Chapters “Dropped out of The Wonderbolt Academy and got a job as a mail pony, mostly just to piss off my parents. I was somepony you’d never notice, just a stallion that delivered packages to folks you’d never know. One day, the package found me”
The air was still, ponies trotted about the streets of Hoofington in their usual bustling business or social manners. All was calm on this sunny afternoon, however, this was short lived. Out of nowhere, a pulse of electricity bolted through the lamps that occupied the streets before a loud boom busted the eardrums of several ponies… but that was least of anypony’s concern. The loud bang was accompanied by some form of expanding blue orb. Fire rained down, exploding from the ever growing light source. The dome of light continued to grow to an exponential size, covering almost a third of the city it’s disturbing cyan glow. Buildings crumbled, ponies ran, screaming, panicking with good reason.
“Hundreds died, five square blocks, smashed into rubble and at the centre, was me. Alive but changed. Nopony could’ve seen it was coming”
All was black to the vision of a singular pegasus stallion, a young colt who laid upon a tall pillar protruding from the large crater, left by the final explosion.
“Activation plus six minutes, pulse forty-five, respiration ten…looking good, Vortex” a voice, a deep, croaky voice spoke in the darkness. The yellow Pegasus’s crimson eyes shot open after a moment. His fur and sling saddlebag: scathed, his eyes: blackened, his wings: broken aswell as his right foreleg. Bloodied scars decorated his form, his feathers laid tattered on the ground. The colt’s breathing was heavy as he clenched his teeth in pain before attempting to rise to his hooves.
“What in…the hay happened…?” the pegasus managed to let out, his voice was deep and scratchy. He staggered a bit before regaining what little composure he had before taking a look at the damage around him. He jaw dropped as far it would go without causing more pain at the sight. The ground was shattered, lines of glowing red could be seen through the cracks in the earth. Large pieces of concrete laid chaotically on the ground, jagged and misplaced. The sky was red and cloudy, buildings were left just barely standing on what was left of them. Fires burned throughout the entire seen, in short…it was Tartarus that day. “Sweet Celestia…” he said in awe, gazing around at the horrific sight.
The stallion took a small step forward only to clench his shoulder in pain before gasping out of pure shock.
“C’mon, Vortex…move, move” he encouraged himself before limping towards what looked like a safe path out on the canyon. His movements were surprisingly quick despite his condition, he paid little mind as he focused on escape. The ground quaked before an eruptions of fire and lightning burst out from each of his sides. He gasped in surprise before realising he was unscathed by the event and kept moving. The destroyed road was hard to trek, small explosions erupted from the ground and from what used to be something of an electrical public device that was unrecognisable at the moment. Even still, the blasts had little effect, allowing Vortex to press on. The incapacitated stallion made it up to a hill before a small beeping sound caught his attention.
“Tex…TEX, YOU THERE?! C’mon, dude, Pick up!” a familiar voice called out from his chest, Vortex looked down to see that his cell phone that was kept on the strap, wrapping around his torso was still working. He looked back to see that his favourite sling saddlebag was almost entirely bucked yet the phone strapped to his chest still functioned. It was then, when Vortex put a name to the voice aswell as a face, he instantly put a hoof to a small green button, there was an identifying beep noise.
“Shade?…By Faust’s horn, what happened?…I think there was an explosion” he answered as he made his way up towards a hill, into what used to be the second story of a building.
“NO SHIT THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION! C’mon, meet at the bridge!” Shade replied before the same beep occurred, indication of a hang up. After only a few seconds, Vortex noticed an electrical current in the wall beside him. His eyes widened before in a flash of light, it struck him. He may be a pegasus but that does not make him lightning proof. The stallion shook violently as he embraced the surging current. However, after a moment, he tightened his muscles, the lightning dissipated before coursing and lapping around the colt’s yellow coat. He gritted his teeth, thinking that this was his end but even so, the electricity simply vanished, leaving him awestruck and even more confused, he looked down at his hooves.
“What in Tartarus?…I should be dead…” he let out. Tex directed his gaze back up in front of him, feeling a familiar realisation, he had to keep moving. The building was run down and decrepit but that didn’t stop him, he trekked on through the ruins. Another explosion went off. “Oh buck” he said out loud, trying desperately to keep going. He made it a couple more metres before he was exposed to another explosion directly hitting him however, he seemed to alright so he kept moving. The makeshift bridge the next building crumbled as soon as he stepped up to it, he looked around to see that an exposed pipe system had the same purpose. He crossed it with surprisingly less difficulty than thought before turning a corner only to be shocked once more by an untamed lightning current.
