When The Bass Drops

by BlakeCorman

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Crossover, Human, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Other, Princess Luna, Science Fiction, King Sombra, Adventure
Length: 61835

Amelia has led a mostly ordinary life. Now she is thrust into a new world she has never seen and in a body that is not her own. She has no idea how this came to be, but she knows what she must do. It's time to drop the Bass.

Hello, everyone, my name is Amelia Jaeger, and I have no idea where I am or how I got here. All I can remember is a plane crash, a bright flash, and waking up in the snow. What's worse is I'm now stuck in the body of the NetNavi known as Bass from Megaman NT Warrior. Although, it's not all bad. I could have been stranded as Roll instead. Now, if only I could get used to all these multi-colored talking ponies everywhere, I may not lose my mind before I figure out what's going on. Wish me luck. I may need it.

Howdy, everybody! As you can see, I've provided another Displaced story for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

EDIT: WE GOT FEATURED ON THE FIRST UPDATE OF 2022! WOOOOOO!

Published 2016-11-22 16:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-01-03 20:43:21 UTC

Chapter 1- White Rabit

When the Bass Drops
Chapter 1-
White Rabbit

A black ‘77 Camaro with bronze racing stripes raced down an open road that twisted through wooded hills. The driver, a young woman with pink highlighted strawberry blonde hair and green eyes, weaved the vehicle through the hills with deft movements, pushing the machine as hard as she could without losing control. Eventually, the hills began to level out and after a few more minutes she rolled up to a chain link gate, a guard station next to it. As the guard walked over, she reached inside of her white leather jacket and pulled out her ID.

“How’s that girl of yours, Jeremy?” She asked as she handed the man the plastic card.

“She’s great,” Jeremy answered with a smile as he looked it over out of protocol only. “She really missed you at her birthday the other day.”

“I’m sorry,” the young woman responded as she took her ID back. “Did she like the present?”

“Of course she did,” the guard said with a chuckle. “You take care, Amelia.”

“You, too,” Amelia replied as she drove through the gate as it opened. She drove up to a large, concrete building and parked her car. She got out and walked into the building, making her way to the locker room. She opened her locker and quickly changed into her flight suit. She took out her helmet and headset and went to close the door but stopped as a black and purple object caught her eye. She turned back and reached into the locker. Her fingers wrapped around the object and she pulled it out, turning it in her hand. It was her self-proclaimed good luck charm, a Bass.exe Advanced PET toy. She smiled down at the object and stuck it in one of her pockets on a whim before closing the door and exiting the building.

Amelia made her way over to one of the hangars, where a maintenance worker was opening the door from the inside to reveal an F/A-18C jet. “Morning, Samuel,” the young woman said as she made her way over. “Is Far Away ready?”

Samuel gave her an amused look. “Yes, your jet is ready,” he said. “Tell me again why you insist on calling it ‘Far Away’?”

Amelia smiled and laughed like she did almost every morning as she made her way to her craft. “Because every time I fly in it, it takes me to a place ‘far’ and ‘away’ from here.”

Samuel gave a chuckle. “Alright, Miss Jaeger,” he conceded. “You be safe now.”

“Always,” she answered before beginning her preflight check. She eventually climbed into the vehicle, strapped herself in, and within a few minutes was speeding down the runway and into the air. She performed a few basic maneuvers before she began to practice the routine her team would be performing in the next show. As she flew, her thoughts began to wander. Eventually, they found their way to her mother. Amelia frowned and shook her head to clear her thoughts. Come on, Amelia, she told herself. It’s been nine years, let it go.

Just then, her radio buzzed and a female voice came through. “Hey, Amelia,” she said. “We’ve got some weird weather patterns in your area. We suggest you start making your way back and wait for it to pass.”

“Rodger that, Celeste,” Amelia replied, moving the controls to make her way back. “I’m on my way.” A few seconds later, the craft was slammed and almost every instrument started going haywire. Amelia started to work the controls trying to get the jet back under control until the plane got slammed again and sent the plane into a rotation. Seeing the jet was a lost cause, Amelia started to reach for the ejection lever. She pulled it and the entire craft gave a shutter… only for nothing to happen. Amelia’s eyes widened and she began jerking the lever over and over, but to no avail.

She reached up to her radio and opened the channel. “Tower, I’ve gone into an uncontrolled rotation and my ejector is jammed! I need remote assistance!” She let off only to be answered by static. Time slowed down as Amelia realized what was about to happen. She leaned her head back and resigned herself to her fate until a thought struck her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the PET and stared at it. She finally closed her eyes and held the old toy to her chest. I’m sorry, mom, she said internally as the first tree came into view and her world turned white.

Weightlessness. That’s what Amelia felt as consciousness came back to her. That is, until the cold hit. She could feel the freezing sensation flood through her body, and she closed her right hand, a crunching sound following her action. She turned her head and looked at her closed fist. She rotated her wrist and opened her fingers slowly to let the snow fall from her hand. As her eyes focused, she noticed that her hand was covered in a white glove. Her mind finally woke up and she got to her feet, only to be buffeted by howling winds. Something around her flapped in the wind. She grabbed on to the brown cloak and pulled it closer to her body, which felt somewhat alien.

She decided to ignore the feeling and began to trudge through the snow and ice. She moved slowly through the frigid environment, not sure of where she was going or even how long she could last. She didn’t realize how far she had gone until she looked up and saw a tower crawling into the sky in the distance.

She breathed a sigh of relief and began to walk forward. Tiredness washed over her and she fell forward, her limbs heavy. She lifted her face to look towards the tower and saw three black dots rise up into the sky. “Please,” she said, “somebody help me….” She drifted into unconsciousness as the dots began to get closer.

Amelia lay in a large, elaborate bed, several blankets covering her. A fire crackled in a nearby fireplace, warming the room. Amelia began to stir, her face forming into a grimace as it felt like her limbs her being unfrozen, causing pins and needles. She opened her eyes and slowly sat up in the bed, putting a hand on her forehead, feeling something odd. She moved her hand back and saw the same white glove she noticed before. However, upon closer inspection, she saw that a black and silver bracer with a gold ring and fin near the back.

Why is this familiar? Amelia asked as she turned the limb to get a better look at it. She finally turned away and saw a full-length mirror near one of the walls. On a whim, She threw the covers off and got out of the bed before walking towards the mirror. What she found completely shocked her.

Her body was covered in a black, tight fitting suit that complimented her figure, purple lines running from the golden armor around her ankles and lower legs up to a badge on her chest that had a white, scar-like line across it. Golden armor came off her shoulders at a diagonal, and a black helmet sat on her head, decorated with four fins that were yellow on their undersides, silver and blue puck shaped pieces that covered her ears and a blue crystal cut in the shape of a four-pointed star in the center. Purple stripes ran down each side of her face, completing her strange new appearance, however, her eyes were still the same green as before.

I’m… Bass? She thought completely shocked. She reached up her hands and attempted to pull the helmet off of her head, but to no avail. She lowered her arms and stared at her reflection. “How did this happen?” She asked as she put her hand on the mirror. She heard a click and turned as a door opened behind her. When she turned to face the sound, she saw, of all things, a gray pony with a black mane and red eyes wearing steel armor covered by a red, fur-lined cape. However, what truly caught her attention was the horn that protruded from its head just below a silver crown. Two other ponies, one green and the other light blue, both garbed in dark armor, followed close behind the first. The whole thing might have been impressive, or maybe even intimidating, if the tallest of them, the one in front, didn’t only come up to her chin.

The ponies stopped in the middle of the room, watching her and for a moment, none of them moved. “Could this get any weirder?” Amelia finally asked, her eyes searching the group.

“Says the alien.”

Amelia flinched and looked around the room, searching for the source of the voice. “Who said that?” she finally asked when no one caught her eye.

“That would be me, my dear.” Amelia jerked her head back around to stare at the ponies in front of her and focused on the one in front, who was now wearing a smug grin.

Amelia blinked her eyes and stared at the group in front of her. “How long was I out in that storm?” She finally asked, questioning her own sanity.

“According to the three scouts that brought you in,” the leader said, Amelia clearly seeing his mouth move as he spoke. “Almost ten hours.”

Amelia’s face blanched. “Ten hours? How cold is it out there?” She asked the stallion, at least she assumed from his voice.

“Fifteen degrees,” he answered readily, the smirk still on his face as his eyes searched her.

Her face paled and she stumbled backward until she backed into the wall behind her. A million thoughts ran through her head. How did she survive the crash? How did she survive the cold? How was this pony talking? However, one question stuck out above all else. “Where am I?” She asked, somehow keeping her cool despite her internal panic.

The unicorn smiled, somewhat unnervingly. “That is something that would be better shown than simply told,” he replied, before turning around to face the door. “Come.” He began to walk out of the room, the other two followed after him.

Still slightly confused, Amelia started to follow after them but a slight movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned to see the cloak she had been wearing earlier hanging on a coat rack. She looked toward the group that was beginning to make its way out of the room and back at the cloak before quickly walking over and taking the covering. As she pulled it from the rack she heard something clatter to the floor. She looked down to find her PET on the floor and bent down to inspect it. She picked it up and turned it in her hand before she stood up. She turned and rushed to catch up with the ponies as she threw the mantle over her shoulders and slipped the PET underneath it.

As she caught up with the gray stallion, she began to take in her surroundings. The walls shined and sparkled as if cut from gemstone. The hall was also very beautifully decorated, with paintings hanging on the walls and elaborate carpets paving the way. “What is this place?” She finally asked in awe.

“The Crystal Palace, my dear,” the stallion answered before throwing a sideways glance at the young woman beside him. “May I ask you a few questions, miss?” He asked as he turned his head forward again.

“I guess,” Amelia said with a shrug. “It was your scouts that saved me after all.”

The gray pony gave a chuckle. “I suppose the best place to start is who, or what, are you?”

“Well, my name is Amelia Jaeger, and I… was human.”

The stallion gave her a questioning look. “What do you mean, you were human?”

Amelia closed her eyes and took a breath, before opening them but keeping them on the floor. “Last thing I remember is getting a call about strange weather while I was practicing for an aerobatics show. I got hit by… something and started going down. Before I crashed there was a bright flash. I figured I was dead until I woke up in the snow in this new body.”

“And,” the dark pony began, “what is this new body of yours?”

“From what I can tell, I’ve been turned into a NetNavi, Bass.exe to be exact,” she answered as they took a left turn.

“What is a ‘NetNavi’, if I may ask miss Jaeger?” The stallion asked as a set of double doors came into view on the other end of the hallway.

“NetNavis don’t actually exist,” Amelia stated. “At least, not where I’m from. They were fictional beings that were designed to ‘navigate’ a digital ‘network’, hence the name. They can find information, do minimal tasks like keeping a schedule, and even do battle against one another.” Had Amelia been paying attention, she would have seen the stallion’s ears perk up at the last item. For a moment, the group was silent as they walked forward. “You know,” Amelia said suddenly. “You never did answer my question.” She looked towards the stallion to see a half smile on his face.

“That is because,” the unicorn answered as they reached the door. “It was not yet the time nor place. However,” his horn began to glow red and the handles on the doors did the same, “we have arrived at both.” The doors opened up to reveal a balcony and the tall pony walked out onto it, the other two following behind him. Amelia hesitated a moment before taking a deep breath and following them out. What she saw next took her breath away.

A city unlike any she had seen before stretched out before her. The streets were smooth as glass and the buildings looked as if they had been grown from crystals. As she watched, she saw tiny figures making their way through the city. “This is beautiful,” Amelia breathed as she saw the sun gleam off the buildings in a rainbow of colors.

The stallion walked up beside her. “Welcome, miss Amelia,” he began, “to the Crystal Empire. And allow me to introduce myself. I am its ruler,” Amelia looked at the unicorn as the light caught him just the right way, “King Sombra.”

Several hours later, Amelia stood in her room, once again looking at herself in the mirror as her cloak hung in the corner. After showing her the city from the balcony, Sombra had shown her around the castle, from the throne room to the dining hall, which they had promptly stopped in for dinner before he escorted her back to her room for the night.

And so she found herself back in front of the mirror, wondering what she was doing here in this new world. She looked towards her bedside table where her PET sat. She walked over to the device and picked it up. She looked it over once more before pulling down on the bottom of the device. The cover flipped open and Amelia looked down at the screen. The display showed the same screen that was seen so many times in the anime with only one thing missing. In the place a NetNavi should be standing the words ‘NO NAVI’ kept flashing.

The young woman continued to stare down at the device, even lifting her hand to push a few buttons, but nothing happened. She eventually sighed, closed the device, and set it on the table again before getting into the bed. It was an odd feeling to be getting in bed with all her clothing, but taking anything off had proven useless and she had grown frustrated in trying, forcing her to give up before she got too angry. She got situated on the bed and rolled over to stare at the ceiling, questions still burning in her mind. “Why am I here?” She finally asked before her eyes slid closed and she drifted off into sleep.

Sombra walked down the halls of his castle, the black crystal and menacing decor bringing a twisted joy to his cold heart. Having to keep up that illusion spell around the ‘human’ or ‘NetNavi’ or whatever she called herself had been more taxing than he had thought it would be. Having to see the world in that light had made him feel sick as well, but he had no choice in the matter. The girl had a good heart about her, and he knew she would turn on him if he showed her his true nature and that of his empire, but she had the potential to be quite useful.

He now made his way back to the balcony he had led her to earlier in the evening. He opened the doors and looked out upon his domain. At the ponies that bent to his will, the black walls that kept them trapped, and to the courtyards where his army of mindless soldiers marched. He grinned maliciously, showing his fangs off to the world as his green and red eyes washed over the scene, purple mist trailing from them.

He lifted his head to where the accursed sun was beginning to set to make way for its sibling, the moon. Sombra’s grin morphed into a snarling smirk as he watched the celestial body move through the sky. “Soon, Celestia,” he spat, “I shall have the power to rival even you and your sister. Soon, I shall rule this world with an iron hoof!”

Author's Note

How will Amelia adapt to this strange new world? And what exactly is Sombra planning? Only time will tell.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to When The Bass Drops, a Displaced story. I hope you all enjoy. If you have a question, a thought you'd like to share, see a mistake, or simply wish to be silly, leave a comment below. Please remember to respect one another as you do. Until next time, have a good one.

Chapter 2- Heads Will Roll

Chapter 2-

Heads Will Roll

Amelia walked down a corridor looking for one room in particular. She had been in the Crystal Empire for three days, and those three had been the longest of her life. The only pony- that still felt strange to her- that would actually talk with her was Sombra, and he spent most of his time running his kingdom. So, she had had to entertain herself. She had gotten the pony attending her, courtesy of Sombra, to lead her to the library where she had spent most of her time reading up on whatever she could, but now that she was a NetNavi, all she had to do was scan over a page and it stayed. After the second day of doing nothing but lounging around, reading, and being served to her heart’s content, she grew bored. Today she would do something different.

Amelia opened yet another door to find yet another empty room. She let out a sigh and closed the door. “Nope, not there either.”

“What are you looking for, mistress?” The sudden voice surprised Amelia and she quickly spun around with a small gasp. Behind her stood the mare Sombra had assigned to her, Amber Leaf. She was baby blue with a purple mane, the visage of a golden leaf on her rear. She wore a silver necklace with an emerald embedded in it that matched her eyes.

Amelia put a hand to her chest and attempted to get her heart under control. “Oh, Amber, it’s just you. Didn’t I ask you to call me ‘Amelia’ or ‘Miss Jaeger,’ not ‘mistress?’”

Amber was silent for a moment, her head cocked to the side. “Yes, mistress Amelia,” she answered as she straightened her head.

Amelia rolled her eyes after the fiftieth time of doing this with the mare. “Okay, Amber,” she said tirelessly. “Do you know where I can get a good workout in?”

Amber tilted her head once more and was silent for a moment. “This way, mistress Amelia,” she finally answered before turning around and walking away. Amelia shook her head as she began to follow the pony. Amber led her down several different hallways until they came to a set of double doors.

“Thank you, Amber,” Amelia said before she moved passed the mare and opened the doors. She wasn’t expecting to find an open courtyard on the other side. She scanned the courtyard but didn’t find any sort of equipment she was used to. She heard the clip-clop of hooves on cobblestone and turned to see Amber walking through the door. “How do people- ponies, work out around here?” she asked the mare.

Amber leaned her head but didn’t wait nearly as long as she usually she did. “Most soldiers are trained using a golem creation spell that is carved into the center column at the edge of the courtyard.”

The way Amber explained the whole thing sent a shiver down Amelia’s spine… at least, she assumed it was still her spine. “Thanks, Amber,” she told the mare before turning and making her way towards the rear of the column that the mare had mentioned. Just like everything else, it was carved from crystal, but, unlike the others, a very intricately carved circle was engraved into it. “Alright,” Amelia said to herself, “now what?”

“Might I suggest infusing the spell with some of your energy, mistress Amelia.” The ‘Navi jumped a little again before she turned to face Amber.

“Could you please stop doing that?” Amelia asked.

“I apologize, mistress Amelia,” the blue pony said.

“Miss Amelia,” the young woman corrected, her irritation beginning to show through. “How do I ‘transfer my energy’?” She asked a little harshly.

“May I suggest focusing on one of your appendages,” Amber replied, seemingly unaffected by Amelia’s harsh attitude.

Amelia stared for a moment, finally lifting her hand to look it over. She turned back to the circle before placing her hand on it. She closed her eyes and began to focus on the palm of her hand. It didn’t take long for a tingling feeling to come over her hand. She opened her eyes to see purple energy covering her hand. She stared in awe for a moment before a grin split her features. She pushed the energy into the circle, and it began to glow. What she didn’t realize, was just how much energy she put into the circle.

The circle let out a concussive blast that blew both Amber and Amelia back. Amelia landed hard on her back and felt the wind rush out of her lungs. She heard a loud thud as Amber Leaf hit the ground somewhere behind her. Amelia got her breath back and sat up, grimacing, before her eyes widened in shock. In front of her stood five oversized crystal golems, each slightly humanoid in shape, but with three variations. Two of them had oversized arms, while another two had wings. The final golem, the biggest, had a blade-like structure forming out of its head. The ‘Navi stared at the crystal giants and gulped. “Uh-oh.”

No sooner had the sound left her mouth than the golems all turned towards her. Amelia’s eyes widened before she flipped backward and used her arms to push herself away just as the two big-armed giants punched the ground, sending out shockwaves that collided at the place she had been moments before.

Amelia landed and dropped into a wide stance, her arms up, moving the cloak out of the way. The two armed golems stepped back and let the winged golems step forward. Suddenly, Amber Leaf let out a moan causing the golems to focus on her instead.

Amelia’s eyes widened before she tensed her body. “Don’t you dare,” she muttered. The winged golems lunged forward, aiming for the unconscious mare. Amelia leaped forward, not quite sure what she could do against the golems. Think, Amelia, think! She urged herself as she went forward. She stopped in front of Amber as the golems rushed forward. What can you do? An idea suddenly struck her and a grin crossed her face. She put her arms out to each side and her hands folded into her gauntlets. Silver barrel with a blue bulb extended from her right arm while some form of generator formed on her left, a purple energy blade extending from it. Her grin widened. “Let’s see what you bastards got,” she said lowly before the golems clashed with her.

It was over before it began. Amelia leveled her buster at the head of the golem on her right and let loose with a blast that sheared through the crystal like wet paper. The other didn’t fair much better as it was cleaved in two with an upward slash. The two golems collapsed and tumbled away in pieces, leaving Amber and Amelia unharmed. Amelia looked up at the remaining monsters and smirked. “Who’s next?”

The bladed golem’s horn glowed and sent forth a powerful blast of magic in response. Amelia’s eyes widened but she quickly lifted her bladed hand, her hand folding back out. Purple energy covered the extremity and a barrier formed around her, dispersing the blast away from herself and the mare behind her. When the blast faded, Amelia lifted her buster and shot several of her own. The bolts were intercepted by the armed golems as they lifted their fists to block the attack. Their arms crumbled away, leaving them with an arm apiece. The buster folded away and cyber swords extended from her gauntlets. “Time to put an end to this,” she said as her eyes narrowed.

She ran forward, the energy blades held out to her sides as she ran forward. The two armed golems stepped forward and raised their remaining arms as the bladed golem stepped back as its horn began to glow again. Amelia didn’t slow down, only continued forward before leaping into the air. The two armed golems threw their fists forward, the titanic limbs overshadowing her. Before they could hit her, she slashed with her blades, splitting the giants into several pieces, bursting through them with her blades crossed. The horned golem then unleashed its fury, sending out a blast of energy that would engulf Amelia. She never took her eyes off her target, but as the beam engulfed her, she maneuvered her crossed blades to cut through the attack, leaving her unscathed. Stopping the blast forced her to land several feet in front of the golem.

She looked up at it and her eyes hardened. She raised one of her arms over her head and the blade folded back down into her gauntlet only for a new weapon to fold out. A red cylinder formed, three barrels extending out of it before she leveled the weapon at the horned golem. “Game over,” she said before the gatling gun like weapon went off, sending several high-speed shots crashing through the monster. It swayed for a moment before crashing to the ground, shattering like glass.

Amelia lifted the gun and it collapsed back down to her normal arm. She stood up straight and looked at her hands. ‘I’m not even out of breath,’ she noted before a groan pulled her attention back to the blue mare behind her. She rushed over and knelt down beside the pony, putting a hand on her back to steady her. “Are you alright, Amber Leaf?” She asked.

“I am alright, Mistress Amelia,” Amber grunted as she seemed to struggle to her hooves. Amelia searched the mare with her eyes, seeing several bumps, scrapes, and bruises on her frame. She also seemed to be favoring her right front hoof.

“You are not alright, Amber,” the Navi stated before she reached out and picked the pony up like a shepherd would a lamb. She carried Amber gently in her arms, making her way to the door. She lifted her her away from the mare without dropping her and let a purple aura shine around it. She flicked her fingers and the door opened, allowing her back into the castle. “Which way to the infirmary, Amber?” Amelia asked as she looked right and left down the hallway.

“The castle does not have an infirmary, Mistress Amelia,” Amber replied bluntly.

Amelia blinked. “What do you mean the castle doesn’t have an infirmary? What do you do when someone gets hurt or sick.”

“The weak do not survive long… in the harsh environment of the north,” Amber Leaf answered, adding the last part in a rush as if it had suddenly come to mind.

Amelia pursed her lips for a moment. “Amber, where’s King Sombra?” She finally asked.

“King Sombra is very busy,” Amber answered quickly.

Amelia stared down at the mare for a moment. “Amber,” she said slowly. “I would like to see King Sombra.

Amber Leaf was silent for a long moment before she finally answered. “King Sombra is in his throne room.”

Amelia lifted her eyes, which flashed with lines of code before she took off in the direction of the throne room. Thanks to her NetNavi mind, she was able to plot the fastest route to the throne room, moving at a quick pace while still avoiding jostling Amber too much. She made it to the throne room in a matter of minutes. She slowed to a walk and approached the door and its guards, who crossed their spears in front of it. “I need to see King Sombra,” Amelia said quickly. “It’s urgent.”

Neither of the guards moved except for the slight twitch that the left one gave. A few moments passed and the guards finally moved their spears and opened the doors for Amelia to enter. “Thank you,” she said as she passed and entered the throne room, receiving no response in return. She carried Amber Leaf forward and looked up at Sombra as he sat upon his throne, going through some sort of documents.

“Good afternoon, Amelia,” he said without looking up. “What is it that brings you here today?”

Amelia stopped a few feet before the steps. “We had an accident, and Amber Leaf got hurt.”

Sombra finally looked up at this, a bit of concern on his face as his eyes fell on the mare in Amelia’s arms. “How did this happen?” He asked as the paper surrounded by a red aura floated down and settled back on the pile.

“I needed a workout,” Amelia began. “So I went searching around for some sort of gym or something. Amber found me and helped me to the training yard. I tried to use the golem generator, but I guess I overcharged it. When the golems appeared, me and Amber got thrown back and Amber took the hit worse than I did.”

Sombra’s eyes searched the pair for several moments before he lifted his right hoof and brought it down on the arm of his throne, a loud crack sounding out. A few moments later, a group of four guards came in and stopped beside Amelia and Amber, two on either side. “Guards, take Amber Leaf to the local doctor to… take care of her,” Sombra ordered. The guards all nodded and turned simultaneously to face Amelia.

The way they moved unnerved Amelia somewhat, but she lowered Amber Leaf down all the same. Amber put three hooves on the floor, still lifting her left front leg off the ground. Two guards positioned themselves to either side of the mare, helping her by giving some support. The other two fell in behind them as the group left the room. Amelia watched Amber, worrying over the mare’s well being until the large doors closed behind them.

“Miss Jaeger.”

Amelia turned as King Sombra called for her attention. “Yes, sir?”

Sombra’s eyes searched her again, looking for something. “You don’t seem to have been injured during your fight with… how many golems was it?”

Amelia blinked at the sudden interrogation. “Um, five… sir.”

Sombra brought a hoof to his chin and started moving his leg back and forth, thinking over what she had said. Eventually, he seemed to come to a conclusion. “You couldn’t have defeated five golems alone… especially unarmed.”

At this, Amelia gave a bit of a smile. “I wasn’t unarmed,” she stated.

Sombra started at this, putting his hoof down and giving her his full attention. “Even my best soldier, wielding our most powerful weapon, could not achieve what you claim to alone. Not to mention you had the added distraction of a wounded mare. I hope you don’t find this rude, but how?”

Amelia’s grin widened a little as she moved her right arm out from under her cloak, raising her hand up so that it was level with her shoulder. “Perhaps you would like a demonstration?” King Sombra’s eyes lit up a little and Amelia’s smile became complete. She moved her arm to hold her hand out to her side before sending out a mental command. Her hand slipped into her gauntlet before it began to bend and fold, forming the hilt from which a purple energy blade extended. She gave the weapon a few swings before bringing it diagonal to her chest. “How’s that for armed?” She asked with a smug grin.

Sombra’s eyes were wide for a few moments before a wide grin split his features. “Thank you for… enlightening me, Miss Amelia,” his smile remained as he said this. He knocked his hoof on the arm of his throne again and his eyes drifted back to the stack of papers to his left, a sigh losing from his lips. “If you’ll excuse me, Miss Amelia, I need to get back to these.”

Amelia commanded her cyber sword to retract and gave a short bow. “Thank you for your time, King Sombra,” she said politely before straightening up and walking out of the room. She didn’t notice the wicked grin that Sombra gave her as she left.

Sombra walked down the dark halls of his castle. The paperwork ruse he had come up with at the last second seemed to have worked, showing that, despite her incredible strength, Amelia Jaeger was far too trusting. Which was lucky for him, because it would make her easy to manipulate when the time came.

However, right now, he had other things on his mind, specifically a blue and purple mare. He made his way down into the dungeons, crawling through the tunnels and passages until he arrived at a cell at the far end of the prison. He turned and lit his horn up brightly, causing Amber Leaf to raise a hoof to protect her eyes. The mare had even more scrapes and bruises than when she had left Amelia, and her sprained ankle was swollen to three times its usual size. “Hello, Amber,” he said in a deceptively soft tone. “Enjoying your stay?”

Amber lowered her hoof as her eyes finally adjusted to the light coming off of Sombra’s blade-like horn. “Why do you insist on taunting me, Sombra?” Amber asked, a tired note in her voice.

Sombra’s grin became a scowl. “You almost cost me a very valuable piece, Amber,” he growled out. “And that would not have been good for me… or you.”

Amber closed her eyes at the threat. “If you were going to kill me Sombra,” the mare began. “You would have done it a long time ago.”

King Sombra was becoming angry and he let out a growl that showed off his fangs. “What use is it to have a favorite pet if that pet can’t entertain you?” He cruelly, getting his face closer and closer to the bars. “And that is all that you are. A pet.” He then straightened up to his full height. “Maybe a few weeks down here will remind you of that.” He turned away violently, the glow of his horn going away and plunging the dungeon back into darkness.

Far away from the Crystal Empire, in the snowy wastes, stood a lone figure in armor. The armor was made of gold, with intricate designs throughout it. Most of the pony’s alabaster fur was hidden by the armor, yet her multicolored mane still flowed out behind her helmet. She held her wings tight against her body to help keep herself warm. Her horn glowed yellow as she watched the horizon in the direction of the Empire.

A dark blue figure in silverish blue armor walked up behind the other, coming to a stop beside her. “The time draweth nigh, dear sister,” the slightly shorter figure said to the alabaster pony.

“Indeed it does,” the gold armored pony answered. “Prepare the troops. The journey will be a hard one, but in two weeks time, King Sombra will fall.”

Author's Note

What other powers will Amelia unlock, and how will a week in the dungeons affect Amber Leaf? One thing's for sure... this is just the calm before the storm.

Howdy, guys. I don't really have much to say about this chapter, asides from the fact that I know it's short. If you guys have anything you'd like to say, see a mistake, or simply want to be silly, leave it in the comments below. Please remember to be respectful to those in the comments with you. Thank you all, and, until the next one, have a good one.

Chapter 3- Girl Who Got Away

Chapter 3-

Girl Who Got Away

Amelia walked back down the hallways of the Crystal Palace, her cloak thrown over her shoulder as she strode along. It had been a week since the incident with the golems, and she was beginning to feel confident in her abilities. She had discovered that she could use any battlechip she could remember, which was any she had ever seen thanks to her now cybernetic mind. She had been told that Amber’s ankle and other wounds had actually been much worse than she had thought and wouldn’t be back for a week, meaning she would be back today. In the meantime, Sombra had provided her with a new assistant, Diamond Song, a cream colored mare with an auburn mane and green eyes.

But none of that really mattered now. Right about now, Amelia just wanted a nap. Being a digital being meant that she didn’t sweat, produce waste, or grow hungry, but, despite all this, she still got worn out from her training. She finally made it to her room and opened the door, revealing the meager furnishings. She closed the door behind her and made her way over to the rack in the corner, hanging her cloak on it before going over to the bed and falling into it with a sigh. She made herself comfortable and stared up at the ceiling with her green eyes until they closed and she drifted off into sleep.

“Mistress Amelia.” The call was soft but still enough to make the Navi jolt up in bed, her fist raised over her chest ready to deploy whatever weapon she summoned. She looked her room over quickly and relaxed when she saw Amber Leaf standing at the doorway.

“Amber,” Amelia breathed as she put her arm down, a smile on her face. “You can’t scare me like that.”

“Apologies, Mistress Amelia,” the pony said, closing her eyes and bowing her head slightly. “I was told to come and tell you that I am back to serving you.”

Amelia sighed a bit. “That’s good to hear,” she said. “I’m glad to hear that you’re back and feeling better.”

The mare was silent in response. The silence grew so great that Amelia actually ended up clearing her throat to break it. “Sooo,” she said, dragging out the word. “How was your time in the infirmary? Did they treat you alright?” More silence followed. Amelia raised an eyebrow, the silence, and stillness of the mare bothering her. “Oookay,” she said, drawing out that word as well until she swung her legs out over the bed and got up. “What happened?” She asked as she went over to a pitcher of water. “Did they take your tongue out or something?” She tried to joke, even letting out a little laugh as she poured two glasses. She turned with the glasses in her hands and a smile on her face only to find that Amber still had not moved nor made to answer. Amelia let her shoulders sag. “Amber, answer me, please.”

“No, Mistress Amelia.”

Amelia stopped and blinked. “No?” She questioned, a puzzled look on her face.

“They did not take my tongue, Mistress Amelia,” Amber answered again in a dull tone, her face stone as she remained unmoved.

The Navi stared in confusion. She had meant the request as a plea, not an order, and yet here the pony was treating it as such. She looked the mare over once more, this time paying a little more attention to detail. Amber was still favoring her right front ever so slightly while some faint bruising could still be made out just under the fur. Amelia moved her gaze to Amber’s face, taking notice of puffy blotches under Amber’s eyes. The last difference Amelia spotted was on Amber’s necklace. Where she once wore an emerald in her necklace, it was now a ruby, however, a quick scan determined that it was the exact same jewel as before.

Amelia once more looked into Amber’s eyes and found… nothing. “Amber,” she said slowly. “I want my next question answered truthfully.” The Navi paused for a moment to let her command, and this was a command, sink in. “Where have you been for the past week?” Amelia watched the pony’s eyes and watched as several emotions fled through them. Hesitation, confusion, pain, turmoil… certainly nothing good. Before the maid could even speak, she had her answer.

“I have been in the hospital, Mistress Amelia,” the blue pony said, her voice betraying her eyes in a steady calm.

Amelia nodded. “Thank you, Amber,” she said before she started to step forward. “Would you like something to-” Amelia’s foot suddenly slipped out from underneath her and she fell to the ground, the glasses in her hand shattering against the hard floors as she dropped them. “Oh my god!” Amelia said, quickly moving to push the shards of glass together in a single pile while Amber moved closer to help. Her movements were stiff, jerky, almost like someone would expect a robot or puppet to be.

“Allow me, Mistress Amelia,” the pony said, moving to start pushing pieces together.

“Stay back, Amber,” Amelia said, waving the pony back. The Navi’s warning was ignored and Amber continued to push shards together, only to be cut a few moments later. “Tch, Amber!” Amelia chided, reaching out a hand to push the pony back. “I said to stay back!” Amelia’s hand suddenly darted forward and snatched the ruby necklace off Amber’s neck.

The mare scrambled back to escape Amelia’s reach but was too late. Amber stopped for a moment and blinked, moving a hoof to her temple and shaking her head. After a few moments, she lifted her eyes to find the grinning face of Amelia. “Good morning, sunshine,” the young woman said jokingly.

Amber gasped and retreated, putting the bed between herself and the Navi. Amelia’s face warped into confusion as she stood and made her way slowly to the bed and looked over to the other side. The mare had backed herself into the corner, her small frame shivering as she watched Amelia with wide, scared eyes. This only proved to cause the young woman even more confusion. “Amber, come on, this isn’t funny,” she pleaded with the mare.

“I-I agree,” Amber replied, her voice losing the edge it had before. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

“Let me take a guess,” Amelia replied, straightening up and putting a hand on her hip while she held the other one up and raised a finger as she spoke. “I tore off that little necklace thingy that was keeping you under someone’s control, I assume Sombra, and now that it’s removed he’s going to be sending some guards after the both of us very soon. Do I assume correctly?” Amber was stunned for a moment before nodding to which Amelia grinned. “Then what are we waiting for?” She asked, turning around and grabbing her cloak off the rack and putting it over her shoulders. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand!”

Amber blinked in confusion as Amelia made her way around the room before letting out another gasp as the Navi reached for the door. “Wait!” She cried. “Do you have any idea what you’re getting into? How do you even know I was under Sombra’s control?”

Amelia’s hand paused as it reached for the door, her head turning to look at Amber. Calmly, the Navi took her hand away from the door and walked over to the mare, causing her to flinch. The young lady noticed this and knelt in front of the terrified pony. “One,” she started. “Sombra is way too cheery, especially for someone who runs an entire kingdom alone. Second, nopony in this wretched place has said a word to me except you, Sombra, and that mare he replaced you with, no matter how hard I tried. Third, this wretched place. I mean, look at it,” Amelia raised her hand and waved it across the room. “It looks like something straight out of a pretty princess dream. Too perfect. Now,” she said refocusing her eyes on Amber. “You can either come with me, or I drag you away, ‘cause I know you don’t like it here.”

Amber was silent for a moment. “What about the guards?” She asked quietly, glancing around at the walls nervously. “They’ll catch us for sure, and then we’ll be-” She was stopped as Amelia put her hands on her shoulders, gently, drawing her attention.

Amelia gave the panicked mare a soft smile. “Amber Leaf,” she said in a sweet, gentle voice. “I’m going to get you out of here safely. Can you believe me?”

The mare stopped and stared into Amelia’s eyes. Slowly, Amber’s tremors stopped and she looked at Amelia with hardened eyes. “I do believe you, Miss Amelia,” she said, standing to her hooves.

