Chapters Warframe: In the Coming of Age
Prologue - Among the Stars
The sound of train wheels and the rumble of the tracks was what first woke Twilight Sparkle from her sleep. Then it was the poking of her cheek by some unknown figure. Then it was the trumpet blown directly in her ear.
"GAH!" Twilight yelped, hitting the ceiling of the sleeper booth, and then she noticed two things that were out of place or wrong about her current accommodations.
First was that she wasn't in her new castle's bedroom, she was in a train car with her friends and Spike. Second was that she didn't remember boarding a train at all, or being brought to one in her sleep.
"What's going on?" Twilight stammered. "Who blew a trumpet into my ear?"
"Pinkie." chorused four voices, the last one happily replying "Me!"
"Okay...also, why are we on a train? The last thing I remember was going to bed back in my Castle in Ponyville." Twilight continued. "Then, now."
"That would be my fault, Princess Twilight." said Princess Luna as she entered the car, squeezing past Fluttershy and Applejack. "Celestia told me to collect you all and get you on your way as soon as possible. However, by the time I was able to do that, it was quite late...and I had to resort to...more subterfuge-laced methods to bring you here. Rest assured I alerted your various families that you would be leaving."
"So you ponynapped us...with permission?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. "That sounds kinda weird."
"What's weirder still is where we are traveling to, and what we are undertaking." Luna continued. "We are en route to Fort Sparrow Falls, a Royal Guard training site in the southeastern forests of Equestria.Their Commander, Birdseye, recently contacted us to report a disturbing find."
"What kind of disturbing are we talking about here?" Twilight asked.
"They found something, a large subterranean compound, buried near the aquifer they use for a water supply. Something most certainly...not from Equestria or even Equis as a planet." Luna said. "However, when the scouts attempted to delve deeper into the ruined structure...they were beset upon by hostile, unknown beings."
"Did they...make it out?" Fluttershy asked timidly.
Luna sighed sorrowfully as a response, making the Elements and Spike flinch.
"No. There were no survivors among them, as we found their charred bodies at the entrance of the complex. Whatever killed them is still out there in those ruins, and we intend to bring it to justice. Which is why we need you. All of you"
"Well…" Rainbow Dash nodded, though her voice was unsettled. "Let's get to it, I suppose."
"Right." Twilight added. "Do we know anything about what attacked the Guards?"
"We only know from the autopsy performed on the bodies that it was capable of using beams of direct energy as attacks, much like our magic." Luna replied. "And this energy was precisely directed and powerful enough to pierce their armor and clean through their bodies like it was nothing."
"Oh my." Fluttershy whimpered, Rarity pulling the butter-yellow Pegasus close as reassurance. "That's scary."
"It is." Luna continued. "But we have to act fast if we are going to protect Equestria from whatever this monster is or could be. We should arrive at the fort any moment now. Prepare yourselves."
====
As the Train came to a stop outside Fort Sparrow Falls, the eight of them disembarked and were escorted inside by a team of Lunar Guards. Twilight looked to the side and saw the deceased scouts, their bodies covered in a white cloth and the flags of the Solar Guards and the nation of Equestria.
"Such a shame." Twilight murmured.
"It is." said Commander Birdseye, a pale blue pegasus with a brown mane, as he came forward to join them. He wore Solar Guard's armor, modified for the woodland environment. "Those were some of my best scouts...but they did their duty to the end, that's all I could have asked of them."
"Don't you feel bad for them?" Rarity asked.
"That's part of the job, yes." Birdseye nodded. "But not everyone will make it home at the end of the day. We give peace to the fallen, and go onward. That's the most we can do. The condolence letters can't arrive soon enough."
Birdseye gave a sigh of remorse, and turned to Princess Luna.
"We've got three platoons ready at your word, heavily armed and armored. Some of my best heavy units are with them, too. Whatever this is, we'll find it, and stop it."
"Good." Luna replied. "Where is the entrance to the ruins?"
"This way."
As Birdseye led the group to a massive gate carved into a nearby hill, cordoned off by multiple Guards, Twilight and her friends stood back in awe.
The gate was made from an ivory-colored metal inlaid with gold and bronze, and a strange sigil lay carved into the exact center of the door. There were no flaws or blemishes in the work, and even the dirt above the entrance receded where the metal touched the earth.
