Stagnation is Death

by Firefoxino

[OLD]Chapter 4 The Ever-Free welcome part 1 [UNEDITED]

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"Ladies and gentlemen, it's your captain who's speaking, we will now start to land. FACE FIRST TO THE GROUND!"
I shouted starting to lose quote over the Everfree forest, Sunset was just screaming with her eyes closed, while gripping onto me with all her strength.

"Wearegoingtodiewearegoingtodiewearegoingtodie..." She repeated like a mantra.

"No one is gonna die Sunset! But brace yourself, this will be a hard laaaaAAAAAAH!" I crashed against the roof of branches and fogliage that composed the forest. I took Sunset in my arms and coiled around her. We started to go more and more down, fortunately the branches slowed us down.

I crashed in the ground and left a trail of broken trees and dirt. "Ok, I need to check if everyone is alright."

I started with my daughters (sorry Sunset!) and let out a sigh of relief when not one of them was hurt. I started a check-up on Sunset too, she too was alright. I uncoiled myself from her and when she stumbled out I asked her."Sunset, are you alright?" Her response was a flip off of her hand before vomiting, leaning on a tree.

After she finished she sat down and calmed down a bit,"Remind me...to never...ever...fly with you!" She half panted half shouted.

"Look at the bright side Sunset, we are safe now right?" And said that I swore, I saw the universe itself rubs it's hands with an evil grin.

I heard a big roar similar the one of a lion behind me. A tall muscular beast was there, looking at me, it's mouth was big and filled with teeth, it had bat-like wings and a scorpion tail. "A manticore!"

It roared again and charged at me, unfortunately for it, I killed beings far more intimidating and faster than it. I quickly brought up my right hand and punched it on it's head, making it slam into the ground with a whine.

"Listen and listen good"I started, laying my foot on it's snout while looking at it in the eyes."I'm now the new apex predator here, as such you better go away, before I kill you." It looked at me with confusion.

" UNDERSTOOD!? I roared in it's face, it immediatly stood up and started running back into the thick foliage.

"Was that a manticore?" Sunset asked

"Yep." I responded cheerfully "And now is gone, come on, we need to find a shelter before nightfall."We then started walking through the forest.

"Say..." She started. "You said you were an Evolved? Right? What are those?"

"You see I'm a virus." Her eyes widened."As such I can shapeshift and control my body 100%, every being can become like me, all that they need is to come in contact with the virus. The probability, however, to become an evolved naturally are more or less zero, for the most part you will become a mindless monster. If it is an evolved to inject you the virus, and he or she wants to, then you will surely become one too."

"That's.....that's some big news you know? So you are a virus."I nodded."What can you do exactly?"She asked.

"Right now I can shapeshift in anyone if I've got their D.N.A." I shifted to Red to demonstrate."If I consume someone I can even get their memories if the brain is intact. I can lift roughly 50 to 70 tons of weight, it depends all on how much biomatter I have in me. I can jump pretty high up to 20 or 25 meters, I can run at 150 Km/h and right now I weight one ton, any more question?" I lifted her up again on my shoulder.

"B-b-but that's impossible! How can you be so strong? Can you even be defeated?" She asked.

"Oh yeah, I can regenerate of course, but magic can affect me pretty bad. Their rifle can pierce my skin and I can die if I take too much damage." I responded. "Huuum let's see, shelter...shelter..."I continued to search for a shelter when Sunset spoke again.

"Why are you telling me all of this? Don't you fear I could use this information against you?" She argued.

"Naaa I trust you, after all you accepted to help me with the girs." I retorted.

"You... you trust me?...Thank you." she said blushing.

"Don't sweat it and, after all, you're too cute to be a traitor"I chuckled.

"M-m-m-m-me?! C-c-c-cute? W-well t-thank you." She said while her face started to become crimson.

