Friendship VS Machine

Chapters

Accidental Genius
Mann Up!
Robots!
Supply and Demand
Second Opinion
Deputized
Sleeper Agent
Grand Rounds
Boom! Headshot!
Epilogue

Accidental Genius

"We almost done, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, stepping up to her purple friend.

"Yes! All we have to do is recite the spell." Twilight responded. Her friends had sketched a large circle on the ground, with golden symbols bordering it. A small piece of metal sat in the center, which belonged to a group of visitors from a few months ago.

These visitors was the RED team. They had met the girls, who had developed a fair camaraderie since their arrival. Now, they were ready to visit the mercenaries, in their world.

"Zecora, would you mind doing the honors?" Twilight asked, speaking to another girl. She was a little older, with dark skin, and hair streaked with black and white.

"Certainly, my friend. The next world will be just around the bend." She rhymed. Zecora, Twilight and her friends, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy gathered in a circle around the metal shard. Twilight's companion, Spike watched a few feet away from the drawn circle. Another girl drifted next to him. Her hair was blonde, and her eyes peering in two different directions. She carried a mail bag over her shoulder, a few envelopes falling out occasionally.

"Whatcha doin'?" She asked, in a silly, innocent voice.

"Quiet, Derpy. They look like they're ready to start something important." Spike said, staring at the circle intently.

Zecora cleared her throat, reading an incantation from a book.

"Another world we shall face, transcend the bonds of time and space.
And with these realms we do connect, we shall cross the bridge we project!"

The golden circle around them hummed with power, and expanded. The ring soon flowed past Spike and Derpy, before raising up into the sky indefinitely. Everyone was condensed into a single point, and in less than in instant, they vanished.

<><><><><><><><><><><>
"Big Rock", Nevada, U.S.A.
November 5th, 1963
8:34 AM

The war between the REDs and the BLUs was over. After a marvelous recovery, the RED team had canceled the RESPAWN glitch and taken over every map in a span of a few weeks. But they were far from over. A man by the name of Gray Mann had appeared, a third brother of Redmond and Blutarch who had been in hiding. Gray murdered his brothers in cold blood, and created a massive army of robotic mercenaries. The RED team prepared for the arrival of Gray's robots, in a mining facility called the "Big Rock".

The Medic and Engineer promised they'd search for a way to get back to Equestria. But they hadn't found much progress. The Engie hunched over his workbench, fiddling with a modified version of a teleporter exit. It was bigger than normal, and had more wires and chips branching from underneath. The Medic entered the workshop, and met his mechanic friend.

"Any luck?" he asked.

The Engineer sat up, and sighed. "Ah'm afraid not. Ah've spent days on this thing, and it aint giving us anything."

"Vell, ve might need a different approach to zhis. Besides, ve need to prepare our ztrategy for ze robots."

The Engie stood up, adjusting his welding goggles. "Aw, hell! Ah nearly forgot!" He yelled, rushing out toward the team's bunker. The Medic followed him shortly.

As the Medic shut the door, the modified teleporter started to hum and spit sparks. After violently shaking, the device let out a bright flash. Standing in the room, was Twilight and her friends.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The Medic and Engie stepped into the briefing room. The other even mercenaries stood around a circular table, covered with papers, maps, and empty ammunition boxes.

The Heavy munched on his sandwich, the Demoman was passed out, drunk. The Soldier smoked a cigar, leaning over a set of blueprints for robotic replicas. The Spy, Pyro, Scout, and Sniper simply sat at the table, quiet and deep in thought.

"Alright, ladies. According to the radar, Gray's robot-mover will be here within an hour or so. That should give us enough time to prepare." The Soldier said, scratching his chin. "They're carrying three bombs, so they're probably going to try to send a bomb with a wave of robots, each one stronger than the last."

"What are we up against here?" The Sniper asked.

"Oh, they got the whole army. Robo-Spies, Demo-knights, even giant robots. However, there's a possibility they could be bringing a-" The Soldier was cut off as a loud CLUNK rattled in the workshop, surprising the Engineer. The Demoman snapped from his hang over, rolling out of his chair.

"Buh? What's goin' on?" He slurred. The noise grew closer, which now sounded like whispering and footsteps. The Soldier cocked his shotgun, but the Engineer held him back.

"Hold on, rocket boy." Engie said to him. The mercenaries watched intently as the Engie opened the door, showing the visitors.

"Woo! We're back!" Pinkie said excitedly, launching a shower of confetti. Half of the mercenaries smiled to see the girls again, the other half exchanging confused looks.

"Who the bloody hell are they?" The Demoman asked, trying to focus on them with his good eye.

"Remember that time we disappeared? We ended up with them before we came back. The Scout replied, bumping knuckles with Rainbow Dash.

Rarity moved up to the Spy, smiling. "Remember me?" She asked.

"Uh... have we met?" He responded. Unfortunately, Rarity remembered. The RED Spy she met in Ponyville was an impostor, a BLU Spy in disguise. The BLU Spy was responsible for murdering the Medic in Ponyville, traumatizing Fluttershy for a short time, and betraying Rarity's trust. She had beat herself up over it for trusting a murderer.

"Oh... um, no. I'm terribly sorry." She said, a little heartbroken this Spy was not the one that charmed her in Ponyville.

The Medic curiously examined the three new people that followed the girls. One, he had remembered, Twilight's companion named Spike. But the other two girls were new to him.

"Who's zhis?" He asked Fluttershy.

"This is Zecora, and Derpy Hooves." she said, introducing her friends.

The Medic chuckled a little. "Derpy Hooves?" He said, humored by the name.

"That's me!" The wall-eyed girl replied. She reached into her bag, and pulled out a muffin. "Want one?" She offered.

"No, zhank you." The Medic said, still snickering.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

The Administrator sat in her dark office, staring at a large panel of computer screens. Most were just uneventful images of the Big Rock, the mine shafts that led to the Mann Co. building, where she sat, several stories above the mercenaries. One screen, she saw the mercenaries chatting with young girls. She sneered, and spoke.

"Miss Pauling, who let those girls into my facility?" She said coldly, to the woman standing behind her. Her hair was tied into a bun behind her head, and she grasped a clipboard in her hands. Miss Pauling adjusted her glasses, and stared at the screen.

"I-I don't know. They just appeared." She said timidly. "... and, for the record, on of them is a young boy."

"Do you know who they are?"

"Well, no. It could be possible those are their..." Pauling said, pausing, at examining her clipboard.

"Their what, Miss Pauling?" the Administrator asked, raising her voice.

Pauling flinched. "Well... they could be their daughters." She said.

The Administrator swiveled in her chair, turning to her assistant. "Are you insisting that their offspring just pop in, right before a battle that determines the fate of Mann Co.?"

Pauling nodded. "It's possible. Perhaps they miss their fathers. This war has been going on for... approximately three years."

The Administrator returned her attention to the screen. "What about that scrawny one?"

"The Scout?"

"Yes... the girl he's with... she looks just as old as he is."

"A sister, perhaps? A girlfriend?"

"Feh. Let's not get to ahead of ourselves here. I don't care who's who. Once those robots get here, they might as well be gone."

The Administrator stared at another screen, watching a giant, armored vehicle roll past a camera. She grabbed a nearby microphone.
"The first robot battalion is upon us. Ready yourselves for the first attack."

Author's Note

I know MVM is a six-player mode. But I'm including all nine mercenaries.

Mann Up!

(Author's note: The pictures are to help describe the landscape of Big Rock, 'cause I'm lazy.)

"The first robot battalion is upon us. Prepare for the first attack." The speakers rang, the mercenaries stopping in their tracks.

"You heard the woman, suit up, mates!" The Sniper said. The different warriors darted in different directions, reloading their weapons, stocking up on ammo reserves, and the Medic loading an Übercharge. All the while, the girls seemed confused.

"Wait, 'robot attack'?! What's going on?" Rarity asked, a concerned look appearing on her face.

"Sorry, gals. Ya'll came at the wrong time. We're fightin' a war here. It's best we git to it so we don't git blown to little sticky bits." The Engineer said, hurriedly packing his sentry gun into a small red, metal box.

"Fighting? We could do that! A little smash here, a wallop there, piece of cake!" Rainbow Dash said boldly, throwing a few punches in air in front of her.

"Oooh! Cake?! I like cake! I'm in!" Pinkie squealed.

The Soldier stopped by and stomped out his cigar. "I don't think so. A couple a ladies like you won't last a minute! Besides, you aren't registered in the RESPAWN system. One hit, and you'd be dead as a doornail." He grumbled.

Spike stepped in front of him and stared up at the mercenary. "Who you calling a lady?!" He growled. The Soldier glared back at him, and scratched his chin. After a look in Spike's eyes, he chuckled.

"Heh. You got spunk, kid. I like that. Follow me." He said, passing the boy a shotgun. A wide grin appeared on Spike's face as he trailed the Soldier out the door.

"Spike, wait! You're going to get hurt!" Twilight yelled after him. The Sniper put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hold on there, mate. Soldier knows what he's doing." He said reassuringly. Twilight Sparkle sighed.

"Fine... What exactly are you guys fighting, anyway?" she asked.

"Robots." he replied.

"Robots." Twilight repeated, skeptic.

"Yea."

"As in, gears and circuits robots?"

"'Course. They're just like us. But uh...-"

"Lemme guess, made of metal?"