"That's actually pretty cool." Rainbow Dash gasped. "Who could've built this?"
"We don't know, Miss Rainbow Dash." Birdseye continued. "But whoever did spared no expense in making sure it lasted."
"Why's that?" Twilight asked.
"Well, that metal may not look the part, but it's tough. It took three teams of drillers, equipped with a tunnel bore enhanced by magic, to make a hole for the scouts." Birdseye continued. "And whenever they stopped drilling to cool the tunnel bore's engine, the metal reformed and sealed the breach. Took several hours to make any progress."
"Then how'd you retrieve the bodies?" Applejack asked.
"That's the creepy part." Birdseye continued. "When we found them, the door was open, and the breach was sealed once again. Once we got the bodies, it closed again. There's something alive in there, and my guess is that's who killed our scouts."
"Well, we're not going to find that out from here." Twilight said. "Let's get inside."
As she approached the door, the ground rumbled. As the Guards advanced with weapons ready, the door shuddered before opening wide, revealing an interior that was just as ornately decorated as the door.
"Let's go." Luna commanded, and the Guards circled around the Elements, Spike, and Luna as they entered. Once they passed through the threshold, the door closed. White lights came on as they proceeded into the passage, all of them unaware they were being watched…
====
Above them, an Oculyst watched the equines march into the complex, its eye sending its visual data to an unknown source. Unlike the Battalysts that had been authorized to kill the scouts, this one was tasked with monitoring their progress and making sure they reached the central court area.
However, the Battalysts that had earlier been active and had killed the scouts were now tasked with patrol duties, and not to engage the intruders. This confused the Oculyst, as there were more armed Guards among them. But its leader had other plans. The Sentient at the heart of this planet wanted to learn more about what had changed in the eons it had been below ground, waiting for this moment as time passed.
The Oculyst, among all the Sentient troops in this complex, had learned to never disobey their leader, or mention it by name. Only those who had defeated it the first time could know it as such.
And they were too far gone to be of any help to the Equines once he would rise and resume his conquest. As the lone Oculyst tracked the intruders, this Sentient had no knowledge of just how wrong they would be.
====
Aboard an Orokin Orbiter
"Operator, we have received a new message from the Lotus. Shall I play it for you?"
The speaker, a Cephalon by the name of Ordis, flickered slightly at the recipient of the message. A Tenno knelt at the navigation link at the front of the Orbiter, meditating in silence. The Excalibur Prime Warframe was still for a few moments, before it spoke in a quiet, even-toned voice.
"Play the message, Ordis. I'm sorry for spacing out like that."
"No apology is necessary, Operator. But first, are you...ignoring me...alright?"
"I'm fine, Ordis." Excalibur Prime replied. "You may proceed."
"Playing the message now."
"Tenno, listen to me carefully." said the voice of the Lotus. "I have recently intercepted an Orokin colony distress beacon, relayed from beyond the Origin System, dating back to the Old War."
"Though the message is incomplete and damaged from time, it suggests that there is a dormant Sentient on this world, about to reawaken.'
"You and your team are to journey to this world and investigate this beacon, and if the need arises, defend this world from any threat to you. As the Solar Rails are incapable of sending you to this planet, you must utilize your Railjack gunship for transport. I have already notified the Drydock crew to begin preparations for the journey."
"Good luck, Tenno. You may depart when ready."
As the message concluded, the Tenno turned to Ordis.
"You know what to do, Ordis. Initiate Squad Link. Get Emily, Jaycen, Sarah, and Clarke on the line. Initiate a jump to the Drydock. Make sure we can leave as soon as we arrive."
"Of course, Operator." Ordis replied. "Sending Squad Link alert now."
As the Orbiter departed for the Reservoir's Drydock, four other Orbiters joined the formation beside the first.
"Is everyone online?" Excalibur Prime asked as he draped a Syndana, a cape lined with the symbol of the Madurai School in pale green, around his waist. The Syndana's color matched with the Warframe's own, a mixture of pale green, blue, and white patterned in the Excalibur Immortal style.
"I'm here." said Jaycen, a Tenno who used Rhino Prime. "Squad link is active."
