Into Ashes: Act II

Two days have passed since my escape attempt. In that time, the guards have become much more stringent, and security around my cell has increased significantly. Instead of just the duo of the twins, a total of six guards now stand watch in the prison chamber. Golden Bolt and a new unnamed unicorn partner both guard my cell, another pair of Unicorns guard the door, and a Pegasus-Common pair guard Fluttershy. Thunderhoof presumably still resides in the infirmary after our little altercation. Fluttershy and I have made a few attempts at communicating, but anything said from either of us is quickly hushed away by the guards. Though I tend to ignore their hushing, Fluttershy of course submissibly plays by their rules. They treat her much more kindly than they do me I notice, but this is somewhat expected of them. Though conditions for us have improved however, and there hasn't been a sign of further interrogations. I still get the very short end of the stick when it comes to.. just about anything. I've been fed twice since I got here. Fluttershy on the other hand is fed twice daily, receiving a bushel of apples delivered personally by Primrose. Meanwhile Doctor Still Hooves, though I know is not of his doing, presents me only with a small platter of mushed-up, lumpy, days old slop of some variety and a cup of water. I won’t speak highly for the food, but I have noticed a more “welcoming” attitude towards me. Despite that they now keep me chained up in shackles at all times. Primrose and Still Hooves come by periodically to make an observation on me. Mostly checking on my outward health along with Golden Bolt’s, but I get the sense of some skeptic attitude probing going on. I haven't received any punishments, and this has me thinking that perhaps they're trying a new method of “getting me to cooperate” with kind gestures. Testing my behavior, saving me for something more..

I will concede that I have been more cooperative lately, but less so from why one would think. It’s mostly to entertain myself. To block out the sheer boredom of being allowed to do literally nothing but sit and wait. Occasionally I’ll try to strike up a conversation with a guard, but their only responses are increasingly creative ways to tell me to be quiet. They're a tough bunch that's for sure.

• - - -

The chamber door is pushed open, but no one enters. An unseen voice, one that I do not recognize, calls from the other side. “Bring him.” It says. But no mention as to where. Just the two lonely words. I assume it’s to take me back to the end of the hall for yet another session with Ivory. But if that were so, then Ivory would have brazenly made the announcement herself.

Without powering up their spears, relying only on my heavy shackles to keep me suppressed, my favorite guard and his new partner open my cell. “Follow us.” Golden Bolt says. I take a moment to stand as the bars open up and away from the floor. The shackles unfortunately restrict me quite heavily as I try to bring myself to standing. I know that I could break these chains with enough effort. But in that time, I have no doubt that the guards would thwart me yet again before I could break free.

Golden Bolt and his partner walk side by side towards the door. The shackles around my ankles jangle and drag across the floor as I follow them. The two Unicorns at the door pair up and follow behind me.

Outside the chamber and into the hallway. I’m surprised to see that the guards take a sharp right turn down another tunnel instead of forward to the interrogation room. Even more surprising is how sedate the mood is. No one seems to be too concerned for me, they just lead the way as if I'm one of their own. They take me down several dimly lit tunnels. Left turns, right turns, it's not clear where they might be headed. Some of the walls have many doorways leading into who knows what. Occasionally, through the glass on some of those doors, I see Equines glaring at me as I pass. I'm beginning to think that my passage through these halls was arranged, but where could I be going?

After navigating several cavern walkways, we come to a steep, winding, unlit staircase delving deep into the subterrane. Golden Bolt leads the way down with his spear active to light against the foreboding darkness.

We delve several stories further underground. The subterranean heat crops up slowly the further we descend. After quite some time of nothing but a curved, downward path, the stairs end. At the bottom, a short path that halts at two enormous crystal doors. The guards push heavily against the doors which only creep open under their immense weight. The doors give way to a grandurously ornate, brightly lit grand crystal hall. A complete contrast from everything else in the cave. The hall is decorated with an amalgamation of crystalline sculptures of Equine, paintings, mirrors, gems, glowing crystal lamps and pillars, everything is made of crystal. I am quietly caught at awe with the grandeur of it all as I roll my eyes around it's majesty. So open and so bright. Such beautiful juxtaposition from the dullness of the caves. In the middle of the hall, a lengthy dining table complete with a slew of plates, platters and saucers all decorated neatly with apple related foods. My stomach aches at the sight of so much to each. I've still been so malnourished the entire time I’ve been on my journey. And now just before my eyes, temptation to the highest degree. Temptation possibly masked under a sinister guise. Despite all the lavish glittering decor, the bountiful feast, I reserve myself to an indifferent silence. Avoiding showing any sort of outward emotion. The guards direct me to sit in a sparkling crystal chair fit for the grandest of throne rooms. “Leave us.” an unseen voice says, echoing off the walls. The four guards retreat back beyond the entrance, leaving me to my own inside the crystal cavern.

