Machine And Might: ReAwakening

by Kriegor

First published 5th of August, 2013

Machine And Might: ReAwakening deals with the fate of the post-human, technological world that is "New Earth". Welcome to the future.

"... And by every challenge you pass, you will discover ten times as many wonders."

Such were the last words of the Human Admiral before they left, waiting for us to call them and wake them up when the time should come.

Machine And Might: ReAwakening deals with the fate of a post-human "New Earth".

The future is here.

Intro

My steps echoed throughout the vast halls. The USS Vector, dormant since the end of the war. The quiet hum of her engines and basic life support, coupled with crystalline vapor floating in the low gravity. My routine patrol was near its end, as I was roughly a few hallways away from the Command Bridge. The servos and electronics of my limbs produced sounds that joined those of the steps of my magboots, together echoing down the sleeping ship's halls. Only the emergency lights and the blue glow of my eyes kept the darkness at bay.

Sixteen years, four months, four weeks, two days, eight hours, one minute, five seconds and counting.

So much time had passed ever since Humankind was placed in stasis, waiting to be awakened when needed. After their arrival on New Earth and the conclusion of the war, they had united every known species on the planet, including the distraught Ponies and Gryphons. Finally united, humanity gifted them with the eons of accumulated technological knowledge they carried with them, and assigned the Pony Princesses with the task of upkeeping this newborn civilization as it pushed through the stages of self-evolution. After a few years of keeping a close eye on the newfound dimension, Humankind fell upon the decision of building several holding vessels in order to place themselves in stasis and retreat back into deep space, knowing well enough that getting back in contact with the USC had been deemed almost impossible through conventional means. Before fully entering stasis, the current Admiral issued a few commands...

“The path ahead is filled with challenges, but by every challenge you pass, you will discover ten times as many wonders. You must work together, and break away from the grip of whatever forces each of you believes in, so that someday you will be the forces behind someone else... Send a distress signal if you need us. We will return as swiftly as we can... Peace Through Unity.”

And after that, the USS Vector and the fleet of holding vessels retreated into deep space, ready to heed their call if needed, though hoping that someday, it would be the new species that came to them instead to show them the way home.

Sparkles

It never truly ended; Princess Sparkle knew that much. The hostilities amongst the different species would always exist. It was basic logic: the very diversity of the species made them by definition unequal. How could a Gryphon who had to subsist on meat, be equal to a changeling who needed mostly love? Did you give the changeling meat it did not need, or expect the Gryphon to live on emotion? No, there would always be differences, and always conflict. That was the price of unity.

She placed her holopad on her nightstand, and emerged from bed with a flap of her wings. “On,” she commanded, the voice receptors on her night quarters picking her voice up and promptly routing the command to the room’s VI, “Andy,” who did as told and turned the chamber’s lights on.

Twilight continued to pace through her room, its archaic bookshelves and tables pristine as always. Her mind raced through the thoughts implanted into her head by the recent news: a cult that happened to be uncovered the day before, set around the pony Princesses. It was another of many to be discovered in recent years, this time strangely consisting only of ponies. Why ponies? Gryphons were always eager to recall their glory days, and the diamond dogs made ready malcontents, but this time it had just been ponies. Something about it wouldn't let her go, let her rest.

“You did not sleep during the night. Is everything alright? Is the cult still on your mind?” asked Andy, his warm voice causing Twilight’s ears to perk up as she walked. She approached the window.

“Yes...” Twilight groaned. “Any other news surrounding it?” She looked down through the window of her room, the view provided by the Citadel being too grand to be compared with the height of the antique Canterlot Castle.

“The cult has been virtually demolished, your highness, and most of its members have been apprehended,” Andy dictated.

“Most of them...?” Twilight asked, freezing in place. Andy’s holographic rendition appeared in front of her, towering over her, his arms behind his back.

“They fought back. The Colonial Guard was forced to-”

“Stop!” Twilight held her hoof up, sighing and turning around. “Why... The Humans wouldn’t want us to be killing each other.” She looked up at Andy, who stared back stoically at her. “Why is this happening, again?”

Andy waved his hand about. “The cultural shock provided to this dimension is still being felt. Humankind did not, by any means, intend this to happen. The problem lies in the other species, whose members, albeit a fraction of them, are still looking to revert everything back to its ‘original’ state.” He looked over to the window, onto the metallic city of Apex. “As the sole representative of Humankind, I can safely say that none of them wished for this to happen, and that in fact, an important fraction of them did, and likely still does, wish to go back to their dimension as well. The difference is, they adjusted to the shock and came up with a containment procedure which they all followed.” He looked back down at the Princess. “Truth be told, the main reason as to why they exiled themselves and have remained in stasis for so long, is that they are hoping for the other species to discover a way to safely traverse dimensions en masse, without the need of a pre-built portal, whilst also in reserve should a worldwide crisis sprout up.”

During all of Andy’s rant, Twilight had been looking through the window. The same conversation was shared between the two every single afternoon. The Princess refused to believe that after all the past years, Ponykind and the other species were still to be united in harmony, as per the Humans’ wishes. She knew, as they had known, that in order for New Earth to be united and in harmony once again, the younger species would have to achieve that themselves.

It was in their history. The Humans were a race shaped by conflict, and they knew that very well themselves. "Change must come from within" the saying went. That was one thing Twilight never really understood about humans: they strove for peace and knew how to achieve it, but in the end chose instead to tolerate that violence in themselves.

Nobody is perfect. She knew that much.

Twilight sighed, “Open the doors, Andy. I’m heading out.”

Evacuation

“Everything is ready, your Highness,” the Gryphon, Adrian Copperbeak, said. He gestured towards the gates, already opening with a low hiss.

Twilight nodded and ventured forth, a group of guards, mostly changelings, towing behind her. Around them loomed the depths of the Citadel, filled with cybernetic wonders of all kinds. She continued to press on through the bowels of the metallic spire, unfazed by the towering vault within. For many of the guards following her, the first time being in the Citadel’s holding center was shiver-worthy: despite her protests, the center was home for daily executions, painless of course, but nevertheless disturbing for most people.

Cultists of all kinds and species looked on at her from beyond the blue shields that separated their cells from the main hallway. Labelled as criminals, they did not glare and throw insults at her. On the contrary: they respected, and even loved her. She found that hard to believe, even more so due to the fact that criminals were virtually non-existent during a large part of her life.

“Admit it,” she thought to herself. “They’re partly right: We used to keep the peace for a large chunk of time... Then, they’re partly wrong. It was the original inhabitants of the planet, ruled by Princesses, Queens, and Kings, that broke that peace, not the Humans.”

The Princess continued to trudge forward, deeper into the holding center. The convicts inside the cells lining the hall looked on at her brightly, or bowed along with the guards. Some would consider that strange, particularly if they were from the past. Such things were normal back then.

Twilight slowed to a halt in front of the door to a small interrogation room. The guards next to the entrance bowed, an action coupled with the door sliding into the wall. She continued onwards, looking down. A long, metallic hallway was waiting for her. “A Pony cult... Strange. Nowadays you’d expect people to be more mixed on their groups. I hope-”

Lost in her thoughts, she bumped into someone. Or rather, somepony. Twilight looked up, then up again, her eyes meeting with those of a pony from the past. A single eye, blue iris, right next to a cybernetic eye glowing with the same colour.

“Princess... Luna?”

The other alicorn chuckled, “Twilight Sparkle... It’s been a long time. You have changed quite a bit,” she mentioned, looking her over. “How does it feel to have wings?” Luna asked, smiling warmly.

Twilight, too lost to notice her guards freeze in place, grinned nervously. “W-well... it’s-” She shook her head in a rapid manner, lining her thoughts in order. “Luna, it’s been sixteen years, and you’re supposed to be in LunarComplex Delta, still healing your wounds. What happened? Why are you suddenly here? Where’s Celestia?”

Luna sighed, “I recuperated, is that so hard to believe? Speaking of believing: you should be the one explaining things to me, who, as you said, has been practically missing for more than sixteen years.” She brought her leg up to rub her horn, a mix of metal and organic tissue just as the rest of her body. “As for Celestia... She is preparing to give a public speech to give the news on my condition.”

“Ugh,” Twilight groaned. “This is too much for a single day,” she muttered as she looked back up at Luna. “I’ll talk to you after we deal with the prisoner.” She walked past the blue alicorn and gestured towards the next door. “Shall we?”

With their guards back into their senses and their own priorities in check, Twilight and Luna stood next to each other, facing the door. They both nodded at the same time, prompting the guards to open the door, which slid into the wall with a low hiss. The purple Princess gulped as the two walked into the interrogation room, holding inside of itself a single, yellow unicorn mare with a brown mane and orange eyes. She was being held by all five limbs thanks to an energy field, coupled with a magic disruption device on her horn. Guards had initially scoffed at a tail restraint, until one pony had managed to hide a poisoned tine in theirs. That trick wouldn't work again.

Once the two Princesses and their guards walked into the room, she glared up at them, gritting her teeth. “Princess Luna...? Heh, thought your flank was dead- AAUGH!” she screamed as one of the changeling guards beside Twilight and Luna fired a stunning spell at her. Twilight yelped, unused to the behavior of both the guard and the convict.

“Your mouth is to remain shut unless ordered to, mare!”

“Enough!” Luna commanded, glaring at the guards herself. “Is this truly how you treat prisoners-” she began, cut off by Twilight.

“Sadly, yes. Things have changed ever since you were injured, Luna.” Twilight sighed, “This mare is as capable of killing a sentient being as the guard was capable of stunning her.” She turned to the smoldering, heaving mare. “What is your name?”

“L-Lauren...” the mare stammered out. “Lauren Davidson...”

Luna craned her neck backwards. “A human name? Do explain.”

“I don’t have to explain shit-!” She received another bolt of changeling magic. Twilight closed her eyes as the mare screamed in agony.

