Equestria: Salvation

“Chrysalis’s hooves have been busy,” Velvet Remedy muttered. “What is it?”

“It’s real flesh and blood,” Braveheart explained. “Though it seems to heal itself quickly. The heart is living, and very powerful. The brain too, but with a chip interface.”

“What have you done to me?” Pinkamena asked.

“It has a hybrid nervous system,” Braveheart continued. “One equine cortex, one machine.” Spitfire looked on with sadness on her face.

“What have they done?” Pinkamena asked.

“Who built you?” Remedy questioned.

“My name,” Pinkamena started. “Is Pinkamena.”

“You think you’re equine?” Remedy asked.

“I am equine,” Pinkamena said. Velvet Remedy stepped closer to Pinkamena, who was held up by chains over a cylindrical hole. Remedy removed the chain restraining Pinkamena’s head, then backed away. She looked down at Pinkamena’s chest. Pinkamena looked down and saw a horrifying sight. Her entire ribcage was made up of a metal plate, with ventilation slits and rib-like bars. Pinkamena was in disbelief.

“NOOO!!” she cried. She struggled to try and escape. But she only shook the chains. She looked at her torn up leg. She saw metal and wires. Pinkamena was in panic.

“Where were you manufactured?” Remedy asked.

“I was born, May 3rd, 1982,” Pinkamena gasped. She thrashed around again, in utter panic. She calmed down and took a good look at Velvet Remedy. ”I know you,” she realized. “I heard your voice on the radio. You’re Velvet Remedy.”

“Course you know me,” Remedy whispered. “You were sent here to kill me. Kill the leadership.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pinkamena denied.

“Then why are you here?” Velvet inquired.

“Spitfire said you could help me find who I’m looking for,” Pinkamena replied. Spitfire suddenly felt guilt for bringing in a killer machine into the base. “Now let me down,” Pinkamena demanded.

“If I let you down, you’ll kill everypony in this room,” Remedy said. Pinkamena shook her head.

“Just you, Remedy,” Pinkamena growled. “Because I don’t give a shit about you. I didn’t even know your name until two days ago.”

“No,” Remedy denied. She walked up close to Pinkamena and stared her in the eyes. “You and me,” Remedy grumbled. “We’ve been at war, since before either of us even existed. You tried killing my father, Braveheart. You killed my mother, Littlepip. You will not kill me.”

“Littlepip is on a transporter, heading for Starnet,” Pinkamena retorted. “If I wanted to kill her, I would have done it in L.P.” Velvet Remedy walked away with Braveheart and Spitfire.

“Where did you find that thing?” she asked Spitfire.

“You sent Applejack and me to provide cover for some civilians,” Spitfire explained. “She was one of them.”

“Was there a teenage filly?” Velvet wondered.

“I honestly don’t know,” Spitfire confessed. “They were taken into a transport. She was the only one left.”

“Not she, Spitfire” Remedy corrected. “It. It was the only one left. Don’t be naïve.”

“It saved my life,” Spitfire reasoned. Remedy turned and walked away. Spitfire turned to Braveheart.

“Braveheart, what’s going to happen to her?” she asked.

“Disassembled,” Braveheart said.

“You mean killed,” Spitfire gasped.

“It may have information on Starnet,” Braveheart explained. Spitfire looked back at Pinkamena and shook her head.

“I know that’s not the enemy,” she said. “I’ve been shot at by the enemy, that’s not her.”

“That machine saved you only to gain access to kill the rest of us,” Braveheart said. Spitfire didn’t speak. Braveheart walked away.
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In Starnet Central, rows of captured ponies were being filed into the base. Pip looked around for something to break out with. She saw a small piece of iron sticking out of the rock. She waited until a nearby T-1 turned away, then grabbed the bar. She slid it into her front sleeve to conceal it. The T-1 turned back around and scanned Pip. Pip leaned down to Pumpkin Cake.

“We’re gonna be OK,” she whispered. “Don’t worry.” A bright light suddenly shone down on Pip. A loader arm grabbed her and carried her away. The old mare held Pumpkin Cake close.
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Rainbow Dash held her .45 Glock in her hoof. She held a .45 bullet in the other. She was staring at Pinkamena, and Pinkamena had a pleading look in her eye.

“For Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash whispered. She put the bullet in her gun and pointed it at Pinkamena. She fired and the bullet struck Pinkamena in the iron chestplate, piercing a vein. Pinkamena winced.

“OOWWWWWW!!!” she cried out. Spitfire walked into the room. Pinkamena breathed heavily, trying to subdue the pain. Rainbow Dash lowered her pistol. Pinkamena was close to tears from the pain.

“Remedy wants to see you,” Spitfire told Rainbow.

“What for?” Rainbow Dash asked. Spitfire gave her a look.

“Like she’s going to tell me, Rainbow,” she said. “Let me see that.” Rainbow Dash gave her the gun, and Spitfire fired off another shot. Pinkamena didn’t even flinch. Spitfire kept the gun up.

