hard times

by spartianfox

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Zecora, Alternate Universe, Sad, Main 6, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Romance, Tragedy, Caramel
Length: 6948

Fir jumps dimensions every years, but did he doom equistria by coming here?

every time my style changed, so did my oc. i dont see him leaving equiestria, but he changes dimensions every year. and this time he accedentally brought the most ghastly villans with him! (this will eventually be re-edited, to be longer, and more precise.)

Published 2012-04-18 18:44:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-04-20 18:39:19 UTC

1

Fourteen years after the discovery of harmony.......
"have you made the final ajustments?" a black stallion asked running his hoof down a slinder steel device.
"yesss... we are ready for a test fire." a older grey pony said pulling a bolt readying the blue steel object.
"good. BRING IN THE TEST SUBJECT!" the stallion yelled as two gaurds drug in a screaming stallion. he was dark red, with a maroon mane, and a ruby cutie mark.
"NO! PLEASE! I HAVE TO GET HOME! YOU DONT UNDERSTAND! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?"
"yes... we do. very much so. why else would we test this device on you? ready the round!" he called into the lab as the lab techs moved about. Another stallion wearing a buisness suit walked in just as they loaded a copper cylinder into the chamber, and it readied with a click.
"i hope you have something this time professor. last time you destroyed three laboritories, and killed my advisor." the buisness pony said sipping a cup of tea.
"oh, not to worry montross, this time i had an expert." suddenly the stallion realized what exactly he was looking at as they aimed it straight at his head.
"no... NO! PLEASE! I HAVE A WIFE! PLEASE!"
"oh do shut up!" Montross yelled taking his place next to the buisness pony. they turned on a laser sight, and put the dot directly inbetween his eyes.
"WAIT!" he cried, one last time in desperation.
"oh fine, what is it?!?" the pony on the gun asked frustrated.
"at least let my wife know what happened? she will worry about me..."
"fine, where should we send the message?"
"carousel botuiqe... in ponyville..."
"not a problem. fire when ready!" and the night seemed to only get colder, as a loud bang echoed across the mountains. and disturbed what would be the last peace that equestria would see, for a very long time.......
2 DAYS LATER, ponyville...
"thank you for helping Twilight, since Red has been gone, its been horribly busy here!"
"no problem rarity, i just wish spike was here... hes been awfully moody since... well..."
"oh twilight... i know why spike left. its no secret."
"you do?"
"when Ruby Red proposed to me... Spike was there. after i said yes... he ran into the forest... i found him at zecoras crying. i explained to him that there was a time that i found him... well... he was an option. but when i met Red... my eyes where opened to a new kind of love." suddenly there was a crash in the corner of the store, as a little pink filly tumbled out of a basket of fabric. It was dawn star, her filly. she was pretty much like her mother only her colors were lighter. exept for the dark of her mane, which was pitch black. "mama lookit!" she said holding up a spool of thread." "oh dawn, you silly filly! what are you doing in there?" twilight said pulling her out of the mess. "i gots it... im helpin!" she said rolling the thread to rarity. "oh darling, i appreachiate the help, but why dont you go to sugarcube corner, and play with pinkie, and swirls huh?" Rarity said taking the yellow string. "yay!" she cried running out the door. "goodness... if spike was here he would be such a help with dawn." suddenly there was a knock at the door. "coooming!" Rarity said in her fab voice. moments later she returned with a blank look on her face. "Rarity what is it?" twilight said walking over to her freind. "Ruby...hes..."
"what? what happened?" rarity fell to the floor and wept. she put her head in her arms and sobbed uncontrolibly as a news paper fell out of her hooves. twilight picked up and read it:
MILITARY ADVISOR FOUND DEAD she was shocked to see a picture of ruby red on the front page.
"oh rarity... i... oh sweetheart...."
"why?..."
"what?..." twilight said lowering herself down to rarity.
"why? what did he ever do... to ANYPONY? he was a uniform advisor to the gaurd! he never hurt ANY-" her sentance was interuppted by a choke and a sob.
"i dont know rarity... i dont know..." twilight said looking out the window, towards the canterlot palace......

