A Nefarious Invasion

Chapters

The Comet Commences
Chapter 2 - From Bad To Worse
Chapter 3 - A Taste of Nefarious' Power
Chapter 4 - A Vile Alliance
Chapter 5 - A Plan Is Brewing

The Comet Commences

Tonight was unlike any other! Especially given such an event like this happened only once every eighty-six years. A good number of citizens from Canterlot City had gathered up onto the hills just north of their home to gaze up upon the starless night sky and watch the barrage of comets passing by. It was truly a once in a lifetime sight! What better way was there to spend it with family and friends? A group of seven teens would certainly agree to that idea.

"Wowza! Lookie at that one, Dash!" Pinkie Pie excitedly exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of her friend and pointed towards the passing comet in the night sky. "It's so bright and pretty!" Her eyes were glued to the visible object while Rainbow merely chuckled in response. "Yeah, that one is pretty awesome. I'm still waiting to see a REAL big one though. I'm talking humongous! Now that would be cool." Pinkie only nods her head to Rainbow's comment as she continues to watch the event. Many more were starting to pass by and it just made the night shine all the brighter.

"I highly doubt we'll see one at such a large size, Rainbow." Twilight would speak up from behind the two. "By the time they're passing by most of them have been eroded by the pressures of space and other factors. So, they're not all that big. We're just seeing the small bits." Now it was time for Sunset to interject as she came into the pile.

"Yeah, if you consider comets the size of houses to be small." Twilight gives her friend a look before adjusting her glasses. "Well, considering the kinds that have come close to hitting the Earth in its past and potentially causing great damage, then yes I do consider those to be small." Sunset merely replies with a grin on a face. She absolutely did that on purpose just to rile Twilight up.

"While I do find the sight be very lovely and hanging out with you all is always a treat, how much longer are we going to be out here? It's getting windy and chilly." Rarity spoke up as she sat close by with Fluttershy and Applejack. "I hope we stay out here all night!!" Pinkie shouted out with glee. That earned an eyeroll from Rarity whereas Applejack spoke up. "Now sugarcube, ya know we can't be doing that. We gotta get our rest for class tomorrow. Otherwise we'll all be actin' like zombies! We don't want that, now do we?" Rainbow grins in response and gives an answer even though it wasn't necessary.
"Not unless acting like a zombie gets the school to temporarily shut down! Having a little vacation time would be great." All of them let out a chuckle together. It was moments like these that made life worth living. Just hanging out with the people you cared about and enjoying their time.

Fluttershy would silently lean towards Rarity before asking a question. "Do you um, ever look up into the night sky and wonder if there's life out there?" Rarity raises a brow before turning her attention towards Fluttershy. "Truthfully, not really. Why do you ask, darling?" Fluttershy goes quiet for a moment as she seems to ponder on how to say it. A delicate finger points towards Sunset as she's enjoying her chat with Twilight.

"Well, Sunset's from another world. O-Or another dimension to be more accurate. Sometimes it just gets you to think. Um, well maybe just me but..." The thought was exciting and horribly terrifying at the same time. Rarity gave a smile as she leaned in and wrapped her arm around her friend. "I didn't think about it like that but you make a good point. Perhaps somewhere out there is other life. Who's to say though? How about we just enjoy the show for now, hmm?" Fluttershy nods her head in agreement as she rests alongside her friends.

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~Somewhere in Deep Space, Six Months Earlier~
"ARRGGHHHH!! How much LONGER are we going to be stuck on this STUPID rock for, Lawrence??!" The robotic maniac Dr. Nefarious shouted as he kicked upon the asteroid he found himself and his butler trapped upon. All it did was kick up a bit of dust, which didn't do much to better his mood. Another sob parted from his mechanical plates as he just kind of angrily walked in circles before ultimately falling down to his knees and putting his hands over his eyes. This was it, wasn't it? He was doomed to live out the rest of his days on this stupid rock forever until he eventually just ran out of power and died. All because of a stupid little lombax squishie and his tincan friend! It wasn't right! It wasn't fair! He should have won! He was so close in fact! So much of Solana had already been robotized into his finest creations! They would have been his citizens, his followers! Nefarious would have finally felt like he belonged somewhere in this orvus-forsaken universe. He wouldn't feel like such a...such a freak anymore. One more sob came out as Nefarious kicked his legs up in a vain attempt to deal with all the boiling rage and anger he felt.

Lawrence, his robotic butler, on the other hand? He was doing pretty okay. He paid his boss little to no attention as he happily strung his guitar to create a small melody for himself. The butler did not mind his fate all that much. Well, with the sole exception of being trapped here with Dr. Nefarious of course. Dealing with him while he was organic was fine enough but his change into a robot had certainly worsen him in multiple departments. Primarily the annoying habits had somehow been amped up to over a hundred. If he were capable of it Lawrence would have rolled his eyes at his boss' display. It just goes to show the difference between a genuine robot and one like Nefarious. Despite his robotic shell, Nefarious will always have the emotions and reactions of an organic. For a moment he took a bit of pity onto the doctor. Behind all the supervillainy, it was kind of sad really.

Said thoughts were quickly set aside however as his scanners picked up on something nearby. Lawrence looked beyond his boss to see what it was and was pleasantly surprised to see another asteroid. In fact it was heading straight towards them. He started to open his mouth to speak but closed it upon seeing Dr. Nefarious was still throwing his temper tantrum off in his little corner and completely ignorant of what was coming. The asteroid was heading directly for the spot Nefarious cushioned himself too and knowing him, he'd no doubt get hit by it if Lawrence didn't immediately speak up. A hand goes to his chin as he ponders. Does he speak up and let the doctor hurriedly over to the other side? Or just let fate take its course? Well, the only reason they survived so far was thanks to him teleporting them away mere seconds before the Biobliterator exploded. Who's to say it wasn't the doctor's fate to be crushed? Besides, getting to enjoy the silence of the galaxy as he drifts through it peacefully would be quiet enjoyable. The butler opts to just....stand there and play his guitar.
An enraged scream comes from Nefarious as he finally gets up and stomps his foot down. "Will you QUIT PLAYING that instrument!! It's going to drive me MAD!!" Even now the doctor has still yet to notice the incoming second asteroid.
"A little too late for that, sir." Lawrence quipped. "Besides, you won't have to listen to it in I'd say about ten more seconds?" A nonexistent metal brow arches up in response as a look of confusion washes onto the doctor. "Say what now?" He's genuinely confused by that. The butler merely points his finger behind Nefarious. The doctor turns and promptly lets out the most horrified scream he can muster as the second asteroid finally makes direct contact and shatters the both of them. The poor doctor is sent hurtling off and spinning away, kicking and screaming for dear life.

"LAWWWWREEENCEEEEE!! DO SOMETHING!!!"

The butler looks down at his guitar before looking back up towards his employer. Well, former employer. He certainly won't hire him back after this. That is if they ever see each other again. Lawrence opts to just simply give a wave of his hand towards Nefarious as the two drift further and further apart.

"I MEANT SOMETHING USEFUL, LAWRENCE! LAWRENCEEEEEEE!!!"

Dr. Nefarious pathetically cried out as he could do nothing but viciously kick and spin as the universe just made him drift further into the darkness of space. Lawrence would continue to watch until the doctor was nothing more than a little speck in the distance and then finally, he was gone. He would look around for a moment and situate himself better on what was left of the original asteroid. It looked like the butler was thinking his decision over right now.

"Hmm. Well I do say, things are much quieter now. I like it." Thus he would contently play his instrument to his mechanical heart's content as the robotic butler drifted off into the direction of the Polaris Galaxy.

The mad doctor on the other hand? Well, he was going in the opposite direction. To a galaxy that didn't even know if alien life was out there....

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A sigh parted from Adagio's lips as she rested in the driver's seat of their small van. A look to her right and Aria was swiping through their single phone out of sheer boredom. Out of the three she was the least to use it on a regular basis. Excited little noises could be heard from behind as Sonata watched the passing comets from the back of the open van. Her legs dangled off the edge as she observed each and every pretty comet going through. "Come on girls! You're missing out! They're so bright and pretty!" Sonata would comment as she turned her head to look at her fellow sirens. Adagio would merely roll her eyes in response while Aria gave a grunt to show she at least acknowledged Sonata. She wasn't getting up from her seat though that's for sure.

