Chaos and Courage

Chapters

Incoming Shitstorm
Into the Maze
Twists and Turns
From Bad to Worse
Man vs. Maniac
Applejack Attack
Once Bitten, Twice Fluttershy
Divide and Conquer
Elements, Assemble!
For The Mare Next to You
Victory

Incoming Shitstorm

"And you're SURE this thing still works?" I asked Guardian. I was standing on the top of my base getting ready to test a new system that would allow me to jump from high places and still land safely.

"Of course, why would it not work?" He asked

"You know how my luck...work?" I said but my train of thought was interrupted. I was looking at what appeared to be a cotton candy cloud that was following a pony and raining chocolate milk.

"That's a new one" I said to myself "Uh, G are you seeing this?"

I was jolted from my observation by the blaring of an alarm. I quckly made my way to the bridge where Firestorm and Guardian were franticly trying to process the alert.

"Status report" I ordered as I skidded to a stop behind the mechs

"Captain, all hell has broken loose" I hear Firestorm say as she jumps from screen to screen.

"Affirmative" Guardian says "I am detecting an overwhelming number of anomolies in all sectors"

"A little more specific please" I said

"That's just it Captain, we've never seen anything like this" said Firestorm "it's complete insanity"

"Understood" I said as I ran to the armory "Get the Albatross ready, I need to get the others and get to Canterlot, ASAP"
I reached the armory and quickly gathered my gear: my AUG rifle with an underslung Masterkey shotgun, a pair of M9 Barretta pistols, ammo, my axe, and shield. I began strapping on my armor as Guardian updated me on the transport.

"Captain, the Albatross is ready for deployment" he said as I finished my armor and started installing a minigun

"Roger that" I said as I ran to the lift finishing and retracting the minigun on my right shoulder and starting on my left 20 millimeter cannon "you and Firestorm stay here and monitor the situation"
I took the lift to the launch bay as I finished installed my 20mm and boarded the Albatross: a jet-propelled version of the V-22 Osprey. I linked my systems into its controls and uploaded Twilight's magic energy signature.

"Albatross, seek out Twilight Sparkle" I commanded the autopilot, which answered by firing its jets and lifting out of the roof launch pad. Once hovering over the base, the Albatross tilted its thrusters and launched forward, already homing in on Twilight's magic. From my position in the Albatross, I could see the extent of the emergency: Pegasi were getting stuck in the aformentioned clouds , animals with long skinny legs were running wild, it was like a warzone in Ponyville and sanity was losing.

"Target located: descending"
The transport then came to a stop and dropped itself onto the ground. I hit the release switch, lowering the hydraulic ramp. I walked out, AUG ready.
"Captain?" I heard all the ponies say when I landed

"Get in" I ordered gesturing toward the Albatross "We're goin' to Canterlot"

All the ponies piled into the transport with me staying on the ramp. The ship then lifted off and I returned inside, closing the door as I went.

"Albatross: destination Canterlot Castle, Full speed" I commanded the ship as the ponies settled in. A series of beeps indicated the ship was en route. I sat down in my seat.

"OK, does anyone have any idea what the hell is going on?" I asked bluntly. They all nodded no.

"It's like all sanity has disappeared" said Twilight clearly overwhelmed by the failure of all logic.

"It's raining chocolate milk from cotton candy clouds!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash

"The animals are all running wild" squeaked Fluttershy

"And Sweet Apple Acres is covered in a layer a popcorn" Applejack said "and Ah don't think we got enough butter for all of it"

"I noticed" I said standing up and walking to the control panel "This really gives the Everfree Forest a run for its money in weirdness"
I paused and then remembered my manners.
"Oh and by the way: welcome aboard the V-23 Albatross"

"Where do you keep all this stuff?" asked Rainbow

"That's classified" I said turning my attention to the V-23's monitors "Wow, this stuff is happening all over Equestria"
I brought up a projection of all the data I had: pictures of snowman attacks in the north, dancing tumbleweeds out west, on and on.

"Captain, I have an update" said Firestorm over my radio

"Go ahead" I said

"It appears the disruptions are getting more severe and are spreading rapidly"

"Roger that" I answered "Have Guardian begin evacuating ponies to the town hall, and don't forget Zecora"

"Understood sir, be careful"

"What was that about?" asked Rarity

"These disturbances are getting worse" I said "I'm having Guardian and Firestorm evactuate the town and keep them at the town hall"

"Thirty seconds to destination" the autopilot said

"Wow, that was fast" said Pinkie as she looked out a window at the city

"Albatross, drop us at the palace door" I ordered as I drew my rifle and loaded a magazine as well as four Dragon's Breath shells in the Masterkey. The Albatross stopped and began its descent and turned so the loading ramp would lower onto the top step. I activated my helmet which unfolded and wrapped around my head. I lowered the ramp and ushered the ponies out.

"Albatross: maintain overwatch" I ordered the transport which imediatly raised its ramp and took to the sky
I turned back to the ponies.
"Let's hope Celestia knows what's going on" I said as the palace gate opened on its own. We all made our way to the throne room quickly dashing through the halls and past the frantic pony guards. We all burst into the throne room where a stressed-out Celestia was pacing the floor.

"Princess! We came as fast as we could" Twilight said

"I'm glad to see you all" she said in response

"I assume you're aware of the shitstorm of insanity that's raging outside, Ma'am" I said saluting the Princess

"Captain: language!" Twilight snapped

"What? How would YOU discribe this?" I responded defensively "I'm gonna be cleaning cotton candy out of Albatross' air intakes for weeks"
The Princess turned and walked toward a door behind the pair of thrones.

"Follow me, quickly" she commands. We all follow her into a long hallway filled with stained glass windows.

"This is a matter of great importance" the Princess began "It seems an old foe of mine, someone I thought I had defeated long ago, has returned. His name...is Discord" Fluttershy squealed in fear.

The Princess then began to tell the story of how she and her sister Luna had originally used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord, the spirit of DIS-harmony, turning him to stone and freeing the ponies from his oppressive rule.

"This is Canterlot Tower" she continued "Where the Elements of Harmony are kept since the seven of you recovered them"

"Wait, we were suppose to give those back?" I asked as I retracted my chest plate's center panel revealing the five pointed golden gear "I just kept mine"

"Captain" Twilight said nudging me "don't interrupt"

"Sorry" I said replacing the panel

"I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again and save Equestria from Discord and eternal chaos" Princess Celestia concluded

"But why us?" asked Twilight

"Hey look" chirped Pinkie Pie "We're famous!"
Pinkie was looking at a large stained glass window depicting six ponies and one human firing beams at another dark blue pony. I guessed that was our battle with Nightmare Moon.

"The seven of you showed the Elements' full power by harnessing the magic of your friendship to defeat a mighty foe" the Princess explained "Since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, it is you who must use their power to defeat Discord"

"Ma'am, yes ma'am" I responded snapping to attention

"Princess Celestia, you can count on..." Twilight began to say but was interrupted by Pinkie Pie

"Hold on a second!" Pinkie said "Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guys. CHOCOLATE RAIN!"

"Good to see you're keeping everything in perspective" I said sarcastically

"Don't listen to her Princess" Twilight said with confidence "We'd be honored to use the Elements of Harmony again"

Princess Celestia nodded, then turned back to the massive security door behind her. She charged her horn and inserted it into the crest in the center, causing a blue light to radiate from the crack where the doors meet. the light slowly got brighter as the doors opened, revealing a very ornate chest on a pedestal.

"Ooooh" Rarity said gawking at the chest "You can keep the Elements. I'll take that case" I face-palmed

"Have no fear, ponies. I have total confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord with these!" the Princess declared as she levitated the box in front of us and opened it: revealing the void that was suppose to contain the other six Elements of Harmony. We all gasped in horror as Celestia dropped the empty box.

"Why doesn't this surprise me?" I asked rhetorically

"Well" said Pinkie "If anypony needs me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a giant swizzle straw"

Into the Maze

"Yeah, I kinda thought that would be too easy" I said as I stared at the empty box.

"But that's impossible" the Princess said in disbelief "That chamber is protected by a powerful spell only I can break. This makes no sense"
Then we all heard a disembodied laugh prompting me to draw my rifle and activate my over-the-shoulder (OTS) weapons as I drop to a knee facing the entrance.

"Seems like a pattern today, Princess" I said as I began scanning through the room with my vision filters while my guns unfolded and readied for use.

"And besides" A disembodied voice responded "What fun is there in making sense?"

"Discord!" exclaimed the Princess "Show yourself!"

I was intently scanning the room, each weapon trying to get a lock on Discord.

"Did you miss me, Celestia?" he asked in an echoy voice "I missed you"
That's when I found him. He was using a stained-glass figure of a...uh...an...honestly I have no idea what that is, and was moving it between the windows.
"It's quite lonely being turned to stone", Discord continued "Oh, but you wouldn't know that, would you, because I don't turn ponies into stone" he punctuated this by tapping on a figure representing Fluttershy getting her Element. I stood up and disengaged weapons, seeing as he was on the windows and I couldn't hit him.

"ENOUGH" bellowed Celestia "What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!"

"Oh, I just borrowed them for a little while" he answered tauntingly. Then he snapped his...claws? I don't even think that's possible. Whatever. Anyway, he snapped his claws and the image of the Elements in the center disappeared.

"You'll never get away with this, Discord" Celestia declared to a now reclining Discord

"Oh, I had forgotten how grim you can be Celestia" Discord said "It really is quite booooriiing"

"HEY!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash "NOPONY insults the Princess like that!" she then took off at the figure of Discord at full speed, only to have him disappear and slam into the glass. After peeling her muzzle from the colored pane, Discord reappeared in a larger size.

"OH, you must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent" Discord said

"That's right" Dash replied "And I'll always be loyal to the Princess!"
He disappeared again.
"We'll see about that" he said

"I can't believe we're wasting our time talking to a tacky window" commented Rarity as Discord appeared on the window behind her.

"Ah the beautiful Rarity, representing the element of generosity, if I'm not mistaken" he continued

"So ya know who we are" Applejack interjected "big deal"

"Oh I know more than that, honest Applejack" he continued, growing to fill the window

"You seem to know our strengths too" Twilight deduced

"Yes, Twilight Sparkle, and yours is the most powerful and elusive element, magic" Discord said "Fluttershy's is kindness and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favorite of mine, laughter"

He then began doing the Running Man on the image of Twilight's head eliciting laughter from Pinkie.

"PINKIE!" Twilight exclaimed trying to stop her

"He's standing on your head" Pinkie said through her laughter

I drew my rifle and readied the Masterkey, aimed and fired a Dragon's Breath shell. The massive burst of flame scorched the spot where Discord had been. I ejected the still flaming shell.

"I've had enough" I said angry "Now, are you going to tell us where the Elements are, or do I have to come up there and pound the answer out of you?"

"Ah, the courageous and belligerent Captain Archangel" he said "I'm going to enjoy toying with you"

I fired again.

"That's not an answer" I said

"If you insist" he sighed "But I'll only tell you my way. To retrieve your missing elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the elements back where you began." Discord then disappeared in a fit of laughter.

