Chapters Spiral Knights: Equis Orders
Location: Cradle
The Clockworks
Depth 19
Gremlin Dimensional Facility-Crimson Order
The Gremlin Darkfang Thwacker walked slowly down the dimly light facility, though the dark corridors. As he walked past the Bolt Knight guards, he shuddered from nervousness. The dark room was only lit by blood-red lights. A large desk sat in the middle. The chair swerved, and the feared Warmaster Druset, member of the Crimson Order, looked back at him. The Thwacker bowed shakily. Druset waved his claw dismissively.
"Is everything ready?" He snapped.
"Yes, Warmaster. The transporter is online and fully operational." the Thwacker said, rather frightened.
"Good. I wish to activate it myself." Druset said, with a sour grin. As the two of them walked out, they failed to notice the intruder alert icon on the main console...
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Later in the facility's testing room, the large, dome-like transporter was glowing with energy. Large pylons of steel were delicately placed on the top. The main core was shining brightly with cobalt light. On the balcony overlooking the room, Druset looked down with pride. he cackled underneath his mask.
"All these years of interruptions by the Iron Invaders, now we cam finally strike back at them! Launch the transporter!" He barked.
A Bolt Knight hit the switch. The machine sputtered, then came to life. two beams of crimson energy came out of the machine and vortexed together into a frame between the pylons. The energy swirled and cracked, causing gusts of wind to rampage throughout the room. Suddenly, a cry of distress was heard from one of the technicians.
"WARMASTER! the machine is over-fluctuating and the power core is unstable! I can't guarantee that it will continue to function!"
"Keep the power flowing! I wish to see this completed!" Druset yelled.
Suddenly, the machine exploded in a brilliant crimson light. The metal shrapnel was sent flying across the room. Large chunks of machinery hurtled around. The smoke obscured any report of success or failure. Suddenly, two small beings stumbled out of the transporter. One was cyan blue, with rainbow colored hair, with what seemed to be wings on its back. The other one was lavender, with a horn and wings, with purple and pink hair. Druset motioned to a squad of Bolt Knights. As the Bolt Knights approached, the Rainbow one started to stir...
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Rainbow Dash was having a bad day. After two mysterious beams of light had sucked her and Twilight into them right in the midst of all her friends and Ponyville, she had just now tried to stand up. Her aching body resisted, but she eventually stood up shakily, and then collapsed again.
"Wait. where are we?" she said faintly. "What happened?"
Twilight tried to reply, but she was smacked with the flat edge of a Bolt Knight's sword, and she fell unconscious. Rainbow had just now gotten her bearings, and the next thing she knew, the flat of a sword smacked into the back of her skull. Rainbow collapsed, out cold. As the beings were dragged to the prisoner wing, they failed to notice a large group of Spiral Knights watching them from atop the glass dome. The lead Knight motioned, and the group used plasma cutters to cut holes in the dome. Rappelling down, the Knights rushed to the door. Before they could reach it, it closed. The Lead Knight swore under his breath. He looked around, and seeing a large ladder, he motioned. The Knights ascended, reaching a large catwalk. From there, they began to follow the Bolt Knights, using the catwalk for cover. Then, a Gremlin, absentmindedly fiddling with a datapad while walking towards them, was caught by the lead knight in a headlock.
"Where are those Bolt Knights taking them?" The lead knight said, taking out an Archeron sword. The Gremlin paled at the shadow energy coming off the blade.
"The prisoner wing." he gasped.
"Where is that? Be specific." the Knight said, inching the feared blade closer.
"Next floor down."
"Give me the access codes needed to bypass the sentries." the Knight said.
"ALRIGHT! Just let me live!" he whimpered. He made a few taps on the datapad, and the codes appeared in the Knight's HUD. He smiled, and then knocked out the Gremlin, while motioning for the group to follow. After a few minutes, they arrived at the familiar elevator. They boarded, and the elevator gates came up. As the Knights readied weapons, the elevator descended, leaving no trace behind.
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As Lieutenant Varias woke up from a nap, one of the many he had taken, the rest of his squad was still asleep. He noticed two new cages had been brought in.
"For what? or Who?" he thought.
