Subterranean Freedom

Chapter 1

Chosen by Fire

(Ranger’s HQ, Locker Room)

CODE NAME REGISTRATION:
Sunset Shimmer
REGISTRATION COMPLETE.

This is a tiny tale of time,

“What’s today’s schedule?” Sunset asked, as she pulled out her Standard Ranger issued coat. “Genic hunting again?”

“Nah, we’re on lift guard duty.” Adagio said as she closed her locker and walked over to Sunset.

Concerning war between friends.

“Guarding the lift. Work even a Low-D like you can do!” She chuckled placing a hand onto the low ranked pony’s shoulder. “Right Sunset?”

Destiny decided to challenge us.

“See you there, partner.” With a pat on Sunset’s shoulder, Adagio made her way to the door as she exits the locker room.

And so we chose to end the world.

“Yeah….see you there....partner.” Sunset said as she slipped into her coat and closed her locker door.

In order to meet our mortality.
There was nothing to regret.
Nothing….

“Took you long enough partner.” Adagio said as she saw Sunset enter into the room. “What took you so long to get here?”

“I had to make sure I had everything I need for today’s mission.”

“Typical Sunset Shimmer. If you keep on not being prepared like I am, how are you ever going to rise up the ranks like I have?” Adagio said which caused Sunset to glare at the bragging pony for a second before looking away. “Come on, Captain Vector Zero is waiting for us inside. You know how she can be when she has to wait.” With nothing else to say, Adagio pushed the door open as the two mares walked in.

“Adagio Dazzle 1/64!” Adagio said, standing at attention.

“Sunset Shimmer 1/8192! R-Reporting for duty ma’am!” Sunset said.

“At eaze ladies.” Vector Zero said as she turned around to face the two mares in her office. “I’ve called you two in to review the details of the mission I’ve assigned you both with.” She said as she handed them both a copy of the mission. “Guard duty, Level E. You are to board the freight train and guard its contents. An easy task for you two. Any questions?”

“Where are we taking the train to?” Sunset asked.

“You’ll board the high-speed lift sent from the BioCorp Labs, and guard its contents. Be careful though, we have received intel that Trinity has been patrolling around the area. Any other questions?”

“No ma’am, but might I speak with you before the mission?” Adagio asked.

“Of course. Sunset? Please wait outside.”

“Yes ma’am.” Sunset said before saluting and making her way out of Vector Zero’s office.

(Low Sector: Ponyville Borough)

Sunset stood leaning underneath the dim light of an electric lamp post as she watch the ponies of Low Sector continue with their daily lives. It was always the same down in the low sector. Old, run down, dirty, and lifeless. Sunset tried to look away from it all as she looked up at the ceiling. Only it didn’t really help her that much seeing how there was nothing but rusty old metal covering the surface of the metal ceiling. Staring at the metal ceiling, Sunset began to imagine the vast blue sky and lushest green plains of Equestria. Stories about the land filled her mind with wonder and excitement about someday being able to leave the underground and seeing it with her own eyes.

“Sunset!” yelled Adagio as she brought the unicorn from out of her fantasy making her way towards the her.

“Done talking with the Captain?” Sunset asked. “What did you talk about while I was away?”

“I’ll tell you later. Come on, let’s head over to the Low Sector Lift Port.” Adagio said as they begun to walk down the street. Moments as they were about to leave, a older looking mare along with her child caught the attention of Sunset when the mare spoke.

“Excuse me, but are you the one that stopped that genic from coming into our town the other day?”

“Um, yes.” Sunset answered as the mare grabbed her hand.

“I wanted to say thank you for saving my son from that monster. Most ponies don’t like you rangers, but I thank you for what you did.”

“It’s no problem ma’am. Just doing my job.” Sunset said as she smiled at them warmly. Only for Adagio to clear her throat.

“Not to break up this little moment, but we gotta go Sunset.” Adagio said as the two began their walk out of the sector and onto the metal lift.

“Don’t get a bloated head Sunset. Stuff like that will get you killed if you think you’re better than anyone else.”

“You’re one to talk. You keep bragging on about how you’ll be regent soon.” Sunset muttered to herself as the lift brought them to the station.

“We’ll have to go to the lab on foot seeing how Trinity is scouting the area. And we don’t want them to hijack the train on the way there.” Adagio said as she unsheathed her rapier. “Don’t worry. If things get too rough for you, I’ll hold your hand and deal with the Genic myself.”

“I’m not a baby you jerk.” Sunset said as she unsheathed her katana. “I can look after myself thank you.”

“If you say so Low-D.” Adagio said as she jumped onto the tracks taking the lead. “Just don’t come crying to me when you’re in a pickle.”

(Moments later}
[Genic Processor)

Sunset was standing on a walkway made of metal as she faced a large dragon like creature. From what she could tell it was obviously dead due to the giant spear running through it’s chest like a piece of hung meat, and the missing of it’s lower body. The yellow unicorn was a bit puzzled at the way the dragon looked. Her curiosity of the dragon was cut short as it begun to talk.

The long wait is over.

“Long wait?” Sunset said as she walked closer to the decaying dragon. “What do you mean by long wait?”

At last, you have awakened, my dying dream.

