her sword. Glancing to her right she saw Silence who was laying still and facing away from Spectrum. “Silence, get up.” Circuit glanced over at the other body and bit into her lip. “Maybe I could wake her up? We don’t have to be enemies.” Spectrum looked back at the girl and could tell the panic in Circuit’s face, the twitching of her hands. She will backstab you the first chance she gets. Sorry bitch, but I learned this lesson long ago. Spectrum charged forward as her blade came to life. Circuit raised her hands to her head as Spectrum brought a murderous downstroke upon the girl. Spectrum felt her sword get yanked out of her grip violently as it glowed gray. It shut off as it slammed into a part of the dog that was glowing gray itself. Spectrum turned back to the girl in front of her and saw that she had started running towards Silence. “Get back here!” Circuit’s magnetism trick had bought her a little bit of time, but it had come with a splitting headache. I keep telling Cattle to stop having me use my magic like this. I just don’t have enough skill. I just hope I can fight with whatever charge is left in this girl’s body. Circuit slid next to the yellow woman as she put her hands onto Silence. Immediately Circuit felt a surge of energy as she drained Silence of the electricity that was running through her. “This… this will work.” Spectrum jumped at the girl as she screamed, “Don’t you touch-” A wave of electricity came off of Circuit that blew Spectrum back. However, that only served to anger Spectrum as she started standing back up. Circuit glanced down and closed her eyes. I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t mean to cause this. However, since you aren’t going to need it, I’ll take it. Circuit felt a rush of energy fill her as she started taking the electrical synapses left in Silence’s brain, the few she could find. “I will kill you!” Spectrum started running at Circuit as electricity started to collect around her. I have spent two years of my life under a horrible and disgusting man. I am not going to die, not yet! Circuit released the storm building within her. Immediately, one of the bolts caught Spectrum in the gut, throwing her to the ground. Circuit didn’t have any control though as she continued to release her stored electricity. Her head was splitting as her magic continued to rage out of control. I need to ground myself before I have a stroke or something. Wait, I know! Circuit slammed her hands down onto Silence and the last bolt blasted herself back as the body jumped. Circuit stood up on shaking legs. She was weak and her vision was blurring, but she was still alive. It’s a shame I had to kill those two. It would have been nice to have other girls around- “Gack!” Circuit went into the air as Spectrum kneed her in the side. Circuit couldn’t react as Spectrum grabbed her wrist and threw her onto the ground. Spectrum followed with a stomp onto the ground that Circuit rolled out of. “You! Little! Bitch!” Spectrum ran at the gray girl again and raised her fist. Circuit did all she could and dove into Spectrum’s legs, causing them both to fall. Circuit stood up and tried to focus through the pain and nausea, but quickly saw Spectrum standing and smiling. No. She has to be at least hurt. I’ve given her all I can, but- but I still am going to die? Spectrum walked slowly towards the girl as she collapsed against the ground. She was sobbing on the cobblestone as Spectrum drew steadily closer and closer. However, only a foot away, Circuit screamed, “No!” Spectrum backpedaled as electricity jumped around her, but then consolidated to come back to Circuit. Circuit stayed kneeling on the ground, and with each lightning bolt she sent they grew weaker and weaker. Because of the need to direct the lightning through her hands, Spectrum easily dodged each bolt as it came her way, but the electricity that filled the air around Circuit with each bolt forced Spectrum to keep her distance. On the tenth strike, Circuit suddenly stopped and collapsed back onto the ground. Spectrum watched as the the electricity faded as the girl collapsed backwards, twitching. Spectrum stood over the body for a moment or two, spinning Vital’s knife in her hands as she tried to figure out whether or not the girl was dead. There is plenty of blood coming out of her eyes to make it possible. When Circuit opened her eyes, Spectrum reached down and yanked her into a kneeling position by her hair. Circuit tried to see someway to save herself and saw Vital kneeling over Cattle’s body. Cattle’s dead body. Circuit tried to get out of Spectrum’s grip as she screamed, “Help me! Please, save me!” “Spectrum, stop!” Spectrum glanced over, her arm twitching in anticipation. “Vital, what the fuck is going on and why would you want this girl alive?” Vital took a deep breath in as he tried to calm himself. He was almost to the point of passing out from exhaustion, and the memories swarming the edges of his eyes didn’t help. “Be- because it wasn’t her choice. She was just his pawn, right?” Circuit immediately started shaking her head frantically, only to stop as the knife was pressed against her throat. Spectrum continued to glare at Vital as she shouted, “She will kill us the first chance she gets! I will not allow any of us to die by this girl’s magic!” “She was this man’s slave. I doubt vengeance is the first thing on her mind. Spectrum, we don’t have the right to decide this. Death should only come,” Vital faltered before balling his hands into fists, “if every other option has been used. We can still give her the chance to be free and have a choice.” “Except she killed Silence!” Spectrum felt tears start rolling down her face, and Circuit started squirming as the blade started shaking. Vital grew very silent as he walked over to the still body of Silence. he knelt down next to her and put two fingers against her throat, a spasm of pain ran through him as Cattle’s face replaced Silence’s for a moment. Silence still had a heartbeat though, but that gave Vital little comfort as he looked at the blood that went from Silence’s nose down to her collarbone. He wrapped his arms underneath her and started walking towards Spectrum. “Is she alive?” Circuit cleared her throat as she heard the tears in Spectrum’s voice. Circuit knew, just as Vital did, that Silence’s fate decided hers. Vital finally turned to Spectrum as he approached them. “She is alive, but I am unsure as to whether or not she will stay that way.” Vital looked down at Circuit. “I’m sorry.” Circuit couldn’t even get out a reply before Spectrum’s dagger plunged into her stomach. A second stab sent even more pain as she was dropped onto the ground and Spectrum walked along with Vital. Circuit watched as they walked away, barely whispering, “Help me.” “Are you having fun?” Circuit barely turned to look at the mech that was standing behind her. It was missing most of it’s chest cavity, but it was unlike any other mech that she had seen. It had a slender steel frame, exact replicas for human appendages, and a soft pink glow in it’s eyes. Circuit started crying as she begged, “Please help me. Please, I don’t want to die.” “Are you having fun?” “No, but if you saved me maybe-” The mech raised one of it’s hands, the side of it gleaming like that of a sword in the setting sunlight. “Then allow me to put you out of your misery.” Spectrum and Vital were too far away and too busy looking for shelter to hear Circuit Breaker’s final scream. Author's Note I am sorry everyone, but as of right now, this story is on hiatus. I am at a point where I wish to write, but unfortunately this is not one of the many projects I want to work on. I do enjoy the story, and I love the world I am building, but I am at a point in this story that I am unwilling to trudge through at the moment, and my pledge to put out high quality stories will not allow me to write this story as I am with it. I have been rewriting large chunks of the chapters because I either haven’t liked how I wrote them once, or worse, just didn’t like the angle. Hopefully given some time and space, Odyssey will be revived and finished. However, for now, this is where I say goodbye.
Chapter One: Campfire FightsVital looked down upon the campsite from high above. The foliage should keep him covered, but if there were mechs within, it wouldn’t matter. Their sensors would tip off the person sleeping within, so it didn’t matter how stealthy he was; he would be caught. None came out though, so Vital could continue his investigation into the intruder he had noticed earlier that day. Vital put his telescope away into his metal case, noting that everything was still in there. He stretched out, happy that his light brown fur helped keep him fairly safe in the night, and the green hair supported that. Of course, he still sometimes considered cutting his tail off to make sure it didn’t get caught in something. Vital sighed as he started the climb downward, jumping from different floors within the abandoned building he’d been using as his vantage point. He was happy that he had contact again, but also knew what could happen if the intruder was hostile. Vital jumped from the second floor window onto a tree and spent the next half hour slowly climbing down. Upon landing, he checked that he wasn’t snagged in the bushes. Luckily, his jeans and t-shirt were safe, though he wished he had a new set to replace the ratty pair he owned now. Vital walked out into the open, trying to be quiet. He snuffed out the fire with nearby leaves, and moved towards the black bag that was left in the open by the stranger. Vital hoped he was wrong about what was within the large bag. As he reached for the zipper, a voice cut through the silence. “Stop!” Vital rolled forward and pulled out his pistol, turning it on the intruder, who was visible only by a short sword made of bright blue light. “Freeze. My name is Vital Point, so just take a guess where my first shot will hit. I’m not here to hurt you though. I’d rather talk.” The woman paused and nodded, the sword turning off, plunging them into complete darkness. It occurred to Vital that it could be a trick, and he strained his eyes to adjust, trying to see where she may be coming from. No attack came though; instead, the intruder relit the fire, adding some nearby wood to it. Now that Vital had a good look at the girl, he had to admit that there were worse people to be killed by. The girl was a knockout in a large black jacket and light green shorts that went with her light blue fur. He smirked as he thought about how hard night travel must be with the bright rainbow hair she had. The woman sat, looking him over as well; except probably not for the same reasons. Vital cleared his throat, reminding himself that this wasn’t some casual visit with a friend, but instead a chance to assess a potential enemy. “So, what brings you through these parts? You have to be new, seeing as how I’ve spent the good part of a year roaming this area. And while you’re at it, I should probably know the name of my home wrecker.” The woman paused, her tail flicking back and forth as she thought. “The name is Spectrum Flash. I’m trying to give my friend,” Spectrum said as she pointed towards the body bag. ”A burial next to his mother in Canterlot.” Vital’s mind flashed to imagery of wrecked buildings and swarms of mechs marching through the streets. “You don’t want to go there, trust me. All that awaits those who go there is death.” Spectrum shook her head to this though. “I have to, in order to keep a promise to a friend.” Vital scowled, but then his memories turned to Princess Twilight, and the creation the two had made together. He gripped his head, trying to get the image to leave, or at least shift, but he knew it would never happen. “Fine, but it’s a suicide trip. I was there six years ago and barely made it out alive, so I know first-hand how hard it is for an earth pony to get in and out of there. Without wings you stand about the same chance of making it into Canterlot as you do of outflying Rainbow Dash.” Spectrum turned away from him, walking back to her tent. Vital rushed past her and barred the way into the tent. “No. I need to hear you say that you aren’t going, or you’ll have to get past me.” Spectrum brought the sword back up, sparking it to life only four milimeters from Vital’s throat. However, the young man didn’t move, continuing to speak instead. “You wear a heavy coat, so I suppose your wings could be under there, as impractical as it would be. So if you want to go, show me your wings, or show me your resolve.” Spectrum lowered the sword, but immediately brought it back up; slamming the hilt into the side of Vital’s head. “I can take care of myself just fine, got it?” Vital shook his head and looked back at Spectrum, an unspoken challenge within his eyes. Spectrum brought her blade back up, her face hardening as she got herself prepared for the grisly fate she would give the young man. However, the battle was cancelled by the clanking of mechanical parts. Spectrum dashed back to her tent while Vital rolled behind a large rock to take cover. A tense silence filled the air as the clanking continued to get louder and louder. Vital saw the first mech pass his rock and stopped himself from growling in disgust. The mech had a humanoid form, made of iron, shining black as the firelight danced on its form. Its arms and legs were similar to normal person’s, and had a chest made of heavier iron, but wasn’t fully closed because of the split open sides they had. From there, he could see wires, and further beyond that, the green lit core. Vital momentarily thought of lessons Twilight had tried giving him on how her steel constructions worked; lessons Vital wished he’d understood. They probably would have made it even easier to take care of these disgusting iron constructs. Still, its rough bladed claws and feet made it a very real threat. At least it wasn’t one of Twilight’s cores, Vital thought to himself, glancing at the soft green glow from within the singular eye. These ones usually had slower reaction times than the originals. Just as he was going to step out, he saw the second set of bladed feet and cursed to himself. One mech was easy for him, but it was when they grouped up that most people had trouble. They started fanning out, searching the campsite for survivors. The third mech went around the tent, and as it passed the front Vital heard a screech of fury as Spectrum came out. The mech didn’t have time to react as lightning fast attacks rained down on it in the forms of kicks, slashes and punches. It was being pushed back, but what the mechs lacked in strength, they made up for in speed, and were closing on Spectrum fast. Vital jumped out from behind his rock, slamming his fist into the first mech as it came back, and barely twisted out of the way of the second’s claw. It swept its actual hand over his head, readying its bladed crab claw to go through the target. Vital fell back and rolled on the ground to avoid the deadly final strike, and retaliated with a rising kick to the metal plate that made up its chest. The mech went backward into the first, and Vital took a few steps forward as he emptied one of his five full clips of plasma he had into the set of mechs. Vital glanced over towards Spectrum to make sure the third mech wasn’t about to come after him, but kept his attention to making sure his own mechs stayed down. Once the lights in their eyes finally winked off, the young man turned to where the last scuffle was being held, with Spectrum drawing her blade from the last one’s frame. “Good job, but this is child’s play to the almost indestructible ones in Canterlot. More of them are made out of steel, instead of this hack’s sub-par iron.” Spectrum laughed hollowly as she sat back down. “Look, you might be lacking in your education, but anyone could have told you that the hack you’re referring to is the Flameron Corporation.” Vital looked at the woman, his eyes narrowing as he processed the information. “And those jackasses are why no one travels, and almost everyone is either dead, or a slave.” Vital shook his head, but then got up. “I haven’t really seen anyone in a few years, let alone had a chance to talk about current events, so I don’t know who the Flameron Corporation is. But, that doesn’t even make sense. What happened to Twilight? She wouldn’t have let this happen.” Spectrum’s face darkened at the mention of the name. The woman spat out, “Princess Twilight Sparkle, mother of mechs, chosen leader after the alicorn sisters’ disappearance, and Element of Harmony bearer, was killed by Flam and Doctor Caballeron when they took over her mechs and named themselves the leaders. That was fifty years ago.” Vital’s eyesight went out as he saw another flashback, of two ponies behind a mech, one that had its gun pointed straight at him. Vital Point collapsed while Spectrum went back to bed.
