Mechanical Angelby Tojster1ChaptersThe ArrivalJust another night in the life of Twilight SparkleTwilight get to play mail-mareTwilight gets her box of cookiesSecurity BriefingIntrusion Detection SystemThe ArrivalChapter 1: The Arrival A mare awoke with a jolt, jumping to her hooves in a flash. She quickly got to work, scanning her surroundings. She found herself in a field of lush green, in a bright multicolor world as flowers burst in full bloom. The fields burst with vibrant and beautiful colors of luscious red, bright yellow, relaxed blues, and deep greens. As she looked around, she began to suspect she was alone, or at least, it appeared to be that way. She moved in short concise circles, her hooves crushing a flower or tickled by grass in each calculated step. Her eyes darting to and fro in rapid, tightly controlled movements. viewing everything around her to confirm, that yes; she was alone. The mare began to calm down and started to take bearings on her surroundings, taking notice that she was on a range of small, sloping hills as the smell of lavender, vanilla, and honey pleasantly greeted her. Sure she was here, wherever that is. And, here seems to be a relatively safe place, but just exactly where is here? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. The questions pursed through her head, nagging at her, each was its own unique mystery, just begging to be solved. Suddenly, her ears twitched! The tiny muscles acting like a beacon; flexing, straining, turning, moving, towards an unknown sound. With time, the sound got louder and louder, more pronounced. Something, someone, somepony was getting closer to her. She realized, she was no longer alone. “C’mon girls, something crashed around here somewhere. I saw it!” That voice! Her head began to spin, her vision fogging, blurring. Her eyes sting, and a pounding headache ripped through her head, her heart raced, and her adrenaline shot. She has to get out of this field, to gallop, to run, hide, escape! The next thing she knew, she was in motion. “Girls, over here! Look!” The voice said from somewhere in the distance. “Somepony… or something was here.” Before long, the voices faded away in the distance. “Twilight, please. We've been going back and forth for hours now! Give it a rest!” Applejack pleaded. “IT WAS HER! I saw h-.” A loud smack, a mild thump and the soft sound of sobbing filled the air. “Twilight, stop! It has been 3 years! Three. Long Years! She. Is. Dead! Accept it!” “NO!” Twilight screamed, picking herself off the ground. “I saw her, I really did!” Twilight murmured to herself as orange hooves wrapped around her in a comforting hug. “Twilight.” The orange colored farmer softly voiced after a long moment of silence. “She died. Twilight. You saw, I saw, everypony saw. We were all there when it happened.” The mare at her hoofed sniffled, tears coming to her eyes as a whine broke from her muzzle. “That body we saw a month later. That was her body in that coffin. We watched as those ponies sealed it up. As they lowered it into the ground and covered it with dirt.” Applejack said somberly. “But sh-” Another hard smack, backhooved this time. “Stop it.” Applejack said in a low growl almost forcefully as she took the purple Alicorn by her shoulders and shook her, jerking the Purple Alicorn’s head violently back and forth. “Say. It. With. Me! She died!” Applejack growled with a quickly growing rage. “She….. Died….” The Alicorn said softly, tears coming to her eyes. “Now, c’mon!” The orange mare said, taking the Alicorn by her hoof and pulling her away from where she lay. “We can't leave Fluttershy alone by herself for too long. You know how she gets.” The purple mare got up with a tired sigh and reluctantly followed the orange mare. If they would've explored just a little bit further, they would have noticed a small crater just up the hill, and a small tuft of Rainbow colored fur. Just another night in the life of Twilight SparkleChapter 2: Just another night in the life of Twilight Sparkle The mare had galloped, and galloped, and galloped, and galloped some more. When her legs burned and her lungs begged for air, she galloped to rejuvenate for energy, when her vision swam and her legs tripped over themselves in exhaustion, she galloped to clear her head. She just had to… gallop! To flee! She had to get away from that Voice! That hauntingly familiar voice! “You are now leaving Ponyville. Safe travels.” Read a sign as she ran past it…. Only to jump to her hooves to stop her momentum. “Ponyville.” She read out loud, causing distant memories to frantically surge through her mind. Sharp, agonizing, disorienting pain shot through her skull. The mare collapsed to the ground screaming as unspeakably, mind-numbing pain, gripping and beating at her head in a feeble attempt to rid herself of this horror. Her nose and eyes dripped fresh dark colored blood, her fur matted as the blood began to cake through her fur. She, in a stupor, ran back in direction of town. She had to figure out what was so important about this “Ponyville” “Ye-yeah. Applejack was right. N-nopony could survive something like that. S-she's dead. Dead! Dead! Dead! And NOT coming back. N-nopony can just come back from the dead!” Twilight reasoned with herself as she walked into the full bathroom in the master bedroom as she finally put Fluttershy to bed for the night…. again. For the grace of Celestia! She loved that mare to death, but when Fluttershy gets into one of her fits at night, nothing can pacify that mare… or beat her strength. Twilight sighed as she went into the medicine cabinet, grabbing the rubbing alcohol and clenched her teeth as she began to pour it over her wings. Purifying all of the fresh bite marks and bruises that littered the purple mare from her recent ordeal with the terrified yellow ball of fluff and screams. That done, she took a paper towel, dozing it in more rubbing alcohol as she patted her shiny new black eye with the paper towel and sighed. “Damn. Just got all healed up too.“ She groaned as a combination of puss and blood oozed from her swollen eye, slowly dripping into the sink. “The things I do for friends!” Twilight said to herself in disbelief as she gazed at herself in the mirror, putting cream on her muzzle to help the skin on her cheeks heal from Applejack’s assault earlier in the day. Just then, a muted scream cut through the air. “For fuck’s sake, Fluttershy! I just want 5 Cerberus damned minutes to myself!” She growled to nopony in particular as she trotted to the yellow mare’s room. She hoped tomorrow would come along soon enough, then it would be Rarity’s turn to provide housing to the yellow demon mare. Trotting into the room, she found Fluttershy… still asleep. Then, it hit her. That scream, that Voice! It was her. Dropping the open bottle of rubbing alcohol, she jumped out of the nearest open window, frantically taking to the skies. Yes! She is alive! Twilight didn't give a damn how angry Applejack got at such things and judging from how hard Fluttershy was punching and screaming, she agrees too! She was alive and only Twilight could see that. She knew it. It was like her little secret. Just then, she found herself being surrounded by a group of bat-like ponies, clad in armor and weapons. “The Night Guard!” Twilight growled, reading herself. "My most notorious and evil nem- nemi- nemesises!” She yelled. “Halt! By the order of her Majesty of the Night, you are not to leave your home at night, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” One guard said with boredom etched in every word. “Twilight. Have you been drinking?” A second guard asked in a condescending, fatherly tone. “S-so what if I've had a little! I- I'm big mare!” She yelled back, her earlier drinks starting to hit her system from all this flying. “How much is a little?” He asked. “The…” She hovered in midair and vomited. “Usual!” She finished her statement, wiping her mouth. “How much is the usual?” Asked a newer, third guard. “A shot of whiskey to forget whatever trouble her friends put her in for the day. Two