“Argh!” he grunted, taking in the painful sensation only to find that the sharp pain he expected was replaced by something he couldn’t describe. The same effect, no effect, it’s almost as if his coat absorbed the energy fore he now just realised that he felt less in pain than before the electrocution. This time though, the surrounding electrical appliances or whatever used to be one sparked in a haze of blue electricity. “Whoah!” Vortex yelped in surprise before the resulting lightning current caused the just barely stable platform to crumble in an explosion, making a makeshift ramp. “What the hay is happening to me?”
Vortex jumped the distance between the first floor of the desecrated building and the ground with ease, once again, he was surprise by his athleticism even in his current condition. The scathed pegasus limped down the street to see that the bridge was somewhat intact, at least it was crossable. Vortex limped toward the structure and found a familiar heavy, light blue, earth pony stallion, sporting a black, spiked mane with his signature golden ‘shades’ on was on the other side. The blue colt waved over to his winged friend.
“TEX! OVER HERE, BROTHER! WE GOTTA GO!” he shouted. Vortex complied, trying to get his body to move a little more. Suddenly a sparking sound caught his attention, he barely had time to react before from each side of him, two lightning strikes violently connected with his body.
“ARGH! NO!” he grunted, taking in the familiar feeling to the best of his ability. However, his body shook as the electricity grasped his form like a vice. After a moment, Vortex stood up on his back legs, feeling something coursing around his front hooves. He looked down to see that lightning lapped violently at his legs, he yelled as he embraced a new kind of sharp pain throughout his body.
The sky blackened as a burst of blue electricity violently struck the ground. The clouds practically bombarded the ground with anger, bolt after bolt struck the ground as Vortex gritted his teeth, his hooves on either side of him, his wings flared as best as they could manage. The yellow pegasus regained what little control he had and pressed on, his hooves still blazing with energy despite how he galloped across the bridge. The structure was dangerously unstable but the stallion paid little attention, he ran, jumped, did everything he could to get to the other side as fast as possible all the while as the continuous discharges hit the ground with enough force to kill a Manticore.
Vortex’s vision dimmed as he got closer to the other side, his hearing became enveloped in an irritating ringing sound. He could see his friend, Shade rush up to him, shouting something inaudible. The pegasus looked down to see that his hooves were now baron of energy before he collapsed and his world became dark.
“While sliding into unconsciousness, I could somehow…I dunno, hear the voices of the dying…Hundreds crushed by falling buildings or burned alive in the fires…Terra lost her sister, almost lost me, Shade was always there, somehow sure that I’d wake up…while outside the city fell apart, a plague struck, followed by rioting, theft, rape, civilisation committing suicide…Cops are all but gone off the streets, either gone or too chicken shit to stand against the gangs that control things now…outside, things were bad…but inside, inside me…something was beginning, scary as hell at first, ya gotta understand that there was nopony, no experts to consult…but with time, I’m learning to control it…master it…Just hope it’s not too late”
“Back then, Hoofington had gone to Tartarus, other ponies with powers started showing up and it was my job to sort through it all…I tried to find out who had given me that package and why…Tartarus, even my best buddy, Shade turned his back on me to try and get powers of his own…but in the end, I found the stallion responsible: Tesla, he explained everything through a vision of the future…a beast is coming, a monster only I can defeat, provided that I am strong and ready to face him…a month later, I met Twilight Sparkle…she somehow knew all about the beast, in fact, she had come to help me prepare…she claimed her friend ‘The Doctor’ had worked on the Ray Sphere prototype and that he could amplify my powers…all I had to do was go with her down to Manehatten…I need those powers, the beast is coming…and I will be ready”
Celestia’s great sun hovered just on the horizon, setting, making way for her sister’s moon to ascend into the sky. The transition gave off a shade of orange to paint the land in it’s beauty. On the pier, there, proudly making ready for sail was a ship. The vessel was occupied by several ponies, either doctors or refugees but despite them all, everypony knew who the boat was intended for originally.
On the bow of the ship, stood a yellow coated pegasus colt, his hooves resting on the railing as his scarlet irises scanned the environment, witnessing he intoxicating view. The colt’s dark mane draped of his face as a small smirk drew across his muzzle, his wings calm and at his sides.
“Hey, Tex” a familiar voice called out from behind him accompanied by the sound of hoofsteps growing ever louder. Vortex didn’t answer and instead just acknowledged the blue stallion’s presence in silence, still gazing over the scenery.
“Brother, I gotta say, this Twilight Sparkle, first boat outta town, mare’s got some connections” Shade said.
“This is gonna be a short term visit, dude…” vortex said, turning his head to see his long time earth pony friend in his usual golden glasses of whom looked at him in confusion due to his reply “…we’re just gonna get in…I’m gonna get some new powers then we’re gonna come right back” the pegasus stated, returning from his stance and taking a few steps towards the ship’s centre.
