Unquenchable Fire

Infiltration

By the Decree of the Honorable Miss Twilight Sparkle,

Corporal Mecha, you are hereby summoned to Ponyville’s Town Hall, room 2B for a briefing regarding your first deployment. The briefing, as well as the contents of this letter, are considered classified, and the information contained therein shall not be disclosed to anypony regardless of rank. Your reporting time is 0930 hours, and you are required to bring a basic scout loadout. You are also removed from training duty as of now. Your replacement is already on the way. Once again, please ensure that the contents of this message remain known only to you.

Mecha rolled out of his cot, hit the ground, and cranked out forty push-ups before getting to his hooves and stretching. He’d only had about three hours of sleep, and it was still ridiculously early, but he preferred it that way. He’d been planning on giving the new recruits an early wake-up followed by a run. Mecha stepped outside of his small tent and breathed in the fresh, dew-laden morning air, and was only vaguely surprised when a brilliant flash of scarlet and gold alighted on the ground next to him.

“Hello, Philomena,” Mecha said, addressing the royal phoenix perched on the ground in front of him. The regal bird was grasping a sealed envelope. “I assume you have something for me?” Mecha took the envelope and the phoenix rose into the air, soaring towards Canterlot. Mecha took a few moments to stamp out a small brush fire the bird had caused, then opened his note. As he pored over its contents, his eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. Finally, he closed the note.

“Seems like I’ve got my first set of orders. Seriously, though, couldn’t they have just been a bit more subtle?” Mecha wandered back into his tent to grab his scouting equipment, pausing only to stuff the letter in his mouth. Paper had almost no nutritional value, of course, but the mouth was infinitely better than any paper shredder for destroying evidence.

“And besides,” he thought to himself, “eating notes just seems… more official.”

…

Mecha set out briefly, carrying all of his required items in a considerably oversized saddle bag. As he was on his way out of his tent, he bumped into a bumbling Earth Pony wearing Second Lieutenant ranks. The surprised pony almost dropped the stack of field equipment he was carrying precariously on his back. As Mecha bent down to help him pick up his things, the pony addressed him.

“You’re Corporal Mecha, right?”

“Eeyup.”

The pony wasn’t quite sure what to say. He outranked this Corporal, but he’d never been spoken to so nonchalantly by a subordinate before.

“I’m Lieutenant Morning Ray,” he said, clearing his throat and trying to make his ranks somewhat more visible. Something about the pony he was speaking to intimidated him, and he didn’t like it.

“Then you’re my replacement,” Mecha said, straightening up and stacking a canteen on top of Morning Ray’s stack. “And in that case I have a few words for you.”

Morning Ray was surprised to find that he was listening intently to Corporal Mecha.

“First thing’s first- you’re accepting command of the best damn platoon there is in the Equestrian Military right now, and they know it. They’re expecting confidence and perfection from you, and you need to show it, otherwise they’ll eat you alive. Second- do not hesitate to push them to their extremes. I know this isn’t Special Operations, but you should train like you fight. A sloppy army in training is going to be just as sloppy when the arrows start flying. Finally…” Mecha looked sideways at Morning Ray, squinting for a moment, “you’ve got a grease stain on one of your ranks. Might want to take care of that.” And without further ado, Mecha was off, leaving a stunned superior officer in his wake.

“Another one down,” Mecha said to himself as he left earshot, “how many more officers am I going to embarrass before my career’s over?” He turned onto Ponyville’s Main Street and began heading toward the city hall when he altered direction and headed for the school. He knew Cheerilee would be there as always, and Sugary Spice, his daughter, would more than likely be with her. He’d left the little filly a note explaining why he wouldn’t be home much for a while, and he knew she was smart enough to figure out why. Still, explaining things face-to-face always helped. Besides, a little morning stroll never hurt anypony. Mecha took in his surroundings. Truth be told, although he was experienced in many areas, he’d never been through a war before, and even he had to admit it felt surreal. Hundreds of miles away, Manehatten was crawling with the enemy and ponies were still more than likely fighting for their lives. Here, though, the sun was rising and the birds’ chirps were waking up the town just as they had done every day. Definitely strange. As the schoolhouse came into sight, Mecha saw that his earlier suspicions that Cheerilee might be awake were correct. The small building’s lights were on and the front door was slightly ajar.

“Morning, Cheerilee!” Mecha said, poking his head through the front door.

“Mecha!” From around the corner, Cheerilee galloped towards her stallionfriend, embracing him. “Sugary Spice gave me the note. I have no problems with looking after her for as long as it… as it… Oh, Mecha, promise me you’ll come back.”

Mecha smiled as Cheerilee released him. “You know me- It’ll take more than a war to wipe me off the face of Equestria, but I promise you- I’ll make it back in one p-“ he stopped for a moment, looking thoughtfully at his mechanical leg, “well, I’ll make it back alive, anyway.”

“Hello Dad!” Sugary Spice said, practically leaping onto her father as she ran out from behind Cheerilee’s desk. “Are you going to go take the fight to the Changelings? Kick some flank for me, okay?”

“Whoa, slow down, slow down,” Mecha said, lowering his adopted daughter to the ground. “Yeah, I’ll be out there soon enough, but believe it or not, you’ve to some wartime duties to attend to as well, little mare.”

Sugary Spice’s eyes widened with excitement. “Really? Do I get to go fight Changelings with you?”

“Hardly!” Mecha chuckled, “your job is much more important than that, and probably even more of a challenge. Your job is to stay focused on your schoolwork and learn all that you can from Miss Cheerilee, okay?”

“Okay,” Sugary Spice said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

“Good, you can go back to helping out Miss Cheerilee, now.” Mecha looked back to his marefriend. “You two keep yourselves safe and don’t worry about me. If all goes well, I’ll be able to stop by every other week or so. I’ve got a pretty good inkling of where they’re sending me tonight, and if I’m right, it should be a total cakewalk. Just keep being the best role model you can be for your students while I do my part and this will all be over before you know it. Trust me.”

“I trust you,” Cheerilee said, kissing Mecha on the cheek. From behind Cheerilee’s desk, Sugary Spice giggled.