heavy swigs of wine to wash down the whiskey and to numb the pain of physcal abu-” “It's not abuse!” She yelled, interrupting a fourth guard. “They're my-” She burped, a little bit of vomit coming out of her nose as she forced her mouth closed. “FRIENDS!” She yelled to finish her sentence. “Oh, and she chugs a forty ounce of moonshine until she either passes out or can't breath and coughs it back up to forget that incident three years ago.” A fifth guard said, getting hit upside the head by a few of his squadmates. “You're not supposed to mention that in front of them!” A sixth guard chastised. “Yeah.” One of them acknowledged as they continued their nightly routine of backing her towards the Castle of Friendship, talking amongst each other all the same. “Stop!” Twilight pleaded, trying to fly around the closing circle of guards. “I heard her! She's calling for me! I have to go to her.” “Who i-” The guard was interrupted by a light hoof to the ribs and a shake of the head by one of his squadmates. “SHE IS!” Twilight screamed with vigor as she fired a bolt of magic at one of the guards and flew off as fast as she could to where she thought the sound had come from. She let off a loud slew of curse words as she shot straight into the sky, gaining more altitude. Those pesky guards distracted her and she lost her direction of her call! That's the second time this week, but she was sure it was her this time! This time wasn't like all those other times! Just then, she saw a flicker of movement just outside of Ponyville’s city limits. It was too dark for her to be able to distinguish looks, but she knew who it was. It was her! And Twilight was sure! Before she could fly in the direction and prove to the girls that she definitely wasn't crazy like them for all these years, she was tackled in midair by another night guard. He grasped her close as he dived bombed back towards the Castle Of Friendship, taking her with him. “You idiot!” She growled as she was dragged further and further away from her. Twilight started punching and biting, and squirming and scratching at the guard with all her adrenaline induced strength. ”Let me go!” She managed to kick him right where the sun doesn’t shine. And Oh, sweet Celestia it felt good to do so. The guard yelped like a puppy who's been kicked a little too much and dropped like a rock, letting her go in the process. That done, Twilight tried to find her again, only to be tackled by not one, but three guards as they slowly made their way to the castle with the biting, spitting, hissing, cursing, kicking and screaming lavender alicorn mare and locking her inside. She screamed in outrage. She had been foiled by the Night Guard. Again! Twilight let out yet another hard sigh as all the doors and windows locked from the outside all at once. She slowly drudged into the kitchen and half-heartedly grabbed her closest friend. A forty-ounce bottle of moonshine, she kept hidden under a small compartment she drilled under the sink. Twilight decided she doesn’t care what everypony else told her. She wasn’t crazy! She was telling the truth! Therapy be damned! If Twilight herself wouldn't believe she was alive, nopony will and she would be forgotten forever. Twilight get to play mail-mareChapter #3: Twilight gets to play mail-mare. “Twilight. Get up.” A voice said. The mare let out a tired groan as she felt herself being dragged somewhere by her tail and one of her legs. “Twilight. Get. Up.” The voice said more sternly. The feeling of vomit began to rise jolting her awake and she readily leaned over the toilet, puking aggressively. The sound of loud, wet plops as half-digested food and 12-hour old booze left her stomach. “There there. It's alright, Twilight. Just let it all out.” “Fluttershy,” Twilight said with clenched teeth. “Shut your crazy, unhinged flank! You're yelling in my ear.” She hissed. The yellow mare flinched with a nearly inaudible gasp. “Twilight. Such foul language for a Princess! I'm not speaking any louder than I usually would.” Twilight grit her teeth, throwing her hoof back, popping the yellow mare in her jaw. “I. Said. Stop. Yelling.” Twilight growled, her horn flashing and sparking with magical energy. The meek, reserved mare whimpered as she slinked against the floor, crawling away from the enraged lavender alicorn. “P-please don't hurt me.” She whimpered, peeing herself as terror gripped her heart. “Please.” She begged as Twilight took a few towards the frightened mare, boxing her in between the wall and the tub. At that moment, Twilight froze as a glimmer of hope flashed in Fluttershy’s gaze. She was giving Fluttershy exactly what she wanted… Twilight was about to do to Fluttershy what she failed to do herself just a few months prior. “Please,” Fluttershy begged. “Don’t hurt me.” “Shit,” Twilight said under her breath as she ran back over the toilet, puking again. “Have you been taking your pills?” Twilight asked the mare as she wiped her muzzle of bile and chunks of food. “... I- i can make my own decisions. I'm a grown mare” She whispered defensively. “Whatever Fluttershy. If you want to live the rest of your miserable life, without a wink of sleep as a crazy agitated bitch. Be my fucking guest! Just don't come crawling back to me in a coffin. Now, c’mon. We can't leave Rarity waiting!” “You're inconsiderate of what I w-” “We were all there, Fluttershy! Not just you. Now stop talking about it.” Twilight said, picking the mare up with her magic, leading her out of the bathroom and out the castle. “SPIKE! I’m leaving to bring Fluttershy to Rarity! Clean up that mess you left in the bathroom!” A distant groan echoed from one of the rooms and the sound of a rousing dragon could be heard as Twilight slammed shut the double doors to her castle with a deafening boom. Twilight and a reluctant Fluttershy made their way to Carousel Boutique. The home and place of business to her friend. Rarity and her younger sister, Sweetie Belle. With a small inkling of magic, the door to the building was opened by a flare of magic. The mare of white and purple looked up from her sewing machine to see her rather unexpected guest. Her mane was messy and matted, knotted with tangles and knots. Her muzzle and barrel are covered in dried puke and blood. She had an angry scowl on her face and a horrible black eye that was encrusted with dried pus and blood. Her breath smelled of salt, booze, and vomit. Her guest was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle. “I've got a package for you,” Twilight said roughly, as she dropped Fluttershy on the floor and nudged her closer to the mare of white fur. With that done, Twilight swaggered back out of the door drinking what was left of her scotch she kept stashed away in her saddlebags as she made her way to that nutcase they called a “therapist”. The only “therapeutic” thing about that mare was free coffee and cookies she supplied at her leisure. She didn't provide this “closure” that everypony keeps talking about. To her, she's nothing more than an excuse to steal good food and taxpayer bits. Unbeknownst to Twilight, a mare with binoculars stood on a hill in the distance, watching as everything took place. “Twilight Sparkle. Spike. Fluttershy. Rarity.” The mare repeated the names to herself as another flurry of memories rushed through her, creating yet another vicious headache for the mare. Prepared this time, she lightly bit her tongue to stop herself from crying out as pain rocketed through her head. “I remember... Magic, animals, and a…. Dress. There was this… party? A celebration? Something or whatever. Then something bad happened, something horrible. I have to know more!” She said to herself. After slowly massaging her temples to alleviate the pain, she started on her way, deeper into the unknown town of Ponyville, tailing the purple alicorn from a distance. Twilight gets her box of cookiesChapter 04: Twilight gets her box of Cookies. “So, Twilight. Tell me again what happened one last time. I need a clear picture of the situation so I can at least know what the pro-.” Twilight got up from lounging on the very comfortable couch, eyeing her so-called “doctor”. “The problem is Dr. Clearhead, is that She is alive and nopony believes me! Help them see as I see!” “Twilight. You are a mare of science and reason, are you not?” Dr. Clearhead said. “Well, yes bu-” “Blunt force trauma to the skull, ventricle ruptures, severe concussion, spinal transection, several spinal fractures. 