Fallout: Equestria - Champions of the Wastes

Chapters

Chapter 1 - Not Draven, Draaaaaven...
Chapter 2 - Piltover's Finest
Chapter 3 - A Taste of Royalty
Chapter 4 - Gems In the Dragon's Den
Chapter 5 - Three For a Death
Chapter 6 - Explorer's In Time

Chapter 1 - Not Draven, Draaaaaven...

A lone figure sat in the dark, cold room. The roar of the crowds above echoed across the walls, hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the upcoming show. The figure stood up and stretched before walking through the only door. These are the moments I live for, he thought as the crowds’ cheers and stomps grew louder. Of course only slavers were allowed to attend events such as this, and they were held weekly by RedEye’s decree in order to “raise moral and encourage unity” among his soldiers.

He walked through the dark tunnel towards the closed gate, the bright sunlight shining through and lighting up the dusty air. A lanky buck sat near the gate, looking at the approaching figure with awe and more than a hint of fear. “We’re ready when you are sir…” The pony fidgeted and tried to avoid looking in the larger figure’s direction.

“Of course you are,” he replied with a hoarse voice. “No one is stupid enough to keep Draven waiting. Now hurry up and open this gate before I decide to do some warmups!” He pointed to the two razor sharp, custom made axes holstered on his back with a wicked grin. Predictably the pony hurried off to tell the others to raise the gate.

The crowd was growing ever restless before Stern’s shouts rang out over their cheers, quickly silencing them. “Quiet down! Quiet down everyone it’s time for the show to start! Today’s event is… a Freedom Run!” The crowd applauded wildly and even Draven laughed aloud. He always did love seeing the hopelessness in his opponents’ faces in this event.

“Now you all know the rules, but for any new guys I’ll repeat them anyways. Over the past week we’ve selected the baddest, the worst troublemakers in all of Fillydelphia and gave them a choice. They can either work the Parasprite pits till their dying day, which would likely be soon and rather undesirable,” many members of the audience shouted their agreements. “Or they can participate in an event in the Pit. This week’s event is called Freedom Run, and the rules are very simple. We let one slave out of the red gate at a time, and they are allowed to choose any of the weapons we provide. Note all of them are for close combat only, though we’ve had some creative participants in the past.”

“The goal of the slave is to cross the arena and exit through the black gate without dying a horrible bloody death at the hands of our resident axe thrower. Now enough stalling! Out of the black gate, you all love em’, but no one loves him more than he loves himself, we have the undefeated, untouchable, and doubtless best fighter in all of Filly! Draven the Executioner!”

Draven walked out of the tunnel as the gate slowly rumbled into the ceiling, the crowds going wild as he waved and laughed. “Yeah, yeah! Who wants some Draven?” The crowd kept cheering despite Stern’s attempts to quiet them, some throwing personal belongings and clothing to Draven hoping to catch his attention. Oh yeah, this was what made him feel alive.

Stern’s voice could barely be heard over the crowd, but she’d learned by now there was no stopping the crowd as soon as Draven took the stage. “And out of the red gate, we have our first slave fighting for freedom. He’s traveled everywhere from Manehatten to Hoofington and beyond. He’s fought off hellhounds and manticores, raiders and Rangers alike, but does he have what it takes to earn his freedom? Some call him a patron saint of caravans, others call him the Two Ton Gun. He’s big, he’s bad, give a big cheer for Stonewall the Brahmin Pusher!”

A huge stallion lumbered out of the red gate, making the tunnel behind him look small in comparison. His aged eyes looked over the crowd with hatred before finally settling on Draven, a grim determination etched on his face. He was met with mixed feelings from the crowd, some slavers cheered him on thinking if anypony could defeat Draven he was a likely candidate. Others shouted vulgarities and obscenities at him, remembering the many slavers he’s killed during his time in Filly.

“Hah! I’ve killed children that looked scarier than you! Show me what you got work horse!” Draven taunted as he pulled his trademark axes off of his back and began spinning them rapidly in his hands. Of course the crowds always cheered him on as he taunted his opponents, making a show out of their deaths.

Stonewall snorted before turning to look at the weapons he was provided to defend himself with. Most of them were in worse shape than the building around them, looking like they were cobbled together by children in a hurry. Finally after searching through the racks he found a sturdy looking metal bar sharpened on one end to make a spear. Without waiting he charged across the arena, crossing a blood-red line with the words ‘No Mercy’ written across it.

“Ha! Let’s admire me for a bit…” Draven laughed as he threw the axe in his right hand at a frightening speed. Stonewall was caught off guard and barely managed to shift the spear in his mouth to block the steel projectile, the impact sending his mind reeling. Draven didn’t let up though, rolling to the side to catch the axe with practiced ease as it flew back towards him and throwing it again without ever breaking his wicked grin. Oh yes, this was going to be a good day.

The axe flew at Stonewall faster than before, and even though he was ready he still had to stop his charge and do all he could to block the onslaught of instant death flying at him. Again and again Draven threw the axe, always catching it just to throw it again with fluid-like motions. With each throw and catch of the axe Draven got slightly closer to the large slave who was now trying to backpedal to get away from the Executioner.

Draven threw the axe in his right hand one more time, and as usual Stonewall braced himself as he raised his spear to block it. Only this time Draven stopped playing nice, and with a laugh he finally threw the second axe in his left hand. This time the buck had nothing to block it with and the axe sank deep into his right shoulder, blood pouring from the wound as he cried out and dropped the spear. Never one to stall, he caught his axe yet again and let it fly, it’s aim straight and true as it hit the injured slave in the chest.

Stonewall looked towards the sky with hollow acceptance before collapsing to the blood soaked ground, never to rise again. Draven ran over to his opponent and ripped the axes from his corpse, a foot standing on the stallion’s head as he cheered and waved to the crowd with his axes. “Welcome to the League of Draven!” He laughed as the crowd cheered their idol on, their rhythmic stomping shaking the stands violently.

“Well that was as short as expected, but a great show nonetheless! Draven continues undefeated in the Pit, but what about our next contestant? It’s time for round two everypony! So hold on to your seats and forget about your dates, because this young mare brings some serious fight to the Pit. Known for killing hundreds of slavers before being captured, she’s a town guard bringing the law to the wastes. She’s determined, she’s skilled, and more importantly she’s seriously pissed off, we have The Lone Gunmare, Sandy Roads!”

This time when the mare trotted into the arena, she was met with nothing but jeers and hateful shouts from the crowd. Every slaver knew somepony that had been killed by her before they finally captured her. She looked at Draven without fear, hatred burning deep in her eyes. Not like he wasn’t used to it, so he merely laughed.

The crowd obviously didn’t care for her, and he decided to rile the crowd up some more for this fight. “Well how do ya do, sheriff, here to lay down the law, or just lay down and die?” The crowd cheered and laughed, many members joining in by shouting their own taunts and lewd suggestions. But the mare didn’t bat an eye, if anything she seemed to laugh a little herself as she smirked.

“I don’t plan on doing anything until I’ve broken my hoof off in your ass.” The crowd went silent, many slavers leaving their jaws hanging open. No one taunts Draven.

The Executioner sneered as he finally took his foot off of the corpse at his feet and walked back to the black gate, standing right in front of it. “You sure think you’re special don’t you? Well don’t worry, I’ll repay the favor and make sure your death is memorable.”

Sandy still didn’t even seem fazed by his remarks, even knowing he meant every word and probably had the skill to back them up. Instead she nonchalantly browsed the racks and tables littered with weapons as if she didn’t care that she was about to die. “Oh please, you think you’re something because you can kill a bunch of almost defenseless, malnourished slaves? You wouldn’t last a Manehatten minute in Hoofington, much less outside your little castle here. I’ve killed more slavers than could fit in these stands, and the only reason I stopped is because I ran out of bullets. You’re nothing, and when you’re dead ponies will forget about you by the end of the week.”

