Critical Industries
Prototype Testing Level
The air was filled with the sounds of ponies. Walking, talking, pressing buttons, pulling levers, an occasional chuckle, the air was filled with it.
The area this was occurring was a circular room, rails connected to control panels and such which ponies were stationed behind. The middle of the room had a cylinder, metal clamps, pumps and other such devices connected it to the floor and ceiling. Inside was a collection of metal arms, meant to hold something still.
Of course, everything was silenced when a tall mare in a lab coat walked into the room, her blue and white hair pinned up in a bun.
"Is the subject ready?" She asked, her voice demanding and loud.
"Yes mam!" With those words, the unicorn stallion facing the mare led her over to a small outstretch of metal, suspended a few feet away from the front of the cylinder, meant for a better view of the contents of the cylinder.
"Good. This will surely be a great advancement in scientific weaponry." The mare kept herself from adding a snide remark about a certain company leading in the science department.
A platform rose up in the cylinder, a small black form that looked similar to that of a young pony set upon it. When the platform stopped moving, the arms grabbed onto the form and lifted it a few inches.
"Great. Now wake it up." The mare commanded and the stallion turned and nodded to a pony at the nearby control panel. The pony nodded and pulled a switch.
The form jolted as the arms administered a small jolt. Enough to cause a reaction, but not so much that it would cause pain.
The form began to stir, two white circles formed like the eyes of a waking pony. It moved its head around before looking at the mare and stallion, who looked on in wonder.
"Its alive. Test out its reactions to stimuli." The mare commanded, not taking her eyes off the form.
"Test the pleasure stimuli." The stallion commanded. Another pony nodded and pressed a button.
The arms shifted in response and the form let out a sound similar to purring.
"Good. Now. Test the pain stimuli."
The pony behind the panel that awoke the form hesitated, noticing the form's shifting body that the two observing scientists seemed oblivious to. Only when the stallion cleared his throat in a loud manner, did the pony press a button.
The form let out a sudden shriek of agony as several volts of electricity shot through its body. The mare staggered back, her face twisted in pain. The stallion darted to her side. "Miss Lulamoon! Are you alright?"
"F-Fine... Calm it down!!" The mare commanded and a pony pressed the button that was meant to test the pleasure stimuli. However, the damage had already been done.
The creature's body began to shift, its texture looking like melting snow. The mare, Lulamoon, took several terrified steps back as the form grew larger and larger, the arms in the cylinder being coated in its mass. Within moments, the form's eyes focused onto Lulamoon, the white eyes turning red.
"Contain it! Hurry!" The stallion called, turning to Lulamoon. "I must apologize for this.. I was sure it was ready." The stallion said, hoping he would not be in big, job threatening trouble when he left this level.
Lulamoon looked over at him, ready to respond, only for her to look to the cylinder and let out a shriek as the sound of shattering metal and ripping wires filled the air. The stallion turned only for his irises to constrict in terror.
The form had torn the arms from their bases, leaving sparking wires jutting out. It shrieked once more and smashed the long metal devices against the cylinder, the withstanding glass shook, a small web of cracks forming in its place.
"Miss Lulamoon. We should leave." The stallion turned to the mare, only for the glass to shatter as the form smashed through it.
The stallion leaped to the side, eyes wide in fear as he looked at the creature. He turned his attention to Lulamoon once more, the mare was frozen in place. He was about to call out for her when something large and heavy struck him, sending the stallion sprawling to the ground with a cry of agony.
As the stallion lay on the ground, his head ringing from the hit, he tried to find the form, his vision hazy. As his vision cleared, he could see what had struck him. The form had thrown one of the mechanical arms at him, although it hadn't struck him head on, thanks to him having moved beforehand.
"Sir? Sir? Professor Mineral Dust!?" A scientist called out, shaking Mineral Dust's shoulder, only to receive a groan in response. "We have to leave! The creature is going to kill us all!"
The unicorn struggled to his hooves, looking up at the scientist. A mare. "Come on."
The mare let Mineral Dust lean on her as she guided him close to the wall at a speed walking pace, scientists flooding out around them.
Only when a loud, ear splitting shriek filled the air, did the stallion turn, only to gasp in horror.
Two scientists lay sprawled out, one on each side of the observing space, blood spilling from their torn bodies. In the center was the towering, monstrous form of the creation, before him lay a terrified Lulamoon.
"Oh no.." Mineral Dust's whimpers went unheard as he was continued to be pushed back towards the exit. The mare shoved the weakened scientist past the entrance and slammed the nearby control panel, causing sparking as the large metal door slammed shut. Locking Lulamoon and the monster away from the remaining scientists.
"Are you alright, Professor Mineral Dust?" The mare asked, turning to said stallion.