“C’mon, dude, we deserve a break, we’re going to Manehatt-”
“I need to be back here and ready when it shows up, Shade” Vortex cut his friend’s enthusiastic sentence, turning his body to make his point clear, looking him in the obscured eye.
“Trust me, Vortex, you will be ready…” that same soft voice consulted from behind the pegasus. He looked back to see a familiar lavender coated unicorn mare trot up towards the two colts.
“…Once you meet the doctor”
“Yeah, chill out, dude” commented the scratchy tone of a particular cyan pegasus. The element of loyalty herself hovered over her purple companion, a cocky smile on her muzzle as she looked at the yellow stallion. Vortex opened his mouth to speak but got beaten to it.
“Work? Easy, Twi…when we get there, it’s gonna be about the three M’s, that’s Mede, Mares and Mechanical bolts” Shade said with a chuckle, gesturing with his hoof. Vortex chuckled as he leaned up against the vertical surface of a nearby wall, protruding from the deck. Twilight scoffed, Dash glared at Shade as he just grinned innocently.
“Gentlecolts, I don’t think you understand the scope of what is going on here” Twilight said, looking back between the two stallions before the unexpected happened. A loud bang caught everypony’s attention coupled with a faint red glow emitting from the centre of Hoofington. Twilight walked up to the bow’s railing, staring at the sight as pieces of exploding debris propelled into the sky before plummeting downwards. “What is going on?” she asked to nopony in particular.
Right above everypony’s heads in the centre of town, swirled an eerie, smoky cluster of red and black mist. The world around began to crumble as it spiked explosions, creating loud crackly banging sounds as it grew. In the middle of Hoofington stood the proud statue of Princess Celestia, it collapsed as the orb began to take coherent form.
The four equines watched in horror at the sight, eyes wide, mouths slightly agape. After a moment, Vortex took on a determined look.
“…No…no, no” he let out to himself, catching the attention of both Shade and Dash, they looked at him quizzically. “No, no” he continued before suddenly bursting off towards the side of ship, the two blue ponies, still watching”
“Hey!” Rainbow called out.
“NO!” Vortex yelled out before jumping off the railing. The yellow pegasus hit the wooden surface of the dock with a thud and shock, the ground quaked and sparked with cyan lightning, swarming his legs in the impact. He looked to his left as he got to his hooves, electricity lapping at his forelegs in the process.
“What are you doing!? This boat is leaving!” Twilight called out from the bow, just noticing the pegasus.
“Relax! I got time for this!” he called back with a slight grin before he off. Vortex galloped on the hard wooden dock towards the sight. To his right, he witnessed a second boat brutally bombarded in what could only be described as meteors. The ship was torn apart by the assault, mares and colt of variations leapt off for their own safety, Vortex witness several earth ponies plummet into the water, un aided by the surrounding pegasi that took to the sky, fleeing or the crafty teleporting unicorns. Nor himself. Despite the tragedy, he pressed on, finding a large gate, blocking the paths of many panicking ponies, some foals among the group.
Vortex raised a single hoof up, pointing it directly at the gate. A familiar surge rushed through his system before the same cyan lightning started to coat his hoof in it’s eerie blue glow. In an instant, the yellow stallion pulled his hoof back before lunging forward. A large bolt of blue energy propelled from the stallion’s foreleg, it struck the metal, causing it burst open, allowing the many screaming ponies further access to distance from the destruction. Vortex simply ran through the group, still set on his target.
“I can’t just sit here and watch, I gotta help!” Dash shouted, pointing a hoof to the advancing stallion, looking at the purple unicorn with a frustrated look.
“No, Rainbow” She said sternly.
“Yeah, Tex can handle himself in a fight” Shade commented with a grin. Dash let out a defeated sigh, still not content with what response she got but remained figuratively on the edge of her seat at the sight. It was then that they noticed the creature that towered above the buildings. It was big…really big, the entire structure seemed to be made up of scorching magma. The form closely resembled that of a pony, four legs stood to support the giant torso that was connected to the head by a long, thick neck. Due to the shape, it was notable to realise that it had the form of a stallion, a unicorn one at that, the horn protruded cryptically from the forehead of the monster. It’s eyes glowed a chaotic shade of orange that seemed to seep out towards the sides like a hazy mist, tailing on the outward side of each eye. It slowly rose to it’s full stature.
The yellow pegasus ran closer to the city only to slowly look up at the creature, his pace also slowing while his mouth hung agape and eyes widened in shock.
“The Beast!” Twilight yelled in terror. Her horn glowed her iconic light purple aura aswell as the colt’s phone did, still strapped to his chest. “Vortex, you have to stop him!” she said, her voice radiating through the speaker before her horn returned to it’s normal state. Dash and Shade both looked at her in confusion before hearing a familiar sparking sound, causing their attention to shift.