“Please,” the Navi said, standing to her feet. “Just call me Amelia. Now, let’s-” The door burst open and two guards rushed in, spears brandished. Amelia turned quickly, her hand extended from her cloak as it folded back into her gauntlet, a hexagon like box folding out. “Yo-yo,” she said a smirk on her face. “That’s not cool!” With a flick of her arm, a round disk on a line shot out of the chamber, slamming into one guard’s helmet before ricocheting into the other’s helmet, drawing forth two painful clangs. “Time to go!” Amelia shouted as the Yo-yo weapon came back to its chamber, beginning to run out of the room, kicking a spear up into her hand as she passed the unconscious guards. Amber hurried to keep up, her still sore ankle slowing her down.

The hall they entered was no longer the beautiful blue crystal from before, but now a sinister black, the decor far darker and malicious as the two ran as fast as Amber’s ankle would allow them to. “Amber, I’m going to need an exit,” Amelia said as they ran down the corridor, coming to an intersection.

“Go right,” the mare replied, doing all she could to keep up as adrenaline numbed her pain.

Amelia nodded and rushed the corner, only to find a blockade of guards in her way. She came to a stop and glared at the guards. “You guys sure are persistent,” she murmured before raising her hand, the Yo-yo folding away and her hand coming back. “But I can fix that! Wave goodbye!” She slammed her hand into the ground, a wave of water appearing in front of her and rushing towards the blockade. The water made its way down the hallway and eventually faded, leaving the guards crumbled in an unconscious pile on the other end. Amelia straightened up and glanced at Amber with a smirk. “See, no problem,” she said before beginning to run forward again.

Amber simply watched her for a moment, before giving a sigh and a shake of her head, following Amelia. “Next left, Miss Amelia!”

“Just Amelia!”

“Sorry!”

There was a loud crash as Sombra slammed his hoof into the arm of his throne. “How come you idiots can’t take a single opponent!” He yelled before looking angrily back at the door. He huffed for a long moment before an idea formed in his mind. As his plan formed, an evil grin formed on his face.

He sent out a mental command to one of the unicorns under his command to go to the training grounds. The NetNavi may have been able to take on all of the usual golems, but she had yet to take on the worst of the challenges he had devised for his troops… and he was going to throw it at her tenfold.

Several guards slammed into a wall after being blown back by a torrent of air. A few moments later, Amelia ran around the corner, an electric fan like weapon folding back into her arm as she ran.

“C-could you b-be a b-bit more ge-gentle?” Amber asked from Amelia’s back as she was being jostled around.

“Sorry if I’m a bit more concerned with saving our asses than being comfortable!” Amelia replied, continuing to run. “Where’s my next turn?”

“Straight at the next intersection, then left,” Amber replied. “Has anypony ever told you that you have an attitude problem?”

“Yup,” Amelia replied as she ran down the corridor, ignoring the first intersection and taking the next turn swiftly. She had to readjust her footing as she slid on the slick crystal, but once she felt her boot bite in, she dashed forward, the doors to the palace coming into view. Amelia cracked a small smirk. “We’re almost home fr-” The wall to her right exploded in a shower of large and small crystals, forcing her to jump back to safety. Amelia looked up to see what had caused the wall to crumble like that and saw several large figures lumber out of the dust cloud. Five huge golems lined up in front of the door, all of them having the attributes of all three golem types and being twice as big. Amelia’s face morphed into shock. “Amber,” she muttered gently, lowering down so the mare slid harmlessly off her back. “Get back… way back.”

The pony needed no further instruction as she made her way quickly back the way they had come. Amelia straightened up and locked eyes with the foremost golem, her arms folding out into weapons, the Long Blade on her right and the Super Vulcan on her left. “So, who’s first?” She asked, a glare on her face.

The golems replied by charging their horns and launching condensed balls of magic at Amelia. Her eyes widened and she quickly jumped to the left to avoid the volley. The magic exploded on impact with the crystal floor, throwing up debris and making it hard for Amelia to target the golems. Amelia decided to change up tactics and rushed in the opposite direction she had jumped to, raising her Super Vulcan. The two golems nearest the hole they’d entered from turned their attention to her the moment she came into view, the other three being slower on the uptake. Amelia unleashed the fury of her gun, the high-speed shots rushing towards the crystal beings. The golems crossed their oversized arms in front of them before their wings folded in front of them as well. The shots slammed into the natural shielding of the golems, shearing through their wings like tissue paper. The large arms, though, were more than enough to stop the shots. Amelia looked up in shock as her attack did little to nothing but slightly cripple the two of them.

The other golems finally turned and faced the NetNavi, their horns glowing before they started to launch smaller blasts in a machine gun-like manner. Amelia’s eyes widened and she started to dance around, doing her best to dodge the blasts of energy. Eventually, the golems’ charges ran out and they were forced to cut off their attack, at which time, one of them thundered forward, its arm reared back to strike her. Amelia narrowed her eyes and started to run forward, raising her long blade to a horizontal position as she did. The golem swung its fist forward, trying to crush the Navi. Amelia slashed forward with her blade, putting her full body into the blow and slicing clean through the golem, the monster crumbling into pieces.

The young woman then lifted her gaze to the remaining golems, only to gasp and roll away from her position as the two golems with injured wings ripped the appendages from their back and hurled them towards her. She was quick, but not quick enough. As she launched herself away, one of the wings caught her foot and ankle, a loud crack echoing out. Amelia gasped as she came to a stop, testing her injured limb. She determined that it would be painful, not painful enough to stop her, though.

She stood to her feet and winced a little as she did, an angry expression on her face.”Now you’re just pissing me off,” she said in a low tone. She started to fade from existence, the golems charging up blasts and firing them at her position. The attacks slammed into the ground, throwing up a dust cloud as they exploded. For several moments, nothing happened and the golems looked from one side of the entryway to another, searching for their target.

One of the golems suddenly jerked, before an explosion took its head off. The body crumpled into a pile, and once it settled, Amelia started coming back into view as she stood up her buster smoking. She lifted her eyes slowly, revealing her red irises. The golems backed away, trying to gain distance to strike. All except one.

The golem behind Amelia raised its oversized fist and brought it down, trying to crush the Navi. Trying. Amelia brought her free hand up, a sinister purple aura surrounding it as she caught the giant crystalline fist. Slowly, she turned her head to gaze over her shoulder at the golem with angry eyes. With speed unmatched, Amelia spun in place, her buster folding back up as she brought her arm back. Her fist emerged covered in the purple aura and she slammed the extremity into the golem’s torso, a shock wave running through the crystal and exploding in a wave of air out the other side. The golem stumbled away, a new crater in it, but Amelia was far from done. Amelia rushed forward, faster than before, slamming her super-charged fists into the crystal beast over and over again, leaving crater after crater. The golem was forced to step back with each blow while Amelia’s next blow sent it stumbling back like the first attack. The golem came to a stop and refocused on Amelia as her right fist folded away and reformed, a large yellow forearm and gray fist taking place of her own. With a roar of rage, Amelia dashed forward and slammed the attack into the golem, shattering it like glass.

As the monster’s remains scattered around the room, the young woman turned to face the two remaining golems. They had taken the time Amelia had used to tear down the other golem to charge their horns to the max. Amelia made to walk towards them, the golems unleashing all encompassing beams of energy at her. The NetNavi was engulfed in light, her shadow growing then disappearing in the attack. The beam lasted a good seven seconds before beginning to die down. After ten seconds, the golems’ energy reserves ran dry and were forced to cut the flow of their attack, a dust cloud prevailing afterward. After a few moments, the dust settled, revealing a glowing sphere of purple energy, Amelia standing within, her arm outstretched and body turned sideways.

The NetNavi lowered her hand slowly, the barrier fading away just as slowly. Amelia looked between both beasts before her face twisted into a snarl, flames rushing over her form. She rushed forward, her eyes locked on the golem to the left as an oversized hammer came to her hands. The golem raised its arms in front of itself, its wings folding in front of them. Amelia got within striking distance before she disappeared. The golem stayed as it was, trying to analyze what was happening. Its torso was then launched forward from its body to shatter against the opposite wall while the rest of it tumbled to the ground. Amelia stood behind the pile as it fell, her body and hammer smoking from the now extinguished flames.

Amelia looked towards the final golem, rage clear in her eyes. The golem unleashed one more blast of energy, meant to at least knock her out. Amelia simply hit the ball of energy away from her and into the castle doors, blowing them apart. She glared at the golem and began to stalk towards it. “I’ve had enough of this,” she growled darkly. When she came within range, the golem struck, trying to crush her, only to be crushed itself as a huge block made of rock pinned it to the ground from above. Amelia walked up to the helpless monster before lowering herself down and holding her hand out, palm up. An egg shaped device with a flat top and black display materialized there. “Have fun with this,” she said in a cold voice before standing and beginning to walk down the hallway Amber Leaf had disappeared down. Before turning the corner, she mentally triggered the explosive she had left with the golem.

Amber was currently down at the other end of the hallway, peeking around the corner and watching their backs. Amelia walked towards the mare, her body slowly relaxing after the fight and eyes shifting back to green. “Hey, Amber,” she said.

The mare nearly jumped out of her fur in fright. She let out a small yell and twisted to face the Navi, her face full of panic. “Amelia!” She cried upon recognizing her. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Amelia raised her hands up. “Sorry, Amber,” she said. “Didn’t know you were so jumpy.”

Amber huffed. “Well, I am,” she said. “Did you finish off those golems?”

“Weeell,” Amelia said slowly before an explosion shook the floor under their feet. She then grinned. “Did now.”

Amber just stared up at the NetNavi before rolling her eyes. “Let’s get out of this place,” she said, moving to walk past the young woman, only to wince as her hoof hit the ground.

Amelia winced alongside her. “Would you like me to carry you again?”

Amber hesitated a moment before nodding. “We would move faster,” she admitted.

Amelia nodded and turned her back, taking her cloak off as she did so. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s go.” Amber hesitantly climbed onto the Navi’s back. “Hold on tight,” the young woman said before throwing her cloak around both herself and Amber. She turned and walked back down the hallway, walking passed the havoc she had caused and into the wintery streets, activating Invisible as she went.

She began to pick up her pace. First, a jog, then a run, and within a few seconds, a full out sprint. She looked to either side of her as she traveled, seeing the mines and slave quarters of the Crystal Empire, the ponies in chains as they were forced to work. The young woman grimaced and turned her head forward, knowing there was little she could do to help them now. As she approached the dark wall surrounding the city, she made a promise as she leaped into the air. She would come back, and she would end Sombra’s reign. Amelia landed on the other side of the wall, a hard look in her green eyes as she ran off into the wild arctic.

Sombra let out a yell of rage as he felt the NetNavi’s presence leave his domain, his head raised towards the ceiling. Dark magic energy rushed out of him, cracks beginning to spiderweb through the floor from where he was standing. His eyes turned pure venomous green as the purple mist flowed freely from them in clouds. Black shadows began to pour out around him as his yell shook the castle.

His yell finally came to a halt, and he brought his eyes back down, huffing as he brought his breathing back under control. Yet, his fury still remained. He looked towards the open balcony and out to the icy lands. One thought persisted in his mind. If he could not have this being as his weapon, then he would destroy her as an enemy.

A mass of tents spread out along the frozen wasteland, the howling winds blowing through them. Just outside the tents’ perimeter, a lone white figure stood, staring into the distance at a lone black monument that was barely visible, except to her own magically enhanced eyes.

She canceled her spell and settled for simply glaring in contempt at the structure. “Soon, Sombra,” the figure murmured. “We will reduce you and your tyranny to ashes!”

Author's Note

Amelia and Amber have escaped into the wilds outside of the Crystal Empire. Will they survive the harsh winter, or will they succumb to its cold bite? As tempers rise, intentions run cold.

Sorry it took so long to get this out. The winter holidays had me really caught up and real life happened, so... yeah. Anyway, this is the last chapter until update Equestrian Psycho and from here on in, I'm alternating chapter uploads between the two. But anywho, if you catch a mistake, have a thought to share, or just want to be funny, leave it in the comments below. Please remember to respect each other while doing so. Until next time, hope you guys have a good one!

Chapter 4- Welcome to the Show

Chapter 4-

Welcome To The Show

Howling winds blew past Amelia as she struggled against it and the deep snow in front of her. She stopped for just a moment to readjust the sleeping mare on her back. At least, she hoped Amber Leaf was just asleep. A quick look over her shoulder and a scan of the pony allowed the NetNavi to breathe a bit easier as the scan revealed that the mare’s vitals were normal.

Guess the HeatAura is working, the young woman thought to herself before she began to trudge on. She didn’t know exactly how long they’d been out there, but it was starting to feel like quite a while. The sun had set and risen at least, though she remembered that the sun at the Northern and Southernmost parts of the world was not exactly a reliable way to tell time.

“Damn tilt of the globe,” Amelia muttered as she once again shifted Amber on her back to a more comfortable position.

The crystal pony groaned and shifted a bit before her eyes opened. “Amelia?” She questioned groggily. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know,” the Navi replied with an irritated shrug. “Maybe if you took a look around you’d be able to tell me the difference between one patch of ice and another.”

“Oh, haha,” Amber laughed sarcastically. “Very funny. ...How long have you been carrying me?”

“Since we left the Empire,” Amelia replied simply as she continued through the snow. “Why, getting tired?”

“No, but you must be.”

“I’m a digital being, I don’t get tired.”

“What does that even-”

“HALT!” Amber was cut off as several figures leaped from the snow, perfectly camouflaged by their white fur and silver armor. “Identify yourself!” One of them said an earth pony stallion with a star on his shoulder.

Amelia put one foot back in a ready stance as her eyes went from one of the ponies to another, her mind racing as she contemplated what to do next.

“Amelia.” The soft voice rocked the human out of her fighting instincts and she looked back at the pale blue pony on her back. “I think I have an idea about who these ponies are.”

Amelia looked at Amber for several moments as she processed this, the look on her face apprehensive. After a few seconds, she nodded and relaxed her stance, turning to face the pony she assumed was in charge. “My name is Amelia Jaeger and this is Amber Leaf. We escaped the Crystal Empire a day or so ago and have been on the run ever since.”

The soldier stood where he was for a moment before nodding to one of the others on his right. “Cuff 'em,” he said curtly, causing the young woman’s eyes to narrow.

“Do not put chains on us,” she growled in warning, throwing an angry look at the unicorn who was walking forward with two sets of shackles. Said soldier gulped and backed away.

The commanding officer eyed Amelia in annoyance. “Pull that again and we’ll take you in by force,” he warned, turning a gaze of steel on the NetNavi

Amelia snarled her face up as her eyes, unbeknownst to her, began to change to red. “Why don’t you just try-”

“Amelia, please.” The soft voice combined with a small bit of pressure on her shoulder brought the Navi down from her rage. She once again looked towards Amber, seeing a look of fear and worry on the mare’s face.

The look shook Amelia, probably more than it should have, but it worked to clear away the rest of her negative emotions. “Amber, I-”

Amber stopped her with a little more pressure and an unexpected, yet soft, smile. “You don’t have to keep protecting me,” the crystal pony said. “If I must wear chains for a few moments more in exchange for my freedom, then so be it.”

The young woman kept eye contact with the mare for several moments before she sighed and turned back to the armored stallion. “Alright,” she relented. “But you’ll have to work around our current position. Amber’s hoof is hurt.”

The stallion in charge eyed her, searching her for any signs of treachery. Eventually, he nodded. “Do as she says,” the officer ordered the lower ranking pony, who nodded nervously before once again stepping forward.

The nervous soldier walked to the front of Amelia, who lowered herself down as Amber spread her forelegs out to be restrained. The armored unicorn tentatively levitated the shackles forward and clicked them into place, taking extra care with Amber’s still bruised ankle. As Amber moved her legs back to their previous position, the pony turned his gaze to Amelia. “Um-”

“Just move the cloak,” Amelia muttered irritably. “And get a bigger set of chains while you’re at it.”

The unicorn’s expression turned to one of confusion as he started to go back behind Amelia, dragging a bit of the cloak in his magic as he walked. His confusion turned to shock as he saw the young woman’s arms. “Uh, sir?” He said, tilting his head over his shoulder a bit without taking his eyes off the NetNavi.

“What is it, private?” The officer questioned with a bit more annoyance as he strode up beside the lower ranking soldier. The pony didn’t answer, simply lifted the pony-sized chains up to compare them to Amelia’s oversized gauntlets. The older pony’s eyes widened.

“There a problem, boys?” Amelia asked snidely without looking back at them, a smirk on her face.

The officer shot a look of irritation before clearing his throat. “Do you know an expansion spell, private?” He questioned, looking at the younger pony out of the corner of his eye.

“I do, sir,” the unicorn answered hesitantly. “Though, it’s not-”

“Do it,” the earth pony ordered, interrupting his subordinate.

The younger pony opened and closed his mouth a few times as if to argue. Finally, he chose to remain silent and turned his eyes back to the shackles. He closed his eyes and his horn began to flare as the aura surrounding the manacles began to intensify. After a moment, there was a flash and the sound of crunching snow as the irons, now too big, hit the ground.

As the officer and his private stared at the oversized chains, the sound of barely contained snickering could be heard. The older pony’s eyes narrowed and he looked up at Amelia, who was shaking as she tried to hold back her laughter. The earth pony’s face began to change to bright red as his temper rose. “What. Is. So. Funny?” He asked, his rage barely contained.

It took some time, but Amelia finally got herself back together. “Seriously?” She questioned, looking back at the two soldiers, a grin on her face. “And I actually thought you guys were threatening.”

The older officer’s face contorted to show the rage growing inside him while the subordinates around him began to look offended, angry, or some combination of the two. “How dare you!” The older earth pony said, his temper boiling over.

Amelia looked towards the ground a bit before closing her eyes and giving a huff of laughter. She then straightened up to her full height and opened her eyes to stare at the commanding officer. “You understand I could have just ended all of you and kept walking, right?” She asked, her tone cold.

While the young unicorn who had been holding the shackles looked intimidated, the other armored ponies looked like they were ready to jump the NetNavi. “You dare insult the royal guard!?!” The officer practically roared as he took a step forward, drawing the blade that was at his side.

Amelia narrowed her eyes. “Listen, buddy,” she growled. “Neither of us wants to do this. You’ve already put chains on the only friend I have in this world and that already has me pissed off. So, do not, I repeat, do not get on my bad side!” As the angered Navi had been speaking she had been activating ATK+ battle chips, making pulses of power shoot away from her to punctuate her more important points.

The intimidation tactic worked and had most of the ponies backing away wide-eyed, all except the private and the officer, who scurried away and tried to stand resolute respectfully. The last pulse died down and the older earth pony lowered his hoof away from his face, his eyes wide. Amelia took a few deep breaths to get her anger back under control before returning the officer’s wide-eyed stare with a dull look.

“Now that we’re down measuring each other,” the young woman said, her voice sounding a bit bored. “Can we please get somewhere warmer, and maybe find someone to look at Amber? I wasn’t kidding about her ankle.”

The stallion took a moment to respond, shaking his head to clear the confusion. “You really expect us to trust you after that?” He questioned, his eyes becoming hard once more.

“Nope,” Amelia replied simply, adding a shrug. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we need shelter and medical attention. If you can provide that to Amber, I’ll sit in the most uncomfortable hole you’ve got.”

“Amelia!” Amber exclaimed, worry forming in her voice. “What happened to not having to protect me?”

Amelia shrugged again. “Just because I don’t have to doesn’t mean I won’t,” she pointed out.

“...You’re not letting this go, are you?”

“Nope.”

The officer clearing his throat caught the two’s attention, cutting off their antics. “I… will take you to the princesses,” he said, giving the two an odd look. “They will decide what to do with you. But if you so much as think-”

“I get it, I get it,” Amelia said, rolling her eyes a bit. “If I hurt anybody, you’ll stick me with those lovely little pig-stickers of yours.” Most of the ponies present gained a look of confusion and started to murmur to one another. The officer’s eye ticked before he sighed and shook his head. “Move out,” he said in a tired tone. “All eyes on our guest.”

The armored ponies moved into place around the young woman and her charge before they all started to march forward in a direction Amelia hadn’t thought about going. They moved in silence, giving Amelia more than enough time to scan their weapons and armor. The armor was nothing really special except for some strange signature she was detecting from the metal. The weapons were much the same, all of the spears just being that. However, the officer had a pair of swords, one strapped to either side, both giving off a strange signature similar but not the same as the group’s armor.

She stopped her scans as she walked, trying to think over what these readings could mean. After several long minutes, a thought occurred to her and she took out the jeweled necklace she had ripped from Amber’s neck. The action didn’t go unnoticed by the crystal pony.

“Amelia, what are you doing with that thing?” Amber asked worriedly, her eyes staying locked on the trinket and ears going back.

“Sorry, Amber,” the Navi replied, glancing over her shoulder. “I’ve just got this really weird feeling….” The young woman paused for a moment and looked around her, searching for something. Her eyes landed on the young unicorn from before, trailing at the back of the entourage. Amelia slowed her pace until she was walking beside the white pony.

“Hey,” she said, making the private just about jump out of his armor.

When the terrified pony finally got himself back under control, he turned his wide eyes to the slightly smirking woman. “Wh-what?” He stuttered out.

Amelia let out a short chuckle before answering. “First off, sorry about that,” she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I keep forgetting how skittish you ponies are.” This earned her a soft thump from Amber Leaf as the mare’s ear flicked in indignation. “Second,” she continued, undeterred by the soft hit, “I’d like you to take a look at this for me.”

The unicorn glanced at the jewel that was held out to him before he turned his head forward again with a huff. “Why should I do any favors for you?” He asked, a bit of indignation coming to his tone.

“Beeecause, uh…,” the Navi trailed off and swept her gaze away for a moment before an idea struck her. “What if I say ‘please’?” She asked innocently.

The sudden change in attitude had the armored stallion doing a double take. “Wh-what?” He stammered as he looked up at the young woman.

“Would you please take a look at this for me?” Amelia asked again, holding out the trinket a bit further.

The soldier glanced between the jewel and the NetNavi’s face before he let out a sigh. “Sure,” he muttered before taking the gem in his golden aura. He concentrated hard on the gem for several long moments before his eyes shot open with a gasp, dropping the jewel. Amelia’s hand shot out and snatched the trinket out of the air.

“What’s the deal with this thing?” She asked, looking between it and the stallion.

“We’re being tracked!” The unicorn suddenly shouted out, shocking everyone present.

“I knew this thing was bad news,” Amelia muttered before squeezing her hand together, a crunch echoing out to signify the end of the jewel. She reached up with her hands and grabbed the chains holding Amber’s hooves together. She yanked hard and shattered the shackles before letting the mare slide gently off her back.

“What in Tartarus are you doing!?!” The officer shouted, having turned at the sound of the chains shattering.

“Giving you the chance to get away,” Amelia replied as she took her cloak off and threw it over Amber Leaf. She straightened up and looked into the earth pony’s eyes. “It is my fault that they’re coming.”

“We don’t even know if-” Amber was cut off by the sound of hooves crunching loudly in the snow. Amelia’s eyes widened and she spun around to see three crystal pegasi walking towards them, spears ready.

“No more arguing!” Amelia shouted, looking over her shoulder slightly. “RUN!”

Amber stared wide-eyed at the NetNavi for a moment before she turned and started to run as fast as she could through the snow in the direction the group had been going. As Amelia activated a CyberSword, the officer came to a stop beside her, drawing one of his swords. “I told you to run,” the young woman stated, not bothering to glance at the pony.

“You can’t take them all on your own,” the stallion replied, readying himself for battle as his subordinates came to the ready around them.

Amelia’s “tsk’d” and looked at him. “You obviously have no idea what I can do,” she told him before looking back at the approaching enemies. “Besides, Amber’s not going to able to make it on her own. Now, go!”

The shout shook several of the ponies around her, all of which looked to their commanding officer. The stallion looked up at the young woman, seeing the look of fierce determination written on her face. He stared for a moment before sighing. “Do as she says,” he ordered, looking over his shoulder. “Get out of here and take that mare back to safety.”

The soldiers hesitated before most of them saluted and retreated, quickly catching up with Amber Leaf. Soon, only two remained; the officer and the young unicorn. “What’re you still doing here, kid?” The officer asked, brandishing his sword as the darkly armored pegasi started on the last stretch.

“Thought I’d keep the odds fair, sir,” the younger pony replied his horn levitating his spear.

Amelia couldn’t help but let out a breath of laughter at the pony’s words. “Just so long as you two don’t get caught in the crossfire, this’ll be over quickly,” she said, raising her sword and tensing up. The dark ponies saw this and began to run forward, their spears held in their wings as they charged. The NetNavi ran forward as well, her purple blade raised horizontally across her chest. As the distance between the two parties closed, the pegasi thrust their lances forward. The NetNavi leaped into the air, avoiding the thrusts as her body twisted and spun above them.

She came down behind them, brandishing her sword as one of the ponies turned to face her and the others continued forward. Amelia rushed forward, bringing the tip of her blade down and parrying the next thrust away from her. To her amazement, the metallic weapon took no damage from her pure energy blade. A loud clang rang out as the weapons rebounded against one another. The armored pony quickly switched his grip to hold the spear in his hooves before taking off into the sky.

Amelia followed him with her eyes, leaning her head back to watch his progress. She let out a gasp and jumped back as the pegasi dove towards her, a furrow being dug out of the snow as he thrust his spear towards her yet again. “Damn it,” the young woman muttered as she landed awkwardly, her boot slipping on the snow beneath her. She looked up just in time to see the stallion turning in midair once again, getting ready for another pass. However, as she watched him perform a loop, his armor separated slightly, a glint of red catching her eye. “So that’s where it is,” she muttered as her eyes narrowed.

As the pegasus continued maneuvering into position, Amelia lifted her left arm, her hand folding up and forming something akin to her buster, except the barrel was inverted into the rest of the blaster. “Here goes.” She lifted her eyes to the sky and let a purple aura burst forth around her before she leaped into the air, bringing her buster forward as the two combatants raced towards one another.

If the pony looked surprised or scared, he didn’t show it beneath the dark visor of his helmet as he raced towards the NetNavi. The young woman didn’t flinch as she raced forward, her eyes narrowing. “AirShot,” she said quietly, aiming her blaster and letting loose with a single shot. A bullet of condensed air slammed into the stallion’s chest, rocketing him back and throwing his limbs out. Amelia smirked and folded her right hand back out from the Cyber Sword as she rushed forward with increased speed. Within moments, she closed the distance and thrust her hand forward, feeling the crunch of metal under her fingers as she crashed into his chest piece.

The Navi’s smirk grew a bit as she closed her fingers around the red gem before lurching her hand back. The metal crumbled and shattered under her grip, leaving the gem in her hand where she quickly crushed it to dust. The pegasus, now free from the mind control he had been under, gave a groan and went limp, forcing Amelia to catch him as they descended back to the frosty ground below. “One down, two-”

The young woman was interrupted and almost lost her footing as the sound of glass shattering and a shout of pain sounded out. She quickly lifted her gaze and looked to the side in time to see one of the pegasi pull their spear from the earth pony officer as he stood in front of the unicorn, the younger’s eyes wide in disbelief. Blood stained the pure snow as the spearhead came free, leaving behind a vicious hole in armor and flesh. Amelia let the pony in her arms slide to the ground as the officer fell, blood beginning to trail from his lips.

The single second dragged on for what felt like an hour, a look of horror stretching across the NetNavi’s face. Then time seemed to go back to normal as she closed her eyes, her face contorting into rage. She dashed forward, her now red eyes flaring open as she gave a blood-curdling cry. The two dark pegasi started at the sound, their primal instincts temporarily taking over their brainwashing. The split second hesitance is all it took for Amelia to close the distance, her hands folding out into twin blades, the CyberSword in her right and WideSword in her left.

She swung out her left sword towards the mare that had stabbed the officer, forcing the pony to jump back as the blade split her armor, leaving a gash across her shoulder and chest. The other pegasus, another stallion, finally came around and thrust his spear at the Navi, forgetting the shuddering unicorn in front of him.

Amelia swung her CyberSword up without skipping, blocking the stab and knocking the spearhead up. The stallion reacted quickly, throwing himself back so that he was standing on his hind legs, dodging the back swing of the Navi’s WideSword. He then shot into the air, trying to gain some distance from the NetNavi. The young woman’s red eyes followed the fleeing pegasus as he performed a loop to once again fly towards her. With her eyes locked on the pegasus rocketing towards her, she began raising her two swords over her head, activating the LongSword battle chip as she did so. Purple energy began to pool off the blades and collect in between them, forming a blazing sphere of power.

Her swords melted away into the energy, leaving her fingertips to be licked by the unstable purple mass between her hands. With expert fluidity, she grasped the energy and pulled it down to her side as the energy burned itself into the shape of a sword in preparation. As the dark pegasus closed half the distance between them, Amelia let out a roar, her dark purple aura flaring as she swung the Program Advance up in a dynamic upswing. The stallion’s eyes widened underneath the helmet, but it was too late for the unfortunate pony to do anything as the wave of burning energy raced towards him. He swerved a tiny bit out of the way but still, the burning wave hit him, severing his wing and shearing away the armor on his side and back. The pegasus seemed to stop in midair, his body going into shock from the sudden pain and blood loss.

Red eyes watched as the body fall to the ground with a soft thud. There was a sudden whistling and thud, causing the Navi’s body to shift forward as a spear shoved its way through her left shoulder. Amelia turned slowly, reaching up to the spear head sticking out of her body, snapping it off as she caught sight of the darkly armored pegasus.

The mare in question started to back away, her fear and natural instincts wrestling control away from the crystal as the metal spear shaft hit the ground behind the approaching young woman. A burst of power radiated out as a Recover150 chip activated, sealing the wound in her shoulder as she raised the mechanical sword in her hand, yet another program advance bursting forth and forming a burning purple blade. The mare backed away until she stumbled, her rear legs giving way and landing her on her back while Amelia strode forward, her red eyes full of rage. The NetNavi came to a stop, towering over the pony and, without skipping a beat, started to raise her blade up for a stab.

Blood poured onto the snow from the mares open wound as the slits stared up at Amelia’s unbreaking gaze. For several seconds, nothing happened as the two stared at each other. The tension built up and broke as the Navi thrust her blade down.

“STOP!!!” The purple energy stopped less than an inch away from the armor on the mare’s chest. The young woman’s angry eyes slowly turned towards the unicorn that was staring at her with wide eyes as he cradled his superior’s head. “Please,” the young soldier pleaded. “We need to go… he needs help.” Amelia kept her gaze on the two silver armored ponies for a few seconds before her gaze dropped back down to the mare at her feet… and twitched her wrist.

There was a brief sizzle as the red jewel was cut in two, the mare’s eyes fluttering closed inside her helmet. Amelia stayed where she was for several moments, her eyes fading back to green before she dispersed her LifeSword and made her way over to the two soldiers. She collapsed to her knees when she came up beside them. “How bad is he?” She asked, beginning to lean over the wounded stallion.

“Pr-pretty bad,” the younger stallion answered, his voice stuttering. “I-I can’t stop the bleeding.”

Amelia inspected the wound and winced when she saw it gurgle out more blood with each of the pony’s fading breaths. The young woman let her mind race around itself, searching for some solution… any solution… but found herself coming up short. “I… there’s nothing I can do…,” she murmured quietly.

“Then there’s really no need to worry about me,” the officer suddenly gasped out, opening his eyes a bit to look at them, a sad sort of smile coming over his blood stained lips.

“B-but sir-” The young unicorn was stopped by a pressure on his shoulder. He looked up at Amelia as the young woman stared at him with sad, knowing eyes. The unicorn stared at for several moments before he simply closed his mouth and looked away sorrowfully.

Amelia gave the younger pony a dismal gaze before looking to the earth pony. “What are your final orders?” She asked, her voice a bit tight.

The dying veteran looked up at her, a few tears building in his eyes as he took in a shuddering breath to answer. “Take my helmet... to my son,” he said weakly, gulping in a few more moments of air. The Navi and unicorn glanced at each other, the young woman nodding to the private. The young stallion nodded in return and used his magic to undo the clasp on the helmet and pull it off gently. The moment the helmet left his head, the stallion’s mane changed a darker shade of blue, dark purple running through some of it, while his eyes turned into a sharp gold and his fur stayed the same white.

“You know,” Amelia said, trying to hold back her tears. “I never even got your name.”

The older stallion gave another weak grin as he looked up at her through half-lidded eyes. “Shining Blade,” he replied quietly before a fit of coughing racked his body painfully. Both Navi and unicorn leaned forward in concern but were waved off by the fading pony as he looked at Amelia one last time. “Promise me something, kid,” he said weakly, his chest rising and falling slower and slower.

“Anything,” she replied without a second thought drawing another smile to his face.

“Make sure my private gets back safe and sound,” the stallion requested breathily before looking up at the unicorn who was desperately holding back tears. “You’ll do just fine, lad….”

The younger stallion gulped and nodded sadly. “Thanks, captain,” he replied, his voice shaky at best.

Shining Blade nodded his head in return, a soft smile on his face as he looked up at them his eyes beginning to drift shut. “Tell… my colt… I love him,” the armored stallion said quietly as his eyes slowly closed. His breathing slowed until the stallion gave one final breath and laid still.

For several moments, the young woman and pony knelt with their fallen comrade. Eventually, Amelia took a deep breath and stood to her feet. “Come on,” she said, her tone melancholy at best. “We need to get you back….”

The unicorn looked up and nodded, sadness deep in his eyes. He got to his hooves, once again looking down at his lost captain. “We can’t just leave him here….”

Amelia looked down at the fallen pony as well, tears forming in her eyes. “No, we can’t,” she said before looking at the three other fallen ponies around them. “...We can’t leave any of them.” With that said, she started to make her way towards the pegasus stallion she had cut out of the sky. She looked down at the twisted armor and neck that bent at all the wrong angles. She sighed and didn’t even bother to scan him as she knew what the result would be… especially seeing the ocean of blood around the body and the missing wing not far off. Amelia sighed sadly and picked the limp body off the ground, a sorrowful look in her eyes as she brought him back and laid him beside Shining Blade.

“Start taking their armor off,” she told the unicorn before beginning to turn to check on the other two.

The young stallion looked at with some indignancy. “Since when do I take orders from you?” He questioned, fresh tear stains running down his face.

“It’s not an order,” Amelia answered, turning to face him irritably. “It’s a request. One you might want to follow through on if you want to get your captain back where he belongs.”

“And how is taking their armor off going to help us with that?” The unicorn asked, his eyes still a bit angry and sad.

“I’m going to make a sled,” Amelia answered simply before turning away and ignoring the confused look she got as she went towards the mare’s still form as it was the closest,. She knelt down when she was close enough, scanning the crystal pegasus’ body for her vital signs. The scan showed that the mare’s breathing was a bit shallow, although there was no fear of the pony passing from this life to the next, drawing a breath of relief from the NetNavi. The young woman put her arms beneath the armored pegasus and stood up gently before taking her over to the unicorn who had already stripped the other two of their armaments.

“This one’s alive, so be gentle with her,” the Navi said, setting her down gently before the young unicorn, who looked up at her with a disapproving look. After a few moments, Amelia’d had enough. “Okay, what’s got you into a bunch?” She asked, an irritable tone creeping into her voice.

“You don’t even know my name,” he replied, some anger in his voice.

Amelia sighed. “You’re going to make a big deal out of this now?” She questioned. When the stallion did nothing more than stare at her, she rolled her eyes. “Alright, what’s your name?” She asked, annoyance deep in her voice.

The unicorn stared at her for a moment before he gave a huff. “The name’s Twilight Comet,” the stallion answered in an irritated voice.

“Twilight, huh?” The young woman questioned before she shrugged. “Guess we gotta have those guys that like flowers.”