"C-can we go h-home now?" Fluttershy asked

"What do ya reckon he meant?" Applejack asked "Twists and turns and endin' back where we started?"

"Twist and turns...twist and turns..." Twilight pondered

"It seems like everything today is twisted" I observed

"Twists and turns! That's it!" Twilight exclaimed "I'll bet he hid the elements in the palace labyrinth"

"Good luck" Celestia said "The fate of Equestria lies on your shoulders"

"No pressure or anything" I said sarcastically as we all bolted from Canterlot Tower toward the Gardens.

It didn't take us long to reach the entrance of the massive hedge maze that made up the palace labyrinth.

"W-we have to go in there?" Fluttershy asked terrified

"Nope" answered Rainbow Dash as she flared her wings "Dopey Discord forgot about these babies. I'll just do a quick fly-over and we'll have the elements in no time"

As Dash took off, a puff of smoke appeared around her wings, revealing that they were gone. I looked to Fluttershy and saw the same, along with Rarity and Twilight's horns. Everyone started freaking out. Then, we heard the disembodied laugh again. I spun around, fingers on both of my AUG's triggers. From a plume of smoke, the freakiest creature I'd yet seen appeared. It looked like a zoo had fallen into a blender: it had a goat horn and a deer antler, a single fang in its pony like head, mismatched eyes, a long snakelike body caped with a draconic tail and a white puff of hair, a lion's left arm, an eagle's right, a goat right leg and a dragon's left , as well as a Pegasus wing and a bat wing.

"You should have seen the looks on your faces!" it said through his uncontrolled laughter "Priceless"

"What the fuck is that?" I asked trying to hold back laughter "I thought I was the only science experiment here"

"I'm Discord, the God of Chaos" he answered irritated "Have you not been paying attention?"

"Not who are you" I clarified "What are you?"

"He's a Draconequus: a creature made up of a pony head and..." Twilight tried to explain

"And any spare parts he could find" I said "I'm surprised he's not held together with duct tape and paperclips"

"You're one to talk, Tinman" Discord replied

"Woooo, Tinman, never heard that one before" I said sarcastically
I turned back to the ponies.

"Let's get this over with, I hate mazes"

"You don't want to hear the rules?" Discord asked

"Not really" I answered trying to anger him. He snapped his talons and a steel blast door extended from the ground blocking the maze.

"Too bad. Rule one: no wings, no magic" he said

"Rule number two" Discord continued unaware of the surprise I had in store "Everypony has to play"

"In that case, I'll be over here when you guys finish" I said as I turned and began to walk away

"Did you not hear me?" Discord replied as he poofed in front of me"I said everypony has to play"

"You're serious?" I said as I face palmed

"What's so hard to grasp here?"

"OK Discord; one of these things is not like the others" I said in as smartass a tone as I could "Can you guess which one?" gesturing to the ponies

"Well, It's you, of course" he answered

"And why would that be?"

"Because you're not a po...oh"
I had to wait my friends to stop laughing

"You know what I meant" Discord raged

"I know it's just so fun to piss you off"

"Why you little...Just for that: YOU can find a way past that door" He said as he poofed away

"Great, NOW how're we gonna find the elements?" Applejack asked as I walked to the door

"Relax, AJ, I got just the thing for this" I said as I placed a radio beacon on the door "You're gonna want to back up"

"Why? What's gonna happen?" Rainbow asked

"I'm opening the door" I said as I called to Firestorm "Storm, I need a Skeleton Key"

"Target acquired" she replied "door should be open in about seven seconds"

Six-and-a-half seconds later, five tank-busting missiles ponded the blast door, blowing it open. As the dust cleared, I turned around and saw the shocked expressions of my friends.

"What?" I asked

"How did you...?!" Rainbow stuttered "Where'd that come from?"

"I'll explain later" I said as we all entered the maze. Then, the ground shook.

"Ok, that wasn't me" I said. Then, hedgerows sprang from the ground separating us and freaking everyone out.

"Everypony just calm down" Twilight commanded "Just make your way to the maze's center as fast as you can"

"Moving out" said Rainbow Dash

"Yee-Haw" Applejack responded

"See you in the center" said Rarity

"See you guys there" Pinkie said as she bounced away
I drew a pistol and moved out.
"Acknowledged, advancing" I said "Good luck"

Author's Note

Get ready for some interesting developments in the future. Oh and I know that Arty Strike was unnecessary but I just really wanted to blow something up

Twists and Turns

"Now I know how Pac-Man feels" I mused as I proceeded through the hedge maze. I'd been walking for what felt like hours, but then again, Discord's magic could have been distorting my sense of time. Or it could have been the fact that I was letting my training take over, sweeping each and every path and corner like any one of them could be hiding a platoon of soldiers. Then I remembered Albatross; I could use him to plot a route.

"Albatross, do you read me?" I called through my radio. A few seconds later, my HUD showed a text response.

Affirmative: Awaiting orders

"I need a route to the maze center" I said

Plotting...Uploading to Heads-Up Display. I could now see a small map through my eye.

"Thanks. Maintain overwatch" I commanded as I moved on. I followed the map Albatross had given me until I saw something: It was Guardian. He was hovering in an open area in the maze.

"Guardian?" I asked surprised "What are you doing here?" The drone remained silent.
"Guardian, answer me"

"Answer what, sir?" I heard over my radio

"Guardian?" I asked again "what the...where are you?"

"I am onboard the Firestorm, why do you ask?"

"Because I'm looking at one of your drone platforms" I replied

"Impossible" he said "I have not moved from Ponyville. I recommend caution, Captain; this does not bode well"

"Roger that" I replied as I approached the drone. Once I was within arm's reach, it floated away down one of the passages.

This is TOTALLY not a trap I thought as I pursued the robot, which constantly ran away once I approached it. after what felt like an hour of chasing it, I rounded a corner and found something even more out of place: A battlefield.

"What in the world?" I asked out loud. The large open area was littered with spent rifle, shotgun and artillery shells, piles of rubble and even what looked like a demolished tank hull. I holstered my weapon and began investigating.

"Hmm...5.56 NATO, 12 Gauge and 155" I said as I examined the cartridges "I'm the only one with access to this kind of firepower, and I don't even have a tank"
Then I heard the disembodied laughter again. I grabbed my rifle off my back and readied it and the Masterkey.

"Show yourself!" I shouted as I scanned the area. Then I noticed the spent shells were rolling on their own, forming into a pile. As more and more brass joined the pile, it started shifting and morphing into a familiar serpentine shape until finally, Discord was revealed.

"I'll give you credit, that was mildly impressive" I said to the patchwork villain as I replaced my rifle

"Why thank you" he replied as he morphed a shotgun shell into a fang and placed it in his maw "It's always nice to be recognized for what you do"

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Elements to find"
I started walking which is when Discord poofed in front of me again
"Not so fast, Captain" he said as he slithered behind me "You really don't want to go that way"

"and why not?"

"Well because it's really scary, of course"

"You don't need to worry about me" I said sarcastically as I pushed him off "I'm sure I'll be fine"

"Always the brave and fearless one I see" He said as he looked directly into my eyes which had an odd hypnotic swirling effect "You've been strong for far too long, why not be weak, why not be meek?"
I could feel something changing in me, like I wanted to be somewhere safe where no one could find me.

"Warning, warning: unauthorized runtime modification detected" My computer reported out loud "Erecting firewall... Quarantining malignant code...Preparing counter-virus...Dispensing...Running diagnostics...All systems report cleansed...Attack neutralized"

"Nice try" I said "but you have a lot to learn about computer hacking"

"Fine then we'll do this the hard way" He then placed his eagle claw on my head, which my computer detected as a second brute force attack. I just smiled and grabbed his arm. In one motion, I yanked the Draconequus toward me, flipped him over my head and slammed him into the ground.

"You don't learn very quickly do you?" I said as I reared back to punch the grounded hybrid. He vanished as my fist connected with the ground.

"And apparently, YOU still have a lot to learn about magic" he retorted as I rolled away and jumped up to face him.

"Well, that's unexpected" I said looked around. In the time I had been facing away from him, Discord had spawned a large group of ninja ponies in front of me.
"Seriously? Ninjas? What is this, a movie?" My combat software was already working to designate targets, as well as overclocking my reflexes and dexterity.
"Fine" I sighed "Let's do this" I dropped into a gunslinger stance, drawing my rifle.

"Ooooh" Discord said as he reclined in a lawn chair with a bag of popcorn "Dis gone be good"
I just rolled my eyes and smirked
"DRAW" I shouted as I raised my rifle and dropped to one knee. Time seemed to slow as my implants kicked in, channeling my inner action hero, I began picking off targets. In under five seconds I had dropped all the ninjas, but then I heard something behind me.

"He's over there" Called one pony who I didn't see. Then, a magic bolt impacted the ground next to me.

I dropped the rifle, it was empty anyway, and drew my pistols. Turning around , I saw five armored unicorn soldiers, each taking aim at me. I threw up my shield and braced for impact, shirking off the blasts like water. I dropped the metal wall and took my shots, blasting each pony with a headshot, dropping them like flies. I stood back up and re-holstered my M-9s.

"And that's how we do it in SOCOM" I said triumphantly as I looked back to the now stunned Discord. His jaw literally hit the ground.

"But...that's not...you can't...YOU CHEATED!"

"No I didn't" I said truthfully "I'm playing your game, I haven't used magic, and I don't have wings"

"Then how did you move so fast?" He challenged

"Simple, I used machinery and technology to augment my strength and perception to super-human levels" I picked my AR back up and slung it over my shoulder

"So you DID use magic!"

"No, I used science" I corrected "That's like the opposite of magic"

"How do you figure?"

"Simple, humans, and by association human cyborgs, can't use magic"

"I still say you cheated" He said defeated

"Look, it's really not that difficult: I beat your challenge, your mad, so you accuse me of cheating; but you can't PROVE that I cheated, so therefore I didn't. End of argument"

"Then explain it to me, O Master of Science" Discord demanded "Explain to me just how you did all that without magic"

"In order to do that you'd need a basic understanding of...You know what: I don't have time for this" I said as I turned and walked away down a passage.

A few minutes later Discord appeared again.
"You know Captain, I've been thinking" he said as his shrunken self perched on my shoulder "Maybe we shouldn't be against each other after all"

"Oh here we go" I moaned "The whole 'join me and we will rule the planet together' skit"

"Oh, you've heard it before? Well that saves some time" he said "What do you say?"

"You know...I think I'd rather step on a land mine then be you're partner" I replied as I flicked the little twerp off my shoulder.

"C'mon, think about it Captain, all of Equestria could be ours to play with"
I just kept walking
"All the chaos we can stand?"
Still walking
"All the mares you could ever want, hmmm?" he offered

"You can tell I'm ignoring you, right?" I asked as I rounded another corner
With a snap of his talons, Discord appeared further down the path leaning on the hedgerow wall.

"Hmph, and I thought you enjoyed chaos"
I stopped right in front of him. I've had enough.