2

a while after twilight got rarity to stop crying, twilight prepared to journey to the princess, to find out what exactly transpired that night...
"pinkie pie, i need you to stay here and sit dawn, and apple jack might need you to watch gala too."
"oh no problem twilight! we all love a good party!" she exclaimed as dawn blew a party noisemaker. pinkie pie walked over to rarity
"hey rarity, i made you these. super lava cupcakes! your favorite! I thought they might make you feel better." she said handing her a box of freshly baked pastries. rarity took the cupcakes and looked down on them sadly.
"they where rubys favorite too... thank you pinkie pie. I would like something to take my mind off matters at the moment." she said unwrapping one. a moment latexr applejack walked in with Carmel and Little Gala "apple jack! it's so good to see you!" apple jack hugged twilight, and then rushed to rarity. "oh sugarcube! I'm awfully sorry to hearbout red! I'm so sorry!" rarity cried a little more before collecting herself.
"its good to see you again too applejack. oh is this gala!?! last time i saw her she was just a little tiny thing!" in response a little pink and orange splotched filly looked up from atop a saddle on Carmel's back. she was a little shy so she just put her head back down into her blanket.
"now ill help you watch these here yungins miss pie, you will have to work this evnin wont ya?"
"oh yes! I almost forgot about the crop party! how did you know?"
"well we ARE the number one suppliers of apples her in Ponyville."
"oh yeah I almost forgot!"
"OH! and Fluttershy gave me a message to give to you Twi. she said that she was preoccupied and would join us later in Canterlot, and she would bring spike with her. apparently he has been working for her lately."
"well all right then! let's go girls!" and almost altogether again, the elements made their way to Canterlot to see their beloved princess.
LATER...
the girls walked down the stained glass hallway when suddenly the door at the end opened with a grand creek, and out came two royal guards. but upon further inspection twilight noticed that the one on the left was a familiar rainbow pegasus.
"RAINBOW DASH!?!" Twilight cried out. Dash looked up and squinted through her visor.
"...TWILIGHT?... TWILIGHT!" she yelled, throwing off her helmet she ran to her friend, whom she had not seen in years. squealing in delight the four mares hugged each other, for it had been even longer since they had all been together.
"are you here to see the princess?" rainbow dash asked Twilight holding her hooves.
"well actually we are... but it's about rarity..."
"what happened?" she said walking to her old friend.
"my husband... ruby red..."
"oh my stars! him?!? oh by Celestia, I'm so sorry rarity... it was my patrol that found him... i have to tell you though... he didn't suffer, if it makes you feel better."
"thank you rainbow... it does. well lets go see the princess." and together they walked into the princesses court.... The grand gogly entity sat utop her throne looking out the window as her mane moved about as it always did. celestia noticed the mares out of the corner of her eye.
"twilight sparkle! my faithful student! I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry it has to be on such dark terms."
"as am I princess. what exactly happened anyway?"
"I'm not exactly sure. i was waiting to be briefed myself." she said when suddenly the doors opened and a small group of ponies walked in. there was a unicorn mare with a golden mane, wearing a leather harness covered by a tarp. A commander in a blue vest decorated by badges. he was wearing blue aviator glasses and seemed to be chewing on somthing. and then there was a younger mare, with all sorts of strange gadgets, and weapons strapped to her sides. she was wearing the same glasses only black, and had a strange device embedded in her right hoof, that looked like a mechanical finger.
"good evening princess. it is good to meet you! I am terribly sorry to have to give you all the bad news in our first acquaintance."
"don't be commander. your name?"
"oh terribly sorry, my name is Firicidonius Spartanius vixenhide, or fox fire as I'm known in your world." he said with a bow. just then Flutter shy and spike joined the girls.
"our... world?"
"yes. that is how your stallion met such a horrible end. I'm afraid that the device used to kill him was one of my own design." suddenly, rarity got very angry.
"YOUR... DESIGN?!? YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND?!?"
"oh no maam... I was not the one who even intended for the device to be used. you see, I'm not even from this dimension. from where I come from I am a war commander third class. the devices and means of destruction there are horrific... and I'm afraid they are now being used in the peaceful world of Equestria. Sammy! show them." he said turning to the younger mare. suddenly she tossed a pot into the air, and pulled a device out. it clicked, and then there was three loud bangs, and the pot was nothing but dust.
"that is what we are dealing with princess. your guards are no match for the thugs, without these "guns" as they are known in my world. I would like to suggest that I equip them as such."
the princess thought for a while, and was about to come to a point, when a red dot appeared on her neck, and slowly moved up.
"rainbow dash saw it and jumped for the princess..
"PRINCESS WATCH OUT!" she cried, just before the window blew in, and a bang was heard a split second later. rainbow dash put herself in front of the princess and was hit. there was a great gust of wind as the round blew strapnel in all directions. the princess jolted back as she was sprayed with rainbowdash's blood. Twiligh's eyes grew wide as she fell into a state of shock. she had never seen violence in this caliber before... things just got real.