"Yeah, that's it. We gotta stop them from dropping the bomb. Literally. They got bombs, and if they get here, they'll drop it down that hatch." Sniper said, pointing to a large metal grate outside. There was a small hole in the panel, but the rest was sealed down tight. "That hatch leads to the foundation of this building here." Sniper continued.

Twilight swallowed hard. "And if they succeed?" She asked, but deep down she knew the answer.

The Sniper leaned in close, through glaring eyes. "Boom." He said softly.

"Gotcha. Boom." She said, sweating. "B-but we're not going to let them win, right?" She asked worriedly.

"Don't sweat it. I'm a professional." He said, trekking out to his sniping perch. Twilight followed him a short distance behind.
<><><><><><><><><><>

The Demoman drunkenly walked to the mine shafts, where the robots would appear first. He then heard a voice behind him.
"You're going to be drunk as you fight. Perhaps that will hinder your might." it said. The Demo grabbed his bottle of scrumpy, smashed it against a wall, and swiveled around, seeing a shocked Zecora standing behind him.

"Oh, it's just a bloody girl. I don't need no tutorin'." He said, his voice gruff and well... Scottish.

"I understand you make things explode. Would you like some help to stop the foe's load?" She asked, stepping a little closer.

"I don't need no help." He replied, and went to take another sip from his bottle. He then looked down, to see that he forgot that it was smashed wide open. "Alright, maybe ya have a point. But why are ya rhyming so much?"

"I've been inflicted with an evil curse. I was just lucky it wasn't any worse." She shrugged. "So, how can I be of assistance? It would be tough to hold our resistance."

The Demo pulled out a celtic sword from a sheathe at his side, and pulled a shield which clung to his back, and passed them to Zecora. "Take these. If anything looks like a robot..." he then straightened his fingers and held them across his neck, before pulling them back with a decapitating motion. As the Demo kept walking, Zecora followed. "Ya got a name, lass?"

"Zecora is my name. Let's put our foe to their shame." She smiled, propping the thick sword on her shoulder.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Derpy had followed the mysterious Pyro out of the base. She drifted after him, her teal wings flapping. Unfortunately, he was not the straightest flyer, and collided with him after a matter of seconds.

"Mpmphmpg pghmph mphp!" He mumbled, his gas mask muffling his speech. He quickly stood back up, and Derpy smiled, her eyes still askew.

"Sorry, mister!" she replied. "Want a muffin?" she said, offering the baked good to the Pyro.

The masked mercenary grasped the muffin, staring at it intently. "Mpmp hmphmp hmpmgh." He sounded, with a subtle hint of sarcasm in his vocalizations. He then tapped the respiratory valve on his mask.

"Oh, right." Derpy chuckled, putting the snack back in her pouch. The Pyro continued walking, and Derpy followed him. "So, what are we gonna do?" she asked.

The Pyro stopped, and stared at the girl. After a short while, he pulled out a flare gun, and handed it to her. Confused, Derpy decided to point it at a rock formation nearby. She pulled the trigger, sending a flare shooting out from the barrel with a high-pitched whistle. However, her poor aim set a bale of hay aflame, which was a few feet away from the rock she was aiming for. She looked up at the Pyro, with a huge smile. The silent one nodded, but held up two fingers. "Mpph." He said.

Derpy took a few seconds to register, but aimed again. Her shot hit the hay stack a second time, causing a searing burst of heat to engulf the target. Derpy smiled. She then followed the Pyro down to the mineshaft. "This is going to be so much fun, Smokey!" she said. The Pyro was a little confused at his new nickname, but just went along.

<><><><><><><><><>
The Engineer found a spot along the pathway, and set his metal box down. It soon unfolded into a large sentry gun. He chuckled at his invention, and prepared to set up the rest of his devices. He turned, and saw Applejack next to him.

"Howdy, mister." She said.

The Engie smiled to see another southerner, and smiled. "Howdy, missy." He said. He unlocked another box, letting it expand into his dispenser.

"Call me AJ. Uh... if it aint too much trouble, yah mind if ah..." She asked politely, and doffing her hat.

The mechanic looked back at the girl, curious.

"...stick with you? Ah mean, I wouldn't trust mahself with any a' yer other folks. They seem a little... trigger happy." she said.

The Engie chuckled. "'Course ya can! Ah'd be happy to show yah the ropes." He opened another box, letting it shift into a teleporter, a device which spun two propeller-like extensions, and hummed with a red, circular plate of light.

"This 'ere's the teleporter. Sends ya back and forth between the two parts." He then rested his hand on the dispenser. "This little thang's a dispenser. Makes ammo, and 'll heal yah up in a jiffy. And for the sentry..." he said, smiling as the turret beeped, ready to blast anything in it's sights. "Well, pretty obvious, aint it?"

AJ seemed intrigued with the machines, and then looked at the other mercenaries. "They all got some pretty big guns... what can ah do fer yah?" she asked.

The Engie scratched his chin with his gloved hand, slightly smearing some grease on his face. "Tell yah what." He said, then passed Applejack a pistol. "Keep an eye out, and plug any robot ya see full a lead." He then nodded as Applejack stuck close to the dispenser. "Let's do this Texas style..." he said.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The Heavy, Spy, Soldier, Scout and Medic stood in the quarry, awaiting the robot horde. The team had set up blue holographic markers, so they could determine where the robots would move on their path to the hatch. The Soldier pulled Spike aside as he reminisced about his 'heroic battles' during WWII. The other mercenaries knew the Soldier was a little 'imaginative', and Spike soon caught on too.

Hurried footsteps sounded behind them. The Scout turned, to see Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy close behind.

"What are ya doin'? You're gonna get wasted out here!" Scout said toward Rainbow Dash specifically.

"What, ya don't think I can handle myself in a fight? I saved you back in Ponyville, ya know." She reminded the Scout.

The Scout grunted, and put a pistol in her hands. "You know, fine. You can fight with me." He said, then pulled out a soft drink, labeled 'BONK! Atomic Punch'. "But if things get too heated, drink this." he said.

Rainbow Dash had a confused look on her face. "How's this gonna help?" she asked.

"I dunno. Radiation, I think. It works, trust me." he said. Rainbow raised an eyebrow, and tucked the can away in her pocket.

Pinkie and Fluttershy made their way up to the Medic and Heavy. "Hey, you ready to crack some robot skulls?" Pinkie said, bouncing excitedly on the ground.

"We just want to help you as long as we're in your world." Fluttershy softly said.

The Medic and Heavy looked at each other, and exchanged some concerned looks. Heavy passed Pinkie a pair of giant, red boxing gloves. "Pink one wants to fight, pink one will fight." Heavy said. Pinkie smiled and started swinging them around.

The Medic handed Fluttershy a long bonesaw, with a bloodstained edge and a red needle-like attachment at the end. "I know it's not like you to fight... but ve could use a ze help ve can get." The Medic said, patting her on the shoulder. "Just ztay close to us."

Rarity found herself walking toward the Spy once more. He seemed so charming before, would it be any different now? The Spy spotted Rarity once more. "Ah, it's you again. Can I help you?" he said coldly. Rarity swallowed hard.

"Um, well, you seem like nice fellow... I hope you wouldn't mind me...assisting you, would you?" She asked, a hopeful grin appearing on her face.

The Spy continued to stare at Rarity. She seemed very persistant. "I zuppose. Take zhese. Shoot anyzhing zhat isnt a friend." he said, tossing his invisi-watch and revolver at her. "This is how he treats a lady? I liked him better when he was blue." She muttered under her breath.

"What was zhat?" The Spy asked, preparing his disguise kit.

"Oh, nothing." Rarity said, falsely chuckling.

The Heavy soon turned to the iron gates which held the swarm of robots. "Who is man enough to stand with me!?" He yelled, so all his comrades could hear.

"Ready!"
"Proceed."
"Good to go!"
"Let's do this!"
"Move 'em out!"
"Mpph! Mpph! Mpph!"
"Get movin', lads!"
"Get going, already!" The Sniper finally yelled, from his far away perch.

The Administrator's voice sounded overhead. "If you had any loved ones, say goodbye to them now." she said.

"Aw, that's just cold." The Scout muttered.

The girls stayed quiet, and close to the mercenaries, as the metal doors creaked open.

Author's Note

Damn, rhyming as Zecora is hard.

Robots!

The metal gates creaked open, and a clanking sound rattled from inside. A group of robotic Scouts, some twenty to thirty, rushed out, brandishing baseball bats. One in the front carried a huge metal shell on its back, the bomb.

The Demo got the first kill. With his sticky-bombs laying near the entrance, he detonated them, blasting away a good third of the swarm. The Spy placed his sapper on a passing robot, causing nearby robots to stop and spasm while the Spy stabbed them in the back, quickly donning a new disguise before he was spotted.

Now, a bigger group of robot Scouts, Soldiers, and Pyros stepped out of the gate, firing wildly at anything nearby.

The Heavy spun the barrel of his gun, and the Medic was ready to use the Übercharge. However, Pinkie had dropped her boxing gloves and yanked the minigun from Heavy's hands, and moved into the Medigun's beam.

"NO! Pink one took Sasha!" The Heavy yelled as she opened fire on the crowd, and before the Medic could react, he accidentally Übercharged Pinkie. Again...

"Wooo! Take that, you party poopers!" She cried as she mowed down the robots, blasting each one to scrap metal. However, Pinkie Pie's power came to a stop as the Übercharge faded, and the mini gun stopped firing bullets, but emitted a Tic Tic Tic... "Heh... sorry." Pinkie said as she stepped aside.