Adagio reclined further into her seat as her mind wandered back through the previous few decades. It was almost laughable with how utterly hard she had hit rock bottom. Once a grand and powerful siren to a lesser but still threatening human and now.....they were as weak as the monkeys that populated this realm. A hand moved to clutch her chest, where her proud gem that granted her all of her power and allowed her to feed once rested. Now they were all cracked, broken. Unable to be used. Instead of thriving off of negative emotions and going silent for a while as they'd done in the past the sirens had no choice but to adapt to human culture and....eat food. With their mouths. Urgh!

Adagio had the hardest time adjusting, Aria didn't seem to care all that much so long as she had something to eat, and Sonata had long ago adopted both methods just out of pure enjoyment. As she said it herself, 'Why pick one or the other when you can just do both?'

The worst part about it all? Here she was living out in a van! Like...like some kind of hobo! All because of Sunset Shimmer and her little friend group. A hand rested against her cheek as she stared out the driver's window. Alas, there's no use in thinking over past events. The mistakes have been made and nothing can be done to correct them. All she can do now is continue to endure this world with her sisters and hopefully climb her way back up the ladder until she's on top of the food chain once more. Or at the very least in a moderately comfortable position. Adagio will take whatever she can get at this point.

"Oooh, that one's pretty close. That one too! And uh...." Sonata found herself going quiet as her eyes locked onto a particular one. The trail it made didn't match the others and in fact it was going in the opposite direction than the rest of the comets passing by. "Uh, hey girls?" An audible groan comes from Aria. "What is it, Sonata? I'm not getting up from my seat." Sonata takes another glance up just to make sure what she's seeing is actually happening. Yup, that comet is definitely falling and more importantly looks like its going to fall not too far away from them. "One of the comets are coming down! It looks like it's gonna touch down in the forest!" Now that was able to catch both of their attention and soon Adagio and Aria would join Sonata and observe. She was indeed telling the truth and the trio watched as the comet flew by and touched down into the nearby forest. There wasn't much of an impact but piles of smoke were already starting to fill the area.
"I must admit, you don't see that all too often." Adagio would turn to Sonata whom had the most excited look upon her face. Oh no. She knew that look. Before she could even shut whatever idea came into her mind down, Sonata was already on her feet and jogging towards it. She turned herself around and trotted backwards for a bit as she called for her sisters.

"Come on! Let's go touch it. It'll be fun!" Now it was Adagio's turn to groan while Aria merely shook her head. "Hey! It'll beat the boredom for a bit, won't it?" Sonata argued. She wasn't wrong either. Regardless if the two followed her or not, Sonata started to make her way deeper into the forest. Aria grumbled to herself before getting onto her two feet and walking. "I better trail after her so she doesn't get eaten by a bear or something." Adagio scoffs. "Oh please, she's more likely to trip over a root and break a foot than get eaten." After a little bit of debating Adagio would get onto her feet as well and follow.

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Everything hurt. Literally every part of his body hurt. At least the parts that were left anyway. It has been an endless amount of screaming as his body was picked up by this planet's gravitational pull and thus sent hurtling downward toward solid ground. During his descent he had lost his right arm and his glass dome had considerably cracked. Other parts of his body were becoming much looser thanks the sheer strain that had been put upon them. He could feel the joints in his left leg starting to give out and soon enough he'd lose that part too. His torso felt the same. If Dr. Nefarious couldn't find himself some mechanical parts very soon he'd be unable to go anywhere. He'd simply fall apart and from there his fate would be sealed. He'd die on some miserable planet after spending so much time doing nothing but watching the universe fly by him. The doctor grunted as he tried to move forward, claws gripping at any tree branches to help keep himself balanced. Each and every single one broke as the heat he produced from his body melted through them. Smoke rolled off as his body as he lumbered forward. The doctor could feel his knee giving out. Another few steps and he'd only have one working leg and all he could see for miles were trees. This was it, wasn't it? This was going to be how he died.

Anger filtered through his wires as he prepared to give out one final screech in defiance to the universe that seemed so determined to break him. But then something...something came to his attention. He heard noises. Something was approaching him. Nefarious tried to focus but it was proving to be difficult. His vision was blurry thanks to one of his red optics being cracked. He attempted to move forward in the vain hope that someone could help him in his broken state. He didn't want to die out here. Not like this.

"You two are a bunch of slowpokes!" Sonata would call out as she looked behind her. Adagio and Aria were indeed following her but the pair were definitely taking their sweet time. The blue siren would continue on her way eager to see the comet that had fallen and cure the common boredom all three of her sisters were feeling right now. But as she got closer to where she assumed it had fallen, Sonata stopped. She swore she could have felt her heart skip a couple of beats as she saw what was directly in front of her. It was...it was like a thing out of one of those human horror films. A broken creature of great size and made of metal lumbered its sparking and glitching form forward akin to that of a zombie. It looked like it was literally falling apart as it walked. It's height easily surpassed that of a normal human. It looked like it was almost nine feet tall! The worst part of it all? It saw her. Its red optics shined in the darkness of the night and seemed to almost bore itself into Sonata's soul. Never in her life had she felt more afraid than right now as she slowly backed up. She dared not utter a single peep.

"UY-UYO! Lehp e-e-eem! LEH-H-H-H-HP!" It's alien tongue was not understood as Sonata continued to stagger backwards, frightened for her life. She attempted to turn and run but the robotic being lunged forward in a last ditch effort for aid. It couldn't be allowed to run away. He needed it. He had to get its help! But alas all the action really did was frighten Sonata right onto her back. She fumbled and tried to get back onto her feet but the robot threw its arm out to grab at her leg and pull her closer. A violent scream came from Sonata as she felt its still burning metallic claws grip and burn her flesh, steam emitting from the contact. With a single tug she was brought to him and lifted up as though she weighed nothing to the metallic giant. By now Adagio and Aria had rushed to the scene upon hearing the very real scream coming from their sister. The sight before them caused both to look on in complete horror.

"A-Adagio, Aria! He-Help!!"

The pair of sisters gave glances towards each other and then towards their third before...turning around and fleeing. Panic and fear filled the poor siren as she found herself unable to do anything but kick and wiggle in a vain attempt to free herself. The broken doctor ignored it however as he continued to attempt to communicate to any of these organics. He screeched, he yelled, before ultimately feeling his voice box giving out. It was too glitchy and broken to function any further. His grip around Sonata's leg tightened causing pain to shoot up into her body. Another cry parted from her lips. Soon she would be face to face with the half-broken machine. Its enraged expression said nothing good.

Communication wasn't going to work. They couldn't understand him. Not to mention his power was getting dangerously low. He'd be shutting down here in mere moments. His gaze fell upon the squishie within his grasp. If he was going to die here then he was at least going to take out one last squishie before he....

And then his leg finally gave out. A robotic screech emerged as Dr. Nefarious tumbled down onto the ground, his grasp upon Sonata easing up and she'd find herself being flung just a few short inches away from him. The siren hit the ground with a painful thud to her side and let out one last cry. Even with all the pain Sonata still managed to slide herself further away from this metallic monster. Her terrified gaze dared not leave it as she backed away to safety. She watched as it pitifully attempted to bring itself back up again but it seemed to almost look like it was dying. The parts of its body that glowed in the night started to quickly fade away. The mad doctor gave one last look and an attempted glitched screech before letting his head fall to the ground...and going offline. Sonata slowly but surely picked herself back up and not once did she turn back to look at him as she fled towards the van and her sisters.

Chapter 2 - From Bad To Worse

None of the Dazzlings muttered a single word after locking themselves within their van. Sonata laid upon the floor as Adagio carefully inspected her wounds and applied what she could to ease the aching pain. The blue siren shuddered from the aftereffects of her encounter with the metallic being whenever Adagio touched something a little too close for her liking. Her gaze looked up towards Aria who was keeping watch and had with her a bat in hand. Out of the three Aria had always been the most physically powerful. Though Sonata doubted they could really do anything if that thing came after them. It had picked her up as though she weighed like paper and it's not like the sirens were all that magical anymore to begin with. Finally, she decided to speak up amongst the shared silence.

"Do you see it out there?" Sonata whispered. Aria took a moment to survey through the window again before shaking her head. She didn't see it anywhere. "I think...I think it might've died. It looked pretty damaged when it um...grabbed me." The blue siren couldn't help but frown as she thought back. Despite her panic during the moment she had seen her sisters ditching her the second they realized what had grabbed her. It...hurt. Yet at the same time she understood it in an odd way? A long time ago they made the agreement to stick together however it was not done out of familiar love. It was merely out of necessity. Adagio was smart, Aria was strong, and Sonata was fast. Together they stood a better chance at facing whatever the world threw at them. Of course that agreement was made when they at least had their powers. Now though? They were all weak. Perhaps if Adagio and Aria had their powers they would have came to her aid but regardless there is no point in thinking about it now. In truth, had Sonata been in one of their positions instead she too would have fled instead of coming to her sister's aid. It didn't feel right but Adagio had always said that in order to survive one had to make sacrifices.

