TARBO'S FORTRESS

"Sir, we've got confirmation that Rex is out of the hospital." A soldier said as he walked into the throne room, seeing that Tarbo was sitting upon his throne, right beside another newly placed golden throne for the Sun Goddess herself, Daybreaker. Tarbo, hearing this new information, straightened his back out and smiled, whilst Daybreaker was slouched sideways casually on the throne, not a care in the world for 'Princess-like etiquette.'

"Good. Tell them to keep following him- get as much information as we can, but don't risk their necks out. We can't risk them getting caught. If we do get caught, they'll make the screening process much more thorough, and we'll never be able to get another chance. Tell those men that they're doing the kingdom a favor."

The soldier nodded. "Yes, sir."

Daybreaker sighed, rolling her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling. "I don't understand why we couldn't have sent them in to kill that poor thing in the hospital to begin with. It would've been faster."

Tarbo nodded. "Sure, it may have, but it's hard to get into a hospital into a restricted access hallway without being suspicious. We're also not sure on what Rex is capable of anymore, considering what he did to my men, and me. He's a monster for all I care- and we're going to treat him like one; staying far away from him until we find a way to defeat him. Same goes for your sister and the two miscreants there too. Speaking of your sister-"

"We are not talking about her!"

"-what do you plan to do with her? Kill her? Enslave her? Make her come to her senses?" Tarbo said, leaning his arm against the armrest of the throne on her side, letting his face get close to hers. She rolled her eyes and sat up, looking at him with very uninterested and unamused eyes.

"Yes, I plan to kill her. She's too dangerous to be left alive. If I make her come to her senses she might just become Nightmare Moon again, and she would match me in power. I'm a goddess, but I'm not an idiot. Killing her when she's at her weakest is what's best."

Tarbo nodded, a smile on his face slowly appearing. "You're quite the cold-blooded killer, aren't you?"

She smiled back. "You flatter me, but you're the same, are you not? In order for justice to be served, we need to make the hard decisions."

Tarbo nodded again, about to say something before JO-11 opened the doors to the wide throne room. He was holding a small package of Luciferium pills, while his other hand had a rifle leaning on his shoulder. "Tarbo, your next shipment of pills. I also might have snuck in a little something extra- don't ask where I got it."

Tarbo chuckled, standing up to meet the man halfway. "Oh dear boy, breaking the law again?" He said with a smile.

"Maybe. Would you punish me for it?"

"I think we're far past doing anything like that." Tarbo said as he reached for the bag, opening it up to see the familiar red pill, along with a small piece of Ambrosia, a banned substance within the kingdom due to its mythical stories. "Ambrosia! The food of the gods, hm? Who did you find this from?" Tarbo asked as he picked the small piece of gel-like substance and swallowed it with hungry eyes.

JO-11 smiled. "Dealer inside the alley on sixth. You know, west side? He's been making it big and I promised to not bust him if he gave me his best stuff. Consider it a gift from him to you, as a way of saying 'please don't kill me!'"

Tarbo smiled, popping the Luciferium pill into his mouth and swallowing easily. "Well, while the gift was nice, I don't think that I can have drug-dealers in our town. Take care of him for me, won't you? Oh and- tell him it tasted amazing. I'd tell him he should try some himself but, he won't have the chance to will he?"

JO-11 laughed. "No, he certainly won't. Oh- I'm so sorry- Daybreaker, would you have wanted any?" Tarbo turned to look at Daybreaker who simply smiled back at JO-11.

"No, I'm quite fine, thank you."

"Alright. Well, if you ever want any you know where to find me." JO-11 said right before he left the room, leaving Tarbo to walk back to the throne and sit down, feeling much happier than before due to the Ambrosia. He then looked over at Daybreaker, giving her a high-smile.

"You seem to be quite friendly with my guard. Any reason why?"

Daybreaker smirked. "Jealous, are you? He's charming and always nice. He's level-headed and able to hold his own. Unlike you, he actually looks half-decent as well."

Tarbo put a hand over his heart, gasping in fake disbelief. "You hurt me!"