3

Twilight stood there in shock as more bullets filled the room. One of the guards got hit in the neck, sending him toppling into the wall, he hit it and landed with a thud as he lay gasping for breath choking and sputtering. It seemed as if the life was literally draining out of him. Now the only thing protecting the princess was to guards lying on top of her. Suddenly Firidicus jumped on top of Twilight, pushing her to the ground.
"MISS SPARKLE! GET DOWN!" he yelled pushing her to a wall just under the window.
"They are filling the room with 30 caliber fire! It seems that Raptor wants us ALL dead!
"Raptor?!? Who the hay is raptor?" she yelled holding her head down
"No time to explain! Hold on!" he yelled putting on a harness, and one of the mechanical gloves.
"Sam!" he yelled trotting to the mare who was firing out the window.
"Yeah pop?!?" she called out still looking down the sights.
"Get me my scalebalzer please!"
She nodded and reached into her satchel and pulled out a large scoped pistol. he thrust it into his glove as several metal plates formed around it, and finally the trigger. he fell aganst the wall and looked into the ammo case.
"How many!?!" he yelled looking down the scope.
"Three! There, on that cloud! They have a 30 caliber supp-HNNGH" she was cutoff when she was hit in the shoulder and fell to the ground in a spray of blood and leather.
"SAM! Aw dammit!
"Ahg! Dad... I'm OK! Shoulder shot… I'm fine, go!" he looked back down the scope and steadily capped three shots. After the third, there was no more gunfire. Everyone slowly and reluctantly got up. The three mares ran to their wounded friend, as the commander propped up his daughter. As they reached Rainbow Dash, she was seizing in pain, and had a look of shear terror in her eyes. "Oh my gosh! Dash! Can you hear me?!?" she slowly nodded and reached out to twilight.
"I'm here dash! I'm right here! Can anyone see the wound? She covered in blood, I can't tell!"
"Flutter shy was in almost as much shock as Dash, she was standing at her left flank panicking.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! There is so much blood! I've never seen so much at once!"
"FLUTTERSHY FOCUS! Where is she hit?!?" suddenly they had the answer.
"Um miss Sparkle?"
"Yes commander?"
"Your friend is a Pegasus is she not?"
"yes why?!?" as she asked, Fir held up Dash`s disembodied wing. It unfolded and extended to full length as it was lifeless and limp.
"Well, that would do it." Twilight said as she turned back to her friend. Suddenly there was a boom as the ceiling exploded and dust and smoke fell in a cloud to the floor. The remaining guards turned from tending to their fallen, and readied for another hopeless fight.
"Don't worry!... it's a friend." Fir said walking to where the dust had accumilated
"Am I late? Aaw man! I'm always either early or late…" a strange figure said as the dust cleared around him. When the dust settled, standing there was a stallion in a strange metal armor suit.
"right on time shadow. as usual." Fir said putting his hoof on shadows shoulder he gave a little bit of a giggle..
"Commander! I need help! I can't tend rainbow dash! She's lost too much blood!" twilight called out holding down her seizing friend. Fir motioned to the mare he walked in with, and the new stallion that just showed up. They walked to rainbow dash and readied some equipment.
"Commander I don't think she's going to make it!... please do something!" she said asd he simply turned away for a moment and sighed. He looked to the mare, and she nodded. He turned back to her.
"Hey Mrs. dash? You need to listen to me OK? This is my wife Sparta, and my friend Bria-…um… hooves… shadow hooves. We are going to use some special gear on you OK? Try to stay still!" he said as he nodded to his colleagues and they got several things ready. The commander stabbed a needle into her flank, and then sprayed the stump where her wing used to be with a yellow fluid. Then finally, they took out a machine and hooked into her arm. Two plastic tubes filled with blood, and a moment later slowly began to flow into the tube connected into the artery in her shoulder. Her eyes un-dilated and she slowly sat up.
"Aah… my... Wing!" she said reaching back.
"Hold on we aren't done." Fir said, as shadow was scanning her dismembered wing, and downloaded the schematics to his suit, and pulled a plug out of his helmet.
"This is gonna hurt…"
"WHAT?" she cried just as he stabbed it into her stump. She screamed as veins ran into her shoulder and slowly a metal wing formed. Black with gold feathers, it shined like the sunin the darkness of the dusty throne room. She gave it a flap and giggled.
"Wow… it looks nice!" she said turning a bit. after a moment princess celestia got up and waled to dash.
"Rainbow dash! You saved my life! I am very proud of you. You have demonstrated the highest form of dedication to me, and you vows. But unfortunately… another gave the ultimate sacrifice." They all sadly walked to the guard whom had been shot, as the guards tended to him. One looked back and sadly shook his head. He turned back and slowly ran his hoof down the guards' face, shutting his eyes. They laid him on the ground, took of his armor, and laid a sheet over him. They had only just finished when another guard burst through the door.
"PRINCESS! THE ATTACKERS! THEY ARE MOUNTING AN ASSAULT ON PONY VILLE!" the princess gasped and looked to the group as they realized that everything they loved and owned lie in the path of immanent destruction.