The unicorn looked at her with a confused look. “What do flowers have to do-”

Amelia’s head suddenly jerked up and she turned to see over her left shoulder, her eyes squinting. After a few moments, her eyes widened. “Get that armor off her now!” Amelia yelled over her shoulder as she started to race toward the last of the fallen ponies, leaving the young stallion with a confused and shocked look.

“Wh-what’s going on!?!” He called after her, his voice stuttering just before the sound of thunder echoed out over the icy plains.

“DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION!?!” Amelia yelled back angrily as she ran. She stomped her foot forward and twisted her body so that she slid backwards in the position of a runner at the start. She slid to a stop just behind the unconscious stallion and didn’t waste a moment in activating a Dash chip. In a single fluid moment, the Navi drifted around the stallion, scooped him up, and started to sprint back towards Twilight Comet and the others. She came sliding to a halt seconds later in front of the unicorn, who had just finished taking the armor off of the mare she had recovered.

“You may want to stay back,” she said, gently putting down the stallion before scooping up the discarded armor pieces and activating several more chips; another Dash, an ElecSword, and a Hammer. She raced around as quickly as she could, tearing the pieces apart, hammering them flat, and welding them together. She finished the makeshift sled before racing around the battleground, grabbing first the spear the mare had stabbed her with then another, breaking the head off of it before running back to her sled. She quickly bent and attached the spear shafts to it, creating handles. She got up and quickly ran over to the unicorn as he stared wide-eyed at her work.

“Come on, get them loaded!” Amelia shouted, scooping up the two crystal stallions even as another crash of thunder sounded out around them.

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror. “We’ll never outrun that storm,” he stated, fear piercing his voice as he stared at the approaching mass of dark clouds.

“Would you snap out of it, damn it!” Amelia shouted, causing the terrified pony to turn his frightened gaze onto her. “We don’t have time for doubt or fear! If we hesitate, all six of us could end up dead, do you understand!?!”

The sudden shock of the statement shook the stallion out of his head and got him into action. With his eyes once again filled with the determination they’d had when he’d stayed behind, he picked up his captain and the mare in his magic and started to run towards the sled, Amelia not far behind him. Together, they secured the four limp ponies to the sled, the unicorn climbing up next to them and holding them in place even as the Navi went around to the handles of the sled. The area around them began to darken as the dark cloud cover began to hide the sun away, gusts of wind picking up around the group as snow began to swirl.

“Hang on!” Amelia yelled over the roaring winds, activating yet another Dash chip. With every ounce of energy left in her body, she rocketed forward, hefting the heavy load of ponies along with her.

Within moments, they left the storm far behind, the Dash chip still working its magic as she continued to run. Twilight was forced to hunker down on the sled, guarding his face against the wind and ice that rushed passed them. “How do you know where we’re going?” He shouted over the wind.

“Remember my cloak?” She shouted back rhetorically. “I gave it to Amber because it’s a part of me. I can track it to her current location.”

The unicorn fell silent at this, wondering just what this being was….

Thirty minutes later, Amelia’s boots crunched the snow at the top of a hill, huffing for air as the rest of her body trembled. Twilight walked up beside her, having gotten off the sled when the Navi’s Dash had run out. Together they stared down at a sea of tents, a flag with two winged and horned ponies flying around each other and the visage of the side on one side and the moon on the other flew over every tent.

“We made it,” the young unicorn breathed.

“Y-yeah,” the Navi replied, her voice shaking as much as her body. “Go us.”

Twilight glanced at the young woman that had literally carried him through the storm. “Come on, Amelia, just a little further,” he pressed, worry creeping into his voice.

Amelia nodded her head weakly. “R-right,” she said, lifting her boot. The moment her foot touched the ground, the worn out NetNavi toppled forward, Twilight gasping and barely able to catch her before she hit the ground.

“Okay, okay,” the unicorn said softly, bringing her up and laying her on the small amount of empty space left on the sled. “You just rest up. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Amelia was unable to answer as her breathing came heavily, her eyes staring unfocused up into the sky. Twilight position himself between the handles and grabbed hold of them with his magic before beginning to trudge forward down the hill. Within a few minutes, he plodded up to the edge of the camp, two guards rushing to meet him, one unicorn and a pegasus, their armor gold instead of the camouflaged whitish-silver.

“Halt and identify,” one of them said, coming to a stop a few paces away from him.

“Private Twilight Comet,” the unicorn answered, lifting his head up.

“And what’s that?” The other guard asked, motioning a hoof towards the sled and bodies behind him.

“Captain Shining Blade,” Twilight began to answer, hesitant to add the next portion of his sentence. “D-deceased. Three enemy soldiers, one deceased, two unconscious with one wounded. And Amelia Jaeger, self-proclaimed NetNavi, exhausted.”

The two guards exchanged a glance as they processed this information. Finally, one of them spoke. “Go get Captain Heel,” the pegasus said to the unicorn, who quickly nodded his head and raced away.

“W-we don’t have time to w-waste,” a weak voice said from the sled. The pegasus and Twilight both turned towards the sled in time to see Amelia raising her hand over the side and try to pull herself up weakly.

“Amelia!” Twilight exclaimed, running over to the Navi and trying to push her back down onto the sled. “Stop, you’re too worn out to keep going. Just rest.”

Amelia huffed as she looked up into the unicorn’s eyes. “We c-can’t wait,” she stuttered. “The mare… she’s fading and… needs help… now.” The last word finally took the fight out of the NetNavi and she laid back on the sled.

Twilight hesitated for a moment before his eyes hardened and turned to face the pegasus. “What she says is true,” he said, his voice matching his eyes. “If she says the mare needs help, then she needs it now.”

The pegasus was taken aback by the unicorn’s suddenly authoritative tone. “I’m sure that Private Core will be back short-”

“We don’t have time to waste!” Twilight stated harshly, stamping a hoof on the ground. “Or do you want to be the one to explain that we lost valuable information because the mare didn’t get the attention she needed?”

The pegasus gulped a bit. “I-I’ll show you to the med tents and have the Captain directed to you,” he stammered before turning and starting to lead them through the maze of tents.

“Thank you,” the armored unicorn said with a nod before beginning to follow the guard, dragging the sled behind him.

The walk only lasted a few moments, but to the sled’s only conscious passenger, the trip was agonizingly slow, seeming to take hours. Amelia felt the sled come to a stop, jerking her body a bit. The feeling of bodies bustling about around her filled the atmosphere and, at some point, she felt weightlessness followed by the feeling of being pulled. After just a few short moments, both feelings disappeared, replaced by the feeling of something giving on her back. She didn’t exactly know what was going on and couldn’t find the energy to care. She felt someone or something mess with her arm before the sound of muffled voices could be heard.

She closed her eyes as they seemed to be arguing about something. The moment her eyelids met, the voices raised even further. ...Wish they would stop that…. The thought was barely noticeable within the young woman’s mind, but it was the only real thing going through her mind at the moment. She felt something jostle her arm once more, although this time, it seemed to be focusing on her hand and not arm. Then there was a sudden prick in said hand. The NetNavi barely registered the feeling, simply blowing it off along with the rest of what was happening to her. Ignored it that is, until a surge of unbelievable power raced through her body, jolting it with what felt like a million volts of electricity. Amelia’s eyes flew open, along with her mouth as she arched her back and let out a pain filled cry.

The cry continued as the feeling of bustling bodies returned, although the energy in the air seemed more panicked than before. This lasted several seconds until Amelia felt something get yanked from her hand. The pain subsided and the NetNavi’s screaming started to fade while her back came back down. After all that, it was safe to say that Amelia was awake again, her breathing coming heavy after the painful experience. The first thing she noticed was the tannish canvas above her. Her gaze slowly started to shift to her side where she found Amber Leaf holding a glowing IV, a smirk on her face even though her eyes were filled with worry.

“Amber?” Amelia questioned, groaning a bit as she sat up and swung her legs over the cot she had been laid on. “What happened?”

“You were on the brink of total shut down,” the crystal mare explained. “The medics didn’t really know what else to do with your… unique physiology, so they thought restoring your magic reserves would restore you.”

“No wonder that hurt like a bitch,” the Navi commented, rubbing her head a bit to rid her of the throbbing behind her eyes. “I don’t have any magic reserves. I don’t have magic period.”

“That’s what I thought,” Amber said with a frown, throwing an extremely irritated look over her shoulder at the sheepish physicians behind her. A pegasus stallion that seemed to be in charge gulped before giving a short nervous laugh and shrug, his eyes shifting from one side to the other as he looked for an escape route.

Amelia raised an eyebrow at the doctor before she sighed. Her grip tightened on the edge of the bunk before she stood to her feet. She swayed a bit and had to take a step forward to keep her balance. Amber’s features finally changed to match the worry in her eyes and she took a few steps forward to help the NetNavi, only to be stopped as said Navi raised her hand and shook her head. “I’m fine, Amber,” the young woman assured. “Just a bit off-balance. I’ll get it back soon enough.”

“We desire thee doth,” a new voice ringing out. Amelia looked up in time to see the ponies around her back up a bit and bow as two much taller beings walked passed them and towards her. The young NetNavi took them both in quickly, absorbing almost every detail and shred of data she could in a matter of moments.

They both had horns, wings, and ethereal manes, but the similarities stopped there. The taller of the two was an alabaster white, her mane matching her pink eyes. She wore gold adornments on her hooves and neck, a purple jewel set in the center of the neck piece so that it matched the tiara sitting on the mare’s head. The shorter of them was dark blue with cyan eyes, her mane being a bit of a sapphire blue surrounded in a more grayish blue. Her ornaments were a bit different in that her tiara and neck piece were black with now gems while the semblance of the moon was embedded in the neck ornament. However, the mare’s shoes, for lack of a better term, were silver.

Amelia wasn’t sure why, but the two gave her an odd feeling. “Am I in trouble or something?” She asked, her eyes shifting from one to another, though her voice and eyes showed off a feeling of cold indifference rather than fear or worry.

“No,” the alabaster mare replied, shaking her head a bit before she turned hardened eyes on the young woman. “However, we wouldst like to ask thee a few questions.”

The Navi froze under the pony’s gaze. She tentatively looked towards Amber who gave her a reassuring smile and nod. Amelia looked back to the two royals before she nodded her head as well. “Sounds good to me,” she answered. “So long as I get to ask a few questions of my own.”

“That is fair,” the white mare said, bowing slightly in return before turning to face the direction they had come from. “Though, we should taketh this conversation elsewhere. if 't be true thee would please followeth us.”

Amelia exchanged another look with Amber before following the two, the crystal mare walking along beside her. None of them spoke during the short trek that led them to a large tent, multiple banners hanging off of it. A couple of guards stood to either side of the entrance, some with gold armor like that of the white mare while the others were gray with slitted amber eyes, there armor a mixture of dark blue and silver with bat wings sprouting from the back. The guards bowed as the royals approached and entered. However, as Amelia and Amber passed, their eyes narrowed and they seemed to tense up a bit.

Amelia noticed this and smirked, giving a huff of laughter as she shook her head. “Gee, make a girl feel at home why don’t you?” She said sarcastically as she threw one of the flaps out of the way and entered the large tent. It was fairly simple, multiple candlesticks taking up the perimeter while two thrones occupied its center, the one to her right bearing the emblem of the moon, the left bearing the sun. The white mare took the sun throne while her partner took the other.

“Now that we has't some privacy,” the sun diarch began. “We believeth introductions art in order. We art Princess Celestia, Diarch of the Sun.”

“And we art Princess Luna,” the blue mare finally spoke up. “Diarch of the Moon.”

Amelia blinked a bit before she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, drawing shared looks of concern from the princesses. “Art thou alright?” Luna asked, looking to the Navi before she shared another look with her sister and back to the woman again.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” the Navi answered, raising her eyes once more. “It’s just… your dialects… they’re just… grating!”

The diarchs blinked at this explanation. Then, Celestia turned to Luna. “Do you see now, Luna?” She questioned her sister. “Even this stranger believes the old dialects are a forgotten art!”

“Forgive us if we wish to keepeth up a more pois'd demeanor than everypony else!” The younger sister exclaimed in return before she sighed and put her hoof to her face.

Celestia kept her her gaze on her sister for several moments before clearing her throat and looking back towards the, now somewhat confused, NetNavi. “Forgive our banter, stranger,” the white mare said. “Please, introduce yourself.”

Amelia only raised an eyebrow for a moment before glancing at Amber, who had her eyes closed and was smiling embarrassedly as her hoof rubbed the back of her head. “Oookaaay,” she said slowly before she turned her gaze back to the royal mares, her confident smirk returning. “Amelia Jaeger’s the name, kicking ass is the game…. At least now anyway.”

The solar diarch raised a brow and glanced at Luna before returning her focus to the woman before her. “What do you mean by ‘now’?” She questioned.

Amelia’s expression turned a bit sad and she looked to the ground at her feet. “I, uh… I’m not from here,” she said in a low tone before looking up at the princesses, a desperate look in her eyes. “I don’t even know where ‘here’ really is….”

Amelia sat alone in the candle-lit tent that had been provided by the diarchs, her PET in her hand as her thoughts wandered. She and the princesses had spoken for a long time, sharing information with each other as questions bounced around the private tent. She had shared her age, what she was, what she could do. In return the princesses had told her where she really was, the conflict between themselves and Sombra, what they were, and what they were capable of.

A dry huff of laughter escaped her lips. “Alicorns that can raise the sun and moon,” she scoffed quietly to herself as she turned her hand, causing the small light of the candle to reflect off the screen of the device. The little glimmer caught the NetNavi’s eye and she stared at it. “...How did this happen?” She questioned quietly, her sight distant.

The young woman stayed that way for quite a long while, her thoughts drifting from one to another until the sudden sound of something hard cracking against wood snapped her out of her trance. Amelia looked up to the flaps of her tent where a center poll stood. As the blowing wind shifted the fabric, Amelia could spot light blue hooves against the white snowy ground.

A soft smile played on her lips. “Come on in, Amber,” she called out to the mare. “You of all pe- ponies should know I don’t bite.” The crunch of snow under hoof followed her words and one of the tent flaps moved to the side to reveal the purple maned pony, a look of hesitance on her face. Seeing this, the young Navi frowned a little. “What’s wrong, Amber?”

The mare paused half-way inside the tent, her front hoof frozen in midair. She looked to the ground with a frown. “I, um... I can’t….”

Amelia raised her hand up, stopping the mare’s struggle to find the right words to say. “Come on,” she said, giving a soft smile as she waved the crystal mare over.

Amber raised her eyes in surprise before a look of peace came to her features. Without another word, she made her way over to the cot and climbed up, settling in Amelia’s lap. She pressed her side into the young woman’s torso as the Navi crossed her legs around the mare. The NetNavi then wrapped her arms around her, bringing her that much closer. They sat like that for a while, the wind picking up outside and causing a whistling sound to play through the air. Amber suddenly shivered, catching the Navi’s attention once more.

“You cold?” Amelia asked, drawing a slow nod from the pony. With that confirmation, the woman reached over to the rack that sat right next to the bunk. She grabbed her slightly tattered cloak and put it around Amber.

“Thanks,” the pony said quietly, shifting a bit as she pressed yet closer to the Navi.

“No problem,” Amelia replied, a smile never fading. The two fell into silence once more, but a nervous shifting from Amber suggested that the conversation wasn’t over.

“...Amelia,” the mare finally spoke up. “About earlier today… when I said I didn’t need you to protect me…thank you for doing so anyway….”

The NetNavi simply smiled a bit wider. “As long as you need me, I’ll be around,” she said, the look in her eyes leaving no room for doubt as Amber looked up at her. After a moment, the mare brought her eyes down, closing her eyes as she smiled and rested her head against the Navi. The mare took a long, deep breath, her body relaxing as she fell to sleep. Amelia simply watched her for a few more moments before leaning her head back against canvas of the tent and closing her own eyes. Neither of them noticed the little shine that ran over the screen of the PET that still rested in Amelia’s hand.

Author's Note

Amelia has found the Equestrian Army, but what comes next? Will she join them in their attack against Sombra, or does the young NetNavi have different plans? Don't touch the dial, and find out next time.

Ah, to be back to an almost twenty-page average... feels good. Anyway, hope you guys are still enjoying this as much as I am and I'll try to get the next chapter done ASAP. So, if you have something to share, see a mistake, or just want to be silly, leave it in the comments below. Until next time, have a great one!

Chapter 5- War

Chapter 5-

War

“Shit, shit, shit!” Amelia exclaimed quietly as she ran through the maze of tents. It had been three days since she and Amber had found themselves in the company of the Equestrians, and it wasn’t long after that that the diarchs had decided that they would have to pull their weight the same as everybody. That included the combat training that the NetNavi was currently late for.

The young woman rounded a corner, digging her boots into the slick snow as she slid a bit. She actually ended up sideways, having to use her hand to keep herself from hitting the ground, her legs pumping as she fought to find traction. Finally, her feet found purchase and she dashed away, dodging around the few soldiers that were scattered about, leaving most of them with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

After several moments, she slid to a stop in a ring with several wood and straw dummies set up. She ground to a halt in a line of lower class fighters in their armor, Amber Leaf among them. They snickered a bit as the NetNavi scrambled to stand straight and at attention. The drill sergeant, a large, red earth pony named Heavy Hitter, did not seem amused in the slightest as he stabbed the ground with his spear once more, bringing the count of holes in the snow being seven.

“That’s seven minutes late, Private Jaeger,” Heavy said, sticking the butt of his spear into the icy ground so that it stood up on its own. The sergeant turned his unamused expression on the lineup, any of the snickering ponies immediately shutting and straightening up. “You understand what this means, yes?”

Amelia tried to keep up her steadfast appearance but failed, her arms and shoulders slumping forward as she sighed. “Seven hundred push-ups, sergeant?” She answered questioningly.

“You’re getting used to this,” Heavy observed with a bit of a nod. “So why don’t we just make it eight hundred and fifty push-ups?”

Knowing that arguing would be futile, the Navi nodded and made her way over to an area that was becoming all too familiar to her. She lowered herself to the ground and started her push-ups while the drill sergeant issued the others their workloads for the day. Some took to running, some took to the obstacle course, and still others took to the training dummies with swords, spears, and bows. But only two figures made their way towards Amelia.

Sergeant Heavy stopped in front of the young woman while a set of light blue hooves made their way around Amber and began to do her own push-ups. “Maybe next time you’ll learn to keep that mouth of yours shut, Private Amber,” the stallion said before walking away.

When the sergeant was out of earshot, Amelia snickered. “Amber Leaf? Having a big mouth?” She falsely questioned, glancing at the pony beside her. “Who’da thought?”

“Oh, hush, you,” the crystal mare replied, keeping her eyes on the ground. “I did it on purpose so that we could talk.”

“Alright, alright,” the young woman said, trying to calm her friend down. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Amber was silent for several moments as they continued their push-ups. “...Have you… have you felt anything strange lately?” She finally asked, a bit of hesitation in her voice. “Like… after our first night here?”

Amelia blinked before turning her eyes to the ground that was constantly moving closer and farther away. “Actually… yeah,” the woman finally answered. “There’s been this… weird… I dunno, connection?”

Amelia looked up at the mare to see her pursing her lips. “...What does it mean?” she asked, looking up at Amelia.

The Navi stayed quiet for a long moment, letting her mind wrap itself around the information as well as come up with an appropriate response. “...I don’t know Amber,” she finally replied, looking away again. “I don’t know….” They both fell silent at that, each completing their designated number of pushups.

They did so just as Sergeant Heavy called them all back into the line. “Now that you maggots have finished with your warm-ups,” he began loudly. “It’s time for sparing.” Several groans sounded out, save from Amelia and Amber he looked to each side before raising an eyebrow to each other… up until Heavy Hitter growled and jerked his spear up out of the snow.

Everypony present shut their mouths quickly and stood at full attention. “That’s what I thought,” the sergeant said, giving them all a hard look before clearing his throat. “As you are all aware, you have all been partnered up and you all know who with. You’ve been doing well in getting acquainted and working with these partners… but I’d like to make sure that you can all handle yourselves in basic combat.”

Both crystal pony and NetNavi went a bit wide-eyed at the announcement, both of them thinking the same thought. “The sparring pairs will be as follows. Iron Hide, Phoenix Feather, field one.” Two ponies, an earth stallion and a pegasus mare, nodded their heads and started on their way to a field in the Northwest corner of the training area, grabbing staves on their way. “Star Fall, Thunder Lane, field two.” Two unicorn stallions followed the example of the first pair, heading to the Northeast of the field. “Amber Leaf, Foe Hammer, field three.” Amber gulped a bit as a large pegasus stallion stepped out of line and began to go towards the Southeast field. Amelia shared a look with the mare before Amber started to follow the stallion.

The Navi watched them go only to have her attention drawn back to Sergeant Heavy as he cleared his throat. “Jaeger, Boulder Dash, field four.” The Navi threw a look at her earth mare that would be her opponent and started making her way towards the final field in the Southwest, nodding towards Heavy as she went. She grabbed a staff as she passed the rack, hearing the clack of wood on wood a few moments later letting her know that Boulder was right behind her.

She continued to walk until she was on the other side of the field and turned around to face her adversary. The mare was actually rather big and burly compared to her peers, making her an impressive opponent. Amelia took all of this in with a single glance and lowered herself into a fighting stance. This should be fun, the Navi thought as Boulder tensed up as well. Both fighters stayed as they were motionless for several moments before a silent signal launched them at each other.

Amelia swung out with her staff, intent on leaving a sharp bruise on the mare’s shoulder but was caught off guard as the guardsmare was more than capable of, not only blocking her strike, but retaliating at incredible speeds. This forced the young woman to abandon her confident offensive and resort instead to intercepting the incoming blows with her own staff. Boulder’s attacks came faster and faster, the mare gathering momentum as she forced the human back.

Amelia grimaced as she felt wood rap sharply against her fingers every now and again, yet she knew she couldn’t take any extra time to readjust if she wanted to keep nasty welts from forming on the rest of her body. The pony’s shorter stature also gave her the advantage against the NetNavi, making it harder for Amelia to coordinate her defense, and Boulder Dash knew it. The mare pressed her advantage heavily and the fight soon started to look one sided. How!?! The young woman questioned internally once again having to pick up the pace to avoid being battered.

The battle went on with Amelia quickly being worn down and eventually taking several hits to her arms and body. Eventually, the Navi was forced to do what she had been avoiding during her current encounter. She activated an Attack+ battlechip, launching a powerful offensive swing that slammed into the defense that Boulder threw up in a rush. The mare was pushed across the field, giving the NetNavi the time she needed to stop and take in several deep breaths. What the hell is going on? Amelia thought to herself as she tried to think up some sort of strategy.

What are you doing, Amelia?

Amelia’s eyes widened and she perked her head up in surprise, quickly looking around. She found that most of the ponies had already finished their matches and were watching the pegasus and woman go after each other. However, one face amongst the crowd caught her attention above the others. Amber was staring back at her, their wide eyes meeting each other. Amber… was that you? Amelia asked on a whim, receiving a surprised blink from Amber.

How are we doing this? The crystal mare replied, her front hoof raising slightly.

How should I-

Amelia, watch it!

The NetNavi quickly twisted her body and moved her staff, a sharp clack sounding out as her and Boulder’s staves met. The earth mare’s eyes widened a bit in surprise at the Navi’s sudden reaction speed, jumping back to avoid Amelia’s retaliation. The young woman could feel something new filling her, a kind of rejuvenation.

Amelia, her rear left is unsteady!

Without hesitation, the Navi responded, rushing towards and curving into Boulder’s right. She slammed her staff into the mare’s and felt her start to give way. With a mighty push, Amelia sent the pony sprawling. The young woman stayed back a bit, her breath coming a bit heavy as she processed what had just happened. Thanks for the heads up, Amber, Amelia thought, glancing briefly at the crystal mare only to see her wince.

What's wrong, Amber? Amelia asked, concern washing over her as the mare winced again.

Nothing, the crystal pony replied, putting a hoof to her head. It just… feels like you're talking through mud.

The Navi’s eyes narrowed a bit as she heard this and reached into her cloak, pulling forth her PET. She looked up and opened her mouth to shout to Amber only be forced to jump away and raise her staff to avoid being struck by the blur that was Boulder Dash’s staff. The two poles slammed into each other, slowing both fighters just long enough for Amelia to look into the eyes of her opponent. The mare’s eyes were wide, her pupils pinpricks, showing off the undefiled rage within. Only one thought passed through the young woman’s mind as she saw this.

Oh, shit! Amelia exclaimed internally as the two became blurs, each of them blocking as the other tried to find purchase against the other. For several moments the two were joined in a dance as they pushed back and forth over the arena.

Amelia, sweep! The Navi responded immediately, dropping down and letting the earth pony’s staff go by overhead, albeit barely. As Boulder’s footing suffered from the sudden lack of competition, the young woman swept her staff under the mare, smacking her fetlocks with enough force to pull her legs out from under her. As Boulder Dash fell, Amelia spun and dropped, bringing her staff in close while extending her other leg, landing a kick in the mare’s flank. The pony slid over the field as the NetNavi rotated back up to her feet, coming to a stop in a back stance with one hand out while the other held her staff under her arm.

The dark Navi breathed deeply as she felt something roll down her face. Before she could take the time to process what it was, Heavy Hitter walked onto the field. “That’s enough, you two,” he said, picking up Boulder’s staff where she had dropped it. “Fall in!” All those present quickly jumped into line, except Boulder Dash whose walk was more like a limp and a pony that Amelia hadn’t noticed before stood beside Heavy. “I’ve got some news for you maggots,” the large sergeant stated, stomping the staff he was holding into the snow. “The princesses have decided that we march on the Crystal Empire tomorrow. Take the rest of today to rest up and be ready to march at dawn.”

The eight privates snapped their heels together and raised their front right hooves, right hand for Amelia, and shouted, “Yes, sir!”

Sergeant Heavy nodded his head, pleased at the well-oiled soldiers in front of him. “Good,” he said before his look became a bit more stern. “Dismissed!”

Those in the line quickly dispersed, Amelia quickly finding Amber, only to be stopped by the mare before she could say anything. “What in Tartarus was that!?!” The crystal pony exclaimed. “How did that happen!?”

“Wow, Amber, chill!” The Navi answered, raising her hands up. “I honestly don’t know how all this is happening.”

The crystal pony gave her a wide-eyed look. “So, you don’t know if this is dangerous?” She questioned, concern clearly etching itself into her voice.

Amelia only smirked. “I never said I didn’t know what was happening,” she said, a glint in her eye. “Just that I didn’t know how.”

Amber Leaf glared up at her partner for a moment. “You had better explain yourself, Miss Jaeger,” the mare said, her tone irritated.

The Navi just chuckled and started to walk, waving her hand for the crystal mare to follow. “Come on, I’ll explain on the way.” The pony looked a bit surprised as she began to follow Amelia towards the tent they had been sharing since their first night here. Along the way, the NetNavi began to explain.

“So, where do I begin? Within the series, my powers come from there’s this thing called Synchro….”

King Sombra strode along the halls of his castle, headed towards the balcony that overlooked his courtyard. He made his way silently, a frown on his face as purple mist poured out sporadically from his eyes. His hoofsteps were more like stomps as he walked, leaving a new crack along the floor every now and again.

Three days! He raged silently as he went on. Three days since the scouts lost contact! And four since that damned NetNavi escaped! The corrupted unicorn let out a dark growl, his musings only proving to darken his mood further. Teeth grinding together, the stallion recalled the last transmission he had received from the control crystals embedded in the armor of his grunts.

“How could she tear through them with such ease?” He hissed to himself. “I understood her power against golems but… three highly trained and armed guards…?” Sombra shook his head. “And if that was not enough, now the princesses are here to meddle…. To bring my empire to an end!” The twisted king came to a set of double doors, his hateful gaze going over the door… before a frightful smirk came to his face.

“I suppose it’s a good thing,” he muttered softly as his horn lit up, beginning to push the doors open. “I kept her alive after all these years!” With that and a plot forming in his mind, King Sombra walked out onto the terrace and looked out over the army he had gathered from his mindless slaves.

A yawn of epic proportions sounded through the air as Amelia leaned her head back, her legs never stopping for a moment while she and the rest of the army marched along. As her head tilted back into position she could a ‘tsk’ come from her right. She opened her right eye as her hand came up to scratch at the back of her neck, finding Amber shaking her head with a hoof to her face.

“What?” The Navi questioned, lowering her hand and straightening up.

“Could you at least act like a soldier in the Equestrian army?” The mare questioned, looking up at her partner.

Amelia only shrugged. “Maybe if I had actually gotten any sleep last night,” she answered, raising her arms so they sat behind her head, her eyes focused on the hills in front of them.

Amber Leaf let out a huff. “That is nopony’s fault but your own,” she replied, looking forward once more. “You were the one that wanted to stay up and test the limits of your new abilities.” “Hey, it would’ve been worth it to see what you were thinking in your sleep,” the Navi replied with a shrug, drawing a shocked look from the crystal pony.

“I’m pretty sure that counts as an invasion of privacy!” Amber exclaimed, her shock turning to irritation as they continued to trudge through the snow and ice.

This did not stop Amelia from letting out a hearty laugh… at least not until one of the generals came running up. “Would you two cut it out!?!” He hissed in a quiet tone. “Do you want to let Sombra’s forces know exactly where we are?”

Both Amelia and Amber winced at the officer’s harsh words, quickly shaking their heads ‘no’. “Won’t happen again, sir,” the NetNavi murmured quietly, earning a nod from the stallion before he left the two. For a while, both Navi and pony were silent… until one of them snickered.

That guy’s coat was so brown, it looked like shi-

Amelia!

The ground suddenly began to shake, catching most of the army’s soldiers by surprise as their balance was thrown out from underneath them. Amelia fell to one knee and put her right hand on her partner’s shoulders to help steady Amber as the earth, snow, and ice continued to quake. She lifted her eyes to the front of the troops to see that even Celestia and Luna were having trouble staying upright… then she saw something that spooked even her.

The hills began to rise, snow collapsing off as crystalline limbs began to unfold to reveal the golems beneath the ice. Amelia stared at the sheer number of golems before them, numbering around at least thirty. Behind the crystal beasts stood a mass of dark armor and spears, the twisted spires of the Crystal Empire looming even further behind them. King Sombra’s horde had arrived.

Amelia’s eyes narrowed as she realized her position in the middle of the pack and unable to get to the front and be of any use. I gotta get up there, she thought, her fists clenching as she stood to her feet and several golems turned towards the princesses. They’ll be-

The diarchs turned angry looks at the golems closing in on them, there horns lighting up only to send beams of magic crashing into their opponents. The monsters stood no chance as holes were punched through their torsos, causing them to crumble and Amelia to blink.

“Oookay, ponies got power,” she muttered as she stood to her feet. The Navi’s eyes drifted up to the towers of the Crystal Palace. “We gotta get up there.”

“There’s an army and a half between us and that palace,” Amber stated, getting her balance back. “How do you suppose we get there?”

Amelia looked at her partner for a moment before looking back towards the walls of the Crystal Empire. Slowly, a smirk lit up on her face. “I’ll just have to do what I do best,” she said, raising her hand to unclasp her cloak.

The crystal mare let out a sigh as the cloak was thrown over her shoulders, feeling the strange tingle it gave off due to the Barrier chip Amelia had added to it. “Run in headlong without a plan?” Amber guessed looking up at Amelia as she once again offered her back to carry the mare.

“Eeyup,” The Navi replied as she felt the pony climb onto her back, her smirk growing as her body tensed up. “You know the plan right?”

“Of course,” Amber answered while rolling her eyes. “I’d have to be a filly to forGEEET!!!” She let out the last bit in surprise as Amelia suddenly shot forward, forcing the pony to tighten her grip.

The dark Navi ran forward, extending her right hand to the side as a CyberSword formed. Several other ponies noticed this and began to run alongside her, some even letting out battle cries. The young woman wanted nothing more than to shout at them to stay back, but knew it would simply get swallowed up in the noises of battle. Luckily, she was still far faster than her comrades as she raced forward. The princesses were still going strong against the golems, however, the crystal amalgamations kept coming, seemingly not having an end.

“Let’s do this, Amber!” She shouted as she leaped into battle. Amber responded by pulling one hoof away from Amelia and brought it to her chest where the purple PET hung. The mare gripped the device for a moment and an aura burst forth around the pair. A readout that appeared in the corner of the Navi’s vision read ‘SYNC: 50%’, and she could feel her power boost as the connection between Navi and Op strengthened, renewing the broad grin on her face.

“Oh, yeah, feel the rush!” Amelia shouted before activating a Dash chip. The Navi/Op pair became a blur across the battlefield as the NetNavi’s energy sword cut through the golems’ crystalline structure like warm butter, leaving little more than piles of rock in her wake alongside a pair of dumbstruck alicorns. The young woman came to a stop at the front of the pack, casting a look over her shoulder at Celestia and Luna. “C’mon slowpokes, keep up!” With that and one last laugh at the shocked expressions on the sisters’ faces, Amelia turned and rushed towards the oncoming tidal wave of dark-armored crystal ponies.

Amber, however, wasn’t nearly as enthused as she clung on for dear life. “A-A-Amelia!” She stuttered out as she was jostled around. “Do y-you even have a w-w-way through this!?!”

“Of course!” The Navi replied, continuing her breakneck pace while she pulled her left arm back. “Straight through!!!” A large drill constructed itself from her reared back hand as she activated DrillArm. With a yell that sounded far more excited than threatening, Amelia thrust the drill into the ground and activated another Dash chip. The spinning drill threw up a wave of snow and ice as she powered through the crowd, the force pushing most of the soldiers out of the way, if not burying them under a mound of snow.

She made it quite a good ways before Amber looked into the skies and her eyes widened in surprise and shock. Without a second’s hesitation, Amelia jumped back and out of the way as a crystal pegasus slammed into the ground where she had been. By the look of the little crater the stallion left in the snow, the blow would have done some serious damage if the Navi hadn’t dodged.

“Oh, damn it,” Amelia muttered as she tensed up, raising her sword arm as she moved her drill out of the way. All the enemy troops that had been forced to get out of her way began to move in again, swiftly closing off her chance of gaining the momentum she’d need to get going once more.

“This is bad,” Amber stated, looking around at all the unfriendly spears and other weapons surrounding them.

“Yeah,” the young woman answered, grimacing as she raised her sword a bit more. “I guess I’ve got no choice now. I’ll have to fight through them.”

The dark armored ponies rushed forward, Amelia mirroring their actions. The first to reach her thrust forward with their spear only to have the Navi sidestep the attack and sweep her blade down, easily severing the spear head. Following up quickly with a wheel kick, the NetNavi sent her adversary careening into those behind them. The combo only gave her a small window though as she was set upon by soldiers on her other side. Amelia was forced into moving her drill quickly in order to block spear thrusts, sword slashes , and even bashes from more heavy weaponry.

“Damn it!” The Navi growled as she could feel herself being pushed back. Then her eyes widened as she felt the barrier on her cloak shatter, leaving Amber exposed. Her concentration broke from her current opponents as she focused on throwing another Barrier chip into the mantle.

AMELIA!!!

The young woman’s reaction was almost instantaneous as she lifted her drill to catch the mass of weaponry that had been aimed at her. This intrusion in trying to protect her NetOp only proved to anger her further as she began to grit her teeth. “Fine…,” she muttered, her muscles tensing up as her eyes began to turn red. “LET’S PLAY HARDBALL!!!” Her drill spun to life and shredded the armaments pressing against it to bits. She swept the still-spinning drill in an arc, providing her with just enough space to maneuver without limitations. Thinking quickly, she raised both arms to the sky, her CyberSword and DrillArm compacting back down to her normal hands. The Navi then activated four new battlechips; Typhoon, Hurricane, Cyclone, and Repair.

An enormous turbine folded out from her right arm which she quickly pointed at the ground at her feet. “Welcome to the eye of the storm, bitches!” Amelia shouted before mentally pulling the trigger. The turbine fired up, unleashing a blast of ferocious air not seen anywhere in nature. The blast knocked a large crater into the snow and ice while also launching the NetNavi, Op, and soldiers in different directions. Amber clung to her partner’s back as they shot up into the sky, the ponies below them getting kicked back a great distance from the center of the blast.