6 broken ribs, 6 shattered ribs, several perforated organs. severe peritonitis, bruised and dislocated hip bones at a thirty-degree angle, second degree burns all along the epidermal, two injured externals, one dislocated, one snapped…” As the “doctor” continued to list on and on, and on, and on. All Twilight could do was shake her head as she shook with fury, tears coming to her eyes. It was a lie! All of it! The damned autopsy was a fluke! Ponies faked their deaths to escape their trapped lives! “Tell me, Princess.” That damned LIAR! had spoken. “How does one pony survive all of those injuries and just… trot away?” “She is strong. She's a survivor!” Twilight roared, her horn flaring and crackling with magic. Dr. Clearhead waited patiently with an unwavering expression with a cheery disposition as Twilight threw her tantrum. She may not have been old, but she has definitely seen it all. She remembered one of her worst patients, one of her first if her memory was to be correct. That colt was an immigrant who moved to Equestria some years ago. He had been through wars, long strings of abuse, had a horribly dysfunctional…. Family. If she could call it that. Although, she did hear from him from time to time. Thankfully, he's much better off now, thanks to her. Clearhead was distracted from her thoughts as lavender hooves went to try and grab her, she had to spring out of the way and teleport to the other side of the room to avoid confrontation with her patient. “Na-uh. None of that!” Clearhead said defensively as she brushed herself off. “If you want a war, Sparkle, I can fucking start one!” She growled, levitating a clipboard, flipping to a very particular page as she sent to flying around Twilight’s head for her to see. “All I have to do is sign a few scrolls to take Spike from your custody, throw you in an asylum with rods through your head. Do you want me to make that a possibility, Princess Sparkle?” “NO!” Twilight screamed, lunging to grab the clipboard that was sent outside her reach. “Then sit in that chair and be a good little mare!” “Fuck you, Clearhead! She is alive, I saw her yesterday evening and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise!” Clearhead scoffed, dropping a newspaper onto Twilight’s lap. Without a second thought, Twilight grabbed the contraband into her hooves, and what was to her and the girls, illegal. “Celestia will come after you if she knows you're letting me get this,” Twilight said as her eyes danced over the inky text. “I am well aware of your ban, Twilight. But this….is a special case.” Clearhead gave the mare a few minutes to read whatever article caught her fancy. “Mysterious Foreign object crashed in Ponyville Flower Garden.” As Twilight’s eyes darted to and fro, drinking in every letter, every punctuation mark for a sign, a glimmer of hope that she could still be alive… Twilight screamed, launching the newspaper as fast as her magic could send it before the protection spells in the room stopped the projectile from going into the hallway. There was nothing! All those words, all of that reading, the suspense! For nothing! Then Twilight began to sob, reaching into her saddlebag for her flask and going in for a sip…. Only to realize she drank it empty earlier that day. “WHY?” Twilight screamed. “You need to understand. There is no “secret government”. There are no “alien bunkers” or “crazy scientists doctors” or anything of that. When you're dead, there is NO COMING BACK! She's dead and she'll stay that way.” Clearhead said firmly. “Bu-” Twilight started “No,” Clearhead said, slamming a chair on the ground, causing Twilight to flinch. “You flinched,” Clearhead said plainly. “I thought you would hit me with that.” Twilight defended. “If I did, it would hurt. Possibly kill you if it flew fast enough, correct?” Clearhead asked. Twilight nodded. “Why fear death, if you can come back?” Clearhead asked. “You can't come back from the dead. The equine body is far too complex.” Twilight said automatically “Hmm.” Clearhead droned quietly, waiting for it to kick in. A howling cry of pain and anguish cut into the air. The alicorn mare at her hooves shook as her thunderous cries echoed. Dr. Clearhead, reached over to hug the alicorn, rubbing her hooves through the other mare’s mane, calming her down. “She isn't coming back, is she?” Twilight asked. “I'm afraid not Twilight. Afraid not.” The sobbing grew into loud cries, snot, and dispensed tissue boxes. For several minutes, neither of them said a thing as Clearhead hugged Twilight tight, comforting the mare. “Applejack was right,” Twilight stated as Clearhead passed her another box of tissues… and a box of cookies. “Right about what?” Clearhead asked as Twilight snacked on those sweet, irresistible cookies. “We were there when it happened.” Clearhead nodded. “We were there at her funeral, watched as her casket was lowered into the ground.” Clearhead nodded again. “Ponies can't come back from the dead.” Clearhead shook her head. “No. They cannot.” “Necromancy,” Twilight said it as she had just discovered some grand theory. “Her body was already taken apart. She had an autopsy, remember.” Clearhead said factually. “Dark magic!” She said it with enthusiasm. “That's still Necromancy, Twilight. We just ruled that out.” “Repeat to me what you said earlier during our session,” Clearhead instructed. “She's alive and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise?” “After that.” “Applejack was right?” “Before that.” “You know nothing, Clearhead!” “That was last week. Try again.” “You can't come back from the dead. The equine body is far too complex?” “Yep. That one.” Clearhead said with a nod. The gears in Twilight's head began to slowly turn as she began to process the information. I was there when it happened. I attended her funeral, her open casket. I saw her as they sealed up the casket and buried her. Ponies cannot come back from the dead. “Dr. Clearhead?” “Yes, Twilight?” “I- I want to see the site. I-i think I'm ready.” “You’re far from ready. You have even gone as far as to avoid speaking her name. Say it with me~.” “Finish that sentence and I will fucking cut the tongue out of your blasphemous mouth. You will not desecrate her memory! You fucking waste of space!” Dr. Clearhead froze she had to physically stop herself from smacking her patient into next month with the chair behind her. She silently counted to ten, reminding herself that she loved her job and that she loved her job….and that, she loved her job. “Then let's go Twilight. For there is no time like the present to go see the remains of the past.” Clearhead said, letting go of the breath she was holding and regaining her composure. Little did they know, A mare was watching the whole thing, recording the whole conversation through a small device slid under the door. “Clearhead.” The mare said, and to her surprise, there was no pain that followed suit. Apparently, that mare was of no importance to her which means less trouble for her needing to go through. Yet, this mare still needs her questions answered and apparently following this drunken, broken mess of despair and booze as she traveled through the town will not help her search. If she wanted answers, she'll have to take a more… direct approach and fortunately, she knew just where to start… Security BriefingChapter 05: Security Briefing Tiny wisps of cigar smoke danced in the air as a ceiling fan lazily circled from up above. A silhouetted figure stroked the purring cat in their lap, taking time to enjoy their peaceful alone time. Only for it to be interrupted by someone walking into his quarters. “Sir, your “pet project” h-” “Pet Projects? Is that what you