Soon after, two Bolt Knights dragged two equine creatures through the door, followed by Scull, Druset's lieutenant. He unlocked the cage doors and the Constructs threw the creatures in. After slamming the doors shut, he looked over at the captive Spiral Knights.
"Enjoying your stay, Iron Invader?" he cackled at Varias.
"Just fine, Scull. We gonna get our rations for the day, gearhead?"
"Soon. Have some talking time with your new guests. They're gonna be with you a while." He grinned, and then he left, cackling to himself.
As soon as he left, one of the Equine creatures, the lavender one started to stir.
"What...what happened?" she said groggily.
"Oh, nothing much. Just a little Gremlin scheme to take over alternate dimensions, from what I heard. Welcome to the spectacular Dimensions Facility, maintained by hundreds of Gremlin warriors. Your new home for whoever knows how long." Varias said, laughing.
"Well, that answers some questions, but adds some new ones. What are you?" the equine creature, whose voice marked it as a she, asked.
"Lieutenant Varias. I'm a Spiral Knight."
"I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle. Pleasure to meet you. But what's a Spiral Knight?" she asked.
"We're a group of interplanetary explorers and warriors. Welcome to our home for a while, the planet Cradle." Varias replied.
"Cradle, so that's were we are. Are we on the surface?"
"Below it, actually. We are at depth 19 in the Clockworks." Varias replied.
"Clockworks? Wait, below?" She exclaimed, rather surprised.
"Yep. We are in the Clockworks, which is the name we were given when we made contact with the Strangers, Cradle's inhabitants. The told us that Cradle is hollow, with 24 floors. The floors extend all the way down to the core of Cradle, a massive energy source. It can power our ship and allow us to return home. We can't do it now, though"
"So why can't you do it?"
"Because we can't harness the power that the core contains. It's simply too powerful. And it's inside a containment seal. When a crack squad of Knights entered the core, we learned that there's some evil being known as the Swarm feeding off it like a leech. We open it to tap into its energy, then the Swarm gets out, and it will devour everything and everyone. And pretty much destroy the planet. The Gremlins were originally supposed to protect this world, but the responsibility fell to us. That happened when the squad was contacted by the team that originally went into the core. They said that they were brought into the core to be the guardians of a being known as the Sleeper, that the Swam is trying to destroy for some reason."
"Wait, then how did the Knights get in the core in the first place?" Twilight asked.
Varias took a breath. "Well, it all started with the Morai. A group of invaders. The wars we fought with them crippled and wiped out our world, Isora. So we outfitted a ship, the Skylark, to find a new energy source to restore Isora. After years in hyperspace, we discovered Cradle. As we were about to land, Energy blasts rocked the ship and crippled the Skylark, cutting it in two. Everyone was ordered to evacuate. Knights are still landing at the rescue site as of now. The Strangers gave us food, water shelter, and most importantly, information. Long story about ancient Cradle, but thing is, we are still battling the Clockworks. It's changing as if its alive. It's impossible to plot a course that isn't changed by the pattern. The Strangers were being attacked by the Gremlins, and in return for the shelter and supplies they gave us, they wanted us to harvest the minerals found in the clockworks."
"Have you guys tried escaping?" Rainbow Dash said, getting up. Slamming into the bars, she received a powerful electric shock.
"The bars are electrified. We learned that day one. They really don't want any of us leaving." one of Varias's team members said.
Twilight sent out a blast of magic, but it failed to do anything.
"Nice light show." Another Knight commented.
"Say we do get out. What then?" Twilight said.
"Escape is near impossible. Tier 3 Rocket Puppies at every vantage point. Trigger-happy gremlins everywhere. It's easier said than done." Varias replied.
Suddenly, the sounds of clashing swords and strange cracks were heard. Then, the doors blew open. A figure stood in the doorway. "Near impossible is still possible, Lieutenant." The figure said. "Good to see you guys alright."
The figure walked into the room, followed by nearly ten other Spiral Knights. Their armor was yellow and gray, with a badge emblazoned with a spiked crown on a striped background, carrying pistols and swords. The first figure was wearing a brown and grey fur coat, and was wearing a hood with a strange visor. He was carrying a large white sword, the biggest Twilight and Rainbow had ever seen. On his arm was a shield emblazoned with a horse's head, with two small parrying blades strapped to the back of the shield. Floating on his left side was what Twilight thought to be a dragon, with Large horns, neck spikes, and large claws. Occasionally it would emit small tufts of flame.