“I heard that, young mare!” Mecha said jokingly, “and you’d better watch out, because I’m liable to kiss you as well!”

“Eek!” Sugary Spice yelped as Mecha dove for the desk. Cheerilee laughed as the two ran around the room. Finally Mecha caught up to Sugary Spice and kissed her on the forehead.

“Behave as you would for me. Make me proud. I’ll try to see you again later tonight if I get the chance.”

Mecha backed towards the door as Cheerilee and Sugary Spice waved. He popped the two of them a quick salute in response, and left, closing the door behind him. He glanced at the clock tower- 7:30. He still had two hours to kill. He ran through his options and finally decided to head back to his forge. He had a few new weapon ideas that he was desperate to field test. If he was lucky, tonight would be the night to finally see them in action. If not, well, then he’d have some cool weapons anyway.

…

Twilight Sparkle glanced at the small wall clock in room 2B of Ponyville’s Town Hall. It read 9:28, meaning that Mecha had only two minutes before he was late. Twilight was frankly surprised. Mecha usually made it a point to be early. It was uncharacteristic of him to wait this long. Mecha’s two teammates for the mission were being briefed in the next room over, but they would arrive in here as soon as she’d had the chance to speak to Mecha herself.

“Where is he?” she asked herself aloud. Twilight was struggling now to keep her anxiety in check. Ever since her meltdown at not being able to find a friendship lesson for Princess Celestia, she’d focused on suppressing her meltdowns, but they still happened from time to time. Right now, she couldn’t afford to melt down. Too much was on the line.

“Keep it together, Twilight,” she whispered, taking deep breaths and feeling her heart rate go down, “he’ll be here. He always shows up.”

“Well done, Twilight,” Mecha said, dropping down from the ceiling where he’d been perched for the past twenty minutes.

“How did- what?” Twilight spluttered. “Never mind. I’m assuming there was a reason for keeping me waiting?”

“Actually, yes,” Mecha said, taking a seat and kicking up his rear hooves on the table. “I wanted to see how well you handled staying sane in the face of pressure. So far… I’m impressed. You’re a different pony than you were two years ago.”

“Not too different, I hope,” Twilight said, placing a manila envelope on the table with “classified” stamped in big red letters across it. Mecha took note of this.

“Ah,” he said, straightening himself up in his chair slightly (though his hooves remained on the table), “I’m assuming this is the official written statement which details how I am to infiltrate Manehatten tonight via train and then hoof, assess the Changeling situation, and return with as much valuable loot- er, info, as I can. Correct?”

Twilight was momentarily stunned, then she realized who she was dealing with and relaxed somewhat. “I’m not even going to ask how you know that,” she said, opening the envelope and handing its contents to Mecha, “but yes, that’s correct… except for one small detail.”

“Oh?” Mecha said, poring over his mission brief, “and what might that be?”

“You’re not hoofing it into Manehatten. It’s going to be an aerial delivery.”

Mecha cocked an eyebrow. “Aerial? Well, I have a cannon that just might-“

“Not one of your aerial deliveries,” Twilight said, shaking her head, “this one’s professional. And it’s where your two mission partners come into play.”

“Partners?” Mecha said warily as Twilight used her magic to open the door to the adjacent room. Two ponies walked in, and the moment Mecha recognized one of them, his eyes went wide.

“No!” he said to Twilight, almost pleading, “please, no! I’ll shoot myself out of a cannon first! Like I said, I have a cannon!”

The pony he’d recognized was none other than Nimbus. His accomplice was a grey Pegasus- and therein was the problem.

“They’re both Pegasi!” Mecha spluttered. “I’ll do a lot of things, but you know I despise winged flight!”

“I realize that,” Twilight said, “but you’re going to have to trust them. They’re your ticket into and out of Manehatten.”

“And how exactly is that going to happen?” Mecha asked skeptically. The grey Pegasus stepped forward.

“Pleased to meet you, Corporal Mecha. I am First Lieutenant Sharp Eye of the 13th Scouting Division. I will be-“

“Hang on-“ Mecha said, “You’re from the 13th?”

Sharp Eye nodded. “I am under your command, and I will be briefing you on your method of entrance to Manehatten.”

Mecha sighed and leaned back, crossing one of his hooves on the desk over the other in a gesture of complete indifference. “Okay, I’m listening.”

Sharp Eye paused for a moment, not sure how to take Mecha’s unassuming air. Then he reminded himself that despite his higher rank, he was under this pony’s command. He knew Mecha had a considerable amount of experience behind him, and chose to follow along. Doubtless Mecha’s casual acting was a mask for his true nature. “We will be using a new method which will involve airborne delivery via EAF aviator.” He turned to Nimbus, then added drily “Captain Nimbus of the EAF will be your transport to Manehatten. He’ll be using a new device- an airdrop harness. I’ll let Miss Sparkle fill you in on the details.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said, pulling a large, saddle-like contraption out from underneath the table. “This,” she said, levitating it with her magic and rotating it, “is the airdrop harness. Simply put, it’s a ‘buddy pack’ that allows a Pegasus to carry another pony. It was never deemed very useful, so the project was mothballed… until we came up with a way to add a dash of practicality to it.”

Twilight brought out another device. This one was a large, billowing object with several strings hanging from it. “This is a parachute,” Twilight said, “and it-“

“I’ve heard of these,” Mecha interrupted. “The idea’s quite sound really. Just pull the ripcord when falling and the chute should open up before you end up as street pizza. And you intend to do what with this?”

“We intend to field test it,” Twilight answered. “Basically, you will airdrop into Manehatten from high altitude using the parachute to slow your fall as you enter the city. From there you will conduct your intelligence-gathering and general scouting before you arrange for pick-up. Nimbus will use the harness to bring you back once you’ve arranged a safe pick-up zone.”

Mecha growled inwardly. He desperately wanted to give the new gear a try, but trusting in Pegasi, even Nimbus, was a stretch for him. Certainly it was the safest way to get into Manehatten…

“Alright,” he said, “I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Twilight said, “then report to the train station in thirty minutes. You’ll be sent to a remote training area where I will observe. You’ll want to get in a few practice jumps before tonight.”

