Equestria: Salvation

The next morning, Pinkamena, Pip, and the little filly started working on a car, to get it to run. Pinkamena did most of the grunt work. She pulled intact parts out of other cars and put them into place in a four-seater jeep. As Pinkamena sorted out wires, one of them sparked and caught her in the upper hoof. She winced and dropped the wires. The little filly pulled a small bandage from her pouch and put it on the cut. Pinkamena and the filly looked at each other.

“So,” Pip said. “Get it working?”

“Almost,” Pinkamena answered.

“Good,” Pip nodded. “Look. I figure we head east. Right? We go through the desert then we can connect with the Resistance.” Pinkamena looked up from her work.

“I’m heading north,” she said.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Pip argued. “The machines control the whole northern sector up to Fillydelphia. That’s Starnet Central.”

“I have to find somepony,” Pinkamena said.

“There’s a lot that you don’t know about Starnet, OK,” Pip said. “It’s just too dangerous for us to go there.”

“What about the L.P. Branch?” Pinkamena asked. The little filly jumped into the passenger seat.

“Come on, girl,” Pip said to Pinkamena. “We need to get out of L.P.” Pinkamena ignored her and turned to the engine. She connected a cord and the engine lit up with a roar. Pinkamena smiled. The radio turned on and started to play a song. Pinkamena listened in. The song brought back memories. Memories of her sister. Pinkamena's smile faded.

“What is that?” Pip asked.

“Something my sister used to listen to,” Pinkamena regretted. Unable to handle the pain, she walked over to the radio and shut it off. The little filly looked at her with a look that said, “Hey…”

“Pumpkin, get out,” Pinkamena said. Pumpkin Cake looked at Pinkamena with a begging eye. “Don’t look at me like that Pumpkin,” Pinkamena said. “Get out. Get out!” Pumpkin Cake jumped out of the jeep as Pinkamena sighed.

“You’re leaving?” Pip asked. “You’re gonna leave us?!” Pinkamena shut the hood of the jeep and walked around the car. “Oh, I get it,” Pip said. Pinkamena threw some garbage out of the jeep. “You want to know the difference between us and the machines?” Pip wondered. “We bury our dead. But nopony is coming to bury you.” Pinkamena glared at Pip. Pip motioned for Pumpkin Cake to come with her, but Pumpkin Cake didn’t move. She was frozen, just like when the Hunter Killer was approaching. Pip and Pinkamena whipped around to see a small drone hovering near the jeep.

“Airsat!” Pip cried. She jumped into the jeep as Pinkamena grabbed Pumpkin Cake and threw her into the back seat. Pinkamena jumped in the car. “It’s a scout for the Terminators!” Pip said.

“Go!” Pinkamena yelled. “Drive!” Pip put the jeep into gear and sent the vehicle down the hill. The jeep bounced around on the rough road, airsat in pursuit.

“It must have heard the music!” Pip assumed. As Pip made a sharp turn, the jeep went slightly up on two wheels.

“Keep it steady!” Pinkamena cried.

“I’ve never driven before!” Pip said. The airsat flew around to the side of the vehicle. “Hold the wheel!” Pip cried. Pinkamena grabbed the steering wheel as Pip proceeded to kick the machine away. But the machine started to scan Pip’s face.

“This thing’s pissing me off!” Pinkamena cried. The airsat finished its scan and flew away. Pip took the wheel again as Pinkamena frantically searched for something to bring down the machine. Pumpkin Cake gave her a lug wrench. Pinkamena stood out of the top of the jeep and hurled the wrench at the airsat. The wrench got wedged in the turbine and sent the machine crashing down. Pinkamena sat back down as Pip drove a little further. Sick of Pip’s driving, Pinkamena pulled the brake lever and stopped the vehicle. Pip panted heavily.

“If the idea is to stay alive, I’m driving,” Pinkamena growled. She shoved Pip out of the driver’s seat and slid into it. Pip walked around to the passenger’s seat and got in.
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Velvet Remedy walked down into the map room, where Braveheart had called for her.

“We've seen a lot of enemy movement in L.P.,” Braveheart informed.

“Are there any ponies in the area?” Velvet Remedy asked.