Vortex acted as soon as he was told. His right foreleg extended and recoiled back and forth, firing rocket upon rocket of cyan energy at the tall monster. The lightning struck it, causing it to glance over at the source. At that very moment, the two locked eyes for a split second and in that second, Vortex felt fear. The creature reached down to the earth for a moment before bolting up and throwing something…something big that was heading straight for the pegasus.
“Oh shit…” he let out, paralysed and gawking at the object that he deducted as the regal form of Celestia however broken in several places.
“GET OUTTA THERE BROTHER!!” Shade yelled out in anxiety. Wordlessly, the rainbow maned equine took off in the direction of the event, her signature trail being left behind.
“Rainbow!” Twilight called out in surprise but was ignored. Dash quickly accelerated towards the stallion specifically, goal in mind. The statue came ever closer, Vortex still watching it with shock before he heard a bazaar whistling sound. He turned to see the cyan pegasus bolting for his position. In a phase of panic, he acted. The stallion tackled Dash out of the way while she was just a few metres off the ground. At the very last second, he managed to jump out of the way however not accounting for the quake that was to follow. Vortex grabbed Dash protectively, the two collided to the ground as the mare yelped in surprise before they felt the full impact. The wood splinted and rippled above the tide and under the debris that pelted the surface with enough force to violently shake the pier.
Dash opened her eyes to find herself mostly unscathed, she breathed a brief sigh of relief before glancing to her side. There, lying with his face in the wood was the yellow stallion, his black and blue mane rugged and lazily draped over his closed his eyes. He was covered in lacerations from the splintering wood and debris, Dash, in a state of fear, rolled him over only to hear him wince and cry out in pain.
“ARGH! Buck! My Wing!” he yelled, looking over at his feathered appendage as did Dash, she grimaced at the sight of his broken limb as did he.
“C’mon, we gotta go!” she yelled, trying to get him to stand up with little avail. Dash lifted his foreleg over her shoulder before trying to get him to walk. That idea was short lived as they both noticed a massive shadow appearing over them. Their vision gazed upwards unbidden to see the terrifying sight. That same volcanic form of a unicorn stallion easily lifted the desecrated statue of Celestia with it’s front hooves, half the wharf was gone, it just stood there in the gap between the pier and the city. Fires raged out of control on the buildings that were still standing in the two of Hoofington. The beast simply tossed the structure into the water without a care with it’s giant forelegs before looking down at the pegasi with a blank yet angered glare.
“The beast…” Vortex let out, catching the mare’s attention, she looked at him in concern. The colt looked back at her before he let out a grunt, forcing his way out of the mare’s helpful embrace.
“Get outta here, Dash! Get back to the boat!”
“What!? No way am I leaving you here!” she retorted.
“Rainbow!” he yelled back defiantly, a death glare in his crimson eyes. The mare stared a moment before wordlessly taking flight, bolting towards the vessel. Vortex looked back up at the tall being with gritted teeth. “Tesla told me about you!! I’m not gonna let it HAPPEN!!” he shouted at the thing, bringing his hooves back as he reared u on his back legs. Lightning coiled around his forelegs for a second before he lunged them forward simultaneously, both times producing a large explosive orb of energy, bolting towards the creature. It roared in anger and probably pain but it was hard to tell, the creature opened it’s mouth only slightly, revealing gritted teeth of which were accompanied by a set of fangs. The beast suddenly began to move it’s large muscles albeit quite slowly. It’s tow front hooves swayed to the side, cupping together before a hazy, swirling mist of black and red formed within the creature’s hooves. Vortex didn’t let up his assault, he continued firing, bolt after powerful bolt of electricity hitting it’s large body with what looked like little effect. With an echoing grunt, the beast lifted a single hoof up, a large orb, glowing in it before it violently plummeted it downwards onto the stallion. Or so it would’ve hoped.
The pegasus barrel-rolled out of the way at the last second, the blast causing him to stumble slightly however, once he regained his position, he ached, whaled and winced in pain. He looked back at his still broken wing with a regretful look before turning back to his enemy. Vortex managed to get a direct head-shot, the beast roared in annoyance, shaking the pier in anger with his hooves. In a flash, it flared it’s shoulder accompanied by a burst escaping it’s form. Vortex was suddenly lifted off the ground, as if gravity had simply been turned off. The pegasus floated helplessly in the air, flightless and vulnerable, much to the advantage of the beast. It raised a single volcanic hoof, pointing it at the incapacitated colt, another burst emitted. The pegasus found himself being enveloped in some form of tractor beam projecting from the monster’s hoof. In a hope of escape, Vortex quickly extended both front hooves out to his sides, feeling the same serge course through him out to his hooves. The small currents of lightning propelled the stallion away from the attracting appendage, much to the further annoyance of the beast.