However, with no ammunition, and no Übercharge, the remaining robo-Soldiers blasted the Heavy and the Medic with a shower of rockets.

A shocked look spread across Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie's face as two mercenaries burst in a shower of blood. Then, something welled up inside them. Something... dark. Both their expressions began to seethe with rage and hostility, which was out of place for even Fluttershy.

"You MONSTERS!" Fluttershy yelled, flying at the last few Soldiers with the Übersaw the Medic gave her. Pinkie Pie grabbed the boxing gloves and ran after Fluttershy.

The robots seemed confused to have young girls hurdling toward them, but it was too late for them. Fluttershy jammed the weapon through several robot bodies, leaving them vulnerable while Pinkie smashed their metal frames, leaving the entire group destroyed. The two panted heavily as the others looked at them in a state of awe and confusion.

As the two returned to their senses, Fluttershy bent over the remains of the robots. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" She asked the fallen droids. The head of a Scout only groaned and spat sparks. The sound of more robots racing down the tunnel caused them to refuge behind a large rock.

"Let's go, Dash!" The Scout excitedly cheered as he lept into battle, blasting more robots with his scattergun. The Solider, Demoman, Pyro and Spy all helped in taking down the robots, with some help from the newcomers. Derpy, despite her poor aim, did surprisingly well at dodging projectiles and shooting flares. But it wasn't all good news.

A stray rocket caught Rarity by surprise. She wasn't hit by the rocket itself, but the she was just barley within the blast radius. She tumbled from the explosion, her arm emitting a painful crack! Rarity screamed out in pain, and attempted to stand back up, but the bullets, rockets, and grenades flying through the air made it far too risky for her. She slumped over behind a rock, where Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were hiding as well.

"R-Rarity! You're hurt! What are we going to do? The Medic's gone!" Fluttershy worriedly cried, holding her friend close at the bone-chilling sight of blood. Rarity winced as held back tears of agony as she moved.

Pinkie Pie then turned to the Engineer, watching the sentry riddle any robots with bullets. "Applejack's over there! She'll keep you safe!" Pinkie cried out. Rarity stumbled toward Applejack and the Engie, trying to compose herself. A Pyro began to race toward her, wielding it's flame thrower. "Not today, you stupid gizmo!" Pinkie said, pulling her trademark "Party Cannon" seemingly out of nowhere. As the fuse burned out, the robot Pyro was battered with a burst of confetti, streamers and balloons with such force, that it smashed into a wall and shattered on impact.

Rarity kept moving, trying to get closer to the Engineer.

"Rarity! What happend to you?!" Applejack said, catching her friend as she nearly collapsed.

"Gah! Pain. Explosion. More pain." she muttered, exasperated.

"Don't worry, miss. I got just the thing for yah." The Engie said, picking up his dispenser and placing it closer to Rarity. The red device streamed a glowing line of energy, connecting to Rarity. The pain in her arm dulled, as the blood vanished and her pain was replaced with relief.

Rarity sighed, and flexed her arm, amazed. "Thank you, sir." she said, smiling at the Engineer.

"Not a problem, miss." He said, tipping his hardhat. He returned to the sentry, reloading it. "This is almost too easy..." the Engie said, scratching his chin.

A faint sound echoed through the cavern, amidst the sound of gunfire and explosions.

bleep bloop bleep bloop

A shocked expression formed on the Engineer's face. "Oh no." He said, softly.

"What? What's wrong?!" Applejack asked, panicing.

The Engie quickly turned to the two girls. "Sentry Buster! You two run! Take the dispenser and get somewhere safe!" He said, picking up his turret.

bleep bloop bleep bloop

Applejack nodded, and folded the dispenser into its metal box. "Let's move, Rarity." she said, as they started running toward the base.

The Engie picked up the box, and waited.

The mercenaries opened fire on a new robot, one that resembled a gigantic bomb with legs sticking out the bottom. The Engie stood his ground as the Sentry Buster raced toward him.

bleep bloop bleep bloop

After a tense moment, the Sentry Buster ran right up to the Engie, and crouched.

BLEEPBLEEPBLEEPBLEEP

The Engie took off running, and an explosion sounded behind him, launching him a few feet. He landed on his face, and dropped the box. AJ pulled him up, and the Engie set his sentry back up. The other mercenaries at the front lines sprinted up.

"They got Heavies! We need ammo, stat!" The Scout yelled, the others close behind.

Sure enough, a group of robot versions of the Heavy Weapons Guy trailed them, each with a giant gatling gun.

Just then, a concussive gunshot rang through the air, and the lead robot dropped dead, with a giant hole in its forehead. The other robots looked at their fallen fellow robot.

"Bombs away!" a familiar voice said. It was the Sniper, tossing a jar filled with liquid at the battalion. The robots made sounds of disapproval as they were now coated in a golden fluid.

The Pyro nudged Derpy and motioned at the robots. "Mph! Mmgph phm!" he sounded. Derpy smiled and pointed her flare gun. She fired, and the flare luckily hit the Heavies. The robots let out electronic screams as fire engulfed them, causing them all to drop, their metal exterior melting in the intense heat.

"Thanks, Smokey!" Derpy cheered.

"Smokey?" The Scout said, he and Rainbow Dash holding in an immense amount of laughter.

"Yea! He makes smoke!" Derpy replied, leaning against him.

The Scout and Rainbow Dash just dropped onto the ground, just guffawing madly. "Ahahahaha! Ya hear that?! Smokey!" They said, in between snorts and loud laughs.

The Administrator's voice rang out from the speakers. "Good. You've beat them... for the moment."

The Sniper dropped down from his perch, Twilight shortly behind him.

"Ya see? Told ya we weren't gonna let them win." He chuckled.

"Fine. I guess I underestimated you." Twilight said, rolling her eyes.

"You guys head back to the base. We'll dispose of the bomb." The Sniper said, heading over to the large device, and carrying it to the cavern.

The mercenaries trekked back to the base, pleased with their victory. "That fight was very tough. Perhaps later it won't be so rough." Zecora said. The Soldier scoffed.

"Hah! It'll only get harder from here, girly!" He said. "That was only the first wave. The next two will be much tougher."

Spike saw Fluttershy lagging behind, and caught up with her. "Are you alright? You seem a little upset." He said, looking up at her.

Fluttershy sniffled. "I-I saw the Medic die... again." She said, her voice shaking, like she'd burst into tears any time soon.

"What are you talking about? He and the big guy are right there." Spike said, pointing at the doorway. Sure enough, the Medic and Heavy were standing the doorway, talking with the other mercenaries.

Fluttershy dashed over to the Medic, hugging him tightly. "You're alive! But how?!" She said, both excited and confused.

The Medic pried Fluttershy off of him. "Ugh... ze RESPAWN system. It brings us back to live after a vave." he explained. "Glad to zee you are zafe..." He whispered.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

The Sniper and Twilight Sparkle stood over a large, almost bottomless pit, with the bomb resting on the edge.

"Watch and learn, lass. This is how you get rid of a bomb." He said, pushing the bomb off with his foot. The explosive whistled as it sank down into the dark abyss. As the bomb disappeared from view, Twilight looked down into the pit. A faint tremor shook the area, and a dim orange light hummed in the shadows, followed by a wave of heat.

"That's how you take care of explosives? Just chuck them down a hole and ignore it?" She asked.

"Yup. Not a problem any more." Sniper boasted, walking back to the group. Twilight sighed, and followed him.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

The Administrator watched the entire battle unfold, and smirked as the mercenaries re-entered the base.

"Take a note, Miss Pauling." she said, flicking the ashes from her cigarette holder. Her assistant quickly pulled her clipboard out, and clicked her pen.

"Give the mercenaries a little gift, courtesy of Mann Co. They've earned it." She continued.

Pauling scribbled the note down, and looked up. "One of those products, as well?"

The Administrator paused. "Yes. Give them the key as well. Find out if greed outweighs glory."

Supply and Demand

The sun was setting, and soon enough, the mercenaries decided to call it a night. However, with the company of their 'guests,' they had to pull out some extra mattresses and blankets. To be honest, the Spy had the most trouble.

"I am not sleeping on that." Rarity said, turning her nose into the air.

"What? It's just a mattress." The Spy said, emptying his suit pockets.

"That's exactly the problem! I refuse to sleep on something so... uncouth! Look at it! It's worn at the edges, there's a spring sticking out the side, and it reeks of... I don't even want to know!" She said, repulsed.

"Well, would you prefer to zleep on ze ground? I'm zure bedbugs are attracted to whiny fools like yourself!"

"Whining? This is not whining! I'll show you whining!" Rarity said, preparing something the Spy would regret dearly.

"This room is too cold! I'm freezing! It smells, too! What have you been doing in here? Burning tires?" She cried, in the most annoying voice she could muster. "Ugh! And these sheets! They're the dirtiest things I've ever seen! Ever heard of a washing machine? This is literally the worst POSSIBLE thing!

The Spy gritted his teeth and clenched his forehead. "Zilence! I'll do as you zay, just zhut up!" He yelled, slamming his fist on his desk.

Rarity flinched, and then crossed her arms. "You know, I liked you the first time around..." she said, intending it to be a thought.

"What are you talking about? I've treated you the zame way I have zince you arrived." The Spy said, glancing back at her. She widened her eyes.

"Did I say that aloud?"

"Yes... In fact, you acted like we've met before..." The Spy said, his curiosity spiking. "What are you getting at?"