and your team has been calling them?” A shadowed figure asked, amused. “Y-yes. Sir.” “What about them? You had news?” “Y-yes sir.” The speaker in question had gulped audibly. “One of the “projects” has escaped." “Level of completion?” “It was one of the fully completed tests, sir. It somehow remotely overridden it's stasis pod and escaped.” “How so?” The shadowed figure asked calmly as the cat hissed, arching its back. “How, what? Sir.” “How did this completed project escape?” “An emergency escape module, sir. The module was intercepted by our ground team, but it seems as if the “project” had "ran off" as you put it, sometime after arrival. It… the module was found empty.” The silhouetted figure fished a device off his person, lazily tossing it across the desk as the newfound guest had reflexively gone to grab it. “You're telling me something I already know. I gave it a three-day head start.” “Y-you let it escape, sir?” “I didn't let it escape, I just didn't prevent it from leaving when it ran. This place is crawling with security guards, alarms, cameras, and all of that like. Nothing goes on in this place without me knowing about it.” “Sir. That module could have landed anywhere. We don't even know where to start looking.” “The last launch coordinates are in Equestria. I could tell you more if I wanted but…. That's what the tracking system is for.” The “house guest” had looked at the device in his possession and clicked it to life, the tiny machine whirred and softly beeped as a 3D map appeared on the screen, along with coordinates, a guiding compass, and a registry system. “P-ponyville! Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?” “It's been three days since it left. Oh, and I added a region lock so it won't leave the area without remotely detonating. Happy hunting.” “S-sir?” “I said, “happy hunting” that's your cue to leave.” “May I ask another question, sir?” “Ask as many as you like, just know that it's cutting into your time.” “T-time?” “I want it back here before the beginning of nightfall. What is your question?” “Why? Why did you let it esca-” “Isn't it obvious? This is a test. If it's smart enough to hack our locks and databases for the passcodes, as it simultaneously undermined our security systems and security measures to escape the holding chamber without detection. Sneak past all of our armed guards and scientists, pickpocketing them for their keycards to unlock the door to the other wings of the building.” At that point “the houseguest” reached around his hips for his keycard, his eyes going wide as he quickly patted himself down when he didn't feel his badge. “It also found our escape pods, hacked our positioning systems to find coordinates and gained the authorization codes needed, and, as you said, it escaped. You have until nightfall. Happy hunting.” Intrusion Detection SystemChapter 06: Intrusion Detection System The first thing Twilight planned when she stepped into her Castle for the night was to send Celestia a letter. She made progress today and wanted her former mentor to know about it immediately. Sure, Clearhead would be sending her a letter of her own, but Twilight wanted to send a personal account of her experience, not just some professional “mumbo-jumbo.” As Twilight wrote her letter, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was…. Off. The castle… it was quiet. Too quiet… “Starlight! Are you here?” Twilight said as she leaned out of the doorway. No response. She was probably still stuck at that school doing…. School stuff or something Wait, Spike would still be here. Now she wondered if he ever cleaned up the… bathroom. Hmm. That was the mess she left in there, she'll make it up to him later. Take him out for the movies or get him rare gems to snack on or… just something. She sighed and continued writing her letter. Yet, she still couldn't shake off that feeling. Maybe she should go check on her scaly friend, talk with him for a few minutes at least. She glanced over at the clock. It was getting late, what if she woke him up? She sighed, still trying to shake that feeling as she continued on with her letter. Then, something crashed and shattered far off in the castle. The letter can wait! What if Spike was hurt? She would never forgive herself! She flew out of the chair and down the hall as fast as her wings could carry her. “Spike!” Twilight yelled. “Twilight Help!” Spike yelled. Twilight found Spike bound and gagged against a bedpost, blood dripping from his mouth, his face bruised. She ran into the room, clambering over him and started to untie him as the door slammed shut behind her. “Wha-?” Twilight turned, trying to find the source of the disturbance. Whoever did this to her little baby Drake was still here! “Where are you!” Twilight yelled, anger rising inside her as the ropes around Spike snapped and fused to form a long whip as she snapped, and popped it with her magic. A chuckle filled the air. “Oh, you thought this was going to be easy, did you?” An indistinguishable, unnatural voice said in a somehow singsong like fashion. “Who are you, come out here so I can tear you limb from Fucking limb!” Twilight yelled as she looked out the window. The silent alarms wouldn't activate for maybe another hour or two. Good. That gave her time to make whoever this was, suffer, and uh, oh! Suffer they will! “Show yourself!” Twilight yelled, snapping the whip to and fro. “I want answers.” The voice demanded. “I won't answer shit! You child attacking monster!” “I didn't hurt him…. That much!” The voice hissed, cackling. “Liar!” She screamed, her horn discharging on account of her rage flaring. The door shattered to splinters as she flew into the hallway, looking to and fro, trying to find her assailant. “Stupid mare! Just answer my questions and I'll leave you be.” “I don't want your questions! I want you in fucking pieces!” Twilight roared, stomping her hoof. “Huh. You don't even know where I am.” The voice responded childishly. “Hmm. Let's play extreme hide and seek. It's like hide and seek, but where I tear your fucking head off if I find you!” “What if I win?” The voice said playfully as Spike uttered a scream from behind her. She whipped her head around to see a silhouetted pony pressing a knife against Spike’s throat, drawing blood. “Answers, Sparkle! Now!” The unknown pony demanded. “No!” Twilight roared, her magic flaring. Her eyes widened and she shrieked as the knife was pressed harder against the softer flesh underneath, cutting into her poor dragon. “J-just give her what she wants!” Spike sobbed. “D- did you just assume my gender?” The pony demanded, making the winged baby dragon flinch as a hoof went up to punch him in the face....again. Anger welled up in the Alicorn Princess to a degree that the very air was charged with magenta colored magic. “Now your fucking DEAD!” Twilight screamed, her magic flaring. Suddenly, the rope Twilight was holding disappeared and the attacking pony gagged and choked. He/She/They gargled and gasped as their body squirmed. Twilight’s face was coated in sweat, a look of fierce determination on her face as she used her magic to tie knots into the rope, tying an end of it to the ceiling and the other end, slipped around their neck with decreasing length. Suddenly He/She/They dropped the knife and the pony instantly became stiff, cold, and motionless as strength failed the attacking pony. Spike shivered as he fell to the floor, fear-stricken. Spike did the only sensible thing he thought he could, he got up and ran. Out of the room, down the hall, out of her sight, out of the house. Twilight, no longer caring about the intruding pony, ran after Spike, yelling his name as she scrambled after him. Just as Twilight ran out of the house and down the street, she haphazardly bumped into a group of Ponyville folk and continued on her way, not even caring to look behind her as she yelled an apology and quickly took to the skies. “Captain. Was that was the target?” “No. That was the owner of the estate. The target is inside, in the far east corner of the building. Let's grab it and go before they get back.” The leader stated, charging into the house as his team followed suit.