Slumped over in thrown similar to mine at the opposite end of the table, that same wretched purple unicorn who thwarted me earlier. Her horn glows a soft red, an apple levitates before her mouth as she bites into it. She stares at me, her eyes glazed over with indifference and discontent. She’s splayed out over in her chair. Head rested on her hoof and hind legs hang over the armrest. “Care for an apple?” She says monotonically. An apple from the plate in front of me suddenly glows and hovers just in front of my face. I grab it. The unicorn continues to stare, and eat.

I study the apple, suspicious of her intentions. In the bulbous surface I can see my own self looking back at me. I see no signs of tampering. “Go ahead. Try it.” she says.

I put the apple to my mouth and slowly take a bite. The moment my teeth pierce the supple red skin, immediately a delicious fresh juice pours out between my teeth. The flavor explodes as I crunch through the tough surface, and pull off an entire chunk. I’ve never tasted something so fresh before, so bursting with natural flavor. The taste has me stunned where I sit.

“I don't believe we’ve been properly introduced. My name is Twilight Sparkle. And you are?”

Her voice brings my attention back. Twilight Sparkle… That name… The one from the dream. Fluttershy also mentioned a Twilight once as well.. I offer no response and continue in my silence. I set the apple back on the table.

“I'm sure you have many questions.” she continues. “And to you I extend my hoof in cooperation.” She quite literally sits up and extends her hoof outward over the table for a handshake. But I, being many feet away from her, sit just as still and discontented as she did upon my arrival.

Unsure of my behavior, she goes on. “Ivory tells me that you received a message from Princess Luna in your dreams. Well I’m here to tell you that the message was real, and that was no ordinary dream… Do you have any questions?”

I finally decide to answer. “Yeah. What the hell is all of this. Why are you keeping Fluttershy and I here.”

“Well, like I said, I brought you down here to talk about forming a bridge of trust between us.”

“Why?”

She lets out a long sigh. “.... We need your help.”

I break out into a loud chuckle. Them? Needing my help? I find that hard to understand and somewhat humorous. “So you imprison me.. Torture me... Capture me with your magic, and now you ask for my help.”

“Yes! I admit, I must apologize for the way Ivory treated you. She went a little overboard with my instructions.”

“A little overboard?”

“Okay, very overboard. But I've talked to her and put a stop to the interrogations. And now this is my own attempt at seeing if you won’t help us with finding the Elements of Harmony. No more threats. No more harsh treatment. But I can't give you anything other than the bare minimum until you cooperate.”

I understand what she’s trying to do. She still wants something from me, information. Information that I do not have in exchange for fair treatment.

“I’ll give you the same answer I gave to Ivory. I don't know anything about the Elements of Harmony.”

“That's okay because I do.”

“What! You mean you had information on them the whole time and you still tortured me over them?”

“No! It's not like that! It's!..” She clears her throat. “The Elements of Harmony represent a large portion of the magic in our world. After your kind invaded the city of Canterlot, they've gone missing and it’s up to me to find them and restore the balance of magic in the world. Ever since humans started showing up, the balance of magic has been disturbed. Everything in this world revolves around the magical energy that binds it all together. Every living being has a magical aura around them, and every thing you've killed has played a part in removing that power. Without enough magic in the world, everything just.. dies. Unicorns like me are especially strong with magic, and the more of us die, the more our power fades away. The only way to keep the world alive is to reunite the Elements of Harmony with the crowns of the Royal Sisters, and use their combined power to restore the balance. That is my mission, and that is what I come seeking your help in accomplishing.”

“...No. ”

“What! But.. but this is so important!”

“It's a very touching story. But to me this sounds like pure lunacy. I'm not from this world, and I could survive on my own just fine without any magic. How is any of this my problem?”

“It's everyone’s problem! Both of ours! Everything in this world, even youwill die unless balance is restored and we’re running out of time!”

I laugh at how ridiculous this all sounds, but I'm no less intrigued to hear the rest. Inside I know she may be right, as I personally have encountered magic in ways I can't explain. But after the harsh treatments I've received, how I can truly believe in their cause given that I am still their enemy and they are still mine? “This sounds like it will be a very difficult task.”

“Yes. It will be. But I can't keep sending my own people out. I've lost so many already… There aren't many ponies left in the world, and I have to take care of those that remain. I wish I could go, but there's so many dangers out there, too many to risk sending out more search parties. I wish I could say this in a way that makes sense to you, but you have no idea how important you are to us.”

I laugh again. After all I've done to them, the countless lives ended by my hand.. Suddenly, their greatest threat is their only hope. But there must be more for me to hear. “How many Elements are there.”

“Well.. Including the two crowns of the Royal Sisters.. Eight.”

“And how many do you have?”

“... Just one.”

“What! Ha! You expect me to go out and find the other seven for you!”

“Well.. Yes. You're the only one strong enough to --”

“You're out of your little Equine mind. No, I’m not finding them for you. I'd rather take my chances out in the ash than with this. We’re done here.” I get up from the table and start walking towards the exit.