Chapter 2: How It Must BeVital woke up, the sun glaring full force in the skies. He had a blanket over himself, something that he would have found comfort in if he owned a blanket. Vital pulled on his light green hair, trying to clear his mind. He remembered the mechs, and then talking to Spectrum. He groaned as he recalled the flashback. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, trying not to have another episode. “Looks like you're finally awake, so I can get going.” Vital looked over as Spectrum put a bowl of food next to him. “I’m only doing this because you helped me with the mechs. Not something I needed help with, by the way.” Vital chuckled as he got up and started stretching. “Sorry, but even if you could have taken out all three by yourself, I doubt you’d be able to deal with the ones in Canterlot. I’m giving you one last warning not to go.” Spectrum and Vital stared at each other, both noticing the resolve within the other’s eyes. Spectrum smiled as he heard the thrum of her sword activating. “And if I say no?” Vital smirked back at the cocky woman. “Then I come with you. I know how to get into the town, and get past what could be considered the deadliest of all mechs. Besides, I need to check this whole ‘the princess is dead’ thing, and I may as well have some company for a trip back to that hell hole. So what do you say?” Spectrum glared at the boy, biting her lip as she thought. “Why don’t you just tell me now? Besides, you aren’t one of the people who actually cares about my friend, so I don’t want you to be a part of the funeral.” “As I said, I want to check on Twilight seeing as how I once worked for her, and we had a very good employee-boss relationship in my opinion. Besides, I would just take you; I wouldn’t be a part of the funeral.” Spectrum face palmed herself, sighing. “Alright, either tell me how the hell you know a long-dead princess, or get out of my sight and admit you’re crazy.” “I am not crazy, but if you want to bring up skeletons in the closet, why don’t you tell me who your buddy is and what exactly he did to deserve to die. That, and how about the fact that you have a magic sword, a weapon that isn’t exactly common. So, since it doesn’t seem like you like talking, why don’t we agree to shut up, work together, and ignore the fact that the two of us have secrets, but we don’t care. Spectrum grabbed Vital by the collar of his shirt, pulling their faces within inches of each other. “I don’t need people. You’re a guy with a gun, so you could just shoot me in the back when I’m not looking. Working with you would be a death sentence. That, and you are just an earth pony yourself. You bring no skills to the table that I don’t have. So, do you have any reasons why I should work with you?” Vital met Spectrum’s gaze, never blinking, not even flinching. Vital brought his metal case up slowly, barely undoing the clasp and grabbing a paper from within. Spectrum plucked it from the young man’s hands and unfolded it. “What the fuck is this?” “A map. It has three different paths into Canterlot. One, is only accessible by a Wonderbolt level flier, and I don’t see a feather on ya. Next is through the catacombs. Enough mechs and beasts swarm that area that not even a mouse could get through without being devoured. The last one is a mountain pass which would take Daring Do five months to find, even if tipped off to where the entrance might be. So yeah, you might need me.” Spectrum and Vital just stood there, watching each other. Vital saw the girl’s hand twitch next to her sword, reminding him how close he was to death. So close, so… “AHHHH.” Spectrum dropped him as the metal case clattered to the ground, Vital gripping his head. “No, I wasn’t doing anything. It was a rock, it was a rock!” Vital sat shaking on the ground, gripping his head, tears streaming down his face. Spectrum backed away from the young man, whispering, “Vital, what’s happening?” Vital started to calm, breathing deeply. He looked up at Spectrum, trying to smile as his shoulders shook from his breathing. “Sorry, just a small problem I’ve got. That’s all.” Spectrum sighed, stroking a hand through her hair, and then smacked Vital lightning fast. “The fuck is wrong with you? That is not a small problem, especially if that’s why you passed out yesterday. Look, if you want to come along I’m going to need to know just how weak you are.” Vital started laughing, shaking his head as he got up. “So, you do want me to come along? Sorry Spectrum, but I said we needed to let each other keep our secrets, and I may as well keep all I can, seeing as how you seem just a little tight-lipped. Sound like a deal?” Spectrum smiled at him. “You’re damn right I don’t want to talk. Especially not to some weak ass punk like you.” “I don’t know, it’s a long way to Canterlot, and it may get just a little boring if we never talk.” Vital smiled, extending his hand. Spectrum wished she could be happy. She wished that this young man gave her purpose. No, her purpose had been taken from her, and nothing was fixing that. This was a business partnership; no intimate details, only secrets. Shaking Vital’s hand, Spectrum knew this was how it had to be.
Chapter 3: Small TalkVital glanced over to the woman with him, admiring her figure and how close they were, but annoyed at the emotional disconnection they shared. He had been happy to get someone to talk to, but that was exactly the problem. They weren’t talking. Vital scowled, and started his master plan. He began to hum. They walked at a controlled gait, enjoying the sun and peace. Or at least, Vital was, as he started a higher pitched melody, with Spectrum grinding her teeth. “Watch out, the ground ahead can be fairly unstable, and we don’t want to hurt ourselves by falling or something like that.” Spectrum sighed in relief, her ears aching. but it was cut off short as the resonance started once more within Vital’s mouth. “Ya know, I would really like a break from the humming, it’s getting old.” The humming stopped, though Vital brought his hand to his mouth, watching Spectrum as he walked backwards, inspecting his silent companion. As he opened his mouth though, he let out a gasp and started flailing about; almost falling into the chasm they were now crossing above. Spectrum shot forward like an arrow, grabbing the front of Vital’s shirt and pulling, ripping it off in the process. Vital let out a long, raucous laugh that was just a little infectious, as Spectrum giggled as well. Then again, Spectrum was also blushing, staring at the washboard abs that the young man now revealed. “Sorry, looks like I’m topless now.” Spectrum shook her head as she placed a hand on it. “Just don’t be an idiot, alright? You could’ve gotten yourself killed.” Spectrum passed by him, acting as cold as always, but Vital wasn’t letting this end here. “Ah, you actually do care. You know what? Since you don’t like the humming, let me sing you a song for this wonderful occasion. Now let’s see... what would be the right tune, perhaps ‘Love is in Bloom’?” Spectrum screamed at the offer. “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT SONG? How do you feel so safe here? How can you just act like there isn’t death and destruction all around us, and that this isn’t some deadly trip, but instead an Apple family road trip?” Spectrum was fuming, centimeters from his face, and he didn’t flinch, but instead blew air into Spectrum’s eyes. “Augh!” “Spectrum, we agreed not to say anything about ourselves. In fact, you seemed to prefer it that way, so no questions. Remember that.” Vital smiled at her, a glint in his eyes challenging Spectrum. Daring her to react, to not speak. Spectrum sighed. “Fine, new deal then. We keep the important stuff a secret, the parts of us we can’t show, we don’t. But if it means getting you to stop humming and some damned answers, I’m willing to talk. I’ll even give you first shot.” Vital stopped, pondering what might be the best choice. The right question to ask to open up their relationship and get Spectrum and him to be friends. His eyes drifted as he thought, but his mind screeched at himself as he wrenched them upwards. No, that wasn’t what he needed to think about at all. His eyes moved again, his mind pondering. The coat was just a bit too- NO! It didn’t matter. he needed a deep and thoughtful question for the beautiful woman next to him not something stupid like, “What’s your chest size?” Spectrum turned on a small rock pillar, glancing downward to the chasm as her face lit up with heat. Vital had smacked himself and almost fallen off the piece of the bridge he’d been standing on. His eyes spoke of curiosity and fear as he looked at her over his hand. Spectrum remembered when she first got to high school, how many guys had watched her body with the same gaze. It hurt, remembering those days that were so close, yet also so far. Vital started saying, “You don’t.” “C cup. Not like you’ll ever see them. My turn, and if you’re going to ask something like that,” Spectrum somehow blushed further, glancing at Vital’s slightly exposed ribs, but mainly the abs, “I may as well know how long your cock is.” There was a tense moment as Vital now blushed, unable to make eye contact with the pretty woman in front of him. And then he started chuckling. “Now now, that isn’t something you tell someone you’ve just met.” Vital blinked, but that was still enough time to not see the fist come across his face as he had been expecting. Spectrum struck him so hard that he had to take a few steps back, steps so far as to take him right off the bridge. Spectrum grabbed his arm, but it was too late as she felt her own footing give out from under her as Vital’s weight brought her down. She gripped a railing on the last piece of bridge, seeing the almost thirty-foot drop that awaited the two. Her arm burned, the right shoulder joint threatening to simply tear off. An added force was added to her left arm as Vital pulled himself upward, wrapping an arm around her neck and gripping Spectrum’s left shoulder. What was the idiot doing? Damnit, she had the strength, but her shoulder felt like it was going tear off, weakened from the pull of the initial grab she’d made. “Relax Spectrum.” She turned her head and saw Vital’s confident blue eyes staring back. “Relax your arm and let us slip back a bit. Trust me.” “Are you insane? I relax and we plummet, and as you so painfully like to point out, NEITHER OF US ARE PEGASI!” No words came from her companion as he simply kept his gaze up. No challenge, no threats, just calm assurance. Spectrum barely whispered, “If we die, you are going to pay.” And relaxed. For about a second, her arm felt okay. The pressure went away for a moment and then tripled in a blinding flash. However, Vital Point was already moving his second arm, placing it on Spectrum’s right shoulder. Her sight went pure white with pain, the blue girl’s grip threatening to break the crude iron she held onto. But then, nothing. In fact, her shoulder still felt the same pressure, but not nearly the same pain. “Go now.” Spectrum agreed as she lifted herself centimeter by centimeter, finally getting her left hand onto the rail as well. She lifted herself further and screamed, “Now!” Vital seemed to understand as he lifted himself by Spectrum’s shoulders, jumping off the small of her back and scrabbling for a hand hold. Spectrum lifted herself the rest of the way up, with Vital only moments behind. The two lay there panting, trying to calm down. Vital started chuckling again, and Spectrum groaned as she heard the familiar tone. “Alright, I didn’t answer and you saved my life. I think that deserves another question.” Spectrum let out a laugh of her own, startled at how genuine it actually felt. “Fine, let’s start with the shoulder trick. What the fuck did you do to me? Got a horn in that mess of green hair of your’s or something?” The two grinned at each other, sitting up and looking at the fall they had almost taken just now. “Nah, nothing quite that powerful. It has to do with my special talent, actually. Before all of this,” Vital gestured to the broken buildings, the deteriorated bridge, and the inactive mechs that lay in the gorge, “I was a masseuse. As for what I did to your shoulder, I merely put the joint back into place. It eased the pain you were in, but I could have shattered it if you had been putting extra stress on it. Sorry for not explaining it then.” “Wow. So what were you, the princess’s personal masseuse?” Spectrum and Vital had started walking, but now Vital stopped. “That’s two questions, so uhm, you don’t get to…” He had barely eked out the words as Spectrum came over to him, a blush coating his face. “Well, if you must know, yes. And we always did the proper style of massaging, and I always worry what will happen when I think about what she kept hidden under those robes. Especially when around other girls.” Spectrum glared at him, and tried one more time. “Look, nude massages were my specialty, but I can only keep myself calm during them.” Spectrum grabbed his hand and pulled Vital onwards. “Don’t worry about it, I hear she was always about my size anyways. It is a little annoying though, since you can probably imagine just what I look like now.” Spectrum stopped suddenly and turned to Vital. “Wait, if they were your specialty, why did you have to know what my chest size was?” Vital started walking again, sighing. “I worked for Twilight for a year, and when I started working with Twilight I didn’t get out much. I loved the time with her, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But I was sixteen then, and twenty-five now, and you’re the first person I’ve seen other than Twilight since I started working for her and I’ve been a bit lonely.” Vital smiled at Spectrum, and Spectrum almost went for a hug, changing her mind at the last moment. “Why did you have to be so alone?” Finally Vital shook his head. “Sorry, but I think you’ve asked too many, and I still have a question or two for you. Also, your information is wrong. Twilight’s breasts started growing when she became an alicorn, and she reached F-cup before stopping. Sorry.” Spectrum screamed in frustration. “DAMN IT! Even that egghead had to beat me? Kinda helped you think you had a chance with the stallions when there was at least one princess that was your size.” The two laughed over the fact, the tension from before gone. Yes, this was exactly what Vital had been hoping for. “Alright, now for my next question. Let’s see... the body bag is out of the question, though I like the string; makes handling it a lot easier. Therefore, my question is whether or not you you’re related to the infamous Rainbow Dash?” Spectrum paused, halting for just a moment. And then the bridge shook. Vital looked down at his feet and then turned back to Spectrum, a distant look in his eyes. “Twilight, run.” And then the ground collapsed underneath him.