"All set." continued Emily, who used Volt Prime.
"Good to go." added Sarah, who used Oberon Prime.
"Ready." finished Clarke, who used Zephyr Prime.
The Orbiters of the five Tenno soon reached the Reservoir's Drydock, where their Railjack Gunship, designated Endeavor, lay in waiting. The Drydock crew had attached a separate energy-tethered capsule to the Gunship, to carry extra ammunition for the turrets and ordinance modules, a fuel core, and containers of spare parts and supplies.
"We all set?" Excalibur asked the Drydock foreman.
"Ready when you are, Tenno." he replied. "I've already made the necessary parts ready to make sure Endeavor can attach to the lead Orbiter. You should have no problem transferring back and forth between ships."
"Thank you." Excalibur replied. "Tenno! Mount up!"
As the Endeavor attached to Excalibur's Orbiter via an energy tether, the Tenno initiated a Void Jump, blasting off into uncharted space, into the beyond.
Author's Note
Man, do I love getitng back into the swing of writing after a long break. Plus, I recently finished The Second Dream quest in Warframe, so this was a long time coming, but satisfying to finish.
Also, I originally had Excalibur Prime as an Excalibur Umbra, but after some additional research, changed it to Prime as the Tenno aren't that far along in the story.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!
Next time - The Tenno arrive in Equestria, and the Ponies meet the Sentient known as Charon.
Warframe: In the Coming of Age
Chapter 1 - The Catcombs, Part One
As the Equestrians walked slowly and carefully through the complex, Twilight looked around at their surroundings with a curious expression. The interior of the structure was made from white and gold material, with some blue elements engraved into the walls. Strange furniture and objects were positioned perfectly, without a speck of dust on any of them, next to canals filled with a white, viscous liquid that flowed seemingly without a need for a current.
"Who made all this?" Twilight asked, stretching a hoof out to brush against a golden statue of some unknown thing. "It can't be anypony or anyone we'd know of here on Equis."
"That's what concerns me, Princess." Birdseye replied, tightening his grip on his lance. "This is something else entirely. And I'd reckon to guess that who or whatever built this place killed my Scouts."
"Did you know them?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yeah, I trained 'em personally." Birdseye sighed. "They were some of my best prospects. It's a shame they're gone. But there's no sense brooding on it. We push forward and accomplish the mission."
As the group entered a large Atrium full of chairs and tables with a large fountain in the middle, Luna ordered the Guards to get some rest. As they gratefully sat down and looked over their armor and weapons, the Oculyst that had been following them stopped and began to scan them, sending the data to its master.
The Sentient Spy requested a group of Battalysts to eliminate the intruders, but its master replied in the negative. These beings could be of use to its plans for this world, and from what he had gathered from the first set of intruders, they were nowhere close to the capabilities of his creators, the Orokin.
And this Sentient intended to keep it that way.
====
In the midst of the blinding, eternal hellscape that was known as the Void, a single Railjack gunship flew through the mist towards a distant world near the edge of the Origin system.
Inside, the five Tenno selected for this task by the Lotus waited at their stations, the Railjack's Cephalon, Cy, guiding the vessel to its destination. Matthew, or Excalibur Prime, monitored the Railjack's status from the central command pedestal.
"Cy, how much longer?" he asked.
"We should arrive shortly." Cy replied. "I've also identified an Orokin colony base with a still-functioning landing platform as our insertion point. Be ready for anything."
"I understand." Matthew nodded. "Any expectation of resistance from whatever may inhabit this world?"
"No estimates at this time." Cy replied. "The Lotus supplied me with all the information she could gather on this world, and none of it indicates that there is any presence of Grineer, Corpus, or Infested forces. However…"
"What is it?"
"The Lotus did mention that this world was scheduled for a settlement treaty by the Orokin and some unknown faction, probably sapient local leadership before the Old War began." Cy replied. "So, do your best to establish peaceful relations with them if you can or if they're even out there. Allies are something we are in need of at the moment back in the Origin System."
"Of course." Matthew partially slid out his Nikana Prime, and then sheathed it fully at seeing the blade was ready for combat. "If they can even understand us."