“But, but.. But the entire world is at stake here!”

“Yeah, your world, not mine. I'm not from here, I'm not affected by your shitty magic.”

“Yes you are! Everyone is!”

“Sorry sister, I can't really say that I believe you or that I care. Now if you don't mind I'd like to go back to my cell so I can continue planning my escape.”

“...Wait!”

I stop. “What.”

“.. We'll feed you. I’ll give you everything you need.”

“Getting desperate are we?”

“Yes, this is a very desperate time for us all!”

“Well thanks for the offer but I've had enough of your hospitality.”

“..You're not leaving.”

“Well who's going to stop me?”

“I am!” She leaps from her seat and projects a magic barrier between me and the doors. I press against it. It holds as solid as stone. “You don't want to say no. If I have to play the hard cards with you then I will. I can make your life a living hell if I choose to! Up there they can't use magic, but down here I can. You're not leaving here until you and I reach some sort of agreement! Choose your words wisely Human. You may be strong, but down here, you're in my hooves!”

The unfortunate truth is she's right. I don't doubt the powers of her kind. Me? Alone and unarmed? Bound with these heavy shackles? I wouldn't stand a chance. I need to find out where they're hiding all of my gear. That will ensure my escape to go over smoothly if I can get a hold of my weapon.

“Now sit back down!” she commands.

Begrudgingly I return to the table, sitting down with my arms crossed and my feet propped up. I am very unenthused with this situation. She re seats herself as well.

“So let's get back to negotiating. I have what you need to survive, and you have the skills to hunt down the remaining Elements.”

“I don't know if you knew anything about how long I've been here, but before I was captured I was surviving just fine on my own.”

“On the contrary, I've spoken to Fluttershy. She told me everything about you, Jax. It didn't sound like there was much hope for you two out their on your own. But it's very kind what you did for her.”

“What did you do to her!”

“I've made sure she received adequate treatment. After all, she is one of my closest friends.”

“..What?”

“We’re getting off subject. The Elements of Harmony are out there, and I need you to help us find them. What can we do to make this work?”

“I told you, I’m not going out there to find your damn Elements!”

“That's not an answer I’m willing to accept! If you're not going to help me then at least do it for Fluttershy! I know how much she means to you. She means as much to you as she does to me. If you can't help us or her.. then I can't let you go.”

“I'm not hunting them all down for you.”

“Okay then! Maybe at least help find some of them!”

“..One of them.”

“Excuse me?”

“Those are my terms. I will help you find one Element in exchange for my freedom.”

“That's not enough. I need more Elements than that before I can start reshaping Magic.”

“Nope! I refuse to go through so much for that many.”

“Fine then. Help me find two Elements.”

“One Element.”

“Two Elements and Fluttershy can go free with you.”

This offer has my interest piqued.

“.. You'd really let her go with me? I thought she was your closest friend?”

“She is.. But if it means you’ll help us, I’m willing to let her go.”

“How do I know I can trust you’ll follow through?”

“Well how can I trust that once I let you out to recover the Elements you won't just abandon us?”

“I’ll go and get them. But only for Fluttershy. Not for your damned crusade to save the world.”

“Well then considering what you're up against and how much of a help it would be to us, I can't help but make sure I hold true to my end. Two Elements it is then. But just to make you aware, if you truly care about Fluttershy you’ll help us find more. Unfortunately there is a time limit to find these Elements. I don't know how much time we have left, and I know even less how long it will take to find the others.”

This was a point that I had overlooked. But then again, after hearing how dangerous finding the others could be, who's to say she or I wouldn't die in the process anyway? Would it make a difference if I died in the hunt or when magic meets its end? “... Yes, just two of them.”

“..You’ll really help us?”

“No, not you. I’ll help for Fluttershy.”

“Uh, you do realize she's one of us right?”

“It sure does sound like she's been disassociated.”

“And after what she did, it's only a precaution.”

“What did she do?”

“That's a story for another time. We have more pressing matters at hand. I have your word that you’ll help us then?”

“... Unfortunately.”

“Okay, then we need to get down to business. My scouts located one of the Elements not too far from here just the other day. Well.. sort of. They found where it might be but they were unable to retrieve it. Unfortunately even after The Inferno, a war between surviving factions has been going on, and it's one that I've been losing. I face an enemy with a much stronger power than mine and it's only growing stronger. They've began their own hunt for the Elements and they’re just about to discover the Element of Loyalty, the same one my scouts found. They've already set up an excavation site around where it's supposed to be, and they might find it before we do! We can't let that happen. I'm sorry to just throw you into things like this but we’re running against the clock! Like me, their leader already has one of the Elements, and we cannot allow another one to fall into their hooves!”

“Who exactly is their leader? I might be able to take him out. I enjoy a good hunt.”