Mecha stood and nodded, turning around and leaving the room. “Easier said than done,” he thought as he left the building and headed for the train station. “Trusting two Pegasi with my life? What is this world coming to?”

…

Mecha pulled the ripcord as the ground hurtled up to meet him. The parachute opened with a jerk, the straps tightening around his body.

“Lucifer’s Lakebed!” he swore, “still too high. I can make the opening closer next time.”

As he drifted down, controlling the canopy with two guiding lines, he recalled the train ride to this location- a dry lakebed just south of Dodge City. The ride had been pleasant enough, he supposed, but he’d spent most of the time trying to get a read on the first member of the 13th he’d met- Sharp Eye. The stallion was a total enigma. The scouting division didn’t get many Pegasi, and most of them were grounded for some reason. This guy was capable of flight, and yet here he was. To top it all off, he didn’t seem to be on the best of terms with Nimbus either. Mecha understood friendly service rivalry, but this was beyond such trifles. Sharp Eye’s personality was going to be a tough nut to crack, but Mecha still felt confident he’d figure him out… someday.

Mecha flared his canopy just before touching down, coming to a smooth stop. Then he signaled for Nimbus. A few seconds later, the orange Pegasus stopped next to him, wearing a black flight suit which was clearly intended to conceal his orange coat under the cover of night.

“Taxi service!” Nimbus said jokingly, “what can I do for you?”

Mecha couldn’t help but crack a slight smile at his friend’s antics. Nimbus had been quiet on the train, obviously still thinking over the death of his wingpony, Stormchaser, but now he seemed his old self again. Training was really an excellent distraction for him, and despite the fact that Mecha still believed he could get to Manehatten via cannon just fine, it felt good to know that Nimbus was enjoying himself once more.

“I didn’t quite make that last jump the way I wanted to,” Mecha answered, packing his parachute. “The opening was too high. The tallest building in Manehatten- the Starswirl Tower- is around 1700 feet, and I want to be able to open the chute once I’m inside the skyline. One more jump, if you please.”

“You got it,” Nimbus said, hovering over Mecha. Mecha hooked himself into the harness, rechecking all of his lines and straps. Once he was confident that all was secure, he gave Nimbus a nod and the two accelerated upwards. Nimbus rolled level just above the cloud layer and Mecha switched to his headset comm.

“Okay,” he said to Nimbus over the radio, “I’m good to go.”

“Roger,” Nimbus replied, “ready for disengage.”

“Disengaging.”

Mecha popped the clasps holding him to the harness and felt a rush of air hit him in the face as he accelerated back towards the ground.

“Disengage confirmed,” he heard Nimbus say, “have a nice trip.”

Mecha wove from side to side, using his front and back legs as control surfaces to steer himself as he fell. He punched through the last of the cloud layer and checked his foreleg-mounted altimeter- 16,037 feet to go before he would come to a sudden stop. He couldn’t open early. As he hurtled downwards, Mecha forced himself to avoid pulling the ripcord. Downward he soared, blazing past his previous opening point. He stole a quick glance at the altimeter again. It now read 2,172 feet and was descending rapidly. He couldn’t pull the cord, though… not yet. He was at 1,900 feet, 1,600 feet…

Mecha pulled the ripcord and the chute opened at an altitude of 1,096 feet above the ground- easily low enough to fit below the skyscrapers of Manehatten.

“That’ll have to do,” he said gruffly. Once more he floated down, though this time he decided to show off a bit, pulling the chute to a stop a few scant feet away from Twilight and Sharp Eye.

“I like this thing!” Mecha said, “can I keep it?”

“We’ll see,” Twilight laughed, “try getting back in one piece first, okay?”

“Sheesh,” Mecha said as Nimbus coasted to a landing behind him, “you are the second pony to tell me that today. I’ll be fine!”

“Then suit up,” Twilight said, tossing Mecha the few pieces of gear he hadn’t taken up with him, “if you leave now, you’ll hit Manehatten just after nightfall.”

“My pleasure,” Mecha said, adjusting his earpiece and slinging his grenade belt over his shoulder, “can’t wait to get back in the flank-kicking business again.”

…

From the Starswirl Tower, a pair of luminous green eyes surveyed the once bustling city that lay spread below, its streets, now devoid of any movement, intertwining like the nest of some great insect. Manehatten- the gem of Equestria. The name had been a source of pride for the ponies. Once so out of reach, and yet it had fallen so easily.

“Queen Chrysalis…” a Changeling bearing brilliant green wings stepped onto the balcony cautiously.

“What is it?”

The Changeling gazed up in fear and respect at the being whose reflection he’d interrupted. Like him, she was a Changeling, but she was tall, slender, and bore a long, jagged horn. When she moved, she displayed a terrifying sort of grace about her, like a snake sizing up its prey. Forcing back a stammer, the Changeling continued.

“I have news from the West. The ponies have a new leader, who has replaced Princess Celestia.”

The tall Changeling made a low, humming noise as she dipped her head down close to the speaker.

“And who might that be, Sentinel Sath?”

“I do not know her,” the green-winged Changeling replied, “but her name is Twilight Sparkle.”

At the Sentinel’s words, the Changeling’s eyes burned with a silent fire and she gazed thoughtfully westward. Finally she turned back.

“I understand, Sentinel. You have benefitted your Hive. Is that all?”

Sentinel Sath seemed to flinch slightly as he spoke his next words. “My queen, King Chitin is due to arrive tonight.”

Chrysalis’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected Chitin this early. If he was on his way, then it truly meant that the invasion was in full swing now. She waved a hoof nonchalantly at Sentinel Sath.

“You are dismissed, Sentinel. Return to your post.”