"Enjoy...chaos" I said barely containing my rage "You think I ENJOY chaos?"

"Well of course, you never miss a chance to cause a little uproar"
I turned to him. He could see the rage.

"Listen to me, you biological jigsaw puzzle, I...do not...enjoy...chaos" I could feel my shoulder guns arming

"Ok, ok so you don't have spread any chaos"

"Let me make something very clear, Discord: you don't know chaos. You've never seen cities burned to the ground. You've never seen a friend's head explode not three feet from you..."

"Hey, hey easy now"

"And, you've never watched as you're body was destroyed and replace with cold, unfeeling MACHINERY!" My guns instantly focused in on the Draconequus.

"L-let's not do anything rash now Captain" he pleaded as he shrunk back

"I know why you're trying to recruit me. It's because you fear me"

"No, no I just thought we'd make a good team since we're so much alike"

"Alike? You think I'm ANYTHING like YOU?!". I took another step forward, now nose to snout with Discord "The only thing WE have in common is that we're both hybrids of something. What you don't seem to get is that while you are the so-called embodiment of chaos, I've been shaped by chaos and insanity from the start."

"Um, You know you're eye is on fire right?"
I ignored him. I knew my eye had changed from a golden gear to a crimson flame.
"I was born into war, the panicle of chaos; nearly killed by it, and just when I might find peace: I was resurrected to be the ultimate harbinger of chaos: the perfect synergy of human cruelty and mechanical efficiency."

"Right, so why not BE that and rule Equestria with me?"

"Because I never wanted to be that. This place has given me a second chance to find peace. These ponies don't see a killing machine, a freak or a monster. When they look at me; they see a friend..."

"Is THAT what you think? AHH HA HA HA HA!" Discord howled as he fell into laughter. I grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into the opposite wall, then pinned him with my axe blade to his throat.

"And what's THAT suppose to mean?" I demanded

"You really think your 'friends' see you like that?" he said as he calmed down "They're only your friends because they don't want to be your enemy, you thick-headed grunt"

"You're wrong, I know it. You're just trying to play mind-games again, you subversive waste of skin"
He snapped again and appeared hovering above me
"Go ahead and believe what you want, but remember, they're only your friends when they need you"
I answered with some 20mm shells. He just poofed away. Then one of the hedgerows retracted into the ground.

"Arc?" a familiar voice asked "Is that you?"

"Yeah Twilight, it's me" I answered as I joined the group of ponies and continued on our way. But I knew things could only get worse.

Author's Note

I can't write an ending to save my life.

From Bad to Worse

We failed

That's the only thought I had the entire way back to Ponyville. Discord had done something to Rainbow Dash and made her fly off, violating his no flying rule. He then proceeded to teleport everyone back to the outskirts of Ponyville, where all hell had truly broken loose. Buildings were flying around and...and I can't even list all the crap that was wrong. But I did know one thing, something was wrong with my friends.

"Captain, have you noticed something...different...about our friends?" Twilight asked
CLUNK
"Watch were you're going" Fluttershy hissed as she flew past, smacking me in the head

"It might have occurred to me" I replied sarcastically as rubbed the back of my head "So what's the plan?"

"Well, we still need to find the Elements of Harmony"

"Any idea where they are" I asked as I checked the computer on my arm "'cause I can't get a lock on them"

"Well, what did Discord say?"
I played back the audio of Discord's 'hint'.
"We tried the 'Twists and turns' part..."

"Captain, I believe I have found something" Guardian reported

"Go ahead" I said as I patched him through my speakers

"An odd energy signature appeared shortly after Discord appeared. The odd part is it is centralized within the Suspended Animation Chamber"

"I'll check it out" I replied turning back to the ponies "Twilight, you and the others head back to the Library. I'll meet you there once I sort this out"

"Why? Who made you leader?" Pinkie Pie snapped
I've had about enough of this.
"Because if you don't, I'll just knock you unconscious and make Twilight drag you there. Clear?"

The five ponies split off from me en route to the library as I made my way back to base and to the Chamber. I synced my computer to the controls and released the lock. A hiss of air and hydraulic humming accompanied the rising columns that had once supported me, but now were supporting the jewels known as the Elements of Harmony.

"So they were never in the maze to begin with"

"Upon further analysis of Discord's 'hint', this is actually the most sensible place to hide them, given that this is the place 'where it all began'"

"Why didn't WE think of that?" I groaned as I retrieved the elements

"Good luck Captain" Firestorm added as I dashed out the door with the relics. Now I just had to get the others to cooperate long enough to use them.

A few minutes later I burst into the Library, but the scene before me was chaos (I know, weird, right?). Twilight and Spike were frantically trying to get the others to stop harassing each other, but it was not going well: Fluttershy was inciting everyone, with Pinkie overreacting to everything, and all the while, Applejack and Rarity were fighting over the rock.

That's it
I drew my sidearm and fired into the air, getting everyone's attention.
"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!?" I howled

"Why should we?" Fluttershy challenged as she hovered in front of me "It's not like you'll actually do anything"
My arm acted on its own. In an instant, I had Fluttershy's throat in my hand and had drew her in so we were face to face.

"I am only going to say this once: if I have to deal with your flip, smartass attitude for too much longer, the only thing that will be left of you is a thin layer of red on the wall. Do I make myself clear, Ms. Shy?"

"Captain, let her go!" Twilight said in panic. I released my grip and the Pegasus fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Anyone else wanna fuck with me?" I challenged. No response aside from wide-eyed stares.
"I didn't think so. Now..." I continued as I presented the Elements of Harmony "get your Element so we can finish this"
Intimidated by my outburst, each complied.

"What should we do with Loyalty, Dash isn't here" Spike asked
Twilight grabbed the ruby necklace and clipped it to the small dragon.

"There, you get to be Rainbow Dash" she declared as she walked to the door. Spike began mumbling something about impersonating Rainbow Dash, but I was too pissed to care.

After we all exited the Library (and watched as Twilight bashed Rarity's precious rock through the wall) we were ready to stop Discord.

"Now we just have to find Discord"
Poof
"You rang?" a sarcastic voice said

"Well that was easy" I added as we all took our positions.

"It's over Discord, we have the Elements now" Twilight declared

"True, you did manage to find the Elements of Harmony,but I assure you, this is far from over" Discord replied as he leaned against a tree and conjured a bulls-eye on his chest "Go ahead, take your best shot"
Twilight then activated the Elements causing all of us to float into the air.
Lapatron Cannon Charging Reported my weapon systems. The plates over my chest retracted showing the gear had begun to glow and spin.
Cannon Charge at 20% Po_WARNING: CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE DETECTED. Initiating safeguard
My core suddenly went dark and the gear locked up as the failsafe kicked in, cutting all feeds to and from the crystal battery. Each of the Elements suffered a similar malfunction, resulting in all of us falling onto the ground.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, I have some Chaos to spread, ta ta" Discord taunted as he poofed away

"Wha...What happened, why didn't the elements work?" Twilight asked as she picked herself up

"Mine's workin'" Applejack said "yours must be broken or somethin'"

"I bet it was Archangel's fault" Pinkie said as she pointed at me accusingly "He's the soldier. He's suppose to handle this"

"THAT IS IT!" I roared in anger "I have had ENOUGH of this bullshit. If all we're going to do is argue and fight, then I don't need to be friends with any of you"

"My thoughts exactly" Fluttershy added as she threw her necklace on the ground. Each pony followed suit, tossing their necklace into the pile.

"MINE!" Rarity exclaimed as she snatched the jewelry

"No, stop!" Twilight pleaded "This is exactly what he wants!"

"Don't you get it?" I said "We LOST! In case you didn't notice, the only 'Defenders of Harmony' are a lying redneck, a paranoid mental patient, a kleptomanic drama queen, a traitor who is nowhere to be found, and an obnoxious bitch...you know what, forget it. I don't even know why I'm still talking to you ponies, it's not like you even care. All you wanted was a big gun to point at whatever you don't like, but no more..."

I released the lock that held the Gear in my chest and threw it down on the ground.

"You can keep your damn 'Element of Harmony' because I don't need it and I sure as hell don't need any of you"
Each pony said something along the lines of 'I never want to see you again' and left, me included, leaving a stunned Twilight and Spike in our wake.

Author's Note

Abrupt ending is abrupt. Don't worry, the next chapter will be...interesting.

Man vs. Maniac

You did the right thing I thought as I sat in the armory. I needed some time to think.

"I know" I said, answering myself "but I still feel guilty for it"

Why? It's not like it matters to them what you do

"I don't know, I can't explain it. I almost feel like I wasn't in control. Like somehow, something was manipulating me to do that"

"Um, Captain? Are you feeling alright?" A voice asked. I looked up to see Firestorm and Guardian, both in hologram form.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I replied sharply

"Then why are you talking to yourself?" Guardian inquired

"Look, I don't know what's going on" I replied a little more angry "And I don't need you two trying to 'help'"

"Sir, I am detecting some odd activity..."
I felt myself become incredibly angry

"STOP! I said I don't need help" I snapped "Now go the hell away"
The holograms disappeared, leaving me, once again, in solitude.

See? Doesn't it feel good when others listen to you?

"Why did I do that?" I asked "they were just worried"

You don't need help. Everything is fine

"Great, now I am having a full conversation with myself" I groaned

Maybe if you'd have listened to me more often, you wouldn't be in this mess

"And now even my mind is giving me shit. What else could go wrong?"
Then the door opened, presenting a pony I really didn't want to see.

"Captain, I'm here to help you" she declared

You just had to ask, didn't you dumbass? You know what, let me handle this
I felt something weird happen, like I was having an out-of-body experience, but I was still looking through my eyes.

"I thought I made it clear I didn't want to see you again" I said in a voice that was not my own

"No, Discord made you say that" she said "he's warped all of our friends, but I know how to fix it"

I KNEW it. I knew something was wrong

I shook my head in frustration
"Just get the fuck out of here, you stupid ass horse"
She recoiled a bit from my speech

"See? I know you would never say something like that to your friend"

"And how would you know?" I snapped again "you've known me for what? A year? You have no fucking clue about me"

"Yes I do" she replied defiantly "And I also know that somewhere in there is the real Archangel: the one I became friends with"

"That's where your wrong" I said as my hand reached to the table behind me "The Archangel you thought you knew is gone"
I tried to force myself back into control, but something knocked me back.

"Stop it!" the alternate me hissed "I'm in control now, and you can't stop me from getting the revenge I want"
I felt my hand grasp something plastic and metal.

What are you doing? Stop, I command you!

"I don't think so" it said as I produced a Berretta and aimed it at Twilight

"W-what are you doing?" she asked fearfully

NO! STOP RIGHT NOW! I screamed from inside
I felt the pistol being cocked; along with a sinister smile forming on my face

"My name..."

"Please, don't do this!"

STOP!

"...is Captain Archangel..."

I SWEAR IF YOU PULL THAT TRIGGER...

"...and I will have..."

I WON'T LET YOU

"...my..."

NOOOOOOOO

"...REVEN-"

My vision went black. All around me, nothing but crushing darkness and empty space.