"I'm sorry you couldn't have noticed it earlier, but I thought you would've seen a mirror at least once during your life!" Daybreaker said, playing along with the joke further. Tarbo acted as if he was pierced by a second knife in the chest. "Oh and- let's not forget your hair. It can get quite greasy sometimes."

"I don't have time to shower when I'm trying to figure out battle-plans!"

"Even a princess such as myself can make time for even the most basic of hygiene routines! Which means you, my dear friend, are not royalty!"

Tarbo slouched his back over the other armrest, his body going limp. "You've killed me..."

"Awh. Well, I'll frame your pretty purple eyes somewhere nice. Maybe I'll hang you up on a pedestal somewhere, or stuff you."

Tarbo smirked, sitting back up and letting his arm reach over before flicking her on the nose. "Hey- if you're going to kill me, I want to be at least cool looking. You've got to do it when I'm in my armor!"

"Oh hush- you look fine as you are. You do understand I was joking?"

"Yeah- yeah I know. You look fine too."

"Oh come now- don't tell me you're catching feelings for- what did you say earlier? A 'Cold-blooded killer'? You're better than that aren't you?"

As Tarbo was going to respond he heard the doors open, his head turning over to see who it was. It was JO-11 again, but his helmet was on this time, and his rifle was held in both hands. "Sir, we've got an issue- the Empire is attacking right now!"

Tarbo instantly stood up, his eye's flashing a bright purple for half a second. "What?!"

"We've got civvies holed up in the bunker- Royals are stacked in the bunker underneath the right wing tower. We've already got soldiers up on the front, but half of them aren't even geared yet! We weren't ready!"

Tarbo turned over to Daybreaker who already had her long sword drawn and standing next to him. "Shit.. Get out there and assist the front-lines, I'll be there shortly."

"But sir-"

"If it's the Empire I'm taking some of them out myself! Now get your ass over there!"

"Yes sir!"

Tarbo looked to his left where an armor-rack stood, holding pristine power-armor, an experimental version that his best researchers and crafters have come up with. Tarbo walked over to it, standing in front of it, admiring it's sleek design. It didn't look bulky and powerful like his Poseidon Soldiers, but it was more powerful.

Art by Dominik Dejanović

"You don't really intend to fight them, do you?" Daybreaker asked, standing next to him, admiring the armor as well. "It is beneath us-"

"Nothing is beneath fighting the scum who abandoned me in the first place, Daybreaker. I'll cut their throats myself, or better yet, blast their damned heads off!" Tarbo yelled, pulling the helmet onto his head and opening the panels of the armor one by one to equip. There was already a pistol on the armor-rack as well, the same prototype from before, but heavily modified. "We're going to kill them."

Daybreaker gave him almost sad eyes, something that was strange coming from her. She then nodded, seemingly to notice how upset Tarbo was about the entire situation. In such little time they had bonded closer than she had originally thought, and now she was taking his own emotions into consideration. She didn't have time to really think any more on the subject considering Tarbo was already marching out the door.

She ran to catch up with him. "Might we come up with a solution? A plan of sorts!"

"Oh, now you're all about planning huh? My plan is to kill them- for terrorizing my people, and abandoning me!"

She sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere with him. With a shake of her head, and an extra flame blossoming in her mane, she looked down the hallway where Tarbo had already travelled down without her. She gave one last look to her blade, and ignited the edges with a bright flame.

It was time to get dirty.

Tarbo looked over the vast landscape that his city had become over the years. It was truly impressive in size- though not nearly as large as Anderson's compound was. And at the far north of it all, the entrance of the city, the Empire came knocking. Soldiers in cataphract armor stormed the front gates, and with only half of Tarbo's soldiers geared for the fight, they were tearing through the forces like butter.

Tarbo clutched his pistol in his right hand, sprinting towards the fight, Daybreaker following behind. As he got closer, he lifted his arm up in front of himself and began to fire a control burst of energy blasts, no recoil coming from the pistol. The blasts had hit the first few cataphract soldiers in the front line, burning through their armor effortlessly but not killing them. Tarbo groaned, sliding into the cover of a destroyed pillar along with two of his own soldiers.