The clicking of the Changeling’s pony-like hooves confirmed to Chrysalis that her subordinate had made a hasty exit. She smiled to herself. Fear was easily the most effective form of respect. It enforced discipline and created soldiers devoted to their duty. For what was death compared to the fury of the Hive-Mother? As the sun continued downwards, Chrysalis continued her reflections. Chitin was on his way, and with him- a second chance to finish the task they’d set out to perform so many years ago. As Chrysalis watched the sun, a piercing shriek sounded from the streets below, suddenly cut off- a straggler, more than likely. There were almost certainly enough bodies around to complete the next phase of the operation. When she finally faced off against Twilight Sparkle and Luna, the two would be facing an entirely new Changeling force.

“This is why you will fall, Twilight Sparkle,” Chrysalis murmured, turning towards Canterlot. “We are perfection, we are evolution, and most of all, we are inevitable.”

…

Mecha rotated his front shoulders slightly. The air-drop harness clearly hadn’t been designed with ergonomics in mind, and though he barely spared a thought to discomfort, even he had to admit that the coreweave* straps dug in a bit more than necessary. Mecha checked his hoof altimeter once more. Jumping into a city would provide a considerably smaller margin for error than in the desert. Above him, Nimbus was quiet. In fact, aside from standard radio chatter, the Pegasus had been completely silent for the entire trip. Up ahead, the few lights that remained in Manehatten were coming into view, casting a faint glow on the clouds above. They still had a few minutes before arrival, and Mecha was itching for a conversation. Finally he turned his head up to Nimbus.

“So… Octavia.”

“What about her?” Nimbus answered flatly over the comm.

“I think we both know,” Mecha replied. “When’s the lucky day? When are you finally gonna ask her out?” The other end of the line was static for a few moments, until Nimbus finally answered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mecha started guffawing, almost choking. “Like hay you don’t know what I’m talking about! Half of Ponyville’s wondering when you’re finally going to realize that you two are a great couple!”

“Please use this radio channel for professional interactions only,” Sharp Eye’s voice came in, sounding rather annoyed.

“Oh please,” Mecha said, “Sharp Eye, if you’re going to work with me there’s one thing you’re going to have to know. In my unit, we tend not to take things too seriously. If you were expecting a strict military regimen, I hate to disappoint, but… you’re stuck with me. Better just get used to it.”

“Right,” Sharp Eye replied, uncertainly. He pulled up in formation next to Nimbus. “So… you really have a marefriend?”

“No!” Nimbus said, “and thanks a lot for that, Mecha,” he added, glaring down at the occupant of his harness.

“Heads up, flyponies,” Mecha said, “we’re approaching the drop zone.” He heard Nimbus growl something unintelligible and suppressed a chuckle. Nimbus was a good friend, but easy to mess with. And Sharp Eye… well, he seemed to possess potential to be his kind of partner. A little too attached to the rules now, perhaps, but that could change with the proper amount of exposure.

“Drop unit climbing,” Nimbus said, and Mecha felt his stomach seem to lurch away as they ascended.

“Recon breaking off,” Sharp Eye replied, banking into a wide right turn towards the city’s outskirts, “good luck, Corporal.”

“Thanks,” Mecha said, performing one final check on his parachute and release clasps. He felt Nimbus roll left and level out as the buildings below came into view. “Good to go,” Mecha said, tapping Nimbus’s right hoof in the event of a communication failure.

“Roger,” Nimbus said, just as he’d done during practice, “ready to disengage.”

“Disengaging,” Mecha said, releasing his clasps and feeling the rush of air accompanying the drop.”

“Disengage confirmed.”

Mecha began to guide himself through the air, using his hooves to change direction. He’d have to be precise, since a few degrees of hoof deflection could mean the difference between missing a skyscraper or becoming a shish-kebab on a radio antenna.

“Aim for the gap,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Come on, come on…” he stole  a glance at his altimeter. Still too high. He was passing below the roofline of the Starswirl Tower now, but Mecha knew he could push for a few hundred more feet. Finally, with no less than 500 feet to go, he pulled the cord, guiding the parachute down an unlit street. Now came the landing- arguably more challenging than the fall itself. Mecha waited until he was only a few feet above the ground, then flared his chute, coming to a soft landing. He stood up, removing the chute, and touched his hoof to a seal on the parachute rig, completely disintegrating the contraption. The seal was enchanted to completely destroy the chute, leaving no trace. With his tracks covered, Mecha radioed Sharp Eye.

“Condor, this is Thorn, over,” he whispered into his headset, using his and Sharp Eye’s predetermined callsigns.

“Condor here, over.”

Mecha did a 360 degree visual sweep. “I’m clear, Condor. Ready to begin.”

“Roger, I’ll provide updates. Condor out.”

Mecha skirted a pile of debris and set off down the road, keeping to the sidewalk. So far, he hadn’t seen any signs of life, but Changelings were tricky, not to mention extremely active at night. As he moved, he began to plot his destination. A few lights were still on a few blocks to the East, so it stood to reason that the area might be of interest. Mecha took a cautionary glance across the street and sprinted, diving into a dark alleyway on the other side. The lights were dead ahead.

“Any movement?” he said into his comm.

“Roger,” Sharp Eye replied, “I see a few patrols Northeast of your position. They’re still pretty far away though, so I’d say you’re safe.”

“Roger,” Mecha said, “Thank you.” He poked his head around the corner of a crumbling brick wall and ducked back just as a magical green beam of light illuminated the spot where his head had just been.

“I thought you said there were a few scattered patrols!” Mecha hissed.

“Umm… yes, as I said there are- wait a moment.” Sharp Eye was silent for a moment. When he returned, his voice was slow and steady. “Thorn, do not move a muscle. This is, yeah, this is bad. Luna preserve us…”

“What? What is it?” Mecha heard a crackling sound and looked up. Something dark was unfolding from the wall above.

“Uh, nothing. Just- let’s see… there’s a hole that appears to lead to the sewers a few feet away on the other side of your wall. Can you reach it?”

“Yeah,” Mecha said, “but-“ he cut himself off as the dark shape detached itself completely from the wall and landed nearby, trotting into the street. Mecha stared in disbelief. It was a Changeling, and it had almost landed on him. As he looked around, he could see hundreds of the shapes beginning to leave their perches.

“That hole’s a few feet away, you say?” Mecha said, “sounds like a good idea to me.”