"I'm feeling better now, Adagio. T-Thanks..." Sonata would slowly but surely bring herself up onto her feet. The pain was still there but it was at least lessening up. "Let's get the heck out of here before that thing does show up!" Aria would take one more glance out the window as she held the bat in hand. She'd swiftly turn towards the other two and nod her head, agreeing with Sonata. Adagio on the other hand seemed to be...pondering. Though she had only gotten a brief glance at the broken being, one thing was clear. No human made that. Not to mention based on Sonata's comments from earlier the thing had plummeted itself down to Earth. The possibility of it being from another world, instead of a realm such as themselves, was incredibly high. That meant there was value in that thing.

"Hold on, you two. If it's truly dead like Sonata said then that means it isn't a threat to us anymore. More importantly, that thing can make us money. Money that we desperately need." Sonata would look on in confusion while Aria merely folded her arms over her chest and gave Adagio an annoyed stare. Adagio was hatching up an idea, wasn't she?

"But...but what if it isn't dead? It could be slowly waltzing its way out of the forest right now for all we know!" Adagio would dismiss the thought with a simple wave of her hand. "You saw the state that thing was in, didn't you? It looked like it was about to fall into pieces. You know, certain people would pay good money for something like that in their possession. Real good money. We wouldn't have to be living in a cramped little van if we sold it to the right person." Sonata didn't respond as she looked down to the burn mark that had been left upon her leg when the robotic creature grabbed her. Aria on the other hand was seemingly being more convinced of the idea as Adagio went on. Living out in a van like this was not the way she wanted to enjoy her life.

"All we have to do is be careful and see if it's still alive or not. If it is, we'll get out of here as quick as we can. If it isn't, the three of us can drag the parts closer to the van. In the morning we'll load them up in and start doing a little bit of research. Find out who would be the most interested and more importantly who's willing to fork over the most cash for that broken mess." Aria grins in response to Adagio's proposal. That sounds good enough to her. Sonata on the other hand didn't seem convinced. Truthfully, she just wanted to get away from this forest as fast as she could. She started to speak up but ultimately closed her mouth. Sonata knew there wasn't much of a point arguing once Adagio had made up her mind. The blue siren would let out a small annoyed sigh before slowly following her two sisters as they exited the van and headed off into the direction they had once fled from. Once the first to enter and now here she was being the last.

"I feel like you should be the one to hold the bat, Adagio. This is your idea after all." Aria would comment as she took the lead in dealing with this metallic monster. Adagio would merely scoff in response. All three stood their distance from the fallen and broken machine as it just laid there on the ground motionlessly. The glowing colors that emitted from its body when they first encountered it had all but dimmed and gone out. Slowly does Aria approach before raising the bat and giving the head the hardest wack she could muster. The blunt force was enough to crack the bat in half and send the chunk flying while Aria stumbled back. The head was sent a few good inches but nonetheless stayed attached to the body. The impact didn't even leave a dent. "Well, it did seemingly survive falling to Earth. A little hit on the head wasn't going to do much." Adagio quietly commented.

"Yeah, it didn't survive for much longer after that." Aria snarked. "It's definitely dead by the looks of it. One of you grab the other side and help me start pulling." Both Adagio and Sonata look at each other for a moment before Adagio just abruptly shoves Sonata forward. She bites her lip in order to hold back the surge of pain that came with that. "I'm not doing it. I have to be the one who drives the van tomorrow morning and that takes concentration and focus. Sonata, you do it." The blue siren sought to interject but it was already too late. Adagio was turning around and making her leave. A groan parted from Sonata's lips as she got down and took up the doctor's right side and started to drag him with Aria's help. The sound of his lower half completely falling off and hitting the ground cemented their shared thought of its genuine death. Hey, at least it made pulling it a little bit easier.

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The doctor jolted to life with a sudden gasp echoing out of his plates. His one good eye looked around in a desperate attempt to figure out where he was. It seemed as though he was in a much more open area compared to the dense forest he once lumbered himself through before falling apart. His attention is brought to the hanging wires on his torso. Fear erupts inside the doctor as he couldn't feel his lower half and a look down confirmed that the entirety of his legs were completely gone. All that remained of the doctor was his damaged torso, a working arm, and his loosening head. Speaking of head why was he getting such a headache right now? Ouff! It feels like someone just took a bat and whacked him with it! Nonetheless, Dr. Nefarious attempted to ignore it as he brought up his vitals. What had happened? How did he survive this? The numbers all ran by in his head and viewed through his one eye, indicating to the doctor that upon reaching such a low level of power he had entered a state of quick unconsciousness to preserve what was left. A quick look indicated he didn't have much longer before he truly did go offline for good. No less than forty-five minutes. Maybe not even that. Something soon caught his attention just a little bit off in the distance. It was...an incredibly primitive looking vehicle of some sort. Without much choice, the broken Dr. Nefarious started to drag himself closer to it.

As he reached his destination the doctor did his best to quiet his actions. He could not risk alerting whatever was inside of it as the weapons he had on him would no doubt drain his energy even further. Claws would carefully open the back of the van door just enough so the broken machine could take a peek inside. It was three organics in different positions all asleep. One in the driver's seat, another in the passenger, and the third one down on the floor with a blanket covering her. Nefarious squinted his eye as he tried to recall something. Wait a minute. That was the one he had grabbed right before his leg fell off and the doctor plummeted into his unconscious state. They had...rescued him? No no, that didn't feel right. He had been dragged out towards the entrance of the forest and left there. Perhaps they intended to use his body as spare parts for this vehicle of theirs. Or worst yet, sell him off to someone! It was clear to the doctor by this point that whatever planet he was upon wasn't up to galactic standards. The three organics hadn't understood a single word he said! Not to mention, as he glanced around inside, the tech looked laughably primitive. The half-working gears in his cracked dome quietly attempted to work as he thought of his next move. Communication was not going to happen and he was on limited time. The doctor would need to rely upon what he did best if he was going to make it to the next hour. His gaze fell upon the toaster and nearby phone that laid upon the counter. They would have to do...

Evidently dragging him to a closer location had worn the lot of them all out as Nefarious was able to secure the phone and toaster without much worry of any of the squishies waking up. It took a bit of careful dragging but both were now within his possession! He carefully slid the door shut to ensure the cold air didn't wake up the blue one. The doctor clawed away just enough before getting straight to work. He had no time to go any further. He had to get started now. He torn into the phone first and located its battery, putting that into himself for an extra boost of power. It wouldn't be much but at least Nefarious could go for at least another hour now. That's better than the twenty minutes he had left beforehand. Next his attention turned towards the toaster as he begun dismantling it. Pieces from both the toaster and phone were being put together to form a small device. Even a few of his own wires went into it for that needed advancement to function. It was a far cry from the galactic-level threat he had built many moons ago but for now it would serve its purpose. This would allow him to take control of his current predicament and get what he needed. It didn't matter which one of the squishies it went after just that it successfully took control over one. When his masterpiece was completed, the doctor held it within his claw. It was no bigger than a quarter. With a small tap on the top, it would come online. Little wire legs would prop itself up before turning towards the doctor and awaiting its command.

"Og d-dan fenlct-t-t eno fo het ganorics. Kame hetm nime." Spoke the alien doctor before watching his creation leave his hand and clamber its way into the grass. Soon afterwards it would crawl up the side of the van and into the slightly lowered window of the passenger's side. The small device crawled its way to the sleeping Aria, traveling up her arm and the side of her face in order to reach her ear and begin its journey inside. The action was more than enough to startle Aria awake with a sudden jolt as she felt something. She gritted her teeth and tiredly shook her head before attempting to fall asleep again. It was probably Sonata trying to spook her just for the sheer giggles of it now that the robot wasn't a threat. The siren would then allow herself to fall back asleep. Some time would pass before she felt the pain. An ungodly amount of pain stemming from her brain and traveling all the way down her back. It came so suddenly and without warning that Aria let out a genuine scream, hands clamping to her head, which obviously woke both Adagio and Sonata with a startle.

"Wha--Aria?? What is wrong?" Adagio tiredly glared but that quickly turned to concern when she realized just how much in pain Aria seemed to be. She thrashed and kicked in her seat, hands not once leaving her head. It felt like her head was literally on fire and about to burst. Sonata had leaped herself up and traveled over, concern washing onto her features. She didn't really know what to do as Aria banged on the side of the passenger door and flung it open. She tumbled out and kicked about, as if it would've done something, before ultimately going quiet. Her body laid motionless down on the grassy hill, gaze looking upwards and yet it was clear she wasn't really seeing.