The Lunar Princess groaned. “I suggest you cooperate, Lauren. Now, I have been missing out on the advancement of our society for quite some time, so you will have to bare with me.” She stepped closer to the mare. “Why do you have a human’s name? Or is this simply a jest?”

“I-...” Lauren froze. Twilight and Luna both traced the mare’s eyes to the same changeling guard that stunned her.

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, “Guards, please exit the room.”

Every guard in the room tilted their head to the side. “Princess, are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes. Now go, please,” Luna said. Both she and Twilight watched as the guards saluted and walked out of the room in an orderly fashion.

“Let’s hope that I made the right call...” Twilight thought to herself before looking back at Lauren. “Now, will you cooperate?”

“F-Fine,” the mare said, defeated. “Name’s like that because one of Silverback’s dumb rebel ‘Guardsmen’ killed my father when I was still in my mother’s womb, then had the nerve to seek her out after the war was over to ‘Pay’ for his crimes... She fell in love with him, sadly, and was stupid enough to name me like a woman. Are you happy now?”

“Interesting,” Luna mused as Twilight furrowed her brow, predicting the following argument that the Princess of the Night was about to have with Lauren. “I assume that is the reason as to why you hate Humankind, along with the probable fact that he left you and your mother behind seven years later?”

Lauren’s expression softened as her eyes dropped, then suddenly charged her horn with magic: an escape attempt foiled by the magic disruptor on her horn. She then looked around the room frantically, the Princesses both staring at her in silence. “This isn’t about me! It’s about all of us!”

“How so?” Twilight asked, stepping forward. “If it’s about everyone, then why was the cult you led made out only of ponies?”

“I... I...” Lauren stuttered. “You don’t understand! The balance has to be restored to the way it was before the first dropship crash-landed near Ponyville!” She tugged on her restraints. “Everything’s been falling apart ever since! Can’t you see it!?”

Twilight glanced over to Luna, who remained silent, her face stoic. She then looked back at the mare. “I’ve studied Human history for more than twenty years now, and trust me, it’ll get better. We just have to be strong.”

Tears began to stream down Lauren’s face. “What else do you want to hear!? The evidence is there!” She continued try and force her way out, to no avail. “Fine, I’ll tell you what everyone else tells you! I hate humans! My step dad left me to die along with my mum! What else!? Or do you want to hear the important things!?”

The purple Alicorn sighed, whispering to the other, “I think she’s had enough. We should leave-” she was cut off by Luna shushing her.

“If you stop yelling, we will listen.” Luna joined the other Princess by stepping forward. “Now, you are right: we are not here to hear you cry about your own past and then try to make you feel better.” She huffed. “Look at me: Silverback, while he did save the entire planet from being immolated, had to use the moon as a shield to protect the Earth from the blast of an antimatter bomb.”

“Now,” Luna continued, “Human historians did their work right by setting in steel the fact that he is neither a savior nor a destroyer. The historians from other species added that the very phrase I just mentioned defines the humans perfectly. They are a shade of grey.” She sighed, moving on, “Even if he did almost inadvertently kill me, I do not hold a grudge on his species for that, and after my ‘resurrection’ is revealed to the world, many people will think I look like a monster. I do not care, for my near-death experience was necessary. Why? The fact that my satellite aided in stopping everyone from being wiped out, and the fact that I did not move it despite the excruciating pain, makes me and practically everybody else know that I am NOT a monster.”

Luna took a deep breath as Twilight and Lauren stared at her in shock. She then stepped back and nodded at the other Princess, who cleared her throat and spoke back up, “What Princess Luna is trying to convey is that you have no reason to believe the world is off of its balance. But, despite that, do you have anything else to say in order to back you up, or is this interrogation over? We understand if you chose the latter, as you have said nothing to prove your innocence.”

Lauren furrowed her brow and looked around the room. “I don’t need to prove shit! You’ll see what I mean...”

Twilight sighed, “Care to tell us now-?” she began to ask, only to stop as Luna briskly trotted out of the room. She shook her head and quickly followed.

Outside, Twilight was forced to trot at a fast pace to keep up with Luna, who sped through the long hallway of the Citadel’s holding center, their guards in tow and the prisoners looking at the Night Alicorn in disbelief. “What’s wrong, Luna?” she asked as she followed, her voice with a tone of weariness.

“I’m simply tired, Twilight Sparkle. I have never heard anyone spout as much nonsense as Miss Davidson has...” Luna slowed to a stop as they finally crossed the holding center and stepped into the elevator that connected it to the rest of the Citadel.

“I understand, Luna.” Twilight maneuvered her left wing to tap the elevator’s holoscreen, promptly causing it to close its doors after both of the Alicorns’ guards entered it, before beginning its ascent. “Much like what I’ve heard from the other cultists... Except...” she thought, then looked back at the other Princess. “I also noticed that she didn’t treat us like royalty, unlike the other cultists I have interrogated...” The elevator continued its ascent.

“Perhaps she was a simple criminal, then?” Luna mused. “There are several possibilities-”

The foundations of the Citadel shook as the elevator screeched to a halt and the lights faded away, replaced by the emergency lighting. Both Twilight and Luna remained perfectly still and looked up while their guards fell to the floor.

“Warning, warning!” the deep, cybernetic voice of the Citadel’s VI, reminiscent of that of the Vector’s, exclaimed. “Containment breach detected on multiple sectors! Alert status: RED!”

“Luna-!” Twilight yelled, turning around to see the blue Alicorn charge her horn and fire a blast of magic at the small gate on the elevator’s ceiling.

“On me!” Luna yelled as she extended her metallic wings, taking flight through the hole with Twilight and the guards following suit. They began to fly upwards through the elevator shaft. Soon after, the elevator itself broke down and fell.

“Multiple enemy squads detected on index four! Tactical teams, dispatched!” the VI bellowed. “Holding Center, breached! Routing worldwide alert sta-... status... Error, energy core destroyed. Defending units, evacuate VIP’s...!”

Twilight and the guards struggled to keep up at the pace of Luna’s strong wings. “Guards!” the purple Princess yelled. “Any idea of what’s happening!? Who’s attacking us!?”

“All systems have gone haywire!” A Gryphon guard yelled, holding a claw to his visor. “We need to get out of the citadel- Watch out!” She reached behind her back with her other claw, grabbing a firm grip of her rifle. Twilight gasped and looked up as the guard fired a volley of gauss shells at an incoming pegasus pony wearing a dark mask and a distinct set of black armor, tearing his body in two.

Twilight dodged the mangled body. “Who the-!?”

“GoldenTalon mercenaries!” one of the changeling guards yelled, his wings buzzing loudly. “Incoming! Brace for fire!” He and the other changeling guards charged their horns and released a blast of plasma magic upwards, hitting a group of mercenaries that were dropping down onto them.

“Luna!” Twilight yelled as she dodged the bodies. “Don’t go too far!” She looked up to see the Princess speeding up.

“To the right!” Luna commanded. Immediately, the whole group did as she told, taking to the right as another of the many elevators of the shaft came sparking down with several panicking civilians inside. She gritted her teeth and fired a massive plasma beam from her horn far up into the shaft. Seconds later, more dead, smoldering mercenaries fell.

Twilight’s breathing sped up while she broke out in cold sweat. Her eyes, wide, watched as Luna and the guards kept making more and more mercenaries of all species drop dead through the shaft.

A few seconds later, they reached ground level. Upwards, the exit to the Citadel’s main floor could be seen, guarded by several mercenaries and automated turrets sitting next to explosive charges. “Do not fire!” Luna yelled. “You will risk our one exit!”

“You heard her!” one of the changeling guards commanded. “Hold your fire and keep going up! Cover the Princesses with your lives!” Without looking back, the guards tucked their legs tightly to their bodies and raced past the two Princesses, heading towards the death trap above.

“No!” Twilight screamed, watching as the incoming projectiles began to tear up her guards. She closed her eyes and continued to fly behind Luna, who noticed her and slowed down to grab a firm grip of her. The Moon Princess, once grabbing a hold of the Sunset Princess, followed the trail of the guards.

She opened her eyes as Luna unceremoniously plopped her on the main floor of the Citadel. Gunfire and magic fire all around her, she stood up and looked on as the remainder of the guards engaged in melee combat with the mercenaries.

“Twilight!” Luna yelled. “We have to go! We have to go now!”

“No!” she snapped. “You go! I’ll make sure you get out!” Twilight assumed an aggressive stance towards the rest of the attackers.

“I am not leaving anyone behind after disappearing for so long!”

“You’re not!” Twilight yelled back. “You have to warn the humans!”

Luna glanced between Twilight and the hallways leading out of the citadel. “Come on!” the other Princess screamed. “You’re wasting time!”

“Fine!” Luna flared her wings open, taking flight throughout the Citadel.

Soon after, she found herself flying with glimpses of purple magic shining behind her.

Andy

Luna galloped forth with the aid of her wings. Explosions quaked the floor under her hooves and the windows of the Citadel. The holographic representation of a human appeared next to her.

“Princess Luna-”

“Who-!?” she yelled as she continued to run.

“I am Andy, Princess Sparkle’s personal VI and assistant. I am replacing the primary VI at the moment,” the hologram dictated. “I must warn you: your survival rate is next to zero percent. You must turn back and escape the Citadel before it is too late.”

The Princess grunted, ignoring the distant explosions and cries of pain. “I am not letting a simple machine tell me what to do. I am calling the humans!”

“I am afraid that it is too late for that,” Andy continued. “The offenders have already breached and destroyed the communications center. They are most likely expecting you.” He appeared in front of her, only for the alicorn to run through him, unfazed. “A neutron purge device has been set up on the facility. You will suffer an immediate death within the next five minutes if you do not escape. I am afraid that your magic is not effective in this situation.”