Mecha ducked low, crawling over the hard cement street as he once again peeked around the corner. The sentries were gone, and he didn’t know if he’d get another opportunity. Quickly, he rolled around the corner and slid down into the hole, landing face-first in some foul-smelling water.

“Yep, it’s the sewers alright,” Mecha groaned. He picked himself up out of the sludge and kept to the wall, avoiding the liquid. A splash in the wrong place at the wrong time could be disastrous. He’d only gone a few more steps when Sharp Eye’s voice sounded in his ear.

“Thorn, this is Condor. I have an update for you.”

“This is Thorn, go ahead.”

“I’m in contact with Athena at base, and she’s provided me the schematics for the sewer system. Looks like your little side trip may have just hit the jackpot.”

Athena? That was Twilight’s code name. Things were getting interesting indeed. “How so?” Mecha asked, “please enlighten me.”

“There’s an access tunnel a few yards ahead that leads right to Starswirl Plaza. And that’s-“

“The location of Starswirl Tower,” Mecha finished, “the only fully-lit building remaining in the city, and my best bet for intel. Nice work, Condor. How do I get there?”

“It’ll be your first tunnel on the right,” Sharp Eye replied.

“Excellent,” Mecha said, bolting ahead and veering into the tunnel. Strangely, he had yet to see a Changeling patrol down here. Still, Manehatten hadn’t been occupied for long. The Changelings were probably still getting organized.

Inside, the tunnel was considerably nicer than the sewer. As he began to move away, the smell improved dramatically, and the walls and floor became drier and drier. Up ahead, he could see the dim light of an exit. And where there was an exit, there’d be- Mecha froze as a small scuffle sounded behind him. He stood stock still, barely breathing, and converted his mechanical leg into its sword form. Slowly he began to edge forward. He could feel his own heart beating rapidly, pushing blood faster through his veins, and he could feel the onset of an adrenaline rush, prepared to give his body the energy it would need for a potential fight. He brought his sword leg back slowly, readying for a quick stab, but before he could react, the intruder made itself known. A small mouse scurried out of the shadows and down into the sewer. Mecha let out a sigh of relief and silently cursed the mouse. He was about to turn around when he noticed something in the darkness- a shape, vaguely similar to a pony. Changeling, Mecha’s reflexes said instantly. Mecha crept towards it, when the figure suddenly turned around, brandishing a sharp piece of wood.

“Stay back!” the figure cried. Mecha looked down in surprise. The figure in front of him was a filly, probably no more than ten years old. She was dirty, but streaks in the dirt below her eyes indicated that she’d been crying. Mecha retracted his sword as a gesture of friendliness.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” he said simply. “Who are you?”

The little filly stared up at him with big, round eyes, before she dropped the piece of wood and broke down, sobbing gently. “I- I’m Caramel Swirl,” she said. “Have you seen my parents?”

“Your parents?” Mecha said. He thought about making something comforting up, then decided to go with the truth. “No,” he said, “and to be honest, they’re probably no longer in the city.”

“What?” Caramel asked, “but they wouldn’t leave me- even with the evacuation.”

“How did you get down here?” Mecha asked, straying from the subject.

Caramel Swirl sat down and picked up the wood again, fiddling with it nervously. “I came down here yesterday. It was getting to be too dangerous to live up in the city. I-“

“But before that,” Mecha cut in, “right after the attack- why didn’t you escape with the others?”

“I was unconscious,” Caramel said, “I don’t remember much about what happened. Just images, really- there was a large crowd, an orange Pegasus-“

“Nimbus,” Mecha thought.

“-my parents pushed me down. I was so scared. The last thing I remember before I lost consciousness was the screams and the light. A green light. I think they fired on us. I don’t know how many of us survived. When I came to, There was- there was a body lying on top of me. I was so scared, I couldn’t move. Then I heard this dragging sound. I didn’t know what it was until the body on top of me moved. It was the Changelings- they were dragging the bodies away, towards Starswirl Plaza.”

“Why?” Mecha asked, “that makes no sense.”

“I don’t know. I just want to go home. I want to see my parents. Is that why you’re here? To get me out of this place?”

“Hold that thought,” Mecha said, putting a hoof to his comm. “Condor, you there?”

“Roger, Thorn. You outside yet?”

“Negative, Condor. There’s a bit of a complication.”

“I’m listening.”

Mecha looked at the thin, shaking filly in front of him with pity. “I’ve run into a filly here. She says her name is Caramel Swirl. As far as I can see, her parents aren’t around. I want to take her back with us.” There was a long pause on the other end. Finally, Sharp Eye spoke.

“Negative, Thorn. The harness will only carry one, and she may jeapordize the rest of your mission. You cannot bring the civilian with you.”

Mecha opened his mouth for a retort, but he stopped. Sharp Eye was right. He hadn’t prepped for a rescue mission, and trying to free this filly could be more dangerous than leaving her. He drew in a long breath and looked hard at Swirl.

“Listen,” he said, “I- I talked to my partner just now, and I’m afraid that what he told me was absolutely correct. I can’t take you with me without endangering you. Believe me, if there was a way, I’d do it.”

The filly’s eyes widened in disbelief. Here was her salvation, staring her in the eyes, and there was nothing either of them could do. “You mean I have to stay here?”

“Yes,” Mecha said, “I’m afraid that’s the only way.” He was about to turn to leave when he realized something- the filly reminded him of his own Sugary Spice. It was her eyes. Even now, faced with disappointment, he could see a fire burning in them- a fire that told him that she would fight to survive here to her last breath. Hesitantly, he drew a hoof to his neck where he carried his most prized possession: a necklace bearing a hammer pendant. Slowly he unclasped it and lowered it to Caramel Swirl’s eye level.

“This necklace,” he began, “is very dear to me. It has never left my neck since the day of its creation until now. I want to give it to you, as a promise- a promise that I will return for you as soon as I can. Can you keep this for me? Can you fight for the chance to be there when I return?”

Caramel Swirl sniffed, gently taking the necklace. It was a bit large on her, but she wore it proudly. “I can,” she said softly, “and mister…”

“Mecha.”