"Sir- they've got toughskin glands!"

Tarbo groaned even louder. "Damnit!"

Even though it had just begun, his entire kingdom was due to fall from this single attack. It was perfectly timed, and with how many soldiers that the Empire had to spare, they were going to be crushed just from that alone. Tarbo closed his eyes deep, focusing on his Psychic Amplifier and releasing the Neural-Heat limit.

It was going to hurt, but it was the only way to keep the Empire at bay.

As he looked over the pillar, he saw Daybreaker slicing through the soldiers in the front-line with ease, her sword obviously being modified with some magical capabilities. A trail of fire was left in each swing, and she occasionally flapped her wings and briefly took to the air, spewing a line of fire from her mouth like a dragon would in mythological tales. He smiled underneath the helmet, watching her movements with interest.

Yet he couldn't watch her for a moment longer. Cataphract soldiers were storming in by the dozens as each second passed- this was obviously a big push from the Empire. Anderson must have contacted them and paid them off- that or they got lucky. It didn't matter- soon they would all be gone.

Tarbo leaped over the pillar and ran in front of his soldiers, his armor taking dozens of blasts from kinetic weaponry and laser weaponry, his visor cracking. It wasn't designed to take this much damage- something that would soon be remedied. Tarbo focused with his eyes closed, the entire area in front of him shimmering lightly with a purple hue. Suddenly, most of the front-line cataphract soldiers were lifted into the air, their arms thrashing as they were choked by some invisible power. Tarbo then opened his eyes a second later- their helmets, and their heads along with it, being crushed into nothingness. It had only been the front-line, and there was still a second incoming wave, but he was hopeful that it would make the others hesitate.

Daybreaker watched from the sky, smiling to herself. She was always impressed at how powerful Tarbo could be at times, but knew that it came with severe consequences. The first time she saw the effects of Neural-Heat she could feel the burn coming off of him, smoke coming out of his own eyes. His kingdom definitely meant something to him, as did her own.

Tarbo winced from the almost instant migraine accumulated from the action he just did- his face already heating up along with the rest of his body. With an illegally modified level twenty Psychic Amplifier, the effects were going to be much more severe. It was the price to be paid for being able to wield such a power. As the second wave pushed in, they were much slower than their first wave.

"That was fucking impressive!" Tarbo heard JO-11 shout from the left-side, prompting him to turn to him.

"Where were you?" He asked.

"Escorting some royals from the front- but I'm here now. What do you need me to do?"

Tarbo smiled underneath the cracked helmet. "I need you to wipe them out, brutally, if you don't mind."

JO-11 cracked his knuckles as best he could underneath the armored gloves he wore. With JO-11 wearing his own Cataphract armor, he was as powerful as them, the only difference being his was modified.

Heavily.

JO-11 opened a small screen on his wrist and pressed a black button, prompting a bunch of spikes to protrude from his armor. Another button was pressed, and a black steel-like material coated over his own armor. A Toughskin gland sort of modification, but for armor. With his new spikey appearance enabled, he clutched his rifle within his hands and ran towards the enemies head on, jumping over the dozens of dead bodies with crushed heads.

JO-11 was Tarbo's best guard for the fact that he was compliant, and in combat, a dangerous monster. With a Psychic Amplifier he could've been the most terrifying presence of the planet- the main reason as to why Tarbo had refused to give him one in the first place.

Daybreaker landed next to Tarbo, shaking her head. "You're going to burn yourself again if you continue."

Tarbo didn't stop watching the combat. "I know. Consider it me repenting for the sins I will commit today."

Only the Lord knew how many he was going to commit.

Cadance sighed heavily, slowly getting off the throne that Celestia herself had occupied for many years. Despite how long she used it, it seemed she hadn't improved the comfort of sitting in it for hours- something that over the course of a couple days was becoming apparent to Cadance.

She slowly made her way into the hallway, her husband Shining Armor down the hallway walking towards her. He gave her a smile, but she could not reciprocate. His own smile fell after he didn't get one back, and once he got to her he nuzzled her neck softly. "Still bad?"