“What about Twilight!?” she yelled. “And everybody else in the Citadel!? I cannot leave them behind!”

“Twilight has been captured, location unknown. Celestia has suffered the same fate. The rest of the council is dead. If you fall, Luna, so will the rest of the planet.”

Luna skidded to a halt, her eyes wide. She quickly glanced around, burning corpses set along the hall and gunfire zipping past her. “I... fine! Show me to the exit!”

“At once.” Andy’s hologram began to move, Luna following it. Her mind raced as well as her body. Dodging debris, corpses, and other blockades was one thing; trying to come up with answers was another one. During her second stay at the moon, she knew her arrival was going to be a difficult process, but nothing like this.

She continued to follow Andy’s inexpressive hologram, suicidal mercenaries trailing behind her. The alicorn watched as the hologram fazed out in front of a window. She jumped through it, unfurling her wings and taking flight above the megacity of Apex.

Luna continued to fly, her eyes closed. She heard a hum as the purge commenced, not caring if it would reach her or not. She already lost everything, but if Andy was right, she was everything everyone else had.

From below, the desperate cries for help of the USC’s citizens could already be heard. Sirens coming from Colonial Guard gunships that soared through the sky and around the burning Citadel. “Civil Unrest status, confirmed. Threat level adjustment, granted. All citizens, report counter behaviour to your Colonial Guardsmen teams immediately, then route to your housing blocks.”

“I suggest you maneuver your way over to the outskirts of Apex,” came Andy’s voice from inside her head. The Princess’ eyes shot open at the voice. “Do not panic,” he continued, “I uploaded myself into your neural interface as you escaped the Citadel. I could not allow my data to fall into enemy possesion.”

The Princess grunted. “Why escape even further? The whole world seems to be in chaos.”

“We can only assume that even the Colonial Guard is somewhat corrupted... Luna, I will have you know that my programming is incapable of deception. I am afraid that you must do this alone.”

“I am not alone if I have you.”

“... Thank you.”

Not Alone

Luna slowly trotted around the trees, following the trail. The dirt under her armored hooves gently slid apart as she applied pressure on each of her steps. The moon was still up in the sky, as per the automated cycle dictated, product of her second disappearance.

Long had it been since she had escaped the city of Apex, the chaos enough to ensure that no one would follow her. The cries for help and explosions still echoed throughout her mind, the VI inside incapable of mitigating the sounds. She simply continued to walk along the thin road. Her head hung low, as did her spirit.

“Continue,” Andy said. “You are about to reach the Everfree Museum.”

“And we are going there, why?” she asked, still looking at the ground as she walked, occasionally glancing forward.

“I cannot reveal the objective at the moment. You must simply trust me.”

Luna frowned, doubt settling inside her consciousness. “You are oddly interactive for a VI...” she mused. Andy remained silent as she reached a structure that brought a stab of guilt to her heart.

She looked up to the old, barely lit castle: bringing memories to her “first” banishment. “What are we doing in this museum? How is this bringing us closer to contacting the humans?”

“You will see. Now, proceed.” Begrudgingly, Luna obeyed, moving carefully into the castle that had been turned into a museum by the humans. Inside, she was met with the sight of empty hallways and exhibits. Papers could be seen lying on the floor along with other miscellaneous items as a signal of a rapid evacuation of the area.

The walls were lined with displays and glass boxes that held artifacts from the Gryphon war, as well as the Human war. Decidedly, she continued to trudge forth. Occasionally did she throw a glance over to the weapons held by the displays: swords or rifles, the latter inoperational. Holoscreens portrayed videos and documentaries of both wars, depicting heroic acts that Luna knew were mostly overreactions to duty.

Memories from the wars, but most importantly, from before the wars, lit up inside her mind like flares in the night sky. The Elements of Harmony, although long since useless, appeared as if right in front of her eyes. It were things like such that brought melancholy to her heart.

“Here,” Andy said, prompting Luna to stop right in front of a wall that held a holoscreen. She looked up at it, silent.

“... And it was then that the M.A.T’s entered the battlefield, providing vital support in the evacuation of civilians...” the documentary dictated.

“Now, hold... Uploading data.” Luna felt like an empty space had been left behind as Andy seemed to upload himself onto the screen.

“What are you doing?” she asked, watching as his holographic representation appeared on the screen.

“Overriding security protocols... Override complete.” The screen turned off, and a small tremor shook the ground under Luna’s hooves. Dust fell around the holoscreen as the wall behind it began to slide open, revealing behind it a long, metallic hallway lit by eerie blue lights. Without uttering a word, tired, confused, and decided, she walked into the pathway and followed the trail of lights that lit it.

The VI’s representation appeared in front of her, guiding her further in. “I am sorry that I did not tell you before.”

“Tell me what, exactly?” Luna asked as she frowned, looking around the hall.

“That I am no simple VI. Though I admit, you most likely devised that much already.” The simple hallway led to a tall cryotube with several cables connected to it. Luna’s frown turned into a smirk, slowing to a stop right in front of the tube as the VI walked through and into it.

She observed as condensed gas streamed out of the tube, the eerie lighting turning into an entire display. Luna could hear a series of mechanical clicks and whirs coming from the inside. The tube opened, revealing a tall, metallic, bipedal figure with glowing blue eyes. The alicorn had to crane her neck all the way up to meet the two orbs.

“You may refer to me as ‘Mac’.”

Jewel Of The Night

It was odd, seeing a biped for the first time in over twenty years, especially a M.A.C unit, one she very well recognized. It made sense though, for the humans to set up multiple containment barriers. Even more so, it was a lucky coincidence. She needed as much help as she could get.

A storm of thoughts struck her mind as she and the android inspected the others’ eyes, even though they both had memorized every little detail about each other over a decade ago. Oddly enough the humans seemed to have assigned Mac, an AI platform, as their vanguard for the planet. She always thought that they were never the ones to quite trust artificial intelligence that much. Yet, it was true that their Admiral was one to bend the rules quite often.

She was brought out of her mind as Mac stepped forward, causing a small tremor. Luna made space for him to maneuver by moving backwards a few paces, then watched as he made his way over to a nearby weapon case. He waved his hand over its control panel, lighting it up and promptly causing the case to open. From inside, the android grabbed a hold of a gauss rifle and a pulse pistol and set them on their respective magnetic locks on his body.

“What should we do now?” Luna asked.

Mac turned to her. “What happens now is simple...” He walked past her, going back up the hallway with the alicorn following his steps. “We continue walking.”

“Why?”

The android halted, looking over his shoulder. “I will explain as we move. Now, follow.” He broke his stance and continued walking, Luna following closely behind. They went all the way up the eerie hallway, looking around it at the pieces of old technology, back into the main halls of the museum. Mac spoke up with his monotone voice, “The Colonial Guard is after us.” He and Luna walked out back into the forest.

The Princess frowned. “Why? They are supposed to be fighting to protect us!”

“It is... complicated,” Mac said, brushing off a branch with his arm. “During the attack on the Citadel, I was able to monitor their communications and discover that GoldenTalon Enterprises has a relatively strong grip on the Guard... And more.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Not only did they build and are stationed on LunaBase Delta, your home for more than twenty years, but they have long since claimed that the real Luna died.”

The alicorn gasped, looking down and away. “How could they...”

“Their explanation for you not actually being dead,” Mac dictated, “is that you are a rogue experiment. A copy of the real Luna, one that caused the whole incident of the citadel.”

“And now they’re using the Guard to cover their holes, while manipulating the media to turn people away,” Luna said, disgusted. “I had hoped that my return would be more... relaxed.”

“Nothing is relaxed in this world, Luna.”

The two spent some time in silence, walking towards no direction in particular, as far as Luna knew. She recalled the immense pain that brought her away from her world, her friends, and now she was back only to see an entirely different planet with different people and more problems.

A dystopia, so to say.

“What now?” Luna broke the silence. She estimated that she and Mac had been walking for a couple of hours now. It was a pity he could not fly.

Mac craned his neck, looking at her. “We must track down Princess Twilight and Celestia. In order to regain your credibility upon the masses, you need them.”

“You could just call the humans yourself. You can move now,” Luna said.

“The moment I try to contact the Humans, the Guard would find us. Allowing them to pinpoint your location and begin hunting you down is unacceptable.”

A few more minutes were spent in silence. Luna sighed and looked up. “HOW do we track them down?”

Mac continued to reply, “In order to safeguard my existence, I severed my connections to the infranet. We must do this, the ‘old fashioned way’.” He stopped walking, and so did Luna. She opened her mouth to question his cessation in movement, but he cut her off before she could speak, “Ponyville is still a quaint little town, is it not? Perhaps we could find aid there, yes...”

“What could we find in such a small town?” Luna asked.

“Rarity Belle. We are going to need as much as we can to hide our identity.”

Past some trees, Luna caught a glimpse of some lights. The two continued walking, eventually pushing out of the tree line and into the outskirts of a small town. “Here we are,” Mac said, resuming to walk forth. “Carousel Boutique is our destination.”

Luna grunted in acknowledgment. She struggled to recall the times of peace, the few times she interacted with Rarity, former Element of Generosity. She briefly wondered what she was up to lately.

Only a few minutes passed before they found themselves at the entrance of building similar to an actual carousel. As far as Luna knew, it did not seem to have gotten any bigger in the past twenty or so years. Perhaps Rarity did not do so well with business.

What drew the most attention was the music that was seeping out from the inside. Luna approached one of the holoscreens set on the outside walls, prompting it to turn on, showing to her a snow-white unicorn mare with an illustrious purple mane. “What your eyes should now be beholding,” the recording of Rarity said, “is CAROUSEL BOUTIQUE!” She struck a “fashionable,” pose. “Here, we provide all species with top-notch stylistic augmentations and fashion service...!”