“Mister Mecha, thank you.”

“Goodbye, Caramel Swirl,” Mecha said, turning around so she couldn’t see that even he was beginning to get choked up, “I’ll see you soon.” Mecha headed for the access ladder without looking back. Doing so would have almost certainly have forced him then and there to rescue her, and to Tartarus with the mission. He checked over his gear once more, feeling incomplete now without his necklace, then proceeded to climb the ladder back to the surface. The ladder came up under a grate, which popped upward with ease. Slowly and silently, Mecha set the grate down beside the exit and heaved himself out. Across the street, he could see a sentry, directing its magical beam down the street. The Changeling hadn’t noticed him.

“It isn’t fair,” Mecha thought to himself as he moved along, “that a child like that is going to have to stick it out here for Luna knows how long. If there was just some way…”

Another patrol appeared and Mecha immediately moved to a nearby wall. The wall was, in fact, the only piece remaining over what had once been a souvenir store. Behind it, perhaps only ten yards away, was Starswirl Tower. He poked his head around the corner to survey the area. Evidently what he’d seen earlier was nothing compared to the amount of security Starswirl Plaza had. There were Changelings everywhere. Suddenly, a movement forced him back behind the wall. He didn’t need a second glance to know what it was- a Changeling. Mecha took a step back, scarcely daring to breathe. The Changeling was on the other side of the wall, totally oblivious to his presence. He covered his mouth with his hoof and spoke into his comm.

"Condor, I'm pinned. I need some info on my surroundings."

A few seconds later, Sharp Eye's voice replied "Roger, in position. You are in close proximity to the enemy."

Mecha rolled his eyes. "No kidding. He's on the other side of this wall, and I'm going to have to take him down to get through this. Just tell me- what are my chances of being caught?"

After another brief pause, Sharp Eye replied "moderate. There's a patrol on the other side of the street, but the guard's moving in a predictable loop, only coming into your line of sight every ten seconds. If you can drop the hostile quickly, you can get by."

Mecha breathed in and out slowly. He'd been through worse, but this was certainly going to be close. "Okay then," he said, sliding the blade silently out of his mechanical leg, "just say when..."

“Roger,” Sharp Eye replied, “attack on my mark. 3, 2, 1, mark!”

Quickly, Mecha whipped around the wall. He took in every aspect of the situation in mere fractions of a second. The Changeling’s back was turned, so he had the element of surprise on his side. He could see the next patrol coming down the street, but he’d be out of visual range for another eight seconds or so. Finally, there was a large dumpster only a few feet away, near a wrecked magazine stand- perfect cover. All of these observations combined in Mecha’s mind, formulating an attack plan. In a mere five seconds, he stabbed the Changeling quickly through the side of the head, disabling the brain instantly. The millisecond he withdrew his blade, he tackled the Changeling by the midsection, diving behind the magazine stand and out of sight. Mecha lay back, breathing heavily. That had been close even by his standards.

“Thanks, Condor,” he said over the comm.

“Anytime, Thorn. The next bit’s all up to you. I can’t see inside buildings from up here.”

“Roger that,” Mecha said, grinning now, “enjoy some sightseeing then.”

Mecha grabbed a stack of magazines and spread them over the Changeling, hiding him from any potential observers. Then he sprinted the last few feet to the Starswirl building. What he saw in front of him stopped him dead in his tracks. Changelings were dragging bodies into a massive hole in the ground in front of the great tower. Out of the hole, massive black tendrils composed of what seemed to be an organic substance, twisted and wound through the plaza, as if anchoring something inside the hole in place. He’d never seen anything like it.

“Condor,” he said, “I need you to pull some recon above Starswirl Plaza. There’s something weird going on here.”

“Roger,” Sharp Eye responded, “it’s not like I was planning on doing any other sightseeing anyway.”

Mecha grinned at his friend’s retort, then turned back to the task at hand. The only entrance to Starswirl Tower was through the main lobby, and the only things passing through the doors were Changelings. Mecha did a quick self-assessment. He certainly didn’t look the Changeling part. His coat was black, but his mane would never pass. Not to mention the obvious fact that he had no wings. Still, he had magic. Perhaps if he could cast an illusion…

A few minutes later, a considerably normal-looking Changeling passed through the front doors of the lobby without arousing suspicion. This character then proceeded to the lobby elevator’s maintenance door and closed it, just as its disguise faded. Mecha shook his head in amazement. That was the second close call he’d had tonight. He really had to get back into the swing of things. The maintenance area he was standing in was right next to the elevator, which was currently situated with him on the ground floor. The Changelings clearly had no use for it, which suited the scout just fine. Mecha clambered up onto the top of the elevator and had a quick look around. The maintenance panel for the elevator was easy to find, as it was situated in a large yellow and black box. Finding it was perhaps the first easy thing he’d had to do tonight. Looking down the list of floors, Mecha selected the top floor, which held the penthouse suites and conference rooms. The top was as good as any place to start. As the elevator began to move, Mecha channeled magical energy into his sword leg, heating it to metal-melting temperatures, and cut through the elevator’s roof.

“Nicely done,” he said to himself, standing back and admiring the perfect, glowing circle that was now part of the top of the elevator. He then kicked the circle in and dropped down into the elevator. It was then that Mecha realized that the Changelings hadn’t regarded the elevator as entirely useless. The entire elevator was filled with formerly hibernating Changelings… and they hadn’t enjoyed being woken up. Mecha sighed, raised his sword leg, and turned to the wall, talking to no one in particular.

“Why do I get the feeling I should have expected this?”

The Changelings launched into frenzied battle, sending bolts of magic searing through the elevator and hitting mostly themselves. Mecha was everywhere, spinning and jumping with his sword as if partaking in some deadly dance. The elevator shook as the battle raged on, testing the integrity of the small compartment. Mecha was about to punch a Changeling’s face in when the elevator dinged once, indicating that his floor was coming up.