“He calls himself Prince Mustang. He used to be one of my most loyal supporters. He and I never really saw eye to eye but he was always one of my biggest helpers. And one day he just.. snapped. I can’t explain it, just one day out of nowhere he suddenly started acting like I was his enemy. He broke off from our first underground fortress and used his magic to manipulate many of my own followers to join him. Somehow he's managed to turn that into an army, and more and more survivors flock to his cause. He too seeks the Elements, but not in the same way that I do. Because he has risen to so much power in this new world, he doesn't want to give up control. He wants to find the elements and make sure no one is able to use them!”

“He doesn't know about the so called balance? And that everything supposedly dies without it?”

“It would appear that he doesn't.”

“So you want me to kill him and steal his Elements?”

“Well, not exactly. Only fight him if you must, but I must warn you. He is very powerful in the ways of magic. --”

“Magic is no use against a metal slug moving at seven times the speed of sound.”

“That may be so, but do not underestimate him. He can use his powers to influence the minds of others without them ever knowing. Be careful when you find him. He should be at the excavation site right now, personally overseeing finding the Element. You may have a chance to stop him, but avoid it if you can. As troublesome as he is for me and my followers, he plays just important a role as I do in keeping the balance.”

“So you expect me to stand against an army, alone, just to find these two Elements?”

“No. I was planning to send two of my best scouts with y --”

“Oh boy, see, I’m not exactly in good with any of your friends.”

“I know that. You've caused us a lot of trouble. You sent five of my guards to the infirmary the other day. You were already hated enough.”

“It was self defense what can I say.”

“Nevermind that right now. Since you've agreed to help us, for now I’ll keep you in your cell until we can make a better place for you to sleep. In that time I’ll call a meeting together and let everypony know that you're on our side.”

“Well isn't that just kind of you.”

“It'll take some time for everypony to warm up to you. But I need you to do your best to get along with them, especially with who I’m sending with you on this mission. Teamwork and friendship is important.”

“I don't plan on staying long enough to make friends with all your little cronies.”

“You’d be surprised how much power there is in strong friendships. But for now I’ll release you back to your cell while I prepare the others.”

“I'm going to need my gear back if I'm going out there.”

“You'll get it back, but not until it's time to leave. Guards! You may return and escort our guest back to his cell.”

The guards re enter the room and trot towards me. “Just one question.” I add. “You use your magic but no one else does. Why?”

“Prince Mustang has his own scouts out just like I do. Many of them have been trained in the art of magical sapping. They can detect traces of magic from a distance and oftentimes are able to cancel it and report back where they found it. Inside this crystal sanctum, it's impossible to detect unless you're in here with it. But up there, it's not hard for them to detect. So to keep us all safe, I made it a law for no pony to use magic. We’ve had to relocate several times to stay hidden from Prince Mustang's forces because of this.”

“Hmm.. makes sense.” I think. Except for that time she used her magic to prevent my escape. Though then again, what choice did she have? The guards surround me at the table. I stand up and they escort me all the way back through the cave to my cell.

• - - -

Once securely locked back in my cell, four of the six guards leave to attend Twilight's meeting. This time they're kind enough to remove my shackles and leave me with a plate of apples and a large goblet of water. I ask myself where in this world they have all this food, but those thoughts are short lived as I indulge in the feast of fresh fruit and water. Fluttershy is not in her cell.

Sometime later however, the same two unarmed guards return and lock her back up. I wait for them to leave before I speak to Fluttershy, now that we finally have a chance to catch up seeing how I am no longer the enemy.

“Fluttershy!”

“Quiet you!” Golden Bolt yells out.

“Didn't you hear what Twilight and I talked about? I'm on your side --”

“I said quiet!”

“Oh shut up Golden Bolt! Twilight and I came to an agreement so you can ease up on your little pretend guard thing you're pulling.”

Golden Bolt grunts but doesn't try to interrupt me again. “Fluttershy!”

“Jax! Oh I’m so glad you're okay!”

“Fluttershy, where are we?”

“Um.. Well, remember when I said I didn't want to take you back to my own home?”

“..Yeah?”

“We’re basically underneath it right now..”

“What! You mean this place has been just outside Ponyville the entire time!”

“Yes! Um, I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you about it because I didn't want you to get captured! But.. these are also my friends, and I didn't want you hurting them either.”

“Wait.. So this is where you got the water from then?”

“..Yes..”

“But if these are your friends why are you locked up here with me? Why does everyone seem to hate you like they hate me?”

“I may have.. Done something horrible… I - I - Oh please don't ask about it, it's too much guilt for me to relive!”