Chapter 4: Panic Attack“Vital!” Spectrum rushed to the edge of the bridge, looking over the gap. She searched desperately, searching for any sign of movement, anything to tell her she was wrong. There was nothing though, the space below the bridge desolate and quiet. Only rocks, grass and mechs littered the ground below. “Damnit, not again. Not again!” Spectrum stood up, preparing to jump. “Wait, I’m down here.” His voice had come out hoarse and strained, but it was there. Spectrum lowered herself over the hole again, and finally spotted the green hair that allowed her to know Vital was down there. She started crying, but she shouldn’t be. He was simply her guide, he hadn’t earned her loyalty. And yet she was so scared at the thought that she had failed Vital. “Spectrum, don’t come down here! Luckily, I don’t seem to have woken up any mechs with the fall, but I can already feel that a couple ribs broke!” His voice was hoarse, the yell barely able to be heard from the chasm. “It’s affecting my breathing a bit, but I should be okay. we were nearing the end of the bridge, so the drop wasn’t nearly as far as before. This will add an hour or two to my trek though, so you’ll get past first. Stay there, because past it, I can’t guarantee a damned thing. If I don’t meet you by tomorrow morning, consider me dead, and come to find my body. I promise I’ll leave a message that details the trick to getting into Canterlot with.” Spectrum didn’t hear anything. She tried straining her ears, hear anything that told her Vital was still safe. Nothing came though. Spectrum sighed. He must have decided to conserve his strength, or keep just another secret from her. As she brought herself back up though, she heard him yell out, “with my dead body.” Spectrum paused for a moment. He was scared. That arrogant, cocky, kid was scared. “Just stay safe. I’d rather get the secret from you alive than dead.” “Careful, with talk like that, people might start thinking you’ve got a crush on me.” Spectrum lowered her eyes, thinking about the last time she’d ever cared about a guy, the last time she put her hair up just to impress someone. She held one of the hip long strands, but let it go. Those feelings had died in her a long time ago to make sure her and Sniper Load would survive. New people were just trouble, and would cause only pain and suffering. They had to prove themselves, and even then an eye had to be kept on them. And so, Spectrum started walking the last length of the bridge, contemplating what she might do to punish him if he made it back to her alive. As for Vital, he was trying to get away from his mind. He’d barely gotten out long enough to tell Spectrum he was okay but now he was in a swarm of memories. He saw flashbacks of moments when he was not only hurt, but also of the few times in his life that Vital Point felt like he might actually die. He started whispering to himself, digging into the broken ribs he had, letting the pain get him out. Vital barely whispered to himself, “Come on, I need to get out of here. Spectrum will be waiting for me, and I can’t let her down.” Twilight flashed into his mind, a warm hug, laying in her bed, waiting for a massa- NO! Vital bolted upright, his side lighting up in pain. “I don’t need you anymore! I need reality!” Vital looked around himself, the edges of his vision filled with sparks of his memories. He could see a few mechs, far beyond repair. He glanced back up, guessing he had fallen at least fifteen feet. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that only a little earlier and he wouldn’t have been walking after that fall. Vital finally got up, gasping as the ribs dug in. Vital put a hand on his side, joyous that the brown fur was dry. His skin wasn’t broken, so he had fractures, instead of death. He started walking, a limp in his step from the pain. Vital pressed his hand further onto his side. Three, three were broken, all on the right side. Well, at least that meant his arm wasn’t broken, though he would want to check it when he was safe. The young man kept walking, past bushes and vines, watching mechs as he came across them. Once Vital knew what their current state was, he would either simply walk past, or give a wide berth if it could turn on. However, one field had three mechs, each with a soft green light coming from them. “Fuck. Me.” Vital looked at the field, and breathed deeply, accepting what he would have to do. Just the thought of it caused memories of mechs coming to life in his hands, and trying to rip him apart. Another image of Twilight came to comfort him. Her soft bosom, gentle lips, and the fantasies of one day falling in love with her filled his mind. He smiled, and pushed them away, looking past the kind and gentle pair of purple eyes, and into the cold and deadly blue eyes of his pseudo mother. His body went into autopilot, the world cast over the image of those eyes. So full of life, yet dead at the same time. He reached a pillar within the canyon, grabbing holes within the rock and scrabbling up. His side burned, but he smiled to himself, saying the line he always had. “Yes ma’am, I am having the time of my life.” He had said it to Twilight for about a month before meaning it, a natural lie to keep his new life. It now became a chant, to keep the image, and stay the pain. He started going faster, getting onto a ledge, and leaping to support beams underneath the bridge. He swung from each, the world disappearing further into the image as he swung from each beam, the pain growing with each swing. He slammed into the other side, Twilight tried to envelope his thoughts as he lay on a ledge across the chasm. But not even Twilight came to comfort him, only the horrors, only the pain. Vital didn’t know how long he was there, only that it was sunset by the time he had moved. By then he was numb, the pain dull, continuing to flair up only for moments, but he would wrestle it into submission. He slowly got himself back down, breathing a sigh of relief seeing that his plan had actually managed to get him past the mechs. Back to trekking I guess, Vital thought as he noticed the memories were gone. At least he had that. The brown man smiled as he saw the building he’d been looking for. He had been in this area for a year, and had made sure he could get anywhere he needed to. Including out from under this bridge. He slipped into the building, searching it for mechs; but soon found himself collapsed on a desk, sound asleep. ======+++++====== Waking up, Vital looked up, and his eyes widened, spotting a small green box with a red x on the front, covered in vines. A med kit, here? No, he must be back in his memories. A stab of pain reminded him about his ribs though, and that it would be well worth at least grasping at illusions if it meant possibly getting fixed. Vital’s hand shot forward, picking up the box. “Are, zzgk, having, chkunk, now?” Vital’s eyes went wide as he saw a person’s head, but the panic died down as the person’s head was replaced with that of a mechanical head that had been hiding behind the box. It had no spikes, so not a warrior, and too small of a head to be a rioter. No, it was far worse, and Vital let out a long peel of laughter at the disembodied head. “Repeat, Are, zzgk, having, chkunk, now? If no re,” It sparked with electricity, singing some of Vital’s brown fur. “Poor thing, you’re missing an eye. Mom would be very disappointed in you, or proud. Most of you don’t come out so far, not enough survival instinct.” For a moment Vital considered trying to get the voice chip back in place, seeing as it was probably just out of alignment, but decided against it. “It’s a good thing you’re merely a head, otherwise I would have to lie to you, or dispose of you I suppose.” “Prepare, hmmmmm, of misery.” The eye went from a soft pink light to a vicious red. This was when it would normally attack, ready to kill the foolish victim. Nothing was left though, and so Vital didn’t have to answer. Still the thing was trying to activate, probably working towards it’s death. Vital grit his teeth, his mind retreating as he said the all too familiar line, “Yes ma’am, I am having the time of my life, thank you for asking. Now go to sleep, I have no need for you.” The eye hesitated for a moment, but then powered down, going from red, to pink, to off. Vital wasn’t able to enjoy the dead mech, the image of the mech’s mother tearing into his mind. Not Twilight, but those eyes from yesterday, the cold dead eyes he had lied to for years. The memories with the creature threatened to flood Vital as he attempted to focus. He crashed around the office space, anything to get away from the bot’s one eye. It was dark though, or at least, it had been. As he panted, he noticed he could see the details within the building, slowly growing brighter. Vital sat for a moment or two, caught between memory and reality, before his mind connected what the light meant. The memories were banished from his sight as he rushed out of the building. He couldn’t worry about the pain or about the mech’s appearance. If he didn’t make it back soon, he would be late, and forgotten for no reason. And Vital was not losing the one connection to reality he now had. ======+++++====== Spectrum crawled out of her tent, the first rays of light warming her face. It was a pleasant warmth, but Spectrum merely sighed at the morning. “Guess he’s not coming.” Spectrum hoped she was wrong as otherwise it would mean a long day of searching for what would be a very depressing corpse. She had to admit, this would be the perfect way to end a really shitty month. Not that she could complain, seeing as she was still alive at least. In the world they lived in, nothing stayed constant, except mechs and death. Spectrum broke out her cooking equipment, starting to make tea from nearby plants. She wished coffee still existed, instead of the rancid tea she always tried to make. She would need to get more water though, and Vital could have probably helped with that. Spectrum looked down at the cup as she considered what would come next. She could keep going, unlikely as that was. She scowled at the steep wall that lay ahead of her. Spectrum had no idea as to how she was going to get past that. She could stay here of course. Vital Point had made it sound like he had cleared out most of the mechs in the area, so she might actually be safe; at least for a little bit. But then there was her duty, glancing at the body bag. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sensors. She cursed as she pulled out her sword. Out of her peripherals she saw two mechs coming up from under the bridge. They were both the warrior type that she was used to, so she could take them. She would want to stay on the side with the crab claw though, since they were usually slower to strike on that side. The first rushed straight at her, and Spectrum sidestepped, leaving one foot out, tripping the mech. What they lacked in brains though, they normally made up with ferocity. She bounced the next mech’s claws away with the sword, switching the grip to get in a few quick slashes onto the chest, scratching away at the breast plate. Spectrum was happy that her blade was reliable, but it lacked the power to tear through a mech quickly. At least that meant it never powered down all of a sudden. Her leg lit up in pain as the downed mech sliced open her leg before getting up. She spun around, a wide slash giving her room away from both. She then positioned herself between the two, keeping both within her peripherals. The downed one went first, an uppercut with the crab claw blade. Spectrum rolled to the side, using her arms to push herself back up. She grinned in triumph as the mech stabbed its cohort in the chest. At least now it had some real damage on it. The two rushed as one this time, both taking separate sides. Damn, they always did this, changing tactics on the fly. She ducked as they both swung their claws, clashing against each others’. Spectrum grit her teeth, and put all of her strength into a leaping lunge, straight into the undamaged mech’s chest. She stared into it’s single green eye as it faded away, a common sign that a mech was dead. It was a moment too long though. She looked behind her, the sun’s early rays being blocked out. There was the damaged mech, foot raised. It stomped down on her chest, and Spectrum thanked Celestia for the fact that the blades were on the top, and not the bottom. Otherwise she’d be dead. Not that it mattered, the glare off of the crab claw blinding her momentarily. Spectrum struggled underneath the mechanical foot, trying to get it off, but to no avail. Man this was a stupid way to die after all she’d been through. Then it hesitated, and Spectrum heard it too. Footsteps. For a moment, the scene was serene, the mech glancing up, the pressure easing just a bit. Then Vital burst in tackling the mech into the ground. The young man started beating into the mech’s head, not giving it a moment to recover. The mech went to use the claws, briefly reaching up to tear out his throat, but Vital caved in the head with one final punch. The claw fell, sparks coming out of the skull. Vital started standing, oil covering his fists. His left one dripped a red liquid as well, the fist that had dealt the last blow. The look in his eyes wasn’t of peace, or laughter. It was of a man gone mad, a man who wouldn’t have cared if he’d died, as long as the mech had been destroyed in the process. Spectrum took a step back from the brown man, blade raised. Vital let out a gasp as he turned back to the decapitated mech, who had lifted itself up and stabbed him in the chest with the crab claw. Vital pushed the blade out, and then put his right fist into the hole in it’s chest, a blinding green light flashing out. Then Vital stood, an eye twitching. “Vital?” Vital’s head snapped over to looking at her, blood streaming from the wound, and only now did he really seem to take note. He undid the latches to his metal box, bringing out a large green box. No, a medkit! He opened it, pulling out the salve within, and applying it to his chest. Spectrum sighed as she collapsed, her leg coming out of shock. Vital noticed the movement and reached back in, pulling out two different items. One was a smaller medkit, another green box, but this one was covered in vines. This he threw to Spectrum stating, “I just found it. Apply the gel, but don’t use the primer.” Spectrum nodded, looking at the other object, a long wand type apparatus. There was a shorter one within her own box, but it was a one use. The one in Vital’s hand must have been custom made. Vital put the primer against the gel, and the metal stick glowed purple, a color Spectrum had never seen from a primer. For a moment nothing happened, but then the gel turned into green light, going into the chest cavity and closing the wound. The labored breaths that Vital had before now came out clear and calm. “Are you okay Vital?” Vital walked over to Spectrum, handing her his primer. “No, but I’ll live. Now leave me be. I would rather not think right now. So catch up, or get left behind.” Spectrum fired the primer, the effect immediate as her leg felt like new from the mix of green and purple light. Spectrum tried to put a hand onto Vital to comfort him, but the image of the brown figure bashing in the mech’s skull flashed into her mind, and she couldn’t. She simply couldn’t.