After that we fell into a silence while I was searching for refuge. Then Sunset spoke again

"Say... you said you have daughters. Where are they?" Oh I knew I was forgetting something.

"But of course here..." I put her on the ground. Then opened my torso. "This are my little girls. From left to right we have,
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Twilight. They are all my little stars. They are beautiful, don't you think?" I asked with a proud smile on me.

"Yes." She said looking at them with a motherly look."They are. So you got six girls eh? No boy to continue your family?"

"One" I started "I don't care what gender they are, I love them regardless. Second, I'm ageless so I don't need an heir. Third, I have seven daughters." I said, smirking at her while closing my torso again.

"Seven? Where's the seventh?" She asked me trying to mount up again.

"My seventh daughter is near here, in Ponyville. Her mother was a friends of mine and I promised to her, that I would watch over her daughter. She is a foster daughter, you could say. Her name, is Derpy Hooves. Windy...she died in that facility, I had to...kill her."Sunset gasped and put a hand over her mouth. "If I hadn't do that, they would have mutated her, killing her regardless. Her last wish was for me, to watch over Derpy. And I will." I said resolutely, in my voice not a drop of hesitation.

"I...I'm so so sorry."She said patting me on the head.

"Don't be." I said looking at her."It wasn't your fault."

"Regardless, I'm sorry, she didn't deserved that." She whispered.

"No. No she didn't." A looming silence fell again on us.

After twenty or thirty minutes of walking, we stumbled across a cavern. It was fairly large and probably deep enough to discourage predators. "Should I mark the territory? No now don't be ridiculos Phil." The cave was completely dark, but fortunately my night vision activated so I could see where I was going. Ah the marvels of this virus. Anyway we started to go deeper in the cave, we arrived in what I assumed was the main chamber. The cavern was humongos and filled with piles on piles of gold, gems and other piece of art. I grabbed one coin and observed it, then a deep, powerful voice spoke up.

"oboediatis verbis meis dicit mortale" Thundered the voice. Then continued.

"Occidere arte capi!" I felt Sunset's hands on my neck immediatly, she started to chocke me, well she tried, anyway.

"Sunset, SUNSET. Snap out of it!"I told her, but to no avail. I approached a wall then and, with some biomass I created a cocoon, soft but hard enough to resist against Sunset's hits. I then tossed her in. "Sorry Sunset, but you are not yourself right now. Don't worry I will free you. But for now, you will stay here, sorry again." I said closing the cocoon trapping her in. I then created another cocoon, this one filled with nutrients and heavely fortified. I put the girls inside it for safekeeping, I won't endanger them.

"OK FUCKER,COME OUT AND FACE ME!" I shouted trying to lure the bastard out. An immense pile of gold rumbled and shifted, before sliding away in order to reveal a massive green scaled dragon.

MEIS AUDES?" The dragon said.

"Speak english you fucker, I can't understand you!" I angrily said while creating my claws. "You know what? Nevermind, for daring to control Sunset's mind, I hereby sentence you to death!"

The dragon was an enourmous opponent, far greater then the ones I faced before. He was at least 40 meters tall and 120 meters long, his face was filled with scars, one in particular stood out. His eyes were a glowing amber colour, massive spikes were on his back, long at least five meters. His wings were folded to his side because the cave was too small for him. He spoked again.

"HOW DARE YOU, MORTAL, DEFY ME?! YOU WILL FACE THE WRATH OF AATHURNAS, GREAT DRAGON OF THE DRAGON HORDE!" He boomed before trying to smash me with one of his massive claws. I stood my ground and waited his claw, when it collided with me, the force was gigantic, it was like trying to move a mountain, but I didn't give up. I started pushing back, and with a powerful roar I pushed back his claw. Aathurnas looked at me with a bewildere look, I didn't let him any time to breath. I jumped and landed on his right arm and slashed it, only for my claw to bounce on his hard scales.