“Ugh, fine. But listen. Twilight and I made an agreement and I’m.. I hate to say it, but I’m going to help find some of the Elements of Harmony.” I spend the next several minutes explaining what's happened to me over the last few days. The torture, the meeting with Twilight, everything. She doesn't seem at all pleased to hear any of it except that I’m helping find two of the Elements. In turn, Fluttershy reveals everything that's happened to her. I’m relieved to hear that the only unfair treatment she's received is not being aloud to speak to any of the other ponies. But the mystery as to why she is regarded so negatively still remains. I won't pressure her into telling me like I've done before. Perhaps this is an answer I must wait to find out, or one I just have to get from someone else. But she has told Twilight everything she knows about me. It's all starting to make sense now. At first they were afraid there were more humans like me still roaming around. We obviously still stand as a very imposing threat to their survival. But Twilight in all her desperation must have hatched the idea that I could be bargained with to help them. After all, I am well suited for the kind of mission she's about to send me on. Infiltration with a small team is my specialty. The thought of being back in action is almost exciting, but given that I now must work on the side of what I have been raised from birth to be my soul enemy.. Things for me are going to be a little uneasy. Especially having to coordinate and work with Twilight’s goons, whom I highly doubt even know what they're doing when it comes to these types of things. They lack the lifetime of training I have beneath my belt.

After quite some time, Twilight finally returns from her meeting. She barges into the room. “Golden Bolt! Please open Jax’s cell and come with us to the sanctum.”

Without a word, Golden Bolt and his partner open my cell, both of their spears pointed at me. “Don't think of trying anything Human.” Golden Bolt warns.

“Oh come off it already!” I bat their spears out of the way with my hand and follow Twilight. “But, what about Fluttershy?” I ask.

“She’ll be here where it's safe.” She closes the door behind us as we leave the prison chamber, and head back down to The Sanctum as she calls it. “Let’s be honest though.” She continues. “Would you really want her on this mission with you? Fluttershy's not exactly the best at being aggressive.”

“A fair point. But I have to ask. What exactly did Fluttershy do that has all of you so on edge?”

“I won't tell you exactly what she did. --”

“Ugh, would someone please just tell me!”

“Fluttershy has recently become.. unstable. Since the start of your invasion, we’ve all seen and done things we used to think of as absolutely despicable. But no pony has been affected by that trauma as much as Fluttershy.”

“She seemed perfectly fine to me when her and I were out there together. For the most part, at least.”

“Well that's partly why I said I was thankful for what you did for her. Somehow you showing so much kindness to her managed to calm her down. She's been experiencing extreme mood swings ever since Ponyville was hit and she lost all her animal friends. And then she had to make her way all the way to Canterlot on her own to protect the Elements alongside me. I can’t imagine what she had to go through to get there, but whatever it was it certainly has changed her. But that's just the start, there's more to the story that I'll explain later. One day she seemed to nearly lose her mind altogether. I had no choice but to exile her until whatever had overcome her had gone away. That's probably how you two ended up meeting each other.”

Ponies still look cautiously at me through the many doorways we pass along the way to the sanctum. I ignore them. Their opinions of me matter so little. Eventually, the three of us arrive back at the crystal doors. We enter, and already inside, standing around the center table, the same two unicorns who were escorting Fluttershy around. One of those two is the very same pony I had held hostage during my escape. “You!” she shouts as she jumps away from the table, her horn building up with magic.

“Twinkle, stand down. Jax, I’m sure you two have already been acquainted but I’d like you to meet Twinkleshine and Buddy Duke.”

“Twilight you can’t be serious right now! I am NOT working with him!”

“Twinkle please calm down, we don't have time for this! You're going to have to put aside your hate for each other for now.”

“But did you not see him try to kill me!?”

I cut in. “Oh relax, I wasn't going to kill you. I was just using you to get away. Ending your life was just an afterthought.”

“Quiet you two!” Twilight yells. “I've gathered the three of you here for a very important purpose. All of you have to work together and put aside your petty differences to accomplish this mission. But before we can set out on our mission, we need to come up with a plan. Everyone, please sit around the table.”

Twilight flashes her horn, and the table transforms from an elongated dining table into the shape of a six-pointed star. Four crystal chairs rise up from the floor at four of the table’s points, two on each side. I take the nearest seat to me, and Twilight takes the seat next to mine. Buddy Duke and Twinkleshine sit across from us. Twinkleshine keeps a fixed glare at me for nearly the entire time she sees me.

“So.” Twilight begins. “We don't have a lot of time. Jax, Twinkle and Duke have already been there and mapped out what they could.” The table flickers to life and on its surface projects a holographic map of the compound around where the Element is supposedly located.

Buddy Duke chimes in. “Unfortunately we weren't able to get inside the central area where they have everything set up. They built a huge wall around where they're digging. There's an excellent lookout point on the opposite side of the compound across the road.” He flashes his horn and a star appears at Hill 514. “They had a roof built over the excavation site, so seeing inside was impossible. But I can post up at Hill 514 and be a look out for Twink and.. Jax until they make it inside the compound. I'll come down and join them when they do.”

“And how do you supposed we stay in contact?” I ask Buddy Duke.

“Well we have one thing Prince Mustang's dude’s don’t have. Grease.”

“Grease?”