Rarity sighed. "Fine, if you insist. Back in my home, I met someone who looked exactly like you. He was so charming, and seemed so gallant. But... he murdered someone. A teammate of yours, apparently. And someone who Fluttershy was so close to... and I was mortified that I trusted a lair. A killer." Rarity explained, glancing at the floor.

The Spy's expression loosened up as he listened to her story. He scratched his chin. "Tell me... did zhis man change color when he killed zhis friend of 'Fluttershy'?"

"Well... I think Fluttershy mentioned he turned blue when it happened. Why do you ask?" Rarity said, sitting on the Spy's mattress.

The Spy paused, then spoke. "The man you trusted was the BLU Spy. He works just like me. Kills just like me. He was doing his job. He killed one of us, like we were doing before you got involved."

Rarity sighed. She looked back up to the Spy. "Well... that seems a bit more logical. But I-"

"Look. Just zleep on it. You'll make zense of it zometime." The Spy continued.

"I'm... Rarity, by the way." She said, holding her hand out, hopeful.

"Charmed." He said, shaking it. "I'd tell you my name, but zhat would ruin ze point of being a Spy."

Rarity's hopefulness faded a little. "Oh... alright." She said, slipping under the mattress's covers, and closing her eyes.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

The next morning...

Morning had broke, and the Pyro had awoken from his slumber. Nobody knew why the Pyro slept in his asbestos lined suit, probably because he never took it off. This sparked a lot of theories. The Medic guessed that all the fire exposure melted the suit's lining, fusing it to his skin and rendering it impossible to remove.

The Scout thought his face was so horribly burned, that he refused to take off his suit, afraid he would be so repulsively ugly, no one would even come close to him.

The Soldier often came up with the wildest ideas. Thoughts that the Pyro was something else under his suit. Something he kept secret. The Solider wondered if he was even human. An alien, a genetic experiment gone wrong, or a ravenous demon who just loved to burn things. The other mercenaries passed the Soldier off as the crazy one, each having their own opinions and theories toward the matter. But no matter what they thought, they never asked the Pyro anyway, and even if they did, they wouldn't know if he was telling the truth.

Anyway, the Pyro awoke and looked down at the floor. Derpy rested on the mattress he supplied, peacefully sleeping with a muffin at her side. The Pyro opened his bedroom door, which made a slight clunk noise as the door hit something. The quiet mercenary looked down, seeing a small wooden crate. It was bound in a thick metal chain, with a padlock holding it together. The Pyro picked the box up, and headed for the briefing room, where the other mercenaries, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash sat, in their groggy, morning states. The Pyro set the box on the table, for all to see.

"What's that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"A Mann Co. Crate. They toss one down here every once in a while." The Sniper replied, taking a sip of coffee that red '#1 Sniper' in big red print.

"What exactly is inside?" Rainbow Dash again.

"No one knows. Could be a weapon, maybe a hat. You never really know 'till ya open it." The Scout said, chewing on a bagel.

"Well, what's stoppin' us? We'll smash it open!" Rainbow said, picking up the box and throwing it hard against the ground. Despite the impact, the crate didn't even scratch.

"Good luck. Crate does not break. Does not burn. Only way to open is to use key." Heavy said.

"A key like these?" Pinkie asked holding up three golden keys.

"How did you... get zhose?" The Medic asked, dumbfounded.

"I found one in the bathroom sink. The next one was in one of those bottles the Demo has. And this last one was stuck in that big gun you have." Pinkie said, shrugging.

"Key was in Sasha? Why was pink one looking there?" The Heavy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who cares! Let's open this thing up! We'll even pick some of the others out, too." The Scout said, yanking a key out of Pinkie's grasp. He pushed the key into the lock, twisting it, causing the chain to fall off. The Scout opened the lid, and pulled out it's contents.

It was a simple gold-plated pocket watch. The Spy smirked. "Magnifique. I'll make good use of zhis." he said, tucking it away into a pocket his coat pocket.

The Engie went to a closet, crammed with more crates. "Ah got a good feeling 'bout this one." He said, grabbing another key. He opened the lock, and peeled the lid open, revealing a prosthetic robot hand.

"Heeyah! Ah knew it!" The Engie cheered. He then passed it to Applejack. "Hold on to this, AJ. Ah'll teach ya how to use it, later." The Engie said.

"Great. Not a single hat in weeks! I'm starting to get desperate." The Scout grumbled.

"What's the big deal about hats 'round here?" Applejack asked. It seemed to be a stupid question, because every mercenary just stared at her.

"Big deal? We'll see how big a deal it is when Saxton Hale himself crams his fist down your throat!" The Soldier yelled, advancing on the girl.

"Calm down, Soldier. Zhe doesn't know about it." The Medic replied, holding him back. "Now, zince you asked, Saxton Hale really likes hats. He likes hats zo much, ze rarer hats ve get, ze more Saxton funds our team. Back vhen ve vere fighting ze BLUs, it was rather important." The Medic explained.

"Alright, we got one more key. Let's hope we're lucky." The Sniper said, picking up the final key. He wandered over to the closet, and pulled out one last crate. He propped it up on the table, and readied the key. "Cross yer fingers, mates." he said, pulling the padlock off the box. As he opened the crate, and pulled out what was inside, the mercenaries let out a collective gasp.

"Mon dieu..." The Spy whispered, his cigarette falling from his mouth.

The item that hat the mercenaries in awe was, in fact, a hat. A pointed wizard hat, with a buckle over the brim. As if that wasn't enough, the hat radiated with small beams of light, like a miniature sun was glowing behind it.

"Yeah! Finally a hat! And it's unusual..." Scout said, whispering the last part.

"Wonderful work, men! Now, I'll just take my hat for a spin and-" The Soldier grinned, pulling the pointed hat from the Sniper's hands.

"Wait one second, soldier boy! Who said it's yours?" The Engie growled.

"да. If anything, it is Heavy's hat. Heavy is biggest. Heavy is strongest." The russian argued.

"Schweinhund! You vould be useless vithout me! Ze hat is mine!" The Medic returned.

The Sniper took it back from the Soldier's hands. "Keep your lederhosen on, doc. You wankas don't deserve a hat like this. I'm gonna treat this thing with class."

"Class? Please! You keep you're own bladder drippings in a jar and live in a van! You all disgust me..." The Spy said, taking it from the Sniper.

"Mpmpmh mpmhpm, mpmhp mphm? Phmphghmp Vmpmgh!" The Pyro mumbled, gesturing his hands. The other classes just stared.

"I think it's trying to communicate with us." The Demoman said condesendingly. "Anyways... all ya soft skulled lassies are a sorry bunch a' losers if ya think yer walking away with this..." he said, brandishing his bottle.

A heated argument took place amongst the groups, creating an uproar in the briefing room. The other girls soon entered, upon hearing the shouting.

"What is all the noise about?" Spike asked, rubbing his eyes. Applejack gestured toward the mercenaries, letting it speak for itself.

"You are all schtupid!" "Say that again, you sonuva bitch! Ah ain't playing games, here!" "No, seriously, you all suck!"

"They've been arguing about some stupid hat! It's crazy!" Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes.

Twilight attempted to quell the chaos. "Hey! Quiet down!" she cried, but no one listened.

"Mppm! Vgmhmp hmp!" "Bah! Too many little men on this team!" "Keep yabbin' that big mouth, while it's still attached to your bloody neck!"

"Listen!" Twilight yelled louder, but still no avail.

"You are all incompetent cowards!" "I am going to mail my foot back to your mama, with your ass wrapped around it!" "Thankfully I already don't remember this...(belch)"

BLAM! The sound of a shotgun firing made all the mercenaries quiet and look at the source of the sound, Pinkie Pie, unloading a few bullets into the ceiling. "Twilight?" she asked, reloading the gun.

"Uh... thanks, Pinkie." Twilight said. "All of this fuss is over a hat?" She asked, in her 'lecturing' voice.

"Not just any hat! It's unusual! See, it's glowing!" The Scout said, reaching toward it.

Twilight pulled the hat away. "I don't care! You shouldn't be fighting over something so trivial! You're all friends, right?" A long silence. "Right?" Twilight asked again, with less seriousness.

The speakers rang out as the Administrator spoke. "Another wave of robots is upon us..."

The Soldier quickly offered his own solution. "Ok, I got an idea. Last one alive out there gets the hat."
The other classes shrugged all agreeing to the thought. "Then it's a pact!" The Soldier said happily, putting his hand in the middle. The others put their hand in the center, and nodded.

"Uh, shouldn't ya'll be ready to fight?" Applejack said. The Engineer turned around.

"Oh, right. Follow me, AJ." He said, picking up the robot hand.

Second Opinion

The Heavy, Engineer and Medic were the only mercenaries alive after the wave. All the others respawned perfectly, and they still had a wager.

"Heavy is hero! Special hat is Heavy's!" He cheered proudly, but the Medic cut him off.

"I don't zhink zo, Kamerade. If I vasn't zhere, you'd be dead! I should get ze hat!" He said, storming in front of the Russian.

"Nice try, pardner. You've been hidin' behind Heavy the whooole time, using him as yur own bullet monkey while you sit back pumpin' him full a medicine." The Engie chuckled, patting his hand with his wrench.

"But I am ztill alive, ja? Zhat was ze bet, vas it not?" The Medic retaliated. The Heavy put his giant hand between them.

"Little men amuse Heavy. Engineer hides behind machines. Medic hides behind Heavy. Heavy hides behind no-one."