"What the hell?"
It started to get a little brighter and I could see I was standing in a field. Lush grass and small flowers bloomed all around me, but my eyes were now locked on the figure across from me: It was me.

"Who are you?" I asked the copy. It looked exactly like me except his left arm was soaked in what looked like blood, his eyes were glowing red and he wore a sociopathic smile that disturbed me deeply.

"Really? You have no idea who I am?" he asked in a sickeningly smooth voice
he shook his head in disappointment
"I'm what made you great. I'm the part of you that revels in bloodshed, delights in destruction, and thirsts for power: I am your inner Chaos"

"So YOUR the bastard that was talking to me!" I said

"Congratulations, genius. You want a cookie?"

"Cut the crap. Give me my body back" I ordered

"Why? So you can squander it protecting those disgusting ponies?" He asked chuckling "I don't think so"
I was really starting to get pissed off
"What have they done for you, hmm? They only claimed to be your friend because they don't want you as an enemy"
That's when another version of me appeared behind Chaos. Again it looked exactly like me, but with green eyes.

"He does make a point: It would be completely believable for such a primitive race to stoop to any level to acquire the raw power we possess" the new clone said in a highly educated voice

"Thank you Logos"

"Oh come on! You're really going to side with him?"

"I am the part of your mind that follows logical patterns" he replied "And everytime something claims to be our friend, it betrays us"

"...And I think it's about time we let the world know just what happens when you cross us" A third blue-eyed clone (Who I assumed was Pathos) remarked

"Pathos, you know we can't do that"

"Why not?" asked a fourth clone with yellow eyes "They wronged you: now they get punished. Seems like the best choice to me"

"An excellent point, Ethos" Chaos said as he turned to me "Looks like we have the majority here Captain"
Now panic was setting in. I had to convince Logos, Pathos, and Ethos to change sides, or Twilight would die. Frantically, I began trying to for an argument.

"Captain, I assure you this is the most logical solution" Logos said.

"Are you sure, Logos?" I challenged "Have you really thought out the implications of this?"

"Of course" he replied "I have run every possible solution and deemed Chaos's most advantageous"

"Then run this one: If I agree and give in, wouldn't it be most likely that Chaos would join Discord?"
the clone thought for a moment.
"Highly probable"

"And what's to stop Discord from betraying us?"

"Nothing" he replied

"So regardless, we will have to fight Discord at some point"

"Highly probable"

"Which one do we stand a better chance with: the Chaotic me verses Discord, or do we stand a better chance if we help Twilight purify our friends and fight him together?"
He pause for a few moments as he analyzed this new idea.

"A compelling argument" he finally replied as he walked toward me "Factoring in the resourcefulness and the X-factor of the unpredictability of the ponies, I believe that you have offered a much more beneficial solution"
Logos took his place by my side
"You have my assistance Captain"
I nodded to the logical one and turned back to the remaining clones

"Pathos, you represent emotion, a dangerous trait in a soldier"

"I know" he admitted "but you can't just ignore the fact that we want revenge for being betrayed"

"I fully agree with you" I said "But did Twilight betray us? Or did Discord by planting the idea that we are just a weapon to the ponies?"

"Uhh..."

"He played you" I said bluntly "He knew we were sensitive to the fact that we were created as a weapon, and he used that to manipulate us"
Pathos though about it for a second, then he looked really mad.

"Why that underhanded, slimy, backstabbing, no good BASTARD!" he finally said "I'LL KILL HIM!"

"Then why would you side with Chaos if we already determined that the chances are good he will join Discord?"

"Enough talk! No one messes with me like that" he said as he stormed over to my side "You got my vote, Boss"

"Ethos, how can you honestly side with him when his first action is to murder a defenseless creature?"

"It's her punishment" he replied

"Is it really worth it?" I said "I mean, if you kill her, what do you think I'd do?"

"Given you're fiercely protective nature..." Logos noted

"...And the amount of grief and agony the death of Twilight would cause..." Pathos added

"...Chances are exceptionally good that something along the lines of self-harm would result"

"You represent my character, Ethos, and you know damn well that I would never hurt a friend"

"But she's not your friend, remember?" Chaos interjected "you specifically said you never wanted to see her again"

"No, YOU said that" I countered "You were the one that was making me angrier as the day went on"

"Y-you're right" Ethos replied as he started to change sides "He has been going against everything we stand for"
The clone took his place.

"And I do NOT want to be a part of it"
We all turned to Chaos, who was starting to feel the heat.

"Logos, do I have enough of a consensus to access my computers?" I asked the green-eyed man

"I believe so, why?"

"Because" I said "I need some help"

"Cyber-Warfare suite, online" I commanded. In an instant, four Titan-Class robots appeared

"Orders?" one of them asked in a gravely voice. I pointed at Chaos

"Viral code detected, Eradicate"

"Error, vital runtime" The machine replied "Eradication impossible"

"I believe I understand what the problem is" Logos said "Captain, may I?"

"Sure" I replied a little uneasy

"Cyber-Warfare system, runtime infected, Quarantine and scrub malignant code"

"And punch him in the head for me" Ethos added
The visual representation of my virus software advanced on the angry clone.

"Captain, I think we can handle this" Pathos said

"You are most likely needed elsewhere" Logos added

"Good thinking" I replied "Computer, wake me up"

"Executing command"

I opened my eyes to see exactly what I had left behind: I was holding a gun to my friend, who was cowering in fear. I shook my head, trying to clear the hazes I felt. but then I fully awoke. I dropped the gun and fell to my knees.

"What the fuck was I doing?" I said "I-I can't...I..."
And that's when I broke down. My head dropped and I started crying for the first time in years.

"I'm so sorry" I said through the tears "I almost...I..."
Then I felt furry limbs around my neck. I opened my eyes to see Twilight hugging my neck, trying to comfort me

"Shhh, it's all over" she whispered in my ear "Everyone's OK"
Normally, I would have been totally confused by this, but after the near-death of my friend at my hand, I didn't care about looking tough. I wrapped my arms around the unicorn and held her tight, just glad to have someone there that I cared for. We sat like this for a few minutes, waiting for me to calm down a bit

"But...I almost...I almost...killed you" I stammered out through my sobbing.

"Captain, I was never in any danger" she replied

"What?" I asked curiously. She pulled back so I could see her eyes.

"I know you, Captain" she said "And I know for a fact that you would never, ever hurt your friend on purpose"

"But I..."
She put her hoof over my mouth.

"It doesn't matter, I knew that if there was a way to protect me, you'd find it"
My God, she actually...she trusted me to keep her safe. I wrapped her in another hug.

"Thank you, Twilight...for believing in me"

"It's what friends do" she said "Feeling better?"
I sniffled a little and nodded yes.

"Good" she continued, her voice filled with purpose "Because we have a job to do"
She handed me my Element. I opened my chest plate and carefully reintegrated the part, feeling my purpose returning.
I stood up and wiped my eyes.

"You're absolutely right" I said as I began gathering my weapons. I was back in business
"All units: meet me in the main chamber" I commanded as I holstered my sidearms and collected my rifle.

We both entered the main chamber where the five bots were waiting.

"Alright guys listen up: We need to find the other five Element Bearers, and fast" I said "Each of you will be responsible for finding one of the five remaining ponies"
I turned to Guardian
"G, your target is Pinkie Pie"
He snapped to a salute.

"Yes Sir"

"Storm, once the Albatross is ready, you need to find Rainbow Dash."

"On it"

"Mu, you need to find Fluttershy"
His screen displayed a question mark
"[sigh] Kindness, find kindness" I clarified
Now he displayed a checkmark

"Phi, you go look for Rarity...I mean Generosity"
He babbled something, I guess he said 'Ok'

"Tau, you're coming with us, Twilight and I are going for Applejack first"
He whistled and beeped before hovering over next to Twilight. I then addressed the entire group.

"This is it guys, Discord may have won the first battle, but this war is FAR from over" I said in my best 'rally the troops' voice "Now let's go show that bastard what the power of friendship can do!"
All cheered and bolted for their destination. As my group left, I looked at Twilight who had a very big smile on her face.

"What?"

"It's just good to have you back, Captain"

Applejack Attack

"...And after that, I went straight to you" Twilight said as she finished telling me what had happened after we separated.

"And you're sure this Memory Spell will work?" I asked "'Cause I really don't want to have to knock Applejack out"

"I'm positive" she replied "As long as I can get close enough. Are you sure you can restrain her? Earth ponies are strong, even without AJ's years of farm work"

"Looks like we're about to find out" I said as we approached Sweet Apple Acres. We all took cover by the front of the barn. Applejack was reclining against the side, telling some story that was a complete lie.

"OK, let's go over the plan one more time: Tau, you get her attention and keep it until I grab her. Once I have her, Twilight, you use the spell once she exhausts herself"

"I like this plan, simple yet effective" Twilight said nodding in approval "Let's do it"

"Good luck, Tau" I said as the maintenance bot hovered off to the other side of the barn. I peeked out, waiting for Tau to appear. Soon enough, the little bot appeared and approached Applejack.

"What the hay?" she said when she saw him. He then proceeded to take some of the apple cores she discarded and begin juggling them.
I looked back to Twilight
"Follow me"
I snuck around the corner and began tiptoeing down to the distracted farmer. Once I was behind her, I sprung my trap. with one arm I grabbed her around the neck, while the other caught her under the stomach. I pulled her off the ground and held her tight to my chest.

"Gotcha!"

"What'n tarnation?" she exclaimed. Twilight wasn't kidding, Earth ponies are strong. The orange mare began flailing around like...well like a captured animal.

"Let me go ya varmint!" she demanded as she smashed her head into mine "I'll skin ya alive!"

"Just...hold...still" I ordered as she continued squirming "Don't make me hurt you"
Say what you will about Applejack, but she's nothing if she isn't tenacious. I had overclocked my arm servos, giving me much greater strength but this little pony was giving me a run for my money. Eventually though, she did begin to tire, after slamming me in the head a few times and cracking my eye.

"Twilight" I shouted over the country pony's complaints "Use the spell"
The purple unicorn dashed in front.
"The spell needs to be cast on her head to work"
Applejack was way ahead of me, because with one big jolt, she knocked me backwards on to the ground. The impact cause me to loosen my grip. I felt the pony try to slip away, but I quickly rolled over on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

"Let's see you move eight-hundred pounds of dead weight" I said
Twilight sprang into action. She rushed to where Applejack's head was and began the process. her horn began glowing and she gently placed it on AJ's forehead. The spell then spread like a wave over the mare, stopping her struggling. I rolled over onto my back panting from exhaustion.

"Wha...wha happened?" Applejack asked as she rubbed her head. She tried to stand up, but the struggle she put up had really drained her, causing her to be a bit unsteady.

"It's a long story" Twilight said. Applejack looked over at me.

"Uh, ya'll right partner?"
I pulled myself into a sitting position.

"I'll be fine" I said through my heavy breathing "Just...just give me a minute"

"What happened ta yer eye?"

"Wait...you don't remember...anything that just happened?"