Vortex continued his assault on the monster, firing electrical rockets as fast and hard as he could, trying to incapacitate the creature. A singular bolt connected with the muzzle of the creature and to the astonishment of himself and the other three at the boat, the beast’s volcanic face broke apart on impact. The right side of it’s muzzle violently crumbled off it’s face, revealing the bright inside of the monster that looked like it consisted completely of lava. It roared in anger before suddenly, Vortex was sent back to the ground, he landed on his back hooves before rolling, hurting his wing while doing so. He winced as he crouched down on all fours before glancing back up at the beast, realisation dawning on him. The beast violently took both sides of the pier in it’s hooves and began to shake it with all it’s might. It jittered as it came off the support beams reaching down to ocean floor, Vortex staggered at the sudden movement although holding his ground. A familiar beeping emitted from his chest.
“NOW, GIVE HIM EVERYTHING YA GOT!!” Shade shouted through his phone. In an instant, Vortex reared up, lifting his front hooves to the sky before suddenly swinging them down with all his might. The sparking sound emitted for a split second, lightning quickly coiled around his limbs as the sky darkened. Out from the blackened atmosphere, large streams cyan lightning struck down on the beast. It howled in pain, staggering with hooves open. Vortex gritted his teeth, witnessing his work as he quickly became tired form the onslaught he both gave and got.
No thunder emitted from the storm, Vortex’s hooves remained charged despite having ended the assault. The beast simply sank into the ocean, it fight hoof being the last thing to enter the liquid abyss. The pegasus watched as it descended, a grin crossing his muzzle. The wood beneath his hooves splintered and broke suddenly, causing him remember where he was.
“WOO! good job, brother, better get back to the boat, pier’s breaking up!” Shade said through his phone. The pegasus quickly bolted back towards the vessel, his wing, forcing him to gallop.
“Nice work, Vortex…THAT was impressive” Twilight commented, bringing a smirk to the colt’s face. The yellow stallion continued to run on the crumbing surface, becoming ever closer to the ship.
“C’mon!” Dash called out form the boat.
“Jump, Dude!” Shade added. Vortex ran up a make-shift ramp before the entire the pier broke under his thunderous hooves. He leapt at the last second, his legs waved about frantically as he plummeted toward the bow. He paused in mid-air. A similar burst accompanied by that same sound emitted before he was suspended in the air. Confused, he fluttered his forelegs only to be cut off a second later by a large, firm hoof wrapping around his body.
There, protruding from the water’s surface was the same creature, it’s entire right side of it’s face, missing. It held Vortex in a vice grip with a blank expression, slowly lifting him up to his eyes.
“Argh…Alright C’MON! C’mon…” the yellow pegasus taunted, blasting the beast’s crumbled muzzle with relentlessness. It groaned and roared, wrapping it’s other hoof around the stallion and squeezing harder while he took the assault head on, literally. However the stalemate it was short lived. In one final moment, Vortex brought his hooves down, the sky blackened, lightning coiled around his body as the heaven struck down on the monster. It howled in the familiar painful tone as the storm obliterated what was left of it’s being. Vortex grunted, his crimson eyes clenched in the struggle to sustain himself while keeping up the pressure. In one final explosion, the beast released the pegasus as it was propelled backwards into the water, destroyed. Vortex was left in the same state, plummeting towards the ocean with a broken wing, slowly slipping into unconsciousness.
“TEX, TEX!!” Shade called out as he watched his friend seep into the liquid. Rainbow Dash quickly bolted off the edge towards the stallion, Twilight and Shade watching with concern as she dived into the water.
“The beast had drained me, broken my powers…felt like the end…almost wish it was…”
As the lights slowly began to shutter, fading to black and back continuously. A familiar raspy yet feminine voice spoke out.
“Hey, I think he’s coming to” observed Rainbow. Lying on the makeshift hospital bed, laid Vortex, unconscious and hooked to several life sustaining devices, managing to keep him stable. The yellow stallion’s eyes drifted open for a moment, finding only but a blurry, darkened image of three ponies in the room and the hoof of a bed. After a split second, they shot open, his wide crimson eyes hinted of confusion.
“Easy, brother, take it slow” consulted the voice of the ever lovable stallion to his right, sitting on a chair by his bed.
“Are you okay, Vortex?” inquired a new voice , the one of the gifted lavender unicorn; Twilight Sparkle, looking at him in concern and relief at the end of the room. The yellow pegasus remained silent as he took in the new surroundings and his condition. In an irritated state, Vortex ripped the tube from his snout, doing the same with the others attached to his chest and forelegs.