"Grrr dammit! Again? Ok let's try again." I shifted to my hammerfist and slammed them on his arm, again and again. After twenty hit, the scales weren't damaged at all. I was growing worried. "His scales are too hard for me?" Then a massive claw collided with me launching me to the wall of the cave. I exited the crater I created and started thinking.

"If I can't hurt him from the outside... I will just have to go inside!" With a new plan in mind I rushed against him, skidding down his arm, evading his blow. I concentrated a great amount of biomatter in my arms, then I threw all of it against his lower jaw. The blow was powerful enough to throw him on the ceiling, the tendrils then came to life. They grabbed his snout and attached themselves on the ceiling, pinning him to it. I run towards one of his scales and started pulling hard, when the scale detached from him I consumed it.

Immediatly I started to fell something on my skin, I looked at myself to see that I was now in a full body armor. The primary colour was black, with a lighter shade of gray on the joints and face. I used the same kind of biomass of the armor and created a shield. Hopefully hard enough to whitstand his blows, fireproof too, I hope.

Aathunas ripped away my tendrils and looked at me angrily.

"Die in the flames, insect!"

He roared before taking a deep breath. When he breathed out a torrent of flames escaped his mouth and went against me. I tried to dodge but the armor was too heavy and the fire caught me. Fourtunatly the armor was indeed fireproof and I didn't feel anything. Knowning this I run towards him while in the flame, I then jumped inside his open mouth. I started descending into his throat while he was trying to gag me out. I didn't want to see if my armor was acidproof too so I entered his wind pipe, then I arrived inside his left lung.

"Ok, let's see how sturdy your lungs are, shall we?" I clawded and slashed at everything inside his lungs, I thought I was doing a great job, cause I could hear him roaring in pain, but instead his lungs were regenerating over and over.
"This is not good, I can't kill him it seems, what to do? Mmmmm. Aha!"

"If you can't kill them..." I slashed again and jumped outside on his beating heart.

"Then obligate them to join you!" I then plunged my claws inside his heart pumping in the virus. The effect were instantaneous, the heart got coated with black and red tendrils, the conversion was extremely painful, if his roaring were of any indication. Still the virus continued to work. After ten minutes, I felt that it was done, I ordered the virus to open a way out for me. Tendrils got out of the way, and I jumped outside his body.

"Master. He said "What are your orders?"

"Neat." I thought "I have a giant dragon for servant,andI can subjugate everyone that I infect? This is good news indeed. But I'm not an evil overlord, this will be my last card only if the situation is hopeless. Or if someone deserve it." I then responded to Aathurnat "First, liberate Sunset's mind from your control. Second, Shrink down to a manageable size." He nodded and spoked.

"Tu liber es." He the shrinked down to four meters tall and only ten long. Still big, but not enourmous.

"Wait here." I walked away and returned to the cocoons, first I took my daughters again, then I liberated Sunset.

"W...what happened?" She said looking around confused."Why am I in a cocoon? Phil?"

"A dragon subjugated you to his will, I had to entrap you here while I fought." I said "Are you ok?"

"Yes, a little fuzzy but I'll live. I'm free, does it means that you defeated him?" She asked exiting the cocoon.

"Yes and no, I defeated him but he is not dead. I infected him with the virus and, because I'm the most powerful blacklight being, he obey my order now." I explained.

"Wow...it's not a bit extreme? You know stripping him of his free will." She asked me.

"He would have killed you Sunset, I did what I did because I had no choice. I despise mind controll ok? I hate when someone do it, his punishment is just."

"If you say it like that, I see your motives. But please refrain from doing it again." She pointed a finger to me.

"Don't worry, it will be my last resource in battle, or if someone deserves it. If you want I will ask your opinion before doing it ok?" She nodded and then asked.

"Now what do we do?" I pointed at the cavern with a tumb.

"Now we build a refuge and then we start planning the rebellion."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ CELESTIA POV ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Cadence, are you ready?" I asked Cadence, she was again in my throne room, bowing to me, she nodded once." Then you may go, return with 000. Or don't come back." She hurried out.