4

"NO! Not ponyville! Our children are there!" Twilight cried out as the rest of the group shared the same concern.
"Then we must act! I have extra hoof adapters if you would like to be able to shoot!" the commander said pulling out several mechanical spheres.
"YEAH! Gimme one of those babies! I want some payback for my wing!" Dash exclaimed.
"A lady does not dirty her hooves with grease and blood… however they do need to kick flank every once in a while. I will use my horn." Rarity proclaimed.
"Same here." Twilight said. Applejack had already been looking at the strange devices at this point, and was very interested.
"Uh… ya have anything a little more… bigger?"
"No problem. Sparta set Mrs Applejack here with a decimator M3 please. And you seem to actually have hands there youngling. You want a gun?"he said offering a flame painted assault rifle to Spike who had been hiding with rarity the whole time.
"Oh yeah… This works." He said aiming down the sights.
"Here you will need a side arm. I still have a hip strap… from my dimension. Heh, I never thought I would have to design saddlebags for the purpose of war… and what about you little one? Would you like one? Perhaps an assault pistol or maybe an SMG…" he said to flutter shy looking into his little device.
"Oh… no, I can't. I could never actually kill something…"
"Well, every assault team needs a medic! OK, and I will need to outfit the royal guards as well… Sam! Are you mobile?" he yelled to the mare that had been shot.
"Ugh… yeah. I'm just gonna shoot up some morphine, and I be right behind ya." She said pulling a Sarette out of her bag.
"Ok, Sparta, you stay here, guard the princess. We will go recover the town, and set up a base. We will radio you on our developments. How does the attack harness fit you Mrs. Apple?" he said to applejack that was testing the controls.
"Hmm, very interesting that's fer certain. It aims where I look."
"Good then its working. Well mares and gentlecolts, let's be going. Shadow, go ahead and find the relatives of our new friends. Soften up the defenses for us."
"Will do!" he said just before jumping out the window.
"Well he certainly is a brave one aint he?" Applejack said looking over the ledge." Fir simply smiled.

"The best." He said putting on his glasses.