“I’d love to stay and chat,” Mecha said to the few Changelings around him that were still alive, “but I have a previous engagement.” He pulled one of the five grenades he was carrying off of his belt, armed it, and dropped it into the midst of the Changelings, pulling himself up through the hole in the elevator’s roof. He knelt by the hole, waiting.

“Three, two, one…”

The elevator rocked on its supports and a fair amount of smoke and debris blew out of the hole, but Mecha remained unphased. A lot of work had gone into Starswirl Tower, and he doubted a grenade would be enough to destroy its main elevator. When the noises below subsided, Mecha ducked back down into the elevator. As expected, the Changelings were completely gone. The walls were covered with black soot. His grenade had done its work, and had vaporized everything in the elevator. As he felt his ascent slow, Mecha straightened himself up and dusted himself off. Best to be presentable when entering hostile territory. The doors opened and Mecha stepped out. He knew right away that he was in the right place when he took note of the two Changeling guards pacing up the corridor with their backs turned to him not twenty feet away. Mecha ducked into an alcove and rummaged through his gear. It was time to field test some equipment of his own. He took four blades attached to a coreweave harness out and slipped into the apparatus, tightening it across his back. When the device was fully in place, the blades pointed downwards, digging into the floor. Mecha placed a hoof on the wall, and the blade slid in and stuck. Perfect. He continued the action until all of his hooves were attached to the wall, and began to scale the wall’s surface, stopping only when he was upside down on the ceiling. He then altered course and proceeded forward, silently following the two guards below. They were heading for a large, metal door- the building’s top floor safe. The sight disgusted Mecha. Evidently some nobles just couldn’t bear the thought of leaving their wealth behind when staying in Starswirl Tower. Still, it was definitely possible that the safe had another purpose now- one that might be useful to him.

The two guards stopped in front of two more guards who were posted on either side of the safe. The guards switched positions, and to Mecha’s chagrin, the first two left immediately, heading down the hall and out of sight. That left only the two he’d been following to deal with, and they would be a cakewalk. Slowly he began to descend until he was clinging to the wall right above the safe. He unhooked his sword leg, positioned it right behind the guard on the right, and extended the blade. The Changeling was dead before he hit the floor. The guard on the left only had time to turn and face Mecha before the scout forced him against the wall and rammed one of his climbing hooks through his skull. Mecha wiped green Changeling blood off his blade, sheathed it, and opened the heavy metal door, taking care to drag the two bodies inside with him. When he turned around, Mecha was awestruck. The safe was clearly no longer a safe. It had been turned into a veritable war room. On the opposite wall hung a massive map of Equestria, with lines and notes scribbled on it in some odd language, presumably Changeling. A single desk lay in the middle of the room, with what appeared to be blueprints on it. Mecha turned one of the blueprints over. It showed what appeared to be a large, semi-organic construct buried mostly underground, but what purpose it served eluded him. The second page he turned over, however, looked very familiar. It was an exact copy of what he’d seen upon entering Starswirl Plaza- tendrils of organic matter anchoring something huge in place underground. It occurred to Mecha that the two prints were almost certainly related, and he folded them up, placing them inside a compartment in his mechanical leg. Next he grabbed a notebook. Again, most of the writing inside was gibberish, but there was one thing that made the hair of his mane rise.

“Dear Luna, no,” he whispered. On one page, somepony had drawn a crude sketch of a hexagonal gem, bearing three symbols: a wing, a horn, and a hoof. He knew exactly what it was- the Unifier. Nimbus couldn’t know about this, Mecha realized. If his friend were to get the suspicion that he might be related to part of this war’s cause, he might lose him. Mecha stuffed the notebook in with the prints. He then took a sheet of paper off of the desk and began hastily scribbling down a copy of the map. It appeared to be attack plans, with targeted cities circled in black. What worried him, however, were the cities of Baltimare, Vanhoover, and Canterlot. All three were marked with an “x” instead of the customary circle. He wasn’t sure what to make of this, but the symbols spooked him. He was about to turn and go when he noticed one final thing- an itinerary, from the looks of it- sitting on the edge of the desk. He scanned it quickly. Nothing on it seemed of importance, since most of the events on it had already occurred. There was, however, one event that stopped Mecha dead when he noticed it. The subject simply said “King Chitin Arrival,” but it was the date and time that worried him the most. The date was today, and if he was correct, then this Chitin character should have arrived five minutes ago. Mecha stood up quickly and gathered his things. The last thing he wanted to do was tangle with the newcomer right now. He bolted for the safe entrance, slamming it shut as he exited, and was about to leap for the wall when he heard hoofsteps.

“No time,” he thought, “I’ll have to try an illusion again.”

Using all the magic he could muster, Mecha altered his appearance just enough to appear mostly like a Changeling. Once the task was complete, he headed out into the hall, just as the hoofsteps’ owners came into view. He recognized one of them right away: Queen Chrysalis, the ruler of the Changelings. She certainly looked no worse for wear despite the trouncing she’d received at Shining Armor’s wedding. Beside her, though, was a Changeling he’d never seen. Like Chrysalis, he was tall, but this was a male, and he was stockier than the Queen.

“King Chitin,” Mecha said, coming to a stop and snapping to attention in what he hoped was a Changeling gesture of respect. He hoped his disguise would be adequate. The large Changeling turned to him, but said nothing. Instead, Chrysalis spoke.

“You dare speak to royalty without being spoken to first?”

“I meant no disrespect, my queen,” Mecha said, thinking quickly, “I only wanted to convey to King Chitin that all has proceeded according to schedule thus far.”

Chrysalis said nothing, shaking her head instead. Chitin merely grunted, and the two set off down the hall again. Mecha didn’t move until they were gone completely. This Chitin character seemed to be a pretty creepy addition to the mix. Twilight would need to know about him ASAP. He started running down the hall, looking for the first available elevator. There were none. Then all hell broke loose. It started with a scream of rage, almost certainly from Chrysalis. She’d discovered his handiwork back at the safe, no doubt. It was time to go. Mecha approached two guards at a full sprint, shifting from his disguise and taking both Changelings out with swift strikes. His cover was blown, as he’d predicted it would be. It was now time for the final step: extraction.