Finally she found what she was looking for, a small knife with a strong handle made from bone. “Well let’s see if I learned anything from those lessons you taught me Updraft…” she whispered before picking up the knife in her hooves and turning to face Draven. “When all’s said and done Draven, your nothing but a show pony like the rest of us.” And with that she grabbed the knife with her mouth and sprinted across the red line.

Out of all the words one could use to describe Draven right now, angry would be an exponential understatement. With a cry of rage he began spinning his axes faster than the eye could track, watching the mare as she circled around to his left. After watching her movements he threw the axe in his right hand, leading her perfectly with the shot. Sandy expected the throw however and managed to duck under the brutal weapon, losing some of her tail in the process.

Draven spun up his second axe as he ran towards her, determined to not even let her get close to the gate and her long desired freedom. They collided and Draven swung his axe downwards in a mighty strike, nearly pushing Sandy to the floor as she blocked it with the large knife. But she was faster, and with a twist of her neck the axe was parried to the side and Sandy was able to cut Draven’s shoulder with the rusty blade as her momentum carried her behind him.

He quickly recovered and turned to block her next attack, but the only thing he saw was her running towards the black gate. With another cry of anger he whirled up his axe and threw it at the fleeing pony. Whether by blind luck or careful planning no one will ever know, but she managed to roll to the side just in time to dodge, the spinning axe continuing its flight and embedding itself deep into the wall next to the gate. ‘He’s out of axes!’ she cheered internally as she ran as fast as she could to her goal, panting heavily as the malnourishment of slave life took its toll.

So close, she could almost taste her freedom again. Thirty feet, twenty feet, ten feet… She heard a loud grunt from behind her, but didn’t need to look back to know what it was. She collapsed in a pool of blood as the axe stuck out of her side, barely two feet away from the gate to her freedom. Draven grinned madly as he sauntered across the Pit from where his first axe had gotten stuck in the wall. Sandy grit her teeth as she tried to crawl to the gate, ‘Just a little farther!’

But Draven was having none of that as he pulled his second axe out of the wall next to her before standing on her back, being sure to put most of his weight on her. He had expected a scream, or at least a few tears, but the persistent mare refused to indulge him. After a few more vain struggles she gave up with a sigh, relenting to the cold embrace of death.

“So tell me sheriff, how does it feel knowing that you can’t even save yourself, much less anyone else?” Draven was going to try and get as much joy out of this as he could, because killing someone like this just wasn’t enough for him.

She grew still as the light faded from her eyes, but her the corners of her mouth were turned up just ever so slightly. “I’m still… a better person… than you…” He looked at her corpse with hatred as he pulled the axe from her side. Finally he took his eyes off of her to once again give his attention to the cheering crowd around him. He grinned before running back to the center of the cage.

“Draven does it all! Ha ha, yeah!” The crowd’s cheers grew and grew, their hero reveling in their adoration. Stern had to wait for minutes before her voice could be heard above the deafening cheers, even with her voice amplified by the megaphone she held in her talons.

“Alright everypony settle down! We have two more fights on the way, but it’s time to take a short break. Everypony return to your normal duties for the slave shift rotation, and in a half hour we’ll continue the event.” The crowd roared its protests, and Draven decided to join in.

“Why should we have to stop our fun just for them? I say we continue the event! Let them work away and we’ll go fetch them when we damn well please!” Oh the crowd loved that idea, and they backed him up with more cheers and rhythmic stomping. Stern didn’t like this one bit, but with Redeye gone and most of her Talons on patrols, it was obvious who the slavers would side with if it came to a fight.

With a scowl she relented and waved to Draven. “Alright you want more fights? I’ll give you more fights, but you better watch your mouth when you ask for shit.” After shuffling through some papers a smile creeped across her face as she turned back to the megaphone. “Alright everypony the next contestant is a mare as strong willed as she is exotic. Beaten and bruised in the Fillydelphia slave pits since Redeye took over, she’s the first volunteer for the pit we’ve had in months! She quick, she’s silent, and nopony knows what she’ll do next, give it up for Xenith the Zebra!”

The crowd was jubilant when they heard her name, every slaver knew of the only zebra in Filly, though some seemed a little sad that she was about to die a horrible violent death. Even if she never talked many of the slavers liked her because she always did what she was told without causing any trouble or reciting some ‘witty’ remark.

She walked silently into the cage, eyeing the two dead bodies in the arena nervously. She looked briefly at the many weapons next to the gate, but with a shake of her head she walked up the red line and stopped just short. She looked at the grinning Draven with a frown before lowering her head and reading the words written on the line. ‘No Mercy’ she silently mouthed to herself, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Draven was getting impatient, the one thing he hated more than weak sentiments like ‘mercy’ and ‘compassion’ was waiting, so with a laugh he sashayed across the arena. “What’s the matter little one? Cat got your tongue, or are you just too stupid to speak?”

Xenith looked away and sank to her haunches, much to the crowd’s amusement as they started shouting their own taunts and cat-calls.

“Boring just cut her up already!

“Yeah I wanna see what color zebra blood is!”

“What’s the matter is this your first time?”

That last one got some hearty laughs among the crowd, and a few tears from the zebra mare. She looked at Draven sadly once more before bowing her head. And ever so slightly, almost too quiet for him to hear even though he was merely feet away from her, she whispered. “I’m sorry.” And with that she took a step over the line…

Author's Note

Positive/negative feedback? Have requests on who to do next, and maybe what they should do? Or maybe you just want someone to talk to? Feel free to comment below and let me know!

Chapter 2 - Piltover's Finest

The cool morning air was still across the city, framing the apocalyptic scenery with a sort of unnatural calmness. The silence permeating the air was almost suffocating, not even the sounds of the local ‘wildlife’ could be heard. As far as the wasteland goes, it was likely one of the most peaceful mornings in its history. Then so very, very violent.

I loud bang echoed off the walls of the surrounding skyscrapers, followed by a loud clang as the bullet hit its mark. The Steel Ranger fell to the ground dead, a baseball sized hole in his head. The rest of the patrol scattered and sought cover from an enemy they never even saw. Bang another shot rang out, and another Steel Ranger breathed for the last time. The Steel Rangers panicked and ran the way they came, quickly disappearing behind the armored doors of a Stable Tec facility. Clearly they were not used to dealing with a sniper this lethal, but for Caitlyn it was just another day at work.

After waiting a few moments more for any signs of movement, she thought it best to reposition herself. After all it would be bad news if they found her hiding place. She quickly gathered up her few belongings and hastily descended the rusty ‘fire escape’ ladder of the Baltimare Royal Hotel. Once reaching the bottom she readied her trusty rifle and looked at the local Steel Ranger’s headquarters. Seeing they weren’t going to risk any more casualties with some kind of blind attack, she quickly crossed the street into a small alleyway.

She peered around the corner, and as expected the rangers were slowly making their way towards her hoping to get close enough for their E.F.S. to spot her. Tough luck, she thought as she loaded a special blue banded bullet into the rifle and aimed around the corner once more. The rifle let out its massive retort, and one of the rangers screamed as one of his legs was blown off!

“Shit! What kind of weapon is that?! Push up we gotta get close!” One of them yelled, his armor was darker than the others with green flames painted on his sides. Her target. The rangers ducked from cover to cover, approaching Caitlyn faster than she would have liked. Running back to the street, she could see another squad of rangers rushing down the street hoping to catch her off guard.

She jumped through a window (Why did they put a window looking into an alleyway?) and into what appeared to be a coffee shop, much of the furniture rotted and in disarray. She ducked behind the corner and waited, watching as the group on the street passed by… except for one.

“Hey, I got something on E.F.S. in that building!” The others quickly turned and each pointed their weapons through the door and windows of the front of the store. Eyeing a set of stairs next to the counter, she rushed to the bottom of the steps and aimed her net gun at the closest ranger. Before they could get a shot off she had already fired, nearly knocking him off his hooves with the huge net and promptly blowing her almost to the top of the first flight of stairs.