Amelia smirked as she watched the space in the army grow. “How’s that for firepow-” The rest of the Navi’s victorious shout was brought to a halt as she felt a heavy weight slam into her shoulder, barely missing Amber’s head and sending both of them crashing back down to the ground. The NetNavi slammed into the ice, making a second crater within the first and let out a cry as her cloak’s Barrier was once more shattered, this time by a heavy blunt force.

The weight lifted away from the cowl and the young woman instinctively knew what was coming. The Navi lunged forward as far as she could, trying to get Amber out of the way of the coming blow. She succeeded only to have what was slamming into her crash into her leg, forcing a shout of pain from Amelia. As she clenched her eyes to ride out the crushing blow, a bar flashed out over the black, lowering slightly. The Navi opened her eyes once more and extended her left hand, putting her palm to the snow as she rotated her body around the limb, her feet skidding on the cold ground as she faced her opponent.

Said adversary turned out to be an abnormally large crystal pegasus, a large war hammer in his hooves. “You’re big,” Amelia muttered as she rose back to her feet, the turbine of her DeathStorm program advance folding back into her arm. “Fought bigger.” With that, the dark Navi activated the ZeusHammer BattleChip.

The large stallion didn’t seem phased at all as he rushed forward, raising his hammer to strike out as the young woman’s own mallet-like hammer formed in her hands. The two adversaries swung their hammers towards one another in horizontal arcs. The two hammers met in midair, each fighter straining against the other. The force of the blows caused Amelia and the armored pegasus to skid over the ice, carving curved furrows in the icy ground. The combatants drew back their hammers and brought the weapons back behind them before swinging down. The mallets once again slammed into each other and drove the fighters back, cutting long tracks in the frozen landscape.

The Navi came to a stop, her eyes focused on her adversary as he regained his footing. A sudden jolt from Amber made her turn and lift a hand that was pierced by a spear thrust. Amelia’s eyes and teeth clenched as pain shot through her hand and up her arm, the yellow bar in her vision returning and shrinking a little more. She activated another Barrier around Amber, knowing the mare had been the actual target. Out of the corner of her eye, the Navi spotted another crystal pony rushing at her. She kicked the armored pony that had skewered her hand, sending them flying back with the weapon still in her hand before she twisted and threw her hammer into the other.

The weapon slammed into the soldier, bouncing off their head and dispersing as it fell to the ground. Amelia let herself relax… right before her original foe slammed his hammer into her torso, sending her flying back. She twisted in the air and landed on her side to spare her last Barrier and Amber beneath that, the yellow bar going down once more. The Navi slid several paces before coming to a stop, a pained groan echoing from her throat. Her world was pain at the moment, Amber rolling off her back with her own sounds of pain as a shadow fell on the both of them.

The young woman turned her gaze up, her eyes widening as she watched the large crystal pegasus step up to and stand over them. He stared down at Amelia with covered eyes, no emotion on the metal helmet. Then Amber looked up and gave a small gasp. The empty green slits turned towards the mare on the ground and began to raise his war hammer. Navi and Op’s eyes widened and Amelia rolled over on top of Amber using her body as a shield against the coming blow. But it never came.

There was a soft crunch and thud, and, after a few moments, the young woman looked over her shoulder at her adversary… who was now sprawled on the ground with a spear in his chest. As she watched, a hot pink aura lit up the spear and pulled it from the body, letting forth a torrent of blood that stained the pure whiteness of the snow. “Didn’t think we’d just let you go at it alone, did you?” A voice asked, drawing Amelia’s attention back in the opposite direction where she found a unicorn in normal solar guard attire, though his gray coat, dark blue mane, and striking blue eyes were clearly visible as he levitated his spear back to him.

The NetNavi just blinked as she looked up at the smirking stallion as two more soldiers in night solar guard armor stepped up behind him. “Who…?” She started, only to receive a chuckle from the unicorn.

“Oh, come on,” he said. “You don’t recognize me?”

Amelia looked at him for a long moment before something clicked in her mind. She took a look towards the other two, a couple of pegasi, a stallion and a mare… with odd patterns under their fur. “Twilight?” She questioned, looking back to the unicorn stallion.

“One in the same,” Twilight Comet answered with a confident smirk. A crunch drew all their attention though as the surrounding army started to get their nerve back after watching one of their champions fall. The unicorn and the two crystal pegasi jumped forward, surrounding Amelia and Amber, their spears battle ready. “Get outta here!” The young stallion urged. “We got this, you join the princesses at the palace.”

Amelia looked around her for a moment before standing to her feet, helping Amber up as well. “You sure you guys can handle it?”

“No doubt, miss Jaeger,” the pegasus mare replied. “We know all our comrades moves.”

“If you’re sure,” the Navi said with a nod, Amber climbing back onto her back. With that, the NetNavi looked about her and noticed a pair of energy trails, one yellow and the other blue, forging a trail through the enemy forces. Amelia just smirked and finally yanked the spear from her hand. “Let’s get to it.” She activated another DrillArm chip and followed the same actions as earlier, letting her dark purple aura flare as she did. In moments, she was racing along beside the armored alicorns.

“What tooketh thee so long?” Luna asked as they all dashed along.

“We got smacked around by an asshole with a hammer,” Amelia answered with a shrug before she suddenly realized something. Looking down at her left hand, she spotted a spot with flashing green squares as bits of white drifted off of her glove around the wound.

“How’s your hoof, Amber?” The Navi asked her partner, looking over her shoulder at the mare.

“It stings, honestly,” Amber answered a bit sheepishly. “...A lot.”

Amelia flinched a bit at her recklessness. “I’m sorry,” she said as she activated a Recover300 BattleChip. “I should’ve been more careful while we are synched.”

“You can’t blame yourself, Amelia,” the mare replied as her body relaxed, her pain leaving her. “I agreed to this after all.”

Amelia just fell silent at that, lowering her head a bit as the four of them reached the walls of the city. They all looked up and around at the wall, seeing no way inside as the gate appeared to be nowhere. “Sister, how doth we-”

Luna was interrupted as a loud crash sounded out, jolting both princesses. They both looked over to where Amelia was standing, a hole in the wall in front of her as brick and stone crumbled around her GutsPunch. “We just gonna sit here and gawk, or are we going to finish this?” The Navi asked as she straightened up and retracted the enormous fist, walking into the newly formed hole soon afterward. The diarchs shared a wide-eyed look before following the young woman through. What they found was the desolate and empty streets of the Crystal Empire.

Amelia’s eyes scanned the buildings and roads as Amber slid off her back, wincing a bit as hoof hit the ground only to look at it in surprise as the previous wound was gone. “Come on,” the Navi said, shocking the crystal mare out of her astonishment to see the dark-suited girl start to walk down the road. She hurried to catch up, Celestia and Luna not far behind. The deserted streets were quiet, metallic clicks from their armored feet and hooves echoing around them as they walked along the cobblestone paths.

“This is giving me the absolute creeps,” the Navi said as they walked along, glad that she was finally getting the chance to recharge her batteries.

“Agreed, miss Jaeger,” Celestia replied, her eyes shifting from side to side. “Even after the fall, our spies never reported anything like this….”

“What hast he done with them all?” Luna asked, worry clearly starting to creep into her voice.

“Don’t worry, princess,” Amelia said as her gaze lifted towards the palace. “We’ll find them, one way or another.” The group fell silent as they continued on their way towards the castle before them. They reached the front entrance after only a few more moments, all of them looking up at the daunting barrier before them.

“Want me to knock again?” The dark Navi asked.

“If you wouldn’t mind, miss Jaeger,” Celestia replied, backing off alongside the others as the NetNavi reared her fist back, another GutsPunch forming. With a shout, she threw her attack forward. Before it could land, though, something else knocked first.

The wall exploded in a shower of debris as Amelia was knocked back by a crystalline fist. The Navi slammed into the ground with a thud as another golem stepped out of the entrance way, this one having four arms, six wings, and three horns. The monster stopped just outside the wall, throwing its arms out and letting out a roar.

The three ponies jumped back, the alicorns’ horns igniting as they brought forth their weapons, a long, single-headed battle ax for Celestia and twin sabers for Luna. Amber stepped back as the diarchs stepped in front of her and the golem turned towards them… only its wings and upper right arm severed from its body as a purple beam of energy slashed at it twice. The golem let out a groan as it stepped back, turning to once again face the NetNavi it had thrown away.

Amelia stood several yards away, her eyes glowing red as a purple aura flowed around her and the BetaSword program advance in her right hand. “I’ve had just about all of this shit I can stand,” she stated, taking a single step forward with a snarl on her face. “So… I’d really appreciate it… IF YOU WOULD JUST GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!” As she said this, something began to fold out of her left hand, starting out as just another buster until it to began to fold out and grow bigger until an gigantic cannon in the of a tank/fighter jet hybrid. With a rage-filled roar, Amelia unleashed the full force of the PoweredCannon, launching a blast of energy that punched a large hole straight through the golem’s torso.

The golem was thrown off its feet and blown back, traveling a good five feet through the air before the monster slammed into the ground and shattered into a scattered pile of debris. Amelia breathed heavily as she dropped the cannon down to her side, the weapon folding back into her arm. She looked over at her pony comrades too see the three mares staring at her with wide eyes. “Too much?” The Navi asked, her eyes shifting back to green. The young woman let out a quiet chuckle when all three of them nodded their heads. “Let’s get going.”

With that, the NetNavi began to trudge forward as her energy slowly began to recharge. The others soon joined her as they walked over the broken bits of door, wall, and golem. Amelia looked up at the stairs going up to the first hallway of the Crystal Palace. The Navi slumped a little as she saw this, her breath still somewhat spent. “Do we really have to deal with all of this?” She asked.

Celestia chuckled a bit as she stepped up beside her. “No, we won’t have to go through the castle,” she said as her horn lit up. Even as Amelia raised an eyebrow in question, a section of the wall to their right lit up in the alabaster mare’s yellow aura, the panel sliding away to reveal an old darkened stairwell. “Instead, we’ll go through the castle.”

Amelia shot a look at the smirking princess before she started to step towards the stairs. “Hasn’t anyone heard of an elevator around here?” She questioned as she stared up the daunting obstacle before her.

“What’s wrong?” Amber asked as she stepped up beside her partner with a cheeky grin. “Getting tired?”

The Navi looked back at her Op for a moment before her own smirk lit up her features. “Not on your life,” she replied before turning back to the stairway to see that the diarchs had already started their way up… and were quite a ways ahead. “Shit! Come on, before they hog all the action!” With that, the pair raced up the stairs after the sisters.

Sombra sat on his throne, one hoof tapping on one of the great chair’s arms. His four best guards surrounded him and the throne, two more stationed at the door. He looked towards a map he had conjured on the floor, showing him each of the Crystal Palace’s floors and the forces mobilized there… but there was no sign of the four intruders.

“Where did they go?” The dark unicorn questioned. “They destroyed the golem so where are they?” He continued to stare at the map for several moments until his eyes widened, his hoof raising and slamming back into the arm of the throne, cracking it.

“You!” He shouted, pointing an armored hoof at one of the two by the door, causing the brain-washed soldier to jump a little. “Bring her to me! NOW!!!” The surprised crystal pony darted out of the door and his hooves could be heard thundering down the hall.

As the armored pony raced away, the corrupted king leaned back on his throne, a dark scowl on his face. “I will not be bested by these witches,” he muttered lowly, rubbing his chin with his fetlock. “I will have them defeated… or else have them suffer like her!”

Amelia, Amber, and the princesses sped their way up the stairs, each of them rested more than enough for the conflict to come. The Navi’s expression was hardened as she looked towards the door she could see at the end of the staircase.

“Miss Jaeger, if you would,” Celestia said, she and Luna stepping to the sides and out of the way.

“With pleasure,” the young woman answered, pulling her fist back for her last allotted GutsPunch and Dash. She flew up the stairs, throwing her fist forward and slamming the oversized knuckles into the door. To say her entrance was explosive would be an understatement, a cloud of dust to burst forth into the room, the Navi sliding into the room as she faced the throne, her eyes already beginning to glow slightly red in a way that could clearly be seen outside the debris.

The princesses and Amber Leaf were quick to follow, Luna coming to a stop to Amelia’s left, furthest from their entrance, Amber to her right and slightly back while Celestia took up a more dominant position to her right. Through all of this, Sombra sat upon his throne, an unamused look on his face as his five guards surrounded him with their spears and swords at the ready.

“You simply cannot help but put holes in my home, can you?” The tyrant asked, raising a brow as he stared at them with his cheek resting on his hoof.

Amelia let out a small growl and started to step forward, raising her armored fist. She was stopped, though, as Celestia stepped forward instead, stomping roughly on the floor hard enough to crack it. “Enough of your games, Sombra,” she said, her voice heavy with authority. “Stand your army down and surrender.”

“Oh?” Sombra asked, raising his head from his hoof and looking at them with false surprise. “Why would I do that? I hold all the cards in my hoof and have my opponents in the middle of my home territory. Really, what did you plan to accomplish bringing, not just yourself, but your dear sister and the biggest hitter in your pathetic army before my very hooves? It is sheer madness.”

The dark Navi’s eye twitched a bit as Celestia attempted to keep up her calm but powerful demeanor. “Can I pound his face in now?” The hot-blooded young woman asked.

Celestia did her best to ignore this statement, considering actually allowing this for half a moment before solidifying her resolve once more. “If you do not surrender now, Sombra,” the solar diarch said in a low tone as she drew out her battleax. “We will force you to do so, or take your life in trying.”

“An interesting sentiment!” The unicorn exclaimed, clapping his hoof against the arm of his throne before getting to his hooves. “Except that you won’t.” He started to walk off to the side of the chair while Celestia’s face morphed into that of confusion and shock. This only caused Sombra to wear a victorious smirk as he came to a stop and once again turning towards them. “You see, if you touch me, I’ll destroy the only reason you came here in the first place.”

The three mares’ eyes widened while the NetNavi simply looked confused. “Not even you are brave enough to destroy the Crystal Heart, Sombra,” Amber stated with a step forward, though she did not sound completely confident.

“You are correct, my dear,” Sombra replied with a sinister half-smile. “The Crystal Heart is not my target. On the contrary, I have something far more precious.” The corrupted unicorn’s horn lit up in red as he made his throne disappear and allowed the party to see what lie behind it. The three mares let out different expressions of shock while Amelia was once again left feeling completely confused at the sight of the black crystal statue that depicted a large unicorn and a sixth guard.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Luna shouted, stepping forward a bit only to halt in fear as spears, swords, and a scythe of dark crystal all lurched uncomfortably close to the black statue.

“I would dare, Luna,” Sombra answered in a cold voice, the little bit of playfulness gone from his tone.

“You killed her….” The quiet statement brought the attention of the room to the trembling form of Amber Leaf. “I watched you trap her in that prison and shatter her.” She looked up at the tyrant king with tears in her eyes. “How could you be so callous as to make such a mockery of her?”

Sombra stared at quivering mare for a long moment before he let out a snarl at the mare. “You speak as if she ever cared about the two of us!” He shouted, his stance widening as the blade of his black weapon clinked against the crystal statue. “It was all a stupid illusion! Just like the one I used to make you think she was dead….”

Amelia looked between her partner and the dark unicorn. “Time out,” she finally said. “What the hell is going on? Who is that?”

The three mares that had arrived with her turned to look at her to see the look of utmost confusion of the NetNavi’s face. “Princess Amore,” Celestia answered. “The previous ruler of the Crystal Empire… a good mare.”

“Pfft,” Sombra muttered before returning to look at them with his snarl. “A good mare my flank,” he barked. “Amore was nothing but a liar and a cheat. She brought this on herself.”

“Tch,” Luna sounded out, her own face contorting into a grimace. “Because thee didn't he’d h’r warnings, thee hath fallen. Thee has't nopony else but yourself to censure.”

“Really, Luna,” Sombra said with a roll of his eyes and flick of irritation to his ear. “When are you going to give up that decrepit dia-” Sombra was cut off as his six guards were suddenly tossed to different parts of the room, slamming into the walls as magenta roads with blue outlines and arrows going up or down them appeared beneath them.

The surprised king barely had enough time to react as Amelia used the last of the GutsPunch’s power to slam into Sombra. The dark gray stallion slid back across the floor, the shaft of his scythe having taken the impact only to shatter in his magic, but something caught the Navi’s attention as the unicorn was forced onto his rear hooves from the force of the impact. A little, slight purple glow from between the gaps in his armor.

Something occurred to the young woman and only solidified as she thought it over. “Celestia, Luna,” she called over her shoulder. “Protect Amber. Amber, ramp up the synchro!”

The crystal mare’s eyes widened a bit as she stepped back and the princesses took up a defensive position around her, the guards starting to get to their feet. “But we’ve haven’t pushed it that far!” She replied with a slight shake to her voice.

“Amber!” Amelia shouted before looking over her shoulder at the mare with a look devoid of anything but pure seriousness. “If you want your friends back, you’ve got to try.”

The tone of the green-eyed girl found its mark in Amber Leaf and the mare nodded, determination filling her own eyes. She bent at the knees for a moment, lowering her head even as the armored ponies rushed her and the diarchs. She suddenly straightened her legs and lifted her head, an aura of white bursting out around her as Amelia’s purple aura surged far greater than before. The Navi watched as the readout in her vision went up from fifty percent to eighty, feeling her reaction time and power increasing drastically.

“Let’s do this!” She shouted, rushing Sombra as she activated a WideSword on her right hand to conserve her last CyberSword. The enraged king looked up at her with savage eyes and lunged towards with a cry of fury. Energy blade and crystal scythe met in a blur of blows, colliding over and over as a whirlwind formed around them. With one more mighty swing, the two opponents launched themselves back, sliding against the crystal tiles. Now or never, Amelia thought, lurching her gaze up to look at her adversary who was still recovering.

The NetNavi threw her other hand out to fold out into a LongSword before rushing forward in a dark blur, surprising the tyrant. With a shout, Amelia crossed her blades and spun, turning herself into a black and purple spiral, the king bringing his scythe up to block once more. The raw power that was the young woman slammed into the weapon, pressing it and its wielder with enough force to push the stallion’s hooves across the ground.

Sombra bared his fangs as he was pushed, trying to fight back only to be overwhelmed by the Navi. His rear finally touched the wall behind him, his scythe shattering and opening his defenses to a direct attack. The twisted unicorn’s eyes widened as Amelia took the opening, her eyes green eyes shining slightly red as she stopped her spin and slashed with her swords… splitting the chest piece adorning Sombra into four and destroying the black control crystal underneath.

The dark unicorn flinched away, trying to back up again as he blinked his eyes. When Sombra finally reopened his eyes, his irises green and sclera white as the purple mist stopped flowing in such great amounts. For several moments, tyrant and Navi stared at each other for a long moment.

“What have you done?” The gray unicorn asked, an accusing tone in his voice that drew a frown from Amelia.

“For one, I released you from whatever mind control you were under,” the Navi answered with both an irritated look and expression.

“No, you fool!” Sombra shouted, stamping an armored hoof hard enough to crack the floor underneath. “He knows now! You’ve killed us a-” The dark stallion was interrupted as Amelia’s arm blurred through the air, her purple WideSword cutting the spear aimed at his chest in two. Amelia towards the guard that had dared strike out at them.

The dark armored guard in question lurched a bit in shock only to be knocked unconscious as the flat of one of Luna’s blades met the back of its head with a sharp ring. The guard collapsed to the floor and the NetNavi took around the room to find that the other soldiers had been dealt with in a similar fashion. Her gaze shifted to her comrades, finding that the worst the mares had taken was a small scratch that adorned Celestia’s cheek, her red blood standing out amongst her white fur.

“Seems like you guys managed pretty well,” the young woman observed, earning her a tired nod from a Luna that was breathing heavily. The Navi gave a small half-grin before she started to turn. “Now, what were you going on about?” Amelia stopped as her eyes fell on the trembling form of King Sombra.

“Did you not hear me?” The unicorn questioned before he lifted his angry gaze from the floor to meet the NetNavi’s surprised look. “You’ve killed us all!”

A sudden shaking punctuated the twisted king’s words, drawing everyone’s attention. Sombra’s eyes were the widest of them all and, when the shaking stopped, he raced to the balcony of the throne room. Amelia threw a look at her compatriots in questioning before they all followed after the stallion quickly. What they saw when they arrived at the railing took all of their breaths away.

“What the hell is that?” The young woman questioned as the gigantic portal before them swirled on the ground in the middle of the city.

“He’s sent it to kill us,” was the only response Sombra gave as a shadow became visible beneath the energy of the gateway.

“Who sent what?” Amelia questioned more furiously, turning her head to look at the dark stallion and pounding her fist on the railing… only for her eyes to go wide at what Amber was sending her telepathically. The Navi turned her slowly in the direction of the emerging threat to see an all too familiar figure of a green, elongated, and spiked head rise from the portal and Sombra finally gave his answer.

“The Life Virus.”

Author's Note

The Life Virus rears its ugly head, but the question remains. Where has this virus come from, and whose control was Sombra under? And what will our heroes do against this new threat? Stayed tuned and find out in the next exciting episode of When The Bass Drops!

I can hear the screams already for mixing up comic and show canon... oh well, not the worst thing to be yelled at for. Anywho, sorry this took so long to get out. Life is kinda hectic right now, but I'm sure a lot of you can understand that. Hope you all enjoy it. The next upload will be a chapter of Equestrian Psycho so be ready for that. So, if you see a mistake, have a thought or criticism, or just want to share something funny, leave it in the comments below. Hope you guys have a great one, and I'll see you guys in the next one.

Chapter 6- My Sacrifice

Chapter 6-

My Sacrifice

“What in the depths of Tartarus is that!?” Luna yelled as the monstrosity crawled itself out of the swirling portal. The top half was humanoid, the elongated head having three spikes on each side, yellow eyes and a red crystal in its forehead. The arms connected to the body via cylindrical cones with large yellow gems ending them in the front. Twin spikes jutted from the green shoulders, short red arms ending in humongous green hands with wicked faded yellow claws and even more yellow crystals on the knuckles. The body connected to a red base at the waist, a laser lens gleaming on the front. Six green legs sprouted from the base, the same faded yellow lining and claws ending each appendage.

The giant machine finally stepped clear of the portal, the vortex swirling closed behind it. The monster raised its eyes until it stopped on the ponies and the NetNavi on the balcony. It let loose an earthshaking roar before it began to stomp closer. “It’s the Life Virus,” Amelia breathed, taking a step back, hands shaking.

“What do we do?” Amber questioned, taking a few steps back too as her ears flattened.

Amelia’s eyes watched the virus stomp towards them before it stopped and lifted a hand towards the sky. The Navi’s eyes widened and she gasped, drawing the eyes of every pony to her.

“What is it, Amel-” Celestia was cut off as the woman suddenly spun, her hand shooting out to take the cloak from around Amber Leaf’s shoulders before she once again faced the railing and launched herself into the sky, purple aura flashing around her… as a flaming sphere of stone shot through the air towards them. Amelia’s eyes flashed red as she sped through the air, putting the cloak in front of her as she slammed into the meteor. The attack broke apart and the sound of glass shattering ripped through the air before the Navi was thrown back towards the four ponies.

The ponies were just fast enough to step out of the way of Amelia’s falling body, the young woman flying past them to slam into the ground of the throne room. Amber twinged and gasped in pain as the Navi cratered the floor, feeling plenty of bruises and scrapes forming on her back and shoulders before running forward to the girl’s side. The cloak lay over her before it shifted and Amelia threw the covering aside, showing off how some of her body seemed to be flaking off in squares as she gave a moan of pain.

“Amelia…?” The mare questioned, putting a hoof on the girl’s shoulder.

“I’m okay, Amber,” the NetNavi said as she sat up and got into a kneeling position. “Right now we have bigger fish to fry.” Amelia began to straighten up as the stomps of the Life Virus outside began once more. Amelia stepped back towards the balcony with Amber Leaf leaning against her for support. The Navi stared out over the city towards the approaching behemoth, her mind immediately racing to every detail of the situation. “...Sombra,” she said suddenly, shocking the monarch into staring at her. “Where are the citizens of the Crystal Empire?”

The unicorn stared at her for several moments, mouth gaping before he shook his head. “They’ve been locked away in the basements of their homes,” he answered. “He wanted to make sure they couldn’t get away….” He trailed off before looking towards the virus. “No matter what they would be getting away from….”

Amelia frowned at that, mind still racing. “...How powerful is Amore?” She asked, not taking her eyes off the beast as a building crumpled with its next step.

“She was impossibly powerful,” Celestia spoke up. “As powerful as a unicorn can get without ascending from the shear strength of magic alone.” The Navi glanced at her for a moment before looking back.

Slowly, she nodded. “I know what to do,” she said, suddenly turning and walking back inside, the ponies turning to stare at her with surprised looks.

“What art thee thinking, Miss Amelia?” Luna questioned, following her inside along with the others as the NetNavi turned to face them.

“I’m thinking we need to save everyone we can,” the woman answered, taking her cloak from the floor and sweeping it up onto her shoulders. “Sombra, what do you need to free Amore?”

“I’d need the Crystal Heart,” the king answered, bringing a hoof to his chin. “But it’s at the top of the palace, surrounded by all kinds of traps.”

“Then we need to get it,” Amelia said before looking at all of them. “Here’s the plan. I’m going out there to distract that thing. Celestia, I need you to go door to door and get the crystal ponies to safety. Luna, Sombra, Amber, you guys get the Crystal Heart and free Amore. When everyone is done, meet here and shoot a flare into the sky.”

“You plan to take that thing on by yourself?” Amber questioned incredulously. “There’s no way we could survive that.”

“You’re right, we couldn’t,” the young woman agreed, looking to her partner. “But I can. That’s why we’re going to unsync before I go out there.”

The mare blanched. “But you won’t be able to-”

“See behind me or react fast enough?” Amelia interrupted with a small smile. “I know. But luckily there’s only one of those things out there and I’m more than fast enough to dodge its attacks. Besides, the only good our sync would be while we’re apart would be to get you hurt, so it’s for the best that we separate while we finish our tasks.”

The crystal mare was quiet for a long moment before she nodded and let her features harden. “Alright,” she said before stomping a hoof forward. “But you had better come back to me in one piece, understand?”

Amelia stared at the mare for a moment before giving a grin and nodding. “Of course,” she answered before looking to the others. “You guys ready?” Each of them nodded before the girl nodded again and let her grin widen. “Then let’s get started.” Amber closed her eyes and the sync text in the bottom of the Navi’s vision dropped to zero percent just as the entire building shook. Amelia’s eyes shot to the balcony and narrowed before a magenta road with blue arrows racing away from her appeared in her path. The young woman ran forward, the GoingRoad battlechip launching her forward before she somersaulted over the Life Virus as it reared its arm back for another strike.

The NetNavi’s arm shot out of her cloak, her gauntlet and hand folding up and out to form the red base and gold barrels of the SuperVulcan before Amelia pulled the trigger and the barrels spun to life. The minigun roared to life as the shots raced out of the barrels and towards the Life Virus only to be stopped by a barrier that flashed with each impact. The beast stopped its assault and turned its head to watch the Navi fall onto a roof behind it and skid to a halt, the woman staring up at the evil yellow eyes. “Come and get me, big guy,” the Navi taunted before quickly jumping back and away from a slash of purple energy that slammed into the shingles she’d been standing on before. Amelia flipped back and landed on another rooftop only to have to leap into the air again as a beam of purple energy lanced out at her.

“Damn,” the girl muttered. “How fast is this-OOF!!!” The Navi was stopped as an enormous green hand suddenly appeared in front of her and backhanded her across the city to slam into the courtyard that the Life Virus had first appeared from. Amelia felt her body bounce across the ground multiple times before she rolled to a stop, her body aching as the yellow bar in her vision began to lower down ever more. The woman grit her teeth and groaned as she pushed herself back to her feet, lifting her eyes just in time for them to widen as the Life Virus blocked out the sun. The NetNavi quickly leapt back as the the virus came crashing down into the crystal bricks, cracking the gem road.

Amelia grit her teeth as she slid back, bits of road bouncing past her. “Okay, definitely not like the games,” she muttered as she used another Recover300, her health bar shooting back up as she felt the pain and fatigue drain away. “But then again, neither am I!” She threw her arms out and activated LongBlade on her right and MegaCannon, the red and gold accents of each weapon glinting alongside the burning in her eyes. The NetNavi let out a savage war cry as she rushed the Life Virus, the giant monster rearing its fist back to meet her.

Celestia blinked as the Navi sped past in a black and tan blur before her head jerked to the balcony, she and the others running to look over the edge in time to watch Amelia fire a volley of purple bullets that slammed into some sort of barrier surrounding the beast. The “Life Virus”, as both Amelia and Sombra called it, turned its eyes upon the one that dared attack it, the solar diarch and her companions wincing and jumping back from the balcony as it slashed the air with a claw, sending out a wave of dangerous energy.

The alicorn’s breath caught in her throat as she went over what she had just witnessed. Already, her body shook with the very inclination of such monsters. Her eyes stared at the balcony railing as the purple glow faded, her breathing coming back in panicked, uneven heaves. The mare actually winced as she felt a hoof touch down on her shoulder, her frightened eyes shooting to look at her sister as the lunar princess gave her a worried look.

“We must has't faith in young Amelia, sister,” Luna said gently, flashing a smile that she only ever allowed her sister to see. The alabaster diarch looked at her little sister for a moment before she gave a small smile.

“And so we shall,” the solar diarch answered, looking back out over the city as the Life Virus leaped further away from them towards the center of the city. Celestia turned her eyes back to the others, a fierce fire once more shining in them. “We must hurry if we are going to help Amelia. Sombra, how long will it take you to find the Crystal Heart?”

“It should take no time at all if everything goes smoothly,” he answered, stepping forward and straightening up a bit. “The traps are of my own design after all.”

“And how many... ‘safe houses’ are in the city?” The princess asked, letting the phrase “safe house” drip with venom.

“Thirty-seven,” the unicorn answered immediately. Celestia balked at this to which Sombra gave a sad chuckle. “We are called the Crystal Empire for a reason, princess. Our population could easily rival any of the other kingdoms, including your own.” The mare stared at him for several moments before she shook her head and strengthened her resolve once more.

“No matter,” she said, stepping to the edge of the balcony once and letting her wings unfurl. “It’s no small thing, but it can be done. Remember what Amelia said and be back here as quickly as possible.” With that, the solar alicorn leaped into the air and flew straight up, the party’s eyes following her.

“...There’s no possible way she can find and extract all of those ponies,” Amber breathed, jerking a bit as Luna gave an amused chuckle beside her.

“Lief Amber,” the dark blue mare started, staring up at the position where Celestia’s form had disappeared in the sky. “Thee wouldst be surprised. Whither we art stronger than our sister, she…” Luna trailed off just in time for the sky to explode in a ring of orange, pink, and purple like that of a sunrise before a trail of the same colors raced from the sky, a cone of gold magic leading it into the city below. “Is the faster.”

Amber and Sombra stared in awe at the spectacle, Luna giving another chuckle before turning around and trotting back into the castle with a wave of her wing. “Come, we has’t our own office to complete.” The two watched her go before looking at one another. A sudden flash of emotion came over Amber’s eyes, the mare dropping her gaze before following the alicorn inside.

“Amber-”

“Just!” The mare interrupted, rounding on the unicorn king with rage in her eyes. Sombra took a step back and raised his hoof to his chest defensively as he winced. The mare’s chest heaved for several moments before she let out another breath and dropped her gaze. “Just don’t, Sombra….”

The dark unicorn watched her as she turned and started to follow after the lunar diarch before he gave his own sad sigh and started to follow after her. “Whither art we going, Sombra?” Luna’s sudden question jerked the stallion’s attention back to reality. He looked up to see the alicorn staring at him, wings splayed out.

The unicorn shook his head again and put a hoof to the base of his horn before looking back up. “Apologies,” he muttered before stepping forward. “The path to the Heart begins right here.” The unicorn turned to face the statue of Amore, his horn sparking with toxic green and purple magic, a beam of the dark power shooting out to impact into an invisible object that fidgetted back into being, the throne and crystal atop it reappearing. Slowly, the gems turned black and shadows cast themselves over the room, Luna and Amber stepping back until they stood just behind the unicorn king, a hole opening up in the floor to reveal a staircase that spiraled down into darkness. Sombra finally let the magic fade from his horn, his head bowing as his breath heaved in his chest and sweat dripped down the side of his face.

“At the bottom is a door,” he gasped through heavy breaths. “You must strike the crystal above it with most positive magic you can produce, unlike these first two. If you use dark magic on the door, it will only show you what you fear most. Once inside you’ll find an endless staircase up. You’ll have to use a gravity inversion spell to slide to where the Crystal Heart is being held.”

“Why are you telling us all of this?” Amber asked, cutting him off as she stepped closer to him with a stern look.

“Because he thinks he can stall me long enough for the both of you to get the Heart.” Sombra’s eyes went wide and his body stiffened as Amber froze as well, she and Luna looking up to see a figure walking towards them as a portal closed behind him. It was humanoid like Amelia, but the similarities ended there. This being looked to be made completely of ice crystals, its body taking on a very rigid structure as crystals jutted from its shoulders, hands, lower legs and either side of its head. The only distinguishing markings on its body were on its head where two dark blue stripes ran back from just over its piercing blue gaze while a third rectangle rested on the center of its forehead. It wore black clothing lined in yellow-green on its upper torso, arms and lower legs, a symbol of a hollow white hexagon sitting on his chest on a raised badge much like Amelia’s own.

Amber took a step back as Luna drew out her twin blades once more. “Who-”

“Freezeman.” Sombra’s sudden growl made the mare jump a bit as the stallion turned around to face the approaching figure, purple vapor once more starting to filter from his eyes.

“Sombra,” the icy figure answered evenly as he came to a stop. “Master is quite disappointed in you.”

“Buck your master,” Sombra spat. “You put my people in danger and enslaved them. You brought war to our nation. All that said, I hope your master chokes on his disappointment.”

The NetNavi let the frown on his face grow for a moment before he cleared his throat. “Be that as it may,” he answered quietly. “You have outlasted your usefulness… and we cannot allow you to get in the way of our plans….” The temperature of the room began to drop as ice began to form on the ground, starting from Freezeman’s feet and crawling towards them.

Sombra lit his horn and started to rush forward only to be pushed aside as Luna galloped past him, her twin sabers levitating in her magic. “Thee go ahead,” the mare said, brandishing her weapons as silver wing blades flashed onto the leading edges of her feathered appendages. “We shalt hold him off.”

“But princess- EEP!” Amber Leaf yelped as she was suddenly yanked backward as a large icicle fell from seemingly nowhere to skewer the ground she’d been standing on moments before.

“Listen to her,” Sombra said, his horn glowing amber as he pulled the mare back. “Princess Luna can take care of this better than we can. We’ll just be in the way.” the crystal mare looked between the unicorn and the alicorn for several moments before she turned to the monarch and nodded.

“Let’s go,” she said, hurrying past him towards the stairs. “And we must hurry.” Sombra turned to run after her, glancing over his shoulder just in time to catch Luna’s own gaze before she looked back to her opponent and Sombra turned back to follow Amber Leaf.

Luna stayed where she was with her stance spread wide in defiance even as ice covered the floor under her hooves and the door leading the stairs sealed itself shut. “Now…” the mare growled, bringing her eyes up to stare at the ice Navi. “Have at thee, knave!” With that, the lunar diarch rushed Freezeman.

Celestia bashed through yet another door, skidding to a halt as she landed in the main room and unleashed another revealing spell. The golden aura spread out over the home until a flash of gold drew the mare’s eyes to an outline on the wall across from her. The alicorn stepped until she faced the hidden doorway, eyes glaring at the obstacle before her as her horn lit up in her golden aura. With a sharp yank, the door was ripped from its hinges and lock before Celestia threw it to the side with a flick of her head.