"I'll leave that to you, Tenno." Cy replied. "Arrival at the landing pad estimated in one minute."
"Tenno, ready up!" Matthew called over their squad's comms, and the other Tenno replied in the affirmative. As the Railjack exited the Void Jump and began its descent to a large boreal forest on the southern edge of a large continent, Matthew stood up and proceeded to the entrance bay, where his teammates were waiting.
"So, where do we start?" Jaycen asked, chambering a round into his Corinth Prime shotgun. "Search around, find intel?"
"That sounds good to me, Jaycen." Clarke nodded, loading his Sybaris Prime rifle. "What's the chance we'll run into hostiles?"
"Can't say for now." Matthew said as he entered, retrieving his Paris Prime bow, and a quiver loaded with arrows, and a set of magazines for his Lato Prime sidearm. "If we run into the locals, we'll do our best to avoid hostilities. We don't know what they're capable of, and I'd prefer to have that possibility on our side, rather than against us."
"Right!" the other Tenno nodded as the Railjack entered the landing pad, which was hidden in a cliff face by moss and foliage. As the Tenno exited the gunship and proceeded inside, a cloaked Oculyst watched from a balcony. It shivered slightly at the presence of the Void, and disappeared, sending a message to its master.
The Oculyst soon received a reply.
Destroy them and the intruders, show no mercy. Leave nothing behind.
====
"Alright, are you all set?" Princess Luna asked once the Guards were upright and ready and the Elements were rested.
"Yes, Princess. Let's move forward." Birdseye nodded. "Guardsponies, diamond formation!"
As the Guards assembled in the called pattern, and headed towards an open door that led to a spiral staircase, it suddenly slammed shut with an audible click, along with the doors to the other hallways. Then, an audible rumble echoed through the atrium.
Twilight then felt a massive, indescribably powerful presence come upon her, almost as if it was attempting to drown her where she stood. She closed her eyes and took in several breaths, clearing her mind using her magic. The presence soon left, and as she moved together with her friends, the Guards readied their lances.
"Move together, defensive positions!" Birdseye ordered, and the Guards formed a defensive square phalanx around the Elements and Luna. Then, a glass door above them opened, and a flight of strange creatures descended down in a circle, surrounding the Equestrians.
They were very lean, almost skeletal in appearance, with arms resembling that of tuning forks. Their carapace was colored white, black, and red, and large red crests rested on their shoulders.
As they slowly approached the phalanx, one of them that was larger than the rest moved upwards and gave off a powerful shriek of fury that scorched the ears of all who heard it. Then, it fired a bright white beam towards one of the Guards in front of it, the others following and attacking as well.
Princess Luna and Princess Twilight immediately threw up a large domed shield, which deflected the beams. As the Battalysts continued to attack, Rainbow, bearing an expression of fear, turned to Twilight.
"How long will that shield last?" she asked.
"If they keep this up at this rate, I'd say five more minutes at most." Twilight replied, she and Luna beginning to sweat from the strain of keeping the flow of magic constant and also trying not to lose their concentration.
"Then what do we do when it does fail?" Rarity cried. "Those things will kill us for sure!"
"We won't let that happen." Birdseye replied, drawing a pair of shortswords. "Get ready! When that shield fails, fight with everything you have, Guards! Defend the Elements and the Princesses with your lives!"
The Guards cheered a war cry and prepared themselves for battle. As the Battalysts continued their barrage, neither side noticed the shadows moving on the glass dome above them…
====
Matthew looked down at the battle beneath them with curiosity. The beings under attack by the Sentients had thrown up a shield to defend themselves, but Matthew, like all other Tenno, knew it wouldn't last long.
A Sentient's greatest weapon was its adaptability, and sooner or later, they would find a way around that shield or it would fail and expose the beings inside. Battalyst lasers, originally meant to clear heavy foliage, solid rock, and other tough natural materials to clear colonies for settlement, had been quickly repurposed during the Old War, and were capable of disintegrating nearly anything hit by them.
"Jaycen?" Matthew asked. As Jaycen's Rhino Prime came forward and looked at his team leader, Matthew gave a nod and stepped back. Jaycen smiled inwardly as he used Rhino Stomp on the glass flooring. It cracked to the point of unusability, and the frame groaned noticeably, but it held against the blow.