The ArrivalChapter 1: The Arrival A mare awoke with a jolt, jumping to her hooves in a flash. She quickly got to work, scanning her surroundings. She found herself in a field of lush green, in a bright multicolor world as flowers burst in full bloom. The fields burst with vibrant and beautiful colors of luscious red, bright yellow, relaxed blues, and deep greens. As she looked around, she began to suspect she was alone, or at least, it appeared to be that way. She moved in short concise circles, her hooves crushing a flower or tickled by grass in each calculated step. Her eyes darting to and fro in rapid, tightly controlled movements. viewing everything around her to confirm, that yes; she was alone. The mare began to calm down and started to take bearings on her surroundings, taking notice that she was on a range of small, sloping hills as the smell of lavender, vanilla, and honey pleasantly greeted her. Sure she was here, wherever that is. And, here seems to be a relatively safe place, but just exactly where is here? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. The questions pursed through her head, nagging at her, each was its own unique mystery, just begging to be solved. Suddenly, her ears twitched! The tiny muscles acting like a beacon; flexing, straining, turning, moving, towards an unknown sound. With time, the sound got louder and louder, more pronounced. Something, someone, somepony was getting closer to her. She realized, she was no longer alone. “C’mon girls, something crashed around here somewhere. I saw it!” That voice! Her head began to spin, her vision fogging, blurring. Her eyes sting, and a pounding headache ripped through her head, her heart raced, and her adrenaline shot. She has to get out of this field, to gallop, to run, hide, escape! The next thing she knew, she was in motion. “Girls, over here! Look!” The voice said from somewhere in the distance. “Somepony… or something was here.” Before long, the voices faded away in the distance. “Twilight, please. We've been going back and forth for hours now! Give it a rest!” Applejack pleaded. “IT WAS HER! I saw h-.” A loud smack, a mild thump and the soft sound of sobbing filled the air. “Twilight, stop! It has been 3 years! Three. Long Years! She. Is. Dead! Accept it!” “NO!” Twilight screamed, picking herself off the ground. “I saw her, I really did!” Twilight murmured to herself as orange hooves wrapped around her in a comforting hug. “Twilight.” The orange colored farmer softly voiced after a long moment of silence. “She died. Twilight. You saw, I saw, everypony saw. We were all there when it happened.” The mare at her hoofed sniffled, tears coming to her eyes as a whine broke from her muzzle. “That body we saw a month later. That was her body in that coffin. We watched as those ponies sealed it up. As they lowered it into the ground and covered it with dirt.” Applejack said somberly. “But sh-” Another hard smack, backhooved this time. “Stop it.” Applejack said in a low growl almost forcefully as she took the purple Alicorn by her shoulders and shook her, jerking the Purple Alicorn’s head violently back and forth. “Say. It. With. Me! She died!” Applejack growled with a quickly growing rage. “She….. Died….” The Alicorn said softly, tears coming to her eyes. “Now, c’mon!” The orange mare said, taking the Alicorn by her hoof and pulling her away from where she lay. “We can't leave Fluttershy alone by herself for too long. You know how she gets.” The purple mare got up with a tired sigh and reluctantly followed the orange mare. If they would've explored just a little bit further, they would have noticed a small crater just up the hill, and a small tuft of Rainbow colored fur.
Just another night in the life of Twilight SparkleChapter 2: Just another night in the life of Twilight Sparkle The mare had galloped, and galloped, and galloped, and galloped some more. When her legs burned and her lungs begged for air, she galloped to rejuvenate for energy, when her vision swam and her legs tripped over themselves in exhaustion, she galloped to clear her head. She just had to… gallop! To flee! She had to get away from that Voice! That hauntingly familiar voice! “You are now leaving Ponyville. Safe travels.” Read a sign as she ran past it…. Only to jump to her hooves to stop her momentum. “Ponyville.” She read out loud, causing distant memories to frantically surge through her mind. Sharp, agonizing, disorienting pain shot through her skull. The mare collapsed to the ground screaming as unspeakably, mind-numbing pain, gripping and beating at her head in a feeble attempt to rid herself of this horror. Her nose and eyes dripped fresh dark colored blood, her fur matted as the blood began to cake through her fur. She, in a stupor, ran back in direction of town. She had to figure out what was so important about this “Ponyville” “Ye-yeah. Applejack was right. N-nopony could survive something like that. S-she's dead. Dead! Dead! Dead! And NOT coming back. N-nopony can just come back from the dead!” Twilight reasoned with herself as she walked into the full bathroom in the master bedroom as she finally put Fluttershy to bed for the night…. again. For the grace of Celestia! She loved that mare to death, but when Fluttershy gets into one of her fits at night, nothing can pacify that mare… or beat her strength. Twilight sighed as she went into the medicine cabinet, grabbing the rubbing alcohol and clenched her teeth as she began to pour it over her wings. Purifying all of the fresh bite marks and bruises that littered the purple mare from her recent ordeal with the terrified yellow ball of fluff and screams. That done, she took a paper towel, dozing it in more rubbing alcohol as she patted her shiny new black eye with the paper towel and sighed. “Damn. Just got all healed up too.“ She groaned as a combination of puss and blood oozed from her swollen eye, slowly dripping into the sink. “The things I do for friends!” Twilight said to herself in disbelief as she gazed at herself in the mirror, putting cream on her muzzle to help the skin on her cheeks heal from Applejack’s assault earlier in the day. Just then, a muted scream cut through the air. “For fuck’s sake, Fluttershy! I just want 5 Cerberus damned minutes to myself!” She growled to nopony in particular as she trotted to the yellow mare’s room. She hoped tomorrow would come along soon enough, then it would be Rarity’s turn to provide housing to the yellow demon mare. Trotting into the room, she found Fluttershy… still asleep. Then, it hit her. That scream, that Voice! It was her. Dropping the open bottle of rubbing alcohol, she jumped out of the nearest open window, frantically taking to the skies. Yes! She is alive! Twilight didn't give a damn how angry Applejack got at such things and judging from how hard Fluttershy was punching and screaming, she agrees too! She was alive and only Twilight could see that. She knew it. It was like her little secret. Just then, she found herself being surrounded by a group of bat-like ponies, clad in armor and weapons. “The Night Guard!” Twilight growled, reading herself. "My most notorious and evil nem- nemi- nemesises!” She yelled. “Halt! By the order of her Majesty of the Night, you are not to leave your home at night, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” One guard said with boredom etched in every word. “Twilight. Have you been drinking?” A second guard asked in a condescending, fatherly tone. “S-so what if I've had a little! I- I'm big mare!” She yelled back, her earlier drinks starting to hit her system from all this flying. “How much is a little?” He asked. “The…” She hovered in midair and vomited. “Usual!” She finished her statement, wiping her mouth. “How much is the usual?” Asked a newer, third guard. “A shot of whiskey to forget whatever trouble her friends put her in for the day. Two heavy swigs of wine to wash down the whiskey and to numb the pain of physcal abu-” “It's not abuse!” She