“Whoa, whoa, hold on there, buddy” the rainbow maned mare voiced, watching the aggressive scene play out.
“Yeah, dude, that little scrap you had was rough, ya gotta re-”
“What happened?” Shade was cut off by the aggravated Pegasus’s question. Before anypony could answer, Vortex looked ahead to see a small but functional television screen, presenting a horrific sight.
“The beast had just put itself back together and now Hoofington…is dead…our ship had ran for it, fleeing south towards Manehatten”
“I’m so sorry, Vortex” Twilight said, trotting up to the pegasus’s side, the other two remained silent in respect and sorrow. The unicorn placed a hoof upon the pegasus’s shoulder only for a moment as he forcefully shrugged it off, causing a concerned and confused expression to wash over Twilight’s face.
“Don’t be…It’s not your fault…It’s mine” he replied harshly, slowly allowing his eyes to drift to half lidded status, his muzzle framed into a stoic expression. Twilight, Dash and Shade just remained silent, shocked yet understanding at the stallion’s action. Wordlessly, Vortex walked solemnly out through the door to the small room, a look of depression strewn on his face.
“Ponies kept their distance whether from respect or fear…I dunno, anyway I was alone…others kept busy, acting out their routines as if it would make the world right again…but I knew better…I had been given powers to defeat the beast, I was strong, I was ready, I even fought it with EVERYTHING I had…and it wasn’t enough, that needed to change”
Vortex shot up from his bed, still scarred on some areas of his body, bandages covered bloodied patches on his yellow coat. The daylight eased into the room via the small window above him. His breathing was heavy, his pupils were dilated as his eyes went wide, sweat dripped from his fur. After a moment to regain himself, Vortex let out a sigh, slumping forward to ease his head on his hooves, exhausted. Soon, the realisation of everything hit him like a cannon ball hit’s the bow of a ship, without thought, he acted on his rage, violently slamming his hard hoof into a nearby locker, practically crushing it. The banging sound caused by the sheer force was apparently enough to draw attention as his gaze quickly washed over the archway to his room, revealing a certain face was looking at him in a quizzical fashion.
“Hey, bad dream?” joked the cyan pegasus of loyalty. She stood casually outside the room, a smile on her muzzle as she began to trot towards the yellow stallion. Vortex relaxed his muscles, allowing his hoof to slump away from the dented metal.
“Yeah, I guess…what’s up, Rainbow Dash?” he replied nonchalantly, pulling his blankets off him to the side, still sitting on the side of the bed on his haunches, looking up at the blue mare.
“Uhhh, nothing, just bored” she said through a whining tone before lazily throwing herself down on the bed beside him. She rested on her back with her legs spread open to each direction, a look of little content on her face.
“You’re wings aren’t broken, why don’t you go around or something?”
“Don’t you think I’ve done that already? I would but Twilight says I should stay near the boat, I hate limitations” she groaned, rubbing her hooves on her closed eyes in boredom. Vortex let out a slight chuckle at her antics as he turned his head away, not paying attention to the mare shifting her position. She laid on her side, her right hoof supporting the weight of her head while the knee rested on the mattress, her other foreleg draped lazily behind her back as her back legs were crossed slightly. She looked up at his face with interest. Vortex looked down to see her rather adorable stance before he met her gaze.
“What?” he asked, noticing that she had been staring.
“Oh, I was just wondering, how’d you get your cutie mark?” she answered. The yellow colt’s gaze trailed down towards the mark on his right flank, for the first time he noticed something rather disturbing about it. The mark depicted a singular blue lightning bolt that overlapped a red one of the same size that struck in the opposite direction.
“Ahhh, now that’s a story I don’t completely understand”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, just like everypony, I got it when I was just a foal”
“Yeah, go on”
“That’s it…” he replied. Dash’s expression went blank.
“That’s it? So what? One day it just appeared?” she said with little more than a bit of aggression.
“Exactly, I didn’t do anything, I didn’t accomplish anything, just one day it just showed up” he stated blatantly. “I know that everypony has some kind of amazing great story to tell about their cutie marks and what they represent but at the time, that was that, I didn’t know what it meant…” at that, both Tex and Dash’s thoughts took on the same idea.
“You don’t think…?”
“Yeah but that doesn’t quite explain why I got it then”
“But Vortex…if that’s your cutie mark, don’t you think that this was your destiny?” she consulted, leaving the yellow pegasus dumbfounded at the mare’s ignorance.
“You really don’t know much about all of this, do you?” he said with a slight chuckle that sounded forced.
“What do you mean?”
“This destiny isn’t my own, it was forced on me…by myself, what was supposed to happen was I was going to live happily with my wife and best friend until the beast hit”
“How do you know that?”
