Power Through Deceit

Chapters

You again...
Trauma Queen
House Call
Be Polite
Be Efficent
Altered Bridge
Code Pink
Lacerated
Call to Arms
The Brighter Side
Have a plan to kill everyone you meet

You again...

Rarity opened the door to the archives, making sure she wasn't followed. It wasn't like her to be sneaky, but she couldn't help it. In her hands was a small basket filled with small gemstones, each glimmering in a different color.

She closed the door behind her, and slowly walked toward a shrine at the end of a hall. There was a small pedestal, which held a small pointed hat which glowed like a miniature sun. Behind the altar, was a small panel with nine circles formed into a circle. In each circle, was a painting of one of nine different men, with a red background, and each portrait painted in a different art style. These nine men were the RED mercenaries, good friends of the Ponyville denizens and trained warriors. Several months ago, Rarity and her friends appeared in the REDs world, helping them defend from a horde of robots. Just before the girls left to go back to Equestria, the mercenaries were supposedly killed, which led to the creation of the shrine.

Rarity stepped closer to the shrine rummaging through her basket. Being the artist herself, she felt the need to add some more flair to the shrine.

"No, too small. No, too rough." She muttered to herself, looking for the right jewel. "Aha! Here we go." she said, pulling out a palm-sized, smooth sapphire. "I really must find more of these."

She put the stone on the altar, lining up with the Medic's portrait. Rarity kept searching for another similar gem, unaware of what she just triggered.

The sapphire started to vibrate, shaking as small sparks formed between the glowing hat, only a mere inch away. As the sparks grew louder and more violent, Rarity looked up. The sparks caused the hat to tremble, and soon the whole room itself. Rarity dropped her basket as she vanished from the room completely.

<><><><><><><><><>
Stuttgart, Germany
January 14th, 1964
7:32 PM

The Medic took a long look at the specimen in front of him. On his desk was a glass jar, with small wires clamped in the lid leading to a car battery. Inside the jar, was a large insect. It was at least two inches long, with six black legs a matching thorax, bright blue compound eyes, a small horn made from it's exoskeleton, and thin translucent wings that buzzed as the bug attempted to fly out of its jar, but kept colliding with the glass. And finally, the insect sported a large stinger from its abdomen, with a sickly green liquid dripping from it.

"It's unlike any insect I've ever zeen... vhere did it come from?" The Medic thought to himself, sketching the organism on a piece of paper, writing notes whenever he could. "Zhis creature... it just appeared in my house... vhat is zhis?" he mused.

His train of thought was lost as a CLUNK rang through his home, downstairs. The Medic locked his door for the night, so something was apparent. Someone was in his home, who shouldn't be. The Medic grabbed one of his old bonesaws, and leaned out of his room.

"Wer ist da? Wo bist du?" The Medic yelled, in his native German. A small cluttering noise indicated the culprit was in his living room. He crept down the stairs, gripping the saw tight. "Zeig dich und ich werde dich nicht verletzen." he called out. The Medic turned the corner, facing the intruder.

It was a young woman, with curly purple hair in a white dress. She let out an unlady-like shreik as she was startled at the sight of the Medic's saw, and fell backward. She brushed the hair from her face, and a shocked expression appeared on her face. "You're alive!?" she asked, both confused and excited.

"Bitte?" The Medic replied, just as confused.

"But the methane! We thought that you died in the explosion!" The girl cried, standing up.

"How did you know about zhat? Vait... I remember. You're one of ze girls zhat saved us! I'm zo zorry. I didn't recognize you." The Medic said, setting his saw on the table. "Rarity, Ja?"

She nodded. "Yes... and I don't blame you. Some of us don't remember you, either. I do, however."

"Fair enough, but how did you get into my house?" The Medic asked.

Rarity began blushing. "Oh! Well, I didn't mean to. I-I just sort of appeared here after I visited your shrine back in Ponyville, and-"

"A shrine? You built a shrine of me?" he chuckled, musing over the thought of it.

"What? No! Well... I mean yes. But it's more of a memorial to you and your teammates."

"Vhy a memorial? You can see zhat I'm vell and truly alive, and I assure you ze ozzers are fine, as vell."

"We thought you died in the methane explosion. We just naturally assumed that you... didn't escape fast enough."

"If it veren't for ze Heavy, ve vould be dead. Some of us only got a few nicks und scratches from ze ordeal."

There was a short pause, and Rarity sat herself down on a chair. "So, you're a doctor, right? Shouldn't you be working at a hospital?"

The Medic sighed. "Nein. I was stripped of my medical license years ago, after von of my patients lost his entire skeleton." He then chuckled quietly. "It vas vorth a good laugh."

Rarity felt a wave of uneasiness wash over her, and stared at the Medic, concerned. "So, what are you doing instead?"

"Funny you should ask. I've been turning to ze field of biology, and-" The Medic was interrupted by a crashing noise upstairs, the sound of breaking glass. "Schiße!" he muttered, grabbing his bonesaw and rushing up the stairs. Frightened, Rarity rushed after him.

She found herself with the Medic in his study room. On the desk, the glass jar was shattered, with an eerie green liquid dripping onto the floor.

"Be very quiet." The Medic whispered. Listening closely, Rarity could hear quick, occasional buzzings from different corners of the room.

"What is it?" Rarity asked, her voiced hushed.

"It's a specimen I've been observing recently. It's small, fast, and venomous." The Medic replied.

Rarity found herself shivering at the concept of being poisoned. She glanced over her shoulder, getting a little paranoid. She looked at his notes, written in German. "What does that say?" she whispered.

"Zhis insect contains a very unique poison. Its symptoms include an unknown state of consciousness, vhere ze victims are much more susceptible to mental distress. Zhat lasts a few days. Zhen paralysis, und finally... death." The Medic read, further reinforcing Rarity's uneasiness.

"If this thing is so dangerous, why haven't you killed it?" She asked. She shook under the stress. Those symptoms sounded too familiar to Rarity.

"I don't know how many creatures like zhis zhere are. Zhat means more people could be under ze effects of ze poison. I've been attempting to brew an antidote." The Medic responded, turning his head upon hearing more buzzing. "Ve must catch zhis insect, before it escapes... or- GAAAHH!" He cried, as his hand quickly slapped the back of his neck.

The Medic collapsed to his knees, looking at his hand to find the bug splattered with a green goo. Rarity felt her heart stop for a brief moment as she could see a gash on the Medic's neck, oozing a green fluid.

The Medic then reached for a syringe that lay on his desk, but stopped short. The Medic chuckled menacingly as he stopped, and turned to Rarity.

"Must feed ze Queen..." he growled, and Rarity could see something evil in his eyes. His gentle blue irises were replaced by a sinister orange.

Rarity grabbed the syringe the Medic was reaching for, and held it out infront of her. On the needle was a strip of tape, labeled: prototype antidote

The Medic lunged toward Rarity, attempting to get a hold on her. Rarity quickly dodged, and ran out the doorway. She sprinted down the stairs, to scared to face the crazed Medic alone. She bolted out the door, running through the snowy streets of Stuttgart.

Trauma Queen

Rarity sprinted through the town's streets. She wasn't trying to reach any place in particular, but just away from the Medic would be good enough. Rarity soon ran herself to exhaustion, and hid behind a dumpster to catch her breath. Her cheeks were rosy in the cold January air and she could see her own breath. Flakes of snow landed in her hair, melting into small droplets.

"What just happened? What went wrong?" She asked herself, reflecting on her current predicament. The Medic was poisoned by the insect, driven insane, tried to subdue Rarity for Celestia-knows-why, and she ran off with an antidote. Or at least, a prototype. Why didn't she just cure the Medic when she had the chance? If she did, the Medic would have to make another antidote, which would require finding and catching another insect, and Rarity wouldn't want to risk that. Or perhaps it was just fear. And who could blame her? Rarity saw the color of insanity in his eyes, and the sound of madness in his voice. And now, he was probably hunting for her right now.

What was it he said again? "Feed the Queen"? That didn't sound good. Was the Medic truly insane from the poison? Or was he under something much worse?

"I have to help him. I can't just let him run around like a madman." Rarity thought. It was then a horrible realization struck her. "That poison... did he say it kills the victim after a couple days?! Oh, no, this is worse than I thought! I have to get to Twilight right away!" She said to herself. Being able to cast magic, Rarity attempted a transport spell. She focused her energy on the shrine in the archives, imagining herself infront of it as she shut her eyes. She quickly felt her body growing colder as she poured the most magic she could into the spell. She wasn't as good as Twilight, but she was trying the very best. She exerted more energy, feeling herself fade from this world back to Equestria. Before completely vanishing from Stuttgart, she could hear someone speak in her mind.

"Kommen aus kleinen Mädchen. Komm raus und spielen." It was the Medic, his voice resonating amongst her thoughts. As she opened her eyes again, she found herself laying on the floor of the archives, with the syringe still in her hands. She then left in a hurry.