"The last thing Ah remember was bein' in the maze" she said "But then Ah remember seein' some vision, with all of us fightin' and I just couldn't bear ta see that. Then Ah started lyin' 'bout everything"
Twilight and I filled in the blanks

"So, in conclusion, you are one strong little pony"

"Wow, Ah'm sorry 'bout that Captain"

"Don't worry about it" I said as I stood back up "Nothing I can't fix, but remind me to never get in a fight with you"

"You got it" the farmer replied with a chuckle "So what's next?"

"Let me check" I said before switching to the radio
All units, Sit-Rep I said over the communicator

Guardian reporting in: no sign of objective at primary location, moving to secondary

Firestorm reporting in: Albatross just returned, beginning refit for deployment

Maintenance Droid Designation Phi Reporting: approaching primary location

Maintenance Droid Designation Mu Reporting: Objective located. Activating beacon

I suddenly noticed a light on my HUD: it was Mu.

"Looks like we're going to help Fluttershy next" I said "Mu found her at her cottage"

"Moo?" Applejack asked "Ya got a cow lookin' for Fluttershy?"

"Not 'Moo' AJ" Twilight corrected as we began walking "Me-you"

"Mu is a small robot I use for maintenance. There's also Tau, who you just met..."
Tau waved and made a few beeps
"And then there's Phi, who we'll see later"

"Tau, return to base and help Firestorm with the Albatross"
He saluted and set a course for the base. I got back on the radio.

"Mu, hold position, we're on our way"

Author's Note

One down, four to go.

Once Bitten, Twice Fluttershy

We crossed Ponyville in record time as Twilight, AJ and I made our way to Fluttershy's Cottage.

"There's Mu" I said as I pointed to the small drone. He was waiting for us in front of the house.

"Then what's that?" Twilight asked. Behind the robot, I could see a shadow moving. I tried to warn him.

"MU! MOVE!" I shouted as we ran to his aid.
We weren't fast enough. The shadow turned out to be a bear, who was standing on his back legs, looming over the now terrified machine. The bear grabbed him and held him over his head, roaring loudly. I drew my rifle and readied the shotgun mounted under the barrel. Still loaded with Dragon's Breath rounds from earlier, I fired the shell into the air, producing the signature stream of fire which startled the bear and caused him to throw Mu at us.

"I got him" Twilight said as she charged her horn, enveloping Mu in her lavender energy.
I charged at the bear, weapon ready, and fired the last round right over the bear's head. The smell of the burnt magnesium combined with the fear of being set on fire forced the bear to flee.

"Didja stick a dragon on that thing, Captain?"

"No, it's a special shell that ignites when fired, apply named Dragon's Breath"

"Uh, Captain? Could you get this guy off me?" Twilight asked. Mu was so thankful that Twilight had caught him that he was currently hanging off her neck. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Mu, let her go" I ordered. He complied
"Why don't you head back to Firestorm and help out there" I offered
The monowheel bolted for the safety of the base.

"OK, let's get inside and save Fluttershy"

"It's locked" Twilight said as she tried the door

"We don't have time for this" Applejack said "Ah'll git it open"
She took her position in front of the door. She then reared up on her front legs and kicked out her back ones, bashing the door with ridiculous force. We all stared in awe as the door remained standing.

"What'n tarnation? Ah've felled trees with bucks like that!"

"That's one thing I like about you ponies: you build things to last" I said as I examined the door "Fluttershy must have had this thing reinforced to stop powerful animals"

"Then what do we do?"

"We attack the weak points" I said as I rummaged trough my ammo pouch "Ever door is weak in two places: the hinges and the lock"
I found what I was looking for, a pair of black 12-guage shotgun shells

"Wait, I thought those bullets were suppose to be red" Twilight pointed out

"Each color corresponds to a different payload: red is standard shot, orange is Dragon's Breath, and black is breaching" I explained as I loaded the shells into the Masterkey.
I chambered the first round and placed the barrel over the upper hinge.
BOOM
shick shick
BOOM

"Aaaaand open" I said as the door fell to the ground. We then barged into the house, looking for any sign of the Pegasus.

"You sure know how to make an entrance" Twilight said as she looked around the room

"Just one of my many talents" I boasted. I was caught off-guard by a sudden impact into my back.

"HY-AH!" A voice screamed as I was knocked onto the ground

"What the hell?" I said as I rolled over. I came face to face with my attacker: Fluttershy.

"Back to try and strangle me again?" she hissed as she reared up on her hind legs"I don't think so"

"Not so fast, sugercube" AJ said as she cast her lasso (where the hell...oh never mind) and caught Fluttershy's forelegs. with one yank, she dragged the enraged Pegasus off of me and proceeded to hogtie her in record time.

"Thanks for the assist, AJ" I said as I stood back up "I did not see that coming"

"LET ME GO!" Fluttershy demanded as she struggled against AJ's rope.

"Here we go" Twilight said as she applied the Memory Spell to Fluttershy. Once again, the wave of purifying magic flooded over the mare. AJ released the bindings and Fluttershy stood back up.

"Oh my goodness" she said in her familiar soft voice "I had the most awful dream. There was Discord and we were all fighting and then the Captain tried to hurt me, it was just awful"

"I hate to break it to you, but that was no dream" Twilight said causing Fluttershy to look back at me.

"So...you actually..." she tried to say but was overcome with fear

"This isn't his fault Fluttershy" Twilight said "When Discord messed with your minds, he cause you to become mean and Archangel became violent"

"I would never have done that on my own Fluttershy" I said dripping with guilt "I am so sorry"

"H-he's not controlling you any more, is he?" she asked

"Let me check" I said as I ran a quick diagnostic "Nope"
Her look of fear changed to a warm smile.

"Then I forgive you"

"Thanks Fluttershy"
We then spent a few minutes explaining to Fluttershy what had been going on.

"But how will we find them?" the yellow Pegasus asked

"Way ahead of you" I replied as I checked in again.
Archangel requesting progress report

Guardian reporting in: no sign of Pinkie Pie, continuing search

Firestorm Reporting in: Albatross is being deployed now. Beginning search for Rainbow Dash

Maintenance Droid Designation Phi Reporting: Generosity located. Transmitting Coordinates

"Phi has a lock on Rarity" I said "Let's move out"

Divide and Conquer

"I can't believe Discord did this to us!" Fluttershy exclaimed in a way only she could "How could he be so...mean"

"I think I've seen this kind of thing before" I said "It reminds me of Suspended Animation Sickness"

"Suspended whatnow?" Applejack asked

"Remember how you six found me asleep in my base hooked up to those machines? Well, some people with...issues...sometime suffer complete mental meltdowns when they wake up"

"Why didn't you go crazy when you woke up?...If you don't mind me asking"

"Not at all, Fluttershy" I assured her as I pointed to my left temple "My computerized brain kept the biological one from coming unglued"

"So maybe Discord has just lost his mind?" Twilight said "Do you think that's it?"

"Personally? I think he's just a crazy asshole" I said "And I also don't appreciate him screwing with my head"

"Ah hate ta interrupt, but we're here" Applejack said as we approached the boutique.

"Ok let's do this" Twilight declared as she tried to open the door. I heard an electrical crackling and saw the door begin to glow. As Twilights hoof neared the door, a bolt of lightning leapt to it and shocked her.

"OW!" She exclaimed as she shook her stinging hoof "What was that?"
I placed my hand near the wall and watched as another arc jumped to its conductive surface.
"The wall is electrified?" I said confused "I didn't know you could electrify a wooden wall"

"Rarity must have used a Volt ward to keep everypony out"

"How do we get rid of it?"

"The only way to dispel it quickly is to drain the electricity" she said
I stepped forward arming my wrist launcher.
"I'll get it"

"What are you doing?" Twilight asked

"Simple. You said the only way to dispel it is to drain it, so who better then the living lightning rod to do it"
I sat my guns on the ground, not wanting the electricity to set off the bullets. My grapple fired and stuck in the ground a few feet away.
"I'll just create a circuit and the electricity will flow into the ground"

"But then won't you get shocked?" Fluttershy asked

"Yes, but don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, I'll bet I have more current in my body then this wall does"
I placed my hand on the door and felt the sudden jolt of about...three hundred thousand volts. Instantly, the charge on the wall rushed through my systems toward the ground, creating crackling electrical arcs along my steel armor plates, and an odd electrical burning smell. This kept up for about fifteen seconds until the spell was completely drained. Damn, I didn't know Rarity had that kind of magic in her. As the flow subsided I retracted the spike and removed my hand.

"I gotta say, Captain, that was somethin' else" Applejack said as my systems reestablished normal operation

"Whoa!" I exclaimed shaking the static from my head "That was REALLY tingly"

"Are you OK?" Fluttershy asked

"Yeah, as soon as my capacitors stop smoking, I'll be fine"
I picked my weapons back up and returned them to their places

"Good" Twilight interjected "because we still need to help Rarity"
Suddenly, Guardian called me over the radio.

"Captain, I have located Pinkie. Requesting immediate assistance at Sugarcube Corner" He reported

"Give me a minute" I said "We should have Rarity back to normal in..."

"Sir, I fear for Pinkie's safety, she appears to be more seriously distorted then the others"
Dammit
Then another voice sounded.

"Sir, I found Rainbow Dash" Firestorm said "but I need you here now or else she could get away"
I turned to the ponies who were listening to us.

"Dammit" I groaned "How do we do this?"

"I have an idea" Twilight said as she turned to Fluttershy "You go help Firestorm get Rainbow. You've known her longer then any of us have"

"Oh, but what if I make it worse?" Fluttershy asked, clearly nervous

"Don't worry Fluttershy" Storm replied over my speakers "You always have a way of coming through"
She turned to Applejack
"AJ, you go to Sugarcube Corner and help Guardian with Pinkie Pie. Arc and I can handle Rarity"

"Divide and conquer?" I said "I like it"

"The spell I've been using works by uncovering the memories Discord suppressed, so to restore Pinkie and Rainbow, you need to remind them of who they were"

"Ok, um, if you think I can" Fluttershy whispered

"Fluttershy, you talked down an angry dragon" I said "I think you can handle Rainbow"

"And Ms. Apple and I can handle Pinkie Pie" Guardian said via radio.

"Ok, we have a plan" I said "G, Storm: hold position and wait for backup, then move on your target"

"Yes, Sir" both drones replied
Fluttershy took off for Sweet Apple Acres where Rainbow was while Applejack ran to the bakery.

"Just you and me now, Twilight" I said as I opened the door to Carousel Boutique. The place was no different then usual, except it contained a highly territorial Unicorn.

"You say that like we can't handle this" she replied confidently. I was wary of the room: if Rarity used one ward, then what's to say she didn't use more.

"Hey Twilight, can you use your magic to detect any more of those ward things?"

"I could try" she said as she focused her magic. From around her, I could faintly detect a thin, purple mist emanating out. It covered the floor like a heavy fog spreading until it reached the stairs, where it changed to red.

"There" I said as I pointed at the stairs "There must be one"
I walked over and examined the stairs cautiously.