"Aria? Aria??"

Sonata called out as she threw the back of the van door open and rushed outside. Adagio followed as well as the two observed their suddenly silent sister. Her eyes slowly blink. Another blink. All that was heard was the trio's breathing amongst the bright night. That is until.....

"Te-Te-Teg pu."

The blue siren could feel her blood run cold as she heard that glitching shrill voice. Aria would soon bring herself to her feet and stared blankly towards Adagio and Sonata. From behind Aria did Dr. Nefarious claw his way into view. His single arm dug into the side of his torso as a small compartment opened up. A blue and grey colored gun was taken out and tossed towards his new minion.

"K-K-Kicp pu dan rea-reathen!" Aria obeyed without question as she swiftly picked up the weapon and held it in front of the two. Sonata stumbled back as she held up her hands. Adagio meanwhile had already started to make her way towards the front of the van in the hopes of starting it and driving off. Well, that is until she heard the sound of the gun warming up.

"A...Aria...?" Sonata pressed her back up against the side of the van as Aria approached, the gun not once being pointed away from her. Adagio would soon reappear with her hands up in the air. There was no telling what that weapon could do and attempting to run off now would not end well for her at all. The doctor started to drag himself closer to the three. He may not be able to communicate with them but he can certainly force the other two to take him somewhere with tools. That is until Aria's hand started to shake and she appeared to be trying to regain control over herself. She gritted her teeth as the life in her eyes started to come back. The doctor cursed under his breath as Sonata and Adagio both saw their chance.

Adagio approached and attempted to grab the gun from her resisting sister. If she could get that weapon in her hands then she could destroy that wretched robot for good. That and potentially free Aria if possible. If not, Adagio will shoot her for her own safety. "Sonata, get over here and help--!" Unfortunately out of all the three of them Adagio was physically the weakest. It would take the combined efforts of Sonata and Adagio to overpower their sister. With that command it should get Sonata on the same page. Alas, it didn't. Sonata was too stricken with fear to obey Adagio. Her mind had told her to run from the scene and that's exactly what she did when the chance was given to her. Sonata bolted towards the forest once more with an alarming boost of speed. By the time Adagio had realized what her sister had done all she could do was angrily yell at her disappearing form.

"You useless dimwitted idiot! Get back here--!" The device within Aria had managed to subdue its attempt to break free and moved forward, pushing Adagio down onto the ground. She flinched when the gun was lowered down and placed right in front of her head. A cold sweat would start to overcome her as her gaze fell upon the broken doctor. His own attention was briefly given to the fleeing squishie. Bah! That one could be allowed to escape. He was on limited time still and he only needed one of them to do his bidding. A grunt came from him as he pulled himself towards the back of the van and propped himself up inside.

"Kate-e-e ti ot he-he-het ridver-r teas. W-Wno. Teg ni geren-gerenpass teas." Aria obeyed without a second thought and gripped Adagio's shoulder before forcing her up. The gun was kept to the back of her head as the two made their way to the front. It didn't take a genius to figure out what this metallic being wanted out of her. With a sigh, Adagio attempted to calm her nerves as she got into the driver's seat and started up the van. Aria kept the gun locked on her body all the while walking around towards the passenger side. Once in, the gun found itself right against Adagio's side. Nefarious clambered his way forward and gripped the driver's seat for support. He propped himself up just enough so he could point in the direction he wanted and off towards the city the three went.

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Sonata panted heavily as she finally found herself stopping. Her body was starting to ache too much to run like she had. A hand clutched her side. A few deep breathes were taken. The leg that had been touched by the smoldering hot hand was starting to ache as well. Slowly did Sonata turn around to face the direction she had come from. Concern found itself upon her face as she thought about Aria and Adagio. She'd just...abandoned the both of them. Of course, they had done the same thing to her earlier and it was something Adagio had spoken of over the years they worked together. They were not a family. They stayed together because it best led to their continued survival. Sonata let out a sigh of regret. To her, they kind of were her family. Especially now that they were trapped in the Earth realm for good. But she couldn't just go back there and face them! She was already hurting from what that metal monster did to her. Wait...wait a second. Sonata lights up as an idea comes to her. Sunset Shimmer and her friends! They could handle this! They could deal with that thing and get Aria back! The blue siren starts to move. The Dazzlings had parked their van just on the outskirts of the city. If she remembered correctly then Fluttershy was the closest to her right now. It'd be a long walk but...she'd have to do it. Sonata really didn't have any other options right now.

A long walk it was indeed as Sonata had spent like over an hour just to reach a couple of houses. One didn't realize how much time a car saved you on until you were forced to make the journey there on foot. The blue siren could feel herself wanting to doze off as she achingly made her way to Fluttershy's home. It was a little difficult to see given how dark it was outside but thankfully the street lights provided at least a little bit of light for her vision. A tired yawn parted from her lips before finally spotting her destination. "Yes!"

With her goal in reach Sonata started to pick up her pace a little more despite the pain it would cause. Making her way towards the front door, Sonata would bang her fist upon it as heard as she could to wake the residents up. "FLUTTERSHY! Fluttershy, wake up!!" She would continue to pound away at the door until finally she could hear someone on the other head. The blinds were held up just enough so a tired Fluttershy could see what in the world was going on. Upon recognizing the form to be Sonata of all people, Fluttershy jumped.

"Wait, Fluttershy! Please! I need your help! I really really do! You need to call of your friends! Adagio and Aria, they're in trouble. Please." Sonata looked on with pleading eyes as she pressed herself against the door. Fluttershy's hand hesitated over the door as she looked onto Sonata. The Dazzlings had attempted to destroy her and her friends a while back. Not to mention throw their school into chaos! Should she really help her? What if this was some sort of trick to get at her?

Fluttershy took a breath before shaking her tired head. No no, once upon a time Sunset had been the same way. She had tried to destroy her as well. Now though they were incredibly close. It was just the matter of showing her that friendship was important. If she can extend her hand for Sunset, she can do it for Sonata too.

Slowly but surely did Fluttershy open the door and allowed Sonata to enter. A quiet 'thank you' was given as she limped herself inside. A look of concern washed over Fluttershy as she watched the other. The siren looked like she was in pain. What in the world happened to her?

Chapter 3 - A Taste of Nefarious' Power

3:00 AM. It was 3:00 AM when her phone just went crazy. At first Sunset wasn't really paying attention to the words being said to her. That is until she realized it was Fluttershy calling and she did not sound good. She kept jumbling over her words as she spoke and overall sounded like she was panicking. When she dropped the bombshell that a limping Sonata was at her place and that the Dazzlings were in trouble, Sunset sprung out of bed. Oh no. Just what in the world was going on? By the sounds of it something big. She's attempting to put on some better clothes as she listens and tries to calm Fluttershy down.

"I'll be over there as fast as I can, okay? Call the other girls too. Tell them we'll all meet up at your place." Sunset lets out a troubled sigh as she grabs her necklace and keys. She's got a feeling she's going to need that. Sunset attempted to ignore the desire to close her eyes for a moment of sleep as she ran her way down the empty sidewalk and pass the buildings. It'd take her a couple of minutes to reach Fluttershy's place. By then all the girls should be arriving around the same time. Just as Sunset was about to go out onto the street to cross, the sound of an approaching vehicle alerted her. Sunset had just enough time to back up as the speeding van barreled through and made a sharp left. "Hey--!!" Wait a minute. Her head snapped in its direction and Sunset could have sworn it...it looked like the Dazzlings van. It had gone by so quickly though that she couldn't be sure. The girl rubbed at her temples and let out a groan. She would have to worry about that later. Right now she needed to make it to Fluttershy's home.

Her timing couldn't have been any better. By the time she reached the house so were the others. Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow all looked tired themselves. All of them understood something was wrong however and quietly entered the home together. "Fluttershy, we're here." Sunset spoke as she made her way towards the living room. The lights were on in there along with the kitchen. Upon entering, the girls were shocked to see Fluttershy bandaging up Sonata. The siren looked just as tired as the rest did.

"Heeeeey there. Hah. Glad you all could make it. Th...Thanks." She winced ever so slightly as Fluttershy applied a bit of pressure. "Sorry." Fluttershy would quietly remark. The girls would gather around as Sunset took the lead.