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

It was a perfect day for resting in the sunlight. Then again, any day's good enough to rest in the sun if you're Rainbow Dash. The pegasus-girl had it pretty easy. Wonderful friends, excellent weather 24/7, and currently being the self-proclaimed 'Fastest Flyer in Equestria'. And yet, Rainbow Dash felt a little discouraged.

Ever since she returned to Equestria, aiding in defeating a giant robot horde, she kept looking down on herself for letting nine kind and brilliant men get themselves incinerated in a fiery burst of methane.

"They could've come with us. They could've stayed here and become members of Ponyville. Why did I just let myself part with Scout and let him die instead of saving him? We could've saved all of them!" Rainbow Dash thought. Then another thought struck her. Why did she instantly think of Scout? She rapidly shook her head, wondering what to make of it. "Ugh... Why am I thinking about this? He's gone. I can't do anything about it." She reminded herself.

Her gaze into the bright blue sky was broken as she heard hurried footsteps rush on the ground below her. She glanced down, and saw Rarity rushing toward Ponyville, with a basket of gems and an odd syringe in her hands. Rainbow Dash drifted down to the ground, landing in front of Rarity.

"'Sup, Rare? What's the rush?" She asked nonchalantly as she landed next to her friend.

"Rainbow! Thank Celestia I found you! It's urgent! The Medic's gone insa-" Rarity replied, but was cut off.

"Wait. The Medic?! He's alive?!"

"Yes, and worse! He was bitten by a-"

"What about the others?! Are they ok?!"

"Well, yes, I think so... but you have to listen, I nearly got pois-"

"How did you get there? Is there a ay to reach them?"

"Rainbow Dash! Will you listen for one second!? Lives are at stake!" Rarity shouted, shaking Rainbow by the shoulders.

"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry! Tell me everything. From the beginning." Rainbow apologized.

"Well, I was going to add on to their shrine...-"

-a short while later-

"-and so I used my magic to teleport back here... and I heard his voice again." Rarity said, finishing her entire story.

"Wow." Rainbow replied, scratching her chin. "That's some pretty heavy stuff."

"Indeed. That's why I have to get this to Twilight right away." Rarity added, holding up the syringe. "If anyone knows more about potions and poisons, it's her."

"Well, don't forget Zecora."

"That's Plan B. For know, go tell the others to avoid the shrine. Can't risk any more... infections." Rarity shuddered, then left for the library.

Rainbow Dash looked around. As Rarity walked out of view, she took off for the shrine itself.

House Call

Rarity stepped into Twilight Sparkle's library, her thoughts calmer and more collected. She opened the door, ready to calmly explain the situation to Twilight.

"Twilight, I need your help. It's extre- OH SWEET MOTHER OF FAUST!" Rarity cried, looking at what was happening in front of her.

Laying on the floor, and thrashing about, was Applejack, tied up with her own lasso. Twilight helped pin her down as Applejack snarled, her hair unkempt and her voice deep with rage.

"Ah'm gonna kill ya! I'll tear yah ta shreds and feed ya to the queen!" She shouted, growling a dark voice far too familiar with Rarity. It got even worse when Rarity noticed her eyes were colored an eerie bright orange, and the sides of her eyes were black, like Applejack was a mere shell, and her eyes were flaking, revealing a new charcoal black skin underneath.

"Rarity! Thank Celestia your'e here!" Twilight cried, struggling to contain her crazed friend. "Applejack just burst in a while ago, yelling about some queen! I'm holding her the best I can, but I don't know what to do!"

Rarity looked down in her hands. She had a perfect opportunity to test the prototype antidote, but her friend was at risk. She leaned down, holding Applejack's shoulder. "Please forgive me." She whispered, poking the needle into Applejack's arm. The cowgirl let out a pained yelp as Rarity slowly pushed the syringe, pumping in a little of the purple liquid inside. Applejack stopped thrashing, and her eyes healed to normal.

Rarity pulled out the needle, and looked down at Applejack. "Are you alright?" she asked.

The orange girl took a few deep breathes. "Ah am... but what happened to me?" she asked, looking at her shaking hands as Twilight loosened the rope. "Ah felt so ....angry and vicious."

"You were poisoned." Rarity said, grabbing their attention. "If I hadn't helped you, you wouldn't have made it."

"What?! How do ya know that?" Applejack cried.

"Yea... and how did you get that?" Twilight Sparkle asked, pointing toward the syringe.

Rarity sighed. "It's a long story. But I guess it's worth telling."

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

Deep in a mountain's tunnel, a black insect buzzed through the cavern toward a dimly lit throne, woven from a silk-like substance. The walls were lined with small holes, and loose threads of white webbing hung from the ceiling. Sitting on the throne was a woman, a very sickly one. Her lips were black and her eyes were pale, along with a withered face shrouded behind teal, wispy hair. Two black gnarled horns protruded from her forehead, resting under a tiara made from an ebony-like material. The woman had a thin, malnourished body, with very little muscle or fat to be seen. Small black thorns lined her forearms, and her bony fingers sported long, black painted nails.

The woman wore a black dress, which was tattered and filled with holes near the bottom. She sat there, looking like she hadn't eaten or slept in eons. She rose her head to the bug, and turned her palm for it to land. "Ah... my little courier." She hissed in a raspy voice. The insect's wings began to vibrate, letting a green gas fume out. The woman took a deep breath through her nose, and exhaled as her flesh regenerated, her wrinkles vanishing slightly, and muscle returning to her arms and torso.

"A new life essence... one of a trained killer. This certainly is new. Oh, I must have more of this." She said, her voice regaining youth and smoothness. she brushed the hair from her eyes, a green color appearing in her irises. She slowly stood, having the insect buzz away, and as she stood, a pair of green, translucent insect wings unfolded behind her. A few more insects crawled from the crevices in the wall, and followed the first bug to fly out of the cavern. Sitting behind her throne was a green egg-like pod. A crack appeared in it's surface, as a black, clammy hand reached out. The woman began to chuckle as she turned to the hatching pod.

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

Rainbow Dash snuck up to the altar. She was well aware of Rarity's warning, and the risk of becoming infected by a lethal, seemingly incurable disease. But she just wanted to see Scout, and she wasn't herself sure why. Even if she was sure, she quickly snuffed the idea from her mind. But first, she had to get to him.

"Rarity told me she put the stone by the Medic's picture, and then she appeared in his world. So, if this works right..." Rainbow Dash thought, moving the sapphire toward The Scout's picture, and waited. For a few long seconds, nothing happened.

"Great. It's a dud. So much for-" Rainbow thought, before the sapphire began shaking and sparking. Small bolts of electricity formed between the stone and the hat, and before Rainbow could react any further, she was gone in a flash of light.

Be Polite

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Rainbow Dash found herself in a state of shock. Walking or flying was one thing. Twisting the very laws of time and space to get around was another. For Rainbow Dash, it was... nauseating at best. She looked up, getting a look around. A dark city alleyway in the evening. "I guess Ponyville has a different way of passing time." Rainbow Dash thought. She looked around, trying to get a clue as to where she might find Scout. Instead, she heard a rattling and muttering in the dumpster behind her.

"Stout shako... two refined..." a voice mumbled in the dumpster.

Rainbow Dash slowly tip-toed toward the dumpster, leaning closer to it.

"Three keys... vintage trophy belt..."

Rainbow Dash recognized the crazed rambling of the voice inside. She slowly creaked open the dumpsters lid. Inside was the Soldier, hunched over a small laptop and surrounded by pieces of metal, keys, a frying pan, and a few hats laying around. As he turned up to Rainbow Dash, a small spigot of anger opened up.

"YOU! You're one of those no-good hat-thieves that cost me that unusual!" He barked, standing up in the dumpster. His eyes were bagged and blood shot, and he reeked of not showering for days. He sported a five-o-clock shadow, and his uniform was stained with smears of barbecue sauce and other garbage. "Back off, or I'll fire!" He threatened, pulling out a makeshift rocket launcher from pipes and metal tubing. It didn't look very serious, but better safe than sorry.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I don't want any trouble..." Rainbow Dash said, backing away from the Soldier.

"You don't? Well, that's good. I don't have any ammo left." The Soldier said, shrugging as he tossed the launcher aside.

"Then why did you threaten to shoot me!?"

"I dunno. I just can't risk you stealing my hats again! Ever since you took my unusual, I've spent all my time trading for one. Look! I got eight refined metal and four keys!" He said, pulling out a giant pile of metal and keys.

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Whatever. Have you seen Scout around?"

"Scout? Oh, yeah! I remember him. With the shooting and the bleeding... good times. He lives in the apartment building over there." The Soldier said, pointing to a brick building across the street.

"Thanks. Rainbow Dash said, walking away. She could hear the Soldier pop back into his dumpster and resume obsessing over metal and hats.

Rainbow Dash approached the apartment, and the door was pushed open, followed by the Scout, in a sweatshirt and running shoes. Rainbow Dash, happy to see Scout alive and well, first punched him in the arm as he passed her.