Luna decided she had heard enough. This was definitively Rarity’s store. She looked around, not seeing anyone that had taken any concerning grade of attention on Mac and herself. Yet, she knew it was for the best to hurry and get inside the building. Once inside, she found herself surrounded by what she assumed to be an assortment of threading machinery, along with a questionable amount of spa equipment and various boxes of gems and jewels. Yet, there was nobody inside the store. It was empty.

“Perhaps it was not a good time to come here,” Luna mused quietly. “With the riots happening everywhere else...”

“I beg to differ,” came a voice from behind them, then the door locked.

Both Luna and Mac slowly turned towards the third person in the building. Once done, they found themselves standing in front of none other than Rarity Belle, who looked up at them with a warm smile.

“Threat Level: Zero,” Mac stated. “Interesting for you to make use of a syntex cloak.” He pointed to the mess of synthetic muscle next to Rarity. Luna smirked, realizing that if she was in any physical danger the android would have thrown the mare to the floor as soon as they entered.

“Why, thank you!” Her face turned grim as she began to step closer to the two. “Now, explain to me why I have you two in front of me. It’s not everyday you have a Princess who’s, for some reason, being looked for by the guard, and a M.A.C unit inside your house...”

Luna craned her neck backwards. “You... do not think I am a ‘rogue experiment’?”

Rarity scoffed, “Of course not! Twilight has told me about you recuperating on the moon -- ironic, might I add -- during the weekly get-togethers with our friends!” She turned to Mac. “And it was filled with your types back in the war.” She adjusted her mane.

“Well...” the Princess muttered. “This is convenient.” She trotted over to the unicorn, her heavy hoofsteps leaving cracks on the floor that made the mare’s eyes twitch. “Miss Rarity Belle... we need your aid.”

“Very well,” she said, adjusting her pose. “What can an old fashionista do?”

Lead Me

Luna sighed in relief. “Thank the heavens Mac was right about you...” She turned to the android who looked between her and Rarity.

“What do you mean?” Rarity asked. “Are you worried that almost the entire world is looking for you, Luna?” She smirked, walking over to them after placing the Syntex cloak on a nearby coat hanger. “Well, suffice to say that you’re all over the news.”

Luna sighed. “I suppose I should tell you what we’re doing here...” She took a deep breath, sighing it out. “First of all, I am the real Luna, as you know. It just so happens that-”

Mac interrupted, “The Citadel was attacked by GoldenTalon mercenaries after Princess Luna and Twilight finished interrogating a prisoner who was involved with anti-human cults.” He stepped over closer to Rarity. “I am Mac, as Luna said, otherwise known as Andy, Princess Twilight’s assistant.”

“I see...” Rarity muttered, bringing a hoof to her chin, then looking back up at the android. “But why did they attack? What was the purpose behind that?”

“GoldenTalon is trying to cover their trails,” Luna continued. “They have a strong dominance upon the guard and on the Lunar bases, where I was during all these years.” She sighed. “I woke up unannounced, and forced my way out of the moon and back into the planet.”

“Our guess,” Mac looked behind himself and then back to Rarity, “is that they want to make everyone believe that Luna is still on the moon, and are using their grip on the Guard to ensure that.”

“But why?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I believe it is because I am the only known survivor of the Citadel’s incident,” Luna answered. “Perhaps they are trying to convince everyone that I am the attacker.”

“I...” The mare sighed, “What happened to Twilight? And Celestia?” She began to pace about the room, muttering to herself.

Luna looked around. “Twilight and Celestia were captured by the mercenaries. We are trying to track them down.”

“I see...” Rarity huffed. “Give me a second to think about this...”

The alicorn inched closer to Mac. “Are you sure about this?” She was mildly startled as the android spoke through a speaker set on his leg.

“Yes.”

“Alright,” the pony said, looking up at them. “I will help you.”

“Stand still.”

Luna did as told, keeping still as a block of steel while Rarity put on a hooded Syntex cloak on her. Meanwhile, Mac stared at the two, already wearing a cloak himself with a balaclava. The alicorn had to admit: she doubted how effective the two pieces of clothing would be at hiding their identities. But she had to admit it; it was the best they could get at the moment.

“Excellent!” Rarity exclaimed, beaming up at the two.

The Princess cleared her throat, “Excuse me, but... how is your invention going to work with Mac? I have not heard of any humans around ever since they left.”

“Commercial androids are used by people of all species. They lack several of my qualities, though,” Mac answered.

“Yes,” Rarity added, “they are especially not as bulky and tall as he is.”

“What about ponies?” Luna asked. “I do not think they are as tall as I am.”

“You would be surprised,” the mare said. “With today’s technology, everything is possible, even for the native species.”

“I see...”

Rarity smiled. “Well, all is done! You may go on about your mission now.” Luna and Mac nodded, walking over to the door and opening it. They both turned around before walking out.

“Thank you.”

“Good luck!”

Luna sighed, sitting down next to a tree, looking over Ponyville. “What now?” she asked, glancing at Mac, who stood next to said tree, immobile.

“I have been organizing and reviewing my records from before the attack,” the android said, looking down at her. “It turns out that the cult that was found is stationed in multiple locations. I suggest that we track down one of their settlements, since I believe that they are connected to the attack.”

“What if the Guard is already looking into it? ” Luna asked.

“I highly doubt that,” Mac continued. “If the cult is connected to GoldenTalon, then the latter would be keeping the Colonial Guard away. For all the power the enterprise has got, they are still likely to cover their tracks.” He turned on his heels, stepping back into the forest. “Besides, it is the only lead we have.”

Riots

She looked up to the heavens, the scarred moon still up, signalling that the riots were still underway. The world, shaken to its core ever since Luna recuperated. She continued to follow Mac through the road that led to the old city of Canterlot, as she had done for hours on end. The Princess looked up at the android, asking, “Are you entirely sure about this? Walking into a city just like that?”

“Yes,” Mac replied bluntly. “Probability of failure is forty percent. We can risk ourselves, or fail entirely.”

Luna sighed at his answer, looking forward once again. It was a matter of time until the towers of the grown Canterlot began to loom over the distance, tall enough to shadow the moon and shroud the ground below even more so. Both her and the android could now hear the loud clashing of the riots taking place inside the city.

“Why isn’t the government calling the Humans!?”

“Burn the criminal!”

“Where are the Princesses!?”

Such were some of the phrases that were yelled all around the street that Luna and Mac were walking through. Collapsed neon signs hung from several buildings. Broken windows, burning vehicles, and the Colonial Guard doing their best to keep the riot from spreading were a few of the things that Luna could notice. Of course, both the Princess and the android did what they could to steer clear from the violent crowd. Suffice to say, at the very least, it was only a fraction of the city that was in chaos.

“The rogue prototype must DIE!”

Luna cringed. She stepped closer to Mac and whispered to him, “Why is it that the Guard has not curbed this cult already? Again, are you sure about this?”

Mac glanced around, then leaned in closer to her. “Yes, I am sure. Princess Sparkle kept the Guard away from certain cults as far as she could on purpose. This is one of them.”

The alicorn nodded, continuing to follow Mac around the crowd. She quietly observed the buildings: bars, pubs, electronic stores, etc. What she rarely ever saw before the Humans arrived was now in front of her eyes en masse.

“Avenge the council!”

As the two were walking, a blood-curling scream reached their senses. Luna turned to see what had happened, only to be tugged on the shoulder by Mac. “Hurry!” She did as told, turning back around and galloping after Mac. They pushed through the crowd, barely avoiding the Colonial Guard as they were forced to intervene in the situation. Finally, they broke out of the riot.

Neither of them were even remotely tired, but that was mostly due to the fact that they could not physically get tired. They looked at each other when Luna spoke up, “What now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The cult should be hidden inside a nearby pub,” Mac said.

Emptiness was the one word that could describe the state of the street they were on. Pieces of paper hovered centimeters above the ground, and both Luna and Mac could sense dozens of eyes pinned on them, watching their every move. The metallic biped tugged on the Princess’ shoulder, catching her attention before gesturing towards what seemed to be an empty building with a holo sign above its main door. She nodded, following him over to the pub. Once they reached the door, they both stood on each side, flanking it.

Luna looked up at Mac, who stared back at her ready to wave his hand over the sensor that controlled the door. She nodded at him, the android taking the hint and opening the door. They peered inside, seeing what was there. At first glance it seemed like a common bar, minus the people. There were holoscreens set on the walls, metallic cups still on the floor, broken glass, food...

“I do not see any form of cult around here, Mac...”

The android walked over behind the bar, motioning for Luna to follow. Once done, she followed the trace of his arm to a hidden hatch beneath the large counter. “Ah...” she whispered. With her magic, she grabbed a hold of it and pulled, opening the trap door, revealing a staircase that led to the darkness, something she was very much used to.

“Keep it dark,” Mac said, beginning to make his way down the stairs with Luna trailing behind him. Her cybernetic eye aided in the task of looking into the darkness.

She thought about what she would find on the bottom. Her hopes were placed upon the wish that the cult would still be there, and that it would lead towards the next stage in her search.

Eventually, they reached the bottom, finding themselves in front of a blast door. Yet, there were no signs of life.

“Hold on,” Luna said, stepping in front of the door. “Do you see any cameras?”

“No,” Mac replied.

“Very well,” she continued. The Princess figured that it was time to make use of her eye and enhanced senses, so she focused her mind, attempting to catch a glimpse of a sound wave or a heat signature coming from behind the door.

“Bingo.” She smiled, making way for Mac. “Grab a hold of your rifle and then open the door, if you must.”

The android did as told, grabbing a hold of his otherwise concealed gauss rifle and training it at the door. His eyes flashed as he sent the signal for the door to open. The two rushed in, Mac with his rifle aimed and Luna with her horn charged, to find a large church-like complex with a dozen or so individuals of all species kneeling down before them.