I stood up and went behind my throne."Let's check on them." I thought. Behind the throne was positioned a numeric keypad, I inserted the code "191512" I muttered under my breath. Once I inserted the code the wall next to the throne opened revealing a staircase. I got down while the door closed behind me. I made my way down the stairs with torches as mean of illumination, when I reached the bottom of the stairs, I stared at the white metal door in front of me. Grinning, I opened the door and walked in. The room was completely dark, I stopped myself in the center and spoke the activation code. "Ostende mihi siderum!" The room immediately came to life and dozens of illusion popped out. In a quick motion, the illusion reached the center of the room, where they created the stellar map of the Equi galaxy. The stars were a blue colour, but the one I was interested in was red.

"Soon..." I muttered "When the stars will align, HE will be free. Wait a little more my love, I will free you and together, WE WILL CREATE THE PERFECT WORLD! HAHAHAHAHA!

I exited the room and returned to the throne room. With my magic I called a scryng spell pointed to Luna.
"Still motionless eh?" I thought "No matter, when everything will be corrected I will correct you too, don't worry."

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"And done" I said watching the big stack of wood in front of me. "Ready Sunny?"

"Sunny?" Sunset thought. "When'd I became Sunny?"

We were in front of the cavern, a full day has passed after the dragon fight, I was stacking wood to build a little house.

"The moment I became Phil of course." I smirked at her.

"Oh...ehe eh upsye?" She retorted blushing a little. "But yes, I'm ready, this should be fun" She lit her horn and all the wooden logs lifted in the air. The logs started to bend and move in a coordinated manner, after a minute or two, the logs started to build the floor. Then the walls were built, after that the second and third floor, for the final touch, her horn became brighter and windows, door knob and the roof popped in existence. A green beautiful foliage adorned the house, It resembled a little Fluttershy's cottage. I was speechless, Sunset was very good at this, I'm lucky to have such a brilliant assistant.

"And that ass..." What? Why I thought that? I don't have the time for it! " I need to think straight, I need to start preparing myself for the rebellion, not think about a powerful...intelligent, beautiful mare...Fuck. No I can't! Philp you are immortal now, she is not, you will outlive her you can't!" 'sigh'

While I was having my internal conversation, Sunset finished the house.

"All done!" She shouted happily panting for the stress.

"Well done Sunny, you were marvelous! This house is beautiful." I stated.

"O...I-I was m-m-m-marvelous? You are too kind." She said buryng her muzzle in her hands.

"If I say that you were marvelous, you were. Ok?" I retorted while half hugging her. "And beautiful too. I thought. Man I got it hard eh?

"O-o-ok then. D-do you want to see the inside?" She asked pointing to the newly built house. The house was an hybrid, between a medieval english wooden house, and a german one. The door was big enought to permit me to enter even if I was carrying the girls. The windows of the first floor were adorned with intricat details. The central window of the second floor had a balcon, a marvelous parapet, made out of white wood and bended to create a little heart in the middle. The rest of the house was a mixture of black and white wood.

"Yes, that would be appreciated." I said.

All in all the house was composed of, three bathroom, one per floor, a gigantic kitchen, twelve bedroom, a cellar and a attic. The house was completely bare. We will buy or create the furniture later.

"And with that we are done" Chirped Sunset. "So, what do you think? You like it?"

"Like it? Sunny I love it!" I hugged her and she eeped."Thank you, you are the best friend an immortal bio-weapon could ask for."

"I-I'm glad eh-eh. Thank you." She said hugging me back.

"Now I will go to the cellar, I will leave the girls there with nutrients. I'll go check out the forest a bit." I said breaking the hug, she nodded and with a 'be careful' I entered the cellar. There, I created with some biomass a cocoon for them, stuffed nutrients inside of it and then I leaned gently my daughters inside. "Sleep well sweeties."