"Please be careful" Twilight said. I couldn't actually see anything so I decided to test the defense. I drew my pistol and held it so the ejection port faced the stairs, then pulled back on the slide, forcing the chambered round to fly out. As soon as it flew over the first step, it seemed to defy gravity before flying back a twice the speed.

"Repulsor ward" Twilight informed me as though reciting from a book "No matter how hard you try, it'll just push back harder"

"Ok, so the stairs are a no-go" I said as I began coming up with a backup plan "So why don't we try something a little less conventional"

I switched my eye to X-Ray mode and scanned the ceiling until I found an equine skeleton. I observed her movements, which consisted of her talking to something an walking in a circle around the something. I then remembered what Discord had done to Rarity: He'd made her fiercely possessive of a rock she'd named Tom. I marked her position in my HUD and turned back to Twilight.

"If she won't let us go to her" I said with a devious grin "then she's coming to us"

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to be..."

"Overkill?" I finished for her "Because, it probably is"
I pulled out a small cylinder and twisted the top of it until a ring around it turned blue.

"Twilight" I said as I pointed to the ceiling under the rock "Can you stick this to the ceiling right here?"

"Sure" the Unicorn replied as she took the tube and magically attached it to the ceiling "But what does this actually do?"

"It's a demolition charge" I explained "When Rarity walks away from her precious rock, we'll blow a hole in the floor..."

"...and when the rock falls, she'll come running down the stairs to get it back" Twilight finished for me

"Correct"

"That's genius" she replied

"Also Correct. Now, hide over here..." I said as I pointed to a spot out of sight behind the stairs "Until she get's here. Oh and cover your ears, these things are loud"
Twilight complied and I switched back to X-Ray vision. I could still see Rarity fawning over her precious Tom. I was impressed by how thoroughly Discord had distorted her, she actually thought that piece of slate rock was a diamond. After a few false alarms, the white pony walked over to the other side of the room. I nodded to Twilight who clamped her hooves over her ears. I triggered the bomb which, just as planned, caused the rock to fall through the floor.

"Tom?" Rarity asked before turning around. Once she saw the rock had been replaced with a hole in the floor, she flipped out.
"TOM!" she exclaimed "Don't worry! Mamma's coming!"

"Get ready" I said to Twilight. I could hear the hurried hoof-beats of Rarity as she descended the stairs. I positioned myself between her and the rock. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she saw me and was not happy.

"Captain" she spat harshly

"Hi Rarity" I replied happily "Nice rock ya got here"

"Give Tom back" she demanded "NOW!"

"I don't know" I said "I kind of like Tom"

"GIVE HIM BACK!" she bellowed as she began charging. I flipped both pistols and both shoulder cannons out, as my helmet folded around my head and my chest cannon began to charge with an audible hum. The pony realized just how real shit had gotten and stopped in her tracks.

"Now now, let's not do anything hasty" I said in a villainous tone "You can have him back, on one condition"

"What is it" she asked frantically "I'll do anything!"

"Just let me use a spell on you" Twilight said from behind the fashionista "then you can have Tom back, and you'll never see us again"

"Ok, fine, deal" Rarity replied immediately "Just don't hurt him"

Twilight applied the memory spell to Rarity, a few seconds after it took hold, she blinked her cobalt eyes and looked around confused.

"Rarity?"

"Why is there a hole in the ceiling?" She asked

"We'll explain everything later" I said as my guns retracted "Right now we have a bigger issue"

"Captain, Pinkie Pie is now back to normal" Guardian reported over my communicator "En route to your position"

"Captain, I don't know how, but Fluttershy fixed Rainbow Dash, coming back to you" Firestorm said

"Good work" We'll be here. I turned around to see Rarity levitating Tom into the air and opening the door.

"Rarity..." I started to say, but she then rocketed the boulder out the door.

"We shall never speak of this again" Rarity said curtly as she walked outside.

Not a chance, Drama Queen

A few minutes later, Albatross landed and Guardian arrived. We then proceeded to get everyone up-to-speed.

"Discord will most definitely not get away with this" Rarity declared

"When I get my hooves on that...that...whatever-he-is..." Rainbow raged

"Everyone just chill out" I said, getting their attention "We only have one shot at this so we need to do this right"

"So what do we do?" Applejack asked "You're the one who deals with this kinda thing"

"Do not worry, Ms. Apple" Guardian said "I can already tell the Captain has a plan..."

"...and it's probably over-the-top and dramatic" Storm added

Ignoring that

"Now, you six get your Elements and find Discord"

"What about you?" Dahs asked

"I need to go get something from my base": I said

"Wait a minute, how can we beat Discord without you?" Pinkie asked

"Don't worry, Pinkie, I'll be there... I said "...With my little surprise for Discord"
"Mu, get that experimental system ready" I ordered over the radio as I entered the Albatross "It's go time"

Author's Note

What is this "surprise"?

I'm not telling.

Not quite as dramatic as I had hoped, but I needed to get this out so I could get to the part that's more fun to write.

I also need some Ideas for dramatic battle music for the next part. please comment if you have a suggestion. I'm torn between "Shoot to thrill" and the instrumental version of "Beast of America"

Elements, Assemble!

"Let's see, If I was hiding the Elements of Harmony..." Rarity said as she searched through the boutique "...where would I put them?"
The last twenty minutes had been spent frantically searching for the necklaces that Rarity had taken while she was under Discord's spell.

"Here they are!" Pinkie squealed as she produced the jeweled necklaces from behind a chest.
No pony was interested in how she found them as the six mares donned their Elements.
"Ok girls, now we just need to get to the Town Square" Twilight said

"Sh-shouldn't we wait for Archangel?" Fluttershy asked "I mean, he is an Element"

"He'll be there" She replied as the group exited the boutique "He said he just needed to get Discord's 'surprise' ready"

"Has anypony else noticed the Captain acting a little...strange?" Rarity said

"What do you mean?" Pinkie asked

"I don't know" the designer replied "he just seems to be acting a little odd"

"C'mon Rarity" Rainbow interrupted "Arc's too awesome to abandon us now"

"Discord did nearly make him hurt Twilight" Applejack added "He's probably pretty mad"

"I just hope he doesn't do something scary" Fluttershy added "I don't want him to get hurt"

"I'm sure he'll be back" Twilight said "Besides, he said this 'surprise' would be worth it"

"What do you think it is?" Rainbow asked "Some kind of robot? A weapon?"

"How should I know?"

"I bet it's some kind of super-sized cannon that shoots other cannons!" Pinkie said energetically "and those cannons..."

"I'm pretty sure that's not possible, Pinkie" Twilight said

"Why not?"

"Because that's not..." She replied "...Look is this really the time to be talking about this?"

"Pinkie dear, I'm sure whatever it is he's doing, it is in the best interest of everypony"

"He does always put others first" Fluttershy added

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure" A disembodied voice taunted
The ponies all formed a circle back to back, a look of determination etched on their faces, trying to find the voice's source.

"Discord, show yourself!" Twilight commanded,

"You didn't say the magic word" he replied in a sing-song voice

"Show yourself, NOW!" She repeated

"Not what I was going for" he said as he poofed into view "but if you insist"

"Give up Discord" Rainbow said as she hovered over the group "WE have the Elements now"

"Yes, I can clearly see that" he replied as he stared off into space absentmindedly "But you don't have all of them"

"Archangel will be here" Twilight assured him "I know it"
Discord just shook his head and chuckled
"It's cute how much faith you have in that monster" he said

"You're one ta talk" Applejack retorted

"Compared to him?" Discord said as though offended "He's the one that deserves to be imprisoned in a statue"

"It would look a bit more elegant then you did" Rarity scoffed

"If he was such a good friend, wouldn't he be here?" Discord said as he took a step forward "You know, to protect you from a 'monster' like me?"
"H-he will be" the lavender unicorn replied slightly shaken "And then you'll be sorry"
Twilight would never admit it, but she was a little worried: why wasn't he here yet?
Discord ran his talons along the bridge of his nose.

"Here, let me fill you in on something you clearly missed" Discord said in a condescending voice "He's afraid that he will be abandoned by 'friends' again"

"We know that" Twilight said "But we would never just abandon him"

"Maybe not, but does he know that?" Discord asked "his friends always abandon him when it suits them, why would now be any different?"

"O-of course he does" Applejack interjected "He knows we wouldn't jus' leave him"

"If that's true" Discord's face grew into a sadistic smile "Then why did he agree to betray all of you to me and save the pain of..."

"That's a lie!" Dash exclaimed, bolting forward and going face to face with Discord "There is no WAY he'd do something like that"
Discord snapped his talons and a small tornado formed, pulling the multicolored Pegasus back to the group

"I happen to know for a fact that one of you sees him as a monster" He said with a devilish smirk "Isn't that right, Fluttershy?"
The other Elements turned to find Fluttershy cowering behind the group.

"That's not true, is it?" Twilight asked
Fluttershy stood up and walked to the front with an air of determination surrounding her. Taking a deep breath, she explained.

"I don't agree with what he does, or how he does it" she said "To be completely honest, he scares me sometimes with how brutally violent he is"

"See?" Discord said "at least one of you sees him for the monster he is"

"But that doesn't change the fact that he has a heart of gold, and would do anything for us if we asked"

"Say wha?" the god of Chaos said confused

"I now he would never hurt us" Fluttershy continued "And I value him as a friend"
To say the rest of the group was stunned would be an understatement. Fluttershy and Archangel hadn't exactly become fast friends: him being a government sanctioned war machine who showed no apparent value of life; and her, a timid animal caretaker who wouldn't hurt a fly. Seeing her stand up to Discord on his behalf was astonishing

"Look, I don't have time for this" Discord complained "So I'll just finish the six of you off, then get back to my precious Chaos"
Discord was no longer playing games. He stalked toward the six forcing them Into a tight group, their previous determination eroded by the menacing creature in front of them.

"I am about to see my dream come to fruition, and I will not let you stupid little mares get in my way"

"Archangel!" Twilight called "If you can hear me, we need you!"

That's when something big landed like a meteorite right in front of them. The impact launched the ponies back a few yards and kicked up a dust cloud and debris from the hard packed dirt road. A few seconds later, the debris cleared enough to see what had landed; and what they saw was unlike anything they had ever encountered. It was definitely some kind of a machine, but a big one, on par with a Titan, but completely different in design. From the back, it was a dark forest green with a red spinning light in the center. Twilight knew what these things could do, so she decided to check it out before it came to life. As she walked around it, she took note of the massive arm and the attached four finger hand. She also noticed the black writing on it: "ATLAS". As she rounded the front, the bright orange plate jumped out at her and she also became aware of a slowly growing hum from it, as well as the other arm, a pincer mounted on it. The mech lurched as the humming became louder and the light on it's back began to spin furiously. Twilight jumped back as the massive vehicle stood to full height on its heavy legs.

"Captain?" she asked, hoping this wasn't one of Discord's tricks "Is that you?"
It responded in a deep synthesized voice.

"What gave it away?" It said jokingly "The eight-ton battle-suit? Or was it the dramatic entrance?"
Yep, that was the Captain alright.