“Cause that’s what Tesla did…only he went back in time and gave me that package”
“Wait, wait, wait…he was YOU!?!”
“Yep, I gave myself powers before my destined time, it was all preparation for the beast…he even killed her to toughen me up”
“Who?”
“Terra…”
“Was she-?”
“Yeah, I loved her, Dash”
“I’m sorry”
“It’s fine, I live with my mistakes” he said, taking on a much lower tone than previously. The cyan mare placed a hoof on his shoulder, knowing that she hit a sore spot on his conscious, trying to comfort him to the best of her ability.
“The next day I went to work, I helped Shade create a device to focus my powers, Tartarus, he’d do anything to be friends like we used to be. Twilight gathered intelligence on the beast, town after town was lost as it travelled down the coast…she also used her contacts to requisition a smaller boat, Manehatten was in lockdown, wouldn’t let anypony in, we were gonna have to sneak in through the swamp…I dunno if you ever let somepony down, got your flank kicked or straight failed but THOSE are the moments that define us, they push you further than you ever thought possible and force you to make choices…no matter what the cost”
In the early hours of the morning, Celestia’s great sun casted a mild orange glow over the land. Shadows became shortened with each moment as it raised higher into the sky from the horizon. The constant sound of mosquitoes buzzing, searching for their precious, life sustaining blood was the most audible thing in the atmosphere. Capped with the ever annoying mild humming of the boat engine travelling down the river within the swamp lands just outside of Manehatten. Vortex stood at the bow, his yellow hooves rested on the railing as his scarlet eyes scanned the new environment, the place was revolting. Wild moss populated most of the land surrounding the boat, run down cabins occupied the banks. The pegasus’s left wing was bandaged, kept to his side for what little protection could be offered. A large strap, connected to a small backpack draped across his chest, a small pocket on it, allowing his trusted device to easily snag into it. The faint sound of light hoofsteps brought the pegasus out of his daze.
“Hello, Vortex” voiced out the soft tone of the ever lovable lavender unicorn; Twilight Sparkle. The pegasus simply acknowledged her with a tilt of his head in her direction without words. Despite the silence, she continued. “Ya know, when you meet the Doctor, everything it going to be completely-….” she trailed off, apparently spotting something in the distance. She quickly turned around, looking up at the control room, frantically waving her hooves about.
“Shade, Shade! Cut the engines!” she yelled, causing Vortex to turn to her in confusion.
“What’s up?”
“Militia blockade, we get any closer and they will sink us” she stated, pointing a hoof in the direction of several towers in the distance. Vortex turned to see what she was referring to before he looked back at her in confusion.
“Aren’t you like Celestia’s prodigy?”
“Yes but that won’t stop them”
“Why?”
“Manehatten recently branched out from under the Princesses rule”
“Come again…”
“Now some mare named Blaze is running the town” she said with a hint of distaste. Vortex simply smirked.
“I guess it’s time I go introduce myself” he said before turning towards the starboard side of the ship.
“Wait up, Tex!” called out a familiar blue stallion. The pegasus looked back to see his friend, carrying something in his back.
“Here she is” he continued with a grin, his eyes still concealed by his golden shades.
“And you’re sure it’s ready?” Vortex questioned with a chuckle.
“Uhhh, I hope so…” he answered before hoofing it over to the pegasus “…Give her a try”. Vortex initially took the object in his right hoof. The object was metallic, the entire frame of it resembled that of a tuning fork. At the end electrical capacitors, several rings sticking out from the top two poles of the object. The handle was ribbed, the bottom of it was the same metal as the most of the build. Copper wires lapped around parts of it, giving the entire thing a rather homemade look to it. Vortex continued to examine it for a moment before rearing up on his back legs, grasping the object in both of his front hooves. With a slight swing, it made an audible arching sound, the two poles from the handle extended as the pegasus’s forelegs became vibrant with over-lapping electricity. The charge surged into the metal, making the object glow as lightning zapped and cackle all around his hooves, the handle and the capacitors at the end. It was heavy also.
“Whoa” Shade and Vortex let out, impressed at the sight. The pegasus grinned as he swung the metal around with satisfaction, created an audible buzzing sound with each movement.
“What is that thing?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“I call it ‘The Amp’” The blue earth pony stated proudly.
“Good work, Shade” Vortex complimented before stepping towards the railing and spontaneously jumping onto it.
“Thanks, brother, go have some fun!”
“This is gonna make a Tartarus of an impression” and with that, the pegasus dropped down onto the small dock protruding from the river bank. Vortex quickly sheathed the Amp into the open socket in of his bag and instantly took off further into the swamp before a slight beep emitted from his chest. “Hey, Twilight, does Celestia even know what you’re up to with me?”