The princess strode forward cautiously, ducking her head as she came to the doorway and a set of stairs, her horn lit up in advance. This was the forty-second home she’d been in and only the eighteenth that had had a door like this, the mare not looking the worse for it even as she stepped further down into the darkness of the home's basement. The light of her horn shown into the blackness, illuminating the bottom of the steps as she approached them and stepped off onto the hard crystal floor. She flicked her head deeper into the dark, the cone of light revealing a group of ten or more ponies huddled against the back wall.

Each wore the unmistakable look of fear and panic as the sounds of conflict roared on dully above them, the work of Amelia and the Life Virus’ fight. Seeing their panic, Celestia cast another spell, two orbs of light appearing to either side of her as her own horn stopped shining. “All is well,” she spoke softly, stepping forward so she could be seen clearly, a gentle, motherly smile on her face. “I am not here to harm you.”

Some of the ponies gawked in surprise while a few others still flinched back. All except one older stallion who took a step forward with awe in his eyes. “Princess… Celestia?” The elder questioned, receiving a nod in return.

“That is I,” she said warmly, taking a few steps forward. “Come, there is not much time to get you to safety.”

“Safety?” One of the younger ponies spoke up, a mare with a mint green body. “What is safer than this?”

“These,” the alicorn began to reply, turning back to the steps. “Are nothing more than death traps designed by the true monster behind your suffering.” Another rumble shook the building and loosened dust from the ceiling to pour down on them. “Come, we don’t have much time.” No more arguments were made at this, the denizens of the Crystal Empire quickly following after the solar diarch of Equestria. Celestia came out of the stairwell first, quickly crossing the small room to look out the front door she had busted down. Outside, the Life Virus still stood, fighting against a purple blur that dashed to and fro in front of it avoiding all attempts of the behemoth to land a hit. Even with the titan so far away, it still made the princess uneasy as she stepped out onto the street, the crystal ponies following behind her.

“Quickly,” Celestia said urgently, waving the group along gently. “Make your way to the palace, it is safest ther-” The mare cut off and spun quickly, horn flaring once more as a golden barrier flashed in front of her, three balls of flame slamming into the magic shield. The alicorn’s eyes narrowed as she looked down the street to find bug-like creatures scuttling towards them. The beasts had bodies that seemed to be simplified versions of the Life Virus’ head, six short, insectoid legs jutting out from under them. The crowd of mechanical monsters continued to surge forward, showing off four different colors amongst their ranks; red, blue, yellow, and green.

“Oh, great Faust, what now?” The mare hissed as she straightened up to face the oncoming force. “Go,” she said sharply, glancing over her shoulder towards the group that stood frozen behind her as they jumped in surprise. “I shall hold them here.”

“But Princess-”

“No buts,” Celestia interrupted, turning to look back to the elder from before and flashing a confident smile. “This is no problem for me. Just get to safety while you can.” The stallion stood for a moment longer before nodding his head and turning to the others.

“You all heard the mare,” he said strongly, stomping his hoof for emphasis. “Get to the palace!” The old stallion’s words echoed to his fellow ponies, some of them giving nods before they turned and began running as quickly as they could towards the grand towers in the distance.

The princess gave a little sigh before looking towards her oncoming opponents. “Alright then,” she said, dropping the barrier and summoning her battleax and her own wing blades. “Let’s get started then!” The alabaster mare charged forward in a streak of white, pink, and gold, her ax held back and ready as her wings spread wide.

The mechanical insects stopped their advance and set their singular attention her, the ones in front rearing up and slamming their front legs into the ground, towers made up of fire, water, and wood shooting out of the ground and rushing towards her as the air crackled with electricity. Celestia’s eyes widened before she scowled, lowering her head as she started to twist around the hazardous pillars, stopping short as an enormous bolt of lightning slammed into the ground in front of her. The princess’ eyes widened in surprise as her horn flared, her form flashing out of sight before a second flash found her on the other side of the electrical hazard. The alicorn’s eyes hardened and she grit her teeth as she doubled her efforts to dodge the obstacles thrown at her, closing the distance between herself and the small mechanical insects as magic built up over her horn.

The machines on the front line lowered themselves to the ground as a line of the yellow monsters stepped forward, electrical sparks shooting from them before a volley of thunder balls shot towards the pink-maned alicorn. Celestia’s eyes narrowed once more and she angled herself upwards, soaring straight up into the air. A small smirk split her face as the charged attacks sailed past under her. The mare looked back with a confident gleam in her eye before the pride vanished from her features. The princess swerved hastily to the side, barely avoid one of the electrical attacks as the others followed not far behind it. Celestia let her eyes widen in surprise before a growing glow drew them back to the sky above where the missile that had passed her was once more barrelling towards her. Thinking quickly, the alicorn threw her head forward, a beam of magic shooting out to collide with the massive bullet, an explosion rocking the sky as the mare flew straight into the thrown up cloud of dust.

The solar diarch shot from the cloud, taking a moment to look behind her to confirm that the balls of lightning were still on her. She grit her teeth as the missiles blew apart the cloud and raced towards her. Celestia put her head back to the front and lowered it, horn piercing the sky as a golden cone spread over her, growing larger with her ascent. As the alicorn reached her apex, she closed her eyes and listened to the buzz of the electrical volleys… and stopped. The mare let out a soft breath as she felt her wings catch the wind from the wrong side, wrapping the appendages around her as gravity began to pull her down. Her ears flicked as the crackling of lightning grew closer and, with expert precision, weaved around the electric bullets. She felt the fur of her body stand on end as the bolts sailed passed her, tilting her head out of the way as the tingle of static tickled her neck and cheek.

The buzzing whizzed by and Celestia’s eyes flew open as she twisted in midair air, maneuvering until she was in a full dive. With a wave of her wings, she rocketed her way down towards her enemies, eyes glaring as a familiar mach cone formed, exploding and once again unleashing an explosion of color. The solar diarch raced towards the ground in a blur of motion, swerving as pillars of wood, water, and fire lanced up to meet her. The mare’s eyes narrowed as she reached the point of no return in her dive, watching as the red machines charged up fireballs... before she disappeared in a flash.The alabaster princess reappeared far above the force, watching as the thunder balls slammed into the mechanical army, explosions lighting up and destroying most of them.

With a cry of anger, the mare flapped her wings and halted her momentum, throwing her head down and unleashing all of the magic energy she’d been building. A huge beam of golden energy sailed down, splitting and branching off to slam into the groups of insectoids the thunder balls had failed to kill. Celestia flapped her wings to stay aloft, heavy breaths rattling her chest as she gasped for breath before a loud boom drew her eyes to the center of the city. The Life Virus let out another blast, a purple blur dodging out of the way just in time before returning fire, the small pellets of energy bouncing off the monster’s shield. The alicorn stared at the display for several moments before she took a deep breath, a single thought going through her head. “No small thing…” she muttered before rushing away in search of the next safe house as the battle raged on in the background.

“RAAAA!!!” Amelia roared as she dived out of the air, the hooked, purple energy sword emitting from the golden generator on her arm lashing out to clash against the invisible wall between herself and her adversary. The Life Virus looked back at the snarling NetNavi from the other side of its LifeAura. Sparks flew from the contact point before the blade was flung back, throwing the young woman’s arms wide as the aura faded out. Amelia’s eyes widened and she quickly twisted in the air as a much more sinister purple blade formed from the palm of the virus’ hand. The monster swept the LifeSword through the air towards the Navi, barely sweeping under her as she twisted.

Thinking quickly, Amelia’s buster formed out of her left arm, aiming it towards her opponent’s head before firing. The blast slammed into the newly reformed shield with no success as the recoil of the weapon launched the girl through the air, spinning and flipping until her boots hit the crystal road, sliding back from the force of her landing. The woman raised her eyes and grit her teeth as the red color faded back to green. “Damn it!” She growled as she dashed to the side, a ray of burning purple energy following just behind her for several seconds. The beast turned to follow her with its eyes before lunging forward, claw reared back. Amelia jumped into the air, the vicious hand slamming into the ground under her as she lifted her buster towards the red gem before unleashing her fury. The bullets once more hit the shield, bursting uselessly as the NetNavi landed on the roof of a building, quickly pushing off to sail over the head of the Life Virus. “Eat shit!” The Navi yelled, throwing her right arm back as the NeoVaribleSword collapsed back into her hand as a red sphere with an orange stripe around it formed in her grasp. With a cry of anger, she threw the ball towards the monster, a huge explosion rocking the air and ground as a fireball engulfed the beast.

The shockwave rocketed the woman over the courtyard until her feet slammed into another roof, the NetNavi leaning down to drive her fingers into the hard surface to slow her down. Amelia huffed for breath as she slowed to a stop, green eyes analyzing the smoke cloud the Life Virus had disappeared within. “...Oh, goddamnit,” the girl said, starting to straighten up as the dust blew away, revealing the Life Virus unscathed and unharmed. The Navi narrowed her eyes as she drew in breath, analyzing her opponent. “...So that’s how it’s going to be…” Amelia said lowly as she raised her fists once more and steeled her features. She closed her eyes again, taking a last breath before flaring them open once more, red light outshining her normally green irises.

Flames erupted over the young woman’s body as ports opened under her boots, launching her to the side as another LifeSword cut through the air where she’d been standing just a split second before. Amelia became little more than a fiery blur as her right arm once more formed the golden emitter from which a new NeoVariableSword shot out, racing over the top of the buildings as she circled her foe, the much larger virus struggling to follow her movements. The Navi closed the distance in no time, leaping from the roof towards the Life Virus with her sword reared back for the strike. She swung her blade with a dangerous battlecry, the blade sparking against the LifeAura as she trailed diagonally across the shield. She hit the ground just as red light began to flood the area, sweeping her sword off the shield… and spinning with the motion. With a roar, she threw herself back at the enormous machine, the blade dispersing and a new weapon unfolding in the form of a large yellow gauntlet and matching gray knuckles.

“GRRAAAA!!!” The NetNavi roared out as she slammed the BusterPunch into the LifeAura at a downward angle time and again, driving herself up and over the shield until she drove one last punch into the apex of the dome. The impact sent her sky high, the large fist coming back as it folded back into her gauntlet before a new weapon began to take form. First, the generator of her buster formed the center before five gun stocks formed on the sides in a star pattern, quickly filling with the ported barrels of the guns.

“Try this one on for size!” Amelia yelled angrily before the sound of five high-powered shotguns ripped through the air, the HyperBurst’s five rounds slamming into the shield simultaneously as the recoil sent the NetNavi flying back. The woman flipped through the air, her gleaming red eyes focused on the huge machine before her as it seemed to stumble slightly, even with the LifeAura still active. The Navi’s eyes narrowed as she completed her flip, putting her feet under her as she touched down on the ground. “So, I can get through to you…” she murmured as the Life Virus got its legs back under it, the red lens on the lower part of its body still glowing more and more as seconds went by.

The woman smirked. “So, the good old go-to strat,” she said, starting to raise her arms. “Hit it ‘til it die-” Amelia stopped as she realized the HyperBurst was still on her arm, weighing her limb down with its dead weight. As she stared, she noticed for the first time red text flashing over the corner of her vision reading, “ERR: Spreadr Overuse.” “...Ah, shit,” the woman said before red light shone on her face. Her eyes grew wide, the red draining away as she looked towards the Life Virus… and noticed something. It wasn’t looking at her. The NetNavi threw her eyes up to the virus’ face, locking on its eyes before following its gaze across the courtyard.

Amelia gasped as she saw a group of crystal ponies rushing from a home, some frozen in fear amongst the red light, Celestia planted in front of them as if to protect them from the sinister glow. The mare looked worse for wear, put the determined looked in her eyes as she called out unintelligibly to the ponies behind her told the woman that she wouldn’t move from her position, especially if fired upon. Amelia’s eyes widened even further as she realized this. “Celestia, run!” She yelled across the road, the princess glancing at her as the Navi began to run, her useless arm hanging to her side. The diarch’s eyes widened and her lips parted slightly as if to reply before a BOOM shot both their attention back to the monster they faced… and the red laser racing towards the alicorn and the citizens she was trying to protect. Time seemed to slow down to Amelia, only Celestia and the LifeCannon in her focus. In the fraction of a blink, the NetNavi sent out an emergency signal that was answered almost immediately. The SYNC meter in the corner of her vision skyrocketed as ports opened on the bottom of her boots once more, launching her across the courtyard.

Amelia appeared in a flash in front of Celestia, throwing her arms wide as her body seemed to turn into a gleaming metal. The red beam slammed into the frozen NetNavi, dispersing around her to slam harmlessly into walls, the road, and into the sky above. The blast last only a few more seconds before the red light began to filter out of the air, the sun princess lowering her leg from her eyes. The mare looked up at the NetNavi’s metallic form just as the gleaming layer started to retract back towards the center of her body. When the last of the metal ebbed away, the woman turned to look over her shoulder… and throw the alicorn a tired smile. “Everyone okay back there?” She questioned with a light air to her voice.

The alabaster pony stared up at the Navi before she gave a huff of nervous laughter, looking down and closing her eyes as a small smile of relief spread over her face. “Yes,” Celestia answered, looking back up. “Thank you, Amelia.”

“Don’t thank me yet, princess,” the young woman answered, looking forward once more, bringing her arms up to cross them. “That thing’s still not dead.”

The diarch frowned and looked past her protector towards the monstrosity before them. “No,” Celestia murmured, bringing her head back to look towards the NetNavi. “No it is not. ...What do you plan to do?”

Amelia was quiet for a long moment before she surprised the princess with a quiet chuckle. “What do I plan to do?” She parroted, glancing over her shoulder before looking back at her target. “I’m going to kill that big ugly bastard… and then we’re all going to leave this icy wasteland and never come back.”

Celestia stared up at the young warrior before she let a small smile crack her features. “That we will, Miss Amelia,” she replied, starting to turn to guide the crystal ponies to safety. “Just make sure you come home in one piece.’

“Of course,” the Navi answered, taking a step forward and letting her left arm fall to her side. “No way am I going to miss the afterparty.”

The alicorn gave one last chuckle at the woman’s small quip. “Stay safe, Amelia,” she said before she started to trot after her wards. Amelia stayed where she was, waiting until the mare’s hoofsteps were out of hearing range before she gave a small sigh and lifted up her right arm, wincing at how the surface of her forearm had been peeled away by the blast. The exposed squares of purple, pink, and white flashed and blinked in no particular pattern, the ring separating the rest of her arm from the wound allowing squares of black and purple that came from her own body to drift off into the air and disappear. The young woman grimaced and grit her teeth against the pain as she summoned the willpower to activate her last Recover300. She opened her eyes as the pain subsided, her health bar filling once more in her vision as her eyes fell on the newly reformed HyperBurst.

The girl closed her eyes and took a slow, deliberate breath. “You’re going to pay for that one,” she said quietly, looking up at the dangerous machine with red eyes. The Life Virus stared back at her, its arm held out to the side as purple energy began to build up in its palm once more. Amelia tsk’d, ducking down and sprinting forward as the LifeSword swung over her head, the NetNavi racing towards her foe.

Sombra and Amber strode down the seemingly endless staircase, the silence deafening as the dark unicorn’s amber magic lit the way. Amber followed behind him, eyes on the steps in front of her, not making a sound until a sudden gasp ripped itself out of her. Her hoof shot out even as the stallion turned towards her with a worried look, using his back to keep her upright as her pupils turned to pinpricks, breath hitching in her throat as sweat suddenly beaded up on her brow. A second later the hitched breathing turned to a sharp hiss of pain, the mare wincing as her leg tightened around Sombra.

“Amber…,” the monarch whispered quietly before turned, worry etched into his eyes. “Amber, what’s wrong?”

The pale blue mare squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth for several moments before she took a few steadying breaths. “...We need to hurry,” was the only thing she muttered as she removed her hoof from his back and continued down the dark stairwell. Sombra’s eyes followed after the mare for, his lips drawing into a thin line as he followed her in silence. And yet his concerned gaze still followed the mare in silence until he took notice of her new limp.

“Amber, stop,” Sombra barked, the accidentally sharp words making the smaller pony flinch unconsciously. Amber stayed completely still as the stallion marched around her and stopped in front of her. His hoof gently reached out to take up the mare’s right in his own and bring it up to upturn it. Amber looked away as the small burn that had appeared on the underside of her hoof, not wanting to see the unicorn’s face as his eyes widened. “Amber…,” he breathed quietly, looking up to the crystal pony’s face. “What happened?”

Amber squirmed a bit, taking her hoof back from him as she started to set it back down tenderly. “It’s… it’s from a sync with Amalia…,” she said quietly. “She needed a speed boost and she’s running out of battle chips….”

“So you fused consciousnesses with a beast of battle for a few extra seconds?” Sombra questioned, a frown forming on his face. “Do you realize how reckless that was?”

An angry look flashed over the violet-maned mare before she retorted with a short snarl. “As reckless as falling in love with you?” Amber’s jaws clamped shut the moment the words left her mouth, eyes widening as the stallion winced in pain and diverted his eyes in shame, lids closing without a single utterance from him. The crystal pony stared at Sombra for several moments before a stern look returned to her face. “Come on…” she said in a small voice. “We’re running out of time….”

She didn’t see the unicorn open his pain-filled eyes and wasn’t even sure if he had followed her until the amber light of his magic illuminated the way before her. They continued in silence from there on, only the clip-clop of their hooves echoing around the walls of the staircase. The seconds ticked by like hours until it seemed like an eternity had passed before they took the final step and stood before a large door with a large gemstone sitting at the top of the frame, the jewel looking much the same as the one that was embedded in the throne in the room above. “So…” the mare said softly, finally shattering the silence. “How do we open this one?”

She turned her gaze to the side as Sombra came to a stop next to her, the mare quickly glancing back to the gem at the sight of the unicorn’s bloodshot eyes. “The gem needs to be charged with positive magic…” the stallion answered quietly before lowering his gaze and closing his eyelids, a humorless huff of laughter escaping his lips. “I figured it would be best to make a lock whose key was something others would never think I have….”

Amber Leaf looked back to the tired-sounding unicorn, a sad frown forming on her face as she saw for a mere moment the tear that spilled from the stallion’s closed eye before he quickly wiped it away. He stomped his hoof back to the ground and opened his eyes with his gaze going back to the crystal at the top of the door. “None of that matters now, though,” he said quietly, the magic around his horn brightening before a beam shot from it and struck its target. The gem lit up in bright light, the door sliding open in response to reveal a winding staircase leading upwards. Sombra let the glow of his horn die before he started forward into the bright stairway, Amber following behind him silently.

The pair looked up the grand spiral, Amber’s ears falling back at the daunting obstacle. Her gaze quickly fell back down, though, as Sombra started to walk forward towards the steps. The mare let her head droop a bit at the usually stoic stallion’s bowed head before she started to follow behind him. The unicorn’s ear twitched as she fell into step behind, his head and eyes raising slightly. The crystal pony winced a little at the motion, but the apprehension soon faded as she noticed that his gaze wasn’t on her. “Sombra, I-”

“MOVE!” The mare froze up completely as the unicorn king suddenly rounded on her, mist once again pouring from his eyes as he tackled her against the wall. An explosion rocked the steps beneath them as a buzz filled the air alongside the shockwave, a cloud of dust throwing itself into the air as debris fell to the ground or tinked off the monarch’s armor. Sombra took a few breaths before he straightened his forelegs, pushing him off the wall and Amber Leaf, groaning slightly as he did. “How are alright?” He questioned breathlessly, worried eyes searching her for injuries.

The crystal mare stared at him with wide, scared eyes, quick breaths racking her body before she shook her head. “I’m okay,” she assured, getting her breathing back under control as Sombra nodded and backed away from her. Her eyes went behind the stallion as he drew his scythe once more, a large crater left behind in the stairs. “What is-”

“Amber, run!” Sombra interrupted again, pushing her up the stairs as his magic turned from amber to red. Amber laid her ears flat to her skull as she began to run up the stairs, eyes shifting up to follow the dark king’s gaze. She immediately regretted her decision as her pupils shrank to pinpricks, watching the swarm of mechanical monsters crawl down the walls. Insects, suits of armor with flaming swords, yellow shells with feet and pickaxes, all these and more descended the walls and stairs of the tower, each one locked on them. She froze in her next step as fear gripped her only for it to be shoved aside much like the push that prompted her forward. “Amber, MOVE!”

The mare ran up the stairs, only slowing down as two of the machines landed in front of her only to be blasted away by red beams of magic. Amber Leaf kept running, not looking back as the sounds of flying projectiles met her ears, wincing as those same missiles slammed into magical shields that were hastily thrown in front of her by Sombra. She yelped as the dark stallion suddenly surged up next to her, crystal scythe spinning through the air to clash with the stinger-like arm of one of the monsters, electrical sparks shooting off from the point of impact. “Keep going, Amber!” Sombra shouted, shoving the creatures arm back before dispatching it with a clean flick of his weapon. The mare rushed up the stairs at the cry, the king following quickly behind her as the chase continued on. They ran until they reached a pause in the infinite steps, a flat plane on which a spell circle had been inscribed. “Stop here,” Sombra gasped, racing in front of her in just enough time to keep her from running up the next flight of stairs.

Amber finally allowed herself a few moments to think, shaking her head and taking in her surroundings before her eyes narrowed on Sombra’s form. “We’re sitting ducks here,” she argued before she took notice of the unicorn’s heaving shoulders, the slack in the magic holding his scythe, and the burn marks pocketing his armor and cape.

“Not for long…” the king answered, backing up and forcing her back towards the center of the circle. “Just… have to wait…”

Amber Leaf stared at him for several moments before she looked about them at the approaching monsters. “Wait for wh-” The crystal mare cut herself off as three of the beasts slammed down around them two of the “sparkers” and one of the “helmets”. Sombra lowered his stance and twirled his scythe in a ready position as Amber widened her forelegs.

The mare could almost hear the triumphant smirk in the unicorn’s voice as he muttered, “Wait for them to make their move.” The helmet lunged forward, raising its pickaxe only to be swatted away by Sombra’s scythe, the blade cleaving a line straight through it before it seemed to split into cubes and disintegrate. Amber felt the fur of her flank and tail start to raise, kickstarting her to push up with her rear limbs, coming to balance on her front hooves before she spun in place. Her rear legs kicked out, slamming into the faces of the sparkers and launching them back though not destroying them as Sombra’s scythe seemed to do. No sooner had the combatants downed their opponents than more of the machines come down to take their place, this time the “knights” joining the fray.

“They just keep coming,” Amber muttered under her breath, rearing up on her rear hooves to slam her front hooves down into one of the sparkers, denting its round body before it crumbled into cubes.

“Just hold on a little while longer,” Sombra answered, swinging his scythe out to destroy three more of the creatures before twisting the weapon back up and slamming it back down, using the wide, squared end of the blade like an executioner’s axe to split a knight in two as it tried to sneak up behind him. “Just a little longer….”

Amber huffed at the answer before quickly ducking under the swing of one the knights, feeling the blade scrape against the armor on her back to the screech of metal on metal. She grit her teeth as she swept her rear legs out to one side and pushing them around her front hooves, lifting her right off the floor. Her left hoof slid and spun with her momentum, twisting her body to lift her rear hooves to slam them into the offending creature, denting the metallic plate covering its chest and simultaneously forcing it to disintegrate. The crystal mare swept her legs back to the floor, her armored shoes shooting up sparks from the floor as she got back into her stance only to widen her eyes and jump back as a ball of lightning sailed past her to slam into the ground. The pony lurched her eyes towards where the shot had come from, once more dancing back as the sparker swung at her twice, stepping with each swing to force her back further.

A cry of rage interrupted the assault as Sombra cleaved the machine in two, sliding around to take its place, scattering its remains as he faced the creatures with mist flowing from his eyes and a snarl on his face. Amber’s eyes widened as wave after wave rushed them only to be milled down by Sombra’s defensive assault. The dark unicorn’s magic grew darker and darker as the mist coming from his eyes grew in mass. Amber backed away a few paces, fear growing in her as she saw the same monster that had taken her home and self-control from her. The mare stepped back until she met the wall her wide eyes staring at the sinister monarch in front of her, her surroundings draining away until all she could see was the tyrant, red eyes filled with toxic green, purple mist pouring out of them as his magic darkened to blood red, his black crystalline scythe slashing through the air or cleaving away chunks in the ground. The crystal pony froze up as the monster of her worst nightmare came to life, eyes widening as the pony -no, the beast- turned towards her, its pupils shrinking to pinpricks as it looked at her. She couldn’t move as it lunged towards her, bringing its weapon back to strike. Amber slammed her eyes shut, waiting for the end to come before a loud “clang” met her ears. Slowly, Amber Leaf opened her eyes, letting out a gasp as sparks flew from the clash of Sombra’s dark crystal scythe and the metallic blade of one of the knights that had tried to sneak up behind her from above.

Sombra grit his teeth against the force, eyes glancing towards the light blue mare cowering under his blade. “How you alright, Amber?” He grunted out, the worried question echoing in the mare’s ears. The crystal pony flinched for a moment before she looked back and started to open her mouth to answer before a gleam behind the dark unicorn caught her attention.

“Watch out!” the armored mare shouted, leaping forward. The swish of a blade met the air followed by the sounds of a blade cleaving through flesh and a pain-filled cry.

Luna skidded back across the crystalline floor of the throne room, throwing up sparks from her armored shoes as she threw her crossed blades to the side after her block. She raised her glare to stare across the room where Freezeman stood, lowering his arm after the shot of ice he had fired at her. “You ponies never give up, do you?” The NetNavi questioned in a dull tone, looking at her with a bored look as the mare’s anger flared.

“No,” the lunar sister snorted, bringing her blades up. “And we shan’t start now!” Luna let out an angry battlecry before she raced forward with her blades sliding back to strike at the frozen humanoid in front of her. Freezeman only responded by deepening his frown. He aimed his palm towards the floor in front of him before he unleashed a beam of ice that formed a wall of ice between himself and the charging alicorn. Luna let out yet another yell as she swiped her blades in a horizontal vice, ripping the icy shield in front of her in two only to find that her opponent had already disappeared.

“All you ponies are the same.” The needle-like voice pierced the younger diarch’s senses as the Navi’s cold breath forced the fur on the back of her neck stand on end. “Always to slow.” A flash of light lit up the room and Luna appeared on the other side of the room facing Freezeman, eyes narrowing at the long icicle that pierced the ground where she’d been standing a moment before.

“Thou art no different from other villains yourself,” the darker alicorn growled as her wings flared out to bring her wing blades into play. “At each moment so sure!” The mare lunged forward, forcing herself faster than before. Freezeman was slowed by his kneeling position as he got up to intercept the charging mare, forming a sword-like icicle in his hand as he did so. Luna’s pupils were pinpricks as she swung her first blade forward, clanging it against the icy blade before bringing her other saber into play, swinging it toward her opponent’s head. The ice Navi reacted quickly, a large clump of ice forming over the side of his head before the slim blade could collide with it, the sword ringing harmlessly off the Ice Shield. The humanoid drew back his unoccupied arm, frost and ice building up over his fist until sharp spikes protruded from his knuckles.

“So predictable,” the Navi muttered, swinging his armored fist towards the alicorn’s head. Luna’s only response was to bring her sword back from Freezeman’s head and slammed it into his blade alongside her other saber, knocking her adversary’s sword away as she stepped with her momentum and swinging her wing up as metal sheets fell from the of the wing blade. The icy knuckle duster slammed into the quickly assembled shield, forcing Luna to once again dig trenches into the ground with her sparking horseshoes.

The lunar diarch grit her teeth as she threw her wing to the side causing the metal sheets to slide back up into her wing blade. She raised her head, glaring at her opponent as he straightened up once more. “...Perhaps not,” Freezeman muttered, letting his sword and knuckles start to deteriorate and flake away. “You may prove to be a dangerous opponent yet.”

The diarch could only clench her teeth at that. “And thou has't proven to beest quite annoying,” Luna growled. “Now... husht and square!” The dark mare launched herself across the the room with a loud boom, eyes beginning to glow white. The ice Navi’s eyes widened at the sudden burst, jumping back while still allowing the toe of his boot scrape across the ground. Towers of ice formed where his boot touched, but the obstacles did little to deter the enraged princess as her blades, both sabers and wingblades, became a whirlwind of destruction that tore through the crystals like paper and forcing the NetNavi to continue his retreat. Eventually, Freezeman hit a wall, literally, forcing him to through his his legs up and over his head, planting his feet on the wall as he straightened to stand horizontally on the surface. He only barely had enough time to reform a pair of ice swords as Princess Luna met him, her quartet of weapons slamming into his twin blades, the clash forming a sort of twelve point star.

The alicorn grit teeth before she reared back one of her sabers and slashed forward again, the humanoid quickly moving one of his blades to intercept her attack. The mare slashed with one of her wingblades, Freezeman once more meeting the assault with his own blade. The mare took advantage of the opening, stepping forward and attacking with her remaining weapons only to be met by the same resistance as before as the NetNavi moved much more quickly to catch her attack. The light coming the younger sister’s eyes increased alongside her snarl as she took another step forward, pushing her onslaught as Freezeman was forced backward up the wall. The surface on which his boot touched down froze and held him, allowing him to continue backing up even as Luna pressed against his defense. A flash of magic mimicked the flash of the mare’s swords and activated the gravity spell that pulled her hooves to the wall, allowing the alicorn to follow her adversary as he tried to escape her relentless attack. The six weapons soon became little more than blurs as their users became whirlwinds that drove up the wall until the two met with a final crash, sending both of them sliding to opposite sides of the ceiling they had battled onto.

“Tch,” Freezeman growled as his blades shattered and he came to a stop. “Enough of this nonsense!” He threw his hand out, fingers splayed out. Luna’s eyes opened wide as she felt the foundation beneath begin to bulge. Too late she felt herself falling with the Icicle Fall as it plummeted to the floor below. The mare kicked back from the structure, canceling her spell to push herself away and flip to put her hooves back underneath her. She spread her wings to slow her descent only to feel all the air rush from her lungs as she shot into the wall behind her.

Luna slumped to the floor as the frozen NetNavi landed cleanly on his feet after delivering the devastating kick to her barrel. “Give in,” Freezeman ordered, putting one hand to his waist as the mare struggled to her hooves. “No mere pony can stand up to the power of a NetNavi. Even that fool, Sombra, could see that.”

The NetNavi stared down at his alicorn adversary, one eye widening a bit as if he had quirked an eyebrow as the pony straightened her legs and locked them into place. “I-if 't be true a pony cannot beat th-thee,” Luna answered in a trembling voice, her legs matching it until they suddenly stilled. “Then a mere pony a wilt not beest!” There was a flash of light and Freezeman found himself rocketed across the room as the alicorn bucked him in the back. The frozen program squeezed his eyes shut for a moment at the blow before they shot open. The Navi thrust his arm forward, an icy blast launching forth to form an ice pillar that he grabbed onto and started to spin around to bring himself back around to face the lunar princess… only to meet another hoof. The appendage slammed into his face and he felt himself shoot back once more except that this time the assault did not stop as another flash lit up the room, another kick bucking Freezeman up to the ceiling. A flash and Luna slammed him back to the ground before teleporting again and kicking him towards the far wall then kicked him into the floor with a last flash, catching him as his hardened body bounced back up from his impact and once more bucking with both her rear hooves. The NetNavi carved a path in the ground before slamming into the wall, leaving a large indentation with his body.

“Impressed yet?” Freezeman grit his teeth as he looked up towards the guardian of the moon, but stopped as he noticed a subtle change in her posture and speech patterns. She stood across from him, head held high as she looked down her nose at him, her rear hooves spread out dominantly while she had of front legs crossed one in front of the other.

“H-how…?” Was all the downed program could growl out as he put a hand to the wall behind him and started to get back to his feet, albeit shakily.

He was only further confused as the mare before him let loose a sinister laugh, the light flashing off what he thought was sharpened fangs as she threw her head back. “How!?” She scoffed, lowering her gaze back down to him. “With the only thing you understand….” The dark blue mare began to walk towards one of the many pillars of ice that littered the room. She looked towards the icy NetNavi before rearing back a hoof and slamming it into the protrusion, shattering most of it before seizing what remained in her magic and yanking it out. “Power!”

Freezeman’s eyes widened as the mare turned her gaze back to him, her dark blue eyes replaced by teal orbs that swam in an ocean of power, the slit pupil cutting into him. “Welcome!” The alicorn declared, the ice shard glowing with power in her magic before the glow faded to reveal a deadly looking scythe with a silver crescent blade. “To my nightmare!” The Navi only stared in horror as the creature before him lunged at him with its weapon drawn back.

At the top of the Crystal Palace, the Crystal Heart floated lazily in the air. Its soft glow filled the small space to give off a sort of warmth despite the screams, yells, and sounds of conflict that raged around it, particularly those coming from the opening that led to the staircase. Two shapes suddenly rushed from the entryway, the larger and darker of the two sliding to a stop quickly. “Stay back, Amber!” Sombra shouted, turning to face the stairs they’d escaped from as bolts of electricity, fire, and ice flew out of it. The unicorn king aimed his magic through blood choked eyes, his mangled horn sparking with the unstable magic that formed there. Clenching his eyes closed, the stallion shot forth a bolt of dark magic that slammed into the ground just in front of the steps. A group of black crystals exploded into life as the spell detonated violently, covering the entrance. The dark pony huffed and puffed with the effort before one of his front legs gave out, forcing him to sink to the ground with a hard thud.

“Sombra!” Amber cried, rushing to the unicorn’s side and helping him to stand once more as she checked on the bleeding stump that had once been his horn. “Are you okay?”

The dark monarch continued to breathe heavily as he looked up into her eyes with his head bowed. “I’ve… been better,” he muttered between breaths. “I’m more worried about you….”

The pale blue mare let out a small sigh and slightly readjusted so as to help hold the stallion’s bodyweight more efficiently. “I’m fine,” she answered quietly. “But we need to get you down from here.” A loud boom rocked their foundation, drawing their gazes to the sealed entrance.

“Well,” Sombra grunted as he started to stand up under his own power once more. “We can’t go back down that way. And besides, we still need the Heart.” With that he turned, Amber’s gaze following him before she gasped at the sight of the bright, heart-shaped crystal that floated at the center of the tower.

“It’s… it’s really here…” she murmured, starting to step towards the artifact. She started to lift her hoof once more before she felt a light weight touch down on her hindquarters.

“Wait a moment….” The mare turned her eyes back at the stallion’s soft words before he removed his hoof before stepping up next to her. “We can’t simply take the Crystal Heart.”

“And why not?” The mare scoffed, the stallion throwing a slightly amused look in her direction.

“When have I ever made anything ‘simple’, Leafie?” The king questioned before he gestured towards the light blue circle.

‘Leafie’ looked at the circle, taking note of the six-pointed star pattern etched into it before she gave a soft sigh. “So, what is it this time?” The crystal pony questioned heatedly. “Open to a pit of lava? Shackles that pin you to the floor? Oh! What about a spell that shoots us into the STRATOSPHERE!?”

“It wraps the trespassers in dark crystal, slowly crushing and suffocating them.” Amber stopped at the stallion’s somber tone. Looking back at him, the mare found his head bowed in shame. “...It was never supposed to be like this…. I didn’t want this. I was angry and I wanted to see change in our empire but… I didn’t want this….”

Amber stared at the deflated unicorn for a moment before she opened her mouth to speak only to be interrupted by an explosion that drew their attention to the city outside. Both ponies walked to the edge of the chamber, looking out over the buildings of the Crystal Empire. Outside, the Life Virus could be seen at the center of the city, firing off purple beam and cleaving the air with a blade of the same energy. A dark-colored blur could be seen dodging the attacks before weaving in close and forcing the barrier around the monstrosity to flash, darting away before the virus could strike back. As they watched, the Life Virus unleashed another blast of purple energy, the blur dancing to the side of the attack and traveling along its side. This time though, the abomination caught on and brought its arm over its body to swat its opponent away to crash into a building across the plaza.