The dragon opened it’s mouth as a gust of air rushed past the unicorn. Sunset quickly covered her nose as she suspected the air from the dragon’s breath to be foul and decaying. But what surprised her was the fact that air from the dragon’s breath wasn’t foul or bad, it felt like pure magic was flowing out of it and into her.

Let us go, my little friend. Once again to the sky.

“Wait, the sky? The sky’s real?” Before Sunset could ask the dragon any more questions, the dragon began to fade away as the room she was in began to be engulfed in a bright light.

“Sunset? Sunset!?” Adagio said as she shook Sunset, trying to wake her up. Sunset moved her hand to her head as she slowly opened her eyes. As her vision began to appear, she notice that they were inside a white hall, full of clean tiles and steril lights. From what she could tell they were in the Canterlot Lab.

“W-What happen?” Sunset asked as she pulled herself off the floor.

“You tell me. One minute we entered into the hallway, and the next thing I know you froze up and fell to the floor like a ton of bricks. You feeling okay?”

“I fell over?” She asked only for Adagio to roll her eyes.

“Get it together Sunset. I don’t want you to screw this mission up for me.” Adagio said as she walked off ahead. “Let’s go, we got a cargo to get.”

“Was what I just saw just a dream?” Sunset said asking herself. “It felt real, but-.”

“Hey Low-D! Get in here! You gotta check out what I found!” Adagio yelled, bringing Sunset out of her state of mind as she rushed over to the next room. As she entered into the room Adagio was in, her eyes widen in amazement at what she saw. Standing there pinned to the wall was the dragon that she saw in her dream. Only this one was dead and not moving.

“What in the name of Celestia is that?”

“I don’t know. We don’t have records of Genics being this big.” Sunset said as she walked a bit closer to the railing. “It could be an experiment gone wrong. How the hell did they even get this thing in here?”

“Who cares. What? Are you scared or something?”

“No I’m not scared, just curious that’s all.”

“Sure you’re not.” Adagia said as she begun to walk off. “Come on, we got a job to do.”

“....Odjin….” Sunset said as she shook her head before following after Adagio.

(Canterlot Lab Liftport)

“COME ON!!” yelled the ranger pony as Sunset and Adagio made their way down the steps of the liftport.

“The liftport is about to leave! Hurry up Sunset!” Adagio yelled as she and Sunset rush towards the train with their cargo in the last split second. “Man, thank Celestia that we made it on time. Next time don’t slow me down like that.”

“S-Sorry.” Sunset said as she turned her attention at the cargo they were transporting. “Hey, do you know what’s inside the cargo that we’re transporting?”

“Don’t know. But whatever is inside here it must be something special.” Adagio answered as she leaned against the guard railing. “So relax, nopony would ever attack a lift guarded by Rangers.”

“If you say so.”

A few minutes of silence filled the atmosphere around as Adagio looked off at the railroad tracks, while Sunset was still fixating on the cargo they were carrying. The moment of silence was broken when Adagio decided to speak up.

“Sunset.”

“Yes?”

“.I want you to give me the credit for that Genic the other day.”

“What? But why?”

“I have the potential. All I need is the reputation, and they’ll have to promote me. If things goes well, I could even be regent. I Have the qualification after all.”

“A regent? Are you serious?”

“I am.” Adagio said as she walked up towards Sunset. “I, Adagio 1/64 will be regent. I must. Sunset, with your 1/8192 D-Ratio, you’ll never make it past grunt level. But once I get to the top, I’ll be able to help you out.” She said as she placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Come on Sunset, what do you say?”

Sunset fell silent upon hearing Adagio’s request. Running the calculations in her head. If she were to give Adagio all the credit that she herself has done, then her chances of promotion would be slim to none. It might even be nonexistent. Before she could give her answer, the alarm on the train started to go off as the lights began to flicker on and off.

“What’s going on? Are we being attacked?” Sunset asked as she looked off to the side. As she did, she notice a war genic sprinting on the other side of the track with a pony sitting on it’s back. The pony pulled out what appeared to be a handgun and start to shoot at the two ranger ponies, only to hit the cargo they were carrying.

“A war genic? It’s Trinity!” Adagio yelled as Sunset quick fired a barrage of magical beams at the pony riding the war genic. The pony ducked her head at a beam that flew past her head. In retaliation the pony shot back trying to take out Sunset. After the barrage of beams flew or bound off the war genic, both the pony and the war genic ran past the train as the duo decided to hop onto the track the train was on.

“Did it give up?” Sunset asked.

“Damn! Looks like they’ll do anything to stop the lift!”

As the pony hopped off of the war genic, the mare pulled out large cylinder like weapon from her back. Kneeling on one knee she carefully took aim at the lift as she prepared herself to fire at it. Adagio’s eyes widen as she saw the mare fired upon them. The rocket that was launched out of the tube made contact with the lift as it cause it to explode into pieces. As the smoke started to clear up, Adagio survive the explosion as she was hanging from a broken train track. As she looked up she saw Sunset hanging on the other side of the broken track by her jacket.

“Sunset?” Adagio said as he vision became more clear. Trying to figure out a way to save her partner, Adagio tried to swing herself to where the unconscious unicorn was. Before she could get a good amount of momentum, the track that was holding Sunset Shimmer up broke as the unicorn ranger fell into the dark abyss. “SUNSET!!!"