yelled, interrupting a fourth guard. “They're my-” She burped, a little bit of vomit coming out of her nose as she forced her mouth closed. “FRIENDS!” She yelled to finish her sentence. “Oh, and she chugs a forty ounce of moonshine until she either passes out or can't breath and coughs it back up to forget that incident three years ago.” A fifth guard said, getting hit upside the head by a few of his squadmates. “You're not supposed to mention that in front of them!” A sixth guard chastised. “Yeah.” One of them acknowledged as they continued their nightly routine of backing her towards the Castle of Friendship, talking amongst each other all the same. “Stop!” Twilight pleaded, trying to fly around the closing circle of guards. “I heard her! She's calling for me! I have to go to her.” “Who i-” The guard was interrupted by a light hoof to the ribs and a shake of the head by one of his squadmates. “SHE IS!” Twilight screamed with vigor as she fired a bolt of magic at one of the guards and flew off as fast as she could to where she thought the sound had come from. She let off a loud slew of curse words as she shot straight into the sky, gaining more altitude. Those pesky guards distracted her and she lost her direction of her call! That's the second time this week, but she was sure it was her this time! This time wasn't like all those other times! Just then, she saw a flicker of movement just outside of Ponyville’s city limits. It was too dark for her to be able to distinguish looks, but she knew who it was. It was her! And Twilight was sure! Before she could fly in the direction and prove to the girls that she definitely wasn't crazy like them for all these years, she was tackled in midair by another night guard. He grasped her close as he dived bombed back towards the Castle Of Friendship, taking her with him. “You idiot!” She growled as she was dragged further and further away from her. Twilight started punching and biting, and squirming and scratching at the guard with all her adrenaline induced strength. ”Let me go!” She managed to kick him right where the sun doesn’t shine. And Oh, sweet Celestia it felt good to do so. The guard yelped like a puppy who's been kicked a little too much and dropped like a rock, letting her go in the process. That done, Twilight tried to find her again, only to be tackled by not one, but three guards as they slowly made their way to the castle with the biting, spitting, hissing, cursing, kicking and screaming lavender alicorn mare and locking her inside. She screamed in outrage. She had been foiled by the Night Guard. Again! Twilight let out yet another hard sigh as all the doors and windows locked from the outside all at once. She slowly drudged into the kitchen and half-heartedly grabbed her closest friend. A forty-ounce bottle of moonshine, she kept hidden under a small compartment she drilled under the sink. Twilight decided she doesn’t care what everypony else told her. She wasn’t crazy! She was telling the truth! Therapy be damned! If Twilight herself wouldn't believe she was alive, nopony will and she would be forgotten forever.
Twilight get to play mail-mareChapter #3: Twilight gets to play mail-mare. “Twilight. Get up.” A voice said. The mare let out a tired groan as she felt herself being dragged somewhere by her tail and one of her legs. “Twilight. Get. Up.” The voice said more sternly. The feeling of vomit began to rise jolting her awake and she readily leaned over the toilet, puking aggressively. The sound of loud, wet plops as half-digested food and 12-hour old booze left her stomach. “There there. It's alright, Twilight. Just let it all out.” “Fluttershy,” Twilight said with clenched teeth. “Shut your crazy, unhinged flank! You're yelling in my ear.” She hissed. The yellow mare flinched with a nearly inaudible gasp. “Twilight. Such foul language for a Princess! I'm not speaking any louder than I usually would.” Twilight grit her teeth, throwing her hoof back, popping the yellow mare in her jaw. “I. Said. Stop. Yelling.” Twilight growled, her horn flashing and sparking with magical energy. The meek, reserved mare whimpered as she slinked against the floor, crawling away from the enraged lavender alicorn. “P-please don't hurt me.” She whimpered, peeing herself as terror gripped her heart. “Please.” She begged as Twilight took a few towards the frightened mare, boxing her in between the wall and the tub. At that moment, Twilight froze as a glimmer of hope flashed in Fluttershy’s gaze. She was giving Fluttershy exactly what she wanted… Twilight was about to do to Fluttershy what she failed to do herself just a few months prior. “Please,” Fluttershy begged. “Don’t hurt me.” “Shit,” Twilight said under her breath as she ran back over the toilet, puking again. “Have you been taking your pills?” Twilight asked the mare as she wiped her muzzle of bile and chunks of food. “... I- i can make my own decisions. I'm a grown mare” She whispered defensively. “Whatever Fluttershy. If you want to live the rest of your miserable life, without a wink of sleep as a crazy agitated bitch. Be my fucking guest! Just don't come crawling back to me in a coffin. Now, c’mon. We can't leave Rarity waiting!” “You're inconsiderate of what I w-” “We were all there, Fluttershy! Not just you. Now stop talking about it.” Twilight said, picking the mare up with her magic, leading her out of the bathroom and out the castle. “SPIKE! I’m leaving to bring Fluttershy to Rarity! Clean up that mess you left in the bathroom!” A distant groan echoed from one of the rooms and the sound of a rousing dragon could be heard as Twilight slammed shut the double doors to her castle with a deafening boom. Twilight and a reluctant Fluttershy made their way to Carousel Boutique. The home and place of business to her friend. Rarity and her younger sister, Sweetie Belle. With a small inkling of magic, the door to the building was opened by a flare of magic. The mare of white and purple looked up from her sewing machine to see her rather unexpected guest. Her mane was messy and matted, knotted with tangles and knots. Her muzzle and barrel are covered in dried puke and blood. She had an angry scowl on her face and a horrible black eye that was encrusted with dried pus and blood. Her breath smelled of salt, booze, and vomit. Her guest was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle. “I've got a package for you,” Twilight said roughly, as she dropped Fluttershy on the floor and nudged her closer to the mare of white fur. With that done, Twilight swaggered back out of the door drinking what was left of her scotch she kept stashed away in her saddlebags as she made her way to that nutcase they called a “therapist”. The only “therapeutic” thing about that mare was free coffee and cookies she supplied at her leisure. She didn't provide this “closure” that everypony keeps talking about. To her, she's nothing more than an excuse to steal good food and taxpayer bits. Unbeknownst to Twilight, a mare with binoculars stood on a hill in the distance, watching as everything took place. “Twilight Sparkle. Spike. Fluttershy. Rarity.” The mare repeated the names to herself as another flurry of memories rushed through her, creating yet another vicious headache for the mare. Prepared this time, she lightly bit her tongue to stop herself from crying out as pain rocketed through her head. “I remember... Magic, animals, and a…. Dress. There was this… party? A celebration? Something or whatever. Then something bad happened, something horrible. I have to know more!” She said to herself. After slowly massaging her temples to alleviate the pain, she started on her way, deeper into the unknown town of Ponyville, tailing the purple alicorn from a distance.
