Chapter 1: The Metal Behemoth
Chapter 1: The Metal Behemoth
“Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle, residents of Ponyville claimed to have found what they describe as a “metal behemoth” outside of Ponyville, within the Everfree Forest. I request that you and your friends investigate this to find out if these claims are true.” Twilight read allowed.
“Sounds serious.” Spike commented as he took his seat next to Twilight’s.
“I just hope whatever this metal behemoth is, it’s friendly” Twilight spoke. The rest of the Elements of Harmony were in Ponyville, most likely on their way back as for the sun was now beginning to set.
“Should we have dinner first and then tell them?” Spike asked.
“I believe it would be best to tell them before dinner. I mean for all we know this metal behemoth could be not as scary as we make it out to be and discussing after dinner rather than before could make everypony be anxious due to such a short notice of important information.” Twilight answered
“I don’t think anypony would really notice the difference Twi” Spike deadpanned
“I know Spike”
Suddenly the throne room’s doors swung open and in walked the rest of the Elements of Harmony.
“What’s for dinner? I’m starved!” Announced Rainbow Dash. She looked at Twilight and Spike and saw she had something say. “Everyone be quiet.” She told the rest of her friends.
“None of us was talkin’ except you, Rainbow Dash.” Applejack mumbled. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
“Everypony,” Twilight began, “Princess Celestia has alerted me of the presence of a “metal behemoth within the Everfree forest.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened; the Everfree Forest was the last place she wanted to be…. Well, there were lots of other places Fluttershy was scared of too but the Everfree Forest ranked pretty high on her list of ‘Last Places to Visit’
“I don’t really know if what were up against is hostile or not. According to some reports of local residents, the behemoth hasn’t moved since it was found. It’s quite possible it’s dead which means whatever is left could be used for research purposes. We need to know what we’re up against if we should encounter a live one later.”
“Sounds Spooky!” Pinkie Pie dramatically proclaimed.
The rest of the group looked at Pinkie Pie for a moment before continuing.
“So we tacklin’ this thing tonight after dinner or tomorrow?” Applejack asked.
“I was hoping to do it after dinner if that was alright with you guys” Twilight said.
Everypony gave a simple nod or ‘Yeah’, everypony except Fluttershy. Shy didn’t object to giving this situation attention as it was important after all but she personally didn’t want to enter the Everfree Forest to go and find this thing; not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever. Rarity picked up on this.
“Oh darling don’t fret, we’ll be doing it together, as friends.” Rarity said with a calm voice, “Plus if need be I’m sure Twilight could get some of those handsome guards to come with us.” She seemed like she was in her own fantasy in that last part.
“Yeah I guess that makes it ok.” Fluttershy whispered.
“So does that mean we’ve got your go?” Applejack asked.
“Yeah.” Fluttershy answered.
“Alright girls, lets have some dinner and than be on our way.
*
It was dark outside and the Mane 6 was about to encroach on the Metal Behemoth. They were guided by the moonlight and aided by a small amount of light Twilight created using her magic.
“We arriving alone here, or will there be other ponies there to?” Applejack inquired
“I would suspect a few royal guards would be stationed nearby to make sure the behemoth doesn’t move and quite possibly to protect us while we’re there.” Twilight replied.
“I hope so.” Rarity daydreamed.
“Oh hush!” Rainbow Dash joked.
The group slowly began to approach a vaguely, smoking, hulk of metal. Indeed there were royal guards but only one; one of the pegasus types.
“Good evening Princess Twilight Sparkle and company!” The pegasus casually saluted. He knew Twilight was a laid-back type of Princess so he was more lax.
“Hello…. Erm” Twilight started.
“The name’s Sky Dodger.” The pegasus finished.
“Nice to meet you.” Twilight resumed, “you wouldn’t happen to know what this is would you?” motioning towards the metal hulk.
“Not a clue. What I can tell is some fine pointers of the body of it though. It would appear the main tube-shaped body of the metal carcass has two sets of fixed wings. Two small ones in the back with an upward facing vertical fin and two larger ones about mid way up the body. What confuses me is the fixed wings. How does something with fixed wings take off? It can’t flap so what type of propulsion is it? It may just be fins used for bodies of water and I’m the one misinterpreting them but these look like wings for the sky” He motioned upwards towards the starry night
“Have you checked inside the tube body yet?” Twilight asked.