"OW! What the-"

"That was for making me think you were dead!" She yelled. Then, she just pulled him into a deep hug. "This is for proving me wrong." She said, but as she pulled away, the Scout had a shocked and confused look.

"Lady, you got it all wrong. I ne-... Dash?" he said, his eyes widening before tears started to leak out.

"Yea... are you cryin' again? Just like we first met?" Rainbow teased, nudging him with her elbow.

"No... It's just something about rainbows... they just.."

"Alright, alright, spare me the waterworks."

"How did you even get here?" Scout, asked, drying his eyes.

"Well, I found out my friend Rarity accidentally got in the world and found the Medic. Then, she got back, told me about it, and here I am!" Rainbow boasted, crossing her arms.

"OK... now why are you here?"

Rainbow Dash blushed. "Well... um... I." She stammered.

"Come on, Rainbow, think! Distract him." Her inner voice chimed.

"Oh! Something awful! When Rarity got back, she said the Medic's gone insane after this weird bug bit him! If we don't act soon, he'll die!" Rainbow cried.

"Are you serious?!" The Scout said in disbelief.

"Yeah! I think Rarity said she had an antidote back in Ponyville. We should probably get back there before you get poisoned too."

"How?" The Scout asked, bringing Rainbow Dash's momentum to a stop.

"Well, Rarity got back using her magic, so-..." Rainbow said, stopping short.

"You can't use magic, can you?" Scout muttered.

"Nope."

"So now you're stuck here till' someone else can pull you out?

"Yup." Rainbow Dash groaned.

The night sky above them began to turn a dull, dark gray, the clouds churning above them. "Come on. It's gonna rain. We'll think of something." The Scout said, leading Rainbow Dash inside.

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

"Land sakes! You mean to tell us the Medic's in trouble!?" Applejack said, shuddering under the thought that she too could have suffered the same fate.

"I'm afraid so. And I fear more are at risk. We need to make more of this antidote as fast as possible."

"We need to tell the others to avoid the shrine. We can't risk anyone else going mad." Twilight Sparkle suggested, flipping through the pages of a book, as usual.

"No need. I've already told Rainbow Dash to do so. She should be here in-" Rarity said, but was interrupted as a girl in yellow burst through the door.

"Getitawaygetitawaygetitaway!" She whimpered, shielding herself with her friends.

"Fluttershy, what in Equestria is wrong with you?!" Applejack asked.

Pinkie Pie the appeared in the door. "Hey guys! Wanna say 'hi' to Mr. Buzzy?" She asked, holding something behind her back.

"'Mr. Buzzy?' Pinkie, what are you talking about? You didn't adopt another buzzard, did you?" Twilight asked, trying to psuh Fluttershy away.

"Nope! Even better! Take a look!" Pinkie cheered, showing what she was hiding. It was a jar, with a vicious black inside.

Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy nearly jumped out of their skin. "Pinkie! Get away from that!" Rarity said, her face turning a sickly pale.

"Oh, no... not that again! Anything but that!" Applejack shouted, backing away like her other friends.

"What's wrong? I think it's cute!" Pinkie cheered, holding the jar up to her face.

Twilight grabbed the jar, and set it in a chest. She stacked a heavy encyclopedia set on the jar's lid, and shut the chest, locking it and tucking the key in her pocket.

"Pinkie, do you even know what that thing is?! It bit Applejack, and drove her insane!" Twilight yelled, causing Pinkie's smile to damper.

"What do you mean? What exactly is it?" The pink girl asked, as Applejack and Fluttershy calmed down.

Applejack glanced at Rarity. "Tell 'em, sugarcube."

"Again with the story? I've already told it twice." Rarity sighed, exasperated.

"Ooooh! Storytime!" Pinkie cheered, inexplicably pulling a tub of popcorn from nowhere.

"Fine..." Rarity grumbled.

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

Stuttgart, Germany.

The Medic walked into the airport, wearing a scarf to hide the gash on his neck, and a black Tyrollean hat, and a dark trenchcoat.

"Ich bin hier für den Flug nach Paris, Frankreich..." He said to the airport attendant, smirking with his orange irises.

Be Efficent

"For the tenth time, Pinkie! The Medic will die in a few days if we don't make more of this antidote!" Rarity groaned, after explaining the situation nine extra times to Pinkie Pie.

"I don't get it." Pinkie said, with a oblivious smile on her face.

"Never mind... let's round up Rainbow Dash and get to Zecora." Applejack said, frustrated with her pink friend's failure to grasp the seriousness of the issue.

"Right." Rarity concurred. "Has anyone seen Rainbow Dash around? I thought she would be here after telling everyone to avoid the shrine."

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie exchanged concerned glances. "Um... we didn't see Rainbow yet. Or, all day for that matter."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "I told her to warn everyone. She should be here by now."

"Unless she went somewhere else. She could've gotten lost or stuck." Twilight said, checking on the black insect sealed in the trunk. It still buzzed around, violently lashing its mandibles out.

"Please. Rainbow Dash's as tough as nails. She wouldn't get stuck, and she knows Ponyville like the back of her hand. No way this could be an accident..." Applejack muttered.

"Well, the only way she would avoid us is if..." Rarity said, her eyes suddenly widening. "Grrr.... that girl's going to be the death of us. She's gone over to their world!" Rarity grumbled uniting her face with the palm of her fand in a standard custom of disapproval.

"She what?! She could get poisoned!" Twilight cried. "Does she realize she can't get back without magic?!"

" 'pparrently not. She's stubborn as a mule..." Applejack muttered.

"Well, then we have to go after her! We can't let her get bitten by one of those nasty things!" Fluttershy said.

"Strategy time!" Pinkie cheered, pulling out a big map in front of her, and rolling it out on the floor. But it wasn't any regular map. The continents and oceans didn't match Equestria's. There were words written on the map, naming the landmasses and the water.

"Pinkie, where did you get this map? This isn't Equestria." Twilight said, inspecting the names.

"Nope! This is were those red guys came from! It's called... earth." Pinkie said, adding drama to her last word. "I found it in the archives!"

"And you've been carryin' around all this time?" Applejack asked, but Pinkie just shrugged.

"Earth, huh? Guess it makes sense." Applejack muttered. "So this is their home. If it's as big as Equestria, then how are we 'posed to find eight of them, before the Medic gets there first?"

"Well, when I used the shrine, it worked as some sort of dial." Rarity explained. "I pointed the stone at the Medic, and it sent me to him. Seemed simple enough."

"A little too coincidental." Twilight mumbled.

"Who comes up with this stuff?" Pinkie said, turning her head.

"Anyway, I should probably go look for Rainbow Dash. At least I'll have enough magic to bring the both of us back." Twilight continued, staring at the map. "But where do we go? Where do we look for her?"

"I'll go too." Rarity suggested. "We could spread out."

Applejack picked up the syringe. "Well, ah'm gonna get this to Zecora. See if'n she could make more."

"Fair enough." Twilight nodded, and then looked up to the second floor of her library. "Spike!" she called.

The green-haired boy looked down the stairs. "What is it, Twilight? I was dreaming." He said, groggily.

Twilight tossed him the chest key. "See this box? Make sure nothing gets in or out of it. Got it?" She said, sternly.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Spike said, receding away from the stairs.

"Woo! Search party! I like parties!" Pinkie cheered, bounding out the door without rhyme or reason.

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

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

The Scout closed the door, as the rain poured down in buckets in a matter of minutes. Rainbow Dash shook her cyan wings, each feather dripping.

"You know, back in Ponyville, we could control the rain." Rainbow muttered, shaking her colorful head as well.

"That sounds nice... hope you don't mind, but I don't live alone here." The Scout whispered.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Who else is here? You're siblings? Your girlfriend?" She asked.

"Not exactly."

A new voice sounded from another room. "Scout, honey? You home? I made extra casserole!" An older woman's voice, sharing the same thick Boston accent.

"Comin', Ma!" Scout replied. "I, uh... got someone here. Mind if she stays for a bit?"

Rainbow Dash felt a surge of confusion. "He lives with his mom?!" She thought, trying to fight back a smirk.

A woman (apparently Scout's mother,) stuck her head out of the kitchen. Her eyes widened from her first look at Rainbow Dash. "She has wings." She pointed out.

"Uh... yeah. Ma, this is... um, Rene... Dashiell." He said, giving the girl an alias.

"What are you-" she muttered, but Scout flashed her a serious look. "Uh, of course! Nice to meet you, miss!" She replied cheerfully.

Scout's mother was still in disbelief. "Wings." She mumbled again.

"Alright, Ma. Rene's a little... different. But she's a nice person. At least let her stay for a while." Scout asked.

His mother blinked a few times, recomposing herself. "Sure. Anything for a friend of Scout's." She said cautiously, heading back into the kitchen. "Dinner's ready, by the way."

As Scout's mother stepped out of view, both Scout and Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. "That was close." Scout muttered under his breath.

Rainbow Dash scowled in her mind. She couldn't belief she was given such a stupid name. But it wasn't too far off. At least 'Rene Dashiell' and 'Rainbow Dash' sounded pretty similar. She should be glad she didn't have something worse. First impressions, apparently.