Twilight gets her box of cookiesChapter 04: Twilight gets her box of Cookies. “So, Twilight. Tell me again what happened one last time. I need a clear picture of the situation so I can at least know what the pro-.” Twilight got up from lounging on the very comfortable couch, eyeing her so-called “doctor”. “The problem is Dr. Clearhead, is that She is alive and nopony believes me! Help them see as I see!” “Twilight. You are a mare of science and reason, are you not?” Dr. Clearhead said. “Well, yes bu-” “Blunt force trauma to the skull, ventricle ruptures, severe concussion, spinal transection, several spinal fractures. 6 broken ribs, 6 shattered ribs, several perforated organs. severe peritonitis, bruised and dislocated hip bones at a thirty-degree angle, second degree burns all along the epidermal, two injured externals, one dislocated, one snapped…” As the “doctor” continued to list on and on, and on, and on. All Twilight could do was shake her head as she shook with fury, tears coming to her eyes. It was a lie! All of it! The damned autopsy was a fluke! Ponies faked their deaths to escape their trapped lives! “Tell me, Princess.” That damned LIAR! had spoken. “How does one pony survive all of those injuries and just… trot away?” “She is strong. She's a survivor!” Twilight roared, her horn flaring and crackling with magic. Dr. Clearhead waited patiently with an unwavering expression with a cheery disposition as Twilight threw her tantrum. She may not have been old, but she has definitely seen it all. She remembered one of her worst patients, one of her first if her memory was to be correct. That colt was an immigrant who moved to Equestria some years ago. He had been through wars, long strings of abuse, had a horribly dysfunctional…. Family. If she could call it that. Although, she did hear from him from time to time. Thankfully, he's much better off now, thanks to her. Clearhead was distracted from her thoughts as lavender hooves went to try and grab her, she had to spring out of the way and teleport to the other side of the room to avoid confrontation with her patient. “Na-uh. None of that!” Clearhead said defensively as she brushed herself off. “If you want a war, Sparkle, I can fucking start one!” She growled, levitating a clipboard, flipping to a very particular page as she sent to flying around Twilight’s head for her to see. “All I have to do is sign a few scrolls to take Spike from your custody, throw you in an asylum with rods through your head. Do you want me to make that a possibility, Princess Sparkle?” “NO!” Twilight screamed, lunging to grab the clipboard that was sent outside her reach. “Then sit in that chair and be a good little mare!” “Fuck you, Clearhead! She is alive, I saw her yesterday evening and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise!” Clearhead scoffed, dropping a newspaper onto Twilight’s lap. Without a second thought, Twilight grabbed the contraband into her hooves, and what was to her and the girls, illegal. “Celestia will come after you if she knows you're letting me get this,” Twilight said as her eyes danced over the inky text. “I am well aware of your ban, Twilight. But this….is a special case.” Clearhead gave the mare a few minutes to read whatever article caught her fancy. “Mysterious Foreign object crashed in Ponyville Flower Garden.” As Twilight’s eyes darted to and fro, drinking in every letter, every punctuation mark for a sign, a glimmer of hope that she could still be alive… Twilight screamed, launching the newspaper as fast as her magic could send it before the protection spells in the room stopped the projectile from going into the hallway. There was nothing! All those words, all of that reading, the suspense! For nothing! Then Twilight began to sob, reaching into her saddlebag for her flask and going in for a sip…. Only to realize she drank it empty earlier that day. “WHY?” Twilight screamed. “You need to understand. There is no “secret government”. There are no “alien bunkers” or “crazy scientists doctors” or anything of that. When you're dead, there is NO COMING BACK! She's dead and she'll stay that way.” Clearhead said firmly. “Bu-” Twilight started “No,” Clearhead said, slamming a chair on the ground, causing Twilight to flinch. “You flinched,” Clearhead said plainly. “I thought you would hit me with that.” Twilight defended. “If I did, it would hurt. Possibly kill you if it flew fast enough, correct?” Clearhead asked. Twilight nodded. “Why fear death, if you can come back?” Clearhead asked. “You can't come back from the dead. The equine body is far too complex.” Twilight said automatically “Hmm.” Clearhead droned quietly, waiting for it to kick in. A howling cry of pain and anguish cut into the air. The alicorn mare at her hooves shook as her thunderous cries echoed. Dr. Clearhead, reached over to hug the alicorn, rubbing her hooves through the other mare’s mane, calming her down. “She isn't coming back, is she?” Twilight asked. “I'm afraid not Twilight. Afraid not.” The sobbing grew into loud cries, snot, and dispensed tissue boxes. For several minutes, neither of them said a thing as Clearhead hugged Twilight tight, comforting the mare. “Applejack was right,” Twilight stated as Clearhead passed her another box of tissues… and a box of cookies. “Right about what?” Clearhead asked as Twilight snacked on those sweet, irresistible cookies. “We were there when it happened.” Clearhead nodded. “We were there at her funeral, watched as her casket was lowered into the ground.” Clearhead nodded again. “Ponies can't come back from the dead.” Clearhead shook her head. “No. They cannot.” “Necromancy,” Twilight said it as she had just discovered some grand theory. “Her body was already taken apart. She had an autopsy, remember.” Clearhead said factually. “Dark magic!” She said it with enthusiasm. “That's still Necromancy, Twilight. We just ruled that out.” “Repeat to me what you said earlier during our session,” Clearhead instructed. “She's alive and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise?” “After that.” “Applejack was right?” “Before that.” “You know nothing, Clearhead!” “That was last week. Try again.” “You can't come back from the dead. The equine body is far too complex?” “Yep. That one.” Clearhead said with a nod. The gears in Twilight's head began to slowly turn as she began to process the information. I was there when it happened. I attended her funeral, her open casket. I saw her as they sealed up the casket and buried her. Ponies cannot come back from the dead. “Dr. Clearhead?” “Yes, Twilight?” “I- I want to see the site. I-i think I'm ready.” “You’re far from ready. You have even gone as far as to avoid speaking her name. Say it with me~.” “Finish that sentence and I will fucking cut the tongue out of your blasphemous mouth. You will not desecrate her memory! You fucking waste of space!” Dr. Clearhead froze she had to physically stop herself from smacking her patient into next month with the chair behind her. She silently counted to ten, reminding herself that she loved her job and that she loved her job….and that, she loved her job. “Then let's go Twilight. For there is no time like the present to go see the remains of the past.” Clearhead said, letting go of the breath she was holding and regaining her composure. Little did they know, A mare was watching the whole thing, recording the whole conversation through a small device slid under the door. “Clearhead.” The mare said, and to her surprise, there was no pain that followed suit. Apparently, that mare was of no importance to her which means less trouble for her needing to go through. Yet, this mare still needs her questions answered and apparently following this drunken, broken mess of despair and booze as she traveled through the town will not help her search. If she wanted answers, she'll have to take a more… direct approach and fortunately, she knew just where to start…