"Vanguard Chasehassen. Figures they'd send the best to get us." Varias said.
"You can say that again. Let's blow this facility sky-high."
As the yellow knights worked on getting the rest of Varias's squad out of their cages and getting them armed, Chasehassen walked over to Rainbow and Twilight's cage. He smiled underneath his hood.
"Guess we gotta bring you along. Come on. Let's get the heck out of here."
Spiral Knights: Equis Orders
Haven and the Hall of Heroes
As the motley crew arrived in the bustling burg of Haven, Twilight shielded her eyes to protect them from the blinding sunlight. Two horse-headed knights waved them through, and Twilight looked at Varias.
"Spiral Wardens. They're the heavy forces of the Spiral Order. We call them the Calvary."
"Neat." Twilight replied, still impressed by their stature above the rest of the knights.
As Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Chase, and Varias separated from the group of Recon Rangers and Varias's squad, A young squire ran up and saluted Chase.
"Vanguard Chasehassen, Commanders Barrus and Feron wish to see you and the creatures you rescued at the Hall of Heroes. After that, they want them to receive a checkup at the lab."
"Roger that" Chase replied, and the small knights scurried off. As Twilight, Rainbow, and her friends walked past the Grand Fountain and the Auction house, Twilight was intrigued by the number of knights of various heights, all wearing armor of different shapes, colors, and sizes. She could hear shouts, laughter, and conversations emanating from the lively building, and she was tempted to stop and chat with them, but a look from Varias told her not now. . She nodded and walked to the Garrison with the knights. As they entered, she saw four Spiral Wardens guarding a columned building. As they approached, they saluted the Knights and let the group in.
As they entered the hall, Twilight could see knights wearing and wielding all sorts of armor and weapons. As they rounded the corner, she could see more Spiral Wardens, and two knights, one blue and one primarily grey and silvery blue, were talking. When they saw them, they motioned for the two of them to come up.
"Greetings. I am Lieutenant Barrus, this is Lieutenant Feron. We wish to speak with the four of you regarding Chasehassen's discovery." the one with the red scarf said.
"Well, it's kind of a long story, but I think I can explain who we are and what happened." Twilight said. "It happened back on Equestria, where Rainbow Dash and I are from........"
45 Minutes later
"and that's what happened!" Twilight said, rather exhausted. Barrus clutched his chin in thought.
"I see. Those Gremlins have some nerve kidnapping you two from your world like this. Much less royalty." he said, with a kind look to Twilight. "However, this is concerning. The Gremlins could pull more ponies from your world and use them as bargaining chips or test subjects for who-knows-what. It is most concerning."
"That may be a valid point, Lieutenant, but I have the answer to that. They can't. Not without THIS!" Chase said in triumph, holding up a data codex. "This codex contains the schematics and all the data they gathered. I stole it from the testing room when I was still fighting my way in. With this, and with the right materials, we might be able to build our own. Problem is, I can't decode this computer-speak. Not really my thing anyway."
"The techs can handle that. Good job. You truly deserve your Vanguard rank now, if you didn't have it already. However, building this could be very time consuming, and most of our attention is diverted to rebuilding the Skylark. However, If we have the resources, and the Techs agree to build it, we can try." Feron said with a matter of this-decision-is-final towards Barrus, who nodded in agreement. Twilight smiled.
"Thank you very much. Problem is, we don't know how the other knights are going to react to us." Rainbow Dash said.
"We can put up an announcement in the message boards alerting the knights not to harm you and to treat you with respect. The Spiral Order will take care of everything that needs to be done. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, I am placing you under Chasehassen's care. If you have a problem, talk to him. Now, the lab is down near the entrance to the Garrison. Biotech Hahn has finally looked up from his work for once and agreed to do a checkup on you two regarding this being the first time a new species has arrived on Cradle besides the Spiral Order. I would advise going there as soon as you can. Thank you for your time. Dismissed." Barrus said.
