My Little Portal: Testing is scientific advancement

Dark Cloud swung the pipe and hit Freedom directly on the side of the head sending him toppling to the floor to which Freedom simply grinned cockily

“If that’s all you’ve got then this should be a simple task to kill both of you and destroy the facility” Grinned Freedom the realisation of what Freedom had been doing all the time he was in the facility hit Dark Cloud harder than any punch Freedom could throw his way leaving him standing wide open and unable to do anything. In that instant Freedom swung around kicking Dark Cloud’s legs away from the floor and sending him into the ground while also disarming him. He grabbed the pipe Dark Cloud once held and raised it high about to strike Dark Cloud with it. The scene was slow in Star Whistle’s vision Dark Cloud was on the floor being beaten with a length of piping sheer anger at this drove her to her hooves as she picked up the portal gun, it was the first time Star Whistle had ever got angry about anything in this facility. Firing a portal beneath freedom and one above him she sent Freedom into an infinite loop as she helped Dark Cloud to his hooves

“We need to get out of here” Muttered Dark Cloud “All this time when he could have attacked, he was... he was rigging this place to blow” Star Whistle shot the bottom portal away from freedom as Dark Cloud explained this causing him to smash into the ground with a large amount of force, so much that it actually dented the floor as he landed.

“Got it” Replied Star Whistle simply “Which way?” Freedom was struggling to get back on his hooves not only because of the dizziness caused by the infinite looping but also the fact he had just been thrown full force into concrete flooring

“If we can get back to the entrance to this old testing track we could try and find a route from there” Stated Dark Cloud, Star Whistle remembered the hole in the roof from when she first landed in the lower chambers. Supporting Dark Cloud as they ran Star Whistle constantly glanced back to check if Freedom was after them.

They had been running for what seemed like decades as they entered the chamber where Star Whistle had to find the key inside the apple when a horrifying announcement was made over the intercom

“Power to lower levels authorised” Chimed the robotic voice from when Star Whistle had first awoke in this facility “Turrets, traps and panels now useable” suddenly the walls around them shook and a group of panels was smashed to produce a large pipe with an open end

“Neurotoxin levels high” The robotic voice stated as the sound of Freedoms laughter echoed over the speakers

“This is the end of the line for you it seems... and you thought I’d waste my time chasing you when the control room was unlocked and left empty” Chuckled Freedom “It’s been quite enjoyable, maybe you can survive the little bit longer if you hold your breath” and with that the pipe began spewing a green mist into the room as a few panels blocked the exits. Dark Clouds mind began to work at an incomprehensible speed, the memories of the entire facility rushed through his mind as he tried to create a plan of escape. The seconds passed as his mind struggled to think of an idea, Turrets, Panels, Gels, Portals everything rushed through his mind to no avail when all of a sudden he remembered it.

“Star Whistle!” He exclaimed “The panels near the exits, try and look through the gaps!” Star Whistle nodded and broke into a sprint over to the panels, sticking her head through the gap she saw a large turning sphere with many layers all turning along with each other.

“Pull out the wire!” Screamed Dark Cloud as the neurotoxin began to fill the entire room, Star Whistle quickly tugged out a large red wire from the machine causing it to turn even faster and let off multiple sparks and let off extreme heat as she backed away instinctively the area it was in exploded and opened the exit to the other chambers

“No...” Started Freedom “YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DIE HERE!” the sound of a hoof smashing into the desk echoed through the chamber as Star Whistle took a deep breath, ran over to Dark Cloud to support him and ran through the hallway to the previous test chamber

The two ponies managed to make it to the entrance of the lower testing track with the hole in the roof, they looked up at it formulating a plan

“The tree isn’t a registered portal surface...” Explained Dark Cloud “Give me the gun and I’ll try to tweak it” Star Whistle quickly handed the gun to Dark Cloud as he produced a screwdriver and began to open the circuitry of the portal gun. Star Whistle waited impatiently as she ran back to the testing track entrance and sealed the doors closed in hope of the neurotoxin stopping its pursuit of them. Star Whistle glanced at the opposite side of the room as the sound of a pony walking towards them invaded Star Whistles ears and there stood Freedom completely out of breath and holding the same length of piping he had previously. He began to laugh in a disturbingly calm manner a laugh which would haunt Star Whistle until her dying day

“You foil my plans not only once, but twice” He started “You escape my clutches and neurotoxin... and then you try and escape the death I so generously was going to give you?” he began to laugh more

“Star Whistle, I need more time to optimize the gun!” Exclaimed Dark Cloud “Buy me some time” Star Whistle nodded

“You think you can beat an idea?” Laughed Freedom “I am Freedom! I will give to you that which you so desire! I am an idea, an idea of Freedom... you can’t so much as lay a hoof on me” Star Whistle grinned

“Is that a challenge?” She stated simply, after all she had been through today she assured herself the feeling of beating Freedom to a pulp would bring her a great sense of satisfaction