Security BriefingChapter 05: Security Briefing Tiny wisps of cigar smoke danced in the air as a ceiling fan lazily circled from up above. A silhouetted figure stroked the purring cat in their lap, taking time to enjoy their peaceful alone time. Only for it to be interrupted by someone walking into his quarters. “Sir, your “pet project” h-” “Pet Projects? Is that what you and your team has been calling them?” A shadowed figure asked, amused. “Y-yes. Sir.” “What about them? You had news?” “Y-yes sir.” The speaker in question had gulped audibly. “One of the “projects” has escaped." “Level of completion?” “It was one of the fully completed tests, sir. It somehow remotely overridden it's stasis pod and escaped.” “How so?” The shadowed figure asked calmly as the cat hissed, arching its back. “How, what? Sir.” “How did this completed project escape?” “An emergency escape module, sir. The module was intercepted by our ground team, but it seems as if the “project” had "ran off" as you put it, sometime after arrival. It… the module was found empty.” The silhouetted figure fished a device off his person, lazily tossing it across the desk as the newfound guest had reflexively gone to grab it. “You're telling me something I already know. I gave it a three-day head start.” “Y-you let it escape, sir?” “I didn't let it escape, I just didn't prevent it from leaving when it ran. This place is crawling with security guards, alarms, cameras, and all of that like. Nothing goes on in this place without me knowing about it.” “Sir. That module could have landed anywhere. We don't even know where to start looking.” “The last launch coordinates are in Equestria. I could tell you more if I wanted but…. That's what the tracking system is for.” The “house guest” had looked at the device in his possession and clicked it to life, the tiny machine whirred and softly beeped as a 3D map appeared on the screen, along with coordinates, a guiding compass, and a registry system. “P-ponyville! Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?” “It's been three days since it left. Oh, and I added a region lock so it won't leave the area without remotely detonating. Happy hunting.” “S-sir?” “I said, “happy hunting” that's your cue to leave.” “May I ask another question, sir?” “Ask as many as you like, just know that it's cutting into your time.” “T-time?” “I want it back here before the beginning of nightfall. What is your question?” “Why? Why did you let it esca-” “Isn't it obvious? This is a test. If it's smart enough to hack our locks and databases for the passcodes, as it simultaneously undermined our security systems and security measures to escape the holding chamber without detection. Sneak past all of our armed guards and scientists, pickpocketing them for their keycards to unlock the door to the other wings of the building.” At that point “the houseguest” reached around his hips for his keycard, his eyes going wide as he quickly patted himself down when he didn't feel his badge. “It also found our escape pods, hacked our positioning systems to find coordinates and gained the authorization codes needed, and, as you said, it escaped. You have until nightfall. Happy hunting.”
Intrusion Detection SystemChapter 06: Intrusion Detection System The first thing Twilight planned when she stepped into her Castle for the night was to send Celestia a letter. She made progress today and wanted her former mentor to know about it immediately. Sure, Clearhead would be sending her a letter of her own, but Twilight wanted to send a personal account of her experience, not just some professional “mumbo-jumbo.” As Twilight wrote her letter, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was…. Off. The castle… it was quiet. Too quiet… “Starlight! Are you here?” Twilight said as she leaned out of the doorway. No response. She was probably still stuck at that school doing…. School stuff or something Wait, Spike would still be here. Now she wondered if he ever cleaned up the… bathroom. Hmm. That was the mess she left in there, she'll make it up to him later. Take him out for the movies or get him rare gems to snack on or… just something. She sighed and continued writing her letter. Yet, she still couldn't shake off that feeling. Maybe she should go check on her scaly friend, talk with him for a few minutes at least. She glanced over at the clock. It was getting late, what if she woke him up? She sighed, still trying to shake that feeling as she continued on with her letter. Then, something crashed and shattered far off in the castle. The letter can wait! What if Spike was hurt? She would never forgive herself! She flew out of the chair and down the hall as fast as her wings could carry her. “Spike!” Twilight yelled. “Twilight Help!” Spike yelled. Twilight found Spike bound and gagged against a bedpost, blood dripping from his mouth, his face bruised. She ran into the room, clambering over him and started to untie him as the door slammed shut behind her. “Wha-?” Twilight turned, trying to find the source of the disturbance. Whoever did this to her little baby Drake was still here! “Where are you!” Twilight yelled, anger rising inside her as the ropes around Spike snapped and fused to form a long whip as she snapped, and popped it with her magic. A chuckle filled the air. “Oh, you thought this was going to be easy, did you?” An indistinguishable, unnatural voice said in a somehow singsong like fashion. “Who are you, come out here so I can tear you limb from Fucking limb!” Twilight yelled as she looked out the window. The silent alarms wouldn't activate for maybe another hour or two. Good. That gave her time to make whoever this was, suffer, and uh, oh! Suffer they will! “Show yourself!” Twilight yelled, snapping the whip to and fro. “I want answers.” The voice demanded. “I won't answer shit! You child attacking monster!” “I didn't hurt him…. That much!” The voice hissed, cackling. “Liar!” She screamed, her horn discharging on account of her rage flaring. The door shattered to splinters as she flew into the hallway, looking to and fro, trying to find her assailant. “Stupid mare! Just answer my questions and I'll leave you be.” “I don't want your questions! I want you in fucking pieces!” Twilight roared, stomping her hoof. “Huh. You don't even know where I am.” The voice responded childishly. “Hmm. Let's play extreme hide and seek. It's like hide and seek, but where I tear your fucking head off if I find you!” “What if I win?” The voice said playfully as Spike uttered a scream from behind her. She whipped her head around to see a silhouetted pony pressing a knife against Spike’s throat, drawing blood. “Answers, Sparkle! Now!” The unknown pony demanded. “No!” Twilight roared, her magic flaring. Her eyes widened and she shrieked as the knife was pressed harder against the softer flesh underneath, cutting into her poor dragon. “J-just give her what she wants!” Spike sobbed. “D- did you just assume my gender?” The pony demanded, making the winged baby dragon flinch as a hoof went up to punch him in the face....again. Anger welled up in the Alicorn Princess to a degree that the very air was charged with magenta colored magic. “Now your fucking DEAD!” Twilight screamed, her magic flaring. Suddenly, the rope Twilight was holding disappeared and the attacking pony gagged and choked. He/She/They gargled and gasped as their body squirmed. Twilight’s face was coated in sweat, a look of fierce determination on her face as she used her magic to tie knots into the rope, tying an end of it to the ceiling and the other end, slipped around their neck with decreasing length. Suddenly He/She/They dropped the knife and the pony instantly became stiff, cold, and motionless as strength failed the attacking pony. Spike shivered as he fell to the floor, fear-stricken. Spike did the only sensible thing he thought he could, he got up and ran. Out of the room, down the hall, out of her sight, out of the house. Twilight, no longer caring about the intruding pony, ran after Spike, yelling his name as she scrambled after him. Just as Twilight ran out of the house and down the street, she haphazardly bumped into a group of Ponyville folk and continued on her way, not even caring to look behind her as she yelled an apology and quickly took to the skies. “Captain. Was that was the target?” “No. That was the owner of the estate. The target is inside, in the far east corner of the building. Let's grab it and go before they get back.” The leader stated, charging into the house as his team followed suit.