Said that I exited the house, saluted Sunset and made my way in the forest. I walked for three hours and I decided to go back, I didn't find anything worth mentioning, as such I turned back and started heading for the house. However I heard a sound to my right. I immediately activated my augmented vision, and started searching for something.

I looked left and right, I was finally giving up when I saw a movement in the foliage. I oredered at my eye cells to become better, so I could see in the vegetation. My eyes obeyed and suddenly my sight became more focused and cleaner. Then I saw it.

A bipedal beast, withe the lower half of a goat, and the upper half of pony, the fingers were sharp as razor blades, it's body was very odd, as if it was underfed, It's muscle weren't very prominent in it's arms. It's legs however, seemed very powerful. It had a brown fur with no mane nor hair, it's eyes were completely black with no sclera, It noticed me staring at it, and jumped high on a branch, then it's skin changed colour and it blended almost perfectly with the environment.

"Uh, ok you will be the...mmm... Chupacabra! Yes.I named it

Almost. I jumped and tried to slash it, but it was faster than me and it evaded my hit. It screamed at me, then it attacked me with it's fingers, it struck true leaving me with a large wound on my torso. I healed immediatly and attacked it again, this time I concentrated my biomass in my legs and I ran towards it. With my legs 'enhancement' I was in front of him in a blink of an eye, I grabbed it for it's throat, then I slammed it on the ground and stomped on it's skull devouring it.

I gained the ability to blend into the environment, my speed was increased and my claws became sharper.
"Not bad, not bad at all, this will come in hand in stealth situations." I thought.

I then started thinking about what to do regarding my feeling on Sunset. "I love her? Probably, but we could never be together, I'm a powerful immortal virus, and she is a normal mare. She could never love me. 'sigh'

Suddenly in the middle of my thought, four Chupacabras ambushed me frome the foliage, I was fast enough to create my armor and their claws just skidded on me.
"I must thank you, I really needed something to distract myself." I taunted them. "Come at me."

They all jumped against me, but thanks to my armor the did nothing to me, I grabbed one with my arm and slammed it against another, then I consumed the one I had in my hand. I created my claws and readied myself for the other three, one of them atacked again, only to be cut in two with a fast vertical slash. The death of the other two scared the remaining and they started to retreat. But another one of them arrived with incredible speed, took one of the two with it's claws and cut it in two. The other just fled.

The remaining one was different from the others, this one was mostly red and it's muscle were very prominent, it'eyes were green and not completely black. It charged at me and before I could react it slammed me against a tree destroying it.
"Wanna play bastard?" I said standing up. "I will show you why I'm the new master of this forest!" I shouted charging at it, I took it by surprise and threw it away in front of me. I then followed it in mid air punching it in the gut, it flew away and smashed against a tree.

"Not so powerful, are you?" The beast tried to stand up, but I grabbed it and started pounding it's muzzle, again and again before consuming it.
"Someone else wants to kill me?!" I shouted.

Seems like this forest is alive, because when I said that I heard an hiss behind me. I turned around and saw an enourmos snake, it was completely black with bright yellow eye and a forked tongue. When I looked at it in the eyes I felt my legs turning in stone.

"Shit! I thought, detatching my legs and regenerating them after."A basilisk!"

I closed my eyes to evade it's look, but I was also blind so I didn't see it's tail bashing against my side threw me against another tree. I started to slash blindly trying to hit it. No luck. The basilisk hit me again but this time it's tail coiled around me and started to bash me into the ground. After the fifth hit I grabbed it's tail and slashed it. The basilisk hissed in pain releasing me, I fell on the ground, then I stood up.