“Two on the ground,” the map reader said. “Two 810s near, Spitfire, and Applejack.”

“Send the birds in,” Remedy ordered. “Guide them to a safe area.”
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The two heavy jet planes flew over the ruined L.P. skyline. The map reader relayed the orders.

“Roger,” Applejack replied. “Count 6, 7, copy all. Southbound to point one two five, airliner three. Over.”

“Roger,” the map reader said.

“Copy, Route Eagle,” Spitfire said. “All copy.” The two jets flew off toward their designated target area.
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Pinkamena pulled up to a broken down gas station. The supports were barely holding up the wooden overhang. Pip jumped out of the jeep with her shotgun, hood pulled up. Pumpkin Cake followed her as she began to load her shotgun. Pip cautiously looked around, wary of Terminators. Pinkamena looked at the broken building. As Pip looked up at the station's sign, she saw the Resistance symbol painted on it. She walked into the store, still cautious. She spotted a bottle of milk, that had just recently been drank out of.

“Hey,” she whispered with hope. “There's somepony here.” Suddenly, a gang of thugs jumped out of hiding places and pointed their guns at Pip and Pumpkin Cake. Pip raised her shotgun as Pinkamena walked in. The leader of the gang walked in as well. A strong, red stallion with a work harness around his neck. He had a blonde, untidy mane and tail.

“Is there a problem?” Pinkamena asked.

“Yeah, we saw your Resistance symbol,” Pip added.

“The old mare put it there, not me,” the stallion huffed. “What do you want?”

“We're looking for fuel,” Pinkamena said.

“The dark season's coming,” the stallion said, as he raised his shotgun. “We've only got enough for ourselves.”

“You point that gun at somepony you better be ready to pull the trigger,” Pip warned. Pinkamena felt that the warning was delivered at the wrong time.

“Put your guns down, everypony,” a creaky voice said in the back. Everypony turned to see an old mare in the back of the room. She held a walking stick in one hoof, and her white mane was hanging around her shoulders. The old mare walked toward Pinkamena, Pip, and Pumpkin Cake.

“Look, we just came to find the Resistance,” Pip explained. “That's all.”

“The Resistance?” the strong stallion scoffed. “What a joke. Fighting those machines is impossible. We keep our heads down, they ignore us.”

“You keep your heads down and they'll come for you eventually,” Pip warned.

“If we help you, maybe they will,” the strong stallion retorted.

“These ponies aren't going to help you,” Pinkamena said. “Let's go.” She turned to leave.

“You're not going anywhere,” the old mare said. Pip readied her shotgun. The old mare looked at Pumpkin Cake. “Not until this one gets something to eat,” she said. The old mare walked over to a section of the floor and pounded on it with her cane. The strong stallion was in the way. He glared at the old mare for a moment, then moved away. The floor opened up to reveal a storage room. Another mare was inside.

“Bring me a basket,” the old mare ordered. The mare in the storage room gave her a small basket with some food in it. She gave it to Pumpkin Cake.

“There you go,” she said. “Come on, help yourself. Eat up.” Pumpkin Cake and Pip took some food and ate. The old mare noticed that Pinkamena wasn't eating. She was still standing over Pip and Pumpkin Cake. The old mare walked over to Pinkamena.

“Are you all right, child?” she asked. Pinkamena heard the cock of a shotgun. She and the old mare turned to see the stallion pointing the shotgun at them.

“That's our food,” the stallion fumed. “Our fuel. It's not your choice to make!” Pumpkin Cake suddenly stopped eating and became still. Pinkamena noticed as the ground started to shake. Pip picked up Pumpkin Cake as a huge mechanical arm grabbed the old mare and another survivor. The other survivors ran out of the ruined convenience store along with Pinkamena, Pip, and Pumpkin Cake. Pinkamena looked up to see a huge machine with four mechanical arms and a shoulder mounted cannon. As Pinkamena ran for their jeep, the machine shot a plasma blast at it, sending parts flying. Pinkamena and Pip flew back into a wall. Pinkamena's ears were ringing.

“Are you OK?” Pip cried.

“What?” Pinkamena called.

“Are you OK?” Pip repeated. She suddenly noticed Pumpkin Cake unconscious. She picked her up as a survivor ran out of the building.