Chase and Varias saluted and led the girls out of the Hall of Heroes. As the four of them left, Barrus smiled.
"50 crowns that they get into a fight with that gremlin at the lab."
"Your are on, my fellow lieutenant. Double or nothing!"
Spiral Knights: Equis Orders
When you enter the core.....
Equestria
Everfree Forest
"Uhhhh....ouch.." Was the only thing that Lieutenant Grantz, Alpha Squad Guardian, could say as he sat up. He was in some sort of forest, and judging by the fact that his motion sensor and minimap was offline, he wasn't on Cradle anymore. As he sat up, he noticed that next to him was his Sudaruska, Triglav, and Ironmight plate shield. As he equipped his gear, he suddenly felt at peace and calm, as if he was in some sort of harmonic euphoria. As he got to his feet, he noticed a small light coming from beyond the woods.
"That probably means help. Where there's help, there's civilization." He said to himself, and he set off at a brisk walk towards it. Soon, he was tackled by a blurred figure. Grantz reached for his Sudaruska, then he began to laugh. It was only the Alpha Squad Medic, Rulen.
"Rulen! What are you doing here?"
"Same as you. I died. Horde of Swarm impaled me."
"Figures. I know were are not on Cradle, or Isora for that matter. I didn't have any luck contacting Euclid or Parma about our situation. You get anything through?"
"Nope, so we are stuck here. Might as well keep moving."
As the two Knights walked along, they failed to notice the rope snare set up right in the middle of the path. As they walked over it, Rulen was strung up like a pig on a hook. Except in a snare trap.
"What in the name!" Rulen yelled, unable to cut the rope as he had dropped his Ascended Calibur.
"I'll get you down!" Grantz yelled.
As this all transpired, three small creatures watched them. They were white, orange, and yellow, and all had red capes on their backs. As they prepared to announce themselves, one sneezed.
Grantz heard it, and immediately unleashed a barrage of Needles from his Blitz Needle towards where it came from. One of the needles severed the rope, causing Rulen to fall down.
"OUCH!" Rulen yelled as he landed roughly.
"Sorry about that. Lets get you up!" Grantz said as he pulled Rulen to his feet.
Suddenly three small creatures jumped into view, and immediately yelled
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ALIEN TRAPPERS!"
Rulen, being incredibly pissed off, immediatley readied his Arcana, pointing it right near their faces.
"RULEN!" Grantz yelled.
"What" Rulen replied, not lowering his Arcana, and not leaving the three creatures out of his gaze. They had frightened expressions on their faces.
"Put. Your. Gun. Away. Period!" Grantz said, with a harsh tone. "They're just kids. They didn't know any better. Just leave them be."
"I still don't think it's a good idea to let whoever else is here know that WE are here. Get my gist?"
"I do. But our priority is getting back to Cradle and the Spiral Order."
"Our new priority for me is staying alive here."
"Listen here, Rulen. We may be equals in rank, but common sense outranks everything. Put the gun away. Maybe they can help us."
"Yeah!" One voiced, the one with the horn, Grantz noticed.
"Be quiet, please. We are talking." Rulen siad to them, and them looked Grantz right in the eye.
"Fine. I guess I overreacted. I guess the Swarm did something to my mind. Sorry, you three."
"It's fine. We were camping out, and we saw you two, and we thought we could get our cutie marks in trapping."
"Cutie mark?"
"Well, it's a mark you get when you find your special talent. We don't have them, and we've been getting teased for it."
"I see. We may not have them either, but get us somewhere where we can sleep, get us some food, and we'll see about us helping you out. Sounds good?" Grantz asked, and the three nodded.
"Well, let's get moving."
As the five walked towards Ponyville, a Tall, horseheaded being watched them. His Warden blade hing on his side, as well as his shield. His armor was black and battle scarred, and he though for a second before talking.
"Wait."
As the five turned, he stepped into view.
"A Spiral Warden?" Grantz asked.
"Yes. My name is Arkus. I wish to join your little group, Grantz and Rulen, of the Alpha Squad."
"Go ahead, we could use the company." Rulen quipped.
As Arkus walked towards them, the three beings were dumbfounded by his size, as Grantz could tell.