Chapter 5: Riot ShieldVital led the two of them over to an old electrical door. Spectrum sighed, the silence getting to her this time. “Awesome, so now we have a way through the wall, but unless you’ve got the code, we’re stuck on this side.” Vital didn’t respond at first, only examining the panel. “I’ve made the journey up before, and trust me, you don’t want to. However, we should be able to break this open together. For now, just go over to the handle.” Vital started to pull at the panel, going painstakingly slow, his tongue protruding a little. It came off with a sickening screech of metal, and his hands shot into the circuitry. “This was my other job for Twilight. Fixing broken mechs by adjusting parts. I never learned a damn thing about putting them together, but I can make almost any piece of circuitry break down, or be dismembered by my hands. However, that also means breaking almost everything I use. Will you please start pulling the handle?” Vital left his right hand within the panel, sitting on a rock. Spectrum pulled the lever and the young man gestured for her to continue. “Any idea what’s beyond this?” “Nope. It’s been about a year since I’ve left this area, this wall being a part of the reason I stayed. Hopefully it’s not just a wall of mechs as far as the eye can see outside.” Spectrum sighed at the monotone, missing the jovial nature Vital had before. She’d seen people before, but this was the first time one had been… alive. “Ah, hot. That should do it.” Sparks flashed from the panel and Spectrum pulled one more time. A bang came from the door, and it swung open. “What did you do?” Vital was already walking through, the same attitude he’d been giving her all morning. “I moved a few parts closer to the motherboard, and as the lever was pulled, those parts heated, frying the motherboard. A simple trick really.” Vital took a step forward and suddenly slid out of view with a yelp. Spectrum came rushing forward and slid on the loose gravel on the other side as well, stopping just a little above Vital, who was on his back. “Careful Spectrum, it’s a little steep.” Spectrum smiled back at the grin Vital gave her, but it faded as she looked up. No, it couldn’t be. Could it? “You coming?” Spectrum looked down and saw Vital already sliding down the gravel. No, she was thinking too much. It was nothing, Spectrum thought as she turned away from the valley, and the town that lay within. “At least we might be able to find you a new shirt down there.” Spectrum smiled to herself, happy that there was a chance that Vital would able to cover up again. The two scrambled down the hill, once more silence settling over the traveling companions. At the bottom Spectrum finally caught up with Vital as he reached a ratty old building. He was standing, looking down the way of the train tracks. “What’s up Vital? Something wrong?” He shook his head, and turned to the forest. “Nothing, just trying to figure out when the next train might come.” Another grin came from Vital while Spectrum smacked herself. “Even if one was coming, we aren’t taking it.” Vital turned back to Spectrum, an eye cocked up. “Railways mean open space. Even if it took us straight to Canterlot, we’d be running too big of a risk. Besides dogs guard the tracks usually, and we don’t want to mess with them.” Vital nodded, still looking out to the plains. “I’m surprised that you’re still standing.” Spectrum grinned at Vital as he stepped off towards the forest. “Can we not talk about that right now? I spent a day stuck in my memories, and besides, dogs rarely malfunction. Besides, they at first had a pup mode that was quite fun.” Spectrum ran to catch up, getting back into a steady gate with Vital. “You’re kidding right?” Vital threw up his arms as he responded with, “Of course I am. Those things are terrifying.” As the two laughed, Vital’s nose twitched as he tried to place the smell that had entered the air. It was definitely familiar, and brought back memories of singed fur. A humanoid mech came out from behind a tree and struck Spectrum in the gut with a gauntlet coated in electricity. Vital’s eyes went wide as the riot guard turned towards him, the eyes of the mech focusing in him now. The mech in front of him stood even with him in height, taller than the warriors. He jumped back as one of the two gauntleted hands came his way. Ozone, that’s what he could smell as electricity arced off the mech’s hand. “Spectrum, you okay?” “I’m fine, just can’t see. I really hate these ones, the lightning really screws with your head.” Vital had to agree as he kept dodging. A new sound entered the fight though, a low whining that was quickly rising in volume. “Vital, look out!” Vital had forgotten the secondary feature for these mechs, the ability to charge the electricity in the gauntlets. And then lightning struck him from behind. Yep, fur definitely singed. Vital managed to stay on his feet, but only barely as the first mech slammed a fist into his gut. What these mechs lacked in strength, they made up in the stun capabilities. In low doses it could cause paralysis. Another hit or two though, and Vital’s heart might stop. He saw Spectrum getting up, about to attack the mech who was readying another punch. Vital ducked, shouting, “Run Spectrum! We can’t fight them here; we need a clearing. Otherwise they’ll use the same tactic they did on me and slowly kill us.” Spectrum nodded, rolling to the side as a blast of electricity passed over her head and into the mech in front of Vital. It paused, giving Vital the opportunity slide underneath it’s legs and take off after Spectrum. Vital scowled, wishing Spectrum wasn’t so fast and that the mech’s failsafes didn’t work. Normal mechs would have been at least stunned by that blast, but a lot of safety locks were in place to make sure these one’s didn’t short circuit. Of course, it was an easy enough problem to remedy. Vital burst into a clearing, a light blue sword to his throat. “Damnit Vital, I almost decapitated you.” Vital grinned at Spectrum before he turned back to the forest. One mech came forward, the other one able to be seen as it charged it’s gauntlets. “You can’t fight these, can you?” Spectrum had a worried look in her eyes, but Vital just smiled. “Take the one in the forest,” Vital said, stepping back from the frontal mech, and then dropping to the ground as the lightning blast sailed overhead, “I’ve got this one.” Spectrum nodded, dashing ahead as the mech started charging again. Vital smirked at the one in front of him, flexing his hands. “Well then, let’s dance.” Spectrum’s initial strike overrode the mech’s command to charge for another blast, but this one wasn’t nearly as susceptible to her flurry of blows as the warriors were. The mech started throwing wild punches, ozone filling the air. Spectrum just let a laugh as she spun around the mech, never getting more than a foot away at a time. She glared at her sword though, knowing just how long this chore would take. It took long enough to rip apart the warriors, but these had more reinforced armor to hold the lightning, which meant even more swings until an opening would appear. Vital on the other hand, wasn’t even touching his mech. It was very well made, the crack within it’s chest component smaller than the warrior’s. It still had the humanoid form, which meant solid arms and legs, so crippling was an option. But these weren’t the types of mechs you did that with, not with their ranged capabilities. It didn’t help that he had to keep his breathing even, to keep away the times when a rogue charge would activate these stupid mechs. Vital smirked as his moment came. He jumped to the side as the mech brought both fists down, an electric shockwave going through the ground. The young man spun around, reaching into the exposed left side. A flick of a wire here, a nudge of a gear, and out he was. “Spectrum, I’m good here.” The mech watched as Vital got out of striking distance, starting to charge it’s gauntlets. Vital flopped onto his back as it shot, hearing pops as circuitry fried itself. Spectrum was still dealing with hers as she heard Vital shout. She scowled, having to retreat. Even if she could attack while it prepped strikes, the blows from earlier were getting to her, causing her reactions to slow along with lowering the strength she could put in each strike. The mech put it’s gauntlets next to each other, lightning arcing between them. Spectrum backed up into a tree, breathing heavily. “Fuck.” The gauntlets touched and it’s slow moving electric blast erupted from between them. Spectrum hesitated, losing her chance to dodge to the side. She raised her blade, the only thing she could think to do. The bot was coming on fast behind his blast, so at least her blade was already up. The blade caught the blast, the electricity disappearing as the blade itself glowed bright white. Spectrum’s heart rate rose even higher, hammering into her ears, the electricity was getting to her. That, or fear. The gauntlet was raised, electricity glowing around it. Ozone cooked the air, the smell burning itself into her nose. A tear ran down her face. She had survived so much, and now just wanted to go home. The image of the town, the town from the valley, flashed into her mind. She did all she could think of to get home, and swung. The bright white blade sliced through the iron, ripping the mech’s arm off as she sliced open it’s chest, its green light drifting out. Her blade turned off afterwards, scalding Spectrum’s hand. Spectrum came walking into the clearing and promptly started to attack Vital, who was still lying on the ground. “What are you doing? What the fuck are you doing?” Vital’s hand shot out, pinching into Spectrum’s neck and stopping the girl. Spectrum slowly came down onto her knees, sobbing. Vital looked into the her eyes, the deadly wrath met by kindness and calm. Vital shifted his fingers only by mere centimeters, but Spectrum let out a gasp of relief. “I’m sorry, I should have come and helped. I’m not used to having a partner. Besides, you keep telling me you’re fine.” Vital paused and looked down before finishing with, “But that’s no excuse.” Vital let go, and Spectrum rubbed ar her neck. “Can we just clear this up now: we talk. Doesn’t matter if I want you dead, or your weird psycho problems are acting up, we talk. And if we are in a fight, no one is done until every mech is dead. Got it?” Vital nodded. Then he stood up and gestured slowly for Spectrum to follow. “I just said we-.” Vital rushed back over and put his hand over Spectrum’s mouth, barely whispering into her ear. “There is a dog, right behind you.”