"I need a plan!" I thought. "Maybe I can create a pair of eyes resistant to it's gaze? But I don't know how. I could try to blind it. Yes let's go with this plan." I opened my eyes and located it, the basilisk noticed me and prepared itself. I created a mass of tendrils in my arms, then I threw it against it's face coating it in tendrils. Now that it was blinded, I rushed towards it and smashed my hammerfists in its gut. The basilisk hissed in pain and tried to hit me with it's tail with a low sweep, I jumped and evaded it. I the tackled it to the ground and started to slash at it's body, after it was dead I consumed it.

I looked around and I noticed that now, I could see heat signature. This way I found some more chupacabras, they all fled at my sight. Having had enough of this forest, I started to walk back to the house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ CADENCE POV~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I walked away from the throne room heading to my quarters. After entering it I started crying.

"Why? Why Celestia has done this? Why kills so many innocent ponys? And why can't I disobey her?"

My tears were flowing down of my cheeks but my body couldn't care less. I walked towards my closet and changed, I took a military uniform with the insignia of the Neverdawn. A bright sun with wings inside it. My uniform was completely green and brown with some pink in the joints, my berret was white and three, five pointed star were on it. I dried my tears and walked out. With my magic I summoned my sniper rifle. A 220X45 thaumic power rifle, with a range of ten kilometers strong enough to pierce steel. The ammunitions were special though, the enormous amount of thaumic energy used is so strong, that everypony hit by this weapon will explode of magical overload.

I hate this weapon.

After a minute of walking, I entered the war room.
"Gentlestallion." I said, making my rifle disappear, to the other three general in the room, all of them had their features obscurated by a darkness spell. "We are here because Her majesty, Princess Celestia ordered the capture of subject 000."

"How much freedom do we have?" one asked.

"We can do whatever we want in order to capture him. The dossier will explain everything we know about him. I request you to approve the mobilitation of Omega Squad."

"Are you crazy!?" One shouted indignantly

"They will kill everypony that stands against them! They are not controllable!" Another said.

"I know. But we need the best in order to capture this monster. He maneged to kill almost everypony inside the G.E.N.E. facility. We need them." I countered.

"It's your funeral Cadence, do what you wish. Remember though that if something go wrong, you will be considered responsible." The last one said.

"Understood." And said that I exited the room, I had a squad to prepare.

"What have I done?..."

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I was almost home when I heard someone scream. I run with all my speed towards the source of the scream. I then saw Sunset fighting with a chupacabra, she was wounded, the chupacabra was above her with a claw rised, ready to finish her.

"STOOOOOP!"I shouted, the chupacabra turned around and, after seeing me he flashed me an evil smirk.

It's claw then came down. The world stopped. I could see it's claw coming down towards Sunset, her eyes were wide and filled with fear, it was my fault, I was away, if I was here none of this would had happened.

It was my fault. In a single sickening 'slash' Sunset went limp, on the ground with a pool of her blood surrounding her.

"NOOOOOOO" I run towards the chupacabra and after grabbing it I tore it piece by piece.

After consuming it I looked at Sunset, she had a profound gash on her torso the blood was everywhere.

"She's gonna die... she's gonna die. And there is nothing I can do to save her. NO! I refuse to lose another friend!"
I used my tendrils to try and close the wound, but her heart was weakening, her breath was almost gone. I was desperate.

I did the only thing I could think to do.

"You can hate me Sunset, Hell you could even leave me alone, but please, please. Open your eyes. I just hope you will find in your heart to forgive me."

I created a claw with my right hand, and praying to every god out there, I raised my hand to the sky, With a pained scream, I stabbed her in the heart.

Pumping in the virus.

"Please Sunset... open your eyes... don't leave me" My tears were falling on her. "PLEASE! OPEN YOUR EYEEEEES!"


Author's Note

Yay another chapter! Sorry for the delay but I was a little slow with this chapter, so many things happened. Ok now as you have seen there is a numeric code in the chapter, whoever will decipher the code, can ask me to add his or her OC in the story! So stay sharp, but more importantly Tuned for another chapter!:twilightsmile:

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