Diary of the Dead

It didn’t take long for the team to regroup and assess their situation from a safe place. Rarity and Twilight had been surprisingly successful. Though, it wasn’t very hard to figure out why. Feminine charm won the day, as both girls had struck suggestive poses to woo the male guard at the checkpoint. Rarity was dressed in a beautiful dress, though underneath it, she packed some heat in the form of a crowbar. Unfortunately for the girls, that was the only weapon they had, so they needed to ration it out. Once the team was all together again, Rarity dumped the dress in favor of the stealthy cat suits the other girls wore. She couldn’t help but be pleased at her designs.

“See? I told you I’d come up with great outfits for us to wear!” She whispered, “saving the world…or, at least, Fluttershy, in style!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Rare, as much as I’m thankful for the work you put into these suits, nothing is more important than our objective. I’d go out there stark fucking naked if it meant saving our friend. Now, then, let’s move on to more pressing matters. Applejack and I ran a small recon mission while the rest of you made it here.”

At this point, Applejack produced a small piece of paper from her hip pocket. It showed the storage facility, and what they could do to help save Fluttershy. The farmer explained that the evildoers were keeping Fluttershy locked up in the northwest corner, inside an abandoned storage unit. She was guarded very carefully, with organizational shift changes to cover any funny business that might arise. The soldiers that were part of this special team were equipped with a loadout even more lethal than the regular guards. They packed China Lakes, grenade launchers, and one or two even carried advanced, high powered flamethrowers.

“Good night!” Pinkie exclaimed quietly when Applejack finished, “why in the world do they need all that just to guard Fluttershy?”

“I don’t know,” Sunset admitted, “it does seem like overkill.”

“Overkill is an understatement,” Dash quipped, “I mean, it’s Fluttershy! The kindest, sweetest, most trusting girl ever! She’s so timid, even a small pin drop can set her off. It just doesn’t make any sense!”

“Maybe not to us,” Applejack said, “but it is what it is, and we have to deal with it. I’d lay ya three to one that they’re packin’ more weaponry than some small countries.”

“Do they have anything else?” Twilight asked.

“We saw a few with bazookas,” Applejack said, “and a couple had miniguns. They’ve also got sniper rifles, heat seekin’ missiles, the works!”

“I’m starting to think this is way bigger than just Fluttershy,” Pinkie said, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

“Then we’d better get her out before it’s too late,” Sunset said.

“But how?” Dash asked, “If she’s being guarded so carefully, then how can we get her out?”

“Here,” Sunset said, pointing to a special spot on the map, “this is the security command center. We infiltrate that, we extract Fluttershy. I’ll lead the team, and Rare, I want you with me. You’ve got the weapon, and you’ve got the looks to charm anyone. Twilight, you come too. The rest of you need to head directly for the cell. Once the door opens, I need for you to haul ass and get her out. Alright?”

“Alright!” The girls said in unison.

“Let’s move,” Sunset growled.

The team maneuvered its way toward their designated objectives. Once they reached a certain point, they split up, each focusing on a singular mission. Sunset, Rarity, and Twilight headed towards the command center. Determination was a brush painting the canvases of their faces, especially Sunset’s. She still felt like she owed a debt to Fluttershy for their friendship. This would repay it and so much more. No longer would the hugs feel empty, or the words spoken be hollow. They could truly be friends after this.

I’m comin’, Flutter, she told the trapped girl silently, and nothing’s gonna stand in my way.

Meanwhile, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash made their way towards where they assumed Fluttershy was being kept. Once there, they noted the extreme amount of guards based around the one cell. It was still very odd to have that many dispatched to the same location. But the questions could wait for later. Now, it was time to hunker down and wait for the buzzer to sound, signaling the opening of the cell. The iron bars that stared back at them were very menacing, and they quaked at the thought of what was happening to Fluttershy. The magic journal entries had described, in gross detail, every ounce of torture.

“I just hope she’s alive,” Applejack whispered.