Twilight rolled her eyes again, grumbling to the others. "I can't believe this. They're still arguing about that hat."

Spike shrugged. "Well, can you blame them? It's not every day you find a glowing hat." He said.

"Again with the glowing..." Twilight muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It's not that hair-brained. It kind of reminds me of Celestia." Applejack mused, stripping the modified Gunslinger of her wrist.

The others nodded, as they thought the same thing. Twilight scratched her chin. "Maybe it is better than we think."

"We? Twi, you're the only one this skeptical." Rainbow Dash chuckled.

Twilight grunted, and stormed into the base. "All this fuss over a hat..." she grumbled.

Over the next few hours, she would try to avoid the arguing of that hat in the bedroom. Only when everyone went to sleep, she found peace.

<><><><><><><><><>

Twilight found herself awake in the Sniper's bedroom, on the mattress. The room always smelled rank, and it was obvious why. There was a crate in the corner stacked with jars. Each one filled with a smelly, yellow liquid Twilight didn't want to inspect further. She opened the door for a little fresh air, and heard something she didn't expect. Silence.

She wandered through the corridor, looking for anyone awake. As she entered the briefing room, the glowing hat sat on the table, and that was a little odd. No mercenaries were staring at it, arguing over it, or placing more bets for its possession. It just sat there, beaming rays of sunshine on its own. "Applejack was right." Twilight thought. "It is kind of like Celestia. Reminds me of Starswirl the Bearded, too." She mused over that thought as she found herself picking it up. She couldn't figure out what about this hat made it so appealing. Did it grant any mystic powers? Was it a sign of wealth and respect? Or perhaps it just felt better to wear it.

Twilight was slowly lifting the hat over her head, but she dropped it as a horrified scream rang through the building. Then, a second, less terrifying shriek came from a bedroom before Rainbow Dash burst through the door, panting heavily with her colorful hair messed up. "Twilight! Something happened! I heard Fluttershy scream, and then I...!" Rainbow cried, and pointed inside the bedroom. She shared a room with the Scout, and on the bed, the sheets were stained with a streak of blood.

The other girls and Spike opened their doors, all of them clamoring at once. Twilight struggled to hear everyone speaking on once. "Enough! What is going on here?!"

"Ah heard someone scream!" Applejack said worriedly, wringing her hands.

"-and then I heard Rainbow Dash!" Rarity panted, furiously brushing her hair like an emergency.

"Smokey was gone! I looked at the bed-" Derpy said, more urgent than she normally was.

"-to find the sheets colored red!" Zecora finished with her rhyming pattern.

Twilight shook her head, and their stories sounded the same to her. "So, what does this mean?"

"What if they were killed?! Those robots might have snuck in and took 'em out in their sleep!" Rainbow cried.

"If those robots wanted to kill them, why are we still here? We helped them through two robot waves and they should be just angry at us." Spike reasoned.

"Hold on..." Pinkie muttered, and counted the group. "We're one short." Her eyes suddenly widened. "Ohmigosh! Where's Fluttershy?!"

Rarity dropped her brush. "Do you think something happened to her, too?"

"But she screamed a minute ago, she's probably still here!" Applejack said, looking around. A timid voice then appeared behind them.

"Guys..."

They turned, seeing Fluttershy standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide, and her face pale.

"Fluttershy! You're alright! But what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Twilight said, examining her friend's current state of shock.

"I saw something horrible... I-I just couldn't bare to stick around.." The shy girl whimpered.

"Well, you should show us! Ya had us worried sick!" Rainbow said, tugging Fluttershy. "Show us the way!"

Fluttershy reluctantly wandered down the hall, building tension in the air. She stopped in front of a metal door, which was barely shut. She pushed the door open some more, letting the outside light beam into a dark room. It was a wide room, since the back wall couldn't be seen. All that could be seen was a puddle of blood sitting on the floor. That alone chilled everyone's nerves. They stepped inside, and Applejack fumbled on the wall for a light switch. She found one, and flicked it on.

As the lights buzzed with electricity, the whole, scary picture was revealed to them. Against the back wall were nine glass capsules, each about three feet wide, and seven feet tall. Each one was filled with a green liquid, and nine specific mercenaries.

Each mercenary floated in a tube with several cables sticking to their body, which lead to a small black box placed on each cylinder. The mercenaries' eyes were rolled back into their head and a bloody gash over their chest. At the base of each glass tube, a pipe connected from the capsule to a generator in the corner, pumping in the green liquid as another device pushed air into their lungs and recorded their hearts beating in near perfect unison. This horrid sight made Rarity quiver and her knees shake.

"Oh my... I'm going to be ill." She whimpered, swooning back, only to have Applejack catch her.

"What is this?! What have they done to them?!" Rainbow Dash cried, running up to the Scout's capsule and tapping the glass. His body jolted with each tap, his face still unresponsive and inert.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It disturbs them." A voice spoke above them.

"Who are you? What's going on?" Twilight asked, glancing up at the overhead speakers..

"I am the Administrator. I've been watching over you aid my mercenaries unofficially against the robots." She sneered.

"Watching us? Why?" Applejack asked, helping Rarity to her feet.

"Because I never wanted you here." The old woman said coldly. "You just appear in my facility, and become friends with my mercenaries. And friendship will not be tolerated here." The speakers rang, giving the word 'friendship' a spiteful tone. "And, so far, it seems that killing you is more difficult than it seems."

"Wait. You tried to kill us?!" Rainbow Dash said, panicked by the voice haunting them.

"Yes... first you joined the mercenaries against fighting the robots. You managed to survive. I decided to distracted them with a little greed... and you're still alive..." The Administrator growled. "So now, I simply killed them, and locked them in the RESPAWN system."

"So, what? You're not just going to kill us now, are you?" Spike asked, worried.

"No, I myself am far too busy. I'll let the robots take care of that. With no mercenaries, there is nothing stopping the robots from blasting you to pieces. Why, I believe they're on their way here now." The Administrator chuckled, and with one last click, the speakers silenced.

The girls stared at each other in dead silence, processing what just happened.

"What are we going to do? We'll be torn to shreds out there." Rainbow Dash sighed, slouching against a wall.

"We can't just give up! We'll be blasted to shreds if we don't do anything!" Pinkie Pie yelled.

"But how are we going to fight back? We don't have any mercenaries." Spike added.

Zecora thought for a little while. "Her warning we must heed. Perhaps some teamwork is all we truly need."

Twilight perked up upon hearing those words. "That's it! We'll fight them with teamwork and friendship. As long as we work together, we can do our absolute best!" The purple girl cheered.

"How? It's not like we can... oh. I see what your getting at." Rarity muttered.

Twilight faced her friends, and smirked. "We won't lose. We'll get our friends back. I promise." She said, walking out of the room with a determined look on her face.

Fluttershy was the last one in the room. She paused, and turned toward the inactive bodies of the mercenaries. Despite their glazed-over eyes and motionless expressions, they still seemed alive and conscious. "Don't worry. We'll be back for you." She whispered, as she shut off the light and shut the door.

Deputized

Applejack creaked open the door to the Engineer's workshop, and switched on the light. Inside, the walls were covered with blueprints, and bolts, nuts, and tools lay scattered on the floor.

"Alright, where are those machines 'a his?" She asked herself as she looked around. She saw the modified teleporter exit, where she and her friends arrived from Equestria. She picked up a tool belt that sat on one of the workbenches, inspecting it. The pockets held several small metal parts, and some wires and silicon chips. There was a holster on both sides, on for the wrench, the other for the pistol.

Curious, Applejack slipped it around her waist, tying of the end behind her. It was a little heavy, weighing itself down on her hips. "'Spose that's part a' the job." Applejack muttered. There was a spare hardhat resting on a coat-hook.

"Reckon I should bring a lil' protection." She said again. She then looked on a high shelf. Four metal boxes. They would be easy to reach, but carry out all of them at the same time and deploy them, she'd only be able to hold two at once. "He had teleporters, right? Guess I'll carry those out, and take the rest later." Applejack thought, reaching up on the shelf. She grabbed two metal cases, each marked 'Teleporter'.

Applejack hoisted them under her arms, and stepped outside. She placed one box at the base, the exit. "Those guys mentioned we couldn't use this 'respawn' thing. I guess if things get hairy, we'll pop back here and hunker down." She mused, planning ahead. She stepped back into the workshop, grabbing the sentry and dispenser.

<><><><><><><><><>

Spike was rummaging around in the Soldier's room, looking for something to use in a fight. He came across a small box filled with fresh cigars, shotgun ammunition, and WWII propaganda.

"Not gonna find anything here." Spike said, picking up a box of bullets. "How am I supposed to use these if I don't..." He said, trailing off before he found a bigger box. He popped open the lid, smiling widely. Inside was a full sized rocket launcher, completely filled with ammo. There was also a small, gold medal inside, and a replica helmet the Soldier was always seen wearing. Spike happily put the helmet, only to have the brim fall over his eyes slightly. He also decided to pin the medal to his purple shirt, and stood up. He turned to the mirror that sat on the bedroom dresser, and saluted his reflection.