Later they had outfitted a travel balloon to fit more, and room for supplies. They were going to ride it using cloud cover to hopefully get low enough to jump. Twilight looked to Fir, who was going over calibrations to the battle harness.
"So Commander… what was your dimension like?"
He stopped what he was doing and froze. He looked off into the distance and then took off his glasses.
"Do you dream, Miss Sparkle?"
"Well… of course. Every pony dreams."
"Well, I am not from any set dimension… after I tell you this, we never speak of it again… when I started, I had discovered that our dreams were glimpses into other dimensions. And I was not from the one I was in. I had my uncle create a strange device. It took me, literally through my mind, taking my imagination with me. I ended up in a dispatch center known a dimension ZERO. There I met all of the characters and villains of my imagination, and someone known as the door master. He understood my quest to find my home, and he sent me back to get one friend of my choice, for I was friends with many people whom had been misplaced. It broke my heart, but in the end chose my best friend, Brian. He and I then searched for our true home, however, the Door master said we had to spend year in every incorrect dimension we visited, as the intelligent species. We knew we weren't home when we visited, because, the "intelligent" species was intelligent, but not at all wise. War, theft, murder, every time. We spent years searching. Of course I had a daughter, and we made living by establishing the "dragon protection agency. Because there were dragons in every dimension we visited. We later learned that the dimension we sought featured all species, as they lived in harmony, with no conflict. That was my home. And I always sought it. We where close, when a week ago, there was a sudden rip in the dimension, and we were thrown into this one. Unfortunately it brought all of my old rivals here too, and I'm afraid I have doomed your dimension to a similar fate… you did not have proper technology to have too much harm befall each other… but now… all is lost… and I can never do anything to redeem myself." He looked off into the distance again as a tear ran down his cheek, and twilight put her hoof on his shoulder and gave him support. Meanwhile on the other side of the balloon spike sat on a crate looking off into the clouds as he polished his new found metallic pet. Rarity walked over to where she was, and sat down.
"I haven't seen you in a long time spike… you certainly grew!"
"Yeah… twilight told me I will never get very much bigger, because I was exposed to so much magic when I was hatched... I'm… sorry…"
"For what spike?"
"I'm sorry to hear about Red… I never liked him much… but I never wanted him… well… you know…"
"Its OK spike. What happened has happened has happened. It's not going to change."
"I'm sorry for leaving."
"What?"
"I never should have left. Even as you where getting married…"
"It's ok. Your heart was broken… it's understandable."
"…but I'm never going to leave you again."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." She said moving closer to him. When she did, he pulled her up closer and he put his hand on her shoulder, and they looked off into the clouds together…