"Sonata, what is going on?" The blue siren closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to think of the best way to explain this whole situation. "I...me and my sisters were out watching the comets go by earlier in the night. Well, moreso just me. I saw one of them coming from the opposite direction and it even landed nearby! I wanted to go check it out because I knew were all bored and that's what we did! But...um...when we got closer it...it wasn't a comet. I-It was..it was some kind of monster! A monster made out of metal! It was huge too! Waaaay taller than any of us! It...It looked so broken and glitchy and it was limping towards me like a real-life zombie! It...grabbed my leg and burned it just by touch. Then it just kind of...died." Everyone had their attention on Sonata now. Most of them figured it had to have been something magical but...but this didn't sound like that at all.

"We managed to make it back to the van and me and Aria wanted to run but..." Sonata paused. "Adagio got an idea in her head to sell it because we all thought it was super dead! It looked super dead! When me and Aria started to move it the whole bottom half just fell off!" She couldn't hold back the frown forming onto her face. Sunset huffed lightly in response. "Yeah, that sounds like Adagio alright. Willing to capitalize on anything if it gets her something." Sonata could only quietly nod her head in agreement.

"After we dragged it closer to the van, we all went to sleep. Too tuckered out to do anything else. Then....Aria's screaming woke us up. I don't...I don't know what it did but that metal monster was alive and commanding Aria! It even gave her a gun and she threatened us with it!" A series of gasps and small murmurs came from the group. This was quickly going from bad to worse with each passing second. "And you managed to escape?" Sunset asked. Sonata gave a sorrowful nod.

"I did. I...I ran away when Adagio tried to wrestle for the weapon. I-I panicked! My body just told me to run and I listened! I didn't...I..." A comforting hand is place upon Sonata's shoulder by Fluttershy and the blue siren sighs. "I knew the only thing I could do was find you all. You girls can handle this!" A few questionable glances were thrown around at each other.

"I'm...not sure about that, Sonata." Twilight would speak up. "If what you say is true then what we're dealing with here is something we've never seen before! A metal monster? It's taken all this time just to get used to magical mishaps and transformations!" Sonata didn't say anything but she did agree with that. Clearly, the Dazzlings themselves didn't know what they had dealt with either considering the state they were in.

"Before everything went bad, Adagio said it couldn't have been made by a human. It was too advanced looking. Which kind of makes sense considering it seemingly survived falling down from orbit." That got both Twilight and Sunset's eyes to widen. Both glance towards each other. Extraterrestrial in origin? This was going to be one heck of a night. Or morning soon to be exact. Sunset takes a deep breath before speaking up.

"Alright girls, we've got quite a dilemma on our hands. We need to figure this all out and come up with a plan to stop this metallic being and...save Adagio and Aria. If we don't do it, no one else will." All the girls quietly nod in agreement. Twilight is next to speak up.

"Well, if this metallic creation is in a broken state then I'd imagine it would want to repair itself quickly." Rarity has her hand against her chin as she ponders as well. Soon enough she speaks up. "Not to mention without any legs it would need someone to do a lot of the hefty lifting. Which might explain why it was trying to threaten you two. Did it ever fire the gun, darling?" Rarity turned towards Sonata. The blue siren shakes her head.

"No." Now the gears in her brain are starting to move as well. "I didn't hear any shots either when I was fleeing. I guess...it was going to use us to help it travel around?" That was the most logical idea that the others could agree upon. "In fact, when I was making my way towards Fluttershy's house a van sped by me at an alarming rate. It went by so fast that I couldn't see if it was your van or not but..." Sunset said as she turned towards her friends.

"There's no buts about it! That's gotta be Adagio!" Rainbow would speak up. "Whatever this thing is, it must be forcin' Adagio to go around the city." Applejack would comment as Sunset started to pace around the room. "Did any of you girls bring your necklaces with you?" Each one would nod their head before showcasing them. Sunset grinned in response. Dealing with so many magical events has taught them well. They don't leave without it just like Sunset herself. "Then we need to act fast while we can." Her gaze surveyed over the room, trying to figure out which power would be needed for this. Eventually she came to her conclusion.

"Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight I want you three to go out there and see if you can find that van. Rainbow, I want you to be out there too but to wait on for the right time. Pinkie can use her powers to pop the van's tires and with that happening they'll have no choice but to stop. With your speed you'll be able to swoop in faster than anyone to snag Adagio and Aria away from this metal being's clutches." All the girls looked at each other and quietly conversed before agreeing on the idea. "We'll take my car, darlings! I have it parked just outside." Fluttershy would quietly tap on Sunset's shoulder to get her attention. "W-What about us?"

In return Sunset places a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "You and me are going to stay here and take care of Sonata. Make sure her damages aren't too bad or if she needs to go to the hospital. Applejack, I want you to stay with us just in case those three come knocking. Knowing that siren, it wouldn't surprise me if she used her silver tongue to try and weave this crisis into her favor. And well..." Does she say it?

"...She might want some revenge after being ditched and all." Sonata tensed up as her gaze fell upon Sunset. The blue siren would gulp before quietly clutching the nearby pillow. "Y-Yeah, that does sound like something Adagio would do." Applejack nods her head to the idea however and moves over to join Sunset and Fluttershy.

"Anyone got their phone on them? Just in case any of you need to get in touch with us?" Sunset asked. Only Rarity did as she pulled it out from her pocket. "Good. I've got mine up and ready in case you need us. Be safe out there." With determination on their side, the three girls went off. Rainbow Dash waited for a moment or two before running off herself. They were going to solve this problem before it got way too big.

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The doctor grunted and groaned as he hastily made repairs to himself and applied more energy into his core to keep himself functioning. It was a bumpy drive given how fast Adagio was being ordered to go from place to place in search of the necessary items for the quick fix he needed. He wouldn't be able to fix his glass dome or eye for quite a while but at least he could repair the damages around his arm, torso, and throat. The rest of him wouldn't be falling apart anytime soon. Countless battery packs were scattered around the back of the van along with various pieces of junk. The batteries were overall pretty weak power sources to absorb but having so many of them was at least giving the doctor further extension time. By now he was up to at least eight hours of continued activity. That should give him plenty of time to really get things into gear and situate himself here.

"POTS!" Nefarious yelled, it'd be a while before he could study and pick up the language of this world. Adagio slammed her foot on the break and took a moment to breath. She was feeling so exhausted. Going here and there, forced to help this thing rebuild itself. Argh! If she had her magic right now she would have crushed that thing into nothingness. Alas, all she could do right now is obey as the controlled Aria keeps the gun to her side. It's within her best interest to do so considering she's now seen what that weapon can do. Adagio rolls down the passenger side window and the doctor soon orders Aria to fire at the building. She complies and a beam of black and red energy shoots from it, melting the front of the building like it was literally made of nothing. Yeah, it was a good thing she was obeying. Adagio did not want to end up as a melted puddle of flesh and bone.

The two exited the van once commanded too and entered the shop, grabbing the items that were needed before throwing them into the back. It was a cluttered mess back there at this point. Just as she closed the door and Aria was instructed to move back to her seat, the sound of an approaching vehicle came to Adagio's attention. Turning around and trying to get a good look at it, she would soon let out a gasp. It was them! Those rotten little humans who had stopped her and her sisters some time ago! They were approaching quickly too. How did they...? Sonata. She must have gone to them after escaping out of the woods. The siren was both relieved and terrified at the same time. No doubt they were coming to stop this metallic being but....she already knows this is far different from what they're used too. She can't flee either since Aria will just be instructed to kill her and that...that would an easy feat to accomplish. The siren curses under her breath before going back to the driver's seat, blaring the engine, and speeding off. "We have company." Adagio would gesture towards the back. While Nefarious couldn't understand what she said, he did hear the sound of another car engine and dragged himself to the back to look out the window. He growled in response.

"Hewn hety teg losce, LILK HETM!" The doctor ordered as he went back to his repairs. The two cars sped down the street and Rarity applied more pressure down on her feet in an attempt to speed up and catch them. Pinkie was in the passenger's seat and ready for her moment when its presented to her. She just has to make sure she doesn't accidentally explode anything else but the tires. A little easier said than done sometimes. However upon approaching close enough, Aria would stick herself out the window and start taking a few shots at their opponents. The girls would let out a scream as they attempted to dodge the black and red blasts, the heat passing by them feeling unlike anything they've known before. Parts of concrete and road were melted with easy and left nothing but gooey puddles behind.

"Goodness gracious me! Aaaaaaah!"