"Worse, even." Cadance said with another sigh. "I don't understand why they would blindly leave so quickly! Luna I can get- I barely know her, but Celestia? It's as if she was brainwashed. They didn't even set up a second in command, something even we have."

Shining sighed. "I-I know. If I knew that they were planning on going after Twilight I-I would've-"

"Stop." Cadance said, putting her hoof onto his muzzle. "Don't talk about Twilight. They can bring her back- you know they can. She's probably fine. Maybe she got teleported to a land of chocolate and she's eating her heart out- Discord would love that."

Despite his wife feigning to be happy, he wasn't swayed. "Or she got teleported to a land full of disgusting creatures- or burnt to death in a volcano!"

"Willing negativity into the air like that is when those things become true. Stop thinking about those things, alright?"

He nodded hesitantly. "Y-Yeah, yeah... You're right, like usual. I just- I just can't believe they wouldn't have told me about it. You think they would've atleast like to have told the brother of Twilight if they were going to rescue her on their own!"

Cadance smirked. "And if they did, you would've gone with."

"Y-Yeah!- wait- damnit!"

Cadance shook her head. "They'll be fine out there, okay? I understand that it's hard to think about that when she's been gone for so long, but harmony is a universal concept. If it weren't, our land would've fell thousands of years ago. Instead we've prevailed- and even in other timelines, that concept rings true. No matter where she's gone to, she will find somepony to hold onto. The universe isn't evil, Shining."

"That's hard to imagine considering it took my sister."

"Let's get something to eat, okay? Does that sound good? Besides- I need a chair with actual padding. My back hurts."

"Y-Yeah, babe. Whatever you say."

Tarbo stared at the multitude of dead bodies that laid on the floor. Some with their heads crushed, others with slash wounds and bullet holes littered all over them. Tarbo had taken off his helmet, steam flowing from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears, a side effect from the overclocking of his Psychic Amplifier. The siege had stopped once and for all, but not before decimating nearly the entire kingdom during it. Multiple royals were dead, dozens of civilians were as well, with plenty of soldiers, enemy and friendly alike, with their blood splattered on the floor.

Despite this, Tarbo was smiling. This was an ordinary day on the Rim. In all of his years he knew only one thing about the Rimworld. That it would destroy you if you let it, and that it didn't care for who survived its brutal attacks. Whilst most parents on other planets would spout to their children about how the world didn't care if they failed or succeed, the Rimworld only saw to it that you failed no matter what.

With underlings, friends, and servants of his dead across his entire kingdom, he knew that he didn't have much time to make a choice. He turned around, heading back to the throne room, passing by Daybreaker without a word. She didn't say a word to him either, simply following him with her eyes.

Within a couple of minutes of walking, he had made it into the main building. The combination of Cataphract soldiers, advanced shield-bubbles, and advanced missile technology, it was surprising that the main building even stood. As he walked up the small steps up to the throne, he looked at his busted helmet. He shook his head, a smile still on his face. He took a seat upon his throne, staring at JO-11 who had just entered.

He threw the helmet at JO-11's feet, shaking his head. "This armor, it's weak. It busted within a couple of shots. Take out the old Phoenix armor out of deep storage and bring it to me."

JO-11 immediately shook his head. "Sir- you know that model of the Phoenix armor, however powerful it may be, will kill you! The last time you wore it, it nearly paralyzed you! The energy coursing within the suit is too much- it'll crush your bones with the kinetic force-"

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!" Tarbo yelled while slamming his fist down on the arm-rest of the throne. "Bring the damn thing out. Tell the few remaining engineers in the pilot's wing to ready up the best aircraft we got, and radio the insiders at Anderson's city to stir shit up. I don't give a shit if they die- tell them it's for the best of the kingdom. Don't tell them what happened here. A little bit of terrorism will stir shit up nicely."

JO-11 knew he couldn't argue with Tarbo, but it sounded like suicide. He reluctantly nodded and turned around, passing by Daybreaker who was slowly entering the throne room, eyeing Tarbo whilst she entered. She looked down at the busted helmet on the floor and then back to him. "What are you planning?"