“You brought them here!” he cried. “You brought them here!” The survivor was hit by a fleeing car. He rolled off the top as a camper van pulled up.

“Wait!” Pip cried. The survivor jumped onto the back of the van as it drove away. The fleeing car was spotted by the machine, and was blown into oblivion.

“Head for the tunnels!” another survivor cried out. Pinkamena and Pip ran to a nearby heavy-duty tow truck. Pinkamena jumped in and tried to start the engine. Pip watched the van speed away, but it was immediately blown to dust by the machine.

“Pinkamena!” Pip cried. “Pinkamena!” Pinkamena looked toward the blast zone and saw the van destroyed. “We can't just run for it,” Pip said. She threw the shotgun into the truck and put Pumpkin Cake inside. Pinkamena hopped out of the truck and looked for another option. Survivors ran past her, trying to escape the machine. Pinkamena looked through a hole in a wooden fence and saw the machine drop the old mare and other survivor into a large transport vessel. Pinkamena turned around and saw a tanker truck's trailer. She opened the valve and ran back to the truck. She got in and brought it up to the back of the tank of fuel. She floored the gas pedal and pushed the tank through the fence and into the machine's foot. The machine fell to the ground as Pinkamena backed away.

“Shoot it!” she cried. Pip leaned out the door and took a shot. The blast didn't do much.

“Go, go, go!” Pip cried. She shot the tanker again. Nothing. The machine was starting to get back up. Pip cocked the shotgun again and fired. The shot pierced the tanker, but it only created a leak.

“It didn't work!” Pip cried. Pinkamena stopped the truck.

“Shit!” she yelled. She looked at the leak, and got an idea. Pumpkin Cake, who had now woken up, followed Pinkamena's logic. She handed Pinkamena a flare. Pinkamena took it, uncapped it, and lit it. She got the tow truck moving again and threw the flare at the fuel leak. The gas caught the flame and began to travel toward the tanker. The machine had gotten up. It spotted Pip and Pinkamena making a run for it, and readied its plasma cannon. Just as the shot was getting ready to fire, the gas tanker exploded, engulfing the machine in flame. Pip watched as the machine, as well as the entire gas station, exploded into a fiery inferno.

“Ha, hell yeah!” she celebrated. She climbed into the truck as Pinkamena drove away. A plasma blast suddenly blew an empty car away. Pinkamena whipped around to see the machine emerge from the fire, unscathed. It began to walk out of the rubble. Seeing that it couldn't catch up, it activated two hatches that deployed automated motorcycles.

“Moto-Terminators!” Pip cried. Pinkamena focused on the road as Pip loaded her shotgun. The Moto-Terminators began to close in. One of them came around to Pip's side.

“Shoot that son of a bitch!” Pinkamena cried. Pip shot the wheel of the Moto-Terminator, but it did nothing. Pinkamena jerked the wheel to avoid busted cars in the road. One car flew over the top of the truck, about to come on top of one of the Moto-Terminators. The Terminator quickly slid under the falling car and carried on.

“Drive!” Pip cried. “I'll take care of them!” Pip climbed onto the back of the truck and kicked a barrel full of oil off of it. She took aim and shot the barrel. It exploded, sending oil everywhere. It got into the mechanisms of a Moto-Terminator and sent it sprawling across the road. It crashed into a broken bus, leaving only one Moto-Terminator left. Pinkamena made a U-turn and drove the opposite direction.

“Hold on,” she said. She drove down a hill underneath an overpass.

“Where's the other one?” Pip cried. Pinkamena quickly looked around. The other Terminator blasted off the side of the overpass, sending rubble into the windshield of the truck. The Moto-Terminator flew over the truck and landed ahead of it. Pinkamena grabbed an axe and broke the windshield off of the front. She threw down the axe and continued driving, wary of the Moto-Terminator ahead of her. The Moto-Terminator took a shot at the front of the truck. The sparks from the plasma flew into the truck as Pinkamena shielded herself.

“Get up here!” she cried to Pip. As Pip tried to get to the passenger seat, a blast flew over her head, sending her falling. Pinkamena caught her, but a school bus was about to hit Pip. Pinkamena pulled and brought Pip inside the truck, just as the bus whizzed by. Pumpkin Cake pulled out a grenade pistol and loaded it.

