Subterranean Freedom

Chapter 6

The Fire of Hope

Sunset slowly opened her eyes to a blurry vision of someone kneeling over her. As her vision began to become clearer, she noticed Adagio hanging over her with a worried expression on her face while holding on to her shirt. Upon seeing Sunset awake, she carefully pulled herself away from the unicorn as she made a raspy grunt sound and slowly pulled herself up from the floor she was laying on. Once she was up, she soon noticed Aria walking up to her and placed a firm grip on her shoulder.

“Alright you. Just what in the name of Equestria are you!?” The siren asked as she glared at the unicorn. “I’ve never seen a ranger that can transform like that. That is something not normal!” She said before feeling Sunset slap her hand away from her shoulder and glare back.

“You have some bucking nerve asking me questions. What did Trixie mean by getting rid of the cargo?” Sunset said as Aria looked off to the side. “Answer me dammit! What does Trinity know about this!? What the hell are you hiding! Was what you said about not knowing any of this even true or a lie!?”

“Even if you knew...what could you do?” Aria looked back at Sunset and placed a hand on her shoulder again. “Use that power again? And what would that accomplish?”

“Anything that might be better than what you have going on!” She yelled as she smacked Aria’s hand away from her again.

“You stupid bitch of a ranger! If it wasn’t for me dragging your sorry ass out of there, your former partner would’ve killed you then and there!” The two continued to argue with each other as their heads were inches away from each other. The moment Sunset was about to deliver a swift punch to Aria’s face, the two of them heard Adagio speak up as they turned their attention towards her.

“Uhhill...Nnnll.” She said while shaking her head, trying to tell them to stop fighting with each other. The two glared at each other for a moment before turning their heads away from each other. Adagio chuckled from their reaction as she smiled at them for stopping.

“Leave it to Adagio to make us stop fighting.” Aria said as she pulled herself away from Sunset. “We’re going to have to make a stop at the BioCorp Lab in Canterlot.”

“I thought you said-”

“We’re going to sneak our way into the place. You and I both want answers as to what happened to Adagio and what’s going on with you. Now you can go back to your friends, but I’m not letting what happened to Adagio happen again. I know what I’m going to do, but I don’t know what you’re going to do. Unless you can explain?” Aria said as Sunset let’s out a sigh of annoyance.

“I’ll join. Mainly so I can get some answers. Especially as to what happened to me at the train station.”

“So that whole turning into a demon from hell was something you couldn’t control?” Aria asked as the ranger shook her head.

“I really don’t know where that power came from, or why. But...I heard a voice...A voice in my head.” Sunset said as she raised her hand to see it shaking. “It was scary...like somehow I was losing myself.” Before she could say anything else, the ranger felt Adagio place her hand into the ranger’s hand. Sunset looked up at Adagio who gave her a small smile. As if telling her that everything is going to be alright.

“Alright, we have a change in plan. Instead of going to Ranger HQ, we’re going to BioCorp.” Aria said before tossing the carrying bag over to Sunset as she caught it. “We should leave this place soon. We may have lost the rangers for now, but they’re rangers. As much as I like to bash them on how stupid they are, they’re good at tracking ponies down like dogs.”

“Then we’ll need to go through the LowSector to get to BioCorp.” Sunset said before placing the carrying bag on her back. “It’s much faster and the rangers will have a hard time looking for us due to the increase in monsters near the entrance of the place.”

“Wouldn’t that mean it would be hard for us to get through as well?”

“Not if you know the place like the back of your hand. There’s a lift that should take us to the halfway point of the path that leads to BioCorp.” She said before noticing the sirens staring at her with raised eyebrows. “What? So I have a lot of free time on my hands to study the layout of certain places in the underground...Don’t judge me.”

“I’m pretty sure we have the right to judge...You must not be very good at making friends.” Aria said as Sunset glared at the siren before marching off down the hallway.

“Lets just go before I say something I’m going to regret.”

(Regent HQ)

“Care to explain why we’re all called here again?” Rainbow Dash asked as she leaned in her seat in annoyance. “I mean didn’t we have a meeting with all of us together here?”

“It’s a bit too soon to have another assembly of us Regents so soon. Something must have happened.” Twilight said before looking over at Fluttershy petting Angel.