“Nope. Not even the earlier watchmen did. They left it for you to do I assume.” Dodger replied.
“Care to check it out with us?” Twilight offered.
“Sure, why not?” he said smiling.
They trotted over to a large hole that nearly separated the front half of the body from the back half.
“I’m assuming this is probably dead guessing by the giant hole.” Rainbow Dash commented.
“I would also assume so too. The hole was already on the body when we arrived. At first we thought it was a part of the body’s intentional design but we soon determined it was an injury.” Dodger added.
As they entered the body of the behemoth they could hear squelching and high pitch noises coming from the front.
“What could be making that dreaded noise?” Rarity asked.
“I dunno” Rainbow Dash replied before grinning, “but lets check it out”
“Be careful” Dodger cautioned.
Twilight approached a metal door that the noises were hiding behind. She looked behind here, her friends just a few feet behind her prompting her to open it.
“Here goes….” Twilight mumbled.
As she opened the door the dark room they were in filled with light that shown through windows located in the room ahead. It was strange. There were chairs bolted into the floor behind the windows with what looked like controls to operate the metal behemoth. Was this thing not actually alive but was instead controlled by somepony inside? Twilight had seen nothing like this before.
The high pitched noise returned which seemed to be coming from forward and below them. Twilight cautiously walked down some steps located between the two chairs as her friends filed into the small room. After safely descending the tedious stairs she looked up to see there was an unconscious figure sitting on a small chair in the behemoths nose! It looked like a pony but it had shorter hair and a denser coat then most of the ponies Twilight knew. It sported a full-body green suit. The high pitch noise returned coming from something the figure was wearing.
“Lucky Strike, Lucky Strike ya there?”
There was silence. Twilight wasn’t sure what to do.
“God I hope you’re alive. Lucky Strike, Lucky Strike do ya copy?” it squawked again.
Twilight approached the unconscious figure and turned its head. It had a massive nose compared to Twilight and it had brown marking on certain parts of its face such as its eyebrows and lower muzzle that streaked back across the sides of its face. Its eye remained closed. Twilight looked at a small box with holes on two ends of it on the front of his vest. She picked it up and looked at it.
“Find anything Twi?” Applejack called down from the area with the two chairs above.
“Yeah I found this small metal box and a body.” She replied back. Twilight heard multiple gasps from above, “I don’t think it’s dead, I think it’s just asleep.” The statement was followed by a series of sighs of relief. “Here I’ll come back up and show you what I found.” Twilight climbed back up the short, narrow stairs back up to the room that had the two bolted-down chairs and showed her friends the small metal box.
“What do you think it is?” Fluttershy asked?
“I don’t know but it was saying something earlier. It was calling out for someone named Lucky Strike.”
“OH NO! This tiny-whiny little box is missing its bestie!” Pinkie Pie loudly gasped.
“I'm guessing Lucky Strike is that pony down there.” Dash assumed.
“I don’t think it’s a pony. To be honest, it kind of looked like a pony-sized dog.” Twilight replied. She heard a series of ‘wha’s?’ from here friends.
“I don’t understand. A dog? Like the kind that goes woof?” Applejack tried to understand.
“What else did you think she meant? Goose?” Pinkie Pie asked bouncing up and down.
“I think he needs medical attention,” Twilight said, “Sky Dodger, do you think we will be able to bring this dog back with us?”
“I don’t know, he could be trying to infiltrate Canterlot by sneaking in as an injured person.” Sky Dodger replied. “Though I guess we have no choice right now.” Sky dodger down to where Twilight was a few minutes ago and called down for help carrying him. Applejack went down and helped drag the dog back up and outside the metal behemoth.
“Alright, I advise that Twilight and friends go on ahead and head back. Me and Applejack will carry this dog back.”
“You should have one more pony with you just in case something happens.” Twilight suggested
“Good idea. Rainbow Dash? Will you escort us back?” Dodger asked?
“Sure thing, Flightless!” Dash happily replied.
Twilight and her friends went on ahead and left the trio and 4th company behind them.