"Rarity likes a man in uniform, right?" He chuckled as he lifted the rocket launcher onto his shoulder.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Fluttershy opened the Medic's bedroom door, peaking inside. The room rattled with a noise she recognized as a pigeon. She adored the sound of small birds, so she opened the door wider to enter. She saw the pigeon sitting in a bronze bird cage, but its feathers were splattered with blood. Fluttershy shivered at such a sight. It didn't seem to be wounded, so it must've been someone else's blood, which frightened Fluttershy even more. She shook her head, remembering what she was looking for. On a small table, was the Medigun and Übersaw. Fluttershy picked up the Medigun, and pulled its trigger. Since there was nothing in front of the gun to heal, the gun simply let a wisp of red smoke slip from the barrel. It rose past her nostrils, and Fluttershy happened to inhale a little of it. It was warm and spicy, like a gaseous cinnamon. She felt herself relax and sighed.

She then snapped from her dazed state, and realized what happened. Fluttershy saw a backpack with a red cross on it, a few feet from the table. "That looks kind of important." Fluttershy thought, and looked at the Medigun. There was a small hole at the back, and a hose hung off the edge of the backpack. Fluttershy slipped the pack onto her back, and attached the two components. As she did a small meter on the side of the gun flickered and lit up. It read 'Übercharge' and the meter's needle was resting at 0%. Fluttershy picked up the Übersaw, and looked at the dried blood on the blade. She cringed at the sight, but attached it to the backpack so she could use it later.

<><><><><><><><>

Twilight climbed up the ladder that led to the Sniper's perch. She'd been up here before, where a Sniper-bot shot the original Sniper. She was able to cause a bit of damage up on this perch without the sharpshooter, and did pretty well defending against a Spy-bot. The rifle was where she left it, and so was the kukri and a few more shields. She was quite a distance away from the metal gates, so she used the rifle's scope to zoom in on the area.

The rest of her friends were there. Derpy, wielding a flamethrower while the others kept their distance, Zecora holding a sword and shield, Rarity flicking the butterfly knife around to feel it's movement in her hand. Applejack set up the machines a short while behind. Rainbow Dash carried the scattergun, her fingers resting on the trigger, and her wings twitching, ready to take off. Spike struggled to keep the helmet out of his eyes, keeping his aim with the rocket launcher steady. Finally, Pinkie Pie was somehow holding the minigun in her hands, happily hoisting it while Fluttershy kept the Medigun on her.

"Alright. Let's get this over with." Twilight muttered, resting her hands on the trigger.

The group ahead turned their focus to the gate, as the sound of metal scraping against gravel rumbled into earshot.

As a metal shape crawled from the darkness, it was something the girls hadn't seen before. A giant armored tank, barely fitting through the hole.

Pinkie Pie squealed with delight as she opened fire on the tank, inciting the others to follow her lead. Small dents and bullet holes appeared in the metal shell, but the vehicle kept rolling.

"It's not working! This thing isn't slowing down!" Rainbow Dash cried, hurriedly reloading her gun from Applejack's dispenser.

"We'll keep on it! We got more incoming!" Spike shouted, seeing more robot Scouts rush in with another bomb. With the tank and team under constant pressure, Rarity, Derpy, and Rainbow Dash veered off to hold off the Scouts. With a couple of quick potshots from Rainbow's scattergun, and Derpy Hooves happily spinning around, lashing a wheel of fire around the robots, it wasn't long before the Scouts crumbled. Rarity snuck further back in a disguise, hearing bigger robots stomping through the cavern.

A giant Soldier stomped through the tunnel, several Medic-bots clinging medi-beams on it. The robot's rocket launcher was glowing an electric blue, and resonating with power as it fired glowing rockets at the rest of the team, who quickly dodged each one, but barely.

Rarity snuck behind the Giant Soldier and readied her knife. "This little thing isn't going to be enough. But I can at least stop them from fixing it up." Rarity told herself. She saw one of the Medics drop from a hole in its head, from Twilight's sharpshooting. Rarity quickly thrust her knife into the second robot's back, and swiveling around to slash at the last Medic. Her disguise, however, faded upon attacking, and the Soldier noticed. It stopped firing at the others.

With an eerie mechanical creak, the towering robot swiveled around, firing its thunderous weapon down on it's closest target.

"NO!" A horrified Spike cried out before he felt his entire spirit crushed.

Rarity reached into her coat pocket before the rocket completely vaporized her on impact.

Sleeper Agent

Rarity was gone. Blasted to ash by the giant robot Soldier. And, boy, was Spike upset.

He felt a surge of varying emotions. Anger. Greif. Sorrow. Rage. Vengeance. As he fired his own rocket launcher at the towering droid, fire burning in his eyes. Fluttershy quickly focused the Medigun on him, and reached for the Übercharge switch before Spike was gone too.

What followed next was total mayhem. The Übercharge's red glow enveloped both of them, making their hearts beat rapidly and an electric tingle vibrate their entire bodies. If was almost overwhelming for Fluttershy. For Spike, it was the most amazing experience ever. Spike's rockets shot one after the other, keeping the robot distracted as Pinkie Pie fired at it from afar. Within a matter of seconds, the last rocket blasted the robot's head from it's body. It dropped the rocket launcher, and slowly fell backwards.

The Übercharge faded, and Spike's fit of rage fizzled out, replacing it with dispair. He ran over to the spot where Rarity was and dropped to his knees. Tears began to stream from his eyes as he pounded the scorch mark with his fist.

"Why did she have to leave me? What did I do to lose her?" He told himself. "I couldn't even say goodbye..."

An electrical crackling noise sounded behind him, making him focus on his teary eyes on the source.

Standing behind him, fading from nothingness, was Rarity. She seemed just as confused as Spike was, who rushed into a full-on hug with her.

"Rarity! You're alive!" the boy cried, Rarity trying to squirm out.

"What are you talking about? I was never gone." She said, raising an eyebrow. "I just.." She said, stopping to look down in her hand. The golden pocket watch she grabbed from the Spy's room was flipped open. "Was this what saved me?" she thought.

Rainbow Dash quickly raced up to them. "Hey! Get movin'! That tank is almost to the base!" She yelled.

She sprinted back to the group, with Rarity and Spike shortly behind her. The tank was still rolling, with dents and holes in its metal armor. It was so close to the base, and the team could tell it was getting weaker. Zecora had veered off, to get onto some higher ground. With her sword and shield ready, she charged off the edge, her blade glowing a searing hot red as she gained speed. She landed on the top of the tank, thrusting the sword straight down. The tank then stopped rolling. The group stopped firing, pausing as they waited for something to happen. The tank started to groan and tremble.

Applejack's eyes widened. "Hit the deck! That thing's gonna blow!" she shrieked, ducking behind her devices. The others rushed behind bales of hay and rocks, while Zecora lept off, a catastrophic explosion making her fly off its hull. All that was left was a flaming pile of metal.

Then, silence. The explosion's echo began to silence, and most of them had rosy cheeks from breathing so hard. It was then that someone spoke out. "Did we win?" Derpy asked.

Everyone exchanged looks. "We did it. We won." Twilight said, in disbelief at their own accomplishment.

"Do you think we should check on those guys? They could be alive now!" Fluttershy said, and rushed inside. The girls dropped their weapons, and followed her.

<><><><><><><><>

The Administrator gritted her teeth. She watched the whole battle unfold, and now her hopes had been shot down. She got a little smug as she watched Rarity get blown away, but grew frustrated to find out it was a facade.

"I'm not happy, Miss Pauling. Not. Happy." She growled, her face tightening with spite and her cigarette holder snapping in her hands.

Miss Pauling held onto her clipboard defensively, trying to use it as a shield. "W-w-well, Miss, w-we tried. I-It just seemed we underestimated them." She whimpered.

The Administrator stood from her chair. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." She muttered, reaching for a small remote control in a drawer from a desk. "Ready an escape cart, Miss Pauling. We'll leave them a little parting gift."

<><><><><><><><>

Fluttershy whirled the door open and flicked the light switch on. The mercenaries still drifted in their canisters, just as motionless and inert as when they were found. The others soon caught up to Fluttershy, looking back at the comatose mercenaries.

"How do we get these guys out?" Spike asked, looking around the room.

"I say we smash open the cases!" Rainbow Dash said, grabbing a loose pipe from off the floor. She was ready to break the glass, but Twilight Sparkle held her back.

"Rainbow, stop! That could send them into shock! Besides, there's a release switch right there." She said, pointing to a large red button on the wall, leading wires to the containers.

"How did we miss that the first time?" Pinkie asked, pressing the button.

Steam hissed from the devices, the green liquid draining out of the tubes and the wires disconnecting from the mercenaires. One by one, the hatches opened, causing them to slump onto the floor.

Rainbow Dash leaned over the Scout's body, resting her ear on his chest. "He's alive!" she cheered.

"Alright. Got to be very careful. We should draw them out of their state gently." Pinkie murmured, kneeling next to the Soldier. She then grasped his shoulders and started shaking him fiercely. "WAKEY WAKEY, SLEEPYHEAD!" She shouted at him.

The Soldier sat up quickly. "AAGH! ROBOTS! HIPPIES! ROBOT HIPPIES!" He screamed, clearly dazed and confused. "Robot scum! I will upload a boot up your metal asses!" The Soldier then lifted his helmet up, observing his surroundings. "Oh. It's just you." he said, calming himself down. "So, are the robots here yet?"

Fluttershy slowly nudged the Medic and Pyro, who stirred much more calmly then Soldier. "Actually, the robots are gone." She said.

"They left? Ha! Just goes to show that warriors like us can scare off a horde a robot horde without even trying!" The Soldier gloated, the Sniper and Engineer stirring from his boisterous chuckles.

"You didn't do squat! We took down those robots! Every last one!" Rainbow Dash sneered at the Soldier, as the rest of the mercenaries awoke.