For The Mare Next to You

"Are the six of you OK?" I asked. I was really hoping I hadn't landed too close.

"A little shaken" Twilight said as the rest of the ponies shook themselves off and joined her "but otherwise, we're fine"

"Good, sorry for dropping in like that" I said as the cockpit slid open with a hiss "this thing can't fly so I had Storm carry it"
I turned toward Rarity.

"What do you think of my new suit Rarity?" I joked as I flexed the mech suit's arms "I wanted to dress for the occasion"

"Not quite the colors I would have chosen" she replied smiling "But otherwise, you wear it well"

"I must say Captain, I'm impressed" I swung the robot around to face the Chimera

"Discord, this is your last warning: surrender or else"

"And what, pray tell, would happen if I don't surrender?" he asked from his ornately carved throne.

"If you resist..." I raised the claw on the left hand, spinning it around and clamping it shut with a satisfying clank "...I'm going to shove this claw so far up your ass, you'll be able to taste it"
All the ponies were disgusted by that little gem. If only they knew I wasn't kidding.

"There's the sadistic side of you I love so much" Discord taunted "good to see it still works"

"Come a little closer, and I'll show you how wrong you are"

"See Archangel, isn't it easier to be who you are, not what they want you to be?"

"When those two things are the same, yes" I snapped back

"When will it occur to you, you aren't some noble knight" he sneered "You're a killing machine. A tool that the ponies brainwashed into thinking your a soldier"

"Maybe so, but at least I'm happy" I replied with a Cheshire smile "And that's all that really matters"
Discord sighed in anguish. He was trying to convince me to join him, but I was not going to make it easy.

"Just let me ask you something out of curiosity" Discord said as he summoned an intricately "Why do you care?"

"Because it gives me a chance to beat you into a squishy lump" I replied

"Ok, that's disgusting, but I meant about the ponies: what do you see in them?"

I turned the mech slightly so I could see my friends: why did I want to protect them? The obvious answer was because I was ordered to, but that isn't the real reason I wanted to be here

"the answer is a bit more selfish than you'd think" I said "I've never had many people consider me a friend, but they do, and I'll die before I let you take them from me"

"What about those friends from before?" he said "All those soldiers and that one young woman, what was her name again?"

"You are entering dangerous territory Discord" Guardian warned him over the radio.
I was about to explode with anger, no one tries to use Sword Dancer against me. That's when Discord did something I would never forget. He snapped his claw and a figure appeared between us, a very familiar one.

"Why did you abandon me, Captain?" It said in a feminine voice "You said you'd never leave"

"Discord, I wouldn't do that" Twilight said as she backed away. She's never seen this human before, but given what Discord had said, she could guess who it was.

"Cheyenne?" I said in disbelief. It was my old partner, just as I remembered her. "No, no th-th-that's not possible, you can't be real!"

"Just like the promise you made?" She said

"I can explain Chey" I said trying to hold back emotion. It had been who knows how many years since I'd seen her

"No you can't" she snapped, her golden eyes boring a hole through me "Because no explanation will make this go away, Jack. Nothing you can say will fix this"

"Captain, stop!" Guardian said over my radio "She is an illusion"
I felt like someone ran a tank over me. On one hand, I really wanted to believe that this was my partner, and maybe I could convince her to join us. But on the other, Discord could have been using her to distract me. I had to know for sure.

"I swear Cheyenne, I would have come back if I could have" I said as I jumped out of the robot "I've felt nothing but guilt since I realized you weren't here"

"Not enough to come back" she replied "Not enough to try and find me"

"Look around; do you see a spaceport?" I said "But I do have a way to make it up to you"

"And what's that?" she said finally softening a bit. I knew he would love this.

"Stay here with me" I said "It could be just like before, and you'll love this place, I swear"

"HELP!" A terrified voice shouted, I turned around to see a group of Titan robots attacking my friends.

"C'mon Storm, let's do this" I said as I went to return to my mech.

"NO! You have to choose" Sword grabbed my shoulder and spun me back around to face her "either you stay here with me, or you lose me forever"
She looked serious. She always had a weird sense of humor, maybe she was just kidding.
"Chey, what are you saying?" I asked "This doesn't sound like you"

"I'm not going to say it again: Choose. Them or me?"
I broke her grasp and walked toward the mech.
"I don't know who the hell you are or where the hell you came from, but you are an insult to that image"
I climbed back into the mech and closed the canopy

"Why am I not surprised" the illusion said "You never really did care what happened to me, did you?"
"You? Not at all" I said as I turned and thundered toward my friends.

I grabbed the nearest Titan by the leg with my claw and crushed the reversed knee joint, causing him to fall over. I then dropped my hand like a hammer and crushed his head, rendering one of the four Titans offline. Swinging the Claw in a wide arc, I caught a second Titan off-guard slamming the steel pincer into his exposed shoulder joint, dropping the chain gun on the ground. Once he realized I was attacking him, he struck back, nailing the mech dead center with a missile from his other shoulder. I staggered back hoping the standard steel could stop the warhead. Satisfied that I was still OK, I charged forward and slammed a shoulder into the robot's chest, followed by a shattering stomp kick to it's leg, causing it to collapse into my rising fist which snapped it's head clean off.

"RUN!" I commanded my friends as one of the two remaining Titans spun up his guns. I threw up my arms and braced for the lead tsunami. The roar of the chain guns was deafening, until I heard a pair of loud pings off my armor. The guns fell silent and I dropped my arms to see a massive hole through one of the Titans heads. the remaining frantically looked around until an orange bolt flew into it's helmet shaped head and blasted it off. I followed the round's trajectory and zoomed in on the roof of my base, where I could see Guardian chambering a 30mm Rifled cannon.

"Nice shootin', Tex" I said over my radio. I had to remember to modify my own Titan designs to add armor to the head

"Captain, This must end soon" Guardian replied "Discord is resorting to steadily more vicious attacks"
I turned the mech to face the god.

"This shouldn't take long"

"Are you Ok, Captain?" Fluttershy asked as I rumbled up to the group

"I'm fine" I replied tersely

"Are you sure?" Twilight said "I've never seen you that mad"

"I'm fine" I replied a little more forcefully

"You don't look fine" The female voice said again.
Time to finish this

I retracted the canopy and jumped out of the mech. I had my eyes dead set on my target. As I stalked toward it, I drew my sidearm, a Taurus .500 revolver, and stopped directly next to Sword Dancer.

"Discord, here are a few things you need to know" I said "one: never piss me off"
I raised the large handgun, lining the sights up with my former partners head. The look of abject fear in her eyes will never leave me.
"Two..." I continued, cocking the hammer "Don't insult my friends with cheap knockoffs"
I fired. Sword Dancer disintegrated into dust before she hit the ground.
"And three..." I concluded as I holstered the smoking weapon "...is never underestimate your opponents"
I snapped my fingers and the mech shook as it reactivated. It thundered over to me and squatted down. I climbed up into the cockpit, replacing the cover and prepping for battle

"You just...She was.."

"A fake" I said cutting Twilight off "I know Sword Dancer and that wasn't her"
I locked in on Discord.
"And now, I'm going to beat Discord into a thin paste"

I didn't wait for a response, I just charged. Shaking the ground with every step, I met Discord head on. I swung the fist and hit him hard in the stomach, followed up by a claw bash uppercut into the head.

"You made a big mistake fucking with my emotions" I roared as I lashed out with the hand again
He dodged the swipe and kicked both of his stubby legs into the canopy, actually cracking it. I hammered down with the claw, missing but allowing me to swipe it around and catch him in the side.

"I have no idea why that human liked you" Discord taunted as he slithered his way past my attacks "Or why the ponies like you, for that matter"

He was getting cocky, so he eventually made the mistake of trying to snake his way through my open claw. I caught him of guard when I snapped the claw closed around his long neck. He struggled and squirmed against the industrial strength pistons that held him, and I was actually finding a small amount of sadistic joy in this.

"How does it feel, jackass, knowing you don't have a god damned chance" I growled as I ratcheted the claw down on his skinny throat.

He stopped struggling and looked me right in the eye.
"How does it feel to have a metal spike in your back?" he said with that stupid smile

"What?"
He snapped his talons again. The surround indicator alarmed, having detected something, but before I could turn, it hit. Hard. A depleted uranium spike had just pierced the unarmored generator casing and jammed the high-powered system

"ALERT: POWER CORE COMPROMISED! DETONATION IMMENENT!"

I looked back at the claw to find Discord had poofed away. I had to get out of this thing. I flipped a few switched to release the canopy, but it wasn't responding. I frantically tried kicking the reinforced glass as the robot shuttered from a small explosion. Each adrenaline fueled kick cracked the glass a bit more, but I was running out of time. after about the sixth kick the canopy shattered and I started to climb out, but the machine shifted backwards forcing me to fall back into the seat as it fell on its back. I started to climb out again, but I had run out of time. The machine erupted in an earth-quaking explosion, enveloping me in fire and propelling me into the air about a hundred feet. A few seconds later I crashed to the ground like an artillery shell. I tried to get up, but I looked to see my left shoulder was shattered, the pain receptors responding to the now crushed servo motor in the joint. I mentally switched them off and tried to stand, but with little luck. All I could manage was to come to a kneeling position

"Not so easy without your toy is it?" Discord said as he landed in front of me. I looked up to see the smug look on his face

"I'm not...*cough*...dead yet" I shot back, wiping some blood from my head

"No, you're not, are you" he said raising his lion's paw into the air "Let's fix that, shall we?"
His paw began glowing a blood red, most likely some kind of a dark magic attack that would end me.

"You have been a thorn in my side from the moment you entered this world, Soldier" he hissed, the power in his hand growing "Now I will destroy you and cement my rule over Equestria"
He dropped his hand and the energy shot out of it right at me. I raised an arm as though that would save me. I always though I'd die doing something crazy, not being executed by a science experiment. But none-the-less, I waited for my doom. I looked up expecting a searing pain, but instead, I saw a light purple dome that had been constructed around me.
I looked at Discord and watched as a tornado surrounded by a white light careening toward him.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Twilight exclaimed

"Oh my gosh, Captain, are you OK?" A soft voice asked
I dragged myself to my feet, only to stumble and almost fall down. I felt something catch my arms and I turned my head to see it was Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie and AJ.

"We gotcha" Dash said. I pulled myself back up and stood a little shaky.

"I'll live Fluttershy" I replied

"But, how did you...?" Discord stammered as he looked in disbelief "...that should have reduced you to ash!"

"I warned you Discord, don't underestimate your opponent"

"We ain't leavin him" Applejack said, stomping her hoof defiantly

"We're here through thick and thin..." Fluttershy added

"...Rain or shine..." Dash said

"...No matter the cost..." said Rarity

"...And no matter the danger" Twilight concluded
I looked around at the ponies I called friends, each united with me in our quest to protect Equestria from evil and realized I had found the best friends a guy could asked for.