Twilight answers for Buddy Duke. “Grease is one of our most talented engineers. She's created all sorts of useful tools to help us from salvaged nightcrawler fragments. One thing she's created that gives us an edge over Prince Mustang is handheld radios.”

“You've been, salvaging, parts off our drones?” I ask.

Twinkleshine cuts in. “Ugh, of course we have. How do you explain the powered lights? The electric spears? We’re not as dumb as you think.”

“Well that explains why I was never attacked by a drone while I was out there.”

“Nightcrawlers. They're called Nightcrawlers.”

“I don't care what you call them!”

Twilight interjects to avoid another tangle between Twinkleshine and I. “We’ve been out hunting them down. They're actually quite easy to fight and they're full of useful components and materials.”

I'm stunned that she describes them as being “easy to fight”.

“Let's get back on subject. So, radios, yes. Grease has made enough for each of you to have one of your own as well as a pair of binoculars. So, Duke, I want you to start on the backside of the hill and provide a look out for the other two. Once they make it to the compound entrance, try and see if you can't join them. Jax, Twinkle, you should be able to sneak past the main gate if you stay in the low ground between the main road and Hill 514. Both of you will follow it together until you reach where the road splits off. Follow the trail heading up to the compound. But try to find a way to keep off the main roads, they most likely have guard patrols running all over the place. If you find a short cut, use it. And if you have to, take out any guards along the way, but be careful not to kill any of them unless you have to. it's important that Duke and Twinkle avoid magic, they're bound to have sappers with them. You need to remain silent and go as unnoticed as well as you can. I can't stress enough how important this mission is. But once you make it inside the compound.. We don’t know what they have in there so unfortunately you'll have to make it up as you go. Don't stop for anything even if things get tough. But it's also just as important that you all come home. I'm counting on you three to work together as a team! That means no fighting with each other!”

“So long as he doesn't get in the way, we should do fine.”

“Twinkle I don't think you know who you're dealing with.” I say

“And I don't think you know who you'redealing with! I've been fighting this war for months! This isn’t my first rodeo!”

“Months? Ha! I've been training my entire life for missions like this!”

“Just stay out of Duke and I’s way! We don't need your help!”

“Stop it you two!” Twilight blurts out. “Both of you are going to have to get along until the job is done. Once it's over, you guys can go back to hating each other. But for now, you're friends so start acting like it. I expect you two to work as a team to --”

I interrupt Twilight. “I don't need a team. I could handle this mission on my own.”

Twinkleshine slams her hoof on the table. “BUDDY DUKE AND I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP EITHER!”

“Twinkle stop it!” Twilight yells. “As one of my oldest friends, I expect better of you! What none of you realize is how much danger there is in entering the compound! We have no idea what or who could be in there. That's why Jax is going with you. We’ve all seen how powerful and effective humans can be. I'm sorry to say this Twinkle, but as capable as you are I think this mission is a bit over your head.”

“Thank you, Twilight.” I say.

“Both of you need to stop being so bitter towards each other. Equestria and the entire world is counting on you. So, once you're inside the compound you'll have to make it up as you go until you find the Element. Prince Mustang is also said to be there, so the entire place is going to be heavily guarded, especially within the walls.”

“I'm sorry I couldn't get more intel on the inside Twilight.” Buddy Duke says.

“It's okay Duke. You did what you could and we’re all thankful for it. What time is it?”

“6:40 PM.” says Duke.

“Then we leave in three hours. Does anyone have anything else to add before we go?”

“Uh, yeah.” I say. “What kind of gear are we going in with? Explosives? Wire cutters? You're not just sending us in with communication as our only weapon are you?”

“Jax, I’ll make sure you have your weapon and plenty of ammo before you leave. You're going to need it. Unfortunately radios and binoculars are all we have to work with for now.”

“No, unacceptable. We need some sort of explosive. You don't have any?”

“Well.. No.”

Twinkleshine cuts in. “Isn't the point of this mission to be quiet? Last time I checked explosives weren't very quiet.”

“That's exactly why we need them.” I say.

“.. Wow. Just when I thought you couldn't be any more out of touch.”

“There's a reason why I’m asking. Do you have any combustible materials Twilight?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I’m sorry Jax. We’re just going to have to go without them.”

“What about a geologist? You live in a cave and have it carved out pretty well. I assume one of you has knowledge in geology.”

“..Yes. We do. His name is Igneous Rock Pie. He's our only geologist.”

“Excellent. I need to speak to him then. And Grease, I'll need to work with her too. I have an idea.”

“Okay, well, is everyone comfortable with the plan?”

“I’m comfortable.” says Duke. “Twink? Think you'll be able to manage?”

“Ugh, since I have to. So long as he doesn't get in my way.”

“Jax?”

“Sure. Whatever gets me out of here.”