Even without being synced with Amelia, Amber winced at the blow the NetNavi took. She turned her gaze back to the battle in time to see the speck of her partner launch into the air, purple light pouring out around her before a huge blast rocketed from her and slammed into her opponent, throwing up a cloud of dust and smoke. The pair of ponies found themselves holding their breaths as the smoke started to clear only to for their eyes to widen and pupils to shrink as another beam of light launched from the cloud, dispersing it with the recoil and revealing the Life Virus, still completely unharmed. The NetNavi was forced to dodge out of the way and the two combatants took up their relentless back and forth once more.

Amber Leaf stared at the display before she took in a sharp breath and looked to Sombra. “We have to hurry.”

“Agreed,” Sombra answered gruffly, turning sharply and returning to stand at the edge of the trap holding the Crystal Heart.

The crystal mare came to stand next to him, staring at the magical crystal while Sombra inspected his malicious creation. “How are we supposed to get the Heart?” She questioned, throwing a worried look towards her companion before he finally looked up with a heavy sigh.

“Under normal circumstances, the puzzle is an easy one,” the dark stallion replied, glancing at her briefly before looking to the Crystal Heart. “A unicorn would have to be the one to take the Heart with their horn. Otherwise, I could just disable the trap. But as things stand now….” The unicorn trailed off, eyes falling as a hoof unconsciously traveled up to the stump of his once proud horn. He closed his eyes and took a deep heavy breath as he placed his hoof back on the floor before he opened his eyes with a hard look deep within them.

“Nothing is ever simple….” Amber heard him mutter before he squared his shoulders and looked at her. “Go to the other side of the circle,” he ordered simply, starting to widen and strengthen his stance.

“Wha-”

“No questions,” Sombra cut her off softly, glancing back at her again while flashing a small smile. The mare hesitated a moment before she nodded her head, turning and running around the circle until she was just opposite him.

“Here?” She questioned, receiving a nod of confirmation from the stallion. “Alright… now, what are we going to-” Amber never had a chance to finish her question before Sombra suddenly charged forward. The large stallion ran forward unfettered before he twisted his forehooves and planted them, spinning as he lifted his hindquarters and bucked the Crystal Heart with everything he had. The artifact launched from its free-floating space, hitting Amber’s chest before she had a chance to process what was happening. She wrapped her legs around the Heart, sliding on her rear hooves to stop her momentum before she had to plant one of her other hooves to keep herself upright. “Are you insane!?” She shouted, looking up with an angry look in her eyes only to stop at what she saw.

Black, savage crystals wrapped around the monarch’s body, growing even as the crystal pony watched, Sombra’s eyes screwed up in pain as he was swallowed by his own trap. SLowly he lifted his head and opened his eyes to look at her. “Go, Amber,” he said in a strained voice, the plea not lost in his gaze. “Hurry. The others need you.”

The pale mare felt her throat start to constrict as she watched the dark structures crawl over his body towards his face. “But… but what about you?” She asked in a choked voice.

A humorless breath of laughter escaped the unicorn’s lips as he stretched his neck to give himself a few more seconds. “This is what I deserve, Amber,” he answered quietly. “For the pain I caused… the sins I committed…. This is a fitting end to a tyrant like me. Now please, save our people. And, even as hollow as it is now… as much as you hate me, remember… I always loved you.” The stallion said the final words with a hard conviction before the crystals overtook the edges of his lips, straining them shut and sealing Sombra’s tomb.

Amber quivered at the twisted statue that the stallion had become, eyes watering dangerously before she raised a leg and covered her eyes. “Y-you stupid fool…,” she muttered half-heartedly before she planted her hoof back on the floor and swallow her sorrow. The steadfast mare marched back to the edge of the platform, watching Amelia and the Life Virus fight for dominance once more. She glanced down over the edge, spotting the balcony to the throne room far below her. She glanced over her shoulder towards the stairway that had been sealed by Sombra’s last sporadic magic burst. Knowing the way was useless to her, she turned back, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She opened her gaze and stepped to the edge, half of her forehoof over the edge as she clutched the Crystal Heart closer to her chest… before she leaned forward and fell from the top of the Crystal Palace’s tower. Rather than thrashing about, her mind calmed as she looked eyes with the balcony that was rushing up to meet her. Her unoccupied hoof came up to meet the PET that Amelia had given her, the mare feeling the link between herself and her partner opening up once more. The second ticked by, Amber closing her eyes and letting out the breath that she’d been holding as the terrace raced closer to her, ready to crush and mangle her body and to snuff out her life.

Weight slammed into Amber’s side, wrapping around her as she felt her body and the presence twist and turn in the air until the sound of metallic boots scraping against crystal. Their momentum slowed to a stop, the mare opening her eyes to look up into Amelia’s own worried, green orbs. “What were you thinking!?” The woman questioned hysterically, putting Amber down before starting to check her for injuries while keeping her still transformed arm out of the way.

The mare gave a soft grin. “I knew you'd catch me,” she replied, receiving a small sigh from the NetNavi.

“Still you shouldn't put yourself at risk,” Amelia chastised. “I'm the team blowhard. Speaking of… where's Sombra?”

Amber’s smile faded and she let her eyes drop to the floor. “Sombra… he…,” she began, her eyes brimming as her voice threatened to leave her. “He sacrificed himself to get the Heart.”

The Navi paused at this for a long moment before her eyes turned to the floor. “...Good riddance,” she finally muttered, barely loud enough for Amber Leaf to hear words. The mare winced slightly at the words before Amelia straightened up to her feet, finally taking a look around the room they had landed in. The crystal pony didn’t look up until a surprised whistle issued forth from the NetNavi, drawing her attention to their surroundings. Her eyes widened and let out an involuntary gasp at the destruction around her.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were all covered in ice, the only sign of the crystal architecture being the slashes, craters, and burn marks that littered the area. Spikes of ice pierced the floor, some still in one piece while others had crumbled to various degrees. “What… what the hell happened in here…?” Amelia questioned, her eyes wide.

“Maybe… maybe it was that other NetNavi,” Amber muttered, gaze traveling over the scene. The dark-suited woman stopped cold at that, turning her eyes on her partner slowly.

“Other… Net… Navi…?” Amelia questioned, her voice low and… frightened, drawing the mare’s gaze up to her.

Amber actually flinched at the look she received from the Navi. “H-he showed up after Celestia took off,” she said quietly. “S-...Sombra called him… Freezeman. Luna stayed behind to give me and- us a chance to get to the Heart.”

Amelia’s eyes grew worried at that and she looked up to their surroundings again. “If Freezeman was here…,” she said quietly, eyes scanning the room. “Then… where’s Luna?” The pale blue pony’s eyes widened at that before she too started to search the room with her eyes.

“Split up,” the crystal mare said worriedly, her partner moving immediately to do just that.

“No needeth for drastic measures.” Pony and Navi stopped short and turned towards a pile of rubble that had once been the grand throne. Luna stood just in the line of sight, her armor dented in a few places while the mare herself looked like she’d seen better days. Her eyes were tired and bloodshot while a cut across her cheek still oozed blood. “We are quite alright.”

Amelia let out a sigh of relief, her body relaxing. “Good to hear…” she said quietly before looking up to the princess as she approached them. “But what happened to Freezeman? I can’t imagine he went down easily.”

“No, he didst not,” Luna replied as she limped to a halt in front of them. “Ere I could beat him, a portal opened up and tooketh him hence.”

“That's… troubling,” the cloaked Navi muttered, receiving a nod from her partner before she shrugged. “But if he's gone he's gone and there's not much we can do about that.” A loud boom rumbled the building, forcing the trio to stumble for their balance.

“Speaking of not much we can do,” Amber groaned before they ran to the balcony to find the Life Virus thundering towards them. As they watched, the beast looked up to turn its gaze on them, the yellow lights flashing.

“Greeeat,” Amelia breathed as she watched it approach. “The bitch came back.”

The Navi’s partner threw her a disapproving look at the woman’s language before shaking her head and giving a sigh before she looked back up at the beast bent on tearing them apart. “We need to hurry,” she said simply, earning a nod from the others.

“Agreed,” Amelia said before looking to the sky. “But I do believe we’re down a party member. Anybody seen Ce-”

A bright flash interrupted the woman, the golden armored alicorn appearing next to her. “I believe you called,” Celestia greeted mischievously, flashing them each a small grin.

“I was working on it,” the dark Navi answered, rubbing her eyes for a second before she gave a little chuckle. “How are the civilians?”

“Safe and sound under the palace,” the solar princess answered before she glanced around them, eyes narrowing. “And where is Sombra? I don’t suppose the cur had the decency to stay and-”

“Sombra’s gone.” Amber Leaf’s sharp words stopped the taller mare dead, each of her companions throwing the usually quiet mare a stunned look. The mare kept her head bowed as they looked at her, suddenly spinning in place and walking back into the throne room. Amelia seemed to be the only one that noticed the water droplets that hit the ground as the mare left.

“...Let’s get to work,” the Navi muttered softly, turning and following her NetOp. The sisters watched her go before they shared a look, the younger giving a shrug after a moment before they, too, made their way inside.

Amber had come to a stop in front of the statue of Amore, Crystal Heart in hoof. Amelia and the diarchs stopped next to her, their eyes falling on the dark crystal mare before them. “Any idea on how to do this?” Amelia questioned, throwing a raised eyebrow to each of her compatriots.

“I may have an idea,” Celestia answered, stepping forward a bit before looking towards Amber Leaf. “May I?” She asked, nodding towards the Crystal Heart. The mare’s only response was a little nod, extending the Heart out to the princess. Celestia’s golden aura lit up around the artifact and pulled it closer to her. “Sister, would you please help me?”

The darker alicorn gave a small nod. “Of course, sister,” Luna answered, stepping forward to stand next to her fellow princess. They shared a look and the Heart floated between them, Luna’s darker blue aura joining her sister’s. Each of the alicorn’s looked towards the statued Amore, the magical aura around their horns growing brighter as their eyes began to shine with pure light. The sisters’ horns flashed with energy before saddlebags appeared over their backs. The tops of the bags opened up and six jewels of differing colors came out to float alongside the Crystal Heart. Slowly, the gems began to glow with their own internal light, circling around the much bigger crystal. Slowly, both princesses began to ascend into the air, the artifacts in front of them glowing brighter and brighter until a rainbow of power surged forth from the alicorns. The magic ray focused through the Crystal Heart, the jewel glowing bright enough for Amber and Amelia to cover their eyes as they watched.

The NetNavi lowered her hand as the lights faded, eyes going wide at she saw before her. The statue had been transformed into a tall and strikingly beautiful mare, her coat a pink color that was so pale it almost looked white while her mane was contrasted by a hot pink that morphed into a soft blue near the ends. She stood taller than the younger of the royal sisters, yet still, Celestia stood a few inches taller than she did and when she opened her brilliant amber eyes, Amelia knew why her companions held this unicorn in such high respects.

“Lu? Celly!?” The pink princess questioned, her eyes brightening as a smile alit her features. The sisters smiled in kind despite their tired expressions before the three ran forward and embraced one another. “Oh, it is so good to see you both again.”

“It is valorous to see thee as well, Amy,” Luna answered, issuing a slight giggle from the taller unicorn.

“Still keeping up with old traditions I see,” ‘Amy’ observed in good humor before she looked up and spotted Amber Leaf and Amelia behind them. She let go of the hug she and the diarchs had been holding, the alicorns moving out of the way to give their friend room. “Amber…?” She said softly, making her way forward almost tentatively. The much smaller mare seemed to hesitate a moment before tears lit up in her eyes.

“Princess!” She exclaimed in a soft voice, jumping forward and wrapping her hooves around the pink unicorn, her body shaking with her sobs. “I-I thought-” she stopped as her tears choked out her voice.

“Shhh…,” Amore hushed gently, rubbing a hoof over the shorter mare’s back. “It’s alright, dearest Amber. I am alright. Despite Sombra’s afflictions, he was never truly a murderer. He wove his spell well even under the stresses of his mental captivity.” The unicorn pulled the crystal pony closer to her as if to reassure her of this fact before her eyes wandered about the room again. “And… where is my student?”

Amber sniffed and drew back from the princess, rubbing a foreleg over her eyes. “Sombra sacrificed himself,” she said, lowering her hoof to reveal her red and puffy eyes. “He sprung his own trap so that we could retrieve the Crystal Heart.”

A small ‘tch,’ drew the pair’s attention to the dark NetNavi standing by, Amelia’s arms crossed as she looked out towards the balcony. “Forgive my shortcomings,” Amore said, raising up to her full height. “Who are you, warrior and… what is it that you hold against my student?”

“Name’s Amelia,” the Navi answered, turning and giving a short head bow to the monarch. “And as for Sombra, he was a lying, manipulative sadist that put himself before his people. So, mind control or not, he got what he deserved.” Amelia stood steadfast even as her partner visibly winced at her words and the princess narrowed her eyes at her.

After a moment, Amore closed her eyes and let out a short, tired sigh before looking back up at the cloaked woman. “While I do not like hearing your judgments,” she began, stepping forward a bit and drawing Amelia’s full attention to her. “I cannot blame you for them, especially knowing that you did not know Sombra as I did. However-” The unicorn was cut off as a series of explosions rocked the building, a titanic roar following the shockwaves. “What on Equis was that!?” Princess Amore questioned, eyes widening.

“That,” Amelia answered, straightening up after having rushed to Amber’s side to support her. “Was the reason we woke you up so quickly.” Amore didn’t seem to completely register the remark as she started to step towards the terrace. She froze as she got her first look at the Life Virus in all its monstrous glory as it picked itself up out of three craters.

“What is that beast?” The princess asked in a breathless tone, her body frozen to the spot.

“The Life Virus,” the Navi answered as she stopped beside the unicorn. “And plans to wipe us, the palace, and all the civilians in its walls out in our entirety… and it will unless we do something quick.”

“What did you have in mind?” Amore queried, turning to face the woman with a steadied look on her face.

Amelia threw a little grin. “We’re going to hit it,” she said simply. “Really fucking hard.” Amore stared after her with wide eyes as the NetNavi turned and made her way inside before soon following after until Amelia came to a stop in the middle of the room, hands on her waist. “Here’s the plan. The Life Virus has a shield around it called the Life Aura. It is a force field that is completely and utterly invulnerable.”

“Then how doth we get past it?” Luna questioned, walking forwards with the others to form a sort of circle.

“Simple,” the Navi answered with a shrug. “While the shield is invulnerable, it is not infinite. Whenever the shield takes a big enough hit, it’s forced into reset, however, it only lasts milliseconds before it comes back online.” The mares’ eyes widened at the revelation.

“Not even I could move fast enough to get through that,” Celestia breathed, looking to each of them in turn. “And teleporting inside a barrier like that would most certainly be suicide.”

“You’re right,” Amelia confirmed. “In order to take this thing down, someone would have to get inside the shield within the time frame and hit with enough power to kill it in one shot.”

“Just one?” Amore said in disbelief. “Even if something were fast enough to get through to it, nothing in the world would be able to put it down.”

“But I can.” All eyes turned to the dark Navi as she stared back with a hardened gaze. “On my own, I can't get through the Life Aura, but, if you guys hit it with everything you've got, I can slip in.”

Amber Leaf gawked at her partner before shaking her head. “Amelia, I know you're fast but-”

“I can't do it alone,” the young woman interrupted, throwing a soft smile to her NetOp. “If we’re going to do this… we have to use full synchro.” The crystal pony’s eyes widened at that before she hardened her gaze and nodded.

“Let’s do it,” Amber said resolutely, taking a step forward before her eyes went to her princess as Amore gave a little chuckle.

“My, you have grown up, haven’t you?” The unicorn said with a small smile before she trotted over and wrapped the smaller mare in a quick hug. “My little Amber Leaf.”

Amber Leaf returned the hug with the first beaming smile Amelia had seen her with since they’d met, a slow smile spreading across her own face. “Thank you, princess,” the crystal pony replied, hugging Amore a little more tight for a moment and letting go before turning back to her partner with a confident smirk. “Let’s do this.”

Amelia nodded and turned towards the balcony. “You heard the mare,” she said with an enormous grin. “Let’s rock. Amber, kick it!” Amber Leaf reached up to the PET hanging from her neck, slipping it over her head and opening it up. The NetNavi closed her eyes and felt Amber’s mind reach out to her’s, letting their consciousnesses meld and mold together. The dividing line between Navi and Op grew slimmer and slimmer until there was nothing left. Green and blue eyes flared open, the NetPartners throwing a pair of grins up.

“We’re gonna knock!” Amelia and Amber announced, the Navi running forward towards the balcony. “Keep tight until it locks onto me/Amelia, then break off and hit it with all you've got!”

Amelia didn't wait for an answer as she planted her boot on the railing and launched herself up and over the Life Virus, its glowing eyes raising up to follow her. The NetNavi threw her arm out to her side, her gauntlet folding out into their buster form before she aimed and fired. Bolts of purple slammed into the Life Aura and detonated, throwing up clouds of smoke before the Navi slammed into the ground. The crystal cracked under her boots, buster smoking as she looked up to see the virus turning towards her.

“Now or never, guys!” Amelia shouted, jumping back just as a huge fist slammed into where she’d been standing before. As she touched down on the top of a building in front of the Life Virus, the three princesses began to fly up behind the monster, Amore using her magic to levitate as all their horns lit up. Three beams of magic flew forward, hot pink, gold, and cobalt blue slamming into the enormous shield. In less than the time it took to blink, Amelia flashed forward. The green-eyed Navi let out a breath that fogged up on the shield before a flicker flashed. In the next of the program’s moments, the Life Aura was gone and in the next she was inside the forcefield. Amelia felt the aura scrape against the bottom of her boot… and then everything was gone for Amber. The mare’s eyes flared open as she held onto the PET, a big red 0% flashing on the screen. She looked up as quickly as she could, a message playing out of the device.

“I’m sorry, Amber Leaf,” Amelia’s voice spoke, as much in her mind as in her ears. “I couldn’t tell you the last part of the plan. The Life Aura is going to trap me in here when the virus explodes and… I’m not going to let you die with me. There’s no network in your world, nowhere for my data to reform once I’m gone. This was the only way this was going to happen and… I want you to know that the time I got to spend with you has been the best in my life. And… before I go… there’s still a heartbeat at the top of the tower.”

Amber’s eyes went wide as the PET went dark. A roar of anger and pain shook the world and Amber jerked her gaze up to watch as Amelia, eyes glowing bright red as a black and purple aura poured out around her. Amelia activated every last available battlechip she had left and extended her leg, her boot transform into a weight-like shape before it slammed into the Life Virus’ chest. Cracks scattered over the abomination’s entire form before it shattered. Brilliant light filled the city and an explosion rocked the very foundations of the empire. When the light faded, the princesses and Amber Leaf looked to the area to find… nothing. Amber’s body shook for several moments before she collapsed to the ground, head bowed as tears poured out of her eyes, some of them splattering onto PET that sat on the ground with a static-filled screen….

Author's Note

The beast is gone and the hero vanquished. The ponies return to their existing, events unfolding as they would. The questions left to linger may never find an answer but... that is the way of displaced, isn't it?

Annnnd ROLL CREDITS! When the Bass Drops draws to it's end, which... I'm kinda sad to see go.... The sad truth is, I don't have time to keep so many stories going so... I've decided to let this one go and focus on Equestrian Psycho as much as I can. Someday, I might try rewriting this story, but until then... this is the end. Thank you guys so much for enjoying this story. So, without further ado... I'll see you guys in the next one....

Chapter 7- Evacuate The Dancefloor

Chapter 7-

Evacuate The Dancefloor

The hustle and bustle of the city whirled around the young mare as she stood on a street corner, waiting for the light across from her to go from the motionless orange pony to the white image of the same pony walking. Ponyless carriages, dubbed carrs by their inventor, drove by, their drivers not bothering to take the time to look her way as the moved along their way to work or the store or home or a million other places their intentions might take them.

That was just how it was in New Canterlot and the mare wouldn’t have it any other way. She let out a little smile, itching at the border of her red-haired wig and low-dollar shades. There was nothing she could do about her aquamarine-gray fur or opal eyes, but very few ponies would notice her in the simple black blouse and sheer skirt she wore and even if they did, they wouldn’t recognize her without one of her gaudy outfits or long pink and purple ponytail.

The mare gave a little smirk. No, they really wouldn’t, would they? Coloratura asked herself. She glanced up at the light just as it changed, taking her turn to walk across the street by herself, the morning still heavy with the new day mist that always accompanied the city before the sun could properly chase it away. She trotted along her way, not in any particular hurry though still deadset on her destination.

She’d gotten a very… interesting message the evening before, one that had left her both curious and a bit steamed. I'll have to have a talk with Sven when I get back, she thought to herself darkly before a shadow fell on her. She gasped and hopped out of the way of the humanoid rushing passed her.

“S-sorry!” The green and yellow Normal Navi stuttered as it stumbled away from her, trying to keep the stack of books it carried in one hand stable while the other tried not to drop a large paper cup of coffee. She only gave a small smile and a wave in response as it rounded the corner.

Once out of sight she gave an irritated snort. Some ponies, she thought to herself before continuing on her way. Sure NetNavis can have physical forms, but that’s no excuse to use them like servants!

She let out a small sigh and lowered her head. Not that I’d really know anything about it so I shouldn’t judge.

She looked up as she came to her destination; Donut Joe’s. The bell over the door jingled as she pushed the door open to reveal a very small group of clientele, especially for that time of day. She walked in, letting the door slowly close behind her as she glanced from one occupied table to another discreetly. Finally, her eyes landed on just who she was looking for.

She approached the wall booth and slid into the cushioned seat. “Good morning,” she greeted, looking up at the slender off-white and blonde pegasus in front of her.

No response followed immediately as the mare put down her mug of steaming coffee, her pale magenta eyes reading slowly through the newspaper. “Good morning,” the taller mare finally replied, her glass clinking lightly on the table. “I hope the walk here was uneventful.”

“Asides from almost colliding with somepony’s Navi, it was fine,” Coloratura replied, idly waving a hoof as the pony across from her folded her newspaper and stashed it at her side.

“I’m sorry,” the blonde apologized with a small, apologetic smile. “Canterlot can sometimes bustle around itself without taking notice of others.”

“It’s quite alright,” the pop star answered with a good-natured chuckle. “I’m used to it by now.”

The mare across from her simply hummed as her smile widened a bit. “Would you like me to get you something?” She offered, holding a hoof bottom up. “Joe makes an exquisite cup of coffee.”

“No, thank you,” Coloratura declined politely, waving a hoof. “Coffee stains my teeth and sugar runs straight to my flanks.”

“I see,” the mare replied with a bit of distaste in her tone. “They keep you on a very strict diet, don’t they?”

“Yes,” the musician groaned, looking towards the ceiling a moment. “If it weren’t for fruit and a good exercise routine, I’d have no energy at all.”

The slender pony nodded in understanding. “I’ve been there,” she sympathized before she shrugged. “Then I realized that no matter my position, I’m still my own pony.”

Coloratura inspected the pony before her for a moment. “...Pardon me if I’m speaking out of turn,” she apologized ahead of time, “but what is it you called me here for, princess? Surely not to make small talk, though the gesture is greatly appreciated.”

The incognito royal smirked slyly behind her sparkling magenta eyes as she once more lifted her mug to her lips. “Straight to the point,” Celestia murmured, still smiling as she flipped some of the blonde mane out of her eyes. “I appreciate that in a pony.” She cleared her throat and straightened up, squaring her shoulders in a more regal pose. “Simply put, my sister and I were hoping you would join in on a charity concert we put together for tonight. However, as late as it is, you’d be our last performance of the night.”

Coloratura raised an interested eyebrow at that. “You want me to play the finale at your concert?” She asked, wanting to make sure she heard correctly.

“We do,” Celestia assured, giving a small nod. “All proceeds go towards the Equestrian school system. It’s come to our attention that some of the schools in the more remote locations of our nation are starting to suffer from lack of attention. We plan to correct that and we’re hoping the concert will both boost the signal to the rest of the country and raise a nice chunk to begin with.”

“Alright,” the younger mare murmured, bringing a hoof to her chin. “Who else will be playing at the concert?”

“Oh, some of the more prevalent musicians Equestria has to offer,” the princess answered, flipping a hoof. “Sapphire Shores, the Royal Canterlot Orchestra, and a DJ that Luna insisted on having. Apparently she’s been quite the star to the night crowd.”

“And you counted me among them?” The songstress questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

“My little pony,” Celestia began, a smile and gentle look in her eye. “You were our first choice.” The young star’s jaw dropped at that, though the princess continued. “You’re young, very new to the scene, all the rage among the younger crowd, and your talent and showmanship are truly one of a kind. We wanted you to open the concert, but, well, here we are.” She paused and sipped her coffee again. “‘Save the best for last’ and all that, I suppose.” The blonde mare set her mug down and smiled at her guest, Coloratura sitting starstruck in her booth seat.

“...Wow,” the young mare breathed, sitting back. “That… that means so much, princess.” The superstar removed her shades and wiped her eyes a moment before replacing them on her muzzled. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” the pegasus replied with a small bow of her head before looking back up. “Should I send the details to your manager or…?”

“Oh, here,” Coloratura answered rustling at her side for a moment before bringing out a type-one PET, the colors matching her natural mane colors, dark indigo with opal accents. The front flipped open and displayed a green screen that showed off various widgets.

“No, Navi?” The royal asked as she took out her own gold and blue type-two PET, an upgraded version of the type-one that had been based off the very first PET known to pony kind; the Advanced PET. Celestia held her Personal Terminal next to Coloratura’s, the front opening up like the first to reveal a golden sarcophagus, eyes closed and arms closed. “Pharaohman, if you would.”

“Unfortunately not,” the star answered as the NetNavi woke up, took a look around and started to transfer some data between the devices. “I’ve already got ponies waiting on me hoof and horn and Svengallop handles the schedule so it doesn’t really feel right to have one.”

“The modest type,” the blonde hummed, another smile appearing. “I quite like that.” She looked to her PET. “Thank you, Pharaohman.”

“My pleasure, majesty,” the Navi replied before returning to sleep, the two mares closing their devices and stashing them once more.

“I appreciate that, princess,” Coloratura replied with a small grin. “Is there anything else I should know about the concert?”

“Not that I can think of off the top of my head,” the pegasus replied, shaking her head. “And if there is something I forgot, all the details are in the folder Pharaohman sent you.”

“Thank you, princess,” the mare accepted, bowing her head. “I’ll make sure Sven gets in touch with the show’s planner. If you’ll excuse me, I know you must be extremely busy, and I’m probably keeping you.”

“Oh, not at all,” Celestia replied as Coloratura climbed out of the booth. “It was actually quite nice just to sit and chat over a cup of coffee.” She took a sip to accentuate her meaning. “However, you have a show to prepare for, so I won’t keep you.”

The disguised earth pony nodded her head, a smile playing on her face. “We’ll make this a show ponies will be talking about for a long time,” she promised, her smile only widening as the princess’ own smile reappeared.

“I’m sure you will,” the blonde replied, bowing her head as Coloratura bowed her own before turning and trotting away, ideas already running rampant in her mind.

“No, no, no!” A gray hoof stomped the ground as the other pointed heatedly. “The rainbows arc off at thirty degrees! Not Forty-five!” The construction Navis rolled their eyes, the bulky navigators hefting the large wooden prop and adjusting the angle. Svengallop frowned as he watched, finally giving a sigh and turning to walk over with a frown.

“Really, I just cannot understand,” the suited pony muttered, rubbing the bridge of his muzzle as he approached Coloratura’s dressing area. “Why run the risk of derailing your national for some silly out of the way concert?”

“Because Sven,” the mare answered, keeping still as her stylist made a few more adjustments to her wig. “This goes to benefit fillies and foals all over Equestria and besides, it’s only one night and one song. We don’t even have to pay for the venue.”

“And we’re not going to get paid, either,” the ginger muttered under his breath before clearing his throat softly. “All I’m saying is that our next show is in Ponyville and I want you to be rested and ready for it and this show could throw all of that out of alignment.”

“The Ponyville show isn’t for another week, Sven,” the show pony replied with a small chuckle, turning around to look at her manager as her stylist finished. “Everything will be fine. I do this show, we get back in the road, and arrive in Ponyvile, all while making a difference in the lives of thousands of young lives. Besides,” she turned back to her mirror as her makeup artist appeared, “the princesses asked for me personally.”

The stallion only snorted at that. “I’m surprised it was actually the princesses,” he grumbled, reaching inside his suit jacket. “Do you know how many messages I get from the ‘princesses’?” Opal eyes glanced at him from the mirror as he pulled out a black and green type-one PET. “Videoman, please bring up all messages from the ‘princesses’.”

A slender black and green Navi with AVI ports on his head nodded, bringing a hand up to his chest and pressing the “play” button that made up his Navi badge. Instantly, message upon message started to scroll by at an alarming rate, Svengallop holding the screen up for the popstar to see. Coloratura’s eyes widened at the sheer number of them all.

“You’re very lucky the message that you got was from the princess,” the older pony chided, looking over his glasses at her. “For all you knew, it could have been anypony waiting for you.” He put the PET away and took a strong stance. “You could have been seriously hurt or worse.”

The mare stared at him through the mirror for a few seconds more. Finally, she gave a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, Svengallop," she apologized genuinely, her head bowing as the makeup artist moved away.

The manager looked down his muzzle with a frown, scrutinizing her expression. After a moment, he let out a heated breath. "Good," he grumbled, turning away from her. "Just keep in mind that if something were to happen to you now, it wouldn't just affect you anymore."

Coloratura looked up into the mirror as the stallion walked away. She let out one more sigh before lifting her head, her hooves taking up the veil on the tabletop and, with practiced ease, placed it on her head to hide her face. She slid the chair back and lowered herself to the floor. The concert had started long ago, most of the musicians having already played their parts. This meant that the backstage area had been cleared out quite a bit, making it much easier for the pop star to make her way around.

“-n’t follow you here.” Coloratura’s ears perked at the familiar voice, eyes turning to see a pair of ponies standing a bit out of the way, looking at one another with not so happy expressions. The taller of two, a gray earth pony mare with a contemporary dark mane, seemed far more upset than the other, a shorter white unicorn, her usual purple shades pushed up onto her blue-haired forehead. “I got asked to be here by the princesses, just like everypony else.”

“And yet you still took time to seek me out,” the gray mare replied, her frown deepening as her mulberry eyes narrowed further. “How many times are we going to have to go through this?”

“I didn’t ‘seek you out’, Tavi,” the red-eyed unicorn replied, lifting a hoof from the ground and holding it bottom-up. “We just so happen to have prep areas close to each other. The last thing I wanted was to upset you.”

“Oh, really?” The dark maned mare questioned, Coloratura practically seeing her hackles raise like a feline as her accent started to thicken. “Where was that attitude three months ago?”

The lighter pony looked like she’d been physically struck, taking a step back as pain flashed through her eyes. Coloratura’s eyes widened, her beating faster as she watched the two ponies and finally decided to step in in the only way she knew how.

“Oh. Em. Gee!” She cried out as she came fully into view of the two ponies, lifting herself enough to bring both hooves up to her muzzle as if she were surprised. “Vinyl, Octavia!” She put her hooves back down and started to trot forward as both mares tried to regain some form of composure, Vinyl Scratch throwing her shades back down and throwing on a slightly smug grin while Octavia Melody fixed her purple bowtie and collar.

She stopped in front of them and quickly gave each a hug, the DJ reciprocating the gesture with equal enthusiasm while the cellist was less sincere at the pop pony’s sudden appearance. “I heard you guys would be playing the show,” the white-wigged mare began again, leaning away from the classical pony as they ended their hug. “But I wasn’t sure if I’d get to see you two. How’s life in the royal orchestra?”

“Oh, it’s always an adventure,” Octavia answered dismissively, waving a hoof. “So many places to play, so little time. And everyone is asking for ‘Equestria’s premiere cellist’ at their private events.”

“Totes amazing,” Coloratura congratulated before looking towards Vinyl. “What about you, Vivi? Haven’t heard much from you since you helped me with that last record.”

“Ah, you know,” the unicorn replied, feigning confidence. “Been playin’ parties all over. Clubs from all over want some of my beats to keep the party goin’, y’know what I’m sayin’?”

“That’s great, Vinyl!” The Countess cheered, flashing a smile to the DJ. “It’s good to know hasn’t slowed down for you.”

“Quite,” Octavia added, glancing at the unicorn from the corner of her eye before focusing once more on the flashy musician. “And what about you Coloratura? We haven’t really spoken since we attended Manehattan’s Academy of Fine Arts together, and that was years ago.”

The pop star let out a bit of a nervous chuckle at the question, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well, after we graduated,” she began, still not quite looking the gray mare in the eye, “I started playing in a few clubs and, um, less savory places until one night I played at a place called Dusty’s where my manager Svengallop just so happened to be. He took me to a studio and recorded a few songs that the record company just loved. A few albums and solo concerts later and here we are.”

“Wow,” Vinyl Scratch marveled before a smile broke out on her face. “Talk about some origin story.”

Another strained chuckle left the aquamarine mare, her eyes drifting towards the ceiling. “Yeah I guess you could call it that,” she mumbled before another pony, a lavender mare with a headset, approached them.

“Countess,” she said, looing to the prepped musician. “You’re on in five.”

“Alright, thank you,” Coloratura replied as the mare turned stoutly and marched off before looking back to the other two mares. “I’d better get going. It was really nice getting to catch up with you girls, especially you, Octavia.” She stopped and gave a mischevious little wink. “Maybe next time we won’t wait years to see each other again.”

A small smile spread across the prim pony’s face for the first time that night. “I hope not,” she agreed, holding a hoof out.

Coloratura shook the offered hoof before turning to Vinyl and mirroring Octavia. “Pft, nah, girl,” the DJ joked, taking the hoof lazily and pulling the pop star in. “You know how we do.” The Countess giggled a bit as they each threw a foreleg over the other’s withers.

“Yeah, I do,” the purple-clad mare laughed before they separated. “I’ll see you girls later.” With that, Countess Coloratura turned and made her way towards the stage. A small frown crossed her face as she went.

I hope everything’s okay between those two, she thought to herself, eyes drifting towards the floor. At the academy, Octavia was absolutely head over hooves for that filly. Then again, Vivi didn’t really mention her when we recorded that song…. The young mare shook her head and lifted her eyes to the small set of steps that lead to the top of her show’s centerpiece.

She rolled her shoulders and steeled her features. No time for that now, she told herself, taking a long, deep breath before taking the first step. It’s time for the spectacle.

The crowd cheered as Songbird Serenade took her final bow in front of the closed curtains, Celestia and Luna watching from their private box, the princesses clapping their hooves together along with the crowd.

“This truly has been quite the show, sister,” Luna declared, glancing briefly at her older sister.

“That it has, Luna,” the taller alicorn replied, giving a small smirk before looking at the lunar diarch with a twinkle in her eyes. “But it’s not quite over yet.”

Luna’s expression turned to confusion before the lights died and the curtains drew back. Before the question could leave her lips, the beat started and lights flashed. Seconds later, before her figure could even be clearly seen, the Countess began to sing.

She pranced her way down the stairs and down the runway, the crowd exploding as light beams and fire exploded next to the pop star and the show began in full. Luna’s eyes widened and a wide, open smile split her features. “You actually got her to attend!”

“Of course,” Celestia answered a small, happy smile on her face at her sister’s expression. “You wanted her here and I found a way to do just that.” The younger sister didn’t say anything more, her attention enraptured by the lights, singing, and choreography of the performance.

The crowd only crowed louder as a beam of magic lanced into the necklace around the singer’s throat, her voice amplified and distorted as she brought the song to its apex before beginning the last round of the chorus. She danced her way down the runway once more before starting to sashay back towards her dancers.