“The day was foreseen. But not the date.” Fluttershy said before she and the other regents noticed a flash of light appeared from the side of the room. The flash of light soon disappeared as Celestia stood in front of the table the regents were sitting at.

“It would appear that the dragon has appeared.” Celestia said which took everyone by surprise.

“You mean, he finally chose his champion?” Applejack asked as the white alicorn nodded.

“Yes. One of the great weapons of old. Our nemesis. The destroyers of worlds.” Celestia said before taking a seat at the table. “BioCorp reports that the one that activated is one which cycle has already ended.”

“Reactivation? But the hosts...the Chosen are supposed to be extinct...right?” Twilight said as Celestia shook her head.

“A ranger grunt, the girl we saw on the video screen. Sunset Shimmer may have been linked with the dragon.”

“A grunt?” Rarity said before standing up. “No one with such low potential could be a Chosen!” she said as her horn began to glow. “I will create a rift in space and seal this Chosen away before she sends the world into turmoil.”

“It is not yet time for us to act. Let the mortals deal with mortals. I have ordered all high-ranking rangers to find the girl. We feud in life and struggle towards death. It is sometimes the history not found in books that is truest.” Celestia said before looking at the flag above them. “Here, now. It begins.”

(Ranger HQ, Vector Zero’s Office)

“Dammit!” Trixie yelled as she slammed her fist into her hand repeatedly in anger. “How the hell can Trixie lose to a low-D like her!? I’m better than Sunset, both in skill and determination! What kind of magic gave that boost in strength and power!?”

“Trixie, calm down. D-ratios measure potential future ability profiles. Your loss to her is within acceptable error margins.”

“Aberrations!? That was no aberration! Trixie knows what she saw! That was...she’s a monster!”

“Anyway, as for you. You’re being relieved of further duty-”

“No! Trixie followed my orders, didn’t she!? Didn’t she!? Trixie can’t let this incident spoil her reputation!” Trixie yelled before punching the wall next to her. “Trixie has come too far to let something like this get in the way of her becoming Regent!”

(Low Sector: Borough Ponyville)

“Never thought I would return back home so soon.” Sunset said as the lift they were on appeared at their destination. “Nice to see this place hasn’t changed...for the most part.”

“Right into the heart of enemy territory. And they don’t even notice us? Talk about having crappy security.” Aria said as she, Sunset, and Adagio moved from off the lift and began to make their way through Ponyville Borough. “Can’t believe you live in a place like this...is that a painted picture of the sky up on the roof of this place?”

“Yeah, don’t know whose idea it was to put that up on the ceiling. But from what Vector Zero told me, it was used as a means to help keep hope and morale up in this broken world. But personally I don’t think it’s much help seeing how it doesn’t look like the sky.”

“is it because the paint is pretty much worn out over time?” Aria asked as the ranger nodded. “You guys don’t have anypony to repaint it?”

“If we did, then it would look much better than this. Come on, we better get going before somepony notices us.” Sunset said before taking the lead as the sirens followed after her. As they make their way through the slums of ponyville, the sirens notice some of the ponies were looking tired, weary, and old looking stallions or mares, fellow rangers carrying packages, or little foals running round playing with each other or in trash.

“Besides the fact that this place looks like a dump. This place makes Trinity HQ look like crap in comparison.”

“It can’t be that bad...can it?”

“We basically live in a sewer and are constantly on watch for monsters. I’m pretty sure it’s as bad as you think it is. I mean I'm sure this place has some monster attacks from time to time, but this place seems much better to live in...if only they can clean the place up a bit more.”

“It’s kinda hard to clean the place when a lot of rangers are off doing things under Vector Zero’s orders. I help out as well, but there’s very little I can do all by myself. And the ponies here can’t keep doing this all by themselves. But this is all we can do seeing how we’re in the low sector of Equestria.”

“I guess that makes sense.” She said before glancing over at Adagio who was holding onto Sunset’s arm. “Weird, Adagio is never that close to anypony other than Sonata and I.”

“She isn’t this close to other ponies?”

“She tends to be cold, bitchy, and a hard ass. Now...she’s kinda like a little filly...only stuck in an adult mare’s body...and clingy towards you….what did you do before I met you?” Aria asked as Sunset stopped walking to look over at the siren.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You heard me. Did you do something to her to make her be so clingy? Like kiss her while she was asleep?” She said which caused the ranger to blush.