"You girls are the best" I said "Truly, you are the best friends I could ever ask for"

"That's really touching" Discord sneered "But Pigs will fly before you have a chance"

"Ok first of all, there's a flying pig right behind you" I said pointing out the airborne animal. Discord turned around to look and quickly turned back with a look that said 'Did not see that coming' After we all stopped laughing at him, he just continued with other threats of how pointless this was.
"You know Discord, my plan for defending Equestria had been to build an army of robots" I said interrupting him "a legion of mechanized warfighters dedicated to Equestrian defense. But I just realized: the only army I need is right here. And I'm the power source"

"Where?" Discord asked as he looked around mockingly "All I see is a group of misfits and their pet toaster"

Toaster? That's a new one

"Here, Discord, let me enlighten you"

Victory

Let's hope this works I thought as I began

"Risking life and limb on a daily basis is the easiest form of courage."
My chest gear began glowing before it projected itself in front of me. The projection hovered over us, growing to be a few feet in diameter.
I nodded my head towards Applejack

"It takes courage to be honest." I continued, "Courage to tell the truth, no matter how painful or mean it is"
I watched as Applejack's element began glowing. It then discharged a flare-like blast that exploded into an Apple shape, positioning itself at the end of one of the gear's points. My crazy Idea was working. I then gestured toward Fluttershy.

"Courage is vital to being kind. How else can you be kind to something like a Mantacore when it can kill you?"
Fluttershy's element lit up and created a large pink butterfly. The luminescent insect flew up and took a place next to another point on the floating gear. Next up was Generosity.

"Being generous and expecting nothing in return is courageous in it's own special way."
Rarity's Element created a large kite-shaped crystal which joined the other two at a point on the gear.

"Loyalty can be tested and strained in the best of circumstances. But having the courage to stay loyal no matter the situation is an amazing feat."
Rainbow's necklace shot an energy bolt that formed a lightning bolt in the air by my gear. I looked around trying to find Pinkie Pie. I eventually found her laying on her back, guzzling chocolate milk rain from a cotton candy cloud. I just smiled and shook my head.

"Laughing in the face of danger is a pretty bold thing to do. Even I usually wait until I have the upper hand."
Pinkie's necklace projected a balloon that lazily floated into position. She also rejoined the group licking the last of the chocolate milk from her lips. Discord finally realized what was happening.

"NO, I've come too far to fail now!" He thundered as he shot toward us. Apparently, I had activated some kind of defense mechanism in my Element because the gears on my hands shot off and hovered in front of us. Discord tried to fly through them, but a golden barrier formed between him and us. Hmm, a barrier; I'll have to remember that one.

"Finally, Magic is a primal and powerful force," I said as I looked to Twilight, "and it takes true courage to master and wield such a dangerous skill"
Twilight's tiara lit up and shot a flare into the center of the gear where it exploded into a purple spark. The formation was complete and the symbols began spinning and elevating like an orbital cannon. Discord's eyes grew to the size of hubcaps. I raised my right arm and the weapon we'd created followed it

"We will not bow; we will not break; and we will not falter!"
I dropped my hand.
The magic construct stopped spinning suddenly and fired a burst of prismatic light at Discord

"No...NO...NOOOOO!" He shrieked in fear and hopefully pain. The blast began to petrify the creature as he tried to escape, but as the stone cover crept up on him he became unable to move until he was completely returned to statue form. That's when the construct separated into it's component parts. We all waited for them to do something, but they just floated there. After a particularly anticlimactic pause, I finally spoke up.

"Is...is that it?"
Nope.
The construct imploded then violently exploded, creating a massive shockwave that (hopefully) covered all of Equestria and (with luck) repaired all the damage Discord had done.

"Ok, now that..." I said as I pointed to where the weapon had been, "was pretty impressive"

"I can't believe we just did that." Rainbow Dash said as she looked at her necklace

"That was unbelievable." Rarity said.

I walked out of the group and checked the new statue. Discord was twisted into a fearful pose: his arms up to protect himself, and a look of fear in his stone plated eyes.

"OK, so what do we do with this now?" I asked, "Smash it?"

"NO!" The ponies all shouted

"OK, ok," I replied. "So what do we do?"
Twilight was deep in thought as she tried to answer my question.

"We could put him in the park." Rainbow offered with a mischievous grin, "I'm sure the pigeons would enjoy him"

"Tempting...tempting, but no. Too much stuff happens in Ponyville for this to stay here."

"Hmmm, Captain, how much weight can that craft of yours carry?" Twilight asked

" 'bout ten tons, why?"

"Do you think we could attach him to the bottom of it?" She asked

"Good idea." I replied as I called to Guardian for the transport

About a half an hour later we were on our way back to Canterlot, still on a high from winning our fight with Discord, who was now trussed up under the craft like a Humvee. My friends were still coming down from their adrenaline rushes, but I was mostly calm. I had removed my left arm so Guardian could repair the connection point in the shoulder which had shattered on impact with the ground. It is the weirdest feeling to have someone poking around inside of you with a screwdriver, I have to admit. I watched as Fluttershy broke from the group and approached me.

"I'm sorry about Sword Dancer." Fluttershy said as she sat next to me, "I know she was your friend"

"She was, but that wasn't my friend." I replied, "That was Discord messing with me. Trying to tempt me into a bad decision."

"But he couldn't." she pointed out.

"Fluttershy, saying no to her was the hardest thing I've done."

"And yet you did it." Rarity said as she walked over, "You chose to protect us."

"Why did you choose us over her?" Twilight asked

"Because the price of having her back was just too high." I said, "That's just how it is, and besides, I'm used to not getting what I want."

"And your OK with that?" Rainbow asked, "Just like that, your fine?"

"No, that's not it." I said with a sigh "Seeing her again made me miss her more than ever. It's just my training makes me appear a little...cold"

There was a little pause as the Albatross shook a little from turbulence. Then, Rarity got the conversation going again.
"So, was she your marefriend?" Rarity asked

"Marefriend?" I asked, "What do you mean?".

"Ya know" Applejack said, "A special somepony?"

"What?" Now I must look like a complete idiot
All the ponies were confused why I didn't understand. This must be another pony-specific term. Luckily, Guardian understood.
"I believe they are implying you and Ms. Maxwell were...romantically involved?" Guardian offered as he continued to tinker with my shoulder. I looked back and all my friends were looking for me to answer.
I felt the temperature in my face rising.

"Whoa, no no no." I said as I waved my other hand, "She was not my girlfriend"

"Really?" Guardian asked, "From what I recall..."

"Not helping." I said as I glared at the A.I.

"Well?" Rarity finally said, "If she wasn't your 'girlfriend', then what was she?"

"A very good friend." I replied, hoping the vague answer would appease the romantic mare.

"Repair complete." Guardian said as he reattached my arm and I moved it to test the system.

"Thanks, G." I said as I stood up. I felt the gears on my shoulders getting hotter.

"Oh, what now?" I said as I tried to see the symbols.

"Wow," Rainbow said as she stared at my shoulder, "that's pretty cool"

"What?" I asked. Rarity eventually used a spell to create a reflective surface. I could see that the symbols had changed. Each was still a golden five point gear, but now the odd point was pointed to the bottom, and an emerald sword was driven through the center, dividing the piece in half.

"Uh, I didn't do that." I said

"Huh. I guess you were right, Captain, they aren't Cutie Marks." Twilight said as she examined the new parts, "A cutie mark never changes once it shows up."

"ETA five minutes, Captain." Storm said, changing the subject. I'd have to ask Celestia about this later

"Got it." I said as I stood up, "Guardian, you and Storm put our esteemed guest back, I'll have a few guards come by to help; we need to see the Princess."

"Yes, Sir." both machines replied as Storm flew the transport in lower.

"Are you sure you're alright, Captain?" Applejack asked, "That explosion looked like it hurt a bit"

"Aside from the burnt insulation smell, I'm fine." I assured her, "Don't worry, it takes more than a Lapotron reactor to kill me."

"Arriving at Canterlot Castle." Storm said as the Albatross spun around to the right, "Please return your tray tables to their upright positions"

"What tray table?" Twilight asked

"She's trying to be funny." I explained as the loading ramp came down. We all disembarked from the carrier and watched it fly back to the gardens. Approaching the door, we were stopped by a pair of earth pony guards.

"Ms. Sparkle, Princess Celestia wants you and your friends to meet her in the throne room" he said

"Can you send some Guards to the gardens? My machines need some help putting Discord back"

"Right away, Sir." the other Guard said as he ran off. I could get use to these ponies actually listening to me.

Through the short trip to the Throne room, we were thanked by a bunch of guards and castle staff. We arrived at the throne room and the doors immediately opened.

"Wow, nice crowd." Pinkie said happily as we walked down the center of the room. On ether side were throngs of cheering ponies with Pegasi hovering overhead. How the hell did she put this together so quickly?

I could get used to this 'hero' thing I thought as I waved to a happy little pony in the front. It felt good to not be working in the shadows any more. I could finally be proud of what I was doing. At the end of the walkway, Princess Celestia was waiting and once we were by her, she began her speech.

"We are here today to once again honor these brave friends, who stood against Discord and protected Equestria from eternal Chaos." She said before focusing on us, "The bonds the seven of you have formed were tested to the brink, yet you persevered and emerged stronger."

There were no words for how awesome we all felt. Rarity was on the verge of tears, Applejack and Rainbow dash shared a hoof bump. Twilight and I just smiled. Pinkie proceeded to either strangle or strongly hug a reluctant Fluttershy. Celestia nodded her head toward one of the stained glass windows, which was covered by a cloth. she flared her magic which caused the cover to fall, revealing a brand new window depiction six ponies and what looked like a wingless dragon petrifying Discord with colored blasts.

"It's what we do, Ma'am." I replied for us. Celestia then focused on me.

"Actually Captain, there's one more thing we need to do." she said as she motioned for a guard to step forward.

"We already put Discord back," I assured her "And I'll have my Assistant install some security around him"

"No, something a little different" she said as the guard approached me with a wooden box "It has come to my attention that you were never made an official Equestrian citizen"

I guess 'Element of Courage' isn't good enough
The guard opened the box and inside was a small shield, Similar to a police badge. It was a steel grey with a yin yang symbol in the center, half pink with a small cloudy white stone set into it, while the other was deep navy with a cloudy red stone.

"With this, I hereby grant you, Captain Archangel, full Equestrian citizenship and all the benefits that such a title involve." she said as the crowd lost it again. I picked up the small shield and looked it over. For something no bigger than my palm, this little steel badge sure meant a lot.

"Welcome home" she added. I looked around at my friends who couldn't be happier for me. Hell,I couldn't be happier.

"This is a true honor, Your Majesty, thank you so much." I said practically star struck. If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be on the brink of tears when a Unicorn Pegasus made me a citizen of its country, I'd probably have referred you to a psych ward. But now that just such a thing had happened, there was nowhere else I'd rather be.

"Aw yeah, Arc's one of us now." Dash said as she punched me in the shoulder.

"Congratulations, Archangel." Twilight said

"I wouldn't have made it this long with out you girls," I said, "Thank you, for everything."

"You know what this calls for?" Pinkie asked

Shit, here we go again