The Soldier had a perplex look on his face. A small grin appeared on his face, which escalated into a fit of laughter. "BAHAHHAHHAHAH! You here that, fellas? A couple kids saved our asses from robots! Kids! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The other classes exchanged uneasy looks. The Soldier turned back to them. "Come on! It's funny! Laugh with me!" He said.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew. You deny it, but what we speak is true." Zecora warned, leaning over the Soldier.

"Oh, please! Spare me the nursery rhymes and just admit it. A couple of girls like you would've been dead from the first wave. Right, fellas?"

The others were silent. It was then that the Medic cleared his throat. "Actually Soldier, I believe zhem."

"Same here. Just 'cause they aint like us don't mean they're weak." The Scout added.

The Soldier was almost in a fit of rage. "You can't be serious! Just look at them! They couldn't hurt a fly! Especially this one, he looks like the comic relief." The Soldier whispered, gesturing toward Spike.

There, Rarity flicked open her butterfly knife, pointing the tip at the Soldier's nose. "Dont you dare say another word about Spike..." She growled.

"Whoa, there, sheila. Let's not do anything hasty." The Sniper said, intervening between the two.

The Spy gently plucked the knife from Rarity's hands. "We are all grateful of your efforts. Even if we don't realize it yet." He said, turning his head at the Soldier, who crossed his arms and hmphed.

"Well, what do we do now? The robots are all dead. What's left to even do?" Applejack wondered.

The Pyro twisted a nozzle on his mask, letting the rest of the green containment fluid drip out of his mask. "Vphgmhm hpmph fmgmfg." He said, the liquid further obscuring his respirator's muffles.

Derpy had a wide grin on her face. "Smokey says he wants to reward us!" She cheered.

"You can understand that thing?" The Demoman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! It's not that hard." Derpy replied.

The Heavy scratched his chin, then smiled. "Heavy has reward for little heroes." He chuckled, and the other mercenaries began catching on.

"Oh, no. Not that. Anything but that!" The Soldier protested, but he was quickly overruled.

"Yes. Zhat." The Medic said, leading the group out of the room.

Grand Rounds

The mercenaries gladly strode down the hall, both eager and satisfied to give the girls the gift. Everyone, except for the Soldier.

"Do. Not. Do it. That is a direct order!" He warned them, but they simply ignored him.

"Sorry, Jane. We've made up our minds." The Engineer said, not even bothering to make eye contact.

"Wait, that's his name?" Rainbow Dash snickered. "Out of all the names ever, yours is Jane?" She said, resisting to burst out into laughter.

"Oh, great! Now they now my name! I might as well exploit my fear of hippies!" His eye's suddenly widened. "Goddammit, now they know about that too!"

"Ah never really knew you guys had actual names." Applejack said, turning to the Sniper.

"A'course we do! Everyone's gotta name. The Engie's 'Dell Conagher', the Demo's 'Tavish DeGroot', and the Soldier, he's 'Jane Doe'." The Sniper replied.

"What about you? And that... thing?" she whispered, motioning toward the Pyro.

"Lawrence. Lawrence Mundy. And no-one knows about the Pyro. We don't even know if he's human. He could even be a woman, for all we know." He said, as Applejack gave him a confused and intrigued look.

The Medic then stepped into the briefing room. Resting on the table, was the glowing unusual hat. Rarity's jaw dropped.

"You're... you're going to give us that?" she said, sparking more gasps among the others.

"Yes. It's ze very least ve can do." He said, passing it to Twilight.

"That's not true! The least we can do is nothing! Send them home to their mamas in a box!" The Soldier grumbled.

"But you said you wanted this for years. Who knows how often something like this appears." Zecora said, eyeing the shining hat intently.

"You deserve it. Take it as a token of our appreciation." The Spy said.

"Oh, come on! We earned that hat! Do you know how long it took us to get that?!" The Soldier shouted, clearly upset.

"You didn't earn it! You pulled it out of a box!" Twilight said, crossing her arms.

"Well, excuse me for wanting what's mine!" Soldier grumbled.

"Well, we were just happy to help. After all, what kind of friends would we be if we just showed up and watched you get yourselves blasted to pieces?" Spike added, trying to steer them away from the hat.

"Hphphmgmh fmfvvmg wmgmg?" The Pyro mumbled, gesturing toward the group. Everyone turned to Derpy, hoping for a translation.

"Smokey asked us how we're going to get home." Derpy said, blinking her askew eyes.

"Well, we'll just leave the same way we came. We can cast the transport spell again." Twilight said, summoning a pouch of golden dust. She then walked over to an empty spot on the floor, scattering the dust in a circle while everyone said their goodbyes.

"I'm gonna miss you, big guy!" Pinkie cried, flinging her arms around the Heavy's neck, and suspended herself since the Heavy was so much taller.

The russian simply rolled his eyes, and peeled the girl off of his shoulders. "Little girl has done good in battle. Be proud. Be strong like Heavy. All is good." He said, and gave a hearty smirk as he set Pinkie down.

Rainbow Dash pulled the Scout aside, and quickly hugged him. "Thanks. For everything, I guess." She said, blushing as she pulled away just as quickly.

The Scout however, was completely dumbfounded. "Uh... yeah. You too, I guess." He stuttered, his cheeks as red as his crimson shirt.

The farewells were interrupted as a small hole opened up in the ceiling, and dropped a small box with a screen, a speaker, and an antenna. The screen flickered on, which showed the Administrator. She sarcastically clapped as the Sniper picked it up.

"Well, well. If it isn't my faithful mercenaries, and those children of yours." She said coldly, as everyone began to huddle around the small box.

"Hey! You're the one that tried to kill us!" Applejack cried out.

"She what?!?" The Engineer yelled, as the mercenaries glared at the Administrator.

"Oh, yes. A little misunderstanding. I hope we can put me trying to kill you behind us. So now, you can focus on me, trying to kill you now. Ta-ta!" She chuckled, and pressed a button on her remote control. The box's screen shut off, and a green gas began spewing out from the speaker. The Sniper dropped the box, but the room quickly filled with the gas.

The Demoman took a whiff of the gas, and his eyes widened. "It's methane! This place is gonna blow!" He yelled, and the Spy frantically spat out his cigarette, stomping out the ember.

Fluttershy ran up to a door, and jiggled the doorknob. "It's locked!" She yelled, trying to pull it open.

"Quickly! Escape vith ze spell vhile you can!" The Medic yelled, holding up his sleeve to his mouth.

"What about you?! You'll be killed!" Spike said, his voice getting rough as he tried to inhale as little methane as he could.

"Do not worry, little man. What matters is that you and friends are safe." The Heavy said, then turned to the door. He began ramming it over and over, forming small cracks in the wood with each blow.

"Zecora, quick! (cough cough) Cast the spell!" Twilight cried, as the group held hands in the golden circle.

"Another world we shall face, transcend the bonds of time and space.
And with these realms we do connect, we shall cross the bridge we project!"

And with that, the mercenaries were left in the room, filling with their imminent, flammable demise.

But then, hope shined through. The last blow the Heavy delivered burst the door into several splinters, and the mercenaries quickly sprinted down the hall. Looking back, the Engineer figured out that a live wire sparked in the room, sending a searing blast of fire through the hall behind them.

Bursting out the exit, the RED team hit the ground as the building was incinerated from the inside, causing the glass windows to shatter and make towers of smoke roll out.

And there, they simply watched, reflecting.

They had been at war for so long. And now, it was over. They could go back home, and live their normal lives once more.

The Scout looked down to see something caught in his dogtag necklace.

A single, cyan feather.

Boom! Headshot!

The mercenaries prepared for the second robot wave. The Engie pulled Applejack aside with the robot hand, the Gunslinger.

"Alrighty, then. Time to add a little more firepower." The Engineer chuckled.

"Uh... how exactly is that going to fit onto me?" Applejack asked, unsure if a robot hand would help in addition to the two she has.

"Well, we might have to do a little trimming. Perhaps Doc can help us. We do call him 'Sawbones' for a reason." The Engie said, not looking up from the Gunslinger.

Applejack's eyes widened and clenched her wrist. "Are you suggestin' ah cut off mah hand!?" She yelled, taking a step back.

The Engineer heard AJ's distress, and looked up. She clearly wasn't on board with that idea. He looked back to the Gunslinger, and got an idea. Taking his wrench, he tapped and spun the various gears and bolts. He pulled out a few wires and servos, flattening the 'palm' of the device. He shifted the wrist cuff out, and attached metal rings to the inside of the fingers. Now, the Gunslinger looked more like a metal hand brace rather than a prosthetic hand. "This look any better?" The Engie asked, passing it to Applejack.

The girl eyed it cautiously, and slipped it over her hand, like a mechanical glove. She flexed her fingers, hearing the miniature gears whir as he moved her hand around. "Well, ah'll be..." she muttered.

The Engineer chuckled. "Alright. Take these and take a spot a little closer to the path." He said, passing Applejack his pistol and a smaller metal box. She took both and scouted ahead, setting the case down. Sure enough, the box unfolded, and opened up to reveal a smaller sentry turret. The miniature gun was smaller than the level 1 sentry, and had a small flashing light duct taped on the top. It beeped, and scanned the area, ready to fulfill its task.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

The Sniper looked through his scope, watching the gate intently. Twilight sat at his side, watching with a pair of binoculars.

"Are you sure you can make the shot? It's kinda far..." Twilight muttered.