“W-What is wrong with you!? I didn’t do anything like that! All I did was save her from your war genic that you possibly sent.”

“....Oh buck, I totally forgot about that thing...wait you killed that genic...by yourself!?”

“Um, yes?”

“....You sure you’re a low-D?”

“Yes, I’m a low-D. Is it that hard to believe that?”

“Well given the whole turning into a fiery dragon demon and going to town on your former partner and fellow rangers. I’m inclined to not believe you’re a low-D.” Before Sunset could give out a reply to Aria’s statement, she felt Adagio.

“Something wrong Adagio?” Sunset asked as she noticed the siren covering her nose. Taking notice to this, Sunset sniffed the air before quickly covering her mouth and nose. “Oh horse feathers. Did another gas pipe burst?”

“It’s gas. Nerve gas to be accurate.” Aria said before pulling out her handgun and began to scan the area they’re in. “But who’s the pony that’s making it.”

“It’s her!” said a voice coming off to the side of the group as they all looked over at a group of earth ponies gathered together wearing gas masks and ranger uniforms. “Hey, grunt. You’re Sunset Shimmer, right?”

“Rangers huh? So we’ve become wanted criminals...well you’ve found Sunset.” The siren said as the group of rangers chuckled in amusement.

“No, not yet. But we heard Trixie tell the boss about you, and we figured Bringing you in would give our reputation a nice boost~” said the earth pony as she placed a foot on the gas container.

“So we got this ready and waited for you to come through here.”

[AERIAL POLLUTION WARNING LEVEL! SEALING OFF AFFECTED AREAS!]

“Greedy scumbags. Are you idiots that stupid to let lose a nerve gas in an area filled with innocent bystanders?” Aria asked before noticing Adagio coughing from the fumes of the poison gas.

“It’s nerve gas we use against genics. Perfect for low-Ds, too.” The pegasus of the group said before aiming her sword at Sunset. “We heard you’re pretty strong for a low-D. Just being cautious, you know? Ironhide, Silver Wind. Get ready for a beat down on this low-D grunt.”

“On it Chrono.” Ironhide said as he pulled out a sword along with Silver Wind, who pulled out a whip.

“Aria, get Adagio someplace safe and give me some cover fire.” Sunset said as she unsheathed her katana.

“You can’t be serious? The air is filled with nerve gas. You can’t fight them and the gas at the same time.”

“Not like I have much of a choice. Now get going while I deal with them.” The unicorn said before pushing Aria out of the way of Silver Wind’s whip. “Please?” Aria nodded as she pulled Adagio by the arm and dragged her to a safe location away from the gas and the fight.

“Hey now, don’t think you can ignore us like that princess.” She said before trying to hit Aria again, only for Sunset to use the sheath of her katana to block the oncoming attack and have part of the whip wrapped around it. “Hey, give me back my weapon you-” Before she could finish, Sunset fired a magical beam of magic at Silver Wind as she was sent staggering backwards.

“Seems like this low-D has some fight in her.” Ironhide said before charging at Sunset in an attempt to thrust his sword into her. Sunset quickly moved out of the way as she felt the blade nicked her on the side of her arm and counters with the sheath of her weapon to his face. Before he had time to react, Sunset released her hold on her sheath and punched him in the nose. “Gah! You bitch!”

“How is she still standing? She should be knocked out or a least limping from the gas we’re pouring out into the air.” Silver Wind said before pulling her whip back over to her before trying again to hit Sunset again. Sunset quickly moved out of the way of the whip and counters by tossing her sword high into the air. While Silver Wind was distracted, Sunset quickly threw the sheath of her weapon at the mare’s face. Silver Wind lets out a yelp of pain as the katana that Sunset threw into the air impaled itself into her head and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“Silver Wind!” Ironhide yelled before glaring at Sunset. “You’re going to pay for that you fucking bitch of a low-D-” Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of a gun could be heard echoing throughout the area. Blood could be seen dripping down the stallion’s face as he raised a hand up towards his head and felt a hole in his forehead. “D-Dammit…” He said before falling to the ground.