“It's settled then!” Twilight says proudly. “This is a very important mission for the three of you. And if you can find the second Element, take it. But don't put yourselves in the path of danger if you can avoid it. I’m counting on you. Equestria is counting on you. This meeting is adjourned. Duke, please take Jax to see Igneous Rock. Twinkle, help me get everything ready.”

While Duke and I get up from the table, Twinkle and Twilight stay seated until we leave. The heavy doors slam closed behind us. “Well at least you seem more sensible than Twinkleshine.” I say to Duke as we climb the stairs.

“She can be a bit of a bummer sometimes but she's pretty cool. Her and I grew up in Canterlot together. We've been friends since we were foals and have always worked well as a team.”

“Why aren't you so despising of me as the rest of you are?”

“Anyone who's willing to help save Equestria is my friend. Pony, Human, Griffon, Dragon, they're all the same to me so long as they help.”

Pfft. Equestria. I'm only doing this for Fluttershy's sake. But so long as he thinks that, there's one less problem I have to deal with.

Duke guides me up the stairs and into a room just to the left, not far down the hallway away from where the deep dark plunge began. Inside, toiling away alone with a small pickaxe, an elderly orange pony with a black hat and a decayed gray mane picks away at a small clump of rocks. On his flank, an icon of a pickaxe. No doubt this is the geologist Twilight spoke of.

“Igneous Rock?” I ask. He jumps slightly, startled at the sound of my voice before turning to look at us. Being of such age and wisdom, he should know exactly how to help me.

“I’m sorry, I did not hear you open the do-- Ahh! Human! Buddy Duke what's this vial being doing out of his cage?” His voice is old and croaked.

“Easy there old timer. He's a friend. He needs your help with.. wait, what exactly do you need from Igneous?”

I look to the old pony and speak to him sternly, but calm and approachably. “You're a geologist are you not? We could use your help, I need to find a certain mineral.”

“Ah well uh, I supposed I could be in the business of helping you.” He says this completely ignoring me and looking at Duke. “What exactly are you folks looking for?”

“I need to find some sodium. You should have dug up plenty of it while digging out these tunnels.”

“I beg your pardon, Duke?”

“Uh no, not me. It's Jax talking to you. The human.”

“Oh, well, what does he need?”

“I need to find some sodium. Have you stumbled across any since you've been digging?”

“Sodium eh? Yes, I have come across some sodium in my digging. The rock here is sodium deprived you see, but I have found some. There's some right here, would you look at that.”

“Fantastic, I need it. Can you metallize this for me?”

“Can I do what now?”

“He lost his hearing in an explosion Jax.” says Duke. “Plus the dude is old. You'll have to speak up.”

“Metallize this sodium! Can you do it?” I enunciate each word clearly and loudly.

“Metallize it? What for?”

“I need it for a bomb we’re building. Sodium is more reactive when it's in a metallic form.”

“Well, I suppose I could. I’ll need you to bring me an electrolyzer and I can handle the rest on my own.”

“An electrolyzer? Where are we going to get one of those? Do I even know what that is..?"Duke asks.

I think for a moment… The drones, the JN88s, they use up a lot of power at night and have back up hydrogen fuel cells. “You said Grease salvages parts for you from nightcrawlersright?” I ask Duke.

“Yeah? What about 'er?”

“Does she have a workshop somewhere?”

“Yeah, it's just down the hall. But what are we going to do about an eel-ec-tro-lyzer?”

“We should be able to salvage one off of a drone. We’ll need Greace’s help with that.”

“Oh. Awesome! You know Jax, I have to say you're pretty smart.”

I say nothing, but I slightly appreciate his comment.

“Stay here old timer, we’ll be right back with that electrolyzer.” says Duke.

Duke takes me just a few doors down to another room. Inside, a mint green pony with a forest green mane. Her cutie mark is two wrenches crossed over on each other in an X. She’s working on welding something together with an arc welder, hooked up to a bundle of drone batteries on the right side of the room. It flashes brightly, almost too bright to look at. “Hey! Grease!” Duke yells out against the chuttering of the welder.

Grease turns her head to look and lifts her welding goggles. Her face is coated with streaks of black from burns, everywhere but her eyes. She doesn't say anything, but her face instantly lights up into an gasp when she sees Duke. But it just as quickly shoots into a wary frown as she notices me. “It's okay Grease. He's one of us. Jax, this is Grease. You already know what we love her for. She can't speak though. Like Igneous she was also hurt and lost her voice because of it.”

Grease turns around and continues welding.

“Hey! Grease! We need your help with something!” Duke yells. Grease quickly turns around and throws a wrench straight at my face. I dodge it, but only just.

“Take it easy Grease! He's on our side. Sorry Jax. That's usually her signal for “Go away, I’m busy”. But I guess she just doesn't like you.”

“I can't imagine why any of you would like me.” I say.

“Grease listen. We've got another mission coming up and we need your help with something. Well, a couple of things.”