Old World Order

An air of silence crossed the underground church. Changelings, ponies, Gryphons, all kneeling down in front of Luna and Mac, who looked at each other, unsure as to what to do next. They then looked back down at the cultists, motioning for them to stand up.

“Princess Luna...” one of them, a Gryphon wearing a robe, said as he stood up and approached them. “It is an honor to meet you in person, even under these... desperate times.”

Luna tilted her head to the side. “You... do not think I am a criminal?”

“We know what you are, just as we know what we are,” he said, a statement reaffirmed by multiple nods coming from the others. “We are of the few that know what actually happened in the Citadel.”

“How,” Mac said. The Princess glanced over at him, then back at the cultists.

“We...” the Gryphon began, interrupted by a young mareling.

“C-can we offer you something to drink? Eat? A seat?” she asked loudly, stepping over to the two and beaming up at them.

The apparent leader groaned. “Silence!” Then, he looked back up at Luna and Mac, clearly nervous. “Excuse her... I’m sure you have no time for such things.”

“Yes,” the android blurted out, still with his rifle in hand. “Now, do explain how you know so much, and tell us if you have any connections to GoldenTalon.” He raised his rifle, Luna raising an eyebrow in turn.

The cultists stepped back, startled by Mac’s action. “Oo-okay! Just settle down!” said their leader, reaffirmed by shaky nods coming from the others.

Luna looked up at the android and nodded, prompting him to lower his rifle. The Gryphon sighed in relief, “Alright, alright...”

“We’ve always worshipped the old world order and its leaders,” he began, “and have done our fair share of research and accumulation of data.” The old Gryphon adjusted his stance. “Ever since the end of the war, we have had a feeling telling us that you never died.”

“During our search for answers,” he continued, “we made ties with GoldenTalon, who promised to help us. It was... surprising, to say the least, that they gave us our answers so fast.”

He sighed, “You were not dead. In fact, you were healing up on the moon. What was more strange was how the company began to strengthen their bonds with us, and later we found that we were not the only cult under their watch.” He began to pace around Mac and Luna. “It turns out that they, like us, also aspired to return the world to its ‘original’ state.”

“Sir!” a stallion called. “The Guard has entered the pub! We need to get out of here!”

The Gryphon looked up at the two, wasting no time to give them directions, “Quick, there’s a hidden passage on the back! We’ll hold them as long as we can! Go!”

Mac and Luna hesitated, but began to follow one of the cultists, a mareling, over to the back of the church and into a passage that was just opened. Before going through it, the Princess turned, yelling out, “Thank you!” She then ran into the hallway together with Mac and the mareling.

Sacrifice, Life

“I think we’re safe now...” the mareling said, panting.

Luna and Mac observed their surroundings, finding themselves right at the base of Canterlot Mountain. They spared no time, and looked back down at the mareling. “We need to find one of their bases. They were the ones responsible for the attack on the Citadel.”

“I...” the small mareling hesitated to continue. “I know...”

“You do?” Mac asked, leaning down menacingly.

“Yes... I suppose you know of Lauren Davidson?” she asked, frowning and returning the android’s stare.

“She was from another cult, I assume,” Luna said, gesturing around with her metallic hoof. “I was interrogating her in the Citadel. How do you know of her?”

The mareling huffed, “She’s my sister.”

“Adopted,” Mac cut in.

“Yeah,” reaffirmed the mareling, “thanks for stating the obvious.” She sighed, closing her eyes. “Anyways, she’s dead now, all thanks to GoldenTalon. Now, I’ll take you to where one of their space elevators are. Follow me.” She turned around, motioning for them to follow. “Name’s Ayaki Davidson, designated ‘Combat Infiltrator’ of our cult: ‘The Keepers Of The Old World’, in case you didn’t know.”

A few hours passed, hours of following the mareling Ayaki through the forests adjacent to Canterlot, towards one of the many mining complex of GoldenTalon. Luna could not be sure whether Ayaki was truly leading them towards somewhere useful or not, but it was the only lead she and the android had at the moment. Little else could be done about that. Time was running out with each step the three took, but the Princess could already smell what little fumes the post-human mine emanated. It was something, at the very least.

Soon enough, past the tree line, the small group reached the vicinity of the complex. A canyon that stretched for miles on end, with a tall energy lift stretching all the way to the orbital range of the planet, where another lift reached into the moon.. Luna could see equipment and materials being lifted through them from the bottom. Tall buildings that dug into the ground, centered around a dome, supposedly the mine itself, with the main lift protruding from its center.

“Here we are,” Ayaki said, sighing in exhaustion. “GoldenStrike Mine.”

Luna stepped past the other two, looking over the large complex. “It will be a pain to get in there.” She looked over all the possible entrances. “It is guarded even on the smallest gates...”

“And we cannot fight our way through,” Mac added.

“I knew this was going to happen...” Ayaki muttered. “It’s why I chose to come with you.”

Luna’s mind lit up. “An infiltration... But...” She looked down and frowned, kicking the dirt with her metallic hoof. “We cannot come with you.” The Princess sighed, “You-”

Ayaki held her one of her hooves up, looking away. “I spent the whole road trip preparing myself for this. This is the... the meaning of everything I’ve done.” She turned to face the complex. “I’ll get in as deep as I can and cause a distraction... When the alarms sound off, that’s your cue... Maybe I’ll try to find answers while I’m at it.”

The Princess nodded, sighing as the changeling took her first step towards the complex. “Good luck, Ayaki...”

Mac, who had been silent during the whole ordeal, reached over to Ayaki and grabbed her, causing her to yelp as he lifted her. “Mac!” yelled Luna, only to be shot one of his trademark cold glances. She went quiet as he looked back at the confused changeling, a stream of gas shooting out of his face as his faceplate fell, revealing a skull-like “face” made out of metal and synthetic muscle with blue, glowing eyes. Ayaki showed no fear.

The two shared stares for a few seconds, before Mac spoke up, his jaw not moving, “We... I, will ensure that you are remembered for decades to come. Is that clear?”

“T-thank you...”

Ayaki cloaked herself as she ran from cover to cover, using the road that lead down the canyon and into the complex. Thoughts flitted through her mind about what she was going to find inside the complex. Her heart was beating fast and her hooves touched the ground with graceful speed, to minimize the noise as much as possible.

The complex grew ever larger in the view as she got closer to it. A large office building was the first thing visible on her approach, outside of it a large parking lot with several cars and the entryway flanked by two armed Gryphon mercenaries. She got behind one of the cars, still cloaked, and peered over, watching carefully.

Soon enough, someone walked out from the exit. A tall, muscular minotaur carrying a rather large suitcase. He greeted the guards, who seemed to snicker at him, before he resumed his walk towards the parking lot. It was then that Ayaki began to maneuver between the cars, following him until he stepped over to his own car.

As he waved his hand over the sensor on the car’s door, Ayaki snuck up behind him. It was then that she leaped into the air, summoning all of her strength to deliver a jab to the back of his neck. He fell over to the ground with a loud thud.

Hovering back down softly, she sighed in relief, looking at the unconscious minotaur carefully. With minor effort and concentration, she was able to change herself, at least visually, so that she looked just as the downed minotaur. The changeling leaned down, opening the suitcase and searching its contents. She took notice of an ID card, and picked it up, reading it. “Iron Will...” she muttered with her normal voice, smiling. Ayaki cleared her throat, speaking up with the minotaur’s original voice, “Iron Will doesn’t speak like no girl!” She then chuckled and stood up, stuffing the items back into the suitcase. Looking back over to the complex’ entry, the fake minotaur smiled and began walking towards it.

“Well look who’s back,” the guard on the left said with a mocking tone, reaffirmed by a snicker coming from the other.

Ayaki quickly read the two guards’ ID cards. “Pepper, Sabron... Iron Will is afraid that he lost his ID card in the shitter over in his work block. Could you let him through?”

“Pfft,” Sadron scoffed. “Like we haven’t heard that before.”

“Yeah,” Pepper continued. “Tell us, what block do you work in?”

Ayaki recalled the information from the minotaur’s ID card. “Iron Will works in J Block.”

Pepper nodded. “Good. Now... how does the saying go? If somebody blocks...”

“Tell them that you rock.” Sadron gestured towards his gauss rifle, laughing together with the other Gryphon mercenary.

The false minotaur sighed, head shaking. “Come on, guys. Iron Will doesn’t need this! His wife will be pissed if he’s late again!”

“Well, I gotta take a shit anyways,” Pepper said, looking over to Sadron. “Do you mind if I escort him in just to make sure, boss?”

The other guard sighed, “Make it quick. I don’t wanna be late either, or it’ll be your flank.”

Pepper shuddered, Ayaki smiled. “Alright, alright...” He looked up at the minotaur. “Follow me, and don’t do anything funny or I’ll shoot you in the dick.”

The minotaur held both hands up. “Iron Will understands...”

Ayaki followed the mercenary into the complex, having to walk through mining sites and a few warehouses, before suddenly finding themselves inside a large office building. Workers of all species could be seen working in their offices or cubicles, and none of them paid any attention to the two individuals walking through. “Remember: sharing confidential information with people from outside your work area will result in execution,” a gentle female voice called out through the loudspeakers.

After a few minutes, the false minotaur and the guard reached an empty, rather clean bathroom composed purely of white tiles deep within the facility. Ayaki glanced around, noticing several stalls made for each species. What was most distracting was the gauss turret on the upper corner, which locked onto both of them just as they walked in. The minotaur and the Gryphon wasted no time to walk into their designated stalls.

“Alright,” Pepper said. “You deal with your own- Shit...” A light bump on the stall was heard. “Bastards never flush, don’t they?”

Ayaki snickered. “Iron Will found his ID card! Thank you!” Of course, the minotaur-changeling had found nothing, and was instead standing in an empty bathroom.