“Glad to know Aria is helping me. Though given the smoke from the nerve gas, it might be giving her problems seeing me.” Sunset said before starting to feel her body getting stiff and heavy.

“Gotta say, you’re impressive for a low-D. Most ponies would hit the floor with the amount of nerve gas you’re breathing in.” Chrono said as he pulled himself off of the canister of nerve gas and reached for a metal pipe sticking out of the ground. “But I think this should be enough time that your body is succumbing to it by now. Which means you’ll be easy to knock out.”

“Don’t think I-I’ll go down that easily.” Sunset said as she got into a boxing like stance. “I have to end this before the gas fully takes effect on my body.” The mare took notice at the stallion charging at her and tried to swing at her with the metal pipe he found. Sunset quickly ducked under the swing and counters with an uppercut to his chin. Chrono staggered backwards from the uppercut as he soon felt his nose break from the punch Sunset delivered as he fell backward onto the ground.

“Mother fucker!” Chrono yelled as he noticed Sunset charging at him in an attempt to kick him, only for him to pick up a handful of dirt and toss it at Sunset’s eyes. The mare let out a grunt as she stopped her charge and began to try and wipe the dirt out of her eyes. While she was doing this, she felt the metal pipe he was holding hit her across her face causing her to fall face first into the ground. “How'd you like that bitch? Payback for killing my friends.” He yelled before walking over to her and kicking her in the stomach. “You got a lot of nerve trying to pick a fight with us. You’re a fucking low-D. You should’ve just surrendered, and it would’ve made my job easy!”

“Well sucks to be in your hooves huh?” Sunset said with a smirk as she lets out a loud grunt from the pain she felt from him hitting her in the stomach again.

“Quiet low-D. If it wasn’t for the fact that you got a bounty on your head, I would’ve killed you by now.” He said before kneeling down and pulled her head up by her mane. “But that doesn’t mean i can’t rough you up a bit. I’ll just say that you were being uncooperative.”

“That might be a problem in your case.” Sunset said as the stallion pressed the metal pipe against her face.

“Oh, and why is-” Before he could finish, a gunshot echoed throughout the area as it was followed up with a loud thud. Sunset looked up to see a bullet hole in the stallion's head as he released his hold on her mane and fell over.

“Thank you Aria…” Sunset staggered to her feet before limping over to where the nerve gas was coming out of. Once she was there, she began to look for the switch to turn it off. When she found where the switch was, she noticed that it was broken off.

“L-Looking for something?” Chrono said as Sunset looked over at him. “You think I would...let you leave this...place alive if you beat us? Nice try….you stupid...low-D.” he said before going silent.

“You have got...to be kidding..m-me.” Sunset said before collapsing over to the side. As the gas began to fill up more and more of the area, Adagio took notice of Sunset passing out onto the ground as she was about to head downstairs from where she and Aria were watching and helping. Aria took notice of the older siren heading downstairs as she quickly stood in front of her to stop her.

“Are you crazy Adagio? You’re not going down there. Especially without a means to breathe through that stuff.” Aria said as the older siren glared at her for a moment before smirking at her. “Wait what are you-” before she could finish, Adagio quickly jumped over the side of the steps and entered into the gas filled area. “Dammit Adagio!” She yelled before trying to run after her, only for her to pull herself back away from the gas.

Once Adagio made her way over to the passed out unicorn, she soon kneeled down and tried to wake her up by shaking her. The only response that she got from her was a muffled groan and a cough. The siren gasped in surprise upon knowing that she was alive, but soon began to cough due to the gas filling the area more and more by the second. Adagio looked around the area to see that Aria was up where she was before coming here as she smiled at her. The siren soon closed her eyes and placed her hands on Sunset’s body. Upon doing this, Aria noticed that the dragon-like wings on Adagio’s back began to glow as a burst of light from around them.

“What the hell?” Aria said as she soon noticed the nerve gas quickly gathering towards the light emitting from Adagio as she stared in both shock and surprise by this. Once the gas was gathered around Adagio and Sunset, the beam of light erupted as the entire area was engulfed in a warm light. Once the light vanished, Aria slowly opened her eyes as she saw that the nerve gas was completely gone. “Wow…” She said before noticing Adagio collapsing onto Sunset. “Ah hell, Adagio, Sunset!” Aria said before quickly rushing over to the two passed out ponies.