“Flightless? I’m a pegasus too you know!” Sky Dodger rebuttaled.
“Haven't seen you fly yet.” Dash playfully shot back.
“That’s because I have no need! I’ve been standing there the whole time” Dodger said while pointing behind him.
“Eh whatever!” Dash knew Dodger could fly but enjoyed riling up ponies. It made the present more interesting. She never liked being too serious. It was exhausting and not always enjoyable. That being said, the reason for being serious isn’t always enjoyable either. However that didn’t mean it didn’t have to be.
Chapter 2: Interrogation
Twilight felt uncomfortable using the new castle’s dungeon. So be it that Equestria has had many of deadly foe, but even then she deemed it not pony-like to hold some prisoner in such a…. grim-named place. Even more so that possibly this dog wasn’t even an enemy to pony-kind. When he was brought back to the castle he was given the best medical treatment they could offer. He was a bit dinged up but it was manageable. The guards earlier had noted that he was conscious but wasn’t very responsive. Twilight decided it was time to pay a visit to the castle’s new guest in hopes of finding out what had crashed landed in the Everfree Forest.
“This way…” an earth-pony guard said as he guided the way to the cell.
“Is he capable of talking?” Twilight asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
One thing that made Twilight anxious would be if a language barrier would prevent her from finding out more information from a prime source. Deciding that it be best to stay positive she focused on what questions she would ask if they could communicate. ‘Who are you and what do you want?’… no no no that seemed too aggressive. ‘So what made you stop by in Ponyville?’ … meh, no. The question was too vague and wasn’t decisive enough. Maybe-
“Here he is.” The guard said gesturing to the jail cell left of him, interrupting Twilight’s train of thought. The dog seemed to be curled up on the floor in some sort of resting position with his head resting unsupported on the ground; pointing towards Twilight. She looked at him. His vigilant eyes icily stared back at her; taking in everything she said, did, and even smelled like.
“Hello…” Twilight said uneasily. The dog’s uncomfortable silence but wariness made the situation seem eerie, “I’m Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.” The dog continued to gaze at her, not saying a word. She slowly moved closer to the jail cell’s bars; his beady, black eyes followed. “So what was that metal-contraption thing you landed in back in the forest?” Dumbest question ever. He still didn't speak. This was becoming difficult. Twilight hadn't practiced any of her conversation starters from the book she read, Conversation Starters for the Social Pony. She was about to give up when the dog finally said something.
“Take me back.”
“I’m sorry?” Twilight responded.
“Take me back to the fortress.” The dog said, giving a less but still vague request
“What fortress?”
“The ‘metal thing’ back in the forest. Take me back.”
“umm. Suuuuure.” She wasn’t sure if you were suppose to let prisoners out of their cells to show them where they were found but Twilight didn’t want to think about this dog as a prisoner and rather as a guest so she agreed. She looked over at the guard who had been standing at attention and nodded. He bowed his head and trotted over to the jail cell door unlocking it. The dog immediately got up and walked, without instruction, to the jail cell door.
He stopped at the doorway and looked at Twilight, “The name’s Lucky Strike.”
“Alright Strike-“
“Please, call me Lucky” cutting off Twilight
“Okay then. Lucky I’ll assemble some guards and we can head back.” Twilight continued. Twilight, Lucky and the guard walked back up to the main floor of the castle, out of the dungeon. The guard departed to assemble a few more of them to escort Twilight back to the wreckage. “There are something’s that I think belongs to you.” Twilight said as she used her magic to levitate what appeared to her as two slightly, different shaped metal boxes and a metallic stick with a handle. “We took these off of you while you were unconscious. Sorry about that.” The dog took the metal boxes and put them in his olive green jumpsuit. He then cautiously picked up the metal stick.
“You’re letting me take this too?” Lucky asked as he slid the object into a special pocket that looked like it was shaped just for this item on the side of his suit.
“Sure. That is unless you want us to keep it safe.” Twilight replied.
“No I’m good.”
*
Twilight, Lucky Strike, and 4 other pegasus pony guards, including Sky Dodger were about to approach the downed behemoth once again. This would be the second time Twilight, Sky Dodger and Lucky Strike were here in 48 hours. They sat at the tree line before the clearing of the crash site.