Rarity swerved out of the way from the falling lightpost and ducked her head as Aria shot another blast from the gun. All of the girls hunkered down as the controlled siren did not seem intent to stop anytime soon. Twilight took a moment to glance back in a mix of fear and awe upon seeing the sheer amount of damage that had been done to the block. It would take weeks just to fix it all.

"Rarity, be careful!"

"That's a little hard when we've got a car-melting gun being pointed at us!" Rarity snapped back before swerving once more while trying to keep up with the Dazzlings van. "Just get me a little bit closer, Rarity! Just a little more!" Pinkie would call out as she was ready with her hands. Her eyes were focused on the back of the tires, maybe a little too much.

"EEK!!" Pinkie cried out when Twilight shoved her head down so the blast of the gun didn't smack her straight in the face. "And you need not get your face melted off!" Twilight said as she kept the girl down for a few more seconds.

"Come on, come on..." Rarity's fingers gripped around the steering wheel as she floored it as much as she could. They were getting closer and closer but that also directly put them in far more danger. Pinkie had no choice but to stick herself further out of the window in order to get a clear view of the back tires. The pink energy pulsed through her fingers as she prepared to launch one. She threw just as Aria fired off another blast of the gun and with fast reaction time, Twilight pulled Pinkie back in before it could make contact with her body. Instead the road behind them had burst into chunks from the impact of the blast. "Thanks, Twilight!!"

The sound of the Dazzlings van screeching as it drove forward and the backtire producing sparks told them that Pinkie's initial hit was a success! The van was becoming increasingly slower given how much harder it was to control. Even better the sudden jerkish movement was enough to throw Aria around for a moment. If they wanted to pop that second tire then now was their perfect chance. That's exactly what Pinkie did too! One good shot and BAM! Both back tires were gone. It was going to be a nightmare turning and driving that van now. In fact it looked like Adagio was going to crash it here in just a moment.

"Dashie! You're up!" Pinkie Pie bellowed as loud as she could. Not too far off had Rainbow kept up with the trio. She didn't waste any time in activating her magic and zipping towards them. Whatever this mechanical being was it'd no doubt would be too disoriented to stop her from getting Adagio and Aria away from him. The magically fast speeder zipped by her three friends as they cheered and was soon approaching the van.

The mad doctor viciously punched the back door open with his only arm to understand just what in the galaxy was going on. The van was jittering and zagging all over the place! His enraged red eye spotted the approaching Rainbow Dash as she ran at him with alarming speed. He needed to act fast or he'd be done for! Nefarious' single eye glared towards the group as he prepared to launch the single functioning weapon he had left on him. His hand started to glow a mix of black and red as he prepared to launch his dark matter bomb towards Rainbow. The glowing mass made contact with the road and just as Rainbow started to reach it, the explosion erupted.

Rainbow was sent back with a scream as ginormous chunks of road shot up high into the air and the surrounding buildings shook and started falling apart from the sheer force of the explosion. The young girl collided against a nearby brick wall with great force and quickly slumped down onto the ground, knocked completely out. All three girls screeched as the debris flew everywhere and Rarity slammed her foot down onto the brakes. Pinkie clung to her friends where as Twilight used her magic to levitate some of the coming debris from falling onto the three of them. They all sat there in complete silence for a few seconds as they looked onto the complete devastation that was the city block. Road, buildings, all of it completely damaged from a single attack. Just barely could they hear the glitching laughter echo from the robotic being as the van frantically sped off into the distance. Home lights were being turned on as dozens of people freaked out and stumbled about in the dark of the night.

A gasp would soon part from Pinkie's lips as she caught sight of her fallen friend. "DASHIE!!" All three of the girls had clambered out of the car and rushed over to Rainbow Dash, desperately seeking to see if she was okay or what kind of injuries she might have. "Dash, Dash!! Wake up!!" But it was clear as day that the poor runner was completely out of it. Twilight would press her ear up against her chest to hear her heartbeat.

"She's breathing but we need to get her to a hospital right now! Pinkie, help me bring her into the car. Rarity, call the others." None of them waste any time in picking up Rainbow and alerting the rest of the group of what happened. Not even three minutes had passed before Rarity hit it in reverse and sped off towards the nearest hospital.

Chapter 4 - A Vile Alliance

Sunset along with her three other friends burst through the door of the emergency room. All three of them were clearly out of breath. Poor Fluttershy looked like she was about to pass out while Sunset and Applejack were able to handle themselves a little better. Sunset's gaze fell upon Pinkie who sat right side by side with Twilight and Rarity. All of them deeply concerned for Rainbow Dash.

"How...is...she? Is she...okay?" Sunset managed to pant out as she approached the trio. Rarity was the first one to speak up. "They're stabilizing her right now. We uh, we don't know how long it'll take though." By now the three had sat themselves down on the opposite end. "Well, what kind of condition was she in? How bad was it when ya'll brought her here?" Applejack questioned in the hope of figuring it out. Not that it would do much good but she needed it.

"The blast was big. I'm sure you all heard it even from Fluttershy's home! Thankfully it looked like she wasn't caught in the centerfold of the explosion. She was far back enough so the radius was only strong enough to knock her away. Otherwise..." Twilight trailed off not even daring to say that last bit. It was on everyone's mind. Had Rainbow been any closer then there wouldn't have even been a body to recover. The thought alone sent a shiver down everyone's spine. A deep sigh would part from Sunset's lips as she rested her back against the chair. Her foot would start to impatiently tap against the ground as she lost herself to her thoughts.

The three of them had rushed out of Fluttershy's home when they heard that ginormous explosion off in the distance and the following panicked text from Rarity about Rainbow. The three had been in such a rush that they all completely forgot about Sonata and left her by herself. This was not good. The woman would rub at her temples as she attempted to think out their next move. How were they going to handle this? Could they handle this? Should she try and contact Princess Twilight back in Equestria? Would she even have the time for that--

Sunset is taken out of her thoughts as Fluttershy places a comforting hand upon her shoulder. The animal lover can tell this is going to eat at her. It will for everyone unfortunately. Sunset is able to throw Fluttershy a small smile however as her attention turns towards the nearby door. They were just going to have to wait until they received new information. For a time the room became eerily silent as no one knew what to say or what kind of conversation to start. Finally, Applejack was the one to speak up.

"What are we gonna do about this, ya'll?" Her voice was quiet as she looked around the room and to the rest of her friends. No one could really give an answer. They just didn't know what they were up against. Something as broken as that robot was evidently still powerful enough to effortlessly wreck an entire city block and take one of their friends out of commission!

All eyes would soon fall upon Sunset as they hoped for an answer. Eventually she would deliver one. "Right now, we need to make sure Rainbow Dash is okay and..." A rather lengthy yawn would part from the red-headed girl's lips before continuing. "...I can get into touch with Princess Twilight. Maybe she can lend a hoove--er, hand." Just as she was about to stand up Sunset found herself stumbling back as the tiredness quickly settled in. Thankfully Fluttershy and Applejack caught her and had her carefully sit back down. All of them were dreadfully tired after everything they'd been through. Especially Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie.

"I um, I don't think you're going to make it too far Sunset. We're all pretty tired." Fluttershy gestured towards Rarity and Pinkie who both were already starting to slumber off. A frown would soon emerge from Sunset as she too felt her eyelids getting heavy. She tried to fight it off but sadly there was no stopping the body when it just needed some rest. She would let out a defeated sigh before quietly nodding her head.

"Fine. I'll just...take a little nap. Then I'll get the journal and..." Sunset didn't even get to finish her sentence as she slumbered off with her friends. Maybe the doctors would wake them up with some good news...

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Adagio jolted up out of shock and ended up hitting her left arm against the steering wheel. A searing amount of pain skyrocketed through her arm causing the siren to let out a cry. It felt so sore! Oh, and a headache was quickly coming on as well. What in the world happened? Her mind was foggy and for a moment she didn't seem to recognize her surroundings. It slowly but surely dawned upon her though that she was still within their van and judging by the look of it their mode of transportation was completely wrecked. A look forward indicated that she had crashed the van into a tree some time ago. "Uuggh..." Slowly but surely did her memories return. She was driving...a big explosion...she lost control and...here she was waking up. For a moment her blood ran cold and wondered if Aria and that metallic being was still within the van as well. Carefully removing her belt buckle Adagio peeked towards the back. Nothing. Neither of them was present. The back of the van was filled with nothing but disregarded battery packs and a pair of broken doors.