“You want me to tell Remedy you’re not coming?” she asked.

“No,” Rainbow Dash said. She walked off toward Remedy’s quarters. “Watch her,” she called back. Spitfire lowered the gun. She gave Pinkamena a stern look, then walked over to the lift. She released the slack on the chains, and Pinkamena went falling. She fell on her back, still tied down. Spitfire jumped down, holding onto a chain. She dropped to the bottom and threw down her bag. She pulled a metal cutter out of it and turned it on.
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“I’ve told you everything I know, Velvet,” Braveheart’s voice said. Velvet Remedy was listening through her tapes, to see if she could find anything on Terminators with living parts. “Starnet is ruthless, and unpredictable,” Braveheart’s voice went on. “They will use the best part of you against yourself. And they will have meant it. I can’t imagine, or predict, that I can’t help you with it. But when you’re unsure, just, always follow your heart, Velvet. I love you. Goodbye.” The tape ended, and Remedy slid it to the side.

“There’s nothing on those tapes about machines with organs,” Remedy moaned. Bravheart shrugged. He didn’t encounter anything like that thing in there. Ever. This was a new experience for him, as well as his daughter. “That thing in there…” Remedy said. “I thought I knew our enemy. But that thing in there…it makes me feel like I know nothing. I looked in its eyes, and it believes. Absolutely believes, that it is equine. It believes everything that it tells me, and it is saying that Littlepip is in Starnet. If that is true, then Command is about to bomb my mother, and the rest of those prisoners, and I cannot stop them!”
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Pinkamena tightened her boot, and grabbed Spitfire by the throat. She immediately loosened her grip and brought her hoof to Spitfire’s mane.

“Thank you,” Pinkamena said.
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Remedy heard a knock on her door.

“Come in!” she called. Rainbow Dash opened up the door and walked in.

“What’s up?” she asked. “Spitfire said you needed me.” Remedy, knowing she did no such thing, stood up and ran back to the room where Pinkamena was. She sounded the alarms, and Pinkamena and Spitfire looked up. Spitfire ran over to a nearby grate and placed a charge. She pulled Pinkamena close and aimed the gun she had taken from Rainbow Dash. She fired and the charge blew off the large grate.

“Get in,” Pinkamena ordered. Soldiers gathered up at the top and started firing. Pinkamena lifted up the grate and used it as a shield. A soldier gave Rainbow Dash an RPG. Rainbow Dash loaded it as Pinkamena threw down the grate and crawled in the vent with Spitfire.

“Rainbow!” a soldier said. “What about Spitfire?”

“She made her choice,” Rainbow coldly said. Pinkamena tackled Spitfire to the floor.

“Get down!” she cried. Rainbow Dash fired the rocket. It struck the bottom of the shaft and exploded. The flames from the fire engulfed Pinkamena, but Spitfire was untouched. Spitfire touched Pinkamena’s bionic limb, awestruck. Pinkamena got up off of Spitfire.

“Let’s move,” she said. Pinkamena and Spitfire crawled on. When they reached the top, Pinkamena kicked open a grate and it flew to the ground. It immediately exploded and flew up from the blast of a land mine. Spitfire and Pinkamena crawled out of the vent as the grate landed on top of the vent cover. Pinkamena looked around.

“We’re back in the minefield,” she gasped.

“I have a plan,” Spitfire said. She pulled out some cord and rolled it along the ground. As it rolled, search members shot flares into the air. Spitfire looked away and pulled a pin. The cord exploded, causing the mines to blow up near it. She and Pinkamena ran through the cleared path, mines blowing up around them. A piece of shrapnel caught Spitfire, and she fell to the ground.

“Spitfire!” Pinkamena cried. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Spitfire nodded. “I’m ok.” A searchlight shone on them.

“There they are!” the soldier operating the searchlight cried. A rocket flew in from the opposite direction.

“RUN!” Pinkamena cried. She grabbed Spitfire and ran from the blast zone. As the two ponies ran, soldiers fired their rifles, sending mines ablaze. Pinkamena and Spitfire ran behind a rock wall.

“Now what?” Pinkamena asked.

“My plan was to get back to the jeep,” Spitfire said. Pinkamena slowly looked around the corner. The soldiers saw her and started shooting. Pinkamena quickly pulled her head back just as a bullet tore the corner of the wall off.

“I’ll draw their fire,” Pinkamena said. “You take out the light.” Spitfire nodded and pulled out her gun. She moved to a hole in the wall and waited. Pinkamena slowly stuck her hoof out from the corner, and a single bullet tore a hole through it. Spitfire shot and shattered the searchlight. More soldiers came around the side of the wall and started shooting.

“Keep your head down!” Pinkamena cried. She pulled Spitfire along. As they ran, Spitfire got shot in the back leg. She dropped and Pinkamena ran over. She pulled Spitfire along the ground, trying to get away. They ducked behind a tree.