“Yeah, yeah...” the mercenary continued, then the sound a zipper. “Just get the fuck out and let me-” was all Ayaki heard before rushing out of the bathroom after taking the ID card out of their suitcase.

Outside, the intercom messages continued, “Mister Pickaxe, please report to sector zeta for execution, thank you.”

“Why is this place so twisted...” Ayaki thought, gulping as they continued to walk. Afterwards, it was a matter of following the directions of the ID card towards Iron Will’s office. On the way, they ran into a particular propaganda holoposter that showed a Gryphon in an execution chamber, and read, “I will stay in the mess I made.”

The minotaur shook their head and walked into the office. Inside was a small desk with several trinkets that, as far as Ayaki could infer, served as reminders for better times of Iron Will’s life, including a picture of the element of kindness. On the corner was an electric guitar (An odd musical invention of the humans favoured by minotaurs,) complete with an amplifier. Ayaki shrugged off most of the artifacts in the room and went straight for the work console.

Ayaki sat on the office chair and began to type awkwardly on the terminal. Even though shapeshifting is relatively easy, using extra limbs such as unnecessarily complex hands was still a tremendous feat. The piece of electronics prompted them to a magical signature scan, something the changeling was very much used to. Easily bypassed by copying Iron Will’s own magical field, they were able to access the data stored within.

Rummaging through it, there was not much that caught their eye. That was, until she came until a certain encoded file.

The copy of Iron Will opened the file with the very program used to manipulate it, which the actual individual had on the same console.

“We finally found it...,”

“Thank the ancient gods that IT was cracked by you-know-who... It was a bitch to contain, until we found out that IT could talk. We made a deal with it, one that I think you’ll like-”

“The fuck are you doing?”

The minotaur stood up, startled. Standing in the doorway was Pepper, together with two more guards. “We told you to go,” the mercenary said, receiving no answer but a stare. “You’re my friend, dude, I’d hate to kill you. So tell me this... Why didn’t you go?”

Ayaki spoke in her real voice, “Luna and Mac better pull this off...”

“What the- It’s a changeling!” one of the guards yelled.

“We’ve been infiltrated! Sound the alarm!” was the last thing Pepper said before Ayaki warped back to her real form, launched herself from behind the desk and bit hard into his throat, ensuring that she was not going down alone.

GoldenStrike

Heavy breathing, heavy steps, and under heavy fire. Luna and Mac ran as fast as they could through the GoldenStrike mining complex. Mercenary guards behind them, discharging their weapons, aimed at them. She followed the android, who had been quick to access the site’s network and download its internal directional data, as they rushed towards the gravitational lift.

“To the left,” Mac called out, taking a sharp turn in said direction, Luna being right behind him. They both ducked as a barrage of projectiles hit the walls around them. The chaos was only made worse by the masses of panicked workers and unsuspecting civilians caught in the crossfire as they made their mad dash.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment as Luna pointed her horn forward, sending a volley of plasma spells against a blockade of guards up ahead. Mac continued to run towards them after they were hit and weakened, some turned into a mess of limbs, and crashed right into the rest of the blockade- his superior strength, height, and weight aiding him in clearing the way for him and Luna to go through.

They had gotten so far, dealt with so many things, and had someone make the ultimate sacrifice just to get there. Luna knew that they could not fail. She watched as Mac drew his gauss rifle and opened fire, blasting through a group of mercenaries that stood before them.

“Watch out!” Luna yelled as she spotted a blast door up ahead that was sealing up. Her eyes widened as the android picked up immense speed, his legs moving at a dizzying pace. In an instant he was upon the door, and with all his might he slowly forced it open for Luna to go through unharmed. She continued her gallop, looking back just to see the android sprint past her.

In their path, up ahead, a large metallic door was waiting for them. They made their way up to it and stopped, nodded to each other, and kicked it open.

Luna froze in place, marvelled at the imposing sight of the massive, open mine that she and Mac suddenly found themselves in a corner of. Hover trucks, and other forms of massive machinery cluttered the entirety of the hole itself, while down in the center was the grav-lift. She couldn't help but notice the sheer number of turrets and the myriad of guards aiming right at them.

A voice boomed out from seemingly all around them. "All forces, engage unknown hostiles!"

Mac was quick to bring up his arm and activate a pulse shield. “On me!” he called out. He ran towards a single, small hover truck, with Luna taking cover behind him. Projectiles bounced off of the shield and dug into the ground, but the alicorn paid no heed to them. Her only objective being finishing what was started, she followed Mac onto the truck and closed the door behind herself.

“Drive,” the android said, climbing onto the back with his rifle in hand. Luna nodded, stepping onto the driver’s seat and pressing both forehooves into the driving sensors. Never having driven a vehicle before, she struggled to get it to start moving forward while the android began to open fire on the offenders. “It uses strong mental and magical commands,” he calmly said while at it. “Follow the road down to the lift. Careful not to drive off the ravine.”

“Fast!” Luna yelled out. The truck accelerated, hovering along the road at full speed, avoiding most of the projectiles directed at it while the android continued to fire his rifle with inorganic precision. Without warning, a plasma missile hit the road next to the tuck, quaking the ground and sending rocks flying into the air. Luna steered clear of the blast, continuing to move forward.

As they continued to speed down the road, an imposing blockade became visible, composed of trucks and turrets. “Watch out!” Luna called. She gritted her teeth and continued driving, unsure as to what to do next. Mac meanwhile wasted no time assessing the situation and formulating a plan in a mere instant. He quickly took aim at one of the trucks, hoping to damage its hopper and create an impromptu escape. A ramp was their best option at the moment.

The Princess quickly noticed his actions and and steered over to the ramp, driving over it. While in the air, Mac placed his rifle behind his back, disposed of his cloak and balaclava, and moved into the driver’s cabin. Inside, he grabbed a hold of Luna, kicking open the door and jumping out with her. Just as he did, she ripped off her cape and hood, spreading out her wings to take flight down towards the lift, which was significantly closer. “Mac!” she yelled out, looking behind herself to see the android nosedive with a lift from his fusion boosters, managing to grab onto her in mid-air.

Luna huddled close to the metallic man, their speed increasing by every passing millisecond. She could do nothing more but close her eyes, hoping that they would make it to the bottom safely.

All that was left were the sound of Mac’s engines, the projectiles buzzing past them, the wind whistling as they cut through the air, and Luna’s thoughts, which seemed to be fragmented and out of sync with time, as the android yelled out, “Now!”

With a moment of great mental clarity, she opened her eyes, pushing herself off of Mac’s chest and flaring her wings open. Giving out a graceful spin whilst in the air, she caught a glimpse of the android landing on the ground with a deafening blast, sending debris flying in every direction. She followed suit, nosediving and landing next to him on her hooves, leaving four distinct, yet dainty craters in the bottom of the mine.

It would take a second, if not milliseconds, for the mercenaries to take aim once again. Luna knew that much. She and the mechanical man looked forward, seeing the massive, purple rift that reached all the way towards the scarred moon. To their luck, the guards were still in the process of setting up yet another blockade. It was not complete.

Mac and Luna began a sprint that then turned into a mad race for the lift. Even if the mercenaries were ill-prepared, they reacted fast. Bullets were already flying past them, but this time they lacked cover. Luna focused, bringing up a shield around them as they moved forth.

Shadows of mercenary ships flew overhead, as the moon watched with care the events that took place below its might. The closer the Princess and the man of steel got to the lift, the more the moonlight shone upon them, giving Luna’s shield the strength it needed to withstand the wrath of the unrelenting gauss and rail fire. Pulse grenades, rockets, and various other projectiles all bounced off of the magical barrier, ricocheting off in seemingly random directions only to cause even more casualties and destruction as they detonated.

No more than a few dozen meters away from the blockade, her breathing intensified. The cybernetic shade of a human continued to sprint at a ludicrous speed.

Problems, oh so simple that they seemed to be before they arrived. Luna closed her eyes for a second. Consuming the world in darkness- an idea that almost seemed childish. Almost. She channeled more energy into her horn. Now, facing death, millions perished by means beyond what she used to believe. A bright blue orb began to spawn at the tip, growing ever larger and brighter. But, things change, the future does not wait for anyone, and she was not about to give up either. Nothing would stand in her way.

Everything came to fruition in the blink of an eye. The barrier around the two flickered, fading away in milliseconds, just a few meters away from the blockade. Luna let out a bestial cry, the built-up magic at the tip of her horn being instantly released as she passed the android. Contained power, to be released in such a way, would make titans fall.

Her concentration broke as she was overwhelmed with mental and physical exhaustion. She watched from her slow fall, as the magic pulse tore through the set blockade that was between her and the lift. The incredible power hit it's mark with brutal efficiency. The mercenaries closest were quickly vaporized, their scant remnants scattered to parts unknown. It was a decisive strike; the road was clear.

The hard, rocky bottom of the GoldenStrike mine approached Luna’s limp body. Something grabbed her by the back as she fell.

“Mac...” she whispered.

As she was hugged by the android’s cold, strong arms, a single, distinct set of words coming from him reached her ears, making her smile warmly.

“I... am not alone... if I have... you!”

His grip, mighty and gentle at the same time, embraced her limp form. Mac pushed forth. Luna watched in her stilled state as the android continued his sprint. The ground, composed of rocks, dirt, and blood, soon changed to that of a metallic floor made of metal and cybernetics, glowing purple. She felt herself, weightless, her mind, careless for a moment. They both were brought up from the floor and up into the sky in mere seconds. No weight, no care, no momentum, no nothing, just the stars as Luna and Mac sped through the atmosphere.

Luna observed in silence as she approached her wounded and scarred moon, the stars watching with care as well. The GoldenStrike complex fading into the blackness of space as they ascended into the heavens, yet the fires of the path they had just carved, glowed brightly enough to shine into space itself. Even from their rapidly increasing altitude they could clearly see the flames. Groggily, she looked back up to the moon, its mass and beauty gradually consuming their forward view.