5

A bit of time passed, and they had only just cleared the cloud cover when they noticed the scene of chaos down below. The sounds of battle could be heard. Gunshots, swordplay, and hoof to hoof combat. The center of the fight however seemed to come from sugar cube corner. Gunfire could be seen flying out of the windows, and it was being shot in return.
"Well, it seems that your loved ones are alive. Well, at least some." Fir said looking down a sighting scope
"Um-mm… don't you think we should find a safer way dow-" Flutter shy was cut off when several shots flew through the basket, and into the balloon.
"Commander! Do you have some kind of bullet proof shield?" spike called out draping himself around Rarity.
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Toss it here!" Spike yelled holding out his hands. Fir pulled a small rod out of his bag, pressed the button, and it extended into a circular metal disc. He handed it to spike, and he mounded on his arm, braced his assault rifle and jumped over the edge of the basket.
"Spike! What are you doing?!?" twilight cried running to the edge. They all looked over to see spike falling head first with the shield in front of him. Moments of falling later, the back of his vest ripped as a pair of green and purple wings spread out, allowing him to maneuver and glide shielding and shooting all the way down. He had plenty of time falling to spot several targets, and cap several rounds steadily and accurately. A moment later the clip emptied, and he re-loaded just before reducing his speed and landing with a boom. What he found upon landing was horrifying: ponies had made makeshift hiding spots around town shielding themselves from the gunfire. Some, however weren't as lucky, for mane street was littered with dead and injured ponies, whom had been victims of the surprise attack. In is awe, he was reluctant to spot all of the enemies, and a laser sight crawled up his shoulder. Before he had time to react a shot rang out, and spike fell to the ground.
"NO!" rarity cried out looking down a pair of binoculars the commander had given her. Spike sat up holding his arm limp from the pain, and looked to his shoulder. The bullet was lodged in his scales; half cracked and disarrayed, but not penetrated. Realizing he was properly hardened from his diet of gems, he held the shield leaving only the area of his eyes exposed, and charged the small group of ponies with the guns. They all turned to the sound of his battle cry, and opened fire. The spray of bullets jarred him, and made his run off balance, but even when they hit his arms and legs, he only ran faster. When he was about twenty feet away, he jumped with a boost from his wings and fired. The recoil blew his arm back with every shot, but It fit just right somehow. The ponies jarred from being shot, and in shock, they fell. When he landed, he himself was a little shocked to see that he had just killed four ponies. But upon further inspection, he saw that one was only shot in the neck, and was rolling about choking and sputtering. Spike knelt and with his kind heart held out his hand to help, but the colt met his hand, and stopped him. He pushed spikes hand back, and pointed to spikes waist.
"FIN…FIN…FINISH…" he managed to choke out. Spike looked where he was pointing: His pistol. Spike thought for a moment, and slowly drew his side arm, and put it to the colts head. The colt slowly rested his head at the oncoming relief, and spike looked away. Suddenly he felt a hoof on his shoulder; Fir had caught up to him, and took off his glasses. "you aren't ready young one. Give it here. Spike handed him the pistol, and he walked away, toward where the balloon landed. A few steps later he heard the shot, and cringed as he got closer to the balloon. The ladies had setup a small base like area with the crates and metal panels from the balloon, and where setting up a MG. "SPIKE! That was amazing! I didn't know you had grown wings! Oh darling please tells me you are all right!" Rarity cried out running to spike, and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Rarity… are you crying?" he asked unsure what to think about his current situation. "Oh um… no, I am just adjusting from the altitude change." She said still holding him close. He smiled as he looked into her teary eyes, and saw that even though her love had been killed, didn't mean it wasn't the only one. Fir made his way over, wiping spikes gun clean.
"Commander, when I shot the rifle, it seemed like I was able to aim it even though I wasn't looking down the sights. Almost like, I was connected to it."
"That's because it's a dragon's weapon. This belonged to my son. I never changed it in any way, no matter what dimension we were in, because it is a soul weapon. See those orange flame designs winding up the handle? Every time he made a kill, the gun developed with him further and further, and the design of his personality and mind was laid out on the gun. And now he guides the gun, whilst you bond with it, because you are a dragon. See the tips of those flames?" Fir said pointing to the tips of the designs.
"Yeah, they're purple!"
"That's you. You have already begun to bond with it." Suddenly as they were talking, shadow popped up out of the ground startling the group.
"Hey! We are holding out at the sugar cube corner! We need to get all of the wounded there, and plan our next move!"

"Exactly what I was planning Hooves. Ok Sam, get some stretchers, and pick up what wounded you can find. Miss Shy, Spike, go with her. She could use your expertise. The rest of you with me, we are going to make our way to the sugar cube corner. Grab your gear and check your corners. I will watch for the snipers. MOVE OUT." And with Fir in the lead, they made their advance for the bakery