“Not just anypony, I am the-”

The performer was cut off by an explosion that rocked the concert hall. Coloratura’s eyes widened as flames began to burn from the back of the auditorium, ponies beginning to scream and ran from the source. From the middle of the flames, a figure began to loom and a gasp ripped itself from her chest as she stood frozen. The NetNavi that emerged from the flames was taller than most, standing above six feet, its body a bright red with a gold belt around its waist. Its upper torso and head resembled a flaming smokestack with eyes, blocky shoulders leading to twin cylinders, both of which spewed flames from the open ends where hands should be. The Navi badge on its chest gleamed dangerously, showing the insignia of a falling ball of flame. It leveled one of its arms at the surrounding crowd and unleashed a wall of flames, sending even more ponies and some Navis into further panic.

“Luna!” Princess Celestia shouted, jumping to her hooves as her PET appeared in her magical aura.

“Yes, sister!” Princess Luna answered, on her own hooves as she levitated up a purple and red type-two PET.

“Pharoahman!”

“Shadowman!”

“Materialize and power up!”

Each Princess inserted upgrade units to their PETs, plugging them into the battlechip slot. A magnifying glasslike arm flipped down, covering the protective screen before light shone from the devices. A figure jumped from each miniature portal, a gold grid lined silhouette from Celestia’s and a purple grid lined one jumped from her sister’s. What looked like colorful flesh or fabric started to materialize around each figure and collect on them. In seconds, Pharaohman and a purple suited ninja with a red metallic scarf appeared in the air before them.

“Pharoahman! Protect the crowd!” Celestia ordered, pointing a hoof at the panicked bystanders.

“Shadowman!” Luna followed, eyes on her Navi before locking darkly on the fire Navi. “Take that fiend down!”

“Yes, majesty!” Both NetNavis replied, rushing to their respective tasks. Shadowman drew the katana from his back and rushed the rogue Navi, slashing out only to find that his sword was blocked by an orange beam that sprouted from his opponent’s arm.

“How did-” Shadowman was cut off as the Navi slammed its opposite arm into his midsection, unleashing a blast of fire into the dark NetNavi. The ninja flew back until he slammed into a wall behind him, the fires dying to reveal him embedded in the surface with scorch covering himself and his surroundings.

“Did you see that, Luna?” Celestia asked as she prepared to load a battlechip.

“How could I miss it?” The darker alicorn questioned, grimacing as she loaded a Recov120 chip into her PET, green light shining around Shadowman below. “That was a fire sword.”

“Meaning it has an operator nearby,” the elder sister concluded as she inserted two IronBody chips, storing them for Pharoahman’s use. “I’ll take some guards and search the area. I’ll leave Pharaohman here to assist you and Shadowman.” Luna only nodded, eyes following the fight as Shadowman dashed forward again and paying no mind as her sister teleported away.

Down below, Shadowman summoned two clones and they rushed their adversary from three sides. Before they could strike, the Navi crossed its arms and threw them out, unleashing a ball of flame around it, dispersing both clones on impact. It turned its gaze on Shadowman and fired a large fireball at him, the ball exploding upon impact. The shinobi Navi hit the ground and slid through several rows of seats.

Without skipping a beat, the rogue lifted its right arm, the same that had the FireSwrd, and slammed it into the ground, the exhaust ports around the base flaring with flames. The ground seemed to glow orange in a straight line towards Shadowman, the dark Navi groaning as he sat up, only for the light to stop and a pillar of flame burst from the ground and engulfed him. Shadowman let out a cry of pain, Luna letting out a gasp as her eyes widened at the sight of her partner disappearing in the swirling flames.

The fires died and Shadowman swayed in place for a moment before sinking to one knee. He looked up as the red Navi aimed its arm cannon at him. Luna grit her teeth as she watched from above, two battlechips appearing in her aura. “One last trick,” she growled, quickly inserting the two battlechips. Shadowman got back to his feet and the fire Navi stopped, hesitating a moment. Two clones once more appeared at Shadowman’s sides, the trio rushing to surround it before unleashing a barrage of shurikens. The Navi’s eyes widened and it straitened its arms, light flashing around the cannons before streams of intense flame seared the shurikens from the air, continuing on to ignite the three Shadowmans. Each one arched their back before disappearing. The rogue looked visibly shocked at the disappearance before a shadow fell over it. It whirled around just in time to shoot an arm out and catch Shadowman’s katana with the end of its cannon, the blade slashing partway through it before getting stuck.

Shadowman’s eyes widened as the fire Navi reared its other arm back and slammed it into his middle, a huge cone of flames bursting from his back upon impact. “Shadowman, logging out,” a voice announced, the dark NetNavi dematerializing before his data rushed back to Luna’s PET, the mare’s eyes wide in shock until movement caught her eye.

She looked down to find the other Navi aiming its fiery weapon at her, a dangerous glint in its eye. “Pharoahman!” Luna shouted as flames erupted from the barrel. Wind rushed past her and light flashed, the flames splitting and failing to touch her as Pharaohman floated in front of her, wrapped in one of the IronBody chips that Celestia had left him.

“The crowd has been evacuated, princess,” the sarcophagus reported as the flames and IronBody faded away. “Please allow me to put an end to this.”

“Do it quickly, Pharoahman,” she instructed, eyes still locked on their opponent. “I don’t believe the building can take much more.”

“Understood.” With that, Pharaohman glared and two coffins appeared, opening and unleashing twin lasers. The red NetNavi jumped out of the way, displaying far more agility than it had during its fight with Shadowman. It leveled its arm cannons at the gold Navi and fired off streams of flame. Pharaohman dropped down, avoiding the attack before summoning Anubis statues around his adversary.

The NetNavi stopped moving, eyeing the five statues that surrounded it. It raised its gaze to its enemy, each one eyeing each other, another flash of light blanketing its arms for a moment. Pharaohman glared at the fiery Navi, ready to use his last battlechip. The red NetNavi jerked its arm up and Pharaohman summoned another coffin, each firing their respective weapons. Pharaohman activated IronBody, letting the flames wash over him. When his vision cleared, he found his opponent in front of him, arm already reared back. Just like with Shadowman, the other Navi slammed its arm into Pharaohman, lifting him up and above its head. Flames licked at its feet before a tower of hellish flames engulfed the both of them.

“Pharaohman, logging out.”

Luna’s eyes widened and she took several steps back. “How?” She questioned, sight locked on the rogue. “What kind of NetNavi are you?” The Navigator lowered its gaze until it locked eyes with her, the princess drawing in breath. Neither blinked and neither looked away.

That is until a soft clop drew their attention to the stage where Coloratura remained frozen, a terror so clear on her features that no one could have questioned what it was or what had caused it. Her opal eyes remained glued to the fiery Navi, the red navigator returning her gaze with its own.

“...Finally,” it muttered turning its weapon on her.

“No!” Luna made to rush forward, her wings flaring too late as a ball of flame raced from the barrel. Coloratura’s eyes widened, her shadow growing longer as the blast grew closer. A low hum filled the air and shadow filled her vision, the mare clenching her eyes shut before a boom sounded out.

Several seconds passed as the young singer waited for the flames to engulf her, feeling their heat burst around her momentarily. However, as no such sensation occurred, she opened her eyes slowly and looked up. What she found shocked her to say the least.

A dark NetNavi, wrapped in a tattered tan cloak, stood in front of her, one arm extended to the side while the other held the cloak up in front of itself, creating a wall between the pony and the fireball’s origins. The Navi straightened up, its four crested helmet tilting back and turning. A single emerald eye wrapped in purple came into view, the gaze washing over her form with practiced ease.

“You okay, kid?” The sudden question didn’t surprise her as much as the feminine tone of the voice, Coloratura taking a moment to make sure it had come from the Navi. Even when she could verify, the only thing the pony could do was swallow and nod. A sigh of relief escaped her savior, the green eye closing momentarily.

“Good,” the female Navi remarked, turning her attention to the red NetNavi in front of them. “Luna,” the princess jumped slightly at the sudden bark, “take care of her while I take out the trash.” With that, she stepped down from the stage and began to walk towards the fire program.

“Interfere and you will be deleted,” the rogue navigator warned, aiming its arm at the newcomer.

The newcomer threw her head back and gave a hardy laugh at that. “Buddy,” she snickered, tilting her head forward and wiping a tear from her scared left eye. “You’re about one army short of taking me down.” Her smile vanished and in a single fluid movement, she grabbed the neck of her cloak and tossed the piece away, the fabric disappearing in a cloud of purple data squares. “What do you want with the filly, Fireman?”

Fireman took a step back, visibly shaken by the blatant revelation of his identity from the stranger. “I-it is none of your concern!” He shouted in response, waving a flaming arm in front of his body. “Just get out of the way or be deleted!”

The other Navi smirked darkly, a low chuckle leaving her lips. “Deleted, huh?” She questioned, her body going lax. “Guess I should get serious.” She straightened up, steel eyes staring into his. She lifted a finger and snapped, three viruses appearing in the air behind her, looking like light blue trumpets turned upright, red orbs keeping them afloat as headphones rested on their heads. “Track eighteen.”

As the music began to play, Amelia Jaegar started to step forward like a cat on a tight rope. Fireman raised both arms and fired one ball of flame after another. Amelia had no trouble sidestepping the first, cartwheeling out of the way of the next, spun past a third, and tilted her body back to avoid the next, all the while drawing closer to him. The fire Navi’s eyes widened and he took a step back, leveling both arms before unleashing twin columns of fire. The black program grinned as she jumped into the air, spinning and flipping through the air until she landed on the opposite side of him, much closer than before.

Fireman spun to face her, lashing out with a wave of fire that she effortlessly dived over, doing roll and ending in a sitting position on the floor, leaning back on her forearms while she left her feet a shoulder-length apart. Her smug grin hadn’t left and didn’t leave when Fireman let out a roar and began firing a barrage of fireballs. She threw her right leg under her left, sliding the majority of her body out of the way of two blasts that hit the floor in front of her. The next was dodged as she kept her momentum, spinning with her legs as a ball raced past. She lifted herself up on her hands as her legs spun, straightening them as they whipped around her body and whiffed another shot before separating them as she lifted a hand and stepped out of the way of the next shot. She bent her elbows and pushed herself into the air, avoiding the rest of the volley.

She arched through the air until she landed right in front of the other Navi who quickly slashed at her with a renewed FireSwrd. She ducked the slash, rolling her body out of the way of a fiery punch. She rolled until her body straightened, a glint in her eye as six flashes of light poured over her body, three green and three blue. She danced back just in time to miss his backswing, stabilizing her stance. Fireman made to lunge forward only to stop as Amelia lifted a hand in his face, her middle finger tucked under her thumb, the fingers visibly straining.

“Game over, bitch.” She flicked her fingers out, nailing Fireman directly between the eyes. The air pressure annihilated the next five rows of chairs, dark aura bursting out from Amelia momentarily as the much larger Navi was sent hurtling away. Fireman slammed into and through the wall, three more crashes coming from the hole he made. Four more flashes spread over her arm, her hand folding into her gauntlet before the massive Powered Cannon formed over the entirety of her right arm.

“And stay out!” She shouted, eyes glinting red before a beam of pure purple energy ripped itself from the cannon, widening the hole in the wall by almost double. After several seconds, the beam died down alongside the song and only one sound came from the smoking hole.

“Fireman, logging out.”

Amelia raised the Powered Cannon towards the ceiling, the massive weapon folding back down to her arm as green eyes and a sneer stared into the dark hole the dark Navi had created. She dropped her hand, cocking a hip and placing a hand on it, letting out a huff as she jerked her chin at it. The green-eyed woman turned back to the stage where Luna stood with a protective wing in front of Countess Coloratura and started forward. She stopped once she was only a few yards away and looked up with gleaming eyes and a smile.

“So, Lu,” she started, her form glowing before light whirled around her and dispersed, leaving her in a blue flight suit that was unzipped to the waist, arms tied around her waist to reveal the tight-fitting purple sleeveless shirt underneath. “Did you guys miss me?”

Author's Note

....Eighteen months.... 18.... Months.... I did not mean for this to happen.... sigh Oh, well, things happen and we're not always in control. This should have come back over a year ago, but, as I said, unforeseen things occur. Anyway, my little prank turned into a year and a half long hiatus and honestly? I'm kind of ashamed. Anyhow, it's back now and I very much hope that you guys enjoy it.

Chapter 8- Set Me On Fire

Chapter 8-

Set Me On Fire

Sirens. Flashing lights. Muffled tones and shouting. It was all Coloratura could do to plaster her ears to her skull, shivering as she sat on the edge of one of the ambulances with a blanket wrapped around her withers. She took another deep, shuddering breath. The mare let her breath back out slowly before nearly jumping out of her skin as something touched down on her shoulder. Opal eyes shot up to find the NetNavi in the blue and yellow jumpsuit that had saved her life standing over her.

“Hey,” she greeted, a worried frown on her face as she took back her hand. “You okay?”

It took a moment for the performer to process the question before she took a shuddering breath and nodded her head. “...Not really,” she admitted, looking away and moving a strand of her mane out of her face. “I, um… have a thing about fire….”

The Navi pursed her lips together and nodded her head in understanding. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, rubbing her hand into the mare’s shoulder. “They get you checked out? Call somebody for you?”

Coloratura simply nodded at that, giving a slight smile at the concern the NetNavi was showing her. “I gave them my manager’s number,” she informed, raising a hoof up. “He should be here any min-”

“Col-Or-A-Tur-Aa!” Both pony and navigator winced at the high pitched, over-enunciated cry, turning to watch as the vermilion and gray stallion came trotting up, his NetNavi trodding along behind him. He came to a skidding stop in front of them, Amelia raising an eyebrow at the pair. “Thank Celestia you’re alright! You weren’t hurt, were you? No smoke inhalation?”

Green eyes narrowed at that even before Svengallop brought his hooves up and started checking the popstar’s throat. For her part, the musician only chuckled. “I’m fine, Sven,” the mare chortled, gently pushing him back before waving a hoof towards Amelia. “This Navi here made sure I was safe.”

Svengallop turned a critical eye on the woman before him, his dark brown eyes going up and down her form in the most unflattering way Amelia had ever witnessed. “And who might you be?”

The green-eyed Navi actually took a moment to smirk at that, though her eyes didn’t convey any form of humor. “Amelia Jaeger,” she introduced, crossing her arms as she cocked a hip. “Bass.EXE program and virus buster, at your service.”

“A virus buster, hm?” The stallion questioned, raising an eyebrow. "And who might you belong to? I'd like to thank them."

Amelia's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. "I don't belong to anyone," she answered coldly. "I'm my own Navi."

Sven's eyes widened dramatically and he took a step back. "You're a rouge!?" He spat, clear disgust in his voice and demeanor. "How on Firma did you get past Canterlot's cybersecurity?"

It was Amelia's turn to raise an eyebrow. "So you guys do have a network in place," she murmured to herself, putting a knuckle to her chin. "No wonder I feel better than before…."

Sven gulped visibly as his NetNavi took up a defensive stance. Coloratura, however, looked curiously over the pink-haired woman. Something felt familiar about her, though the mare couldn't put her hoof on it. Before she could voice any questions, though, another voice interrupted.

"Amelia!" Green eyes raised at the shout, a little gasp escaping her as she laid eyes on Princess Celestia, the Alicorn standing a few yards away with her wings flared slightly. The two stared at each other for several moments, tension building in the air. They started to step towards each other, pace building until they were all but sprinting. They collided against one another, the mare easily catching the young woman as they wrapped each other in an embrace.

"Oh, God," the woman gasped, arms wrapped around the Princess's neck and shoulders while Celestia wrapped her legs around her back. "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," the Alicorn whispered, giving another squeeze with both her chin and hooves before backing away a little. "What happened to you? Where have you been for the last millennia?"

"Millennia?" Amelia questioned, brows furrowing before she shook her head. "I got knocked into an adjacent dimension when the Life Virus exploded. I met some guys that helped me get back, but I was only there for a year."

"Only one year?" Celestia gasped, her look of surprise turning to a light chuckle. "And here I was getting jealous of your youth! You look practically the same!"

The woman gave her own chuckle, hands going to her hips as they relaxed their stances. "And look at you!" She exclaimed. "All aged up and adult-like. What happened?" She reached a hand out and curled some of the mare's wispy, rainbow mane through her fingers. "Go through a midlife crisis and dye your hair?"

Celestia's mood dropped drastically at that, eyes drooping to the ground for a moment. "That's… a long story," she answered, looking back up and flashing a tense smile.

Amelia gave a small frown but nodded. "Okay," she said softly before looking around. "Where's Luna?"

The alabaster mare gave a little sigh and relaxed, her smile becoming more genuine. "She's taken some guards and is searching the premises for some clue as to what happened."

Amelia's frown tightened into a line. "I could give you guys some insight on that," she informed, crossing her arms. "But you may not like it."

Celestia matched her expression and nodded. "We should take this elsewhere, then," the mare agreed, magic igniting and summoning her PET. "Pharoahman, would you send a message to Luna? Tell her to meet Amelia and I at the palace."

"Right away, Majesty," the Navi replied, giving a bow before the screen blinked off.

Celestia nodded and put her terminal away, looking back to the young woman. "Shall we?" The princess asked, raising a brow as she started to turn.

"One sec," Amelia answered, turning away. "I'll be right back." With that, she jogged back towards Coloratura and her manager, both of which had stared with wide eyes at the interaction.

"Hey," the Navi said, coming to a stop in front of the songstress. "I don't usually leave rescuees alone until they're cleared or the paramedics take them, but there's a bit of a situation I need to get to. Will you be alright?"

The genuine concern in the woman's voice took the mare back a moment. "U-um," she started before putting a hoof to her head, closing her eyes, and smiling before looking back up. "I think I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern, Miss Jaeger"

The NetNavi smirked at the, her form shimmering a moment before reappearing in her battle gear. "Just 'Amelia' is fine," she answered, giving a little bow as her cloak flapped. The Navi straightened up, flashing a grin before turning. "Catch you later," she added before making her way back towards the princess.

Coloratura stared as the princess and Navi walked away, eyes wide in shock. Sven watched as well, giving a little scoff as they both took off into the air. "How could the princesses hang around wretches like that?" He grumbled before turning back to the pop star. "Now let's get you back to the hotel."

He put a hoof to her to lead her away only to stop as she remained unmoved. He raised an eyebrow at her wide-eyed expression, glancing between her gaze and where the two had left. "...Is something the matter, Coloratura?"

The question seemed to knock the mare out of her stupor, the star taking in a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut to the ground before looking to her manager. "No," she breathed with a shake of her head. "It’s nothing."

“You failed to kill the target.” Mulberry eyes winced at the sharp tone in the aged voice, illuminated by the screen before them.

“Don’t blame me,” the snarky female replied. “It was that Navi you paired me with. I told you I’d need more power than he’s capable of putting out.

“Silence!” She flinched again at the shout that was quickly followed by a series of coughs. “Fireman was programed specifically for this mission. The only error here is with the Operator!”

Another fit of coughing interrupted the angry old man, the female frowning at the sounds. “We’ll try again,” she promised, tone much more reasonable. “This time I’ll make sure Fireman takes her out.”

“You’d better!” The old man wheezed before clearing his throat. “Our time is running short, and if you can’t, there are plenty of others here that can!”

The screen went black with the last angry remark, the young female giving a sigh. “You heard the old man,” she said, bringing up a red and silver PET in her fuchsia hoof, Fireman looking back at her. “Find the popstar, and this time, make sure we get what we want and she stops breathing!”

"So!" Amelia clapped as she and the princesses walked into the throne room, the guards closing the doors behind them. "What have I missed since I tore a hole in space-time?"

Luna gave a little chuckle as Celestia once more averted a guilty expression. "Good to see thee haven't lost thy spark, Miss Jaeger," the lunar princess commented before continuing. "To be honest, the last thousand years weren't as eventful as one would think."

"Oh?" The Navi smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"After thee defeated the Life Virus," Luna began, "the Crystal Empire underwent a revival. Princess Amore appointed Amber to beest her chief advisor while Sombra wast sentenced to a decade of civil service. He didn't argue with the punishment and spent his time wisely, eventually building himself up to beest the Princess's archmage. Together, they ushered in a new age of peace."

The woman nodded as she absorbed the information. "This was a thousand years ago?" She questioned, her voice growing solemn.

Hearing the change in the Navi's voice, Luna gave a little frown. "Yes," she answered lowly, eyes drifting to the ground.

Amelia hesitated a moment, taking a deep breath to soothe the tightness in her chest. "So… they're all…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, glancing up at the younger diarch.

The blue Alicorn let out a soft breath at that and nodded. "Sombra and Amber hath passed on," she answered. "Amore clings to life, but hath relinquished the throne to her granddaughter, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and her husband, Shining Armor."

The dark Navi let out a little sigh, shoulders slumping as her head bowed. "...I knew when you told me it had been a thousand years," she murmured, lifting a thumb to her eye. "But… some part of me still hoped…." The trio fell silent for several long minutes, the sisters allowing the grieving woman to mourn the loss of her friend and partner.

After a few tears managed to hit the floor rather than be caught by the tattered cloak, Amelia took several deep breaths and wiped her eyes once more. "Anything else I should know about?" She asked voice strained through her clogged nostrils.

The Alicorns glanced at each other a moment before Luna cleared her throat to continue. "Well," she started, rolling a hoof through the air. "There wast our whole, um, Nightmare Moon phase."

"'Nightmare Moon'?" The navigator questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Luna gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of her head. "W-well," the princess stuttered, avoiding Amelia's gaze. "We might have allowed ourselves to become jealous of our sister's popularity, and, as a result, became possessed by a dark entity…."

When the Princess of the Moon looked back at the woman, she found her blinking in disbelief. "...You were possessed by a demon!?" She exclaimed in disbelief gesturing with a hand. "For how long!?"

Here, the princess let out a tense chuckle. "About… a thousand years…" she replied, Celestia's face buried in her hoof.

Once again, Amelia blinked before letting out a long sigh. "Things are never simple," she muttered, rubbing her eyes before looking back up. "Okay, what next?"

"A thousand years of peace," Celestia spoke up, bringing herself into the conversation. "When Nightmare Moon returned, my student, Twilight Sparkle, and her friends became the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony and purified Luna. Since then, an ancient god of chaos has awakened and reformed, a hive of shapeshifters tried to take over Equestria, Twilight became an Alicorn and a princess, and a powerful tyrant almost succeeded in draining all ponies of their magic."

The purple Navi stood in silence, eye twitching as her brain literally processed all of the information that had just been dumped. After a few seconds, she blinked and let out a long, heated breath. "Oookay," she muttered to herself. "And here I thought the craziest thing I'd ever hear about was an angry forest god trying to kill a bunch of student campers…."

"Speaking of," Amelia looked up as Celestia took a few steps forward. "Where have you been all this time?"

The woman chuckled at that, her helmet dematerializing as she rubbed the side of her head, hot pink on pink ponytail coming over her shoulder. "I spent a year in a world with other humans," she answered simply, giving a little shrug. "They just weren't my humans."

"What dost thou mean?" Luna asked, earning the Navi's attention.

"I mean they were human," she began with a shrug and a look to the ceiling, "but they had abnormally colored hair and skin. Humans, where I’m from, have skin tones along the brown or tan spectrum with hair that normally runs along the same path alongside red. But the humans I visited had skin and hair tones from the entire color spectrum, kind of like the ponies here. In fact, they even shared names with some of the ponies here. There was a Celestia, a Luna, even a Sombra."

She paused and looked between the sisters who were sharing an amused glance. "...What?"

The princesses gave little giggles and chuckles before the elder answered. "It sounds as if you found your way to the mirror dimension," she stated a little smile on her face. "Twilight Sparkle discovered it not long ago herself."

Amelia frowned at the information before letting out a sigh, a sad look on her face. The sisters shared another look, this time of worry. "Is… something the matter…?" Luna asked gently, lifting a hoof.

The woman gave a little sniff and once more wiped her eyes before giving a tense nod. "Yeah," she replied tersely, looking back up. "Yeah, I'm okay." She took a moment to collect herself before continuing. "I don't think I was in the same dimension. I ended up meeting two Twilight Sparkles, one a young girl and the other claiming to be a pony princess in human form. That and there were alien and monster attacks every few weeks or so."

The Alicorns blanched at that, eyes widening. "That is…" Luna started, trailing for a moment, "unsettling. It certainly wasn't our mirror dimension thee wast sent to. It must have been terrifying for thee to deal with such atrocities alone."

At that, Amelia gave a melancholy smile. "Well," she replied, shifting a little. "Not totally alone." She looked at the diarchs' confused expressions and smiled a bit brighter. "I met a couple of brothers who helped me out. They were Displaced, just like me."

"Displaced?" Celestia questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Right, that would be foreign to you guys," the woman said, itching her temple. "Basically a Displaced is a person that was taken from their dimension, given the powers and or identity of a fictional character, and thrown into one version of Equestria or another."

"So there art others like thee?" Luna asked, eyes widening alongside her sister's.

"More or less," Amelia answered with a shrug. "Nick and Justin were brothers, but they each had different power sets from different works of fiction. Nick became Ultraman Seven and Justin got the power to transform into Gridknight. Both were way different from my powers and abilities."

Both princesses gave a relieved breath at that and smiled. "It's good to know you weren't alone in such a different place," Celestia said, taking a few steps forward. "And we're glad you were able to find your way back."

The NetNavi chuckled at that as she gave the alabaster Alicorn another hug as said Alicorn put a leg around her shoulders. "It's good to be back," she agreed, voice low.

The pair held the hug, Luna joining a moment later. The three stayed like that for a few seconds more before separating and sharing a round of smiles.

"As nice as this is," Celestia eventually spoke up, straightening up in a business-like manner. "There has been an attack on a public event and I would like to know why. Amelia, I understand you may have insight on the matter."

"A bit more than insight, ma'am," the Navi answered, standing straighter. "I can tell you that the NetNavi that attacked the concert was Fireman and that he is most likely not working alone."

Both diarchs narrowed their eyes. "Explain," Luna growled.

"He and his operator are likely working for a terrorist organization known as World Three," Amelia continued. "The aim of said organization is the complete destruction of the net."

"But why?" Luna questioned, raising a brow. "The net hath done nothing but bring the world closer together and allow information to be shared globally."

"The answer is actually a lot simpler than you'd expect," the dark Navi replied, hands going to her hips. "The guy running the show, Doctor Wily, is seriously childish. He and his rival were in a race to see what field would dominate the world; robotics or cybernetics. Cybernetics won out and Wily swore to devote his life to tear down the Cyber World."

"That is…" Luna paused, blinking for a moment, "quite a lot to digest." She shook her head before continuing. "But we don't know of any 'Wily'. Surely if the rivalry had been as big as you say, we would have heard of him."

At this, the woman only shrugged. "There's a chance it may not be Wily," she admitted. "But it is almost definitely some variation of the cyber-terrorist theory. According to what I learned about Displaced, we tend to warp the reality in which we landed." At the confused looks of the princesses, she continued. "Basically, things from the Megaman universe will start to appear here in this world. And considering you guys did the hard work of creating a network, Navis, and terminals, it was a matter of time before something like this happened."

The Alicorns looked to one another. They seemed to have a silent conversation before it ended with Luna nodding her head and steeling her features while Celestia gave a small breath, bowing her head a moment before looking up with a fierce gaze. "What should we do?" She asked.

"We first need to increase security here in Canterlot," Amelia answered, once again straightening up. "Both on the streets and within the network. The more the merrier. Next, we need to attempt to backtrack Fireman's trail. It's highly unlikely that he was manifested outside of the building, meaning he had to travel the network from his operator's location. Even if the op changed positions after logging Fireman in, they sent several battlechips to him which had to travel the net for Fireman to utilize them."

"What will you do?" Celestia asked, looking to the Navi. "You're not the type to simply sit around waiting."

The Navi nodded her head at that, crossing her arms as she looked to the floor. "I'm going to follow up on a hunch of mine," she replied, eyes thoughtful. "Fireman was after something at the concert and it had something to do with that Coloratura mare."

"What makes thee so sure?" Luna questioned, tilting her head.

"When he had the chance to take you out," the program answered, looking up at the lunar princess, "he didn't. He could've at least tried to take you down when he had the opportunity. Instead, he took interest in Coloratura as soon as she made herself known. Why? They had to have had a reason for attacking the concert specifically, especially considering the enhanced security with the presence of both princesses and all of the A-list celebrities. Fireman attacked the concert during Coloratura's performance and targeted her when he got the chance. I'm going to find her and see if I can figure out why."

Both mares nodded at that as Amelia started to walk towards a balcony overlooking the city. "Should we send you with backup?" Celestia offered, taking a step forward.

"No thanks," the woman answered, turning on her toe to walk backward. "They'd only draw unwanted attention and besides," a glint lit up her eyes, "I've gotten pretty good at stealth." The Navi jumped back, body shimmering before disappearing into the night.

The air was thick. Almost impossible to choke down as she crawled across the floor. The ceiling above was blacked out while everything else glowed in a sinister light. Her only thought was to keep moving. Keep moving and hold onto-

Coloratura blinked as knocking brought her back to reality. She looked up from her glass into the brown eyes of her slightly worried bartender. "I'm sorry, miss," the light mint stallion apologized while flashing a weak smile. "The bar's about to close for the night. Do you need some help getting to your room?"

The mare looked at him for a moment longer before glancing down at the tumbler and the hardly touched alcohol within. A heavy sigh escaped her before she slid the glass over to him. “No,” she answered, slowly getting off of her stool. “I think I’ll be fine. Just add the bill to my room and I’ll pay it when I leave in the morning.”

“I’ll see to it,” the stallion replied, taking the glass in his hoof. “You have a goodnight, miss.”

“Yeah,” the pop star replied, turning away. “You, too.” Coloratura trotted slowly out of the bar area into the lobby of the hotel she’d been staying at, crossing the scarce carpet towards the elevators. Despite the fact that she’d ordered a drink that could have easily put her on her tail, the mare was the furthest thing from drunk she could be. Memories and nightmares kept flashing through her mind like railroad spikes, constantly sending wave on wave of anxiety and fear crashing into her. It left her feeling more exhausted than she’d felt in a very long time.

Maybe I should make an appointment with my therapist, she thought to herself as she watched the elevator doors close in front of her. Haven’t had to do that in years. And truthfully, she hadn’t. Despite her bimonthly visits with her therapist to keep an eye on her mental health, she hadn’t had a reason to have a full-blown session since she was a filly. Until now.

The Earth Pony let out a heavy breath as the doors opened back up, allowing her to walk out of the elevator onto her floor mechanically. She continued on her way, completely unaware of her surroundings as her thoughts kept her crushed within her own mind. Even as she passed two very heated voices, she couldn’t muster the energy to focus on them. However, she only got a few more feet before a light touch had her shooting out of her skin.

“SWEET SISTERS IN A BASKET!!!” Coloratura’s scream echoed through the carpeted hallway, the mare’s natural Earth Pony strength kicking in to almost send her into the ceiling. She spun as she came back down to the floor, chest heaving.

Her heart hammered in her ears as she started to process a very startled Vinyl and Octavia, the latter standing in the doorway to her room in a nightrobe. The three mares stared at each other for several moments before Coloratura cleared her throat and smoothed her mane.

“H-h-hey, girls,” she stuttered out, stomach tying itself in knots. “Sorry for the fright, I wasn’t paying attention.” She ended her short-lived apology with a halfhearted giggle.

The mares could only stare at her for a moment, concern clear on their faces as they took a moment to look towards one another, whatever argument they’d been having clearly forgotten. “You okay there, CC?” Vinyl asked, looking back at the disheveled idol.

The response she got was a forced chuckle, both she and Octavia raising an eyebrow. “I’m fine, Vivi,” Coloratura answered, waving a hoof through the air to dismiss the question. “I mean, I’m a little shaken, yeah, but nothin’ a filly like me can’t take.” Another chuckle finished her response, the mare glancing at the pair to gauge their reactions. She felt the lump in her throat tighten as neither of them looked the least bit convinced.

“...You do know you can open up to us,” Octavia spoke up, stepping out of her room to stand next to Vinyl, the unicorn nodding her agreement. “We’re all show mares here, Coloratura. You don’t have to keep the mask up for us.”

The pop star deflated at that, shoulders slumping as the butterflies in her stomach caught fire. “I-I know,” she murmured, rubbing her forelegs together nervously. “I-it’s just… today’s been a lot, y’know? A-and I know I interrupted earlier today, but I reallydon’twanttogetinthewayofwhat’sgoingonbetweenyouguyscauseI’msureit’sseriousandit’snoneofmybusinessandIshouldjustkeepmynoseoutofitandfocusonnotthinkingaboutbeingalmostburnedali-” Coloratura interrupted herself by shoving a hoof over her mouth, bringing the flood of words to an abrupt stop that left the others blinking.

Several tense seconds ticked by before the songstress let out another harsh chuckle. “Y-y’know what? Just forget I was ever here! Goodnight, girls!” Before either the DJ or Cellist could react, the aqua-gray pony turned on her hoof and all but ran down the hallway, disappearing behind the next corner.

Vinyl reached out as if to go after her only to stop as a hoof landed lightly on her shoulder. “Let her go, Vinyl,” Octavia said, pulling her hoof back. “If she’s that bothered by what happened, the last thing she needs is for us to force ourselves in.”

The white unicorn looked as if she were about to argue only to stop and look back down the hallway. After a second, she let out a sigh, shoulders relaxing. “You’re right,” she conceited, looking towards the floor as she slid her shades back down on her face. “I guess this is goodnight, then.”

The darker mare only pursed her lips as the vibrant pony started to walk away with her head and tail hanging. Octavia watched her for a few more seconds before letting out a quiet breath and turning back to her room.

“Tavi?” The orchestra pony stopped in her doorway and looked back out, Vinyl Scratch looking past her shoulder with her shades still on. “I really am sorry for everything I put you through. I hope he makes you happy.” With that, she turned and continued her walk.

Octavia watched her go, letting out another sigh as she turned back to her room. “That mare,” she muttered to herself as she closed the door with a tightness in her chest.

Down below, in the lobby, a figure in a tattered brown cloak approached the front desk. The stallion working it, a colt barely out of school, didn’t notice the nearly silent footsteps until a large shadow loomed over him. With a little jump, he turned to face the figure.

“O-oh, pardon me,” he apologized, taking a moment to wipe at his brow. “I didn’t see you there. How can I help you?”

The colt couldn’t help a little shudder as a pair of red eyes stared down at him. “I’m here to meet with the Countess.”

Coloratura all but slammed the door to her room shut, her back to it as her chest heaved. She hadn’t been expecting to see Octavia and Vinyl again after the show, and definitely not in the same hotel as her. Cool your jets, girl, the mare silently told herself as she reached a shaky hoof to lock the deadbolt to her room. She let out a heavy breath as the bolt slid into place, pushing herself off the door to walk further into her room.

It was a nice room, she had to admit. Although, as Svengallop had put it, it was “far below her standards.” She let out a dry chuckle at that. The room was far more than she could’ve asked for with its queen-sized bed, personal workspace and vanity, entertainment center, and a fully furnished bathroom that was more like a mini-spa.

“It was the best they could do on short notice,” she remembered her manager saying, adding a little snort after his assessment.

Coloratura just shook her head again as she collapsed backward onto the bed with a sigh. “Better than what I grew up with,” she muttered to herself as she stared up at the ceiling. Several moments passed before she looked over to the vanity, eyeing the crystalline trinket box sitting on it amongst jewelry and makeup.

With a frown, the mare rolled back onto her hooves, walking slowly over to it. She pulled herself into the posh chair that was provided to her, stopping to stare down at the little box. Tentatively, she put her front hooves out towards it, stopping only a small distance from actually touching it. She pursed her lips as she stared down at the dull, marred surface of the crystal, making her shiver as memories came rushing back to her again. She closed her eyes as her breath caught in her throat, pushing back deep into the cushions of the chair she was in. They’re just memories, they can’t hurt you. They’re just memories, they can’t hurt you. They’re just memories, they can’t hurt you! She chanted internally as she got her breathing under control, taking in deep breaths as she imagined herself on a beach on the west coast of Equestria, sun shining off the crystal clear water as the sounds of gulls and waves brought her to peace.