"I-I'm alright. Thank's for helping me." Mineral Dust's calm and steady resolve had returned somewhat as he managed to look at the rest of the panicked scientists.
"No need to thank me. My name is Crystal Petals." The mare responded, a quick glance at her cutie mark would have provided a sense of what her name was, as it was two crystal petals falling into nothingness.
"Well. Crystal Petals, we should really get this wing of the facility cleared out." A louder voice announced and the two turned to see the level supervisor. She was likely waiting for a point to speak during the two scientists' conversation.
"Everyone. I would like you to follow Professor Glimmer. You will all be checked over and briefed on our new course of actions." The Supervisor nodded over to a unicorn with a purple mane, light blue streaking through it.
The group of scientists slowly milled after her, the terror of what just happened beginning to set in, the two scientist's following suit, only to be stopped by the supervisor.
"I wish to speak with you, Professor Mineral Dust. Crystal Petals, you may join the others." The mare hesitated before running after the group.
When the mare was no longer in sight, the supervisor turned to Mineral Dust.
"Mineral Dust. What was your duty with this project?" Mineral Dust was about to ask why the supervisor did not know of such information when she added. "Answer." Mineral Dust did as we was told.
"I was supposed to watch over the project, make sure everyone did their job, and observe all tests before presenting it to Professor Lulamoon." Mineral Dust suddenly stiffened. "Lulamoon is still in there!"
The supervisor ignored his cry for the likely dead unicorn. "It was not your idea or your changes to the original projects? You just relayed information and was given updated versions until now?" Mineral Dust nodded quickly.
"Yes! But Lulamoon is in there!" Mineral Dust turned to the door only for the Supervisor to strike him in the back of the head, reminding Mineral Dust of how weak he truly had become after the monster had struck him.
"She created that beast. She can deal with it on her own. You, however, are going to head to your briefing and medical treatment. Understood?"
Mineral Dust weakly looked over at her and sighed. He would never win such a fight. He lowered his battered head. "I understand."
Canterlot Castle
Throne Room
Celestia sat peacefully on her throne. This was a wonderful day. Nothing was attacking her subjects, no special duties were to be done, she could simply relax in the shattered ray of sun leaking through the stained glass windows. She was also planning on having a nice picnic lunch with her sister, Cadence, and hopefully, Twilight if she had the time.
As she rested, a loud sound came from outside the throne room, causing Celestia to jerk upright. Before she could call upon one of her guards to see what had happened, a soldier ran into the spacious hall, his eyes wide in terror.
"Celestia! There has been an attack on Los Pegasus!"
Celestia straightened, her gaze full of worry. "Send a patrol out to beat it back. While that is being done I want evacuation as soon as possible as well as the Elements of Harmony being gathered for a back up attack if this thing proves to powerful for our forces."
"Yes, Princess Celestia!" The soldier snapped a salute before bolting from the room. Celestia stood up from her throne. This was sadly not going to be the day she was hoping for.
Los Pegasus
Rolling Hills
Two young stallions lay in the grass, a pegasus and unicorn. The unicorn had a thin frame, long legs and a blue coat. His mane a bright neon purple, his violet eyes seeming to match behind the small set of silver rim glasses. The pegasus was a a coal black, his mane however was a light gray and his rose eyes stood out against the dull color of him coat.
"You were right. There's nothing like a sunny day back at Los Pegasus." The unicorn murmured, causing his friend to smile and put his arms behind his head in a relaxed pose.
"Yeah. Sucks you have to go back to Fillydelphia in a few days." The pegasus' smile faded.
His friend noticed and turned onto his side to look at him. "You still could come with me.You can enroll with me. I only have a year left."
The pegasus sighed. "Thanks, Ace. But I honestly don't think I could move all the way to Fillydelphia, even for just a year."
Ace blinked and the pegasus quickly added on to his words. "Its not that I don't want to be with you, its just... I don't think college would be my thing. I'm old enough to be drinking and living on my own, Ace. I feel like going to college would just.. I don't know.. Its not my thing."
Ace sighed and returned to the position he held before. "Its would only be a year. We could live in the same dorm and we would be able to hang out more often than the breaks I get for the holidays."
"I like the idea, Ace. But I just don't see myself... I don't see myself getting far."
"Well, if you're not going to go to college, why don't you get a job? Save up money to move into you're own house?"
Cloud laughed. "Ace. I already have a good deal of funds set up. Plus if I were to get my own house, it'd be so lonely and quiet."
"Well. We already mentioned living together. If you do get a house, then it could be ready by the time I get back." Ace's eyes glowed with humor. "Or at least, a little ready."
Cloud jerked upright and pushed his friend over. "Hey! I am not that lazy!" Ace got onto his stomach and looked at his friend.