"No worries. I can handle it." The Sniper responded. His teammates shouted in the distance, but from the Sniper's position, he couldn't really hear them. Soon, the gate creaked open, and a giant THUD shook the ground. Then another. As the robot stepped into the light, revealing itself to be a giant robot heavy carrying the bomb. And 'giant' is not an understatement. It was at least three times bigger than the flesh-and-blood Heavy, who opened fire while the Medic activated the Übercharge.

The robot Heavy also had some help. Three mecha-Medics, each one quickly restoring the robot as rockets, bullets, fire and explosions chipped away at it.

"Easy pickin's." The Sniper muttered, blasting a hole in the first mecha-Medic's head. It crumbled to the ground without the other robots noticing.

Twilight scanned the area, keeping an eye out for anything new or dangerous. "Uh... what exactly do you call yourself again?" She asked, sounding a little worried.

"A Sniper?"

"Yeah. I think one's looking this way."

The Sniper adjusted his scope on the robot. "Not anymore." He said, blasting the robot's head clean off. "See? Never doubt a profe-" Was the last word he spoke before a bullet returned fire, and hit the Sniper while he was reloading.

Twilight flinched as the Sniper's body hit the floor, dropping his rifle. She leaned close to him, looking for a heartbeat. Nothing. He was undeniably dead. Twilight peered through her binoculars, and saw the cause. Another robot Sniper that just waved, almost tauntingly.

"Come on, Twilight. You can do this." She muttered to herself, picking up the rifle. It was rather heavy for her, but managed to use her magic to aid her. She focused the sights on the nearest Mecha-Medic, and pulled the trigger. The bullet bore straight through the Medic's robot head, leaving one left on the Robo-Heavy. The other mercenaries easily killed the last Medic, but the robot was still strong. It tore through the Demoman and Spy making Spike, Derpy, and Zecora duck for cover.

The Heavy and Medic kept the giant's attention while the sentries riddled it with more bullets. As the giant grew overwhelmed, it began to fall apart, leaving a pile of scrap metal.

The Administrator spoke through the intercom overhead. "Alert! An Engineer-bot has entered the area!"

Sure enough, a metal Engineer appeared and set down the metal box, unfolding into a level 3 sentry almost instantly and blasted the Pyro and Soldier to pieces.

Rainbow Dash kept out of the line of fire, firing her pistol at the sentry, only to have the Engineer-bot repair it on the spot. The robot was shocked however, as the sentry emitted sparks by a wired device sapping the energy from the machine. It turned to repair it, only to have Rarity, hiding part of her face with a paper mask of a robot Pyro, and pointing the revolver at it's face.

"Surprise." she mused, pulling the trigger.

A horde of Scouts darted from the gates, and Zecora lept into action. She charged forward, deflecting the bullets with her shield. Her impact ran into the first Scout, the collision knocking it off balance so she could swing her sword downward, cleaving the robots head. She then spun to her right, slicing two more Scout heads clean off. As the other robots retreated from the sword-wielding girl, it was pretty obvious why. Zecora's eyes were glowing with an orange glare, and a malicious grin took over her face.

"With you, I am not done! You see, there can be only one!" She yelled, chasing after the robots. However, this lead them right into Applejack's mini-sentry, making them topple over. Pinkie Pie held Zecora back, pinning her arms to stop the sword from swinging.

"Zecora! Calm down!" She yelled, as the glow faded from Zecora's eyes. The rhyming warrior took a few deep breaths, returning to a calmer state. "I'm truly sorry, Pinkie Pie. I felt so strong, and I didn't know why."

Fluttershy looked around. The robots were nowhere to be seen, since the Scouts were blasted by the sentry. But something felt off. She heard a voice behind her and felt a hand on her shoulder. "Fluttershy?" Panicing, she turned, and rammed the Übersaw through the chest off whoever was behind her.

Her fear turned to horror and dispair, as she saw the saw piercing through Derpy Hooves' chest. Her eyes were still and her mouth agape. Fluttershy pulled the saw out, and caught her body as it grew limp and cold. "NO! Derpy! I'm sorry! Please... don't hate me..." she sobbed, letting tears flow from her eyes.

As she held her friend tight, something else happened. She heard one more sound, and could smell smoke irritate her nose. The soft body of Derpy was replaced with a cold, rigid form. Fluttershy opened her red puffy eyes, and wiped the tears. She felt a surge of surprise to see it was not Derpy she killed, but a blue robot Spy. It spasmed and its LED eyes darkened.

The real Derpy appeared at her side. "Fluttershy? What's wrong? Why would I hate you?" she asked, as her innocent voice gave no hint of distress.

"One Spy-bot remains. Take it out and we'll win!" The Administrator announced.

"Uh... no reason. We should go." Fluttershy said, wiping her face.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Twilight peered the scope of the Sniper's rifle, looking for any sign of the last Spy-bot. Nothing. She saw her friends race around. Any of them could be the Spy. But why risk it?

She pulled away from the scope to see the Scout and Rainbow Dash make their way up the perch.

"Look, there's one up here! Cough it up, girl! Are you the Spy?!" The Scout said, pointing his scattergun at her.

"Woah! You can't be serious! This is Twilight we're talking about! We can trust her." Rainbow Dash pleaded, pointing the barrel of the gun downward.

Twilight was breathing hard, and looked down toward the ground. She saw a winged girl race around her hair colored... like a rainbow. "Yo! Scout! Where are you?!" She yelled. Twilight then realized the horrible truth.

"Down there! It's the Spy!" The purple girl yelled, turning back to the Scout. But she grew even more shocked. The Rainbow Dash standing behind the Scout quickly pulled a sharp knife out, and swiftly jammed it between the Scout's shoulder blades. The mercenarie's eyes rolled back into his eyes, and dropped to the ground, exposing a bloody gash on his back.

"Rainbow!" Twilight yelled, stepping back. She tripped, sitting up at the monster before her.

In place of Rainbow Dash, was another mechanical Spy. It's bloody knife was ready in it's hands. For the first time, she heard one of the robots speak.

"I'm going to gut you like a Cornish game hen. ALL HAIL GRAY MANN!" The Spy shouted, bringing the knife down for another attack.

Luckily, Twilight pulled an odd shield that lay at her side in front of her. It was a wooden oval shape, that blocked the knife as the tip of the blade protruded from the other side. The Spy robot was then shocked with a jolt of electricity, from a pattern of wires and batteries resting in the middle of the shield. In her small window of opportunity, Twilight looked behind her, seeing the Sniper's kukri rest on the floor. She grabbed it, and sliced at the Spy's hand, sending the knife flying out the window. With a strong backhand swipe, Twilight cleaved the Spy's head.

The robot dropped, the electric hum dying down and Twilight's own heart beating rapidly.

<><><><><><><><><><>

After Twilight's impressive encounter, the Administrator smirked, and grabbed the microphone. "All robots destroyed. Well done." She said, then pressed a large red button on her chair's armrest. The RESPAWN switch. The lost mercenaries returned at the base, catching up with the rest. A second screen showed the Heavy dropping the bomb down another hole, 'disposing' of it 'properly'.

"Take another note, Miss Pauling." She said, taking another puff from her cigarette.

Her assistant quickly grabbed the pen resting on her ear, and readied her clipboard.

"I want to see the full potential of our new guests..." The Administrator chuckled, the light of the computer screens glaring in her malevolent eyes.

Epilogue

In a flash of light, and a puff of green smoke, the mercenaries were gone.

On the end point of the transport spell, the girl quickly collapsed, gagging and wheezing from the leftover methane. In the center, was the glowing hat they were given.

"Do you think they're ok?" Rarity asked as Twilight picked up the hat.

"Ah don't know. It pains me to say it, but ah think..." Applejack said, pausing as they looked around.

The room they landed in had great marble pillars, with a smooth stone floor. Stained glass windows of the sun and moon, and a golden throne near the end of the room. Naturally, a tall woman dressed in white sat on the throne, with two armored guards at her side. The woman had hair colored a pale green and light blue, that shimmered in the evening light, and a small gold tiara.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight said, as she and her friends bowed in her presence.

"Twilight Sparkle. I've been wondering where you've been these past few hours." Celestia said, standing to reveal her enormous white wings that were folded behind her.

"Hours? We've been gone for days!" Rainbow Dash cried, creating a small state of panic and confusion.

Celestia's eyes widened. "No, that can't be right. Unless..."

"We traveled to another realm. It belonged to those red guys that came here a few months ago." Twilight replied. They then began retelling the story to Celestia, catching her immediate attention at the word 'robot'.

"An interesting experience indeed. But tell me, what happened to them after you left?" Celestia inquired. Then, silence. The girls held their tongue.

"That Demo-guy said the place was going to explode." Pinkie said, solemnly.

Rainbow Dash's voice was getting a little shaky. "We didn't see it for ourselves. But we just assumed-"

"Say no more. I understand completely." Celestia said, cutting Rainbow Dash off. She then glanced at the hat. "At least they were kind enough to leave you a gift."

"They said it was the least they could do. I just feel we need to return the favor." Rarity said.

"Perhaps we should build a shrine. A monument for the heroic nine." Zecora suggested. "A spot in the Royal Archives they have earned. For the men in red that who have not returned."

Celestia smirked. "I agree. Guards, inform the artists of Canterlot." She said, and the armored guards saluted and walked out of the throne room. Celestia turned back to the group. "And you too, my students. We'll have another addition to the archives soon enough."

The princess smiled, and turned toward the horizon, watching the sun light the sky a bright red.