A smile creeped across her face as one of the rangers rushed up the stairs after her… and right into a Yordle trap. Sure the trap did little to their power armor, but it was still able to hold him still long enough for her to put a bullet through his eye. Running up three more flights of stairs she was able to gain some ground on her equine pursuers, and she took the time to search for a particular window. After searching through several small offices she found the one she wanted, and with the aid of her 80 caliber net gun she flew through the weakened glass and onto the neighboring building’s rooftop.

Finding some decent cover, she waited until a ranger walked in front of the window she came through and fired another shot through his head, downing him instantly. That left two more inside, as well as the four from the alleyway. The two inside quickly found windows of their own and starting covering the rooftop with automatic grenades and LMG rounds, ripping Caitlyn’s cover to pieces almost instantly. She had to relocate several times before she could get a shot off, and all she managed to do was hit the shoulder of grenade pony before she had to take cover again from the other one. At least he would be out of the fight for a while until his armor could repair itself and heal him.

She threw another Yordle trap out from behind her cover, and the Steel Ranger with the LMG shredded it his excessive firepower. It only distracted him for a second, but it more than enough time for Caitlyn to aim another shot and hit him straight in the forehead. The other ranger, she suspected, was still sitting next to his window while he recovered, so with a smile she loaded another special bullet into her rifle and fired directly at the wall. She was rewarded with part of the wall collapsing inward, and a lot more steel in the rubble than brick.

She had little time to enjoy her victory however, as the four rangers from earlier busted onto the roof. “Don’t move tribal scum! I’ll shred you into a chunky soup if you even look at me wrong, now drop your weapon!” After some consideration she had no choice but to do as they asked, they had her outnumbered, out positioned, and very outgunned. The closest ranger cautiously approached her and carelessly kicked her custom rifle away, much to her chagrin.

“Alright after killing so many of my brothers I’m going to kill you anyways, but depending on how you answer my next question I may decide to make it quick instead of letting you rot in a ditch being slowly eaten to death by radroaches.”

Caitlyn tapped a finger to her chin before shrugging. “They needed killin’ judge, what more can I say?” She could only imagine the expression the rangers wore inside their helmets as she grinned at them.

“That’s it, shoot her till there’s nothing left.” The rangers around him prepared to oblige, but a deep rumbling in the building gave them pause. The whole roof started to shake violently and Caitlyn had to crouch down to steady herself. “What the hell is that?”

A knowing smile grew on Caitlyn’s face. “You wanna see a hat trick?”

His answer came in the form of a giant pair of fists breaking through the roof and grabbing one of his rangers. “GET DUNKED!” Vi shouted as she (picked up!) the ranger and slammed him through the roof back to the floor below, breaking his neck instantly.

The roof erupted into chaos quickly, and before the rangers could aim their guns Vi was already pummeling another one into the roof, ensuring even his power armor couldn’t save him. Caitlyn rolled and grabbed her rifle, shooting the other ranger in the head and dropping him before he could shoot at Vi. The last ranger with the painted armor backed away and brought up his dual miniguns, laughing and lighting up the world around Caitlyn and Vi as they tried to hide behind a small concrete wall.

Vi grinned and “lightly” punched Caitlyn in the shoulder. “Taking cover while someone shoots at us with over the top firepower, why does this seem familiar?”

“Shut up, and what took you so long? You were supposed to be right behind me!” One of these days her “partner’s” antics were going to get both of them killed. She loaded another special bullet into her rifle, this one having a red ring around the casing.

“Got sidetracked by a horde of hungry zombies, my bad…” Vi rolled her eyes before attempting to sneak a peek around the corner. She was rewarded with a face full of dust as she barely managed to pull her head back before the ranger blew the corner into oblivion with his ridiculous firepower. “So… any plans?”

“That asshole can only shoot for so long, we’ll just wait it out until he has to reload or something.” Caitlyn repositioned herself to spring into action the second he ran out of bullets, but Vi sat down and made herself comfortable while they waited. And waited… still waiting… minutes passed by and still he continued his suppressive fire.

“Doesn’t that thing ever run out of ammo?! Alright new plan, you jump out on that side, and while he’s shooting you I’ll blow his head off.”

“How about we put that plan to a vote. I vote no.” Vi stood up and stretched anyways. They couldn’t afford to wait all day until reinforcements arrived.

“Well according to Piltover’s laws my position of sheriff means I have three votes in all internal matters, so I still outvote you.” Caitlyn said as she stuck her tongue out.

“Whatever. How about instead I send this wall flying at him and we use that as a distraction to rush him?” Vi flexed her muscles as she nodded at their cover.

Caitlyn only shrugged as a response, before looking at the cloud cover above. “Wait what’s that?” In the distance a small light could be seen breaking through the clouds. Then another, two more… dozens of them arching through the air at high speed. “What are those…?”

“No, nononono! Not her, anything but her!” Vi looked around frantically for anywhere they could run to, anywhere that wasn’t on the roof.

“Wait you don’t mean… No! God please no!” Caitlyn raised her rifle to look into the sky, the roar of minigun fire completely forgotten. Sure enough the lights were all rockets flying through the sky, and on top of the biggest one rode a familiar criminal with an all too eager grin. As if sensing she was being watched, she blew a kiss directly at Caitlyn before strapping some aviator goggles on. The rockets were increasing in speed and heading right at her!

“This is bad, this is really bad! We gotta go now that bitch is crazy!” Vi looked everywhere she could, but there wasn’t anywhere they could go without being shredded by the oblivious ranger. Finally her gaze settled downwards, and she glanced at Caitlyn with an earnest frown. “Hey Caitlyn? Sorry ‘bout this…” She drew back her arm as her power fist charged, and with a massive boom! She punched a large hole in the roof that both of them fell through.

She didn’t stop, she kept sending them down floor after floor until they hit the basement. Even then she punched a small crater into the ground and covered them with a metal table to be safe. This was Jinx after all, you never knew what to expect from her.

They waited several long minutes only hearing a few dull thuds and no bang behind them. It didn’t take long for Vi to throw the table off impatiently, and she screamed in frustration when she looked around the room. ‘Jinx waz here’ had been painted on a far wall, another read ‘Bad cop, worse cop’. Even on the table they used as shelter, ‘Gotcha!’

“That’s it! Where is she?” Vi yelled as she ascended the many flights of stairs to the roof again. The Steel Ranger was crushed under the largest rocket, and the other smaller ones were all scattered around the damaged building and surrounding area. However there was not, as she had hoped, any sign of the criminal known as Jinx anywhere. There was merely a final set of words painted on the side of the largest rocket, one final taunt to send Vi over the edge. ‘Catch me if you can!’

Author's Note

Positive/negative feedback? Have requests on who to do next, and maybe what they should do? Or maybe you just want someone to talk to? Feel free to comment below and let me know!

Chapter 3 - A Taste of Royalty

You’ve pretty eyes, yes you do… Flesh and blood I want it too!

A caravan rolled across rocky hills, slowly making its way across the dangerous wastes. It was six wagons total, each being pulled by earth pony bucks with the exceptions of the armored wagon in the rear which was pulled by a pair of brahmin. Said brahmin were arguing amongst themselves as usual, much to everyone else’s chagrin.

“…not dumb, quit callin’ me that!” Said one head of the left brahmin to the other.

“You are too dumb ya idjit! Ya ain’t got no sophistication.” Retorted the other head with a smug grin.

“Sophi- what? Quit makin’ up words!”

“Ha see? Yer even dumber than ya look, an’ ya look like a rock!”

“We’re twins ya dingbat.” The left head deadpanned.

“Oh yeah? Then how comes momma always told me I was better lookin’ n’ you?”

…

“Yer makin’ that up.” Both heads turned to look at the silent brahmin beside them. “Oi! Lyle, Isle, which one of us ‘s better lookin’?”

“Shut up.” They replied in unison as they often did. The caravan rolled on in silence for several moments before a quiet filly spoke up.