Scout and his mother sat down at the table, and Rainbow Dash followed, sitting in front of a plate full of... something.

"Did she call this casserole? This doesn't look anything like what my mom made." She said to herself. She looked up at Scout, who was casually devouring it by the spoonful. Simply magnificent. Rainbow Dash scooped up a small mound of the foodstuffs, and cautiously swallowed it. "Not bad. Could use some salt. A lot more." She mused.

"So, Rene... interesting tattoo ya got there." Scout's mother said, breaking the silence. Rainbow Dash looked at her bicep, which sported her rainbow-lightning cutie mark.

"Uh, thanks." Rainbow replied. "I don't see any cutie marks on their arms..." She wondered. "Are they born without them?"

"I would have thought rainbows were more suited to... more younger girls than yourself. Tattoos and hair dye, however..." Scout's mother continued.

"She thinks all this fake!" Rainbow concluded, the epiphany coming to her rather quickly. "Well, yeah. I kinda-"

"Oh, no. Say no more." Scout's mother interrupted. "I understand completely. Daddy problems, am I right?" she chuckled softly.

Rainbow Dash's face turned bright red, and she slammed her spoon on the table. The Scout looked up as she fumed out of the room.

"Geez, Ma! Cut her some slack!" Scout cried, standing up to follow her.

"I'm sorry! Sheesh, you never get that upset. Not even about your new step-father." His mother responded.

"RRRGGH! Stop talking about that back-stabbin' scumbag!" He shouted, storming out in the same fashion.

"I stand corrected..." She muttered.

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

Paris, France.

The Medic stepped up the stairs of the apartment, soon reaching the roof. The evening light cast an orange glow on Paris, and the suited man looking over the city's houses. He turned, seeing the Medic. A warm smile formed on his face, which was obstructed by a ski mask.

"Ah, bonjour, my brozher in arms. What brings you to Paris?" He said.

"You. I'm here for you, Zpy." The Medic growled, walking toward the Spy.

"I beg your pardon? What would I have zhat you need?" The Spy said.

The Medic quickly lashed his hand out, tightly gripping the Spy's throat. "I do not need you. Ze Queen does." The Medic chuckled, glaring at the Spy with his eyes, which began to accumulate a dark 'cracking' texture.

The Spy could barely choke out his protest as the Medic held up a syringe, filled with an orange liquid.

Altered Bridge

Applejack had been through the Everfree forest numerous times, growing less afraid of it every time. She was terrified of the forest before, and the sole person who lives there, the rhyming herbalist Zecora. Applejack approached Zecora's house, knocking on the door.

A few seconds later, Zecora opened the door with a charming smile. "Ah, hello young Applejack. What brings you by my forest shack?" She asked, welcoming her inside.

"Howdy, Zecora. We need you to create more of an elixir for us." Applejack said, showing Zecora the syringe. There was still antidote inside, but less since Rarity cured Applejack. "You can do that, right?"

Zecora blinked, and eyed the strange purple liquid. "Crafting some potions is easy, even for one like you. Replicating is harder to do." She said. "But there is something that I wish to ask. Why are you so interested in this task?"

Applejack sighed. "It's a long story. Basically, those mercenaries are alive, and one of them's infected with somethin' nasty. This here's the antidote. We wanna make more to cure anyone we can." She explained.

Zecora's eyes widened at the mention of the mercenaries. "So they are alive and well? I suppose I could try, from what you tell." She said, pulling up a small cauldron.

"Thanks, Zecora. Mighty fine, havin' ya help out." Applejack said, watching Zecora hard at work. The herbalist quickly gathered a myriad of ingredients, fine powders, several swirled liquids, and small jars and pouches of leaves and petals.

Zecora started grinding leaves, dissolving powders in mixtures, and creating a second brew. Then, Zecora took the syringe, and gently pushed a small purple drop of the antidote into the new mixture. The two compounds reacted almost instantly, creating a second bucket full of the antidote.

Applejack smiled. "Land sakes! That's amazing!" She said.

Zecora proudly grinned. "You're quite welcome, my friend. The sickness this potion will surely mend."

As Applejack picked up the cauldron, she noticed the liquid bubbling and swirling on its own. "Uh... Zecora? Is it supposed to to that?" She asked.

Before she could be answered, a gooey shape similar to a human hand erupted from the pot, and flailed in the air. It was nearly human, but seemed to be completely made from goo. Shocked, Applejack shrieked dropped the cauldron, backing into a corner. The cauldron spilled onto its side, and used the arm to pull itself toward Applejack.

Zecora quickly intervened, grabbing a cloth sack and sprinkling a red powder on the slimy hand. The appendage froze, and went limp, before Zecora picked the cauldron back up and the hand melted into a potion once more.

"What in Sam Hill was that?!" Applejack said as she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

"My sincerest apologies. I'm afraid I used to many Slydek Berries." Zecora said, handing the cauldron and syringe to Applejack, still shaken from the incident. Zecora then handed Applejack her small powder pouch. "There's no telling when it'll lose control. Use this to keep the potion whole."

"Thanks, Zecora. I just hope this doesn't backfire on me." The cowgirl muttered. The jungle mystic nodded, and Applejack carefully carried the vat back to Twilight's library.

Applejack pushed the door open, setting the new antidote "Howdy, Spike. How's that bug watchin' goin'?" she asked.

Spike, however, was laying in his bed, and peaked down the staircase as Applejack called to him. "Bug watching? Oh, right. That's fine. Nothin's leaving my sights." He nonchalantly said.

Applejack didn't buy it. "You didn't get distracted, did ya?" She asked skeptically.

"Of course not! I was keeping an eye on it the whole time!" Spike said. "See, I still have the key." he said, waving it.

Applejack walked up the stairs, and took the key from him. "Did ya actually use the key?"

"Well... you bet I did." Spike said nervously.

Applejack fit the key in the lock, and popped open the chest Twilight sealed the bug in. The stack of books was still there, so Applejack shifted them off, and gasped. It was just a hole. A hole that bore straight through the glass jar, through the bottom of the chest, and even burrowing through the wall itself! The gap was about an inch in diameter, and the edges dripped of a green, sizzling substance.

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

Bee Cave, Texas, U.S.A.

Rarity and Fluttershy found themselves in a dark room. The sounds of crickets chirping sounded in the air, along with a draft and the smell of meat grilling.

"Where are we? Is that... animals being cooked!?" Fluttershy squeaked, the mere thought of an animals being roasted over a fire frightening her.

"Relax, Fluttershy. I'm sure there's an explanation. Let's just find a way out of here, first." Rarity said, patting the wooden walls for any sort of opening. She found one, and pressed it open, letting some light into the room. It was a tool shed, filled with metal pieces and equipment.

On the outside, Rarity was a little surprised to see where they ended up. She saw a vast field, stretching on for a while. The sun was setting, leaving one half of the sky a dim orange and the other, a deep purple, twinkling with the stars overhead. They had emerged from a wooden shack, in the backyard of a small, wide house. Between the shack and the house, was a fireplace. A large fire was in place, its orange wisps crackling against a large piece of meat, rotating on a metal rod. But there was one thing Rarity hadn't noticed until now. A guitar. An acoustic guitar playing a gentle, southern song.

The owner of the guitar was a man sitting in a lawn chair in front of the fireplace. He was just casually strumming it, not even needing to look down at the strings as a wide cowboy hat brimmed over his eyes.

Fluttershy managed to speak up. "Uh... mister?" she said softly. The man stopped playing and looked up.

"Well, Ah'll be a monkey's uncle! Ah remember you!" He said, a wide grin on his face. "Yur them gals that helped out with them robots! What brings y'all 'round here?" He said.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Hello, mister, uh... Engineer. Aren't you curious as to how we got here?"

"Nope." He said bluntly. "Ah aint surprised, with all that magic y'all be usin'. And by the way, call me Dell."

"Um, mister Dell, what exactly are cooking there?" Fluttershy whimpered, pointing toward the large hunk of meat.

Dell smiled. "Heh. Ain't it purty? That there is the tenderest chunk of cow I ever did see. Slathered in barbecue sauce, and slow roasted to medium-well. Care for a bite?" He offered.

Fluttershy whimpered, and shook her head. "No thank you. I'm a vegetarian." she finally said.

Dell's smile faded into a blank expression. "Oh. Well then." He said.

"As am I. We don't really kill animals for food in Ponyville." Rarity added.

"Ah, well. More for me." Dell said. "Now, why are you two here again?"

"We're looking for Rainbow Dash. We think she came to Earth, and we have to get her back." Fluttershy, trying her best not to look at the roasting beef.

"Rainbow Dash, eh? That's that gal with the colored hair, right?" Dell said, resuming to strum his guitar. "I reckon I heard the Scout mention her before we all went out separate ways. Sumthin' about remembering each other. Ah didn't really listen. Why're ya trying to get her back? She misbehavin' or what?"

"Actually, we're trying to protect her." Fluttershy muttered.