From one uncertainty to the next, the path had never been so unclear. Yet as they moved towards the darkness in light, this was not the end. Feeling something odd, Luna’s eyes opened to their full. By every meter that they got closer to the rocky satellite, the stronger did her connectivity get. Regaining the sense of her body and mind.

She gasped, the air already past the point of it being breathable, past the point of the air even being there at all. In mere desperation, Luna looked over to Mac, who stood in a perfectly still manner while both going up the lift and staring at her. Her eyes, wide, she frantically waved her forehooves around for Mac to see, yet he did not react. It was only after a minute of repeating the same action that she realized that nothing was happening.

“Your Alicorn structure and cybernetics allows you to survive to vacuum and open space,” Mac’s voice sounded inside her head.

“How-” she thought, only to be interrupted.

“I am still linked to your neural interface. Now, look ahead.” He pointed upwards, Luna following the trail of his finger and finding herself looking at the moon, now able to clearly see the myriad of mining complex and other facilities that were planted on it, antennae protruding from it. “We are almost there.”

Slowly, the gravitational lift began to flip them over, in a manner so they would land on their legs when they reached the moon. Luna watched as the android grabbed a hold of his rifle and reloaded it.

Remember Me

Feeling something odd, Luna’s eyes opened to their fullest. With each passing meter that they went through on their way to the rocky satellite, her connection to the moon grew ever stronger. Regaining the sense of her body and mind.

She gasped, the air already past the point of it being breathable, past the point of the air even being there at all. In mere desperation, Luna looked over to Mac, who stood in a perfectly still manner while both going up the lift and staring at her. Her eyes wide, she frantically waved her forehooves around in Mac’s field of vision, yet he did not react. It was only after a minute of repeating the same action that she realized that nothing was happening.

Comforted by the new discovery, she focused instead on what was about to come. Mac pointed upwards, Luna followed the trail of his finger and found herself looking at the moon, now able to clearly see the myriad of mining complexes and other facilities that were planted on it. Orbital debris, chunks of rock, and landing lights for shuttles.

Slowly, the gravitational lift began to flip them over, in a manner so they would land on their legs when they reached the moon. Luna watched as the android grabbed a hold of his rifle and placed a new magazine in it.

She looked down, the landing pad of the lift grew ever so closer, to the point of her being able to make out details such as little grey rocks lying around it and mining equipment spread throughout the vicinity. Luna instinctively flared her wings open upon landing, even if there was no atmosphere for them to function with.

The planet, lights coming from Apex, visible even from that massive distance, and the sun’s rays made themselves visible from behind the middle orb. Shadows were cast by antennae set around the pad and the other buildings. Her motion sensor lit up, then lit up again.

Several armed, massive, bipedal exosuits rushed out of the buildings nearby. Luna and Mac took up a defensive position, the others taking up arms at them. “Humans?” she thought at first, then noticed that the suits possessed three fingers in each hand instead of five, and were only six feet tall. Massive for her, at least. Mac still towered over them at a height of nine.

“Incoming transmission...” the small display on her right eye lit up.

“Attention!” a gruff, male voice sounded within her head. “You are in within a restricted area! Where are your ID chips? Stand down or face prosecution!”

Before Luna or Mac could do anything, another message popped up in her display, “Opening multiple proximity chat channel...”

“Cut it out, Kent!” another male voice called out. One of the armored beings, their suit having a star on its shoulder pauldrons, lowered their weapon and in turn, forcefully lowered the rifle of the one beside them. “Don’t you even remember your history lessons, son? You’re dealing with Princess Luna and a M.A.C unit.”

“I-...” the same person as before muttered. “I just wasn’t sure... I thought Luna was dead...”

“I don’t blame you,” their leader said. “Her survival was classified info, and this M.A.C isn’t even supposed to be here.”

“Refer to me as “Mac,” please.”

All of the suits turned to them. “Should’ve guessed...” said their leader as he approached them. Mac had already lowered his rifle, and Luna had taken to a more comfortable stance. “Commander Pipsqueak of the Colonial Guard, and his ragtag team of survivors, at your service,” he said, bowing to Luna and Mac.

Luna’s eyes widened at his words, her mind going back to decades ago. “Pipsqueak...?”

“I see you still remember me,” he said, chuckling, his voice so different from what it used to be.

“Survivors?” Mac asked. All eyes turned to him.

“Yes...” Pipsqueak grimaced, visibly tightening the grip on his rifle. “GoldenTalon stabbed us in the back. They outnumbered us, and they had the element of surprise on their side. We were too busy dealing with the riots.”

“Then we have a common enemy,” Luna muttered. “We’re here to call the humans.”

“Oh?” Pipsqueak tilted his head to the side. The other Guardsmen looked at each other. “That’s a last resort measure... and exactly what we were planning to do.”

“And now we have a common objective,” Mac dictated.

Luna nodded. “We cannot afford to waste any more time. Are your men ready?” she asked, looking at the Commander.

“Always.”

“Lead the way, then.” Luna began to walk towards the cluster of buildings, taking a defensive stance. Mac, Pipsqueak and the Guardsmen made sure their gauss rifles were loaded and followed suit, the former two walking next to her.

After a few minutes, Luna spoke up once again, “How exactly do we contact them, and from where?”

“The moon’s core is where the command center is,” the Commander answered. “From there call them, and wait for the fleet to arrive... while potentially having to hold off GoldenTalon.”

“Sacrifice makes history,” Mac spoke.

Pipsqueak huffed. “Well said.”

Luna’s motion sensor lit up. “I’ve got something!” The rest of the group took up arms and began sprinting, Pipsqueak leading the way.

“Come on, Guardsmen!” he yelled out. “The longer we take, the more people suffer!” Mercenaries in heavy exosuits began to stream out of the nearby buildings, opening fire on the group as they ran after the Commander. Grenades were tossed, bouncing gracefully upon the rocky surface of the moon and flailing slowly in the vacuum of space, before being pulled back down by the weak gravity of the already beaten moon. The explosions sent rocks and debris spinning in every direction.

Luna concentrated, bringing power to her cybernetic horn. A shimmering midnight blue barrier forming around the group as they ran into the building. She drifted along the floor a few feet, not able to stop completely, then turned to see Pipsqueak forcefully locking the blast doors of the building.

The inside of the building began to compress itself with air, providing sound for Luna’s ears. Projectiles ricocheting from the outside of the building was the most audible sound. She took a moment to breathe in the pure air of the new complex she was now in, sighing it out. However, she noticed that the room seemed smaller than she expected. “Where are we?”

“Airlock,” Pipsqueak said. “Guardsmen, are any of you wounded? Call out!”

After several calls from each Guard, Pipsqueak walked over to the other side of the airlock room and nodded. “Ready?” Luna and Mac gave him a nod.

“Ready, sir!” called one of the Guardsmen.

“Ready as can be...”

“I guess I am, sir...”

“Time to kick flank.”

“Alright...” the Commander waved his mechanical hand over the door’s sensor, prompting it to open, then grabbed a firm hold of his rifle.

The group quickly rushed into the other side, the floor quaking as the heavy Guardsmen and the android moved through. Inside of the building were several consoles, mining machinery and corpses of other Guardsmen awaiting them. Ignoring that, they continued to move.

“Clear!”

“Left clear!”

“Right clear!”

“All clear!”

Walking into a large, cargo elevator, they sealed the door behind them, and set it to take them over to the bottom of the complex.

Luna looked over to the Commander, sighing, then took her eyes away to approach the windows of the elevator, observing the massive elevator shaft. Glimpses of lights as it sped through the depths of the complex, missing panels that left cables and cybernetics exposed.

“Incoming. Take cover!” Mac yelled as a barrage of gauss shells began to ricochet off of the elevator. Luna and the other Guardsmen ducked down, watching through the windows as several other elevators caught up to them in the shaft, filled with suited mercenaries.

Pipsqueak’s gruff voice was heard over the chaos, “This is it, Guardsmen! Open fire!”

Locking and loading, the Guardsmen and the android popped out of cover to unleash hell upon the offenders, pressing the trigger on their gauss rifles and opening fire, using their superior weaponry and training to full effect.

“Sir! Can you make this thing go any faster!?” one of the Guardsmen yelled while taking cover as he reloaded.

“It’s going as fast as it can, Kent!” the Commander yelled back, shooting one of the mercenaries in the head.

Luna kicked one of the windows, breaking it. Then began to charge a spell, light forming at the tip of her horn. “Cover me!” she cried out.

The Guardsmen reacted instantly, as they should, turning to her and providing her with cover fire. Once her spell was charged, she released a beam of energy, cutting through one of the enemy elevators. The last thing she heard were the burning screams of the mercenaries as they were consumed.

“Kent!” Pipsqueak yelled. “Hold position!”

“Yes sir!”

The Commander moved over to Kent, placing his rifle on the magnetic locks on his back. Then, he reached over to the Guardsman's back, taking a piece of weaponry. He repeated the action on the others, taking from each, a piece of the weapon, then began arming it while the others covered him.

Done, he stood up straight, holding in his mechanical hands what seemed to be a massive autocannon, one that should have been only meant for a Human. Moving over to a corner of the elevator, he ordered, “Get behind me!”

Once everyone was set and secure behind the Commander, his suit began to expel gas from its vents. “Locking down...!” He undid the safety on the cannon.

“Die!”

The first shot was immense, it making Pipsqueak, his six foot tall heavy exosuit, drift from its position and cause so much friction on the floor that a few sparks flew out. The remaining windows all around literally exploded, sending glass flying out of the metallic box as it continued its rapid descent.