However, it didn't hold on the second stomp. As the glass shattered and the dome collapsed from the titanic Rhino Stomp, the Tenno dove downwards with weapons ready, each landing at a pentagon-shaped point around the shield. As the beings inside recoiled visibly, Matthew drew his Nikana Prime and faced down the lead Battalyst, which shuddered at the presence of the Void.
Matthew smiled as his team took up attack stances as the Sentients drew into a single group to engage them, stopping their attack on the shield. The Tenno knew this was their moment to strike.
"Engage!" Matthew bellowed as his Nikana Prime tore through the lead Battalyst's twin cannons with ease, before he then impaled it through the head. As the Battalysts screeched as once and opened fire, the Tenno rushed in, sounding a cry of challenge.
Author's Note
Update!
Yeah, again, this took way to long to write. Sorry about that. Expect more updates soon.
Next time - The fight against the Battalysts, first contact with the Tenno, and the escape from the Colony Base.
Warframe: In the Coming of Age
Chapter 2 - The Catacombs, Part Two
The Sentient Battalysts immediately opened fire at the Tenno, who seamlessly dodged the attacks with dashes, rolls, or bullet-leaps. Rhino and Excalibur, the two front-runners of the team, moved in close. Rhino's Corinth Prime shotgun tore the limbs off the Battalysts with each shot, injuring them, while Excalibur finished them off with Nikana Prime.
Oberon, after firing a few shots from her Aklato Pistols, leaped into the middle of the Equines' formation and placed a well of healing energy known as Renewal. While she watched a few injured Equines regain their stamina, a Battalyst took what it thought was an easy target and fired at her. She casually dodged in time and opened fire, cutting down the Sentient fighter with ease as her bullets cut through its weakened armor.
The remaining two Tenno, Zephyr Prime and Volt Prime, easily dispatched the remaining Sentients with the power of wind or lightning, and as the final one fell to Excalibur's sword, the room was quiet once again.
As the five Tenno turned to the Equines, a purple one with a horn and wings let the light on her horn extinguish, then she promptly fell over. As the others crowded around in a protective stance, Excalibur came forward and sheathed his Nikana..
As he approached, the lances of several more Equines in armor were pointed directly at him. Giving a small scoff of amusement, Excalibur easily pushed them aside and stood over the unconscious one.
He extended his hand over her, and a green mist flowed out to cover the Equine. Her eyes fluttered, and then she groaned audibly. As she shakily got to her feet to the further shock of those around her, she spoke in a foreign language.
Mason tilted his head in question, and then realizing that verbal communication would not be possible for the moment, extended a finger and touched her mouth, before shaking his head "no". The equine seemed to catch his meaning, and began to speak to the others hurriedly, a few showing signs of surprise, doubt, or in the case of one of them who wore more ornate armor, distrust.
Mason sighed and walked away, rejoining his team, who circled up around him while sheathing their weapons.
"What's the play ,Excalibur?" Rhino asked. "They can't understand us?"
"I communicated that as much." Excalibur replied. "Look, I don't think they pose us any harm, seeing as they likely didn't stand a chance against the Sentients before we showed up. I think we should pass them on and finish our mission."
"They might be able to help us. This is their world, after all." Volt suggested. "Maybe we just need to translate what they are saying somehow."
"How do you propose we do that?" Clarke raised an eyebrow. "It's not like we have writing materials with us at the moment."
"Cy might be able to." Oberon mused. "Is that possible?"
"I can give it a shot." the Railjack's Cephalon replied. "If you can keep those beings talking, it'll speed up the process by a good amount."
"That sounds like a plan." Rhino nodded as he and the other Tenno approached the Equines once more. They sat cross-legged in front of them, causing a whisper of murmurs to come up.
"Did you get that?" Excalibur asked.
"Yeah, I got it. A little more data and I should be good to translate." Cy replied. Excalibur then borrowed one of Volt's Hikou Prime shurikens, and began carving the Orokin symbol for "Tenno" into the floor in front of them.
As the Equines continued to talk, it didn't take long before Cy spoke up again and a stream of data appeared on his Warframe's HUD.