"From what?"

Rarity took a deep breath. "From the same virus that drove the Medic insane."

Dell stopped strumming. "Sawbones? Ah always knew he was a little off."

"It's worse than that. He tried to kill me. Or... something worse." Rarity whimpered, which got Dell's full attention.

"He what?! Sawbones wouldn't kill anyone! Well, maybe those damn BLUs back in the war, but that's different! Why would he try an hurt a gal like you?"

"I don't know. His eyes were orange and he said something about feeding a queen... I was just so scared. But we have an antidote! If we can cure the Medic before he dies, we can make all this right." Rarity said hopefully.

"What?! You didn't say Sawbones was gonna die!" Dell shouted.

"Uh... yea. It's part of the poison. We have to act fast. The quicker we find the Medic, the sooner we can end this."

"Well, Rarity, what if one of those bugs poisoned someone else? Or... what if he infected somebody?" Fluttershy asked.

"Look, I wanna help you gals. Ah cant let one of mah teammates die on mah watch." The Engineer said, setting his guitar down. "Take me back to Equestria. I'll help you, ah promise."

Rarity sighed. "Alright. Perhaps Twilight has had better luck than we did." She said, motioning Fluttershy and Dell closer. She shut her eyes, and visualized Ponyville. A bright light started to glow near her forehead, and soon, the three of them were gone in a flash.

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

Boston, M.A., U.S.A.

Rainbow Dash felt her blood chill as the dark winged figure glared at them from the building's corner. Scout tugged at her arm. "Dash, we gotta go! Now!" he yelled, sprinting down the alleyway with Rainbow Dash short behind.

"What the hay is that thing!?" She asked frantically.

"You remember that one guy of our team? The one who likes to set things on fire?" He asked.

"You don't mean-?!"

"Yeah... that's the Pyro!" Scout said, and everything came back to Rainbow Dash. Her fellow pegasus-friend, Derpy Hooves worked alongside the Pyro, and often referred to him as "Smokey". But know, as Rainbow Dash glanced back, she regretted it.

The Pyro was chasing after then, his eyes and hands glowing a dim orange with fire, despite the harsh rain. Even the wing-like parts on his back were colored a bright reddish orange, as waves of heat emanated. His gas mask had changed as well, with a white mask over his face, and colored like a skull.

"What's with those wings?! He can't actually fly with those, can he?!" Rainbow asked, as they continued to dart through the alleys.

Scout turned back, but the Pyro wasn't there, instead, he was high in the air, a flash of lightning crashing behind him. "Uh.... he can now!" He said, as the Pyro streaked toward them at a downward angle. He collided with Scout, causing him to trip and slide on the ground. The Pyro had one hand grasping the Scout's neck, and the other, was set ablaze in a ball of fire.

"The guilty shall burn..." A eerie, deep voice said, coming from the Pyro.

Code Pink

The Scout gagged under the Pyro's choke hold. He stared into the ghastly eyes of the Pyro's mask, which beamed their orange light of hatred and madness. The Pyro clenched his other hand, enveloping his knuckles in a fireball. He reared it back, ready to strike.

But in a blur of cyan and orange, The Pyro was launched off the Scout and smashed into the building next to them. Scout hopped to his feet, to see Rainbow Dash infront of him, panting heavily. "Don't. Touch. Him!" She growled, taking a fighting stance. The Scout grabbed a lead pipe lying near a trash can, ready to face the corrupted Pyro.

The Pyro stood after he collided with the wall, and stared at the two. "Fools. If the Queen can't have you, I'll burn you myself!" He roared, charging at them with fists ablaze.

The Scout swung his pipe, which the Pyro caught in mid-swing, and pulled his other fist back. The Scout shot his knee right up to the Pyro's chin, causing him to let go of the pipe so Scout could easily hit the Pyro in the side of the head with a loud, hollow Boink!

With the Pyro off balance, Rainbow Dash landed next to him and dropped on one knee, and spun with her other leg to sweep the Pyro off his feet. The Scout jumped over the Pyro, arcing the pipe over his head. The Pyro raised his hands, redirecting the Scout over him with a spherical burst of air. Surprised, the Scout tumbled over the Pyro, rolling onto the concrete.

Rainbow Dash leaped into the air, using her wings to soar high above the Pyro, and rocketed down in an attempt to slam her feet down on the Pyro, who was already standing and shot out a streak of fire. Rainbow Dash swerved out of the way of the flame, the edge of her wing being barely singed. Undeterred, she rushed back at him, with the Scout behind the Pyro, readying an ambush.

"Enough!" The Pyro shouted, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the throat, halting her momentum. The Pyro turned, and catching Scout by his neck with his other hand, making him drop the pipe. Strangely, the Pyro was strong enough to lift each of them in the air with a single had, and hold his grip enough to keep them restrained.

"I will not have you stall any longer! The Queen wont need you anyway, she'll be strong enough. Now BURN!" He yelled, his hands glowing a searing orange.

"AAaahh!" Rainbow Dash shrieked, her neck burning under the Pyro's grip. The rain falling on them didn't help at all, her throat kept blistering under the intense agony. Withstanding the pain was impossible. Screaming was horrible on its own accord, and staying conscious was an ordeal. She could see embers dripping from the Pyro's fingers, like molten metal. What really set her over the edge, was seeing Scout. His eyes were streaked with tears of pain and bloodshot from the smoke irritation. He was clawing at the Pyro's hands, like an animal's vain attempt to free itself from a trap.

But the worst part was his screams. He kept yelling as his larynx was getting incinerated, each shout becoming more agonizing. The horror of hearing Scout under so much pain along with Rainbow Dash experiencing the same torture was just too much. Every second that passed was like an hour of non-stop torment She just wanted it all to stop.

Finally, Rainbow Dash got her wish. The Pyro released his grip, sending both of them to the ground as they gasped and held their throats in pain. The reason for the Pyro's sudden release, was due to a burst of confetti and streamers blowing him far down the alley. The source of the blast was none other than the marvelous contraption known as Pinkie Pie's Party Cannon.

"Nice try, Smokey!" The owner of the cannon bellowed. Pinkie Pie stood on the large barrel, admiring her handiwork. Twilight Sparkle, however, rushed up to Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow! What happened?! Are you okay!?" she cried.

Rainbow dash only wheezed and sputtered as tears rolled from her eyes and she struggled to choke out a single audible word. The moment, however, was broken as the Pyro stood back up.

"You are only delaying the inevitable. I'll make short work of you all." The Pyromaniac growled, his hands igniting once more. Twilight pulled Rainbow Dash and Scout back, as Pinkie readied another round of party ammunition.

"I don't think so, mister! Now, Twilight!" Pinkie said, firing another, lighter shower of confetti.

While the Pyro's vision was obscured with the colorful bits of paper, Twilight was able to form a cube of solid purple energy around the Pyro. Surprised, the fiery demon pounded his flaming fists against the cage. The only result was the container shrinking, and restricting the Pyro's space. "Damn you! Damn you all!" he shouted, pounding harder against the magic wall.

Twilight smirked as she saw the Pyro was completely incapacitated. She sighed as she knew what this meant. "So, he's infected too, huh?" she muttered. The Scout winced as he nodded.

"What are we gonna do with them? They look pretty hurt." Pinkie said, moving Rainbow Dash's hands to see her neck, a dark red color where the Pyro grasped them.

"We'll take them back to Equestria. The nurses in Canterlot will fix them right up." Twilight said, then turned to the Pyro. "As for him, We'll keep him around for questioning."

With four extra passengers, Twilight summoned whatever magic she could and transported them back to the archives.

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

The Archives, Canterlot, Equestria

Twilight dropped onto the floor of the archives, struggling not to let her magic drop and release the Pyro. Pinkie helped Scout and Rainbow Dash stand, who seemed to be faring better.

"Are you guys alright?" Pinkie asked. The Scout opened his mouth to respond, but cringed as he let out a pained HHCCKK! "Oh. So I guess talking's out of the question." Pinkie said.

"Take it easy, you guys." Twilight said. "We'll get this all sorted out."

"Then start sorting." A voice said behind him. There were two people standing in the archive's doorway. One was a beautiful, winged woman wearing a pink dress and tiara. The other was a tall man wearing a red coat, with familiar purple hair.

"Shining Armor! I'm so glad to see you again!" Twilight said. "We're in some deep trouble here."

"We're well aware. You're friend Rarity explained everything." The woman said, then curiously looked at the Scout and Pyro. "Who's this? More of your friends?"

"Actually, Candace, we gotta keep this one locked up." Pinkie said. "Be careful, he can get a little... hot-headed." She said, as Shining Armor created a new cube around the Pyro, letting Twilight relax.

"Noted. I'll take care of this one." Shining Armor said, carrying the Pyro's prison out of the room.

"Anyway, let's get you to your friends. They have something pretty important to tell you." Candace said, leading the other four out.

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

The woman glanced out the cave, smiling widely.

"Now, we are ready." She said, chuckling. She turned to the five infected mercenaries. "You said there were nine of you, right?"