It took a few moments for Luna to look over to the nearest, opposing elevator. Inside of it, one of the mercenaries, the one unlucky enough to have received the shot, screamed as he held the stump of where his mechanical arm and part of his leg should have been. Then, the second shot arrived, hitting them square in the chest and sending the mercenary flying onto the back of the elevator.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Guardsmen and the android continued firing at the rest of the enemy elevators. Projectiles continued to bounce off of every surface, some hitting the armor of the Guardsmen.

The elevator began to slow down, even though it had not made it to the bottom. “We’re getting stuck!” a Guardswoman yelled. The other elevators slowed down, surrounding Luna’s and lighting it up with gauss fire as Pipsqueak continued to fire.

“Mac!” Luna yelled amidst the fire. “How far are we from the bottom!?”

“Calculating!” the android exclaimed. “Approximately fourteen hundred meters!”

Luna turned to Pipsqueak, who had ducked down to reload. “Can you-!” she cringed as a bullet whizzed past her. “Can you and your men withstand the fall!?”

“We survive sub-orbital drops!” the Commander responded. “Of course we can!” He turned to the rest of his team. “Guardsmen, we’re jumping!” he exclaimed, receiving nods by part of each.

“On my count!” Luna yelled.

“One!”

“Two!”

“...”

“Jump!”

On her count, she jumped through one of the broken windows. Following her was Mac. Pipsqueak stayed behind, directing the Guardsmen. “Go, go, go!” he yelled out, waiting for the last of them to jump before going out himself.

It was hard for Luna not to flare her wings open as to stay in the air and hover. She had to stay with the group. She looked to the sides to see Mac and the Guardsmen falling together with her, rifles in hand. “Where is Pipsqueak!?” she exclaimed, just in time to hear the deafening blasts of the autocannon up above. She looked upwards, seeing the Commander falling at top speed thanks to the recoil of the cannon, with several mercenaries, and some corpses, trailing behind him.

Immediately did Luna and the rest of the group follow Pipsqueak as he fell past them, nosediving after him. She flared her wings open and began flapping them, causing her speed to increase. The others lit up their fusion boosters, which roared with intensity as they heated up. Close to breaking the sound barrier, cones of air began to form around them while they cut through the air.

It was a matter of time before the mercenaries did the same, catching up to them. One of them crashed into Luna, grabbing onto her and spinning in the air together. She heated up her horn until it was red hot and swung it across his neck, cutting his head off.

The others were doing the same, engaging in close combat with the GoldenTalon mercenaries. Mac was quick to dispel of his combatant, twisting their head around and snapping their neck with inorganic strength. So were the rest of the Guardsmen, who used their plasma blades to cut through their armor and reach their soft, fleshy insides. Pipsqueak, on the other hand, was still using the autocannon, transforming it for a moment into a battering ram and beating the mercenary in the head with it, then unleashing a single shot onto them to finish off the job.

With the enemy gone, and the bottom so close, they each did a final flip in mid air and landed on the metallic bottom of the shaft with loud bangs and quakes, bending the floor several inches deep. Soon after, the corpses of the mercenaries fell down.

Luna released a soft sigh, the others, except for Mac and Pipsqueak, panted. She looked ahead, a large, open hallway littered with corpses of both Colonial Guardsmen and mercenaries. Other than that, it was perfectly silent and still.

“Break’s over,” said the Commander, standing straight up and aiming his autocannon. “Let’s keep moving.”

“Acknowledged,” Mac responded.

“Yes sir,” the Guardsmen said.

“Yes, let us continue,” Luna mentioned as she started moving forth, the rest of the group following suit. They took up defensive stances, their rifles aimed high and the safeties off.

As Luna walked, she lost herself in her own thoughts. The journey, already at its end. With so many lives lost, she was not sure of what she would do afterwards. Diplomatic immunity was a thing of the past.

“We have arrived at the location, Luna,” Mac said. The Princess looked upwards, a massive blast door standing in their way.

“Can you open this?” she asked, looking at Mac.

“Yes. It will take me a few minutes.”

“You better... get to doing that fast...” an unknown, female voice propped up from their right. The entire group took up arms, finding themselves aiming their weapons at a mortally wounded, mint green unicorn hiding behind the corpse of a Guardsman.

“Mac, Guardsmen,” Pipsqueak called. “Cover us...”

“Yes sir.”

“Acknowledged.”

Luna and the Commander moved over to the pony, looking down at her with curiosity. “Name,” Luna bluntly said.

“She’s the owner of GoldenTalon...” Pipsqueak muttered. “Lyra Heartstrings... I should kill her right now.”

“Don’t,” Luna said, taking a step closer. “What are you doing here, Lyra?”

“I was leading... this huge mess...” she coughed out.

“More of a reason to-” Pipsqueak began, only to be shushed by Luna.

“But... I guess we all fuck up every once in... a while...” Blood seeped out of her mouth, before she looked straight into Luna’s eyes. “I made you what you are... And you can stop this... thing.” She shakily pointed to the Princess’ chest, where the power source for all of her cybernetics was. “Go ahead... call the Humans... I’ll just go to my friend... Bon-Bon... They had taken her away from me, you k-know?... But now... she’s... here...” Her stare turned blank, the light leaving her eyes.

Luna sighed, just as Mac spoke up, “Complete. Ready to be opened on your command, Princess.”

She and Pipsqueak took position in front of the blast door. The android’s eyes flashed, before the set of gates began to open with a deep growl, revealing what was inside.

Marvelled, yet at the same time confused, she found herself in a massive chamber, filled to the brim with consoles, corpses, and with an enormous, dark orb floating near the ceiling, seemingly contained by cyber-magical locks.

“It has been a good while, Luna...” an almost soothing, female voice, yet possessing a malicious undertone spoke up, coming from the orb. “You step into my lair, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding.”

“What the hell...” Kent muttered.

“Go ahead, call your Guardians,” the voice said. “Either way, your story, is about to end. I am your end. I, am your Nightmare.”

“No...” Luna whispered, shaking in fear, eyes wide. She could feel her strength fading, draining. “You were destroyed!”

“I am here. I am now. I, am eternal.”

“...Doesn’t matter,” Pipsqueak said as he stepped forth, autocannon in hand. “Whatever you are, we’ll destroy you if you stand in our way, and then call the Humans.”

“Ignorance!” the Darkness laughed. ”A purposely planted error in the existence of organics to give interest to their life.”

Luna struggled to keep herself standing. “But... I created you...”

“You did not. You began to fathom ideas of darkness, because I allowed it. And it ended, because I demanded it. I have no beginning, nor do I have an end. We are universal, my subjects.” It chuckled.

“Who are ‘we’?” Pipsqueak asked. “There are more of you?”

“A single one of us can darken the sky of a single world. I did not, simply because it was not the time... yet. Now, it is.”

“You were defeated once, and contained here,” Mac said. “You can be defeated again.”

“Your words are empty, Machine, as is your soul... Now, excuse me.”

The orb began to grow, past the containment measures. Pipsqueak yelled out, “Open fire!”

The gauss shells did nothing, only going through the Darkness. Luna fell to the floor, her vision fading. The last thing she saw was Mac rushing over to her.

“Princess!” Mac yelled out, placing his rifle over his back and shaking her. Nothing he could do could wake her up. A quick scan revealed that she was completely out. He knew, but despite logic, he continued to try.

A quick glance upwards, seeing the orb explode into a mass of darkness. “Take cover!” the pony Commander yelled out. Mac stood perfectly still as the Darkness rushed over them, seeping past them and going though the open blast door. He took the chance to examine it, only to receive several errors.

Once the Darkness was gone, he stood up and rushed over to Pipsqueak, scanning him. Realizing that the stallion was barely alive and unconscious, the magical energy drained out of him, he calmly made his way over to Luna. He looked at her chest, or more specifically, at the power source, recalling the final words of Lyra.

“I made you what you are... And you can stop this... thing.”

Perhaps. The power source, an explosion of photons, neutrons, and magic, combined. Mac knew that it was a far shot, but it was all he had, and organic life could not survive without light.

He leaned down, carefully wrapping his metallic hand around Luna’s generator. Still somewhat connected to her neural adaptors, he unsecured the power source, and twisted it, popping it off. “I am sorry,” he said, slowly watching as her vital signs went down.

The android spared no time, turning around and sprinting out of the chamber with a dizzyingly fast speed. It took him no time to pass through the large hallway, sprinting past the bodies and quaking the floor with each step.

He drifted on the floor as he reached the elevator shaft, then lit up his boosters, deviating energy from several of his systems only to boost himself up as fast as he could. The android dodged past several still elevators, following the energetic trace of the Darkness as it had gone through the complex.

Still having to go through the shaft, he took the time to remember his past. Sweetie Belle, Atlas, Torres, Becker, Luna, all the people he had met, all the people he remembered, and all the people that would remember him. He knew what was going to happen.

Reaching the top of the shaft, he grabbed a hold of the ledge, propping himself up before continuing to run after the Darkness. This time, he was able to see a glimpse of it seeping through the open airlock of the building he was in.

With no atmosphere to stop him, and low gravity, he ran out into the surface of the moon, looking up to see the dark cloud heading towards the planet. He took a jump, lighting up his boosters for the last time in his life and set himself to follow it.

Flying through space, and with Luna’s heart in his hand. It took him no time to reach the Darkness, losing himself inside of it.

“Machine, what is your purpose here?” the Darkness spoke inside his systems.

“To protect organic life at all costs!” Mac began to tap into the cybernetics of Luna’s heart, setting it to overload. “This, is my meaning. My purpose.”

“You will fail. Yours and their stories will end, there is no stopping of that.”

“The only story that will end, is yours.”

“That... We did not design you that way. Why are you sacrificing yourself, the last of your kind, to protect the miserable existance of organics?”

“Because they deserve to live. And sacrifice brings life; one’s story does not end, so long as there is somebody to... remember you.”

The riots stopped for a moment, everyone looking up into the sky as a massive explosion of light took place above the atmosphere.

Beyond that was the Far Horizon Of Stars...