. About five minutes in, they hadn't encountered any resistance. everypony was nervous.
"I don't like this… there isn't anyone trying to stop us…" Twilight said scanning a back alley with her gun as they walked. Suddenly there was a THIP noise, as Fir threw his head back and fell in a spray of blood.
"Commander! Oh Celestia! someone check him! And set up some cover!" twilight yelled as guns started blazing from all directions. Grabbing shopping stalls and nearby crates, they made a makeshift attack point.
"Hooves! Can you find out where those shooters are? I think Apple jack could eliminate them with her grenade launcher, if she knew where they where!"
"What about John!?!"
"Who?!?"
"Oh… uh, the commander! Check him while I scan! Make sure he's ok!" he shouted as he held a green visor over the edge of the cart he was hiding behind. Twilight saw that Fir was in the middle of the street, where the cross fire was heavy, so she used a spell to drag him to her.
"Commander! Can you hear me?" she yelled over the gunshots, hoping that he was only wounded. Suddenly, he slowly sat up holding his head, which was covered in blood.
"DAMMIT! Are you kidding me!?! AGAIN?" he yelled holding his hoof to his ear.
"what? What happened?"
"EVERY FRIGGIN TIME! AAH! "Fir yelled as shadow rolled across the street, to where he was.
"HAHA! Again! Oho! That's a laugh! Every time we come to a new dimension, and get a new body, he always manages to get his ear blown off! It never fails!"
"So… he's ok?" twilight asked examining his head.
"A head shot, but not lethal my dear. Now, Shadow! Do you have the specs?" Fir asked getting back upright.
"Umm… got it! Three tangos, twelve o clock… one at two… two in the second floor at ten… and three at both our nine and three o clock."
"Ok… Spike, what's your local?" he called into his radio. A moment assed and spike responded.
"Umm… just a block west of you Commander… we are pinned down too. We have several of the civilians with us, and we can't seem to get the snipers, and they have us trapped in an alleyway! Fir took the schematics that shadow was holding, and plugged them into applejacks visor "Oh… well that's mighty handy!" she said now that she could see all of the hostile signatures through the cover. "Spike! When I give the signal, you fly up in the air, and cause a distraction, and see if you can eliminate those snipers. Miss apple, you use your grenade attachment to rid us of our problem ok? Everyone ready?" he said propping himself aganst a fruit stand. "Eeyup!" "Yeah whenever you are!" "ok… NOW!" Fir yelled into the radio, as applejack readied her M32 in the correct direction. A few seconds passed, and then they could hear the sounds of gunfire down the block, and then the firing was no longer directed at them. "Now miss Apple!" Fir shouted as Applejack started firing her grenades. In five shots, the enemies on their street where wiped out, and one of the buildings had collapsed. "Ok, Miss Sparkle go check the attack sites, and give me the clear. Spike? How are things on your end?" Fir said checking down his scope. "I'm ok, but you had better get over here… like now!" "Affirmative. On our way now. Miss sparkle! Change of plan! We need to move out!" he said putting an ammo box in his bag. They moved down the street scanning as they went. "Over here!" spike shouted waving his gun above his head. They all ran to where he was, and saw that there were a lot of wounded, but the one Fluttershy was tending to at the moment was a very large red stallion, lying on a cart that they had found. When they got closer, anyone who had lived in ponyville more than a week knew who it was when they removed a heavy wooden yolk. "BIG MAC!" applejack cried out running to him. There was a group of ponies around him, and a larger group that was standing back, some crying, and some in disbelief of what was happening. When she got there a younger colt ran to applejack. "Ant Jackie! I so glad you're ok!... wait… how do you have those things? Do you know what's going on?" he asked pointing to the guns strapped to her sides. "I'll explain later… what happened here?" "well me and dad came into town, but we heard loud noises and screaming… he saw a couple of ponies hiding, and he ran to them… but then these two stallions wearing black grabbed a mare, and he ran to help her… but when they saw him running…they…" "Go on. It's ok Greens." "There was a bang… and dad fell back. He looked down and he was bleeding… then he just charged! He ran at them and they held up those weird things, and then it got noisy! A second later I heard more screaming, and the two stallions were lying down, and dad had picked up the weird thing and told me to hide. And then after a while the noises where nonstop… and then you guys showed up… is he going to be ok?" "I don't know Greens… I don't know… Big Mac? Can you hear me?" Applejack asked picking up her brother's hoof. He slowly nodded, even though his eyes were closed. "I have an expert here who might be able to help you ok? Hold on! Can you help him commander?" she asked moving aside. "Well… I don't know… it's not like miss dash, she had only been grazed, where in this case I see multiple bullets in him. He may be poisoned already. I don't know if I can save him…" "Well, if its yer time brother... I want you to know that I love you.... You know that?" She said sobbing, holding his hoof as he slowly nodded. "Wait… wait a moment! If magic works here like it did in the 234th dimension…" he said looking through a little note book he pulled out of his shoulder band. "Then spike can save Big Mac!" Sam said finishing his sentence. "Spike would you be willing to give us your breastplate to save him?" "What?" Spike said putting his hand to his chest. Fir stepped over to him and tore open spikes vest, and knocked on it with his hoof. "Hmm… yes this should do. Would you let us have your breast plate to save mister Macintosh?" "Oh… well… yeah… I guess." He said looking down at his green plates. "Dad you've got to hurry! His vitals are failing!" Sam said putting a stethoscope to Macs chest. Fir took out a knife, and slowly began to separate the thick plate from Spikes chest. It pryed of like metal plating on a kitchen appliance, and they could then se his softer belly scales underneath. Fir moved quickly to make up for lost time. He slowly placed it over Macintoshs chest, and got out two chest paddles.
"CLEAR!" Fir shouted as he gave a jolt of electricity to the device, and Macs body seized for a second, and then laid back onto the table. "Again! It's not complete! CLEAR" and again Macs body seized and fell.
"Anything?" Sam asked checking his signs.
"I think it worked. Now for step two." Fir said picking up the plate. When he turned it over, the metal slugs that where embedded in Macs chest, were now stuck to it. "Amazing…" twilight said examining the green scale plate. Fir set it on the ground, aimed his hoof, and stomped right in the center, breaking it in three pieces. The middle piece was long and thin, while the other two were almost perfectly triangle shaped. "Miss apple, you might want to take the colt elsewhere." Fir said preparing his surgeons kit.
"Oh um… come on Greens, let's fetch you a gun…" Applejack said taking Greens to their supply area. Fir took the long shard and handed it to spike.
"You need to stab this into his heart, and I will sew it up. This will tune your heart to his. It's the only way." Spike looked at the small blade made of scale, and knelt at Macintosh`s side
"you need to do it now! He's almost gone!" Cried Sam checking his pulse. Spike hesitated for only a moment longer, and then plunged the blade in between Macs ribs, hitting the heart. Big Mac's eyes dialated for moment as another second passed, and the heart monitor went into a single long beep as his heart stopped. Twilight and the other girls who had known him wept, as his hoof slowly slipped from Sam's grip. everypony turned crying, as spike look3ed on in disbelief. Fir put his hoof on spikes shoulder.
"You tried young one. thats all you could do." Another moment passed and suddenly his eyes opened, and he gasped deeply as the color of his eyes slowly turned purple.
"Land sakes child! That REALLY hurt!" big Mac said holding his side. Applejack and Little Greens came running back to the cart and hugged him.
"Oh my lands! You saved him Commander! Thank you deeply!"
"Actually it was spike that saved him. I just gave instructions."
"Well in any case, thank ya both. My brother was all I had for the longest time… I don't think I could have lost him."