“You all right?” Pinkamena asked.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Spitfire said. They both ran off again, but a rocket was fired. It exploded close to Pinkamena, smoking up the area. As the smoke cleared, soldiers and armed trucks pulled up to the crater. Pinkamena was lying face down on the ground.

“Stay on the ground!” a soldier ordered. “Do not move!” Another soldier climbed down and turned over Pinkamena. But it was actually Spitfire in Pinkamena’s stolen jacket. Pinakmena was actually somewhere else. As a motorcycle approached, she knocked off the driver and got on herself. She spun around and rode toward the edge of the base. She ramped over a ditch and landed, but the bike skidded across the dirt. Pinkamena got up looked back. She saw Spitfire, who was being carried back to base. Spitfire nodded. Pinkamena ran off, helicopter right behind her. Remedy was at the mounted turret, firing on Pinkamena. Pinkamena ran into the trees, losing sight of her pursuer. But she could still hear the nearby rotating blades. Velvet Remedy kept shooting through the trees, knocking many down. As Pinkamena ran, a bullet caught her in the back, throwing her down.

“Take my gun!” Remedy called to a pilot. She and a pilot switched places. Pinkamena stood up and breathed heavily. Her back was bleeding badly. Remedy flipped a switch and dropped a napalm bomb. Pinkamena flew forward as the forest was lit ablaze. Bits of rubble flew into a nearby stream. As the helicopter searched, it saw nothing.

“Just a river,” the pilot said. The helicopter flew close to the water and the pilot manning Remedy’s gun lit up a flare to see. She threw the flare into the water and looked closer.

“You see her?” Velvet Remedy asked. The pilot squinted, trying to see. A hydrobot suddenly burst from the water and latched itself onto the pilot’s face. It dragged her into the water and killed her. Another one burst through the window of the chopper and attacked Remedy. She grabbed it as another burst through the controls. The other pilot pulled out his pistol and fired. The helicopter started to spin out of control. The pilot destroyed his attacker and grabbed the one from Remedy. He threw it back into the water. The helicopter fell into the water and the blades were destroyed. Hydrobots pulled the pilot under the water.

“Give me your hoof!” Remedy cried. “Give me your hoof!” The pilot was dragged underneath as the water became bloody. Velvet jumped out of the wreckage as it began to sink. Another hydrobot jumped up, but Remedy destroyed it. She looked for an escape option. The shore wasn’t too far away. She jumped into the water and waded back to the shore. Hydrobots came from every direction, but Remedy took them down one by one. Her rifle suddenly ran out of ammo. She pulled out her pistol and got ready to shoot. As the hydrobot jumped up, Pinkamena grabbed it. She wrestled with it before throwing it back into the water, broken. Remedy ran onto the shore and pointed her gun at Pinkamena.

“I know what you are even if you don’t!” she cried.

“Enough!” Pinkamena yelled. “That gun ain’t gonna stop shit!”

“Nopony’s shot you in the heart and I see that thing beating a mile a minute!” Remedy threatened.

“Littlepip…is in Starnet,” Pinkamena informed a second time. “You do that, she’s dead. I can get you in.”

“How?” Remedy asked. Pinkamena stepped into the light so Remedy could see. Half of her face was torn up, leaving only the endoskeleton. One of her mechanical eyes was showing, glowing red. Her clothes were torn, revealing more endoskeleton.

“Look at me,” Pinkamena said.

“That’s why I don’t trust you,” Remedy growled.

“I’m the only hope you have,” Pinkamena reasoned. “I need to find who did this to me. So do you.” Velvet raised her head, pondering the thought. Pinkamena exposed her heart, ready to die if Remedy shot. “Make your choice,” she said.

“You get me in,” Remedy agreed. “You tell me where I can find Littlepip. Yeah?” Pinkamena nodded.

“I will,” she said. Remedy reached into her bag, while still pointing her gun at Pinkamena. She threw her a radio.

“Contact me on that,” she ordered. “Let me know if she’s still alive.” Pinkamena nodded and backed into the water. Remedy walked forward.

“What are you?!” she demanded.

“I don’t know,” Pinkamena said. She swam away, Remedy watching her. The soldiers pulled up to Remedy.

“You all right?” one asked.

“Any sign of her?” another wondered.

“She’s gone,” Remedy lied. She thought to herself whether or not this was the best choice.

Back at base, Velvet Remedy opened up the door to Spitfire’s cell. Spitfire was tied to a chair. She looked up at Remedy.

“Why’d you do it?” Remedy wondered.

“I saw a mare,” Spitfire said. “Not a machine.” Remedy felt that Spitfire was telling her the truth. She pounded on the door and the guard opened it.

“How’s that leg?” Remedy asked Spitfire.

“I’ll live,” Spitfire answered. Velvet Remedy nodded.

“Let her go!” she called as she left the room. Spitfire hoped that Pinkamena was all right.