“She’ll be okay,” Rainbow responded confidently, “I just know she’ll be okay.”

Back in the command center, the three girls slipped quietly past two guards, only to find themselves at a checkpoint. A keypad offered itself, commanding them to enter a code. Unfortunately, none of them knew exactly what it was. Rarity tried multiple Fluttershy related things, only to come up emptyhanded. Sunset attempted some things regarding the city or the high school, but was unsuccessful. Finally, Twilight stepped up to the proverbial plate. She was packing the biggest bat ever seen: her mind. Utilizing her genius infused grey matter, she quickly determined an algorithm that could assist in this situation.

“Got it!” She said softly, “it’s so obvious. There are only 2-“

“There’ll be time for explanations later!” Sunset exclaimed desperately, “let’s go!”

The girls snuck their way into a huge room filled with computers and cutting edge technology. They stared in awe and then hid behind one of the gigantic processors standing in front of them. Sunset looked down at her watch, noting that it was almost time for another shift to occur. In her small reconnoiter with Applejack, they’d carefully counted the time between these shifts. They also noted that there was a two minute window where everyone on the base was moving to a different position. It was done with careful precision, but it was impossible to move that many in such a short time.

“It’s a bit of a risk on our foes’ part,” Sunset said, “those two minutes give any enemy some time to formulate a plan. But by the time that the operation is in place, another shift has commenced.”

“Oh, darling, there’s no need to worry,” Rarity spoke, “we’ve got a plan.”

“We do?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, we do, Twi,” Sunset said, “it lies in using those two minutes to our full advantage. Guys, we’re not just gonna bust Fluttershy out…we’re gonna take this entire base down! Twilight, you’re the best out of all of us with computers. I’ll need you to bust through the security firewalls and get Fluttershy out. Rarity, you and I are gonna break everything else in here with the crowbar.”

“Alright,” Rarity said, “I’m ready.”

“Me, too!” Twilight chimed in.

“Good,” Sunset said, “then we move on my signal. Ready….hold…hold…hold…and go!”

The girls raced from their hiding spot as soon as the guards left to begin their new jobs elsewhere. Twilight quickly approached the main terminal, hacking just as quick as her mind could figure out the codes. Meanwhile, Rarity and Sunset went to busting and smashing. The steel crowbar glinted in the dim light as they wrecked every single piece of equipment in the room. Thankfully, nobody outside seemed to hear, and before they knew it, the job was done. Twilight also managed to find the code to the cell in the northwest corner of the facility. She typed it in, pressed “enter,” and listened as a huge buzzer began to sound.

Back on the floor, the other team took the cue and began heading for the cell. The giant iron doors began swinging open, leaving the guards confused. They began firing every which way, each claiming they saw an enemy soldier. But then, their captain got them in line and they began to search thoroughly. The girls moved from shadow to shadow like cats, leaving nothing behind except for the wind. They finally made it to the cell, but then…when they looked inside…they were shocked to find nobody there!

“Um…what do we do now?” Pinkie asked.

Applejack turned and looked behind them at the MASS of soldiers piling up, guns pointed in their direction. “RUN LIKE HELL!” She shouted.

Back in the command center, Twilight, Rarity, and Sunset’s faces fell as they watched the proceedings via security camera. It turned out that they’d been upstaged by whomever their opponent was. They’d purposely left many guards around a completely empty cell, knowing that someone would come looking for Fluttershy. That left the other guards free to guard the real cell and keep her under wraps. Sunset silently cursed their foe and herself for not knowing. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much time for self-reflection. Suddenly, the door behind them creaked open and in walked three figures. They turned and gasped when they saw just who it was. Sunset’s mouth, in particular, fell to the floor. Two of the newcomers weren’t familiar at all, but one was extremely recognizable.

“M…M….Mr. Shy?!” Sunset coughed out.

“Yes, my dear,” Fluttershy’s father said, “and you’re gonna find out just what happens when nosy little brats invade my facility. TORTURE RACK…KILL THEM!”