Chapter 6: Dog ParkSpectrum froze, looking into Vital’s eyes as she spoke. “Where?” Vital slowly started walking backwards, keeping an eye on the space behind her. Spectrum took a step forward, but then turned back. “What are you doing?” Vital hissed as Spectrum began walking towards the tree line. Spectrum brought out her sword, flinching as she was reminded of the burns on her hand. “The bodybag is still back there.” Vital’s eyes grew wide. Spectrum was risking life and limb just going to Canterlot to bury this guy; Vital seriously doubted a dog would deter her. Vital sighed as he thought of a plan to stop her from dying. He turned on his heel, and started running. “Hey pup, I’m over here!” Vital felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the dog burst out of the treeline . It had three pairs of yellow eyes, all of which locked onto Vital. It had a flat face that made Spectrum think of a demon more than a dog. The face spoke of terror, just as the first of four bladed feet did, as it slammed down in front of her. The arched barrel body passed by her quickly, a great feet considering the heavy plates of steel that covered the body. Spectrum just stood there for a few moments, her breath catching at the sight of the beast. “Get it now, before it manages to eat me!” Vital was yelling as he reached the treeline, the dog not far behind. Spectrum turned back towards the way they had come, and started sprinting, desperate to get back in time. We had just fixed our problems, and once more Vital was about to die. Vital wasn’t worried about death though, because he had a plan. He hit the trees, immediately scrambling up the branches. However, Dogs were able to rip through train cars, so the tree wasn’t going to stand a chance. A quake went through the branches as the dog crashed, and Vital used the force to throw himself into another tree. Holy son of a bitch! I am not going to be able to keep this up. Vital got up, his legs still shaking from the impact. He grit his teeth, now worried about just how much time Spectrum had to get back, and what they would even do then. He braced for the next impact, and waited, and waited. Come on already, attack already! Vital looked down, and saw the yellow eyes staring back. Vital waved at it while his heart slowly eased back to a steady rhythm. The dog growled at the hand, but stayed firmly on the forest floor. Vital simply watched it for a bit and then started running along the branches and jumping to different trees. Vital still had to be careful though, because whenever he drifted too low the dog would try to jump and bite at his legs. So, the trees are like trains cars, aren’t they puppy dog? Vital swallowed hard. Of course, that’s only until I reach its critical threshold. That’s when dogs ripped apart the train cars they protected. “Fucking Celestia!” Spectrum almost had a heart attack upon seeing the dog and almost fell in her hurry to get into the treetops. She saw Vital as he threw a twig at the dog and it roared back at him. “Vital, how did you get over here?” Vital stood up, and braced himself. “Pass me the body. If we simply pass him along, we don’t have to drop to the ground. As for how I’m over here; the dog thinks the trees are train cars. At least, that’s my best guess.” Spectrum grinned at that. “Sounds good, but why don’t you just feed it a clip of plasma into its eyes? Then we can keep walking.” Vital chuckled as he took the body and carefully stepped across the branches. “Yeah, about that. Well, you see, at the camp when we first met, not that I really am that-.” Spectrum glared at him, fire within her eyes. Vital’s words came out in a torrent now, “I was bluffing. I can see where I should hit them, but I suck at using guns.” Spectrum stopped right as she was passing Vital the body bag into the next tree. “So wait, I could have stomped your ass into the ground, and your pistol would have been useless?” Vital huffed at her, but then looked down. “It’s not like I can’t shoot it. I just can’t really hit anything outside of… ten feet?” “Ten Feet! Great, you really can’t hit anything.” Vital looked back up at Spectrum, about to yell. However, the grin on her face quickly shut down his argument as he blushed at falling for the taunt. “So, any ideas as to what we’ll do when he starts tearing apart trees?” Vital bit into his cheek, but slowly nodded. “Think so, but I really don’t like it. It involves a lot of running, mainly on my part. Oh, and just in case,” Vital brought up his iron case and opened it. He then pulled out a piece of paper and scrawled something onto it before shoving the scrap into the box and closing it. He then unholstered his pistol and held both the gun and case out to Spectrum. “The box holds a lot of personal things and now that includes the secret of surviving Canterlot. There’s a map within that leads to a safer way into the city, and a few rations for food. Past that there’s the primer. However I’m out of medkits.” Spectrum looked at him as she took the body bag, her eyebrows furrowing. “Why are you bringing all that up?” Spectrum furrowed her eyebrows as Vital smiled at her. “Well, you’ve got a burned hand, and actually, there are some bandages within that might help with that.” Vital’s smile dropped as Spectrum scowled at him. “I mean, why are you giving me your stuff?” Spectrum heard Vital take a deep breath as he turned to towards the edge of his branch. “In case the dog gets me of course.” Vital shoved the gear into her arms as he leapt off of the tree, the dog’s eyes turning red. He rolled forward and recovered on his feet, running fast towards another part of the treeline. The dog gave immediate chase, tearing into the ground as it started moving. Spectrum knew it would follow relentlessly now, and that Vital was most likely screwed. There was nothing she could do though, so she turned her attention to the clearing ahead and felt her heart leap into her throat. “No fucking way.” Spectrum took off, aiming for the dirt bridge she had crossed so many times before. Hopefully she would be home, or at least have left something that would be useful. Vital slammed into the first tree, and braced himself. This time the dog crashed straight into it, and flung him into the next tree. He felt splinters bouncing off of his coat. Now it’s serious. A roar came below as the tree shuddered from the dog jumping on it. Vital prepared to brace himself. The dog didn’t shred this tree though. Instead it rotated its head, causing the mouth to be parallel with the trunk. Vital felt the tree shake as it bit into it, but then had to grab ahold of a branch as it yanked the tree out of the ground. Vital held on at first, but was quickly thrown away as the dog tossed the tree. Vital looked up, scrambling to his feet. The dog roared, but that gave him time to start running. There was no time to get back into a tree, not yet at least. Vital glanced over his shoulder to confirm that he was still being followed, and being gained on. He grit his teeth as he focused and for a moment his memories of leaving home flashed in his mind. “Argh.” Vital pushed them away as his muscles burned from the exertion. He barely heard his signal; a lack of sound coming from behind him. Vital skidded to a stop, turning to face the dog, now in a murderous leap towards him. He only had enough time to take a few steps forward before rolling into a tight ball, going underneath the dog. Vital hurt. The dog landed mostly behind him, but the hind legs had caught him, and flailed out, continuing to beat into him. He got up, the dog turning around. Vital looked into the beast’s eyes, his blood turning to ice. Vital grit his teeth as the dog came charging once more. ======++++++====== Spectrum dashed across the bridge, every step bringing her closer and closer to safety. She grabbed the handle and pulled; surprised to find it locked. She started pounding on the door, her other hand on her sword. No way I’m going to let some free-loading, squatter stop me from-. Spectrum wasn’t sure her head was still working as the door opened. Butterfly couldn’t still be alive, not with all the time that had passed. Yet here she was, holding up a sign in front of her chest that said Hello Spectrum, how have you been? She just stared at the yellow woman, confusion clouding her happiness. “Butterfly, it’s so good to see you.” Butterfly gave her a smile before turning around and gesturing to be followed. Spectrum was amazed by the ankle length pink hair, but something else felt off about her. Spectrum blushed a deep crimson as she put it together. “What are you wearing?” The yellow girl looked down at herself and scrawled on the notepad she had. My clothes? “Those aren’t clothes, they’re underwear!” Spectrum couldn’t help but glance down at the barely contained chest within a pink bra, but had to turn away as she took in the large yellow wings, pain filling her chest. “Please tell me you’re wearing panties.” Butterfly let out a small giggle, and nodded when Spectrum turned back to her. She then started writing on her notepad again. Spectrum glanced at the note and scowled, the anger refocusing her. “They don’t matter. I’m not that type of woman now, got it?” Spectrum was close to Butterfly, glaring down at her. Butterfly didn’t cower though, merely nodding. “Now, do you have anything to put down a dog?” Butterfly looked at her puzzled and turned the writing pad. Why? Spectrum rolled her eyes as she searched the house. “Because I have some idiot with me that is going to die soon if I don’t save him.” Another giggle came from Butterfly as she wrote something down. She smiled at Spectrum as she turned the pad to her. You have no reason to worry. The dog finished his final lunge and is enjoying his lunch in peace. Spectrum paled as she looked at her friend. “What?” I don’t like watching as my pup rips apart other people. Spectrum took a few steps back from Butterfly, simply staring at her. “What do you mean your pup?” Butterfly knocked on a metal headband on her head, something Spectrum had merely shrugged off before. The headband allows me to control the mechs as long as I meld myself with them first. Spectrum smiled, heaving a sigh. “You would not believe how happy I am to hear that. Now, can you call off the dog so Vital will survive?” Butterfly sucked her lips into her mouth as she wrote once more. I already said this. He’s dead, as he should be. Spectrum’s eyes went wide as she scowled. “Don’t you fucking dare presume that cocky moron is dead. Now get your dog to come back, and I’ll go find him. He’ll need some help.” Butterfly’s eyes narrowed and she bit into her lip as she wrote down on her pad. Follow me. I need to explain something to you. Spectrum followed Butterfly as she went upstairs. Butterfly entered one of the rooms and gestured around her, a deadpan stare to her eyes. Spectrum took a deep breath as she entered. There were notes everywhere. They’ll come soon, I know it. Its been years, why won’t they visit. Friendship is magic, right? Who needs them, I can survive, right? The mechs ripped apart Angel yesterday, what am I to do? I found a new Angel, I only hope he will continue to keep me company. My stare, it seems to give me control, and for once, I want it. I wonder if Fluttershy would be proud of who I am? Fuck Fluttershy, I am who she could never be. I am strength, I am death, I am survival. Spectrum turned to Butterfly, her eyes wide. Her breathing was shallow, afraid to look at what Butterfly had just written. I missed you. All of you. I was so alone. I had no one to talk to, and now have forgotten how to. I am no longer a fragile butterfly, able to be crushed underfoot. Instead, I changed, adapted, and in turn became silence. I don’t need you, and I will not take the risk of new presented by new people. Your friend will stay where he is. Spectrum looked down, tears filling her eyes. She squeezes them tight though, forcing the tears back, forcing back the feelings that she had learned to repress to survive. This wasn’t Butterfly, this was not her friend. Spectrum’s hand shot out, pushing Butterfly to the ground. Butterfly was about to get up as she heard a hiss and a light blue blade appeared in front of her face. “You don’t want to give a shit about anyone else? Fine. However, I don’t give a fuck about what you think of him, I need him. Now you claim to have learned how to survive; so I would reconsider your earlier decision.” Silence’s head nodded slightly. The headband glowed slightly, the upside down T on the front flaring red for a moment. Happy? Spectrum just looked at her friend through loose strands of rainbow hair. She felt her age, felt all she had done. Butterfly could have helped with that, but that wasn’t happening; not now. Spectrum turned off her sword. “I’m going to wait for Vital outside. We’ll discuss the past later, but he comes first.” Spectrum didn’t look back, fighting back tears as she slammed the door.