"The empire is knocking on our doorstep. We can't survive another attack from them. You want your 'student' and her friend back, right? And to get revenge on your bitch of a sister? We make a move, right now. We don't have a military to back us up this time, but with some experimental technology I've acquired over the years, I'm sure we'd stand a formidable chance."

Daybreaker shook her head. "I only agree'd to sieging that fortress when we had an army. Without one? It's suicide, Tarbo."

He nodded. "It might be, but if we can get your student and her friend, you can go back home, correct? You're the one with the link back to your homeworld, not your sister or anybody else for that matter. We'd be able to escape right back home, and we could live happily ever after. But it's now, or never."

Daybreaker sighed, thinking over his words. It was true- as soon as she had Twilight and Starlight back, and hopefully kill her sister, she'd be able to return home with a single cast of a spell. It was genius to only have her have access to the portal-link, something that was an accident but turned out to be extremely helpful. Yet she couldn't risk bringing any more soldiers here- she'd already had to execute her own soldiers who accompanied her for disobeying.

Tragic, really.

"Fine, but if we do this, it's all or nothing."

"Believe me darling, I know. We need to speed things up however, and this is our last chance. We'll come back later to wipe out the empire. Now, let's get to planning, shall we?"

Anderson stared out the window of a large tower, one of the tallest within the walls. Standing next to him was Luna, who was overlooking the city. Anderson looked at her for a moment, before turning back to the city. "I never thought I'd get this far. Sometimes I feel as if everything here could come crashing down- which it most likely will at some point. But it still doesn't cease to amaze me that even with a world this destructive, for whatever reason, I was able to surpass."

Luna nodded. "It is remarkable indeed."

"Oh hush now," Anderson chuckled. "You don't have to pander to my feelings. You've told me about your kingdom, how magnificent it was and how much gold you all have. We might have enough gold to make the bands for our cigars, but not enough to deck every street with it."

Luna smirked. "The amount of gold within our world compared to yours is much higher, therefore its value isn't as high as it is here. Though things like iron are much rarer in our world than here. Silver seems to be the same, however."

Anderson nodded his head, turning around and picking up a cigar from a small box, pulling out the large butane lighter and lightly puffing the cigar while the lighter lit the end up. Within a few seconds and a few rolls of the cigar, he puffed out a large cloud of smoke. He then admired the cigar for a moment before staring back out. "You should try one of these sometime. It's not like a cigarettes- you don't inhale the smoke. Unless, you want to puke. It's mainly for the flavor. Smoking a cigar is an art in itself, Luna."

"And yet all I smell is tobacco." Luna said with a slightly scrunched up muzzle.

"Pfft. You get used to it. Believe me- if I were to crush this like a cigarette you would definitely smell the tobacco. Becomes sour-smelling almost. I tell you, it's one of the-"

"ANDERSON!"

Anderson was caught off guard from the yell from Luna, and stared at her for a moment. She was staring right out of the window. He followed her vision and saw far down below in his city, an explosion had erupted. Nearly one fourth of an entire district was in flames. A moment later, the sound managed to travel to the building, resulting in an ear-deafening boom.

Suddenly, Anderson's radio that was left on the table started buzzing with feed. He immediately reached for it and opened the channel up. "What in the HELL is going on?!"

"Reports say someone ran into the chemfuel factory with explosives strapped to them- took out the entire factory and travelled through the sewers! Multiple gas-leaks within the area combined with it and took out a huge chunk of C-District!"

"What?! How in the hell was there a suicide bombing and gas-leaks all at the same time?!"

"It was planned, sir! We need to initiate lockdown- we're under attack!"

Author's Note

Why did it take me so long to update?

Well, my school has decided that it was the perfect time to mess with my entire life, and then punish me for it's own mistakes.

Lovely~

Also, yes I am aware of the amount of errors within the writing of this chapter, do not worry. I'm looking into getting an editor if anyone would like to volunteer- because wow does it get bad sometimes.