"No need to be frightened, little ones. I mean no harm."
"Friend of yours?" One asked.
"Yep. He's one of our kind. Never imagined one could make it here with us. But we can talk tomorrow. We need to get moving."
"Agreed."
As the five became six, they discussed names, where they were, and lodging.
Grantz noticed that Arkus was silent most of the time, only speaking when spoken to. At one point, Applebloom thought she heard a sniff coming from Arkus, but she dismissed it. As they neared the Treehouse, Arkus sat down near the edge of the tree.
"I will rest here. I doubt this tree can hold by armor."
"I see. Well, see you in the morning Arkus!" Sweetie Bell said. As they climbed the ladder, Grantz and Rulen were given a few apples and some blankets. As they ate, they asked a few questions.
"So, who exactly is in charge here?"
"That would be the princesses, but one's in the Crystal Empire, two are in the capitalm, Canterlot, and Twilight, well, she and Rainbow Dash disappeared into two beams of energy, but we only found this.
Sweetie Bell levitated a small piece of metal towards them, and Grantz recognized the seven-toothed gear and the wrench.
"I think I know who kidnapped the Princess Twilight."
"WHO!" the three of them immediately yelled.
"The Crimson Order."
"Who?"
"Gremlins are some of the creatures that inhabit the world the Spiral Knights are stranded on. They live beneath the surface, and they owe their allegiance to the Crimson Order, made up of seven Gremlins, who report to their king, Tinkinzar. They are ruthless, and I think that they might have kidnapped the Princess and her friend. The Gremlins are some of the greatest Inventors we have ever met, and they are NOT friendly towards the Spiral Corps. They probably built a teleporter or something like that, and they must have randomly picked targets. I can't say for sure, but it is a definite possibility. As far as I know, the only beings capable of cross-planet teleportation, if they tried, would be the Gremlins."
"Wow."
"Listen, it's getting late, and We've got to get some rest. Don't Touch ANYTHING in our gear, and I mean, ANYTHING. It's dangerous, and you could hurt yourselves badly if you messed with it."
As the two of them drifted off to sleep, Arkus stayed awake for a bit, then he drifted off as well.
Then he had a dream.
He was standing in the sky. The stars glowed around him As he looked down, he could see the treehouse and a small town nearby. A large farm sat near the town. Every "Pony" here was sleeping, Arkus thought.
"You are troubled. I sense much anger in you."
Arkus turned and saw a pony, midnight blue and deep blue, walk towards him. She had wings and a horn, and she carried herslef in a royal manner.
"I can presume that you are of the two Princesses in Canterlot?"
"Yes. I am Princess Luna. I have been searching the dreamworlds for Twilight and her friend, but to now avail. But you, Arkus, are troubled and sad. A great loss has blackened your heart."
"I should have protected them. My whole team, gone."
"Sometimes one must learn to let the past go."
"How are you telling me this?"
"I am the Princess of the Night. I can walk through each ponies's dreams, and the dreams of every being that visits Equestria. Dreams are meant to be fully dreamed, and I have helped some with great troubles let them go."
"I see. But I saw my team die right before my eyes. A horde of Dust Zombies ambushed them. I just feel that it was my fault. I failed as a Spiral Warden."
"You say that you have failed, yet you will find Solace in this world. We are peaceful ponies. I believe that you will Let it go someday."
"I thank you, Princess. I do wish to rest."
"As you wish."
Arkus slept, his dreams untroubled and peaceful.
Spiral Knights: Equis Orders
The Great Escape(No Pun Intended)
Depth 19
Cradle
Dimensional Facility
As the motley group walked out of the containment area of the facility, Twilight looked at the yellow knights. All were wearing the same colors, with the only difference being their armor. Some were wearing brigantines, others a flak jacket, others a culet. All were carrying a shield with the logo of the spiked crown. Varias noticed Twilight studying the logo and whispered to her.
"Those are the Recon Rangers. They''re the best of the best, often compared to Rhendon's Scarlet Scouts. They get to do the fun stuff."
"Define fun." Twilight whispered back.
Varias said blankly, "The very deadly stuff is what the Rangers call fun."
"I see. What's the dragon doing here?" Twilight replied. "At least, it looks like a dragon."