“It is one many have rose to, and one your parents also did” Replied Freedom with a cocky smile, Star Whistle’s eyes widened... her parents? They had gone missing a few years ago and she was left alone for all this time

“You lie” Spat Star Whistle coldly

“I don’t” Replied Freedom with the biggest grin ever “They arrived here 3 years ago and were the fifth and sixth test subjects... they were the first to fall by my hoof... you see, they began to listen to Dark Cloud’s false promise of freedom if they completed the tests and with that I decided to confront them and offer them freedom in my own way. And obviously, they declined the offer but they were still given freedom by me” Dark Cloud nervously looked at Star Whistle her face blank of any emotion but he could tell inside she was angrier than ever

“You killed them” Stated Star Whistle in a distant tone “You killed my parents... all of the pain I’ve experienced these last few years... was... was because of you...” Freedom laughed wickedly at this

“Isn’t it wonderful, we were destined to meet at some point!” he cackled

“I...” Stuttered Star Whistle “I...”

“Yes?” Inquired Freedom as a single tear ran down Star Whistle’s cheek

“I’LL KILL YOU!” She screeched, charging towards Freedom as he simply smiled and welcomed the idea of Star Whistle attacking him

“Go on then” Began Freedom “I’ll give you the first hit, not that it will do anything to me!” he stood up on his back legs and spread his front hooves out

Star Whistle neared Freedom at a rapid pace as she jumped and turned around so her back was facing him, kicking out her back legs she landed a blow directly into Freedom’s stomach which sent him flying into the wall and indenting him into the wall as dust and debris flew everywhere

“I-Impossible...” Thought Freedom “She’s... she’s just a normal mare... she shouldn’t be able to do this...”

Star Whistle became visible in the cloud of dust with the intent to kill on visible on her face she stared directly into Freedoms eyes and into his soul. And on this one occasion, Freedom was scared. He raised his pipe and swung towards Star Whistle, she side stepped and swing and landed a second kick into his head sending him spinning to the ground as his length of pipe bounced to the floor making a satisfying sound as it did so. Freedom backed into a corner and looked on at his attacker in utter horror, he wasn’t supposed to die... he didn’t want to die...

“Look! We’ve both said some things that...” He began, only to be cut off by the length of pipe he once used as a weapon hit him directly across the head. Star Whistle glared down at Freedom about to strike a lethal blow as Freedom produced a brick from behind him and threw it towards her sending her toppling backwards as he got back up, wandering over to a small black device with a red button atop it as he held it in his hooves and pressed the button a voice sounded over the speakers

“1 minute until detonation” Stated the robotic voice as Star Whistle to raised to her hooves.

Meanwhile Dark Cloud was still tweaking the portal gun as the fight raged on and the countdown echoed throughout the place, he finished adjusting some circuitry and fired a single portal at the tree outside. Success, their escape would become a reality after all.

“10 seconds” Chimed the voice

Dark Cloud ran into the dust and swept Star Whistle from her hooves as he placed a portal a small distance away from them

“7 Seconds” Continued the voice

Freedom emerged from the dust cloud, coughing and bleeding from his forehead as he began to limp towards the portal Dark Cloud was making his way gradually to

“4 Seconds” Resumed the voice

Dark Cloud reached the portal and threw Star Whistle through it, turning to face Freedom

“What are you doing?!” Exclaimed Star Whistle “Hurry and get through the portal!”

“Somepony has to stop Freedom from getting through the portal” Stated Dark Cloud

“3 Seconds” Stated the voice

“I’m sorry for everything” Apologised Dark Cloud “Especially about your parents”

“2 Seconds” The voice counted down

“Get through the portal already!” Screamed Star Whistle as another tear ran down her cheek “I don’t want to lose anypony else!” Dark Cloud turned and looked into Star Whistle’s eyes

“I’m sorry” He repeated “But I can’t...”

“1...” Finalised the voice

Star Whistle leapt through the portal and pushed Dark Cloud through and swiftly jumped in after him just as Freedom neared

“No...” Began Freedom, he began to screech as the ground where Dark Cloud and Star Whistle stood as it began to give way, the entire section of the everfree forest was hollow beneath and the shaking caused it to slowly collapse in on itself. Desperately Dark Cloud and Star Whistle began to run along the cracking ground as gaping holes were formed, Star Whistle leapt across the border of the last few metres of the unstable forest area and turned to watch Dark Cloud only to find the hole had grown considerably larger in the leap across, Dark Cloud stood on the border of the area knowing he wouldn’t make it across. He turned back to look at the collapsing forest and then turned to Star Whistle looking directly into her eyes as his mane covered one of his eyes, the scene went silent for Star Whistle as Dark Cloud mouthed a sentence which was the last sight Star Whistle caught of him before he fell down into the mess of trees, stone and wiring and how the engulfed his silhouette. Star Whistle closed her eyes as she began to cry, the pony which had once seemed to be her enemy was really her closest friend in all of this.

And she had just lost him.

Authors Note;

Sorry about the lateness of the post and stuff! There will be a little epilogue I'll put out at some point though :)

Until then :3