`"Okay, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night in all those posters and DVDs and junk food. You pig." Despite the insult, Ace's eyes glittered with humor.
"I am no pig!" Cloud shouted, tackling Ace, causing the thin unicorn to let out a squeal of laughter. His laughter only grew louder as the pegasus began to tickle him.
"Cloud, no, S-stop!" Ace gasped between bouts of laughter. The pegasus denied and continued to tickle his friend until they had aching sides from laughing.
Ace picked his glasses up from the grass and sat up, side glaring Cloud. Said pegasus was laughing to no end.
"Heh. Sorry. You just look so adorable when you're mad." Cloud laughed and Ace continued to glare, a light pink covering his cheeks.
"You're a jerk. You know that?" Ace snapped, not actually meaning the insult.
"Well. When you're dad is a military officer, not much you can do." Cloud shrugged and Ace narrowed his eyes.
"That isn't a real reason." He replied.
"It isn't? Well. Then I guess that's your problem." Cloud leaned back, only to sit straight up again as loud roaring filled the air.
"What in Tartarus is that?" Ace muttered, standing up and walking to the top of the hill, which was only a few feet up from where the two had been watching the sky. Cloud didn't move until Ace called for him. "Cloud.. Get over here."
Cloud heard a strange tone he hadn't heard from Ace before, and did what Ace had told him, only for him to stare as well.
The city of Los Pegasus was in view, but something was wrong.
Dreadfully wrong.
Smoke rose from part of the city which was only a quarter mile from the base of the hill the two friends sat at, the loud screams of panicked pedestrians filled the air.
"What is going on..?" Cloud asked, turning to Ace.
"The city is under attack!"
"Mom!" Cloud screamed and bolted down the hill, followed by Ace.
"Cloud! Wait!" Ace shouted.
"No! My mom is still there!" Cloud shouted as he crept through the hole in the brick wall that he and Ace used to visit the hills. Ace ran after, only having to duck as his frame was thinner than the pegasus.
Ace and Cloud ran down the seemingly abandoned street. The two had lived next to each other for years, so they didn't have to go far to see each other. Ace's house was a pale shade of lavender while Cloud's was a dark gray with white trimming and bright flowers.
Ace stopped between the two houses, looking around the seemingly abandoned street.
"Cloud.. I don't think the danger is here.." Ace called, reaching for the pegasus, only for his face to meet hard cement as a nearby house burst in a loud explosion of fire, wood and glass. Not to mention a few other things.
Ace's vision blurred as his ears rang from the explosion. He felt a faint tug on his arm and he looked to see a blur he was sure was Cloud. As the ringing began to fade, Ace could begin to make out what he said as he began to drag him to the house.
Cloud set the unicorn on a table, as the house opened into a nice eat-in kitchen. The cabinetry was of a dark wood while the floor was a nice marble tile, similar to the counters. The room was filled with gold colored accessories.
While Ace recovered from head butting the pavement, Cloud ran upstairs, opening the door to his mother's room, eyes wide and searching.
The mare he was searching for sat up in her bed, looking confused and shocked, only to turn and blink at her son."Cloud? What was that noise? Were you and Ace trying to make potions again?"
Cloud couldn't help but respond. "We aren't kids anymore, mom. We know better." Another blast shook the structure, causing a lamp which had been set on the nightstand, to smash into the ground, causing Cloud's mother to leap out of the bed and look out the window.
"Dear Celestia! What is going on!?" She turned to her son who grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her towards the door.
"Tartarus if I know! I just know we have to go! Let's grab Ace's Parents and get out of here!" Cloud dragged his mother down the stairs to see that Ace was no longer there.
"Where did he go?!" Cloud's own question was answered within seconds of him uttering it.
"Come on!" Cloud ran outside, followed by his mother as they ran to the nearby house, the door hanging ajar.
Cloud ran inside, down the hall and into the living room to see the room was a mess, claw marks raked the furniture and picture frames lay scattered and broken. The usually light and cozy room was a nightmare, like a rabid dragon had been set through it.
Cloud turned to his mom. "Watch my back." Since Cloud's father had been a soldier, his mother had been a air patrolling solder for around ten years before retiring. She had learned plenty of techniques of self defense and hand to hand combat. In turn, Black Cloud had been taught self defense and a few offense attack moves.
The two crept up the stares before walking down the hall, claw marks ravaged the area. Only when a sharp cry of terror erupted from a nearby room, did the two run. They burst into the room to see a blue unicorn mare with a pink mane, clutching a bleeding arm while Ace stood in front of her, holding a fire poker from the furnace downstairs and pointing it in the direction of what appeared to be a black dog of some kind, droplets of dark fluid dripped down its foreleg, the same fluid covering the end of the fire poker.