She pulls out another wrench and points it at Duke. She smiles at him, and then points to me and waves the wrench back and forth with a frown. She throws the wrench at me again but I catch it in the air. I almost want to snap it in half and throw it on the ground, but I'm trying to get her to help me.

“Grease stop, it's okay. Jax what she said was she's okay with helping me but wants you to get out --”

“I know what she means Duke don't worry. I get the hint.”

“C'mon Grease, just helps us out. He's got an idea for you but only he knows what it is. Please help us? For me?”

She shrugs her shoulders and rolls her eyes, then motions me to come over.

I walk over an kneel down to eye level with her. She puts her goggles back on as I do so she doesn't have to look at me.

“Grease, I have an idea for a bomb that's going to help us on our mission. And I need your expertise to build it.”

She lifts her goggles back up, and looks at me with a raised brow.

“I need some parts first. I need a sturdy metal box of some sort, but it can't be made of a thick metal. I'll also need a thin watertight sheet, another radio and some parts off a dro - nightcrawler. Do you know where we can find those things?”

She brushes past me and canters over to the door. She motions us to follow, and she takes us into much larger room just across the hall. Inside this room, piles upon piles of mangled drones, scattered metal, and litters of bits and components of all kinds. Again I find myself silently at awe, and silently confused as to how they managed to amass such a huge collection of drones in such a short time.

Grease looks to me and lifts her hoof to present to us, Her Salvage Room. I’ll admit, I am slightly impressed at the sight.

“Okay Grease.” I begin. “I assume you know all the technical terms so I’ll just say it. I need an electrolyzer from one of the fuel cells. Also, I need the pneumatic launcher from one of their harpoon cannons. And of course, the things I mentioned earlier.”

She confidently swipes her nose with her hoof and dives elegantly back first into one of the heaps. She disappears amongst the parts. Occasionally she pops back up out of a random pile with a part in her hooves. She’ll inspect the part for a brief moment before disappearing again. It's almost as if she's swimming amongst the salvage in search of the right parts.

“So what exactly do you need all these parts for?” Duke asks.

“It's an idea for an improvised explosive I came up with. Let me describe it to you. We need a relatively large chunk of sodium for this. Metallic sodium reacts extremely violently when in contact with water. The sodium will be held above a thin sheet of something waterproof, and under that sheet will be water. A signal to the radio that'll be attached to it will send another electric signal to the pneumatic launcher, which will be placed next to the sodium. The launcher will blow the sodium out of place and it'll drop through the sheet, mix with the water, and then pressure will build inside the box until there's enough to blow the whole thing apart.”

“Wowo, that is totally smart! But.. what would we use that for if we’re trying to be quiet?”

“It might help make our job easier or we could use it to blow a hole in an obstacle. You'd be surprised how versatile explosives can be for more than just pretty fireworks.”

“Wow. You're like a genius or something.”

“No, I’m not. I just have a lot of years of experience doing this kind of thing.”

“Call it what you want, that's still pretty genius.”

Grease pops up and throws an electrolyzer at my feet. “Ah, perfect! Duke, take this back to Igneous and get started on metalizing that sodium. He'll know what to do."

“Right!” He grabs the electrolyzer in his mouth and runs out of the room. Just as he leaves, Grease pops up again and throws the pneumatic launcher to my feet. She leans against her front leg on top of the pile and smiles at me smugly. I thank her for finding it, and we gather the remaining parts that I need, and head back across the hall to her welder.

We take a medium sized box made of a thin metal, and she cuts it in half. With her own supply of water, she fills the bottom portion halfway, and then we place a film of thin glass over it, melting the edges to the metal with a blowtorch. Some time later, Igneous and Buddy Duke return with a rough looking chunk of metallic sodium, about the size of my fist. That's a lot of sodium, I didn't expect them to have gathered so much so quickly.

Grease makes her own modification to my blueprint. Instead of the sodium being pushed from a nest into the water, she tapes the chunk to the end of the pneumatic launcher. That way instead of falling onto the glass and possibly not breaking it, the sodium will be shot through and into the water. We cut a large hole in the top half of the box. Grease melts a band of metal around the launcher and the box to keep them together. We then place the two halves of the boxes on top of each other and Grease welds them together. Finally, the last step. Grease splices a radio into the circuits of the pneumatic launcher. I ask her what frequency she set the radio for the bomb to. She writes a number in a pile of dirt with a wrench. Humorously enough, she set the frequency to 321. A countdown. How fitting.

The entire process takes us two hours. We would have built more bombs or a prototype to test my theory. But given that we are running with everything with a strict budget, we decide that this untested device will have to do for the mission. We’re all hoping it works, but there's always a chance something might go wrong. The radio might die, or the pneumatic launcher might fail. But all of us are impressed with the combined ingenuity with which we used to put it together. Even Twinkleshine seems slightly impressed by our work when we present it to her.

The time to set out on our mission approaches. We all make our final preparations and run through the mission several times. Until each of the three of us understand every facet completely and can perform competently with minimal chances of failure.