“Well I think you’re both handsome.” She jumped from the armored wagon and sat on their back. The remark got a blush from one head, and a sheepish grin from the other.

“Wow Clockwork, you really mean it?”

“Sure do! In fact, I think you two may be the most handsome brahmin I’ve ever met.”

“Well gosh…” They continued on the trail, holding their heads a little higher than before.

I’ll wear your body, like a suit! So watch out now I’m on the loose…

The caravan slowly rolled through a rocky valley, the eerie silence hung in the air like an unwelcome guest. “Alright everypony keep your eyes open we’re n’ raider territory now.” An older buck said as he rode on the front wagon. He pulled out a coach gun and checked the breach to ensure it was loaded. He was about to pull out a rusty pair of binoculars when the ground beneath them started to shake.

“Hey pa what’s that?” Said the young buck pulling the wagon, his coat a mottled white and green.

Soon the tremor intensified, and a loud rumble was all that was heard before the lead wagon was obscured from view by a massive cloud of dust. The rest of the caravan stopped and all drew their weapons, watching the dust cloud hoping to see their fearless leader unscathed. Eventually the dust did clear, but what they saw was nothing short of horrifying. Dozens of large spikes stood jutting out of the ground, the destroyed wagon and both ponies lifted from the ground and brutally impaled.

The caravan ruptured into chaos immediately, the closer ponies trying to help those of the first wagon while others tried to form a defense against an unknown enemy. The ground tremored rhythmically as something huge approached, but all they could see were rocks and the mountain walls surrounding them. They formed a loose circle with the wagons, the armored wagon in the middle. From it several ponies were distributing varying heavy weapons while a griffon stood on the roof trying to spot any trouble.

There’s no hope for little ponies, Dunwich’s Horror’s got nothing on me!

The ground trembled below the armored wagon, and everyone panicked to get away. “Clockwork! Run!” Said one of the brahmin as he bucked the filly off and as far away from the wagon as he could. The griffon took to the air and not a moment too soon, the armored wagon erupted into another cloud of dust. The rhythmic stomping continued as the monster drew closer, still out of sight from the ponies defending their precious cargo.

The dust in the camp cleared to reveal the wagon was completely destroyed beyond use and the left brahmin violently impaled by multiple sharp spikes. The right brahmin wore a deep frown on both faces before it tried to start breaking off its harness. Finally the sounds of the creature’s monstrous steps ceased, and it sounded like it was right on top of them! One of the caravaners looked at his hooves only to see his shadow expanding rapidly, and that was the only warning before the massive beast landed in the middle of the camp.

It let out a massive scream and sent one of the wagons rolling across the canyon, three ponies with it. One of the closer ponies dared to shoot at it with his rusty shotgun, to which the monster didn’t take very kindly. It picked the pony up with one of its claw like arms and threw the poor mare into its mouth, devouring her whole. The ponies looked on in horror as the monster visibly grew in size. The surrounding ponies looked on in horror as the creature did the unthinkable: it spoke in a terrible, deep voice that commanded the attention of all that heard it

“Hehe, death is not the end for you… I’ve seen to it. For eternity? You. Are. Mine!” Two of the ponies raised their weapons to fire, but before they could the monster swung an arm at them. Clockwork watched in horror as massive spikes shot from his arm and left both ponies a tangled, bloody mess. She ran to a large rock and curled up under it, watching with tears as more and more ponies fell to the abomination.

Antediluvian tales of woe, trail behind wherever I go!

Another pony managed to get behind the creature, firing a missile straight into its back. But it barely seemed bothered, and with a flick of its tail it sent the pony flying into the rock wall. He didn’t get back up. The griffon flew strafing runs across the canyon, peppering the monster with rounds from his large rifle. But still it barely seemed to care as it let out another deafening scream, throwing the griffon into the opposite rock wall with a sickening crunch before he fell to the ground. Instead of walking across the valley to finish him off, it just stomped the ground at its feet and moments later more spikes erupted from the ground under the griffon ensuring his death.

The monster turned to the brahmin till struggling to get free from the wagon, and it approached with what could have been mistaken for a sick smile. Using its claw like arms it lifted the brahmin and wagon both, and though it struggled as hard as it could its fate was as sure as ever. It took the monster a mere three bites to consume the large brahmin. The caravan ponies had all been killed or run away at this point. All except Clockwork, the little filly who watched in silent terror from under a rock.

Give up now on your beliefs, your frail soul’s beyond reprieve!

She did not go unnoticed however, and soon the monster turned its attention to her with another “smile”. “Come child, I promise your death won’t hurt. What happens after your death, well that’s a different matter.” It laughed as it slowly approached, the filly too scared to move from her makeshift shelter. When it reached her it simply threw the boulder aside like it was a child’s plaything, picking her up and looking her in the eyes.

All she could see was hatred, nothing but the desire to cause pain and suffering for the fun of it. There was nothing but evil in this monster, and it wasn’t going to stop until the whole world burned. She closed her eyes and cried as she felt it’s arm start to pull her closer to its mouth. Closer to that unquenchable pit of hatred and death.

“Raaah!”

Suddenly she felt herself being carried by something a lot gentler than the monster’s claws. Opening her eyes, she was looking over the shoulder of a strange creature at the monster, a spear with a flag sticking out of its shoulder. Suddenly another strange creature jumped to the monster with a massive spear, stabbing it and pulling the flag out simultaneously before jumping away. Each of the wounds bled horrible black blood, the first signs of injury the monster showed.

Hear now well my proclamation, this is your life’s destination.

Finally she was set down a large distance away on a flat rock, and she got her first look at her saviors. They all walked on two legs like she’d seen hellhounds do, but these didn’t seem like they could ever walk on four legs. They all wore different armors, but all were exceptionally well made and decorated. The one that carried her wore massive blue armor and carried a sword as big as a pony. The one fighting the monster was wearing extravagant gold armor with a crown, he swung his spear fluidly as if it was an extension of his own body.

Another was kneeling on the rock next to her with calm, aged eyes. He wore much lighter and simpler armor than the other two, and his weapon was also some kind of spear. He looked at her with a gentle smile as he pet her mane. “Do not worry young one, we will put an end to that one’s horrible desires no matter the cost.” With that they all turned to look at the ensuing battle between the monster and the golden warrior.

“Cho’ Gath! Terror of the Void and destroyer of nations! Your time has come.” Jarvan IV said with a little more confidence than he felt as he watched the massive beast laugh and eye its surroundings.

“Heh, come princess Jarvan. I’ve been wondering what Demacian royalty tasted like. I do love the taste of your subjects, after all.” Jarvan let out another battle cry before he rushed to fight the monster, the battle quickly turning in the monster’s favor due to his massive size and strength advantage.

Surrender now, be eaten first. At least you’ll be spared from the worst!

Jarvan was thrown across the canyon, a flurry of spikes following after him. His armor and skill with the lance were able to block the spikes, but being brutally thrown around was taking its toll on the weathered soldier. He wanted to take a moment to catch his breath but a tremor beneath him forced him to move before more spikes erupted from the ground. He rolled to the right and narrowly dodged them, but he had to brace his spear in the ground to keep from being blown back by the scream Cho’ Gath let out.

Panting and quickly running out of breath, Jarvan was not liking where this fight was going. Even the filly could tell this was an unfair fight. “Why aren’t you helping him? He can’t fight that thing by himself!”

Again the calmest one of the three turned to face her as he stood up. “Because it is not our fight. Our prince suffered a terrible defeat, and ever since he has felt as though he has been shamed. And so he has sought out the strongest of opponents, the most dreaded monsters of the imagination to defeat in order to regain his lost honor. Of course should things get out of hand we will intervene, but not a moment sooner.”

Cho’ Gath laughed as he sent more and more spikes at Jarvan, forcing him to dodge and play mouse the whole fight. “Tell me Jarvan, what does it feel like to be helpless? To be a failure? To know you can’t save yourself, much less your own people? It must be infuriating,” he taunted as he turned to the small group watching from the rock. “That you can’t even save one.”