"It's not a dragon. It's a Drakon-Class Battle Sprite. Battle Sprites are used by knights who have obtained the qualifications to boost their combat prowess. There are three types, Drakon, which is pure offensive, Maskeraith, with uses toxins and subterfuge, and the Seraphynx, that is mostly support-oriented. Chase's is Level 100, meaning He chose his ultimate skills. I'm surprised at the bond they have!"
"Wait. Swords up, knights!" Chasehassen suddenly whispered.
A patrol of Mecha Knights walked by, accompanied by a Darkfang mender. The first Mecha knight noticed the Knights, and went to investigate. It's head was promptly knocked off by Chasehassen's Leviathan Blade. The second knight tried to draw its sword, but Chasehassen cut one of it's legs off, the pulled out a Master Blaster, then shot it in between the eyes. The Mender tried to run, but a few shots later, it disintegrated into purple smoke. Chasehassen smiled.
"All Clear. Let's keep moving."
Dimensional Facility
Warmaster Druset's Office
"WHAT!!!"
The small Darkfang thwacker cowered in fear. "I said, Warmaster, the test subjects..."
"I KNOW THAT! RECOVER THEM AT ANY COST! UNDERSTAND?" Druset screamed with rage.
"Yes, Warmaster." the Thwacker replied, shivering from fright.
As the small Gremlin left the office, Druset scowled.
"Those Iron invaders think they can make off with my offerings to the great King. Well, they have another surprise coming. He pushed a small button on a console. Below him, a massive map of the facility, lay before him. He smiled evilly.
"Those Iron Invaders have another thing coming!"
He pressed a button on a radio.
"Scull, is the ambush ready?"
"Yes. The courtyard is secure. They will not escape."
"I'm counting on you to see to that."
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Dimensional Facility courtyard
As the
"There's the elevator. Let's move." Varias yelled.
As the knights boarded the elevator, Chasehassen promptly boarded last, with his shield up, and as he boarded, several large girders fell, linking the elevator to the skies above. Twilight and Raibow promptly fell down from exhaustion, warranting a few laughs from the Recon Rangers.
As the elevator started to ascend, the Recon Rangers, tired from the battle, sat down and broke out some rations. Chasehassen just walked over to Varias and smiled. Varias grinned.
"So, where exactly is this taking us?" Twilight asked, half-asleep.
"Like I said back in the facility, Twilight. Our home away from home. The city of Haven." Varias said, with a smile.
Dimensional Facility
Warmaster Druset's office
"YOU HAVE FAILED, SCULL! YOU LET THEM ESCAPE!" Druset screamed with wrath and pure anger.
Scull cowered. "I'm sorry, sir."
Druset scowled. "That will not suffice. GET THEM BACK!"
Scull nodded. "Another thing, Warmaster."
Druset frowned. "What now?"
Scull paced, than stammered. "T--t--they took the data from the transporter. Without that data, we can't rebuild the machine. We can't recreate the data, let alone try to pull more of those creatures through. They also stole the codex with all of the readings for the first test. Without that, even if we were to rebuild it, we would have no way of knowing how much power to send through it at any time."
Druset motioned with his hand. A red Lumber construct, with the head on fire, carrying an axe, and severely damaged from battle, walked in. Druset made another motion, and the axe swung down. Scull's head dropped to the floor, before the rest of his body disintegrated, along with his head. Druset scowled.
"You have failed, Scull. You pledged to not let them escape. They succeeded in doing so. Now, may your spirit find rest. Good job, Ironwood Sentinel. Leave me."
As the Sentinel left, Warmaster Druset frowned. He pulled up the videotape from the cameras around the facility. He saw the knights battle their way in and out. But her recognized one in particular. He scowled at the footage of Chasehassen.
"That knight killed you. I will avenge him, brother. Warmaster Seerus will have his REVENGE!" Druset screamed.
Elevator
As Chasehassen slept, he felt a chill, even through his Ash Tail coat. He frowned, adjusted it, and looked at Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle sleeping under a blanket given to then by a Ranger. He smiled.
"I'll protect you two. Even if I die, I won't let anything hurt you." he whispered, and he fell back to sleep.