“Uhhh, no”
“Why? I mean you seem pretty ‘by the numbers’” he said as he came up to a run down, old bridge that crumbled into the water as soon as he made his way up to it.
“No, I decided that it be best to not inform her about you yet”
“Okay why?” he inquired as he hovered over towards the second island.
“Well, you do kind of have a reputation…mostly a bad one”
“Ahhh, I see, good call” he responded, getting a satisfying beep sound. Without warning, a unicorn popped out from behind a tree, she was clothed in some form of an orange and black uniform that draped from her neck to her hooves.
“It’s the demon!” she shouted before her horn lit up in an intimidating fashion. Vortex noticed just in time to dodge the burst of lethal magic firing form the unicorn. In a state of self defence, the pegasus reached a hoof behind him, grasping the handle of his newly forged weapon and violently ripped it from it’s sheath. Without words, the metallic frame was enveloped in surging charges of cyan lightning. Vortex quickly galloped over to the mare, Amp in hoof before rearing up on his back legs, gripping the handle in both hooves and violently swinging the blazing metal. The stallion swung the weapon upwards, the sound of discharging electricity cackling in the atmosphere. The mare was sent flying, she staggered, trying to get to her hooves as another pony galloped over to them, this time, a stallion. He came rushing over towards Vortex, malice in his eyes as he charged him. The yellow pegasus gave it no second thought and viciously swung at the colt, the electrified metal coming in contact with the stallion muzzle. The mare tumbled over to the moss coated ground with a thud, unconscious as the stallion groggily began to rise to his hooves. Vortex quickly sheathed the weapon before dropping to all fours once more, relentlessly, he raised a singular hoof, pointing the stallion’s direction. With an audible discharging cackle, the broken colt was violently shot at by three cyan electric bolts, fired from the pegasus’s hoof. He smirked as he watched the earth pony fall into unconsciousness.
“Hey, Shade, look’s like this Amp is gonna work out just fine” he said after hearing the same beep.
“Yeah, awesome put a few notches on it for me, brother”
“Expect more resistance, the Militia now control almost everything in Manehatten these days”
“Oh, how can they let a bunch of fascists take over their city?”
“…ponies do strange things when they’re afraid”
Vortex made his way up to what looked like a bridge control. On the other side was a large generator, most likely connected to the bridge itself. There also seemed to be a small village surrounding the machine however several ponies in the same uniform trotted about the area aswell.
“Vortex, it looks like you could lower that bridge if you give it some power” Twilight observed.
“Beats swimming”
“Just don’t over charge it, the fire could burn out the entire village”
“Yeah it could, I could take all these ponies out at once”
“Oh yeah and the mares, the foals and the pets” she stated blankly before the line was cut. At that moment, Vortex felt something, a familiar tugging in his mind, the option. He had grown accustomed to that word, every now and again, he had to face something, a choice. There was always at least two, there was the selfish one and the selfless one.
Good or Evil
Heroic or Infamous
Vortex raised a single hoof, pointing it at the generator, his foreleg was enveloped in lapping electricity. Wordlessly, a barrage of bolts escaped his form, firing directly at the machine. It began to emit an audible humming sound as the lights started to flicker, indication of success.
“Keep it up!” Shade voiced out from the speaker before the light on the generator turned green.
“That did it” Twilight said with a sigh of relief. At that moment, Vortex felt something else, a feeling of…he couldn’t describe it. It was a feeling of making a difference, one of responsibility and doing the right thing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a thought popped up, like a new voice in his head. The voice was his own but more malicious, devilish…evil. It spoke to him in a way, telling him to do something, something terrible, it told him to kill, to be selfish, to not care. However there was another, a softer tone, telling him that he did good this day, that he will be rewarded for his actions, that everything will turn out alright thanks to his selfless acts. The pegasus put a single word to that; Karma.
Eventually, despite all the turmoil that dwelled within the swamp, the Militia ponies, the water. Vortex eventually made his way to small platform just off the coast of Manehatten, a long power line ran form the edge up to a tall poll protruding form the water. The pegasus jumped onto the line and as if on contact, his four hooves flared with lightning, blazing around his form with intensity as it carried him up towards the wooden pole. Vortex was released with a forceful push as he jumped off the line. The pegasus dropped onto the second line, the lightning carrying him along the surface towards the docks. With a leap, he landed onto the wooden surface.
“Alright, guys, clear to dock”
“Nice, we will come to you and then head up to the Doctor’s lab”
*Beep*
“What took you so long?” called out a voice from above. The pegasus looked up to find none other than Rainbow Dash, lying atop a cloud, munching on a rather delicious looking apple.
“How long have you been-…never mind”