"Not at all miss Apple. Now we need to get to the sugar cube corner immediately. I don't know how much longer they can last. Let's form up and move out! Spike, finish sewing him up, and then you can create armor for Mister Macintosh to use. He will need it. Remember, if one of your hearts stop beating, so does the other. You are brothers now." Fir said putting on his glasses, picking up an ammo box.

They had been moving for only a few minuites when Sam spotted two more shooters on the right.
"Contacts nine o clock!" she yelled as everyone started shooting. But Fir saw them and noticed something more.
"HOLD! HOLD YOUR FIRE! EVERYONE STOP!"
"Commander what is it?" twilight asked lowering her gun.
"These colts are unarmed! Cover me!" he yelled as he and Sam moved in cautiously.
"HOOVES ABOVE YOUR HEAD NOW!" Fir yelled and they complied. He secured them with zip ties and drug them over to a safe area.
"All right let's take off these masks and talk to these fellows face to face." He said pulling off their masks. As the identities of the two shooters were revealed, everyone gasped.
"Snips and Snails! Why am I not surprised?" twilight said rolling her eyes.
"Well… when that weird looking pony found us, she said that we would be given the ability to do magic as well as you! But we thought we were hunting a Hydra. That's what she told us anyway. And then she brought us to town and gave us a choice: do as she said, and earn our magic, or die. So we hid, and then the battle started. Were really sorry!"
"Honest mistake boys. You didn't hurt anyone did you?" Twilight said in a stern voice.
"No, we found someone who was shot, but he didn't live long. We tried everything but he just didn't make it."
"It's all right boys. Now this strange pony, what did she look like?" Fir asked holding up a flat screen device. She was dark green with rust colored stripes running down her back. Like nothing we had ever seen!"
"Raptor." Fir and Sam said in unison.
"Who is raptor anyway? You mentioned her earlier." Twilight asked looking to Fir.
"Just one of nine barbarians I brought with me. If she is here, then your children are in grave danger! We must get to the sugar cube post haste! Sam, stay with the wounded, everyone else come with me! Macintosh are you equipped?" Fir asked packing to go.
"might ready as ill ever be!" He said checking his new dragon scale armor.
"all right then, move out!" he yelled heading for the center of town.