Terror’s my preferred vocation, your life’s slip brings me elation.

Clockwork felt the ground shake beneath her hooves, but there was nothing she could do. She was going to die here, and there was no way she could move fast enough to get away. She felt the cold armor of the soldier pick her up. She felt the wind whipping through her mane as he carried her faster than she’d ever run before. She heard the awful noise of the spikes ripping from the ground. And then she saw them… behind her! They made it!

But what about the soldier in the blue armor? She never even saw him move! As the dust cleared, so did the sickly smile on Cho’ Gath’s face. There the warrior stood surrounded by spikes, many of which grazed his armor and leaving deep scratches. And yet he seemed unfazed by the incident, still staring at the monster with a resolve unlike any other.

Whoever they are, I’m really glad they’re the good guys! Clockwork thought as she was set back down on another tall rock.

Jarvan let out a sound, quiet at first but rapidly building. It took Clockwork a moment to recognize the sound, but it was laughter. A heartfelt, truly mirthful laughter. Cho’ Gath looked at him with confusion at first, but it quickly turned to annoyance when the other soldiers joined in.

“And what is so funny about your impending death?”

Jarvan looked at him with a wide smile and a strong gaze. “You speak as if you know me or my people. But you see Cho’ Gath, you made a mistake when judging me. You made the mistake of assuming that my people need my protection. I’m not fighting you to protect them, and certainly not to protect myself. I’m going to kill you simply because you need to die!”

The old great race did fear my tread, so close your eyes you’ll soon be dead!

“FOR DEMACIA!” Jarvan leaped at the monstrosity with incredible speed, the brutal impact causing a small earthquake that made the surrounding ground to splinter up around them. The makeshift arena was filled with dusty air making it almost impossible to see, but Jarvan was practiced at this. Born with the skill needed to guide his lance straight and true. Each thrust hit its intended target, Cho’ Gath was soon bleeding profusely from countless wounds as he swung wildly around him.

“Enough!” He shouted as he let out another scream, clearing the dusty air and sending part of the ‘arena’ flying across the canyon. He also stomped the ground and dozens of spikes ruptured through the rocky soil around him, causing the filly to worry.

“Where is he? He’s okay right?” She looked at the tall soldier beside her, but he only returned her look with a knowing smile.

Cho’ Gath looked all around him, trying to spot the prince. But the one place he forgot to look… The one place the calm soldier directed Clockwork’s attention to… The one place the Terror of the Void finally remembered where he attacked from… was up. With a final cry Jarvan fell from the sky and stabbed his spear into Cho’ Gath’s skull, the monster giving a few reactionary thrashes and screams before it fell limp beneath him to the battle-torn ground.

He pulled his spear from the corpse panting and covered in wounds, but he won and that was good enough for him. The blue armored soldier walked over and cut one of the massive teeth from the Terror, putting it in a brown bag and slinging it over his shoulder for a trophy. After a few laughs they all returned to the rock the filly was laying on. She looked out over the remains of the caravan, the only ones that cared for her when her parents died. She was about to curl up into a ball and cry before the smiling soldier gently picked her up and sat her on top of his shoulders.

“We need to help them my lord. I know not how any of us got here, but it is our duty as Demacians to protect the innocent from injustice like this. And if the Terror of the Void is here, we have every reason to believe others are here as well.”

Jarvan stood still for a moment, thinking those words over. Eventually he smiled as he looked up at the filly. “A chance to destroy the evil within the League without those meddlesome summoners getting in the way? I’d never pass up on a chance like this.”

Chapter 4 - Gems In the Dragon's Den

He let out a wistful sigh as he gazed at the clouds above. He always hated cloudy days, they blocked the sun’s radiant warmth and darkened the beauty of the world. Then again the beauty of this world seems hard to find, so perhaps the sun is trying to hide? Hiding from the blight of hatred beneath the clouds, refusing to look at its cruelty? Or maybe, he smirked as he looked down at the boulder he was sitting upon, it’s just another cloudy day.

He jumped from the boulder to the ground below, kicking up dust as he landed in his massive armor. He looked at his precious weapon and shield, both donning vibrant diamonds encrusted in enchanted silver. He carried them both with a strength belying his stature, easily picking them up before looking to the sky once more.

Father. If only you could see me now, if you could see the things I’ve done with your teachings. I’ve helped people from one world to another, even saving some from death. But I fear that I am beginning to understand the warning you gave me. With another though he chuckled. And no mom, so far I haven’t departed from your advice either.

After a moment he looked at the mountain in front of him, or more precisely the large cave set into its base. Without another thought he began a slow pace towards the cave, not sure what to expect when he got there. A small colt ran up from behind him, and he knew without turning around it was his pupil.

“Crest I told you to stay in the town did I not?” He kept his tone harsh, but with the compassion only someone with his painful experiences could muster.

“Yeah but Master Taric! You aren’t really gonna go in there by yourself are you? That’s crazy!” The colt barely old enough to have his Cutie Mark, a bronze buckler, stopped in front of Taric and blocked his path. “Please master, I don’t… I don’t want to lose you too…”

Taric dropped to one knee and set down his hammer. “Crest you are still young, and that is something very precious. However this world is cruel and shows no favor to innocence or generosity. You are going to have to find your own way in this world, I cannot find it for you. Go back to the village, I will see you when I am finished here.”

He patted the young pony on the head before standing up, wielding his hammer with pride. He continued on his path to the mouth of the cave, his steps measured and confident. He had never truly faced a dragon alone before, but he couldn’t sit by while this dragon continued to harm others. From what the nearby village told him, the dragon would come on occasion and demand a pony sacrifice. One he would eat in front of the small town.

At first he would only come twice a year. But he began to come more frequently until now, he came once a month. The dying town has tried to flee once already, but because of their recluse location in a barren desert any that ran were caught and killed by the dragon before they got far. But all of that stops now. I will not suffer to let these ponies be brutally murdered one by one by some beast who thinks himself superior.

When he reached the mouth of the cave, he looked over his shoulder to ensure Crest wasn’t following him. After seeing no one he proceeded into the dark cave. The temperature immediately spiked and sweat started to form on his brow. As he walked deeper into the cave faint gems embedded in the walls gave off an eerie, ambient glow.

The heat quickly built as Taric descended into the cave, becoming almost unbearable until he finally neared his destination. He expected the cave to be silent, with perhaps nothing but the sounds of a snoring dragon inside. Instead when he neared a large room at the end of a tunnel he could hear a faint voice. It sounded masculine and very angry.

Picking up the pace he soon heard the sounds of a fight. Someone was already trying to take down the dragon.

He reached the cave’s largest chamber, and was greeted with the sight of someone familiar being thrown across the cave. After rolling to a stop across the room from the dragon, Shyvana stood up and charged the beast again. This time she jumped over his tail, coming down and slashing at the dragon’s face.

The dragon roared and slashed out with a clawed hand, but Shyvana ducked in time and leaped back to a safe distance. “What’s the matter, ‘great lord’. I thought you could crush me with nothing but your tail.”

He breathed a bout a flame at her, which she barely dodged. “Do not mock me, you are nothing but an abomination and a disgrace. Like your father was.” His face adopted a wicked grin. “Did anyone ever tell you how he died? When we came to kill him, he sacrificed himself so his vile daughter could escape.”

Shyvana yelled as she charged the dragon again, but this time he was paying more attention to the fight. He again swung his tail at her, which she dodged easily. But this time a clawed hand was waiting for her and grabbed her in a chokingly tight hold. “He fought bravely at first, it was quite admirable. Until I took out one of his eyes. He begged and pleaded for his life, even offering his great horde in exchange.”

The dragon laughed as she tried in vain to escape his tightening grasp. “It was amusing really, to see the once proud dragon begging for his own life. But I killed him slowly, choking the life out of him in much the same way you shall die.” The dragon raised her up until they were at eye level. “Like father, like daughter I suppose.”