Getting out of the car door Adagio was greeted with the bright sun which forced her to close her eyes for a moment as they adjusted themselves. It was dark when she had been driving but it was clearly daytime now. Just how long had she been out for? The siren stumbled as she walked and attempted to get a reading of her current surrounding. The most obvious thing of interest was a large warehouse not too far from where the van had crashed. It didn't look at all in good condition though. Not a single parked car or truck in any direction either. Her head turned as she got a view of the turn that led back out onto the main road. Getting a closer look told her she was in the more forest aspect of Canterlot City. Perhaps just on the outskirts of it.

The sound of the van clanking and clicking alerted Adagio and she backed away. What now? How could this day get even worse for her at this point? Adagio regretted thinking that because soon the hood of the van would slam open and...a cat sized spider-like drone would climb its way out with various mechanical pieces stuck to its body. Its body was no doubt cobbled together from metal and junk. Adagio froze when the thing turned to look at her and from the front two exposed wires were produced that gave off sparks. Another step back was taken. If she had to take a guess it was the rough equivalent to a taser. What was she to do? Adagio was in no condition to fight a thing like that. She was tired and in pain! To her surprise however the drone did not approach and instead used one of its cobbled gear legs to point towards the direction of the warehouse. A few more sparks were produced from the exposed wires. The siren's brows furrowed in response before her attention shifted to the road and then to the warehouse. She wouldn't make it if she attempted to flee...

With a heavy defeated sigh parting from her lips Adagio started to limp her way towards the warehouse with the drone clanking behind her. The first thing that came to her attention was the giant hole in the side of the building. It definitely looked like it had been burned through so no doubt Aria and this metallic creature had been responsible for it. The siren was already dreading what may happen next. Another thing to note was that there were even more of these drones working and going around the place. Some of them were working to fix the gaping hole that allowed them easy access inside. Others were in fact building more of themselves. It was as impressive as it was terrifying. That broken glitchy mess of a robot no doubt had to have been behind this. The drone in the back would join a few others before taking charge and leading Adagio along.

She would be led to a busy office area where many drones were reconfiguring the entire place, dismantling and bringing anything they could to a certain someone. The siren did her best to show no fear and composed herself as best she could as she entered the area. Countless wires and cords were strung about the place and being hooked up to the one that started this whole mess. The mad doctor was still missing quite a large amount of his body parts but he seemed to be in much better condition than earlier. There were very little exposed wiring and sparks emitting from him now as he was being patched up by the drones. Adagio squinted slightly as he seemed to be working on something that was sprawled across the table. Tilting her head slightly allowed her to see a pair of boots. Aria's boots. A little electronic noise coming from the drone beside Adagio alerted the doctor of their presence. The wrench he had in his single hand was thrown aside as he prepared to turn himself around.

"So, you survived the crash? Excellent! You are of greater use to me while still alive and kicking."

The siren's eyes widen when she realized the robot just spoke english. All throughout the night it had been rambling off a language that just couldn't be understood. Now it was speaking perfect english. "How did you...?" Adagio didn't even get to finish her sentence before Nefarious interrupted her with the answer.

"After the crash, I ordered the controlled squishie to take me inside so I could get these pathetically simple computers up and running again. After which it was the simple process of downloading information into my systems." The doctor huffed. "Of all the planets to crash land onto and it had to be one as primitive as this..." Nefarious would grumble to himself before turning his attention back to Aria as he performed his...operations.

"How long was I out for?" Adagio would question as she took a moment to look around. There were quite a lot of these drones already as they went about remaking the warehouse. "Six hours. It's about ten in the morning right now." The doctor waved his hand around for a moment before focusing on his creation. "You work fast." Adagio commented with an impressive tone. The notion was enough to make Nefarious chuckle. "All I needed to do was build the first one. With their self-recreation protocols I'll have this entire warehouse fit to serve me! Then my vengeance can begin..." A curious brow would arch at the comment and Adagio would take a careful step forward.

"Yes well, you said I was of 'great use' to you? Hmm?" If she can worm her way out of a bad situation such as this then Adagio will happily take that chance. Being useful to someone means being on their good side for the time being. Another chuckle would part from Nefarious' plating as his single red eye glanced over to the siren. "As I was downloading the information I needed on this miserable backwater planet, I looked into the history of this city. What I found wasn't what I expected. Magic? Demons? Sirens? It was quite surprising. More importantly, your little gang has magic if I am correct?" The siren couldn't hold back the frustrated look upon her face at the question.

"Formerly." She regretfully informed. "Sunset Shimmer and her little friends took it away from us. The ones that were chasing after the van in fact." A metallic noise would emit from the doctor as he brought his hand to his chin in thought. "So, the fast squishie I wrecked also has access to this magic." Adagio would nod her head. "All of them do at this point." The clanking of Nefarious' finger against his chin echoed throughout the room as he pondered to himself. "Which makes them perfect candidates for robotification!" A sinister smile would form itself onto his plating while Adagio looked on with intrigue. "Now that is something I'd like to see." She couldn't help but comment as Nefarious erupted into a fit of maniacal laughter. He's twisted himself around in order to be face to face with Adagio now. "I'm positive that you would! There is no greater satisfaction than seeing the person you hate the most be knocked down to their knees! Even better when they're forced to serve you unconditionally! It's quite a wonderful feeling! Eha ha ha ha ha haaaa!"

The doctor would take a moment to catch his breath(?) before speaking once more. How odd for a robot to do. "You understand this place more than I do and more importantly this Sunset squishie and her little friends. No doubt they're going to coil themselves into my operations and failure can NOT be tolerated. Not in the state I'm currently in..." His red eye would bore into Adagio's. "I may not be able to bring you your magic back but I can give you the opportunity for something just as sweet. Revenge! To destroy that wretched squishie and more importantly bring her under our control! As I have done to your little member here..." His tone dipped into something far more sinister as he gestured towards Aria. Carefully did Adagio approach and upon seeing his work her eyes widened.

Both of Aria's arms were currently being replaced with mechanical counterparts as the drones brought in piece after piece to be grafted to Aria. All of her hair had been shaved off and the top half of her head opened up to allow wiring and other bits of machinery to be implemented into it. A look down at her breathing chest indicated that yes, she was still alive during all of this. Adagio didn't know if she should be terrified or incredibly impressed by the display and thus did her best to keep her expression neutral. The doctor would be the one to break the silence filling the room.

"My usual robotification process is far less...gruesome. However I do not have access to my normal tech and thus have to make do with manually replacing the body parts." Nefarious spoke as he picked up a wiring to hook it into Aria's left mechanical arm.

"Is she still in there?" Adagio questioned.

"Very much so. It can see but can do nothing about it. My chip inserted itself into the brain and has full control over its motor functions. Once I have more access to tech I can have my creation work independently without my constant commands. It was a rush job after all." Adagio was unable to take her sights off of her fallen member as she watched the doctor work away. A truly vile thought would soon come to mind which made the siren smile.

"And this fate is something you can deliver onto Sunset and her friends?" Nefarious would stop for a moment to give the most wicked grin he could muster with his broken plating. "Oh, most certainly!" Adagio would soon join him with that same wicked grin.

"Then how can I be of service to you, mister...?"

"Dr. Nefarious."

"Well, you certainly live up to that name already. Adagio Dazzle." The siren would introduce herself to the robot. "It'll be a pleasure working with you."

The doctor would erupt into a fit of laughter at the prospect of gaining an ally. The more he can bring himself back up to his former glory the better off he'll be! Soon this city won't know what hit it!

Author's Note

Hi! Hello! I just want to thank you all for enjoying my little crossover story here. It means a lot to me knowing people enjoy it so far! ^w^

Chapter 5 - A Plan Is Brewing

Applejack stumbles awake at the sound of the door to the emergency room opening up. A groan emerges as she feels her back tense up from having slept in a chair for quite a few hours. Upon noticing the doctor however she's wide awake and in the process of waking up the other girls as well.

"Good morning to you all. We have further information regarding Rainbow Dash. She's stable now and we currently have her resting in a room with pain medication being applied as necessary." All of the girls manage to sigh with relief at the notion. Rainbow was going to be okay! "How bad were the damages?" Sunset was the first one to speak up. The doctor frowned as he looked down onto his clipboard. "Unfortunately, her lower back suffered from a nasty blow and a few muscles were damaged in the process. Thankfully they will heal over time with proper rest and the correct medicine being used to relax said muscles." The doctor would flip through another page.

"How long will poor Dashie have to endure that?!" Pinkie cried. She knew her competitive friend quite well and knew Dash absolutely hated having to stay still for a long period of time. "Well, if everything works out well enough then the recovery process will be about three months." Everyone in the room grimaced at the thought. Poor Rainbow Dash. That's going to be absolute torture for her. Unfortunately, the bad news didn't end there as the doctor cleared his throat.