“Drop unit, this is Thorn,” Mecha said into his comm as he threw himself into a stairwell, “I have the intel and am ready for extraction.”

“Roger, Thorn,” Nimbus’s voice came through loud and clear, “state your location.”

“At the top of the-“ Mecha stopped to stab a Changeling coming up the stairs, then turned and began to gallop back up the stairs as Changelings began to swarm up from the lower levels. “I’m at the top of Starswirl Tower, and I’m probably not going to be on ground level any time soon.”

“Roger, Thorn. I’ll meet you at the tower.”

Mecha headed for the final level- the roof- and smashed the door open, bolting across the balcony. There was a guard ahead, but Mecha continued his sprint.

“This is drop unit requesting visual confirmation of extraction point,” Nimbus said.

“Roger,” Mecha said as he stabbed the guard, whipping him around. He pulled a grenade, armed it, and shoved it into the guard’s hooves before kicking him over the edge, “confirmation in two seconds.”

Two seconds later, the grenade exploded. Anyone who had otherwise ignored the drama playing out on the roof of Starswirl Tower was aware of it now. Mecha estimated perhaps twenty seconds before he was surrounded. He backed towards the roof’s ledge.

“Confirmation received, extraction ETA is fifteen seconds.”

Mecha swiveled his head to face the rooftop exit just in time to see Changelings pouring out the door, heading straight for him. They’d responded quicker than he’d expected. Above, he could see Nimbus diving towards him, but he knew the Pegasus wouldn’t make it in time. “Hey drop unit,” he said into his comm, “can you hold a pretty steady dive?”

“Roger, why?”

“Just follow me,” Mecha said, gritting his teeth and tumbling over the edge of the building just out of reach of his pursuers. He straightened himself out and waited. Within milliseconds, Nimbus was holding in a dive only a few inches away. Mecha grabbed his harness and clipped it into Nimbus’s, patting him on the right front leg as soon as he was clear. With only about forty feet to spare, Nimbus pulled out of the dive sharply, cutting vapor trails into the night air. Mecha felt the blood rush from his head and fought to maintain consciousness. Sharp Eye arrived, forming up off Nimbus’s left wing. They were soaring below rooftop level, heading out of the city. Mecha glanced back and was greeted by a squadron of Changelings, bearing down on them from above.

“Gentlecolts, we appear to have company,” he said.

“Dammit, we’re unarmed,” Sharp Eye cursed.

“You may be, but I’m not,” Mecha replied, taking out his third grenade and arming it. With a casual flick he threw it back towards the Changelings. The resulting explosion took out several of the pursuers, but the squadron kept coming. Nimbus and Sharp Eye pushed their flight lower, barely clearing hills and trees as they left the city with the enemy in hot pursuit. Mecha was about to arm another grenade when his comm sputtered to life again with a new voice.

“Drop unit, this is Wonderbolt Flight. Inbound to your position, over.”

“Roger, Wonderbolt,” Nimbus said from above Mecha, “you’re cleared hot. Target is directly behind us. We are at an altitude of 320 feet ASL.”

“Roger, confirm 320 feet ASL. Drop twenty feet and proceed.”

Mecha felt Nimbus descend just as two Pegasi ripped by overhead, scattering the remaining Changelings and engaging them. The fight wasn’t even close, and in moments, the Pegasi were formed up nearby. Leaving Changelings falling out of the sky behind them.

“So,” Mecha said over the comm, “I see the Wonderbolts have been activated as an operational squadron**. You under that aviator’s bucket there, Spitfire?”

“Roger that,” one of the Pegasi replied.

“How were the recruits today?” Nimbus pressed.

“Developing damn well if I say so myself,” Spitfire responded proudly. “Rainbow Dash is going to be an excellent leader.”

The Pegasi’s conversation reminded Mecha of his own recruits. Technically, of course, they weren’t his, but he’d enjoyed the brief time they’d spent together. They had potential, he knew, and he was looking forward to seeing them in the field. There was one other thought which was pressing him, though- Caramel Swirl. He’d made up his mind that as soon as he landed he’d speak to Twilight about organizing a rescue operation. Something had to be done.

…

“No,” Twilight said firmly.

“You weren’t there,” Mecha countered, “you have no concept of what I saw in that city!”

The team had landed ten minutes ago, and Mecha had posed his rescue question to Twilight. Now they were standing face to face in their briefing room in the town hall, tension high.

“I know what will happen if we send a rescue team back,” Twilight retorted. “The Changelings aren’t stupid, especially now, and if this map indicates possible attacks, that’s where our focus needs to be. I’m sorry, Mecha, but I don’t have time to go chase down one lost filly.”

“Send me, then,” Mecha said. “I can get in and out easily.”

“Again, negative,” Twilight said, “you need to meet your unit and prepare for deployment. We’ll have need for you soon.” Twilight turned around and opened the door. “I’d like to help you, Mecha, but this is war. Sacrifices need to be made.”

“You know I’ll go after her anyway,” Mecha countered, “whether it’s legal or not.”

“You do that,” Twilight replied, “and you’ll face treason charges. We need you elsewhere. Good night.” Twilight was about to step out when she turned. “One more thing. You won’t be needing those ranks. I’ve seen fit to permit you to Major. You can’t remain a Corporal while in charge of the 13th.” Twilight walked out the door before Mecha could respond. The black pony was furious.

“You think promoting me is going to make a difference?!” he yelled at the door, “I have an obligation. I made a promise! Does that mean nothing to you?!” He slammed his hoof down on the table. “I don’t even want to be an officer, but you couldn’t even give me that satisfaction, could you?”

He grabbed his debrief folder, upon which a large red “success” had been marked. Mecha gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. Perhaps in the eyes of the bureaucrats, this mission would be considered successful, but he knew the real truth. As long as Caramel Swirl remained trapped within Equestria’s largest city, he’d consider the mission incomplete: a failure.

And to him, failure was not an option.

*Coreweave is the Equestrian equivalent of leather, and is created using fibers from the Core plant.

**This is not unheard of. In fact, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds are their own squadron and may be called upon in a time of war in a manner very similar to this.