Chapter 7: Good Old Bad DaysVital stalked the halls of Canterlot Castle, trying to find the stairs he needed to take to the labs below. “This would be so much simpler if Twilight gave me a map or something!” Vital slammed his fist into the wall, almost immediately regretting it as he heard metal scrape against the stone. “Looks like your pendant can’t fix that, can it?” Vital looked at the cracks in the stone, sighing as he realized that this was his turn off as he pulled a purple book from a nearby bookcase, the wall sliding sideways. Vital started the descent, the steps quickly exhausting him. Vital persevered though, tired of being weak. I’ve spent the last two weeks recovering from this accident, which should have been enough time to get my strength back. Unless that royal bitch has been drugging me or something. Wouldn’t surprise me. She probably loves having a personal slave to order around. Vital reached the bottom of the staircase, happy that the torchlight would stop now. Twilight only accepted magical lights within her labs in order to make sure the light stayed consistent. Vital scowled as he tried the door handle. “Identification please.” Vital sighed at the voice. Always monotone, and always asking something that was completely unnecessary. There was no one else in the Castle, so who else would be trying to get in? However, Vital still groped at his chest, his hand wrapping around a star pendant on it. He held it in front of the door, always feeling like an idiot since he couldn’t see what he was holding. “Open up already.” A purple glow came off of the door, and the same glow resonated from the invisible object in his hand. The door opened, revealing the lab within. Vital clenched his teeth as he saw Twilight standing over her machines, probably triple checking them for faults. Not that she can ever find all of them, Vital thought as he rubbed his right arm. “Hello Twilight. What are we working on today?” Vital donned a white labcoat of his own, glancing at the figure in the room. He had once admired the purple woman, even had the same fantasies as most guys his age about her. That was before the- “Augh.” Twilight finally glanced over, and he felt his mind ease into comfort by her magic. Vital shot her a murderous glance as he hissed, “I don’t need your help.” Twilight scowled, putting her hands on her hips. “Then perhaps you should stop thinking about it. I’ve told you several times by now that your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is very sensitive. I still believe it’s from your almost photographic memory, which I still worry about. You aren’t grasping the concepts I’ve been telling you about as you should.” The last line was said with a gentle care in the tone, something Vital chose to ignore. “I’m soooo sorry that I can’t be a perfect slave for you Twilight.” “The term is assistant.” Twilight watched as the boy bared his teeth, watching her. She prepared herself for the normal scolding. Even though Twilight had rationalized it in her head, she knew in her heart what she was doing to him was wrong. However, Vital merely shook his head, deciding on a different topic. “I’ve never been here before. What are we working on, and where is the coffee maker?” Vital sighed as he thought about how often that was all he did now. “I’ve kept this place a bit of a secret because I’m working on a new form of magic here. It is a type of magic that may be able to be used by everyone, as it resides within everything within the world. However, for the most part the magic is unrefined, and cannot be used except by us unicorns, and even then in a very weakened state.” “But what does that have to do with what I’m doing here?” Vital rolled his eyes as Twilight blushed at her mistake. “I’m letting you in on my secrets, seeing as I do not know when I will be able to let you go. So you get the chance to see the creation of soul magic. I hope to use it to enchant metal so as to make it almost indestructible, and the magic will be able to make possible mechs I’ve only seen in my dreams.” Twilight was staring at the consoles with a look of triumph. Vital laid the sarcasm on thick as he said, “Oh yeah, more powerful mechs and more violent malfunctions. Sounds fantastic.” Twilight’s arms lowered, her eyes darting away from Vital. For a moment he felt a jab of pain, his own conscious letting him know he had gone too far. “I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t mean that.” Twilight shook her head while replying softly, “No, you are correct. I only hope my calculations are correct. It... it’s time to speak to the subject.” Twilight tapped on a microphone, and a screen turned on, showing a pink women jumping up and down with a bunch of wires dangling off of different parts of her. Twilight almost screamed, “Pinkie stop! Those machines are very sensitive, and this is dangerous enough as it is.” The woman shrugged and sat down on a bench, pulling her legs in to wrap herself like a ball. “Pinkie, I’m sorry if it’s a little cold. I’m worried about the amount of heat that will be generated, so it’s for your own safety.” Pinkie’s voice came out a little muffled from the speakers. “Okie dokie Twi.” Twilight smiled, watching her friend, her energy comforting the nervous unicorn. Vital grabbed Twilight’s shoulder, turning her to him. “Did I just hear that right? Did you say Pinkie? As in the party extraordinaire of Equestria, the women who cares about everyone regardless of what they’ve done, and not to mention; your best friend? And now we’re experimenting on her?” Vital was holding Twilight by the shoulders, glaring at her. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Twilight’s horn glowed, removing Vital’s hands and pushing him back. “Pinkie is part of what inspired the idea. She has a natural magic to her that has already culminated in an ability, her Pinkie Sense. Hopefully it will make the process easier and safer.” Vital could have said more, but the slumped shoulders and downcast eyes were enough to hold him back. His job had once been to relieve people of stress and pain, not add it. “When do we begin?” Twilight nodded and said into the microphone, “Pinkie, I’ll be starting the energy transfer now.” Pinkie gave a thumbs up, but then started tapping her fingers on the steel table she was sitting on. “Twi, this bot, it’s supposed to protect you and keep you company for thousands of years right?” Vital looked at Twi accusingly, but Twilight didn’t notice as she went back down to the microphone. “Yes Pinkie, that is correct.” “And that it will be able to be with you for longer then I will, right?” Pinkie stood up, starting to walk to the area where the wires on her ended. “Pinkie, I wouldn’t go near the core. Sit back down.” Panic was starting to creep into Twilight’s voice as Pinkie walked, the pink girl’s hair slowly going down. Vital looked back at the screens and held his head as the algorithms confused him. However, he knew enough to know that the process was stable. “One last question Twi.” “What is it Pinkie?” “The more of me in this core the stronger it will be, right?” “I don’t see why that matters when I’m- Pinkie!” Vital stepped back from the consoles as he heard the screech of metal. He looked down at the experimental room where Pinkie was holding a pink glowing object. Pinkie grit her teeth being brought to her knees from the pain. The wires connected to her started to fray as multiple shades of pink light began to leak from them. They swirled and danced like shadows around a bonfire, the shades separating and manifesting themselves in human forms. They each touched Pinkie, before walking into the core that was within Pinkie’s now black hands. “Shut it off!”Twilight’s scream snapped Vital out of the scene as he hit the safety switches. A pink energy wave hit the machines as he reached them, and none of the safeties activated. “Pinkie, stop it!” Twilight was crying, screaming into the microphone pleas to get Pinkie to stop whatever she was doing. Vital started looking around the room, his mind searching for a way to end the misery and chaos around him. Vital saw it. He didn’t know why his eyes had focused on it, but he saw what could work. He ran over to the external regulator, jamming his right arm into the machine. His hands worked fast, moving wires, shifting circuitry, and then ripping out a gear. The short blew every machine in the room, and a surge of pink energy blasted Vital away. He was thrown into a table, one spot on his ribs lighting up with a stabbing pain. The worst pain was his right arm though, which had been ripped away from him when he got blasted away. Vital’s vision was blurring as he heard the hum of machines restarting. “Pinkie! Pinkie, please respond! Please, do something! Give me a smile, give me anything! Please Pinkie, please.” The last one roused Vital to action as he stood up and stumbled over to the princess on the floor. She was crying in the fetal position, muttering to herself. Once Vital slumped down next to her, Twilight’s hands shot out and grabbed his lab coat. “Please don’t leave. I know I’ve done such horrible things to you, but don’t make me be alone. Please, please.” Twilight was sobbing into his lab coat, shuddering with each breath she tried to take. Vital could get his revenge. He could get up, grab a medkit to heal his side, and leave. She deserved it. However, Vital knew the truth, and knew what he would do. So Vital put an arm around Twilight, relieved that he could only feel a little blood coming out of his side. He looked at what was left of his right arm, the wires sparking and the metal bent and ripped apart. Vital sighed as he said, “Don’t worry princess, I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter 8: MistrustVital sat up in bed, his body screaming in protest as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. He was panting hard and clutching at his chest, his hand grasping onto the star shaped pendant he still wore. He glanced down at it, but only saw a handful of brown hair that was matted down by the pendant’s weight. Vital blew out a sigh of relief as his heart started to slow down from the panic of the memory. It was just a dream Vital, one more memory. Vital swung his legs around to the edge of the bed as his eyes searched for his metal case. However, the room was barren besides the bed he had been sleeping on, and Vital’s heart rate went soaring for a few brief moments. Fortunately, Vital remembered giving it to Spectrum, and guessed that he was now in a home that she had found. Or shack I suppose, given how wrecked this place is. Vital looked around to see if he could scrounge up a new set of clothes, but his search was in vain. Vital was shaking his head as he walked out of the door and into a small kitchen area. However, he stopped when he heard an electronic whine and turned. “Spectrum, wait!” Spectrum was holding his plasma pistol only a few feet away, and it was aimed directly at Vital’s head. “Sit down Vital.” Spectrum walked with Vital as he sat down, scanning the brown chest. “Where is it? Where is the pendant?” Vital scowled as he looked down. “Where am I?” Spectrum slammed her foot into Vital’s chest, driving the chair down so that Spectrum was now standing on him. “Don’t change the subject. You came back with the dog, dangling out of his mouth with a mechanical arm and a pendant on your neck. Explain.” The last word came with a growl as Spectrum bent down, the pistol merely inches away from Vital’s face. “Alright, but please get the gun out of my face. Besides, you have the safety on.” Vital felt tears sting the corners his eyes as Spectrum kicked him across the face. “Do you think this is some sort of joke? I was starting to actually trust you and now I find out that I’ve only barely scratch the tip of the iceberg! How am I supposed to take that?” Spectrum was breathing hard, holding back tears as she kicked herself away from Vital. “I thought you were dead.” Vital was silent for a few moments before standing up. “I’m sorry Spectrum. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I promise. How about I try to make it up to you.” This time Vital found it with practiced ease as he removed the star shaped pendant. Vital’s body glowed brown and purple, the magic swirling around him before retreating into the pendant. In its wake left were a few scars on his chest and a steel mechanical arm. “The V1T4L prosthetic arm. Specially made for the use of a masseuse it has a full range of motion, full neural calibration, and a soul core matching the person using it. One of Twilight’s finest works, and only ever able to be used by me.” Vital watched as Spectrum stared at the arm, slowly reaching for it before he felt her hand brush against the steel. “It is kept warm by the core at a temperature close to that of a normal person, and the pendant has a strong enough illusion magic within it that people believe it even looks and feels like a real arm. My arm. The pendant’s true function was to allow me the ability to one day return to everyone else without being seen as a freak and being unable to perform my job.” Spectrum saw Vital open his mouth as if to say more as he slowly tried to stand up. She just watched wide eyed, trying to take in all that she had just heard. But how did he get the arm? Spectrum was shivering from the thought as Vital doubled over, gritting his teeth and crying out in pain. Spectrum rushed over to his side. Vital was whispering, “It’s not a weapon, it’s not a weapon so why are you attacking me? Princess, why is this happening? Why?” Vital curled into the fetal position as he sobbed. Spectrum stood up, backing away from Vital. She moved over to the door leading out the back and said, “Silence, we’re good.” Silence walked in, Spectrum’s sword lit in her hands. She looked at Vital and then glanced at Spectrum, an eyebrow raised. “I think something’s wrong with him. He just collapsed. It isn’t the first time something like this has happened either.” Silence rolled her eyes as she held up her board. Who cares? Did we find out if the arm and pendant are dangerous? Spectrum scowled. “Yes. His arm works like you would expect a mechanical arm would, but the pendant has no special offensive abilities.” Well let’s get him back to talking then. You have more questions, right? Silence walked over to Vital and attempted to kick him in the gut. However, Vital’s hand stopped the foot, looking up at them with bloodshot eyes. Vital pulled Silence down and was on top of her about to strike when Spectrum kicked him in the chest and put her blade to his throat. Vital’s body tensed up as the massive bruising flared in pain. “Stay down before I decide to put you down. Now spill why you keep seeming to see things that can’t possibly be there and why they seem to cause you pain, and sometimes extreme anger?” Vital needed no further prompting, gritting his teeth. “It’s called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In laymen’s terms it causes me to flashback to traumatic parts