A faint light distracted his attention, before a small gem impacted his eye at incredible speed. The dragon roared in pain as he raised his free hand to cover his bleeding eye. A massive blow landed on the dragon’s leg and caused him to collapse, dropping Shyvana just before she blacked out. Taric seized the moment and helped the half-dragon to walk a safe distance away.

“Thank you… Gem Knight. I owe you a great debt.”

Taric held a green gem in his hand, and as it glowed Shyvana felt her injuries start to heal. “You owe me nothing. It is a knight’s sworn duty to protect the innocent at all costs. Besides our battle is still far from over.”

Shyvana grunted as she forced herself to her feet. “Thank you, but this is my battle to fight. He killed my father, and I will avenge him or die trying.” She took a shaky step forward, and nearly collapsed before Taric helped her.

“A battle between good and evil? Apologies but this sounds exactly like my kind of battle. And you need to rest, if at least for a few moments. Stay here, I’ll see how tough this dragon really is.”

She wanted to protest, but in her condition she was in no position to fight both of them. “Alright fine, but just for a moment.”

The knight smiled and turned to face the dragon. “At your word.” He approached the massive beast with cold eyes. “Great dragon, I have come to put an end to your atrocities both here and abroad. If you will not relent from your wicked ways, I shall have to stop you by force.”

The dragon bellowed a laugh, filling the room with acrid smoke. “You? Stop me? I’d barely consider you a morning snack. But if you want to die so badly then come on over here boy.”

Taric stopped when he reached the edge of the dragon’s massive horde, countless gems and precious metals of all shapes and sizes were piled up in no particular order. “Tell me dragon, do you know anything of my people? Or of the power within these precious stones?”

The dragon snorted, not keen on being lectured by someone so small. “Why would I concern myself with such pittances?”

The Gem Knight continued unhindered. “You see where I am from, my people are very skilled at working with these stones. At reaching the incredible power they hold, and bringing it out to use for the betterment of others. And among my people, my family is the best at honing this skill.”

The dragon was getting impatient at this point. “Get on with it already, I grow tired of this meaningless talk.”

Taric merely smiled as he picked up a particularly large Opal from the pile. “Your own greed shall be the cause for your fall. Opal for harmony!” He again hurled the gem at the dragon at incredible speed. It impacted the dragon’s chest and the beast roared as the wound bled. Using the opening the knight charged the dragon fiercely.

“Sapphire for divinity!” He reached the dragon and brought his massive hammer down on one of the dragon’s hands. With a sickening crunch it was clear the blow had broken something. The dragon swung his other hand at the knight, sending him sprawling across the cave. Taric brought his shield up just in time to protect himself from the blast of dragonfire that came his way. “Emerald for insight!” The dragon roared again as the knight’s wounds healed before his eyes.

Now the dragon was furious, standing to his full height and spreading his wings wide. However he was noticeably favoring his injured left hand. The dragon roared and sent another wall of fire at the knight, but this time he didn’t let up. The only thing keeping him from burning to death was his gem imbued shield and armor, but the fire and extreme heat threatened to suffocate him.

He was finally met with cool air as the dragon relented, but it was short lived. Taric didn’t have enough time to dodge the dragon’s massive tail descending on him, crushing him under its massive weight. The dragon raised and dropped his tail twice more until he was sure the knight was through fighting.

Despite the blindness in one eye and the heavily bleeding wound in his chest, the dragon managed a laugh. “I have lived for a thousand years! I have faced far stronger opponents than you. What made you think you could possibly defeat me?” He raised his good hand, threatening to crush the crumpled knight to dust.

“Because… I do not… fight alone.”

The dragon’s eyes widened, but he was a second too late. A smaller dragon slammed into his side, pushing him to the ground on his back. She bit into his neck, pinning his uninjured arm under his own weight. He tried to throw her off, flapping his wings wildly and trying to roll from under her. But with a twist of her head, she ripped a large chunk of his throat out in a bloody mess.

“You die today.” Shyvana muttered as she stared at the dying dragon beneath her. He reached for her with his injured arm in a vain attempt to fight back.

“Killing me… won’t bring back… your father…”

“No, but it may give him peace in the afterlife.” Slowly, the light faded from his eyes and his body fell limp. She remained a dragon for only a moment more before a flurry of flames announced her return to a ‘human form’.

Taric was badly hurt and bloodied, but he managed to stand and walk to the silent dragon-morph. “Thank you, I owe you my life.”

Shyvana laughed and lightly punched him in the shoulder. “You don’t owe me anything, life for a life right? Besides what are you even doing here? I was only fighting him to avenge my father’s death, what about you?”

Taric grunted as he hefted his hammer over his shoulder. “This dragon has been harassing a nearby village, killing them one at a time. I came to put a stop to it.”

“Ever the heroic one huh?”

He raised an eyebrow as they walked together through the cave. “Would you not have done the same?” She didn’t answer with anything but a small smile.

“This village, would it be possible to rest there until I figure out what to do next?”

“If you are willing to help, then certainly. It would be best to stay together, I feel that something is coming. Something evil that we will need to face with all our strength to protect this world from destruction.”

Chapter 5 - Three For a Death

Blood.

There isn't enough blood.

I thought they were like me. I thought they shared my love for war and were without fear. Now I see they are weak. They are not worthy to be called warriors. I will kill them, show them what it means to be strong. Then there will be enough blood.

The raiders stared in awestruck horror at the monster that had just ripped a Steel Ranger in half with his bare hands. Each wore varying expressions of wonder and disbelief, but the fear was clearly seen in all of them.

"What the fuck is that thing?!"

"Hell I ain't fighting it."

"Yeah fuck that let's get out of here!"

"Just shoot it everything dies eventually!"

The leader of the group shouted as he finished reloading the brush gun with practiced ease, levitating it to aim at the huge monster before them. He just stared down at them with glowing red eyes, the hatred in them bearing down on everyone who dared to oppose him. The unicorn fired both barrels of the massive gun, almost ripping it out of his levitation field with the force. The giant seemed unimpressed as he lifted his huge axe from the ground.

"I am Sion, the strength of Noxus. And I will destroy the weak and any who oppose us." He took a step forward and hefted the massive weapon above his head. The raiders had enough sense to run as fast as they could back down the alley, with the exception of their leader.

He stood transfixed by those eyes, unable to comprehend the fear he was feeling. "What- what can we do to fight that? What can anyone do against that?"

"Nothing!" Sion yelled before bringing his axe down, the ground in front of him erupting upwards from the impact. Many of the raiders were sent tumbling or flying into the brick walls of the alley. The closer ones didn't get back up.

"Fuck this!" One of them yelled as he turned, a missile launcher crudely attached to his battle saddle.

Fwoosh!

The alley was lit up a bright orange as the missile impacted Sion straight in the chest. The giant merely laughed.

He grabbed the upper body of the Steel Ranger he had killed and hurled it at the raider frantically trying to reload another missile. The armored body impacted the pony with a meaty crunch, and they both laid crumpled on the ground.

None of the other raiders even dared to look back after their leader was slaughtered. They all ran and tried to find hiding places, hoping neither the giant nor the nearby Steel Ranger detachment would find them. Two raiders, one with a spiky blonde mane and red coat, the other with a short brown mane and green coat, huddled behind the counter of a coffee shop nearby.

"What was that thing? I swear I saw it take Jet's missile to the face and it didn't even flinch!" The red mare asked as she dared to peek over the counter.

"Don't know and I don't want to find out. Listen as soon as the coast is clear we're heading back to the camp, with the boss gone it's every pony for themselves and I want a piece of that loot before it's all gone. You still got your-"

The mare put a hoof over his mouth and shushed him. "Shut up I heard something!" They sat still as the seconds dragged on, barely even breathing out of fear that the monster might hear them.

"Light em' up!" They heard a voice call out before the world around them burst into a cacophony of bright lights and rapid fire explosions.