"Data parsing is complete, streaming vocal data to you know. Translation should kick in momentarily."
As the voices of the Equines slowly turned from their unkown tongue and into the Orokin language, Excalibur perked up at what they were saying about them.
"So, they save our flanks, heal Twilight, and then just sit down and start drawing on the floor? I'm not sure what they're doing, but I don't like it." said one with a prismatic rainbow-colored mane and wings.
"Rainbow Dash, please be more tactful." said one with an ivory coat and curled purple mane. "You saw what they did to those things. I'd prefer not to anger them if we could."
"I agree, but..what is that...symbol supposed to mean?" said the one Excalibur healed. "It obviously means something, I just need to figure out what."
"Maybe it's some kind of space-alien party invitation?" asked a pink one with a poofy mane. "It looks like a balloon without the string. At least it looks like that to me."
Excalibur then chuckled audibly, causing the Equines to focus on him, before he cleared his throat and spoke a single word.
"Tenno." he said, causing every single Equine to gasp. The purple one then came forward nervously.
"Is that your name?" she asked.
"It is what we are." Excalibur replied as the Tenno stood up. "There will be time for proper discourse later. We must move and make haste. The Sentients will return, and in greater numbers. There is no safety here to talk."
"Why should we trust you?" the rainbow one asked brashly. "What do you mean by a Sentient? What are you doing in Eq..."
Excalibur then covered her mouth with his hand and motioned to the nearby hallway entrance. The Rainbow one growled angrily and tried to speak again before a voice cut her protests short.
"He said we'll explain later." Rhino said authoritatively, coming forward. "If you value your lives, you'll follow us and keep your heads down. There is no time for debate on this."
The Tenno then moved to depart, the Equines then looked to each other timidly before following behind.
====
As the group of Equines and Tenno walked through the halls, Excalibur could hear the rainbow-maned one muttering vague threats and mild curses under her breath. They were clearly audible to the Tenno, but so far, none of the other equines had noticed. He sighed and looked back at her, making the Equines pause as he spoke.
"If you believe your childish mutterings of anger will intimidate us, you are sorely mistaken." he said. "I understand you in particular do not trust us."
"That goes both ways, as I do not trust you." he continued. "But for the sake of your own life and the lives of your friends, I would not continue."
"Bite me!" she replied. "You're gonna kill all of us just like those things from earlier, first chance you get, aren't you!"
"Rainbow Dash!" boomed an Equine like the purple one, with a horn and wings, only with a distinct feeling and coloration like the moon and night sky. "Your actions are uncouth and out of line, and whatever malevolence you harbor towards our saviors is to be disposed of immediately!"
The Rainbow one was speechless, gaping openly as the night-sky one continued.
"If it was not for their timely intervention, those creatures would have slaughtered us all, just like the scouts from before! If you do not hold your tongue willingly, I shall make you, and I will not be gentle in the effort!"
"Now be silent and speak this evil no more!"
The rainbow one slowly nodded sulkily and set herself down from her airborne position, giving Excalibur the nastiest glare she could. Excalibur merely turned to the other horn-and-wing equine and nodded.
"Thank you for your words of support." he said. "I will return the gesture later. For now, we must keep moving. I doubt the Sentients aren't far behind us."
"Then let us proceed, Tenno." she replied. "I trust you to lead the way."
As they proceeded deeper into the complex, Excalibur placed a hand on the hilt of his Nikana Prime. "This battle" , he thought, "is far from over. We will protect these equines and see them to safety…even if they do not wish for it."
Author's Note
Update!
Thanks to a marathon Warframe session this morning, I got this written and proofed/edited in record time.
Next chapter - The Tenno and the Equestrians face the leader of the Sentients in Equestria, and first contact begins not long after that...
Warframe: In the Coming of Age
Chapter 3 - The Flight Home
As the group continued to walk in silence through the dim hallways, with Excalibur in the point position, some of the Equines decided to get a closer look at their rescuers. Rarity found Oberon's choice of silver, pale gold, and red to be "magnificent!", and was musing quietly about fashions she could draw from the Tenno's Warframes.
Fluttershy had hidden herself away, but she snuck an occasional look at Zephyr. His stance and the feeling around him reminded her of a forested glade.