"да. Does not matter. Scout is puny coward." The largest one rumbled.

"The Engineer's useless without his bloody machines." Another said, blinking his single orange eye.

"And that Soldier's daft in the head. We're all ya need." A third mercenarie muttered, plucking the string to his bow.

"Maybe so." The Queen said to herself. "That still leaves one more. What was his name? The Pyromancer? I believe he's gotten himself caught by that meddlesome prince I hypnotized all those years ago. We'll start our attack, and free him in the process." She then turned to the mercenaries. "Ready yourselves with the drones. We've got a castle to storm."

"Jawohl. Ve vill not fail you, mein queen." The Medic chuckled.

Lacerated

Twilight brought Scout and Rainbow Dash into her library, where Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and the Engineer had gathered. They were surprised to see another mercenary in their company.

"What exactly is going on here?" Twilight asked, and finally, Applejack and Spike stepped into the room.

"The problem is that someone wasn't doin' their job!" The cowgirl said, scowling at a nervous Spike. She then held out the jar, with a large hole melted in the side.

"The bug's free?! SPIKE!" Twilight yelled, the young boy recoiling. "I-I didn't mean to! I was just a little preoccupied!" Spike whimpered.

"You were supposed to keep watch on it! Lives are at stake!" Twilight said angrily.

"Twilight, leave Spike alone. He 'tried' his best." Rarity said. "We have more important stuff to worry about."

Twilight took a deep breath. "Fine. We have that Pyro in for questioning in Canterlot right now. We should be able to find out what's up with him."

Rainbow Dash and Scout exchanged glances, and Rainbow nudged Fluttershy and motioned toward her singed throat.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" she asked. Rainbow Dash nodded.

Fluttershy noticed the bucket of purple liquid Applejack brought in. She slowly approached it, and dipped a small part of her finger in it. It seemed thick and viscous, like honey. Only when it started bubbling did Fluttershy back away with a small whimper.

Once more, the potion molded itself into a human hand, shocking Fluttershy. She high-pitched shriek caught everyone else's attention, which ultimately resulted in mayhem. The living potion crept around, and a few frightened shrieks let loose. Pinkie Pie grabbed a book from the shelves and tossed it at the cauldron, but to no avail.

Applejack finally took action and tossed the red powder she received from Zecora. The hand retracted once more, but everyone was still on their nerves.

"What... was that?!" Rarity cried. She looked like she was close to fainting.

Applejack chuckled nervously. "Its the antidote. Zecora somehow made it do that."

"Why?" Pinkie asked.

"Probably an accident." Applejack replied.

"Well, whatever it is, keep an eye on it." Twilight said. "We don't want any new problems. Now, I'm gonna see what I can do to fix their throats." She said, moving closer to Scout.

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

Deep in the Canterlot Castle, the Pyro sat in a jail cell, his wrists bound in magical energy. He let out a few puffs of flame in frustration, but it didn't aid his escape. Shining Armor and two Royal Guards stepped into the cell.

"Alright, you monster. Tell us what you know." Shining said sternly, towering over the Pyro.

"What's there to know? I am a mere pawn in this operation, and so are you." The arsonist growled.

"Go on." Shining Armor said.

"Very soon enough, your precocious Equestria will burn." He snickered with delight. "And once that's done, the backwater world where I came from will be taken too. Two worlds for the Queen to conquer." He said.

"What Queen?" Shining Armor said. He was a little worried. The only queen Equestria encountered was-

"Queen Chrysalis, of course. Haven't you figured it out by now? Haven't you heard about the black insects?" Pyro said. "She's amassed quite an army doing so. Your own pitiful squad won't last an hour."

"You're being awfully cooperative. And I don't like it." Shining said. "Why are you coming clean so easily?"

"I'm only doing so to make you realize just how hopeless you are." Pyro responded.

"If you're trying to intimidate me, it's not gonna happen." Shining Armor said. "And now that we know what we're up against, I'd say you should reconsider what side you're on."

"Don't make me laugh. The rest of the army is on their way right now." Pyro said.

"Wait." One of the guards said. "Do you hear that?" The room went quiet except for a faint, rapid beeping.

"Ah, they're quicker than I expected." Pyro mused, as the wall behind them burst forth in a frightening explosion. Shining Armor and his guards were knocked to the ground, while the Pyro remained unscathed.

As the dust settled, the culprit stepped forward. A black man wearing a bullet proof vest, and an eyepatch. His right arm bore a metal shield and in his left, a sword. The Demoman. The guards quickly hopped to their feet. "Get out of here, Shining Armor! We'll handle this. We have him out numbered." One of them said. Shining Armor quickly scurried out of the chamber, and the guards turned back to the Demoman as they drew their own swords and shields.

"I'm afraid ye laddies are mistaken. We have you outnumbered." The Demoman said, as the Pyro stood beside the Demoman, who cut the magic bindings. Another man stepped forth onto the rubble.

"And tiny babies are also outgunned." He rumbled. The third man was bulky, bald and carried an enormous minigun as he spun the barrel. He let out a maniacal laugh as bullets spewed out of the gun, and riddled the two guards.

As the bodies went limp on the floor, the Pyro chuckled. "Good show, comrade. Now, I believe the queen is waiting for us." He said, as they walked away from the gaping hole in the castle.

Author's Note

I apologize for the delay.

Call to Arms

"Alright, try some of this." Twilight said, passing a bottle of liquid to Scout. He seemed reluctant, and nervously eyed Twilight. "Go on. It's a burn healing potion." Twilight said.

The Scout held the bottle to his lips and took a quick swig. He spat out some of the drink, coughing. "What the hell is this?!" He said, his voice raspy. "It tastes like dish soap!" He gagged.

"Well what did you expect, apple cider?" Twilight said. "It's not supposed to taste good. Just drink it and you'll have your voice back." She said.

Scout eyed Rainbow Dash, who shrugged. "Bottoms up." He choked, and guzzled the rest of the potion. He coughed some more and sighed.

"Better?" Twilight said.

"Better." Scout said, his voice much more clearer.

"Alright, Rainbow Dash, your turn." Twilight said, passing her a second bottle.

Rainbow rolled her eyes, and grabbed the bottle, downing the potion in a single gulp. "That wasn't so bad." She teased, nudging Scout's shoulder.

"Shut up." He grumbled.

"Well, now that that's done with w-" Twilight said, but a faint explosion rang in the air.

"Oh my! Look!" Rarity cried, peeking out the window and pointing at the mountain. A thick black pillar of smoke rolled off the tower of Canterlot's castle, and dim yellow flame licked the air around the castle.

"Oh no..." Twilight murmured. "Princess!"

"That's no regular fire." The Engineer said. The others nearly forget he was there. "Ah recognize that anywhere. That's the Pyro's doin'." He said.

"Well, let's get up there! We gotta help them!" Rainbow Dash said, before grabbing the Scout by the wrist and flying out the door.

"Rainbow! Wait for us!" Pinkie cried.

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

Scout felt himself drop on the palace floor, after Rainbow Dash dropped him. "Could'a been a smoother landing." He grumbled upon sitting up.

"Quit whining! We gotta help Princess Celestia!" Rainbow Dash said, landing beside him. The palace courtyard was littered with rubble and smoldering piles of ash. Rainbow Dash and Scout ran into the castle, following the path of destruction. They approached the throne room, and the damage seemed to get worse. Guards lay strewn on the tiled floor, some bleeding, some struggling to get to safety, and others leaning over fallen guards that didn't move at all...

"Aw, crap!" Scout muttered under his breath. Rainbow forcefully pushed open the doors to the throne room. She stopped dead in her tracks.

A tall, skinny woman held Princess Celestia by the neck, inhaling a green mist that leaked out of Celestia's body. Standing around the two were the infected mercenaries, grinning evilly at their queen's success. The Medic, Pyro, Heavy, and Demoman were there, along with two new recruits. A suited man in a balaclava, and a lankier man with his face shrouded with a bandana that covered the lower half of his face with a skull pattern.

"Thanks for the love, you useless wench!" The skinny woman cackled as she tossed Celestia's body onto the floor. The princess shuddered as her eyes were pale and wide open.

"Princess!" Rainbow Dash cried, running up and leaning over Celestia.

"...save.... save yourself." The sun princess gasped as she lay nearly motionless.

Rainbow Dash stood up, her eyes filled with rage. "What... did you DO!?" She shrieked.

The bandana wearing man raised his bow, pulling an arrow taut in the strings.

"At ease." The woman said. The archer lowered his arrow. "I drained your precious princess of her love. After all, it's the first step of my revenge." She continued.

Rainbow's eyes widened. Less fear, more shock. "Queen Chrysalis?" she asked.

"Queen krisa-what?" The Scout asked.

"Ah... a newcomer. I can sense the love in him is strong..." She hissed.

The Heavy stepped forward. "Tiny Scout is fool to join leetle weaklings. Queen will rule all." He rumbled.