After several minutes, she felt her body begin to relax as her mind calmed. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her heart still beating rapidly as she continued to breathe in deep and controlled. She kept her gaze down for a few more moments before she finally looked back up at the box before her, unmoved and unchanged. She let out a huff and hardened her features before reaching out again, this time taking the small container and pulling it closer. “Memories can’t hurt you,” she muttered to herself again, this time aloud as she lifted her hoof and flipped open the lid. She stared down at the contents, her pursed lips forming a frown without her knowledge.

“Quite the artifact.”

Coloratura jumped out of her seat, turning in midair as she came crashing down, spilling a good portion of her belongings on the floor as she caught herself. Her eyes were wide as she looked the cloaked figure up and down, nothing visible in the shadows of the hood except for a pair of dull red eyes.

“Wh-who are you!?” Coloratura stammered, struggling to untangle her legs beneath her. “What do you want!?”

The figure only cocked its head to the side. “You already know the answer,” it intoned darkly, a cylindrical appendage coming out from under the cloak, revealing the red suit underneath.

The mare let out a gasp that choked her as a small burst of flame lit the cloak at the neck, causing the burning fabric to fall away, igniting the carpet in an instant. “Give it to me,” Fireman growled, aiming his arm at her as flames built within.

Amelia raced along the rooftops of Canterlot, her Invisible BattleChip keeping her completely undetectable to the naked eye as she went. “She can’t have gone terribly far,” the Navi muttered to herself as she continued to sift through the network she had connected to. Faster than any normal supercomputer, she rifled through every known hotel, inn, and motel in the city, checking guest lists, checkouts, and reservations.

“Hmph,” the woman grunted as she caught herself on the pinnacle of a tall building, hanging out with one arm as she surveyed the area. “Who knew this place could hold so many rest stops.” Green eyes continued to search the city below, enhanced vision scanning every pony and NetNavi in sight.

“Where are you…?” she mumbled to herself before she stopped as her search came up with something. She pulled herself in as her free hand came up to her helmet, pressing on the side. A result sprang to life in her vision, showing her a grand hotel, its staff, and guest list. And amongst the long list, highlighted for her convenience, was just the name she was looking for.

“Bingo,” she murmured as a grin spread out over her face. She looked out over the city once more, her HUD updating to give her a green arrow pointing to her left. She turned her head until a building highlighted in the same green came into view. Her grin widened again before she shot off, racing even faster than before as she made her way.

Before she could make it halfway, though, a huge spire of flame skewered the hotel, racing into the sky for several seconds before disappearing. “Shit!” She shouted, her system already reaching out to alert the authorities as she dug into her library. Her body flashed as she activated Dash, her form becoming a blur as her invisibility dispersed.

Sirens wailed as she jumped and slid to a stop in front of the building, security and officers that were already close to the scene helping get guests out as flames licked at the upper windows. “What’s going on here?” The NetNavi commanded, approaching a nearby officer.

The mare only gave her a short glare before answering. “There’s a rouge Navi up there,” she answered, continuing to wave civilians to safety. “Lit the whole place up pretty good.”

“Fireman,” Amelia growled, her eyes flashing for a moment before looking up to the upper floors. “Where did the fire start.”

“Third floor,” the police mare answered, not looking back from her duty. “We already sent in some Buster Navis to take care of it.”

“They won’t last,” the dark Navi muttered, taking several steps back. She scanned the windows and the rooms within, finding almost every hazardous room devoid of life signs with a sigh of relief. Her eyes turned red for a moment before she widened her stance and crouched down.

A flash of light caught the officer’s attention, the mare looking back to see a bubble form around the cloaked Navi before shrinking down to form a barrier that hovered no more than an inch from her body. “Hey hey, what’re you-!” She didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence as Amelia rocketed into the air in a burst of purple aura, easily crashing through one of the third-floor windows.

A scream ripped through the air as Coloratura slid around a corner, letting out a grunt as her side slammed into the wall, her trinket box held under one leg. The mare didn’t stop though as she kicked her legs into high gear, racing away just in time to avoid being engulfed in a beam of flames. Fireman followed around the corner soon after, glaring down the hall after the aqua-gray mare.

“You can’t run forever,” he called after her, raising his arm once more.

The pony let out a squeal as she jumped out of the way, feeling the ends of her mane singe as several fireballs raced past her. “Screw you!” She shouted back, scrambling back to her available hooves and running off once more. Before the Navi could get off another blast, she darted around another corner.

Here it comes! She yelled at herself before she jumped in the air, another beam of burning flames cutting through the wall beside her and only just missing her underbelly. He’s getting closer, she thought as she landed and kept running. If I’m not careful, the next one’ll have me. She dismissed the thought and refocused on running. She took another turn, this time to her left, her eyes widening at what she saw.

“There she is!” Vinyl cried out, getting Octavia’s attention with a hoof on her haunches. The dark maned mare turned to see Coloratura racing towards them, a look of relief coming to her face.

“RUN!” The shout made both mares peel their ears back, both furrowing their brows before widening as they watched the red NetNavi step around a corner.

“Oh, shit!” Vinyl shouted, turning alongside Octavia as Coloratura caught up to them, the trio racing off together. Octavia screamed as she was forced out of the way by Coloratura, a blast of flame racing past them.

“What are you two doing here!?” Coloratura questioned as they ran.

“Lookin’ for you!” Vinyl answered. “We weren’t gonna leave you in another burning building!”

“Why are you being chased by a pyromaniac!?” Octavia yelled, chest heaving.

“He wants- AW!” Coloratura was cut off as she failed to dodge a ball of fire that grazed her shoulder.

“CC!” Vinyl and Octavia skidded to a halt, turning back to their friend, Vinyl reaching down to help the pop star get her hooves back under. “C’mon, girl, we gotta move!”

“Gh, it hurts!” Coloratura gasped, shaking as she tried to stand.

Vinyl frowned, taking the mare’s chin in her hoof and tilting her head back. Opal eyes stared dully back, telling the unicorn all she needed to know. “She’s checked out,” she muttered, stepping out of the way and pulling Octavia closer. “Take her and get out of here.”

Octavia stared with wide eyes for a moment, mouth agape as she put a leg around Coloratura’s shoulders. “Wh-wh-wait! Wait just a second! What about you!”

“Don’t worry about me!” The shout drew the darker mare back as Vinyl turned to face the oncoming Navi. “Run!”

Octavia did as she was told, limping away alongside Coloratura as Vinyl used her magic to yank two doors off their hinges. They rounded yet another corner, still running for their lives as the cellist frantically looked around them. “Stairs, stairs, stairs! Where are the stairs!”

They kept going, taking another turn only to stop as they almost collided with a group of NetNavis. Their appearance made the mare freeze up for a moment only to shake her head as they rushed to their aid. “Help! My friend’s hurt and there’s a Navi chasing us! My mar- my friend is back there!”

The Busters looked between each other before nodding. “We’ll go get your other friend,” one of the Navis, a police navigator with a gold epaulet and a two-tiered arrow, assured before looking to another Navi, this one not having an epaulet. “Get them out of here and to an ambulance!”

“Yes, sir!” The navigator replied, taking Coloratura into his arms as the others raced off. “Let’s get you two out of here!” Together, they turned and started to run back the way the NetNavis had come. They weaved down several more long hallways, the Navi taking the quickest route to the emergency stairs.

The trio finally turned to see the door at the end of the hall, a green sign with a pony descending steps marking it. “This way!” The Buster ushered, leading them down the hall. They came to a stop at the door, the Navi pulling it open with one arm and holding it open. “Go, go!”

Octavia needed no spurring as she hurried into the stairwell, rushing down the steps, the Navi following not far behind. Octavia barely made it to the first landing before a cry of pain made her look back. She let out a yelp as she hit the deck, a line flame scorching the wall behind her as it pierced the Buster on the flight above her. The beam died and the Navi slumped, body disintegrating to the sound of a voice saying, “logging out.”

Coloratura fell to the steps, rolling down the last few stairs before sliding to a stop against the wall of the landing with a yelp of pain, the box she’d been carrying clattering away from her. Octavia ran to her friend, looking back up the stairwell with wide eyes.

Fireman stood at the top of the stairs, arm still smoking as he lowered it, his other arm occupied by a bruised and beaten Vinyl Scratch, one side of her shades busted out to show off a black eye. “Give me,” the fire Navi started as it stalked down the stairs. “The. Box.”

“N-no.” Octavia looked down to find Coloratura reaching towards the box, grabbing it and pulling it back to her. “H-he can’t h-have it.”

Octavia stared at her friend for a moment before looking back up at the menacing program that had stopped halfway down the stairs. After a moment, she let out a frown before reaching up. “This is so uncivilized,” she muttered with hard eyes as she pulled out a brown PET with gold accents. “Glyde! Materialize and power up!” The upgrade piece flipped down, a ray of data shooting out as a figure followed. The NetNavi that formed was a tall humanoid, a black suit under mostly brown armor that covered the chest, forearms, and lower legs, wing-like fins sprouting from its back.

“Let the young miss go-!” The heroic Navi’s cry was cut short as Fireman lifted its free arm, crossing it over his body before swinging it into the oncoming navigator. He swatted Glyde into the wall with a crash, leaving the butler Navi in a crater.

“Pathetic,” he growled before flames erupted from his arm, engulfing Glyde as the weaker Navi screamed.

“Glyde, logging out,” the same robotic voice stated as the brown Navi burst into code that rushed back to Octavia’s PET. The mare looked at her device, flipping it open to see Glyde sitting in a heap.

“I’m sorry, Miss Octavia,” the Navi apologized tiredly.

Octavia could only let tears form in her eyes before a thud brought her attention upwards. Vinyl lay slumped on the steps, too injured to move as Fireman held an arm out towards her. “Enough of this,” he growled, flames starting to lick at the barrel of his arm. “Give me the box or I’ll kill this one.”

The gray mare could only stare up with her mouth open as everything unfolded. “I-I-,” she stuttered, her voice escaping her.

The red NetNavi only sighed and rolled his eyes before glaring down at her. “Three,” he intoned, flames growing higher. “Two-”

“One.” A flash erupted from the arm pointed at the unicorn’s head, the Navi’s eyes widening as wind rushed down the stairwell. Meanwhile, on the landing, Amelia laid Vinyl to rest next to Octavia and Coloratura. The darker pony rushed to the white mare’s side, checking over her worriedly.

Amelia leaned back to give them space before looking towards a wide-eyed Coloratura. “You good, kid?” She asked, catching the mare by surprise.

“U-um,” she stammered, staring up at the NetNavi that had saved her twice now. “Y-yeah, I-I think so.”

“Good,” the dark Navi said sharply, turning towards her in her crouched position. “Now, I’ve got to ask. Why’s flame brain up there after you?”

The idol winced at that, looking back up the stairs to see Fireman groaning in pain while holding the stump of his severed arm. “...H-he…” she started, looking back at the Navi in front of her. “He wanted this.” She pushed her trinket box towards the green-eyed navigator, the crystal scraping against the floor.

Amelia narrowed her eyes, shifting a bit to reach out and pick up the box. Tenderly, she lifted the lid, eyes immediately going wide as she saw what was inside. Several moments passed before a large, toothy grin split the woman’s features. “Y’know,” she said, reaching into the box. “I had a good feeling about you.”

Coloratura looked confused at that, tilting her head as Amelia put the box down and started to stand, turning back to the injured Navi above them. “Hey, hot-head!” The shout drew Fireman’s attention to the group on the landing, eyes widening as he saw the dark Navi below him and what she held.

Amelia smirked as she held one arm in front of her, one finger lifted away from the black and purple PET that bore her mark. “Game over.”

Fireman had no time to react as Amelia’s finger fell, clicking the button that opened the face of the device, light gleaming out of it like a miniature star. “Navi/Terminal link, reestablish!” The voice announced light flashing to blind all present. When it faded, Fireman looked down the steps to find a cloud of purple and black aura surrounding the dark NetNavi, her eyes shining red.

“I told you to stay out,” Amelia growled as she slipped her PET into her cloak before starting to stretch her arms out to her sides. “Now… I’m going to kill you.” Her forearms folded back into each other before folding back out, solid metal blades sprouting from gold cross-shaped bases, the right blade glowing red while the left one glowed blue. She raised both over her head as yellow aura started to glow around each of them, the colors starting to brighten to white until it flashed as her arms reached their apex. A blade fell into her hands, curving to a point that stepped out in the back at the top. Pure purple energy sprang out around it as she brought it down, Amelia’s aura seeming to die down until it was a solid purple outline around her body.

Fireman, for his part, made his mind up very quickly. “Fireman, logging out,” the robotic voice stated, the fire Navi starting to break up.

“Maybe next time,” he replied smugly before his body suddenly came back together. “Wha-”

“Error.”

“You guys need to pay more attention.” Fireman’s eyes widened, his head quickly looking over his shoulder to find his opponent at the top of the stairs, Dream Blade coming to rest on her shoulder.

Fireman looked down at his feet, finding bear traps with cartoonish eyes starring up at him. He looked back up and already knew. “Well, played,” he groaned as the purple slash across his body grew. His eyes went dark and a moment later his form shattered like glass, a single message following after.

“Fireman.EXE, deleted.”

Amelia turned back around, red eyes fading slowly back to green as she did so. She let out a heated breath, her body relaxing as she let her sword disappear. She made her way back down the steps, coming to a stop and kneeling down next to the group. “Can you walk?” She asked, looking towards Coloratura.

“Um…” the aqua-gray mare murmured before she looked herself over. “Y-yeah, I should be okay.”

Amelia gave a nod at that before looking to Octavia and Vinyl Scratch. “I’ve got her,” the Navi said, leaning over and very gently bringing the unconscious unicorn into her arms. “You help Coloratura down the stairs.”

Octavia said nothing, only sniffed and nodded with still misty eyes before getting up and going to assist the other mare. Amelia watched them a moment before turning to walk down the stairs.

“Wait.” She stopped and looked back towards Coloratura, the mare looking up at her with a surprisingly hard look. “What was all this about?”

Amelia stared at her for a moment before she gave a little breath. “Let’s get you and your friend here to a medic first,” she answered, shifting her arms to be more comfortable for herself and Vinyl. “Then the princesses and I will explain everything.”

Octavia and Coloratura both stared wide-eyed after the woman as she started down the steps again, exchanging looks of shock at the mention of the princesses. “Let’s go!” The Navi’s call had them moving very quickly after her, questions buzzing in their mind.

Mulberry eyes stared down at the screen as it flashed with a single word. “...How…?” She breathed, ‘deleted’ blinking over and over again in her vision. “How could a single Navi do that to-”

She stopped as her PET began to ring, a new message telling her that a video call was incoming. “Shit,” she hissed before answering it. “Doct-”

“Not a word out of you.” The coldness in the man’s voice was enough to make her shiver. “You have failed me. Worse, you got your NetNavi deleted. A NetNavi that took a great amount of time and resources to create. You’re through. Return to us so that we can plan our next move.”

The female gave a defeated sigh at that, letting her eyes fall to the ground. “Understood,” she replied. “I’ll return at once.” With that, she began to close her PET only for a last message to slip through.

“I am sorely disappointed in you, Aria Blaze.”

Author's Note

Amelia is reunited with the Princesses, however, while a thousand years have passed for the Alicorns, only one has passed for the NetNavi. Another reunion is in order, though, as Fireman confronts Coloratura and tries to steal her prized procession; Amelia's PET. Why does the young mare have the device? And how is it that Aria Blaze came to this world, and with Fireman no less?

Sorry for the late upload, everyone. As it turns out, being in a car accident where the vehicle flips almost three times sucks big time. Hope you guys enjoy, and I'm going to go back to lying down.

Chapter 9- Loose Ends

Chapter 9-

Loose Ends

The harsh light of the hospital room glared down on the occupants within. Vinyl Scratch and Coloratura each lay in their beds, bandages wrapped around the latter’s shoulder while the unicorn’s eye and body were covered in various applications and wraps, her rear right leg done up in a splint.

Meanwhile, Octavia sat beside the unconscious DJ’s bed, looking worriedly at her friend, the only sound in the room the beeping of machines. She glanced up to where the cloaked NetNavi leaned against a corner, green eyes deep in thought. She hadn’t said anything since the fight with FireMan, a matter of coldness that the gray earth pony found unsettling. She’d simply stayed by their side as the paramedics took care of them, watching the entire time. The Cellist found it to be quite disturbing.

“I’m going to go grab something to drink.” The sudden announcement followed by the Navi pushing off the wall shook the posh mare. “Anyone want anything?”

Octavia’s mouth gaped open as she attempted to reply only for the creak of a hospital bed to draw her attention to Coloratura. “A bottle of water, please,” the pop star answered, pushing herself up on her pillows. “An energy drink for Vi and warm tea if you can find it.”

“Roger that,” the dark Navi affirmed before striding across the tile and ducking out of the room.

Octavia could only stare after the program for a few more moments before turning her attention back to the other mare. “Thank you,” she murmured, shifting in her seat. “Even after all this time, you remember.”

A slight chuckle escaped the aqua-gray mare, looking to the ceiling for a moment before looking back. “I’d never subject a proper Bittish mare to cold bottled tea from a vending machine,” she chortled, her posture relaxing.

A smile sprouted on Octavia’s face, and she gave a giggle of her own. “Such a sensible response,” she said before her eyes turned worried once more. “How are you feeling?”

The singer simply smiled at that, her eyes a bit hooded. “I think the painkillers are starting to kick in,” she giggled, shifting slightly.

“Ah,” the gray mare answered, rearing her head and widening her eyes in understanding. “That makes sense.” Coloratura only smiled wider at that before their ears perked towards the door, the sound of pounding hooves reaching them.

Before either could move, a vermilion poof poked through the door, Svengallop’s eyes going from narrow to wide in an instant at the sight of his musician. “Countess!” He shouted, rushing in and nearly bowling Octavia over as he ran to get past her. “Oh, Celestia, I was so worried! What on Firma happened!?”

Coloratura blinked up at her manager for several moments before her ears peeled back and her eyes started to water. “Oh, Sisters, Sven!” The mare cried out, lunging forward to wrap her legs around him. “It came back for me! It was so scar-ar-ry!”

The stallion tensed up at the sudden outburst before relaxing slightly. “Um, there, there, dear,” he comforted awkwardly, patting her head as he gave his best smile. “Everything’s going to be okay.” Then, as the mare continued crying into the shoulder of his suit, he leaned back a little and whispered to Octavia. “What exactly do they have her on?”

“Just morphine as far as the doctor told us,” the gray mare answered with a shrug. “She only just now started showing signs of being affected by it to this extent.”

“I see,” Sven mumbled, frowning a little before turning his attention back to Coloratura and trying to usher her back into bed.

“Octavia?”

The Cellist turned her head at the sound of her name, letting out a little gasp as an indigo stallion with a blue mane and light green eyes stood in the doorway. “Parish!” She cried out, getting out of her seat and rushing around Vinyl’s bed to wrap her forelegs around his nethers. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“I came as soon as I got a call from Maestro,” the stallion, Parish Nandermane, answered, returning the hug briefly before drawing the mare back a little. “Why didn’t you message me?”

“W-well,” the dark mare stuttered, getting her mental hooves back under her. “Things were happening so fast, a-a-and Glyde got hurt fighting that fire Navi-”

“He still could’ve gotten a message to me and Snakeman,” the purple stallion interrupted, a frown crossing his face.

Octavia stared a moment before a tired smile spread over her features. “I’m sorry, Parish,” she apologized, putting one leg around his shoulders again and giving him a little squeeze. “It won’t happen again.”

Parish went to reply only to stop as the sound of voices reached them. “-ctors say everyone should make a full recovery,” Amelia was explaining as she opened the door, holding it as Princesses Celestia and Luna walked in. “I’m just worried about the implications of FireMan’s second attack and the ferocity thereof.”

“As art we,” Luna agreed as she turned the corner. “We should begin assembling a unit to track down these ‘cyber-terrorists.’”

“‘Cyber-terrorists?’” The dark alicorn’s eyes widened slightly as she realized how big their audience was, Parish holding Octavia to the side of the door with a raised eyebrow.

Silence reigned for a moment before Amelia cleared her throat. “Yes, cyber-terrorists,” she affirmed, coming around the princesses to stand at the corner of Coloratura’s bed, opposite of Svengallop. “Unfortunately, from what we can tell, the attacks on the concert and the hotel were organized by a group rather than any one individual.”

“And what makes you believe this?” The off-white stallion questioned, his expression critical.

“Several things,” the woman replied, her helmet disappearing to allow her hair to fall free. “First and foremost, there is virtually no trail to follow along the network. In order for FireMan’s Operator to log him in, move location, and engage in combat with no trace is for someone else to be covering the tracks for them while they were active.”

“So we’re looking at at least two individuals,” Celestia continued, her presence taking the center of the room. “However, according to Amelia, who is an expert on the subject, we are most likely dealing with a large organization. One with the capabilities to execute these attacks and get away scot-free.”

“But why come after the concert and the hotel?” Octavia questioned, her eyebrow raised as she stepped past Parish. “Moreover, why Coloratura?”

“Easy,” Amelia picked up, her cloak shifting slightly before she pulled out her PET. “They were after this.”

“Her Personal Terminal?” The dark mare questioned, her confusion only growing. “But... why?”

“Because, our little pony,” Luna spoke up, taking a step forward. “Thatis the first PET from which all others originate.”

Everpony’s eyes widened at that, all of them turning to look at the pink-haired NetNavi. “You mean...,” all eyes turned to Coloratura as she sat up in bed. “She’s the original Navi?”

Amelia grinned. “In the flesh,” she confirmed, giving a slight bow.

“B-b-but,” Octavia stuttered, ears pulled back and eyes wide. “That would make you well over a thousand years old!”

“Yeah,” the Navi agreed, chuckling. “Yeah, it would.”

“So, what do these terrorists want with you?” Svengallop questioned, turning the girl’s attention back to him. “And what does my Countess have to do with any of it?”

The Navigator's eyes narrowed before she answered. “What they want,” she began, crossing her arms. “Is to take me out of the game. I’m not only the first NetNavi. I’m also the strongest. Capable of autonomous movement and combat with an entire library of every known Battlechip at my disposal. As for Coloratura,” the young woman paused and looked to the mare, giving a sad sigh, “she’s the only one that can make me stronger.”

Everyone in the room, including the princesses, froze at that. “...Pardon?” Celestia questioned, turning to face Amelia. “How can she do that? The only one that could connect to that PET was-”

“Amber Leaf.” The firmness in the Navi’s voice brought the alabaster mare to a stop, the dark expression on the Navi’s face drawing a sad frown from her. All was quiet for a moment before Amelia finally let out a breath, silently uncurling her fist under her cloak. She lifted her head and looked at those present, her gaze stopping on Coloratura. “Only Amber Leaf could use my PET and sync with me. Her… or whoever she passed it on to.”

Celestia and Luna’s eyes widened at that while everyone else looked confused. “The one function we could never replicate…,” The eldest sister whispered, drawing the other’s attention. “The one no one could tell us the use for.”

Amelia nodded grimly at that, still looking at Coloratura. “I didn’t know what it was for either,” she admitted. “Not until I got a hold of it during my second encounter with FireMan. See, there’s a list of names that starts with Amber… and ends with you.”

This time, all eyes turned to Coloratura, the mare staring soberly at the NetNavi. No one said a word for several moments, the only sound was the constant beep from the machines in the room. Amelia and Coloratura only stared at each other, neither looking away nor blinking. Eventually, though, one of them broke.

The agua-gray mare sighed and looked towards her bedsheets. “You want answers, don’t you?” She asked, her voice somber.

“No.” The answer surprised Coloratura, who looked up at the woman as she frowned. “No, I’ve already gone digging through the net. I’ve already found everything.” The Navi started forward, going around the bed to stand on the pony’s other side. Gently, she began to lean forward, opal eyes widening as the program drew near. She let out a soft gasp as Amelia wrapped her arms around her, tenderly avoiding her burnt shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

Coloratura froze in place, her body stiff as the woman’s arms held her. However, a second later, tears filled her eyes, and she buried her face in the tan cloak, hooves pressing into the Navigator’s back. She sobbed, her cries filling the room as the floodgates broke inside, years of pain, sorrow, and trauma rushing out in a single moment. Amelia only held on tighter as the mare cried, letting her own tears fall unseen as her mind filled with images of a different blue and purple mare.

They stayed like this for several minutes until they finally pulled apart. “What now?” Coloratura asked, wiping the residual tears from her eyes as she sniffed.

“Now,” the Navi began, leaning back a little. “We keep you safe.”

Confusion formed across the faces of those present, Coloratura raising an eyebrow. “Excuse me,” Svengallop interrupted, raising a hoof. “What do you mean she needs to be kept safe?”

“Just because we stopped FireMan doesn’t mean they won’t send another Navi after her,” Amelia answered, turning to face the stallion from across the bed. “Like I said, the organization behind these attacks has quite a few members in it. Taking one Navi down just opens up for them to try sending in even bigger hitters.”

“What do you suggest, Amelia?” Celestia questioned, raising a hoof face up.

“I could suggest witness protection,” the Navi answered with a shrug. “Keep her off the grid until we figure out exactly where these assholes are operating.”

Coloratura’s eyes widened at that. “But then I wouldn’t be able to do any shows,” the mare argued, raising up in bed.

“Nope,” Amelia agreed with another shrug. “We could probably set up a safe house with a studio, though. That way, you’d still be able to make music.”

“That’s not the issue here,” the mare insisted with a shake of her head. “Our current tour is a series of charity events. Our next gig is supposed to be in Ponyville at the Helping Hooves Music Festival. In one week, we’re supposed to raise money for the local school and other clubs and organizations in the area.”

The cloaked woman quirked an eyebrow at that. “You do realize that tonight proves that these guys will never stop,” she pressed, leaning forward a little. “If they get a chance, they will kill you and, very briefly after, me.”

Coloratura stared at the woman’s green eyes for a moment before looking away, eyes shut. “I-I know that!” She stuttered, hooves gripping the edge of her blanket. “But I can’t do nothing when there’s something I can do to help give these foals a better life.”

Amelia’s eyes narrowed at that, and she straightened back up, crossing her arms with an unreadable expression. She tapped a finger on her arm for a few moments before speaking up again. “Alright,” she conceded, her finger ceasing to tap. “So, what do you plan on doing?”

The question stopped the show pony in her tracks. She looked away again, this time in thought. What exactly could she do if a group of terrorists were after her life? "I-"

"We fight back." Everyone turned as Vinyl Scratch sat up in bed, a grimace on her face as she moved. "If these guys aren't going to back down and neither are we, there's only one choice left." Piercing red eyes looked to Coloratura. "We fight back. Every step of the way."

All eyes stared at the unicorn, each with different expressions. It wasn't until a loud laugh broke the silence that everyone turned back to Amelia. "I like your spunk, kid!" She crowed, head thrown back. She came to a stop and leveled a wide grin at the white mare. "That sounds like a plan I can get behind."

"Excuse me," Svengallop interrupted once more, stomping a hoof. "But I believe you ruffians are forgetting a very simple detail! We are on a music tour! Our security is limited to dealing with the public! Eccentric fans! Not terrorists!"

“Unfortunately, he is right,” Luna confirmed, a hoof coming to her chin. “Thee wilt need more combat Navi’s and Operators who can handle them.”

Those present fell to silence at that, the mares and Amelia dropping their heads while the stallions looked on in confusion. After a few moments, though, magenta eyes widened. “You said you were going to Ponyville next?” Celestia asked, looking up at the pop star, who nodded. A slight smile appeared on the princess’s face at that. “Then we may have a solution after all.”

“What art thee thinking, sister?” Luna questioned, stepping up next to the taller Alicorn.

“A simple solution I’m surprised we didn’t think of sooner,” the elder answered, looking to her sister briefly. “Getting together a crack team of specialists may not be something we could do in a week, but that’s hardly an issue if there’s already a group of very capable ponies already waiting for you there.”

Luna’s eyes widened at that. “Surely you don’t mean-”

“I mean precisely that,” Celestia interjected with a wide smile.

“Is there something we’re missing here?” Amelia asked, speaking the minds of everyone else in the room.

The white diarch let out a chuckle at that before turning to the woman. “Apologies,” she answered, her smile still in place. “What I am suggesting is putting the safety of yourself and the Countess in the hooves of Equestria’s national heroes.”

Vinyl and Octavia’s eyes widened at that. “No way,” the DJ gasped, sitting up further. “You’re going to call on them for CC?”

“Who better?” The princess replied, quirking an eyebrow. “This is an issue of national security, after all. If these terrorists find a way to take down Amelia, Coloratura, or both, they will be after the entire Net. Not only here in Equestria, but all countries globally.”

“Those that has’t come so far technologically wilt be forced back into the dark ages,” Luna continued, stepping forward. “Automated systems offline, lights and communication severed. We would be sitting ducks.”

“So, who are these national heroes?” Amelia questioned, looking between the two sisters.

Celestia once again grinned. “Why, the Elements of Harmony, of course.”

Aria Blaze stood in the back of an abandoned warehouse, standing on her rear hooves with her back pressed against the wall and her forelegs crossed. She kept her eyes closed as she waited, ears perked up. She played out her failed battle over and over. What kind of Navi can prevent another from logging out? The thought bounced around her head constantly, no answer coming to her.

Her train of thought was interrupted as the sound of static began to echo around the warehouse. Her eyes opened, and she looked to the side as a hole began to tear itself open in midair. She pushed herself off the wall and onto all fours before approaching the forming portal. She stopped a few yards away, standing firm as the winds whipped her mane and tail around. Slowly, two humanoid silhouettes began to come into view from within. The first was taller, with broad shoulders and defined arms. The second was almost two heads shorter, the physique slim and athletic. They became more and more pronounced as they got closer, finally making it to the edge of the portal. When they did, they seemed to have to push against some unseen barrier, light flashing as they began to pass through, changing form as they did so.

Aria’s eyes narrowed as the bigger of the two passed through, a brown stallion with salt and pepper mane and tail stumbling out, stubble distracting from his green eyes, and tan button-up and a red ascot. It took a minute longer for the smaller to bust through, a pale blue unicorn mare with even paler, almost white, mane and tail. A purple and yellow star-shaped hair clip adorned her mane, the purple matching her eyes as a darker blue cape draped over her shoulders.

“Took you both long enough,” the siren sneered as the ponies began to stand.

“We wouldn’t have had to come if you hadn’t failed, Blaze,” the stallion answered, standing to his full height, a whole head and neck above her.

A low growl escaped the pink female, showing off sharpened fangs. “Watch yourself, Caballeron,” she warned, stepping closer to him until he pulled his head up and away from her jaws. “I may look like a pony in this form, but make no mistake. Here, I am an apex predator, the likes of which strikes fear into the hearts of any Equestrian.”

A giggle interrupted the siren’s threat, both her and the doctor looking to the mare. “Oh, pa-lease,” the unicorn started, strutting up to them. “If you’re so intimidating, then why did the boss have to send Caball-”

“Doctor Caballeron!”

“-Caballeron and Trixie?” The mare finished, pointedly looking to the stallion that had interrupted her with a smug smirk.

Another growl escaped the predator, her anger turning on the smaller mare. However, after a moment, she let her lips fall to hide her fangs. “Because,” she started to answer, teeth grinding. “Exactly what the doc warned us would happen happened.”

Both Caballeron and Trixie’s eyes widened at that. “The Navi that destroyed the Life Virus is here?” Trixie breathed, receiving a nod from the siren.

“It’s just as powerful as we were told it would be,” Aria continued, looking between them. “If not more so. It even stopped FireMan from logging out before deleting him.”

“So that’s how you were defeated,” the doctor murmured, raising a hoof to his chin. “We’ll need to be even more careful than previously thought.”

Aria only nodded at that. “If not,” she continued, starting to walk past them towards the portal, “your Navis’ll be next.” She stopped just before the doorway, head bowed. “I’ve already sent over all the data we collected, including how to track the PET. Be careful out there.” With that, she forced her way into the portal, the silhouette of a girl walking away from them before the tear sealed itself up.

Trixie and Dr. Caballeron were left in the silence of the warehouse. The stallion’s lips ran a straight, tight line before he smacked his lips and began to walk away. Trixie didn’t seem to notice until he was several yards away, jerking to attention before trotting after him. “What’s the plan now?” She asked, a little fear in her voice.

The tall earth pony never stopped moving. “...We’ll have to rethink everything,” he answered, never looking her way. “We can’t afford to charge forward without a plan.” He reached over to his left foreleg and removed his blue and yellow PET from its holster. “SharkMan,” he started, flipping open the device, “do a deep dive and pull up everything you can on our targets and their known associates. Bring me everything we could use against them.”

“You got it!” A shark-like NetNavi answered, its body and legs covered in a dark wetsuit, green armor with two marine engines on the back completing its design. Then, with a jump, it dove out of sight, connecting to the net.

Caballeron nodded his head and put his terminal away before looking at his associate. “You should begin strategizing with your own Navi,” he intoned. “Something tells me even a two-on-one battle is not something we’ll win. And we both know what happens if we fail.”

Trixie gulped at that, her eyes going to the floor as they continued out of the warehouse.

Night reigned in the small village a few miles from the base of Canterlot Mountain, a storm pouring its wrath down upon the town. However, the raging winds, rain, and thunder fell limply against the crystal walls of Friendship Castle. The large structure towered over Ponyville, not like an unyielding titan, but as a giant guarding every life within its borders.

Most windows held no glow on the outside of the castle. However, at the top of one of its branching towers, a light still shone. The light came from a single lamp and a computer screen. A document stood open on the screen, in front of which laid a board with twin paddles, both connected to a tower sitting on the desk next to them. A purple mare with a darker mane and tail sat at the computer, eyes a little tired as her hooves worked the paddles to make symbols appear on the screen. A tiny yawn escaped her as she worked, her horn igniting and lifting a mug of steaming coffee to her lips. She let a satisfied gasp leave her before setting the cup back down, lifting her hooves up and stretching, the wings on her back unfurling slightly as she did.

“A message for you, Princess.” The high-pitched, robotic voice and the shining of a new light brought her attention to her red and purple Personal Terminal.

“At this hour?” The mare questioned as she picked the PET up in her magic and opened it. “Who’s it from, NumberMan?”

“The message was sent by PharaohMan, your majesty,” answered the lanky NetNavi, green armor covering its forearms, torso, lower legs, and feet while a glass globe adorned its head, lights flashing within.

The Alicorn’s lips pursed at that. “From Princess Celestia?” She muttered, a bad feeling creeping up her spine. “Open it up. Oh, and please stop calling me that, NumberMan.”

The Navi let out a little chuckle before it opened the message, purple eyes quickly reading through it. Her eyes became more and more worried as she read, her lips drawn into a frown by the time she was finished. “This isn’t good,” she murmured, leaning back in her seat. “NumberMan, take a letter.” She paused only long enough for the Navigator to get ready. “Meet at the train station at ten AM tomorrow morning. The Princesses have sent word that we’re to meet a pony there that needs our help. I’ll explain more at the station. This is an emergency. Capitalize ‘emergency’ and send that to the girls.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the thin avatar replied, the message shrinking down into an envelope that sealed itself, turned into five copies, and shot off. “Is there anything else I can do, Twilight?”

“No,” Twilight Sparkle answered, turning in her chair before getting up and beginning to leave the room. “But my research will have to wait. For now, we have to prepare for tomorrow.” With that, her horn brightened, and all the lights turned out in the room.

Author's Note

I know I'm a little late, but I think you guys'll forgive me with the consideration of Christmas and the New Year. I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season, but for me, tis back to work!