Pinkie was bouncing along and humming a merry tune, much to the mystified amusement of the Tenno, particularly Volt.
Applejack quietly studied Rhino Prime, wondering how such a creature could be so strong and bulky, and yet so swift. The Corinth Prime shotgun at his back did little to dissuade her from peering closer at him.
"Are you impressed with what you see?"
Applejack flinched and looked up to see Rhino peering at her with a tilted head in a gesture of question and curiosity. She cleared her throat, and responded quietly.
"I guess I am." she admitted. "How're you managing to move so fast if you're so...big?"
Rhino gave a small chuckle as he slowed down to walk next to her.
"It's not exactly my own strength and size that gives me power." he replied. "This Warframe, known as Rhino, may be one of the strongest out of all the others, but I still have much to learn about its abilities."
"You mean there's more than one of those fancy things?" Applejack asked.
"There are many more Tenno who use the Rhino Warframe, however..." he continued. "This Prime variant happens to be my favorite."
"How many of these Warframes are there?" Luna asked, coming forward with a raised eyebrow.
"Around 74, I believe, with many more to be discovered." Volt added. "Many Tenno have multiple Warframes to choose from, each with unique abilities, but most prefer one that they use primarily. I chose the Volt Warframe, and as such, I can bend the powers of Electricity to my will."
"What can the other ones control?" Twilight asked eagerly, then Excalibur turned to her and spoke.
"Our powers range from controlling the various elements like ice and flame, to stopping time, altering the powers of gravity, controlling toxins and acid, among many more exotic capabilities." he said. "If you wish to know more, once we escape these catacombs, I will have our companion Cephalon, Ordis, prepare a data packet for you."
"That would be great, thanks!" Twilight said. Realizing she was getting ahead of herself, she coughed and quieted down, along with everyone else.
A little bit later, they reached another dimly-lit atrium, much like the others they had seen. Mason, drawing his Nikana Prime, used Radial Blind to illuminate his blade, providing light to the area.
"So, what now?" Rainbow Dash asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me you brought us all this way just for us to get lost again."
"If that is what you believe we have done..." Excalibur replied, not looking in her direction. "You are mistaken. Persistence will reveal even the most hidden paths to those who are willing to search for them."
"But there's nothing here!" she protested angrily. Excalibur ignored her, and proceeded to the front of the room, as an inactive Orokin console had caught his eye. As he stepped up to the screen and interfaced with it using his Parazon, he watched the data stream to his field of view for a few moments, then, he turned.
"It seems our exit from these catacombs is not far from here." he said to the equines. "We will lead the way."
"And...how do you know that so suddenly?" Luna asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Because I just obtained a map of this facility in its entirety, and our Cephalon has charted a way out for us." Excalibur replied. "Follow us and stay close."
As the Tenno led the equines to a large door, they proceeded to follow the dimly lit hallway it led to, with the Equines right behind them.
====
It didn't take long for the group to reach another underground hangar, and as the sight of the sun peeking over the mountain trees visibly relieved the equines, Excalibur set a beacon for the Railjack to come to their position.
"Well, we made it out." Twilight said proudly. "But we still need a way back to Fort Sparrow Falls. And going back through that labyrinth is out of the question."
"Then we'll take you back to wherever you come from." Volt replied. "We might be a little cramped, but we should all fit inside."
"Fit inside what?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. Excalibur simply motioned to the open hangar doors. As the Railjack then flew into the hangar, and the landing door opened, the equines made haste to get inside. Once the Tenno were at their stations, Excalibur guided the gunship into the air and towards Fort Sparrow Falls.
====
"Huh…" Rainbow Dash murmured as she looked out a small viewport at the ground rushing by in a blur of green and brown. "This thing is fast."
"It's meant to be." Cephalon Cy replied, making the equines jump at the voice that came from seemingly nowhere. As the equines watched Cy's hologram appear from a nearby pedestal, he cleared his throat.
"Hello, my designation is Cy. I am the support Cephalon unit for this Railjack gunship. I believe you have questions?"
"How fast are we going?" Rainbow turned away from the viewport.
"We are currently flying at a much slower transit speed to properly navigate to your destination." Cy replied. "However, this vessel is capable of faster-than-light travel via Void Jumps or the Solar Rails.