"Hang on!" Cloud's mother called, running forward and ramming her body into the dog, ramming its head into the fire poker.
Ace dropped the weapon and pulled his mother around the creature as it collapsed to the ground, the fire poker driving further through its head. The mare cringed at the growing puddle of dark fluid.
"Hurry. We need to get out of this town as soon as possible-!" Cloud didn't finish as a burst of fire damaged the nearby wall that had been facing out to the street. Ace grasped onto his friend's arm, falling to the ground with him.
The two mother's staggered back into the bed, eyes wide. Cloud's mother grunted and grabbed onto the two, ignoring the searing pain as she touched the burnt and smoking clothes to pull them over. Cloud gave a few coughs before struggling up, using the foot of the bed for support.
Cloud's mother picked up Ace, the physically weak unicorn had been knocked into a small state of unconsciousness from the blast.
"Cloud? Can you run?" Cloud nodded and the two mares ran from the room to the stairs, Cloud on their heels. As the escaped the structure out onto the street, they gasped in shock. A large monster, similar to the stature of a dragon, stood towering by Ace's house. Its red eyes turned their focus from the empty structure to the small collection of ponies that stared up at them from the cracked and debris filled street.
"Run.. Run!" Cloud's mother called, moving one of her arms from Ace's still form to shove the group backwards. Cloud turned and wrapped his arms around Ace, taking him from his mother's grip before running off in the direction she directed, which was the small pony length space between two houses.
Cloud continued running, his grip on Ace tightening as he came to the neighboring street, which the monster had previously laid waste to. Only a few houses stood, with burnt walls or large holes. Cloud forced himself to look away from the damage and continued running, the two mares on his heels.
Cloud was beginning to hear what sounded like yelling. As he slipped through another space between buildings, he stopped in shock.
The road was lined with soldiers, in the center of the street was a river of panicked ponies.
"Do not push each other. We do not wish for more inuries than we need. Medical staff and a large group of escorting soldiers will be up ahead. They will get you to a safe location." One soldier, a white unicorn, shouted over the clamor. He was likely using a voice amplifier spell.
Cloud ran into the stream of people, almost losing his mother in the chaos. When the two mares found him, they kept close. All the while, Ace stayed in his state of unconsciousness.
After walking for what Cloud could only think of as hours, the road panned out into the city square, the train station at the other end of it. The usually whistling and moving vehicle was no more active then a hunk of useless stone.
Cloud watched as the originally wide river of ponies was gradually forced into a small line. Cloud clutched Ace tighter. If the unicorn had been awake, he probably would have been asking him to let him go or complain about how Cloud was holding him to tight.
As they approached the train entrance, a soldier stopped them. He held a clipboard in his hand that was already looking heavy with the amount of paper and card stock was attached.
"Names?" The soldier asked.
"Black Cloud." He responded.
"Crystal Petals." The unicorn responded.
"Feather Storm." Cloud's mother responded, causing the soldier to look up.
"You wouldn't happened to be married to General Flaming Coals?"
"Yes. Black Cloud is our son." Feather Storm replied.
"Ah. I worked in his division for a few months." The soldier lamented before looking at the unconscious unicorn in Cloud's grip. "His name?"
"Ace Amethyst." Cloud answered.
"Did he pass out from shock of circumstance or was he injured?" The soldier asked.
"We were attacked by one of those weird creatures. It blasted a hole in the wall and knocked him out. He also hit the concrete before that from a nearby home explosion." Cloud explained and the soldier nodded, noticing Crystal Petals' blood caked arm.
"Well. In you go. Head to the far back cars. The white ones. They should treat to your injuries." The soldier directed to the inside and Cloud walked in, followed by his friends. Everypony who had been seated in the booths on either side of the train car stared at Cloud as he carried his limp friend to the far back cars, followed by Crystal Petals.
When Cloud reached the back cars, the nurses occupying them led Crystal Peaks to a nearby seating area. When they reached for Ace's body, Cloud pulled him away from them. They didn't ask and led him to a booth with a bed on one side which replaced one row of seats. Cloud set Ace down on the bed and sat down across from him.
When a doctor came in, he checked over Ace's head and checked for other injuries. Every minute or so, he would ask Cloud a question to break the silence.
One question caught Cloud off guard.
"Okay. Well. You can take him back to the seating booth that Crystal Petals and Feather Storm are seated at. Oh, and-." The doctor turned to Cloud before he left. "Make sure he doesn't face plant anytime soon."
Cloud suppressed a chuckle before carrying Ace to the cars where Crystal Petals and his mother had seated themselves. A few minutes after Cloud got situated, with Ace's head on his shoulder, the train began to move.