The Scout soon saw how his teammates were brainwashed. He even realized the other two, the Spy and Sniper. "What the hell?! You guys are out of your minds!" He shouted, pulling a baseball bat out of the satchel on his back.

"Oh, Scout, you fool." The Pyro chuckled. "You honestly believe that will stop us all? I'm afraid it is you who is out of your mind."

The sound of feathers flapping in the air caught everyone surprised. It was not Rainbow Dash in the air, but Fluttershy. She descended on the area, struggling to carry a man who was hanging by her wrists. The Engineer. The two of them landed beside Rainbow Dash and Scout, with Fluttershy nearly out of breath.

"The rest... are on... the way." Fluttershy gasped between breathes.

"Nice timing, hardhat." Scout said.

"Don't mention it. This is mah fight too." He said. He reached for his single rubber glove and took it off. What was underneath was a little shocking. In place of a flesh and blood hand, was a mechanical limb, the metal fingers twitching and buzzing. "Ah'm done playing games here."

"What a wonderful party trick. But it wont be enough." Queen Chrysalis said flatly, and waved her hand. The Sniper redrew his bow, and let an arrow whiz toward the Engineer.

Without so much as a flinch, the mechanical Gunslinger hand caught the arrow, mere inches from the Engineer's face. "Not fast enough." The Engie chuckled. His Gunslinger crushed the arrow to splinters. "Not by a damn sight."

The Queen's brow furrowed. "All of you, go! I have bigger fish to fry." She barked.

One by one, the infected mercenaries charged toward Rainbow, Fluttershy, Scout and the Engie.

The Medic's Übersaw oozed a green liquid, which nearly grazed the Scout's face. The Scout delivered a quick punch toward the doctor's jaw. There was a dull crack, but that did not stop the Medic. He continued to swing the saw, until the Scout caught his arm, and drove his knee into the Medic's side. This made him drop the saw, which slid across the floor. The Medic growled as he lunged toward the Scout, aiming for his neck. The Scout fell to the ground as the Medic grasped him at the throat.

"HHRRk! Gettin' real sick of all this stranglin'!" Scout choked out. He vaulted his legs straight up, which arced the Medic over him, and onto the floor. At that point, the Scout flung himself up, and delivered a hefty kick at the Medic's side. "I. Hate. DOCTORS!"

The Heavy lumbered over Fluttershy. He tossed his minigin aside, and cracked his knuckles. "Is not fair to use gun on tiny baby girl." He muttered. His giant hands balled into fists.

"Uh...no. P-p-please don't hurt me!" Fluttershy squeaked.

"You cannot beat me. You cannot hide, coward." The Heavy reared his fist back, before he was caught off guard.

"I SAID NO!" Fluttershy roared. The Heavy himself fell back with surprise, and Fluttershy glared at him with such intensity. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, PICKING ON SOMEONE WHO ISN'T YOUR OWN SIZE?! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF, YOU BIG BULLY!" Fluttershy growled, her stare burning at the Heavy.

The giant Russian had not felt this same kind of fear in a long time. "Heavy sorry!" He bellowed, shielding his face with his hands, but he could still feel the angry eyes. "Stop looking at Heavy!"

The Engineer stood before the Demoman, his mechanical hand twitching. "It don't have to be like this, Demo." He muttered.

"If you've been huntin' trouble lad, ye found it." The Demoman replied. He swung his sword over his head, but the Gunslinger grabbed it before it could descend any further.

"The hand's quicker than the eye, partner." The Engie chuckled, before the sheer force of the hand fractured the sword into hundreds of metal shards. Shocked, the Demo dropped the remnants, and a wisp of smoke seeped out. The Engie could barely hear a faint voice whisper "heads...".

The Demo then charged at the Engie, using his shield to barrel him over. The Engineer was pinned to the palace walls with tremendous force, he felt something crack inside him. He shouted out in pain, but was able to reach toward his holster and draw his pistol. He wanted to aim it at the Demo's head, just like if he was a BLU. But this was the same Demoman who fought alongside him, and it was still his teammate. The Engie lowered his gun, and plugged a bullet into the Demo's kneecap.

The Demoman then fell to the floor, grasping his wound. The Engie put his hand on his own ribs, where he was impacted by the shield. "You were getting too big for yer britches." The Engie muttered, tipping his hat.

Rainbow Dash was a hard target for the Sniper. His arrows whizzed in the air as he tried to pierce one of her wings, but her agile dodging only made him more and more frustrated. "Hold still, ya twitchy hooligan!" He shouted. He reared the string back once more, but was unable to release the arrow. Rainbow Dash quickly grabbed the Sniper by the ankles, and hoisted him high near the ceiling. The Sniper's bow and quiver fell to the floor, leaving him unarmed.

"Oi! Lemme go, ya spastic mongrel!" The Sniper bellowed, attempting to pull himself up.

"You're the boss." Dash snickered, before letting the marksman plummet to the floor ten feet below. The Sniper hit the ground, rolling onto his side and groaning painfully.

Dash smirked, only to feel a burst of flame whiz by her. Down below, the Pyro expelled fire from his hands, attempting to hit Rainbow. However, with his attention directed upward, Scout was able to crash into his knees, tackling his legs and knocking him down. Before he could get back up, Dash plummeted downward, driving her feet onto the arsonist's spine. He screamed through the gas mask, and rolled the Heavy into a wall, knocking both of them out numb.

"Is that all?" Dash said with a cocky smile.

"Wasn't there one more?" Fluttershy asked nervously. "The one with the mask?"

"Mask?" The Engie answered. His eyes widened as he reached for his pistol once more and scanning the room. "Spy! Where is that snake?!"

The only response was a pained wheeze. "E....Engineer?"

The voice came from a the small, weak body of the Medic, huddled over in pain.

"Doc...?" The Engineer said in disbelief, looking over at the Medic.

"Ze poison... It's killing us..." He coughed, his skin growing a sickly pale.

"Doc, ya can't just die! Not like this!" The Engie said, slightly frightened. "How do we fix ya?"

The Medic gagged a little more. "Spy... He followed ze queen... behind ze throne..." He said, weakly lifting his finger to point at the Princess's throne. To investigate, the Scout took a peek at it.

"Hey! There's a gap in here!" He shouted, pushing against the heavy marble to reveal a small space.

"Don't worry Doc. We'll get you out of here." The Engie said, heading up to the Scout to help push the throne and widen the gap.

Once the gap was large enough, the Scout and Engineer started walking down. Rainbow looked behind her, only to see Fluttershy kneeling beside the weak body of the Medic.

"Flutters?" Dash asked. "Are you coming?"

Fluttershy stayed quiet, and shook her head. Rainbow just turned her back, and followed the two mercs deep within the tunnel.

The tunnel stretched on for a while, until the light of the outside faded. Total shadow enveloped the three.

The Brighter Side

"Great. I can't see nothin'." The Scout muttered.

"It won't matter. We only got one way to go." The Engie answered.

"Wait." Rainbow said. "What's that noise?"

The three of them stopped, and listened. A loud whistling noise sounded from outside the cavern, followed by a crazed war cry. "CRAWKET!"

A tremendous crash followed, shaking the tunnel.

"What the hay was that?!" Rainbow inquired.

"That sounded like..." Scout paused. "But... it couldn't be..."

"Keep movin'. There's some light up ahead." The Engineer answered.

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

Fluttershy looked over the Medic. She feared that they would be gone. For good this time.

"Flu... Fluttershy?" The Medic wheezed. "Iz zhat you? I can't see...."

Fluttershy felt her voice jam up in her throat, each word burning to get out. "Yes..." She finally managed to say.

The Medic coughed some more. "If I don't make it.... I wan-"

"No! Don't say that!" Fluttershy cried. "Don't go..."

"Shy?" Another voice said from across the room. As Fluttershy looked up, she saw Applejack enter the throne, toting the silver bucket in her hands. "What in Sam Hill happened?"

"Applejack!" Fluttershy cried, standing up quickly. "Hurry! Give them the antidote!"

Nodding, Applejack walked up, starting with the Medic. "Okay... what do we do?"

Acting quickly, Fluttershy cupped her hands and scooped up the red liquid, holding it over the Medic's mouth. "Drink it... please...."

The Medic slowly opened his mouth to allow the antidote to seep in. He swallowed hard, and his face twitched. A long pause followed, before his whole body shuddered. The Medic quickly sat up, taking deep breathes as he clutched his chest. Slowly, the reality dawned on him, and he held two fingers to his neck to check his pulse.

"Mein gott! Ze antidote vorked!" He cheered.

"You're alive!" Fluttershy cried, flinging her arms around him.

The Medic was a little surprised at Fluttershy's reaction, but slowly eased into the hug. He turned to Applejack, still with plenty of antidote. "Go. Cure ze rest of them."

Applejack nodded, and started feeding the rest of the mercs the antidote (with only some difficulty with the Pyro's mask), breaking the poison's hold on them. After a few minutes, the trance was broken over them.