“Why are we hiding? We were just here.” Twilight asked.
“Because we don’t know if any of HIS people” Sky Dodger said, pointing at Lucky Strike, “came looking for him. This area could very well be dangerous despite our recent presence.”
“Alright.” Twilight said as she readjusted her head to be more comfortable in the bush she was peeking through. They waited for probably a minute before Sky Dodger gave an all clear. Lucky was one of the first to leave the cover of the bushes. He walked up along side the metal behemoth and ran his hand over some art that drawn near the front on the nose.
“Were there… any bodies?” Lucky asked.
“No, except for you.” Twilight said, “but we did hear someone call out for your name on that small box you got there.” She pointed to one of his chest pockets on his suit that contained the box.
“My radio?” he asked.
“That’s a radio? In Equestria we have something similar but it’s more stationary and is used more for listening to music. Even so, most the music you hear is live performance so we don’t use it too often.” Twilight replied.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait. You said someone was calling for me on this?” Lucky said gesturing to his chest.
“Yes.”
“They’re alive!” He cheered, a dramatic change from his so-far consistent firmness.
“Who’s alive?” Twilight inquired.
“I didn’t want to admit it at first but so far you’ve shown me your trust and I must honor that by giving you mine. When this thing went down,” Lucky strike said as he waved his paw in the general direction of the behemoth, “there were 5 others with me. When this thing suffered from engine failure-“
“Engine failure?” Sky Dodger asked, “Like a steam engine? Those things weigh so much. There is no possible way that thing flew with a steam engine on it!”
“Precisely, except it isn’t a steam engine, I am talking about an internal combustion engine powered by diesel fuel.”
“Diesel?” Twilight asked confused. So many new things were being told to her in such a short span of time.
“Yes! I’ll explain later. Anyway, when this thing’s engines caught fire it exploded and shrapnel went through the windshield.” Lucky Strike said as he pointed to the busted out windows that were next to where the closer of the two engines were. “It was down to pilot to get everybody off the aircraft-“
“Aircraf-“ Sky Dodger interrupted before being interrupted himself.
“You know what? Ask me these questions later; I’m trying to explain the situation and where it puts you and me right now.” Lucky stated.
“Alright. Go ahead.” Sky apologized.
‘Thank you. Anyway, where was I? Oh right. Okay so in the situation of bailing out of the aircraft,” he emphasized the word ‘aircraft’, “Which ever pilot is not currently flying or if he is able to get someone else to fly for him for a few minutes, he goes to the back of the aircraft where the rest of the crew are waiting with parachutes. He then prompts them out one by one. Problem was I was in charge of keeping the aircraft airborne while the Pilot did this as for aircraft's co-pilot was injured in that explosion I was talking about. I was flying hoping he’d get back soon but he was new and apparently didn’t know he was suppose to come back to the controls, or in other words, the area where you control the plane. So he jumped out with the rest of the crew without telling me. I quickly figured this out but not quick enough. It was apparent the aircraft was too low to jump so I had to ditch it in the woods.” Lucky Strike said as he used both of his paws to show trail of risen earth that followed the metal behemoth’s landing. “I immediately was knocked out of the co-pilots seat and down to where I usually am, the nose of the plane. When the aircraft finally stopped I propped my self up on the bombardier’s seat and took a few deep breathes before falling unconscious.”
“And that ends with us retrieving you and being back to the castle?” Twilight said, trying to make what she was saying a statement but truly was more of uncertainty.
“Exactly. You told me that someone had called for me on my handheld radio before, right? Well that thing has short distance retrieving and transmitting so that means it’s probably the rest of the crew, especially if they referred to me by name.” Strike said almost as he was solving a murder case as he spoke, pacing.
Then him, Twilight, and Sky Dodger said at the same time, “They must be close by….”
“Please, Princess. We must go and find my crew. They are probably still stranded; without supplies like food and water.” Lucky formally asked.
Twilight glanced at Sky Dodger; he nodded his head. She looked back at Lucky. I guess we’ll do it. Let me round up the rest of my friends back at the castle and we’ll go on a ponyhunt.” Twilight said, “erm…or a doghunt I should stay.”
“Deal” Lucky said with confidence.