of my past. However, Princess Twilight theorized that my photographic memory is why I have such a severe case, and that the disorder may be why I can’t recall the past with my old accuracy. However, Princess Twilight agrees with me about the first memory that started my problem. The moment I first lost my arm.” Vital took a sharp breath as his left hand gripped the steel arm. Spectrum took the sword away, kicking herself for falling into Silence’s mistrust. You don’t always have to threaten to kill him you know? “I’m sorry.” “It’s not your fault. Comes with being allowed to keep secrets I suppose.” Vital looked at the yellow figure in the room, scanning her. His eyes widened slightly. Is her chest bigger than Twilight’s? Vital smacked himself, remembering the trouble that thinking like a teenager had already gotten himself into on this journey. “Who is your friend?” “Her name is Silence, and I would take in her chest now since she’s only escorting us out of Ponyville.” Vital’s face burned red as he said, “I learned my lesson last time. I am not going to care about chest size even,” Vital took a moment to clear his throat, worried his head might combust, “even if they’re almost completely exposed.” To this, Silence finally put an arm over her breasts in a futile attempt to cover the impressive mounds. She extended her board out. Can we go now? The faster you’re out of my home, the better. Vital furrowed his brows, trying to look away from Silence’s chest. “Spectrum, can she not talk?” “She says she can, but that she bonded with a damaged mech. It can’t speak, and that makes her unable to talk either.” Vital nodded at this, thinking. “What do you mean by bonded?” Silence rolled her eyes. I stare them down and they form a link with me. Now can we go? Vital bit into a finger as he took in the information. A new type of soul magic? If only Princess Twilight was here. She’d be able to figure out for certain. “I suppose we should get going. Don’t want to overstay our welcome.” Vital stood up, stumbling for a moment as he put a hand on the table to steady himself. Spectrum put an arm under Vital’s shoulders. “Come on, we don’t need you collapsing, now do we? We used enough medgel to heal cancer, so you had better be movement ready.” Vital smiled at Spectrum. “You can’t cure cancer with medgel.” Vital flinched as Spectrum’s palm met the back of his head, the two laughing. Silence walked past them, opening the door. Come on love-birds. Out. And I expect to be repaid for that medgel sooner or later. Vital almost collapsed as Spectrum came out from beneath him shouting, “We are not a couple! He is my guide, and nothing else!” Spectrum stormed past Silence while the yellow pegasus rolled her eyes. Vital walked out, and heard a growl from behind him. Turning around he saw the dog, its eyes yellow once more. Vital took a deep breath and then stepped forward as he put his mechanical arm into a gap in the plates. A deep rumble was emitted by the hulking mech, but then a deep voice came out saying, “Of a bitch! If you even try to hurt him I will rip your… head off.” Spectrum turned around, coming back to examine the dog herself. “What was that?” The dog spoke once more in its low rumble, “It was me, Silence. I’m guessing your friend here fixed the voice box.” Silence turned around and started to walk away while the dog ran up next to her. “A thanks would be nice.” Vital sighed as he started walking, blushing slightly as his head followed the sway of Silence’s barely concealed ass. Spectrum scowled and said, “I need to talk to Silence. Alone Why don’t you act like a scout and run ahead.” Spectrum waited a moment or two for Vital to think before the brown man nodded, and the two ran to catch up to Silence. Listening to Vital’s labored breathing, Spectrum felt a twinge of regret. I shouldn’t be doing this. Why am I doing this? Silence raised an eyebrow at Spectrum as Vital ran past. “Is there a problem?” “No, of course not!” Spectrum looked away from Silence, ignoring the smug smile she had. “I told you it would be easier to just let him die. Also, why didn’t you ask him how he got those scars? They may have been from some gang initiation that we’ll be facing soon.” Spectrum shook her head. “I think I’m the first person he’s talked to in a while. Besides, why would he fix your dog if we were about to be attacked?” Silence sighed. “Fine. Now, the case. Open it.” Spectrum turned on her friend glaring at her. “I told you before and I’m to say it one more time, no!” “We just found out he has more secrets then we could possibly imagine. What if his arm isn’t the only part that’s cybernetic? What if he has more weaponry in his case? Twilight spent the resources to make him a specialty arm. You already said he had more than one job underneath her, why not guardian? He sucks at the pistol, so why is that his only visible weapon? So once more, open the case.” Silence stared at Spectrum for a few moments before the blue woman turned away and continued to walk. Almost half an hour later they came to the center of town, the decrepit remains of the town hall in view. Spectrum only spent a moment admiring the old town, the memories she still kept from her time here. Unfortunately, she also saw the prospective sniper posts, ambush sites, and narrow alleys that could hold people away from sight. Spectrum sighed as she gestured for Silence to stop, pain filling her chest as she remembered when she once had undying loyalty. “About time.” “Shut up Silence before I kick your teeth in.” She undid the rope on the case before opening it. Silence immediately snatched it, her hand picking up items and throwing them to the side. “String, useless. Rations. Awful, but still harmless. Primer, hold.” Silence gave the primer to Spectrum, who then took the case away from the yellow pegasus as well. “I will conduct the search. You might break something he cares about if I let you keep searching.” Spectrum started shuffling the miscellaneous papers around, noting a map with instructions on it. He holds the secret to Canterlot fairly close to the chest, so I should probably leave it to him to tell me. Otherwise I might let it slip that I know, and then I’m the one who deserves to be mistrusted. Not like this isn’t better. She sighed as she kept shuffling around, finding pictures in a small pocket. Pulling one out Spectrum’s face turned a bright red. “What is it?” There was a slight huff to Silence’s voice as Spectrum handed her the picture. Silence’s eyes widened as she said, “Wow. Twilight looks good natural. However, I don’t remember her chest being that-” Silence shut up, giggling as Spectrum snatched back the photo and shoving it into the case. “Hey, why did you guys stop?” Vital was looking back, the two hopefully behind the dog. “You should really warn me when you do things like that. Vital shook his head as he scanned around, his eyes landing on what he could only guess was a town hall. Note to self. They mentioned Ponyville earlier, so remember to investigate later. Vital looked up as he saw electricity arcing from the top of the building. “What the hell?” “What the fuck is this?” Vital turned as he heard the dog shout, seeing Silence holding a dagger in her hand. As Vital was about to respond, a crack of thunder resounded across the clearing, a ringing setting into his ears as the lightning struck the dog. Vital’s eyes went wide as he saw the lightning crash around the dog, Silence collapsing, and Spectrum crashing to the ground, his case crashing onto the ground beside her.
Chapter 9: Contact“Silence!” Vital ran towards the now still body. However, as he approached Silence, he paused when he saw a glint in the grass. Vital knelt to pick up the large dagger that Silence had been carrying. It’s not like she had anywhere to hide this, so where did it come from? Vital glanced around the town square, his veins turning to ice as he realized just how little cover there was here.. He dashed behind the dog, leaving enough space between him and the mech to make sure no electricity would arc onto him while Vital took a closer look at the dagger. It had a curved blade the polished steel gleaming in the sunlight. Almost a foot in length; it was made of steel, but it also looked as if it had never been used before. In a time period when weapons of this quality were scarce and invaluable, it was usually a reason to be cautious around it. Vital continued his inspection with the short, navy blue pommel. The steel ball on the bottom had been painted red, perhaps in someone’s attempt to be funny. Vital squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he felt his head start to swim. However, when Vital finally looked at the other side. His memories finally crashed into reality as he stared at the yellow circle painted there. He was back in the lab, pulling out the cause of the stabbing pain in his side. He looked down, a small spasm of pain in his side as the memory and the present synched up and both Vitals held the same knife. He glanced at Spectrum, spotting his open case to her side. Pictures were strewn across the ground, and upon smelling the rose perfume he knew at least some of his oils had broken. Vital grit his teeth and raised his fist to strike Silence’s still body. “Now now, you don’t want to hurt such good breeding stock.” Vital’s eyes widened as he heard the deep booming voice. He jumped away from Silence, getting to his feet, ready to fight. What he saw was a red man in a pair of blue jeans with a shaved light blue scalp, laughing at him. “Do you travel with these two?” “Yes. Now who are you?” Vital put his dagger back on the ground, his breathing slowing down as he calmed down. “The name is Cattle Racer. Now, if you don’t mind, may I look at the new members of my herd?” Cattle slipped off his backpack before pulling out a length of rope. A brown arm barred his path as Cattle tried to step forward. Cattle unfurled his wings as he stood his ground and grinned at Vital. “Ah, do you care about her?” “Yes. Besides, I’m not about to let you tie my friends up.” Vital stepped towards the red pegasus, putting his face only centimeters from Cattle’s. “Cattle, you really should… wait for me.” Vital turned to a gray girl with yellow hair who was breathing heavily. However, he turned away blushing as he realised she seemed to only be wearing a shirt and a small pair of underwear. Of course that’s nothing compared to Silence, especially with how flat the girl is. Cattle smiled wider as he said, “See something you like? Well little Short Circuit here is my wonderful little assistant, and has been great at keeping me company, especially late at night.” Cattle let out a peal of laughter as his hand clapped firmly onto Circuit’s backside. Vital noted the almost cowering she did at the motion. “Nice to meet you Short Circuit, I’m Vital point, masseuse.” Vital held his hand out to the young girl, giving her a comforting smile. Circuit hesitantly extended her hand before gripping his lightly and shaking it. “Electromancer.” “Well Vital, it’s been fun, but we need to tie up your friends here quickly before they wake up. Circuit’s bolt may have been strong, but she really isn’t all that great at magic.” Cattle ignored the downcast look from Circuit, instead slamming his shoulder into Vital’s, causing the brown man to take a step back. “Hey! Don’t think I’m just about to let you take them.” Vital once more stepped in front of Cattle, causing him to sigh. “Circuit, can you tell the young fool exactly why he should back off and let me have my way?” Circuit cleared her throat as she stepped forward. “Lord Cattle Racer has an ideal world for us all. He wishes for us all to be happy, but there are too few for us to be happy. This is why he will use the knowledge of his ancestors on how to raise and control cows on woman. With these woman, he will pick the best of them to use as breeding stock. He is as strong as an earth pony, fast as he is a pegasus, and will use his pathetic unicorn Short Circuit to think, seeing as she is useless as breed stock.” Circuit looked down, her eyes filling with tears. Vital growled at Cattle, “And what happens if they refuse?” Cattle smiled as he took in the praise and said evenly, “They don’t.” “I don’t think I quite approve of you simply deciding girls are your little sex slaves.” “Are you saying no to me?” Cattle was back to trying to intimidate Vital, and finding little success. Circuit gently put her hands between them and softly pushed against their bare chests. “Well, maybe if he got some experience with us, he would understand better. I would even be willing to become his first cow.” For a moment Circuit smiled at him, but as Cattle kept scowling her confidence withered. “Of course I would miss your rough and stern touch, but perhaps I could teach him how to properly treat a girl if he’s gentle?” Cattle took a deep breath as he thought about it. “Fine. He can come with us. However, I will be taking the other two to teach them how women are supposed to behave. And one last thing,” Cattle said as he pushed the rope into Vital’s arms, “tie your friends up first.” Vital looked down at the rope in his arms, trying to keep his breathing even. Don’t speak, your voice may betray you. Now just go over to Spectrum, put the rope over her, slide the pistol out of its holster, wrap a loop around her arms, take off the safety, and turn! Vital paused before he turned, his eyes fluttering, preparing for what he was about to do. Two minutes. Two minutes, and then my odds of being able to win drop drastically. One last deep breath in, and Vital turned, bringing the pistol to bear on Cattle’s face, only a foot away from the barrel. “Argh!” Vital screamed as Cattle forced the two shots to go wide by gripping Vital’s hand in an attempt to crush it. He then pulled Vital in close, putting a hand under the brown man’s arm before flipping him over Cattle’s head. “Well this is disappointing. Circuit, tie up his friends. I’ll take care of this idiot.” Cattle attempted to stomp down on Vital, but he rolled to the side, barely getting up as he watched him. Vital kept his eyes open as Cattle kept up a barrage of strikes upon him. Vital tried throwing a punch back, but Cattle spun around him and spread his wings in a blow that sent Vital to the ground. Vital felt a spasm in of pain, forcing his eyes to stay open, even against the tears building around them. Glancing around himself, he spotted his primer, and his dagger. Cattle picked up Vital in a bear hug, Vital straining against his arms. One minute Vital, time for the counterattack. Vital jammed the primer into Cattle’s side before hitting the button and holding it. The effect was immediate as the magic surged into skin to calm the nerves. Normally this was used with medgel to allow for regeneration and healing. However, when no medgel was there and applied in length, the magic worked similar to a low power taser. As Cattle’s body started to shake, he dropped Vital, only to be quickly hit by an uppercut. “All right, let’s play kid.” Cattle unfolded his wings and beat Vital down as he took to the skies. Cattle flew after Vital as he started running, tackling him to the ground. Cattle was just about to throw Vital the young man brought the pistol up towards Cattle.. Cattle felt his heart almost pause. However, it wasn’t because of the gun. No, it was due to the lightning bolts that flew past the two, one striking Vital’s right arm. His right hand opened up as Vital’s nerves burned and an arc of lightning from Vital’s arm blasted the two away from each other, the hair on Cattle’s chest burning. The pegasi smiled though as Vital grabbed his right arm, trying to get it to move. “Lightning’s a bitch, isn’t she? Don’t worry, you won’t have to deal with the paralysis for long.” Vital simply stared at Cattle as he kept attempting to get the arm to move again. Wait, I have a fight to win, this can wait. Besides, I should be used to losing my arm at this point. Vital brought his arm up to block Cattle’s attack when he charged at him, but then Vital forgot what he was doing. Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds after the fight had begun, Vital finally blinked. Waiting within the darkness were the blue eyes of his pseudo mother, and the times he had fought her in his seven year stay in Canterlot. Beyond those were his worst memories, waiting for the shock and pain of the combat to get to him, allow him to be distracted so that they could try to take over his reality. Each time it broke Vital’s focus, forced him out of the rhythm of the fight and his opponent. With this, Vital lost his advantage. Whoomph Vital’s eyes snapped back open as Cattle’s fist was shoved into his gut. Cattle followed up by beating into Vital’s defense, blows landing all over the poor man’s body. “Last chance to join or,” Cattle finally grabbed Vital by the neck and pressed him against a wall, “die.” Vital gargled out a response, an action that got Cattle to slam him back into the wall. Vital then kicked off the wall and brought his feet into Cattle’s face. Vital slammed into the ground, unable to catch himself with only one hand. Gasping for a breath, Vital sat there for a moment to try and collect his thoughts. A wave of electricity passed by him getting him to turn away for a moment, spotting Spectrum dodging Circuit’s attacks. She needs your help Vital, get it together. Cattle came back, attempting to kick Vital in the head. Vital hopped to his feet, his body protesting as he squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the memories out of the way until he found the one he needed. Vital’s left hand pulled started to search on the mechanical arm for the restart button, while duck, dodging, and diving to get away from Cattle’s attack. “Get back here kid!” “Fine, come get me.” Cattle hesitated. The brown man was holding his paralyzed arm, trying once more to get it working. He seemed different now. He was simply standing there. There was no fear on the young man’s face. None of the respect Cattle think he so rightly deserved. The cocky bastard thinks he can beat me? And to think I was going to let him enjoy one of my harem! Cattle roared in anger as his veins bulged in his face. Spittle flew as Cattle started running at Vital, charging at the young man who was now his enemy. Vital watched the lumbering gait, taking in nuances that were within the older man’s movements, memorizing them as he had tried before. Vital stepped to the side as Cattle’s right shoulder cocked back for a forward punch. Cattle swung his left arm around, and Vital ducked underneath before rising behind the older man’s back. Vital clicked the reset button on his right arm, freeing it from the forced shutdown, and wrapped it forward as he gripped Cattle’s jaw. Vital then put his left palm on the back of Cattle’s head, and pushed. The snap that came was deafening within Vital’s ears. He almost fell as Cattle became much heavier in his hands. Ice flooded Vital’s veins, numbing his hands as he slowly lowered the man to the ground, waiting for him to blink, to move, to do something. Vital slowly put two fingers against the man’s throat, his mouth becoming dry as his hand touched the man. No pulse. Why is there no pulse? Vital stared at his hands as tears started to fall upon them. Once upon a time they were meant to bring relief to those in pain, to lift the spirits of the weak, and to bring sleep to those who needed an escape from reality. As I aged they were used for pleasure, pleasure I was overjoyed to give as it showed how much trust these lonely women would put in me. However, after the incident, they changed. They no longer touched flesh, soft or otherwise. However, they still gave hope to people. Hope that the one who led them was strong and dependable. They still soothed one’s worries and sought to fix what was broken. But now they have broken. They have become that which they once prevented. “Help me! Please, save me!” Vital glanced in the direction he thought he’d heard the noise come from. That is if I didn’t just imagine it. Vital numbly watched as Spectrum threw the Circuit onto the ground before slamming a foot down into her gut. Ignored the increasingly desperate screams as Spectrum drove the boot in harder. However, as Spectrum raised her hand, he was momentarily blinded by the sun bouncing off the object within her hand. Vital’s eyes widened as Spectrum’s smile widened, her eyes twitching. Vital screamed, “Spectrum, stop!” ======++++++====== “Circuit, tie up his friends.” Circuit looked down, sighing inwardly to herself. “Okay. I’ll get right on it.” Circuit felt tears sting her eyes she turned away without Cattle having even acknowledged her. Not that it’s anything new. I don’t matter and I’m okay with that because I’m alive. Circuit rubbed at her eyes as she picked up the rope next to the blue woman. That is, before Spectrum grabbed herm causing her to fall. “Ack!” “Who the fuck are you?” Spectrum clutched at the girl’s foot as her body tried to wake up. However, Spectrum had just enough functioning nerve control to keep the girl on the ground. Circuit tried kicking Spectrum in the face but the grip almost felt like it was going to break her ankle. Circuit’s horn glowed ice gray as she brought her hand down and rubbed Spectrum’s rainbow hair. Good, just enough for a good sized charge. Collect, Sparks of electricity started winding around Circuit’s hand as she gathered her magic, amplify, a ball of electricity burst into life in her palm, and discharge! The ball became a bolt as it struck Spectrum in the spine. Her hand opened as the rest of her spasmed on the ground, the shock taking control away from her again. Circuit gripped her head for a moment before crawling away. However, the single shock put Spectrum’s system back in check after the spasm. Spectrum stood up, reaching for her sword. Glancing to her right she saw Silence who was laying still and facing away from Spectrum. “Silence, get up.” Circuit glanced over at the other body and bit into her lip. “Maybe I could wake her up? We don’t have to be enemies.” Spectrum looked back at the girl and could tell the panic in Circuit’s face, the twitching of her hands. She will backstab you the first chance she gets. Sorry bitch, but I learned this lesson long ago. Spectrum charged forward as her blade came to life. Circuit raised her hands to her head as Spectrum brought a murderous downstroke upon the girl. Spectrum felt her sword get yanked out of her grip violently as it glowed gray. It shut off as it slammed into a part of the dog that was glowing gray itself. Spectrum turned back to the girl in front of her and saw that she had started running towards Silence. “Get back here!” Circuit’s magnetism trick had bought her a little bit of time, but it had come with a splitting headache. I keep telling Cattle to stop having me use my magic like this. I just don’t have enough skill. I just hope I can fight with whatever charge is left in this girl’s body. Circuit slid next to the yellow woman as she put her hands onto Silence. Immediately Circuit felt a surge of energy as she drained Silence of the electricity that was running through her. “This… this will work.” Spectrum jumped at the girl as she screamed, “Don’t you touch-” A wave of electricity came off of Circuit that blew Spectrum back. However, that only served to anger Spectrum as she started standing back up. Circuit glanced down and closed her eyes. I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t mean to cause this. However, since you aren’t going to need it, I’ll take it. Circuit felt a rush of energy fill her as she started taking the electrical synapses left in Silence’s brain, the few she could find. “I will kill you!” Spectrum started running at Circuit as electricity started to collect around her. I have spent two years of my life under a horrible and disgusting man. I am not going to die, not yet! Circuit released the storm building within her. Immediately, one of the bolts caught Spectrum in the gut, throwing her to the ground. Circuit didn’t have any control though as she continued to release her stored electricity. Her head was splitting as her magic continued to rage out of control. I need to ground myself before I have a stroke or something. Wait, I know! Circuit slammed her hands down onto Silence and the last bolt blasted herself back as the body jumped. Circuit stood up on shaking legs. She was weak and her vision was blurring, but she was still alive. It’s a shame I had to kill those two. It would have been nice to have other girls around- “Gack!” Circuit went into the air as Spectrum kneed her in the side. Circuit couldn’t react as Spectrum grabbed her wrist and threw her onto the ground. Spectrum followed with a stomp onto the ground that Circuit rolled out of. “You! Little! Bitch!” Spectrum ran at the gray girl again and raised her fist. Circuit did all she could and dove into Spectrum’s legs, causing them both to fall. Circuit stood up and tried to focus through the pain and nausea, but quickly saw Spectrum standing and smiling. No. She has to be at least hurt. I’ve given her all I can, but- but I still am going to die? Spectrum walked slowly towards the girl as she collapsed against the ground. She was sobbing on the cobblestone as Spectrum drew steadily closer and closer. However, only a foot away, Circuit screamed, “No!” Spectrum backpedaled as electricity jumped around her, but then consolidated to come back to Circuit. Circuit stayed kneeling on the ground, and with each lightning bolt she sent they grew weaker and weaker. Because of the need to direct the lightning through her hands, Spectrum easily dodged each bolt as it came her way, but the electricity that filled the air around Circuit with each bolt forced Spectrum to keep her distance. On the tenth strike, Circuit suddenly stopped and collapsed back onto the ground. Spectrum watched as the the electricity faded as the girl collapsed backwards, twitching. Spectrum stood over the body for a moment or two, spinning Vital’s knife in her hands as she tried to figure out whether or not the girl was dead. There is plenty of blood coming out of her eyes to make it possible. When Circuit opened her eyes, Spectrum reached down and yanked her into a kneeling position by her hair. Circuit tried to see someway to save herself and saw Vital kneeling over Cattle’s body. Cattle’s dead body. Circuit tried to get out of Spectrum’s grip as she screamed, “Help me! Please, save me!” “Spectrum, stop!” Spectrum glanced over, her arm twitching in anticipation. “Vital, what the fuck is going on and why would you want this girl alive?” Vital took a deep breath in as he tried to calm himself. He was almost to the point of passing out from exhaustion, and the memories swarming the edges of his eyes didn’t help. “Be- because it wasn’t her choice. She was just his pawn, right?” Circuit immediately started shaking her head frantically, only to stop as the knife was pressed against her throat. Spectrum continued to glare at Vital as she shouted, “She will kill us the first chance she gets! I will not allow any of us to die by this girl’s magic!” “She was this man’s slave. I doubt vengeance is the first thing on her mind. Spectrum, we don’t have the right to decide this. Death should only come,” Vital faltered before balling his hands into fists, “if every other option has been used. We can still give her the chance to be free and have a choice.” “Except she killed Silence!” Spectrum felt tears start rolling down her face, and Circuit started squirming as the blade started shaking. Vital grew very silent as he walked over to the still body of Silence. he knelt down next to her and put two fingers against her throat, a spasm of pain ran through him as Cattle’s face replaced Silence’s for a moment. Silence still had a heartbeat though, but that gave Vital little comfort as he looked at the blood that went from Silence’s nose down to her collarbone. He wrapped his arms underneath her and started walking towards Spectrum. “Is she alive?” Circuit cleared her throat as she heard the tears in Spectrum’s voice. Circuit knew, just as Vital did, that Silence’s fate decided hers. Vital finally turned to Spectrum as he approached them. “She is alive, but I am unsure as to whether or not she will stay that way.” Vital looked down at Circuit. “I’m sorry.” Circuit couldn’t even get out a reply before Spectrum’s dagger plunged into her stomach. A second stab sent even more pain as she was dropped onto the ground and Spectrum walked along with Vital. Circuit watched as they walked away, barely whispering, “Help me.” “Are you having fun?” Circuit barely turned to look at the mech that was standing behind her. It was missing most of it’s chest cavity, but it was unlike any other mech that she had seen. It had a slender steel frame, exact replicas for human appendages, and a soft pink glow in it’s eyes. Circuit started crying as she begged, “Please help me. Please, I don’t want to die.” “Are you having fun?” “No, but if you saved me maybe-” The mech raised one of it’s hands, the side of it gleaming like that of a sword in the setting sunlight. “Then allow me to put you out of your misery.” Spectrum and Vital were too far away and too busy looking for shelter to hear Circuit Breaker’s final scream. Author's Note I am sorry everyone, but as of right now, this story is on hiatus. I am at a point where I wish to write, but unfortunately this is not one of the many projects I want to work on. I do enjoy the story, and I love the world I am building, but I am at a point in this story that I am unwilling to trudge through at the moment, and my pledge to put out high quality stories will not allow me to write this story as I am with it. I have been rewriting large chunks of the chapters because I either haven’t liked how I wrote them once, or worse, just didn’t like the angle. Hopefully given some time and space, Odyssey will be revived and finished. However, for now, this is where I say goodbye.