"Void Jump?...Solar Rail? What's all that supposed to mean?" Rarity asked. "Those things sound quite like something I would read about in a comic book or a science fiction novel."
Cy seemed flustered for a few moments, as his hologram flickered, but he soon replied.
"You will find that most forms of literature are incapable of fully describing our technology in such a way a being such as you could understand. I mean no offense, but your kind seems to be quite primitive compared to the standards of the Tenno, and the Orokin before them."
Rarity flinched in surprise at the word "primitive", and Rainbow glared at the Cephalon. Twilight was taken aback as well, but she realized that the word "Orokin" had yet to be spoken by or referenced by the Tenno. Twilight looked to Princess Luna, who nodded and spoke up.
"Who or what are the Orokin?" Luna asked. "And what do you mean by that they came before the Tenno?"
Cy's hologram, which until now was a rusty tan, turned a crimson red.
"No. I will only tell you if and only if the Tenno believe that revealing it is necessary." Cy replied in a harsh voice, like a teacher disciplining an unruly, overly curious student. Luna was taken aback by the sudden change in Cy's voice. "Quite simply, you are not ready to have access to that information."
"What do you mean by that!?" Rainbow Dash snarled, stomping over towards the pedestal. "What's out there that we can't handle here? You'd better tell us or…"
Suddenly, two metallic clacks echoed from behind Rainbow. She turned to see Rhino holding his Corinth Prime, pointed directly at Rainbow. The other Equestrians paled, realizing that Rhino was a lot more stealthy than they had believed.
And Rainbow realized that she had, quite frankly, messed up on a grand scale.
"You need to calm down." he said in a sharp tone of warning. "If you want to know about the Orokin, we will. But not here, not now, and not especially if you continue to act like that towards Cy."
"So keep your temper in check and you'll be fine. Understood?"
Rainbow slowly nodded, moved away from Cy's hologram, and sat down. Rhino holstered his Corinth Prime and headed back up the ramp.
"Rainbow…" Twilight asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." she replied morosely. Twilight knew this wasn't a good time for discussing what just happened, so she slowly looked away. Then, the Railjack came to a halt and began to descend. As it came to a resting position on the ground, the boarding ramp lowered. As the Equestrians descended and were greeted with great relief by Commander Birdseye and several Guards.
"How long were we gone?" Luna asked.
"A couple of hours, four at the most." Birdseye replied. "Are you all alright?"
"We're fine, thanks to the Tenno." Twilight added as the five warriors descended as well. "It's a long story, Commander, but they saved our lives inside that labyrinth."
"Rest assured I will fill you in shortly." Luna said, noticing Birdseye's wary expression. "For now, Princess Twilight, you and the Elements may return to Ponyville. I will handle things here, for now."
As the Elements were about to depart, heading for the waiting train, Excalibur called out.
"Wait a moment."
The Elements turned to see Excalibur and the other Tenno come forward.
"If you don't mind...we'd like to go with you to this...Ponyville." he said. "There is much both of us have to learn. And I believe that experience is the best teacher."
"Very well." Twilight said. "I suppose you'll follow us in your...Railjack?"
"If that is what you would prefer, then we shall do so." Rhino nodded. "By the way…"
Rhino moved towards Rainbow, who looked up with trepidation.
"Sorry about putting my gun to your head." he said with a sigh, offering a hand. "No hard feelings?"
Rainbow huffed, gave a weak smile, and shook Rhino's hand.
"No hard feelings." she replied. "I guess I was acting like a jerk. So...thanks for saving us."
"And on that note, we should be off." Excalibur said as the Tenno headed back to the Railjack's boarding ramp. "We'll follow you to Ponyville and meet up with you there."
As the Elements waved whilst boarding the train and then took their seats, the Railjack lifted into the air and began to follow at a steady pace towards the north-west.
Author's Note
Well, this was one of the chapters that after opening it, I realized one thing.
I need to edit this pretty badly.
So I did, and now it's ready. Sorry I took so long.
Next time - The Tenno's arrival in Ponyville, followed by the Equestrians learning of the Old War. In teh meantime, the Sentients' leader begins to wake up from his long sleep...