"Damn Rangers!" The buck shouted as he pushed the mare to the floor, shielding her as best as he could from the shrapnel and debris.

After the barrage ended he fell off the mare, his breathing ragged and blood pouring from countless small wounds.

"We know you're in there filthy tribals! Take us to your camp and we might let you live!" One of the armored ponies called out as they approached the front of the coffee shop. Several more grenades were fired in their direction to accent the seriousness of their offer.

"We surrender you cunts stop shooting! Get me a healing potion before he dies!"

The closest ranger barked a laugh. "Tough luck, he shoulda fought for the winning side. Now get out here before we drop the roof on you and call it a day."

The red mare grit her teeth and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm not leaving you, come on we're gonna get you fixed up." She carefully draped him over her back, the taller buck's hooves dragging on the ground as she strained to carry him outside.

"You big idiot. I'm dead anyways just leave me. Save... Yourself..."

"Fuck that, and fuck you. You're not gonna die until I say so got it? Now shut up and take it like a stallion."

She was actually surprised that when she exited through what was left of the front door, the Rangers held their fire. "Well what do you know, maybe there are a few of you assholes with a little honor."

"Coming from a raider?" The lead ranger asked incredulously.

“Hey I didn’t want it to be like this. We didn’t have much of a choice after you fuckers showed up and flattened our town."

"Like I said, shoulda joined the winning side. Now hurry up sweetheart we have more raiders to fry before breakfast."

"Sweetheart?" She stopped short of reaching the closest ranger. "Now don't start getting any ideas just because I'm a mare!"

One of the Rangers in the back collapsed into a laughing fit. "With you? No telling where you've been, I wouldn't even let my dog have a roll with you."

The raider scowled but walked the rest of the way. Once she reached them a grin crept onto her muzzle. "Of course you guys must have felt pretty dumb. All that work and time spent on getting into that Stable in Fetlock, even massacring our little town, just to find out it's still sealed tight and you can't even get in. Bummer."

One of the Rangers growled and shoved the raider to the ground, the unconscious buck toppling off of her back. "Do not mock the Steel Rangers tribal, there are other ways to find the rest of you filth. We don't need your help."

"That's enough Knight Lamplight, back into line." A mare shouted from the back of the group as she approached the pair of raiders. "That goes for you too Knight Soy, we are Steel Rangers. We do not sink to their level for the sake of throwing petty insults. Both of you will be dealt with accordingly when we get back to base."

This one's armor bore different markings than the rest, and she was the only one with a missile launcher. "Get up raider, the sooner you help us the sooner the two of you will be on your way. Our medic will carry your friend and provide any emergency medical treatment necessary. This will guarantee your cooperation?"

The red unicorn couldn't hide the relief that washed over her features as she nodded.

"Good. Now tell me, what scattered your little band of thieves anyways?" Her answer came abruptly as a harrowing warcry shattered the stillness, followed by what sounded like a huge explosion in the distance.

The raider mare visibly shook as she stared at the direction the noise had come from. "That- that sounded like it was from our camp. That monster found us... It found us! We have to go right now!" She frantically shouted and pulled her friend away from the Steel Ranger's medic, his wounds already expertly treated.

"Calm down!" The paladin mare tried to reassert control over the situation. "What monster? I'm sure it's nothing our squad can't handle." Rhythmic tremors shot through the ground and disoriented the gathered rangers, many turning their attention to their paladin for an explanation.

An unearthly shout turned their blood to ice as the tremors grew. “NOTHING WILL STOP ME!”

“MOVE!” The paladin screamed as the brick building next to them collapsed into the street, dust and debris showering them. The majority of the gathered ponies were able to avoid the worst of it, but Knight Soy was not so lucky. The giant emerged from the collapsing building in a blur of speed, stopping only when he crushed the small knight. Nopony could see what happened through the dust, but seeing what was done to the building left little room for doubt.

"Fire!"

The eight Rangers unloaded their weapons into the street; the noisy light show would have made even wartime Equestria proud. A mix of rapid fire grenades and missiles, hails of minigun fire, and one Ranger even had a magical energy battle-saddle. All in an attempt to stop the behemoth who so easily trampled their comrade. After firing what ammo they could, most waited breathlessly as their power armor started the automatic reloading process.

The world fell silent.

"BLOOD! I REMEMBER!" The giant impossibly rose to his feet, charging the Rangers far too quickly for them to react. There was a flurry of violence, the giant crushed the soldiers with brutal blows causing far worse injuries than their armor could sustain. Steel-clad ponies were sent flying into buildings and sprawling across the street. They fought back as hard as they could, but the giant continued unhindered. Oblivious or uncaring of the injuries he received.

"IS THIS WHAT PASSES FOR WAR?"

"Die!" The last Ranger standing was the paladin mare, blood seeping from the joints in her armor as she planted herself to fire a missile at the giant. The point blank explosion sent the mare tumbling backwards, collapsing on top of a nearby pile of rubble.

She struggled to stand, to keep fighting or run, but her body was far past it's limit and even the pride of the Ministry of Wartime Technology had been pushed to it's limit. She settled for rolling onto her back and removing her helmet to look at the grey sky one last time. Locks of red hair covered much of her face, and much of her orange coat was stained crimson.

"You are small and weak, but you fight with courage. Worthy of being called a warrior. What is your name?" The giant spoke slowly, walking towards the fallen paladin while dragging his axe behind him.

She coughed as much as laughed, pulling a cigarette from behind her ear with no way to actually light it. "Sunrise, like the sarsaparilla."

The giant was covered in innumerous wounds, but he showed no difficulty in lifting his weapon. "Now you die!" He lifted the axe high above his head, ready to drop it on his latest victim. And then it fell, harmlessly at his feet.

"I... I remember..."

The raider mare stood over the fallen paladin, a knife held in her mouth and a look of defiance in her eyes.

"This memory... What is this memory!?" The giant shouted as he fell to his knees, both hands on his head. "WHY DO I REMEMBER?!"

The red mare looked horrified but quickly turned her attention to Sunrise. "Quickly before he unfucks himself! We need to move, can you walk?"

She groaned and rose to her hooves, putting the cigarette back behind her ear. "Not like I got anything better to do. What about that buck of yours?"

The raider mare let the ranger lean into her as they hurried down an alley. "My brother didn't survive the fight."

"I'm sorry."

^^^

"These memories... They are not mine. They cannot be mine. But..."

The giant sat alone, the collapsed house outside of the city giving him a 'scenic view' of the city's ruins. His axe lay beside him, long forgotten amidst his quiet contemplation.

"Poor forgotten general. There was a time when your name was shouted from the rooftops. And now you have been forgotten, just another body on the battlefield. You're leader thought to keep you as his pet, but no one can keep you from me."

The sound of chains clattered in the night.

"Who are you?"

"Names are meaningless, forgotten. Names cause only pain, do they not? And who knows pain more than you, great warrior?"

The chains grew louder.

"I can give you rest. I can make all the questions and painful memories go away. I can make you whole again."

The chains could be heard all around him now.

"Just... Let go."

Chapter 6 - Explorer's In Time

“You idiot! I can’t believe I listened to you!” The two adventurers ducked around a corner just in time to avoid countless magical lasers. The grey, metal wall across from them lit up bright red as it started to melt from the spray of magical death.

“How was I supposed to know this place had robot security with serious race issues?” Ekko shouted over the noisy robots in the hall behind them.

“It was called Robronco Robotics! This is a dead end, we’ll have to fight them.” Ezreal was beginning to really regret letting Ekko travel with him when they found each other.

“About time I get to fight something, was starting to think I would forget how.” He stretched and pulled out his sword, crouching next to the corner like a cat ready to pounce.

“You can’t just walk over there and beat them to death with that sorry excuse for a sword. They shoot lasers if you haven’t noticed. A lot of them.” Ezreal paced back and forth trying to come up with a plan. If he at least knew the layout of the building he could Arcane Shift to somewhere nearby to gain an upper hand. But doing so without knowing where your going was definitely not a good idea.