"And...it would appear Rainbow Dash suffered from a few burns as well. We've managed to thankfully get it all under control now and they've all been carefully bandaged up. Two on her left arm, one on her right cheek, and one on her right leg. Those will take time to heal as well and those parts will be sensitive for some time."

"Oh Dash...." Fluttershy looked like she was on the verge of tears. Yes, their friend was going to make it but that didn't change the fact that she was in bad condition. "Is there anything we can do for her?" Rarity would speak up. The doctor would shake his head. "Besides visiting her while she stays there's not much else that can be done. We just need to monitor her progress, keep the pain medication going, and go from there. If you'll excuse me I need to go to the front desk." With that, the doctor left the quiet room. None of the girls knew what to say as they all looked at each other.

"At least...at least she's going to make it. That's good, right?" Twilight would propose. Quiet slow nods would be given. "I should have been there to help ya'll! Then this wouldn't have happened!" Applejack quipped as she slumped back into the chair. Rarity shakes her head in response. "I'm sorry darling but even if you were there it...it still would've happened. Rainbow was the closest one to the van and...and we didn't know that robot could do that! I mean it...I...it took out an entire city block! Rainbow's lucky to even be alive right now!" Meanwhile Sunset had her face in her hands as she was lost to her own thoughts. This was all her fault. She was the one who sent them out there and now thanks to her Rainbow was going to be stuck in the hospital for who knows how long! What was she going to do? Call Princess Twilight for help...and equally as important rip this robot piece by piece until it is good as dead. Even then that won't do because after that she's going to melt what's left and then take that pile of robot goo and shove it into a grinder and then after that she's going to lock it in a safe and THEN--

All of the girls are taken out of their thoughts upon hearing the extremely loud rumblings of Pinkie's stomach. She gives a sheepish grin in return before slinking down into her seat. "Sorry girls. It's way been past breakfast time for me."

"I think it's been for all of us. Perhaps we should get something to eat?" Rarity would suggest. A few quiet nods were given before they all got up and stretched themselves. They'd get a quick bite to eat, come back to check on Rainbow Dash, and then go from there. Thankfully not too off from the hospital was a local burger restaurant that sold a breakfast menu for the morning. Most of the group didn't eat such items, minus Pinkie and Sunset, but with the night they had endured through and with how hungry everyone was this was the quickest and easiest option for food.

It didn't take long for the group to settle down and start chomping away to fill their empty stomachs. Very little was spoken about that is until Twilight turned her attention to the nearby television up on the wall. It was Channel 8 discussing the events of last night and the damage that had been done to the city block. "Knowing what we saw, I'm terrified to wonder just how powerful this robot is at peak performance." Pinkie took a large, frightened gulp of her drink in response. "I don't think I wanna know." Applejack commented as she took a bite out of her sausage biscuit.

"Which is why we need to stop this before it gets any worse. There's no telling what it might do or want. Not to mention it still has Adagio and Aria in its clutches." Just as she's about to take a bite out of her food, Sunset stops as a realization hits her. "Oh hay! We forgot about Sonata!" The unicorn woman couldn't believe herself! Well no, she could actually. The thought of Rainbow being in genuine danger took over all three girls as they had rushed off towards the hospital. "I'm sure she's fine, Sunset." Fluttershy quietly spoke up. "I don't think we have to worry about Adagio and Aria coming back for her right now. Besides we can stop back by my home to check on her anyway." Sunset would give a slow nod in agreement. "I need to check on Apple Bloom too." Applejack would comment. "Sweetie Belle for me. We all did leave our homes at like three in the morning. Not to mention we should um...update Rainbow's parents on the current situation." Each glanced around at each other before nodding in agreement.

"After that I can fetch my journal and hopefully get Princess Twilight's help with this matter. Maybe she can bring over a magical artifact that can help us." A few smiles would soon occur at the idea. It could indeed work and give them the necessary advantage they needed.

Unfortunately for the group of friends they were unknowingly being watched! Far off to one of the windows was a small flying drone with a video camera attached to itself. No doubt it was spying upon the girls and from the other end both Dr. Nefarious and Adagio watched the black and white screen as the girls continued their conversation. The siren had a makeshift cast upon her aching arm but otherwise felt fine. Well, besides the need to eat but she could worry about that later. Nefarious' finger would point to Sunset in particular.

"That one is the equestrian, you say?" The doctor asked as he mused over all the newfound knowledge Adagio was giving him. Adagio would nod her head. This was all so fascinating! The organic being known as Sunset Shimmer wasn't truly human just as much as Adagio was. Both hailed from another dimension and their homeland was called Equestria. From what the siren had spoken of it was a place brimming with magic and Sunset here was the reason it even existed on this planet in the first place. "How did she arrive here?" He would question. Unfortunately Adagio couldn't give an answer.
"Me and my sisters were banished to this realm. How Sunset arrived is currently a mystery to me. Though I'm certain we could get that information from the source...or from one of her friends." Dr. Nefarious would grin at the notion. "Good, good. I want that information. It could prove useful later on." But now it was time to get down to business.

"And these necklaces are what supplies the squishies with their magic?" The doctor would question as he turned his broken head towards Adagio. She would nod in return. "From what I've heard around town that is correct. The necklaces are the source." Metallic fingers would drum against the side of the computer as Nefarious mused over this information. "If I could find a way to harness that magic then I could truly speed up production and empower the drones! Then we could instigate part two of...Project Borg!"

Adagio would raise a brow at the name as she looked onto him. "...Borg?"

A maniacal little chuckle would part from Nefarious' plating. "Cyborg! With enough drones we'll be able to kidnap dozens of townsfolk and turn them into our loyal new minions! We'll grow and expand until Canterlot City becomes New Nefarious City!" The doctor paused for a few moments. "I'll even let you name a couple of streets after yourself...provided things go all according to plan." Adagio's response was to merely give a confident smile. "Of course it will. I'm working with you now after all. First things first, we need Sunset Shimmer and her friends under our control. They will be the greatest obstacle that gets in our way."

His hand would rest against his chin as he looked upon the screen. "How close are they?" Nefarious turns his head slightly to Adagio. It's clear the metaphorical and literal gears in his head are turning with an idea. "Very close, doctor. Being there for Sunset when she needed it the most has crafted a great bond between the group. It's their greatest strength...and weakness." The doctor would shift his plating into a smile. "Then I want you to take one of them hostage! Force the squishies to hand over the necklaces to me and show them NO MERCY! If one even remotely attempts to step out of line then ERADICATE the hostage!!" Adagio's gaze would fall upon the screen as she looked over the group. The best candidate for a hostage scenario would be....Fluttershy. A smile would adorn itself upon her lips.

"Can you hand over a couple of your drones? I will need them to make the plan work. I can't do much without my magic unfortunately. This body is...far too weak." The doctor would huff in response before shouting. About six small spider drones would clamber themselves inside. "Attend to Adagio and do as she says!" Her smile would then soon grow into a satisfied grin. Finally, a little bit of power after being stuck in this worthless form.

"Drones." Adagio would address them. "Go out and fetch me a small vehicle. Get it working and bring it back here." The drones would buzz and off they went onto their mission. Adagio would turn her attention back to Nefarious. "Do you still have that gun from earlier?" The doctor would point over to the counter nearby as he returned his attention to working on Aria.

"My Plasma Launcher is over there. Bring it back in one piece, Adagio. I plan to incorporate it into my creation here eventually." Adagio would take one more glance at Aria and stare at her unmoving form. Her brows furrowed as she wasn't sure what to feel or if she should upon seeing her sister like this. At least she wasn't being put through that.
The siren would take the weapon in her other hand before making her way towards the door. Though she stops momentarily to ask something. "Doctor, what about Rainbow Dash? The one you harmed earlier?" Nefarious didn't even bother to turn around as he started to answer.

"If they have her necklace then the squishie doesn't matter. We'll turn it into a robot at a later date. But on the off chance it is still in possession of its magic, I'll send a drone to pay it a happy little visit. It couldn't fight back even if it tried!" Nefarious let out a laugh. Just one shot and he sent that human down onto a hospital bed for who knows how long! The notion filled Adagio with even more confidence as she exited the office area. One way or another things were going to progress and soon enough she would have her revenge against Sunset Shimmer and her little friends.

Author's Note

Hi everyone! I just wanna give a little update. Work has been severely kicking my can so production on my little fic here has been super slow. Hopefully once things calm down I'll be able to work on this more frequently. Until then, stay awesome! ^w^