“Come on, give me the gun,” Pip said. Pumpkin Cake gave the gun to Pip, and Pip shot the Moto-Terminator in front of them. The machine exploded and flew into the air. It landed and skidded into a nearby car. There was another Moto-Terminator to deal with though, and it shot a blast at the tires.

“Hang on!” Pinkamena cried. She looked back to see the Moto-Terminator. She had an idea. “Drop the ball!” she cried. Pip climbed back out and lowered the towing hook. It caught the Moto-Terminator's wheel and sent it down. Pinkamena made a turn, slamming the Terminator into a car. Pinkamena snickered and looked back to the road. The truck drove onto a large bridge overhanging a river. A Hunter Killer suddenly flew over the truck, casting a massive shadow. The HK flew in front of the truck and blew the center of the bridge away. Pinkamena slammed on the brakes and stopped the truck. The Moto-Terminator, still carried by momentum, ramped off of a car and struck the HK in one of it's turbines. Out of control, the HK dragged the tow truck around. The side of the truck hit the fence of the bridge, sending Pip and Pumpkin Cake falling. Pinkamena tried to reach out, but she missed. To her somewhat relief, the transport vessel had caught them. The loading machine was attached to it, and it had Pumpkin Cake and Pip. It dropped them into the transport as it started to fly away. Pinkamena saw the damaged HK circle back around. She grabbed the axe and jumped. The HK blew up the tow truck as Pip fell. The axe landed in the side of the transport vehicle, and Pinkamena climbed her way to the brig. The transport flew away, tailed by the HK. Pinkamena grabbed the prison bars.

“Pip!” she cried.

“Pinkamena!” Pip exclaimed.

“Get back,” Pinkamena ordered. Pip stepped back and watched as Pinkamena proceeded to cut open the brig. The loader's arm grabbed Pinkamena and lifted her away from the brig.

“Pinkamena!” Pip cried. The loader slammed Pinkamena down on the hard steel of the transport. Pinkamena winced in pain. The two jet fighters, piloted by Applejack and Spitfire flew into the scene.

“Got eyes on two targets,” Applejack informed Velvet Remedy.

“We've got two bogeys at point seven zero degrees,” Spitfire added. Velvet Remedy looked at the map screen at the Resistance base.

“They've never gone this far,” she said. “They're looking for something.” Applejack's jet fired two missiles. They struck the HK and sent it crashing into the canyon's rock face.

“HK is down,” Applejack confirmed. She fired on the loader. The large caliber bullets destroyed the loader, and it dropped Pinkamena. The two jets whizzed over the transport. Pinkamena struggled for grip on the transport, but she fell down into the river. She skipped about six times before disappearing beneath the rapids. The transport deployed another Hunter Killer, and it advanced on Applejack and Spitfire.

“We've got an HK on our six,” Applejack said. “Deporting, breaking off.” The jets attempted to escape, but the HK fired and took down Applejack. Braveheart bit his lip.

“Evasive maneuvers, now!” Velvet Remedy ordered Spitfire. The HK fired again, and missed. It struck the cliff side and sent rubble raining down on spitfire.

“Taking fire,” she said. “I'm hit, port side damage.” Spitfire and the Hunter Killer rocketed out of the canyon.

“It's got a lock on you,” Remedy said. “Break off.” The HK shot and hit the jet's backside. “Eject, Spitfire!” Remedy cried. “Eject!”

“Punching out,” Spitfire said. She pulled a lever that broke off the cockpit shield and shot her into the air. The jet exploded behind her. The wreckage fell into the river. Pinkamena emerged from the water and saw a piece of the jet fall toward her. She ducked beneath the waves to avoid contact. The transport flew away with the prisoners, escorted by the deployed Hunter Killer. Remedy hung her head.

“Prisoner transport headed northwest,” Braveheart managed to say. “Bearing two eight nine towards Fillydelphia.” Velvet Remedy looked at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow knew what she was thinking.

“Let's test the signal,” Remedy ordered. “And pray it works.” Rainbow Dash walked away and started packing up supplies. Remedy followed, ready and hoping that the signal would work with larger machines.