“Leave it to a Piltie to surrender before the fight even starts. Just watch me.” Ekko grinned and pulled the string on the contraption on his back. Then collapsed to the floor with singed hair, panting. “Okay, bad idea.”

Ezreal quirked an eyebrow but didn’t press the issue. “Okay here’s the plan, we both go at the same time. You take the one on the right and I’ll take the one on the left.”

“There’s three.” Ekko deadpanned. But still they didn’t have a better option so he stood up and pulled the string on his prized invention yet again.

“Well then we’ll improvise!” They both jumped around the corner into a hail of magical lasers.

“Better wiped than striped!” One of the protectaponies shouted as they all unleashed waves of magical death down the hall. Ezreal was the first to land a hit, using his magic amulet to hurl magic beans of his own back at the robots. With a pop one of the robots collapsed in a heap.

Ekko threw his time distortion grenade at a second, the device hitting the robot twice before returning to its young inventor as he leaped through the air. He landed on top of the robot and slashed down with his sword, cutting it’s head in half as it collapsed to the floor.

The third robot directed it’s fire at Ezreal as it filled the hallway with magical death. In a blink of an eye Ezreal reappeared behind the robot, unleashing a burst of magic into the back of it’s head. The robot collapsed to the floor in a heap as smoke poured from it’s burning head.

“See, nothing to it.” Ekko laughed as he jumped off the protectapony he killed.

With a beep two turrets in the ceiling spun to face them. The color drained from Ezreal’s face. “Well that’s just not fair.”

“Take that!”

A small beam of light came from an intersecting hallway, shortly before the whole building lit up. A massive laser engulfed the two turrets and blew them apart instantly. As did the wall behind them, allowing light from outside to fill the dark hall. When their savior stepped into the hall Ezreal couldn’t believe it.

“Lady Luminosity? What are you doing here?”

She frowned but spoke with no less grace than was expected of a Demacian noble. “Please, just call me Lux. In truth I was hoping to find you. You’ve traveled more than anyone I’ve heard of, mapped places no one else has even been. Do you have any idea where we are?”

He sighed and kicked the robot at his feet. “Not really. I started mapping this place as soon as I got here, but I have no idea where ‘here’ is. I thought that my amulet brought me here like it’s done to other places in the past, but if you two are here that can’t be the case.”

Ekko chimed in from the side. “Hey I’m here too! Don’t you want to ask me what I think?”

Lux glanced at Ekko and waved. “Oh right, hi. So what was that about a map?”

He pulled out a rolled up map and spread it out on the floor. It showed a small mountain chain with a nearby village, a large crater, and several scattered buildings across the barren wasteland. Near the bottom of the map was a large gathering of buildings, one of which bore the inscription Robronco Robotics Manufacturing.

“We’re right here, and I woke up here in the hills above this village. The locals here are… odd.”

“Odd?” Lux asked as she looked over the incredibly detailed map.

“Come on you guys don’t ignore me!” Ekko protested and was yet again ignored.

“They are equine in nature, but smaller. Some are the size of full grown horses, but the majority are smaller, like a young horse. They vary in color from normal colors to some of the most outrageous shades of pink and other abnormal colors. And apparently they can talk.”

Lux looked at him incredulously, but Ekko couldn’t contain himself. He erupted into laughter and nearly collapsed to the floor. “Talking rainbow colored horses? You sure you didn’t hit your head or something?”

“Well actually judging by their body structure I’d say they’re more like ponies than horses…”

“Talking ponies!? Oh it’s just too much!” He collapsed to the floor laughing while the others did their best to ignore him.

Ezreal rolled the map back up and sighed. “I haven’t tried interacting with them in any way yet though. I’ve learned it’s better to avoid natives in strange lands if at all possible.”

Ekko groaned and held his stomach. “But they gotta have some kind of food right? I’m starving over here!”

“You’re not starving, it can’t have even been a full day since the last time you ate.” Ezreal chided before his stomach growled. “But I see your point.”

Lux face palmed and shook her head. “Look between the three of us I’m sure we’ll be fine. In Demacia every soldier is trained to know the four necessities for survival. And first on that list is water. Don’t know about you two but I don’t want to drink anything I’ve seen so far.”

“And if anyone has clean water it would probably be that settlement, you’re right. I guess after we check this place out we should head there next. Ekko you feel up to taking point so-”

“You are trespassing on private property. Surrender and be annihilated.”

“Oh you can’t be serious.”

“RUN!” Lux screamed as a huge robot rolled around the corner. Missiles streaked through the air around them before they even got the chance to dodge, destroying a large portion of the building around them with rapid concussive blasts.

The trio were scattered by the assault, saved only by the prismatic shield Lux threw around them. Ekko was thrown into a bathroom, but the others landed among the rubble on the outside of the building.

“What… the fuck… is that?” Ezreal asked as he helped Lux to her feet. The massive robot rolled into the opening of the building, it’s armored chest plate read Siege Breaker Sentry Bot Mk VIII. Its tracking sensors quickly found its targets and within seconds two powerful miniguns were spinning up.

Lux and Ezreal ducked behind a stone wall just as the sentry opened fire, filling the air with noisy death. “We can’t stay here!” Lux tried to shout over the noise but she could barely even hear herself think after the missiles from before.

The fire stopped just long enough for her to realize what was going on. She threw another shield around herself and Ezreal just as more missiles struck, blowing their cover apart and sending them flying. Lux didn’t get back up.

Ezreal shakily got to his feet, blood dripping from his ears as well as numerous cuts. When his vision cleared he saw Ekko attacking the massive robot in close quarters, striking at everything that looked like a weak spot. He managed a lucky strike, disabling the sentries left arm. Unfortunately doing so left him open for a counterattack from the guard’s right arm.

The blow crushed Ekko to the ground next to the sentry, he gasped for air between coughing fits. The sentry spun up its minigun to finish the inventor off at point blank range.

“Hah!” Ezreal put all his remaining strength into an Arcane Barrage, sending a wave of magical energy at the sentry. In his disoriented state he missed it’s arm, but managed to disable two of its legs. It collapsed backwards and was unable to reach Ekko, but it still aimed its minigun at the unconscious Lux.

“Target aquired.”

“No!” The sentry was too far for Ezreal to stop it, but he had one option left. He arcane shifted in front of Lux and spread his arms wide. Sacrificing himself to save the princess? He supposed it was a fitting death for an adventurer.

“Too slow!” Ekko laughed as he stabbed his sword through the sentry’s head. He jumped away from the robot in time to avoid the massive explosion that followed. Of course he didn’t look back. “Trying to play the hero? That’s pretty lame Piltie.”

Ezreal shook his head but smiled anyways. “Yeah I guess it kinda was. Guess I read too many comics books as a kid.” They shared a laugh as Ezreal checked on Lux.

Ekko erupted into another coughing fit. When he pulled his hand away it was covered in blood. “Hey that’s bad right?”

Ezreal looked up after wrapping Lux’s head with bandages. “That’s not good. We need to get you to a doctor, both of you. She has a concussion if not worse, and no telling what kind of internal injuries you have.”

“Like you’re one to talk, your ears are bleeding dude.”

Ezreal shrugged before picking Lux up, carrying her like a cat. A large and surprisingly heavy cat. “Yeah I can hardly hear right now. Luckily I learned how to read lips a long time ago. Guess we don’t have a choice but to go back to that village now.”

Ekko groaned as he held his stomach. “I really hope they don’t try to eat us or something. Or if they do I hope they eat me first so I don’t have to watch them eat you two.”

“I’m just going to pretend I have no idea what you just said. Mind getting her magic stick thing so we can get going? It landed somewhere back there.”

“Fine… Why does trouble always come whenever there’s a Piltie around…” Ekko grumbled as he searched for Lux’s wand.

“I’m not totally deaf you know, I can still hear you.”

“You were supposed to!”