"Oh... me head." The Demoman grumbled. "I feel like every-- AAAGGHHH!" He shouted, falling over as he attempted to stand up. Upon looking at his leg, it was clear why. A bullet jammed down into his shin, producing a small pool of blood.

"Ach! Me leg! What the bloody hell happened?!" He asked. He winced until a shadow fell over him. The shadow of a tall, bulky man, who set a plate in front of the Demo, with a sliced sandwich.

"Sandvich helps all." The Heavy chuckled. Without wasting another second, the Demoman grabbed the sandwich and scarfed it, the wound healing almost instantly. The Demo managed to stand back up, taking a deep breath.

"Aye. Thanks mate." The Demo sighed, patting the Heavy on his shoulder.

Applejack and Fluttershy got around to helping Celestia back on her feet.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Fluttershy asked. "You weren't hurt too bad, were you?"

"I... I'll be fine." Celestia answered between labored breathes. "I'll recover soon enough. Where is Chrysalis now?" She inquired.

"Right here." A voice from the tunnel said triumphantly.

From the back of the throne room, five people emerging from the dark.

Along with the Scout, Engie, and Rainbow Dash, was the limp body of the Spy, and the Solider. But... no Queen, like the Soldier said.

"What? You captured her?" Celestia implored, getting her bearings.

"Better." The Soldier answered, pulling a small pouch. "Nobody sneeze." He said, dumping its content's on the floor. A pile of dark gray ash, with Chrysalis's crown clanging on the floor.

The Equestrian's eyes were filled with shock. "She's... dead?" Celestia stuttered with pure shock.

"Oh, you bet it sister." The Soldier scoffed. "Two crockets in a row! I should get a medal for that."

The Medic looked up as he finished giving the Spy the antidote. "Are you zure she's dead?" He questioned.

"Sure of it." The Engie said. "I guess ghosts exist here too."

"Yeah, something about cursin' the hell out of us." The Scout said. "Not like we seen that kinda stuff before."

The Sniper grumbled. "Speakin' of which... 'owed you get here anyway, Soldier?"

"Oh, Merasmus caught me digging through his dresser. I thought he was holding out unusual on me." The Soldier answered.

"As valiant as your actions were..." Celestia said. "There's a lot of rebuilding to do. And we could use your help, if your willing."

"Just what are you getting at?" The Medic asked.

Celestia smiled. "I wish to make you honorary citizens of Equestria. Should you choose, I will give you the gifts of flight, magic, or strength as if you lived your whole lives here. Or... I will send you back home, just like before."

A long pause filled the room.

"Team needs moment to think." The Heavy answered.

"Of course. Take as long as you need." Celestia nodded. "Come, my students." She said, motioning Applejack and Fluttershy along.

Once the throne room belonged to the nine men, they started to discuss.

"Well, mates, what's it gonna be?" The Sniper asked.

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

Two months later....

Twilight Sparkle looked up from her book to glance out the window. The Canterlot castle in the distance was starting a lot better since Chrysalis's attack. The hole blown in the side was fully repaired, and the paint was coming along nicely. A knock attracted her attention to the door.

"Just a second!" Twilight called, setting her hefty book down and rushing toward the door. As she opened it, a friendly face greeted her.

"Hallo, Frau Sparkle." The Medic said. "I vas vondering if you had any books on any medical magic practices."

"Oh, of course. I've got tons of material on the subject." Twilight said, turning to retrieve the books requested. Using her magic, she pulled a set of hardbacks from her shelves, and setting them in the Medic's arms. "Will this be enough?"

"Yes, zhis will suffice. Danke." The Medic replied.

"How is your magic skill coming along?" Twilight asked.

"It's alright. Could use a little more practice." He chuckled. "It'll be a while before I can use zhis magic in ze field, but its good to get some more research in."

"Well, good luck!" Twilight smiled, waving as the Medic carried the books away. It wasn't long before the Medic was out of sight, and another took his place.

Scout. He landed softly on the ground, thanks to his new red wings. A huge grin on his face was apparent from the excitement of flight, but his expression calmed down a bit as faced Twilight.

"Hey." He said simply.

"Hello, Scout. Need something?"

"Uh, yeah." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Dash tells me you can send letters to anyone?"

"Well, yes. But it's Spike that does most of the work." Twilight answered. She leaned back through the doorway, her ears tuning in to the sound of her assistant snoring upstairs. "Why do you ask?"

Scout went quiet for a while. "I wanna send something to my Ma. To let her know I'm alright."

Twilight blinked at the request. "Your... mother?"

"Yeah. It's been two months, she's probably worried sick." Scout replied. "I just wanna put her mind at ease."

"That's a very selfless gesture, Scout." Twilight smiled. "I'm sure she's proud of you."

"Yeah..." The Scout said, looking up toward the clear blue sky.

Have a plan to kill everyone you meet

"Dash, wait up!" Scout yelled into the rain, as a frustrated Rainbow Dash angrily walked through the streets.

"Leave me alone!" Rainbow yelled back, her voice pained. Tears were dripping down her face, but it was hard to tell in the rain.

"Hey." Scout said, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the wrist. "Look at me." he said.

Rainbow turned to him, her eyes red and puffy. She looked up at him, and she felt reassured by the Scout's clear blue eyes.

"I know it hurts. I lost my dad too." He said solemnly. "My dad left when I was six. He never came back."

Rainbow Dash started sobbing, leaning on the Scout's shoulder. The Scout just held her close, as she let it all out.

"I miss my father so much... I just wish I knew what happened to him." She cried. "Celestia, I'd pay anything to see him again!"

"Hey. Relax. There are just some things you can't change. You gotta accept that." Scout said, as Rainbow Dash looked up to him.

"How?! I don't even know if he's alive!"

"Yeah. Niether do I. But here we are. I moved on. Sometimes, it the best thing you can do to yourself. You have to find the thing you want in life that'll make you happy, and hold onto it." Scout started to smirk. "I found mine."

Rainbow Dash looked a little confused. "What? How could you possibly find that?"

"I met you again, didn't I?" Scout asked, beaming a warm smile like a shining beacon to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow was stunned. "M-m-me?" she stammered.

Scout nodded, before Rainbow Dash quickly pressed her lips on Scout's cheek, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"I, uh... kind of missed you too." Rainbow Dash muttered, her cheeks bright red.

"I noticed. So, how-" He said, but paused. His face seemed shocked for a brief moment, staring off into the distance.

Curious, Rainbow turned to see if Scout was looking at anything out of the ordinary. He was. Near the corner of a building, was a lone figure. It seemed to be entirely covered, no human features visible. Except for two small wings, folded behind its back, it was hard to identify what it was. How long was it standing there? Where did it come from? It was shrouded in the darkness of the rain, but Rainbow Dash could tell it had malicious orange eyes under a haunting hood.

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

Secluded cave, Equestria

The malnourished woman could feel her power returning as two more black insects landed in her palm, feeding her more green gas. As she inhaled, she could see her body growing thicker with muscle. She felt the marks of age vanish on her face, giving her new youth. "Ah, yes." She mused, her voice smooth and full of confidence.

"I'm getting closer. Time to begin the next step." She said, and turned beside her. Next to the woman was something in the shape of a human. Arms, legs, a head, it was definitely shaped like an ordinary person. But in place of skin was a thick black plating, like armor. It's eyes were blue, and it's mouth was filled with mandible dripping an orange liquid. Two insect like wings flickered behind it, and several black horns stuck out on its body, on its forehead, and along its spine.

"Awaiting your orders, my queen." It hissed. The woman snickered.

"Yes. Travel to Earth, and retrieve our new recruits. Then, take another one of their comrades." She ordered. "I need more killers." She said, pointing toward a small pool of bubbling green liquid in the corner.

The drone nodded, and crawled into the pool. The Queen peered into the liquid, and saw a translucent image. On Earth, her drone was speaking with two figures. The Spy and the Medic. In a few seconds, the two members of RED surfaced, crawling out of the green liquid. The Medic and Spy evilly smiled at the Queen.

"Avaiting orders, your majesty." The Medic said, making the Queen's chuckle resonated through the cave.

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

The Archives, Canterlot

Twilight scratched her chin at the shrine. "I don't get it. How did it transport Rainbow Dash?" She asked.

Rarity tsked. "Ah, Twilight, darling. You are over-thinking it. Just watch me." Rarity said, stepping forward with Fluttershy. She grabbed the stone, and thought for a moment. She then pointed it toward the portrait of the Engineer. After some vibrating and sparking, both Rarity and Fluttershy were gone.

Twilight shook her head. "I may have been over-thinking it, but Rarity surprisingly missed one minor detail." She boasted.

"What's that, Twilight?" Pinkie cheerfully asked.

"If Rainbow Dash used this last, that means wherever she put the stone is where she traveled to." Twilight began. "Before Rarity moved the stone, it was pointed at Scout. So, it stands to reason Rainbow Dash went there." She said, pointing the round sapphire back at the Scout. The stone vibrated once more, causing Twilight and Pinkie to vanish once more.

Author's Note

Yeah, I'm pairing the Scout and Rainbow Dash. So sue me.