Luna stared at the note blankly as the nonsensical music continued to play. She noticed it wasn’t the normal ‘from nowhere’ sound of Maze’s involuntary theme music but rather pumped through the city’s own PA system.

She finally snapped out of her stupor and ran to the fallen guards. She let out a small sigh as she saw they were unharmed and just unconscious. She unclipped one of the radios from their belts and switched to the command frequency.

“ALL GUARDS THIS IS A CODE RED ALERT! ALL GUARDS BE ADVISED- MAZE IS FREE, SHE WAS NOT DETAINED AND IS NOW WITHIN THE CITY! I REPEAT- MAZE IS FREE! LOCKDOWN THE CITY AND BEGIN SWEEPS IMEDIATELY!” Luna ordered before switching channels.

“Dungeon guard report! ...dungeon unit this it Princess Luna what is your status?” Luna waited as only dead air met her, she sighed and switched channels again “We need immediate response and reinforcements to the prisoner cells, they are not responding to calls. We also need a medical team to the gardens, we have two guards down; they seem unharmed but we cannot seem to wake them.”

Luna thankfully received confirmations to those orders and hooked the radio to her waist, activating her codec next.

“Twilight Sparkle, can you read me?”

“Princess? Uh Yes, the girls and I can hear you, what’s going on? The guards suddenly went nuts” Twilight answered in her ear.

“Maze was not locked in stone, her appearance was a ruse” Luna informed.

“But that’s impossible! We saw it ourselves! Just like every other time; Rainbows- Up, Rainbows- Down, BOOM- Magic of friendship and she’s was stone!” Rainbow countered.

“I am well aware of the process Miss Dash, in case you have forgotten” Luna replied calmly, raising from the fallen ponies “Find a radio to remain abreast of any developments, stay together and prepared. She needed to access the city and made us walk her right through the front gates, we must stop whatever she has planned.”

“Princess, the dungeon guards are down and the prisoners are gone, we’re beginning our search now ma’am” She received from the radio, unsurprised by the news.

“We heard that Princess, we’ll go help with the search” Twilight responded before dropping the call.

Luna glanced back at the empty pedestal, finding herself quite ambivalent once more, but unable to help feeling a little relieved.

“You always do make things interesting Maze, sometimes I don’t think even you know what you’re doing…” Luna muttered before taking flight, heading to her chambers to prepare for battle and issuing orders all around in the meantime.

An unseen pair of eyes watched her leave as their owner peaked around the hedge, a stony texture across her features.

“You have no idea Lulu” Maze muttered before disappearing back into the garden, headed toward the city proper.

“I was expecting more of a dark and damp vibe, but this is rather cozy for a prison” Lyra mused, her accomplice across the hall and a couple cells down. Two guards each stood to either side of both their cells as two more waited at the end of the hall. She also knew at least five were waiting on the other side of the door upstairs.

“Trixie deserves far better than to be locked up like some rabid animal! No matter how accommodating a cell!” the blue unicorn complained.

“Shut up down there” one of the stair guards shouted.

“And this slop isn’t even worthy of being called food! Trixie’s hat would taste better!”

“I said shut up traitor!”

“And now Trixie has this ignoramus of a guard shouting at her like some common whorse!”

“Oh I’ll show you a whorse” The guard finally stormed over, banging his baton on the bars “I told you to- WHAT-THE-FU-!”

The guard yelled as the magician’s cape suddenly burst into a trio of metal tendrils, smashing through the bars and constricting a guard in each. The others moved to help when a kinetic pulse slammed one into the opposing wall and the other was wrenched against the engineer’s cell, a heavy metal gauntlet wrapped around his neck from behind.

“H-how?!” She struggled out “Your bands-”

“Oh please, these?” Lyra asked, sliding the ring off her horn and flicking it away “I can disable these my sleep, they're the militia's: I helped make them.”

“It also helps to put them on the right horn” the other prisoner added as her tentacles carried her over the now unconscious guards. The guard blanched as one horn slid to the side and receded as another, far more jagged one took its place. The mare's face then flattened and change radically in color, the inhibitor band pinging sharply as it struck the ground “Sleepy time little pony”

Lyra sent a current through her captor and let him slide down the bars, stepping out smugly after Crystal ripped the cell door off.

“Five down…” She said as they looked to the last guard at the end of the hall, his rifle shaking violently as he struggled to keep his courage. He fired a prolonged burst down the hall at the two, yelling in defiance at their escape.

“Really?” Crystal scoffed as a tendril wiped erratically in front of the pair, the rapid pings lost under the cacophony of echoed gun shots in the stone space. The guard’s magazine clicked dry and he stared uneasily at the two; they smirked back until he booked it upstairs.

“SHIT!” The pair ran after him, trying to reach him before he could call the alert prematurely. His fear apparently worked for him as he burst through the door and the escapees were only half way up.

The pair crashed through the door ready to fight only to see the guards already knocked out and the runner slumping to the ground before them. A beige earth pony stood opposite to them holding a pair of stun batons.

“I am so fired for this” the blue and pink maned mare sighed grimly.

“BONNY!” Lyra squealed as she tackled the mare in an ecstatic embrace, planting a giant kiss on the pony’s lips. Bon Bon broke the embrace and tensed when the music started blaring though the castle

“Can I assume this means there’s more to whatever you have planned?” she asked as Lyra giggled and grabbed her hand, running down the hallway as Crystal lead the way. She tried to keep pace as Lyra dragged her onward, hoping there was more to all this then running and annoying music. She suddenly noticed something wrong however,

“Wait! What about Trixie!?”

“Sucks we’ll never see her show again” one guard grumbled as he glanced back at the van.

“I never did” the other responded plainly.

“Oh dude you’ve missed out! This big stage folds out from just this tiny little side panel and launches off all kind of fireworks and stuff! And that’s before she even comes out!” The first guard ranted excitedly before explaining his latest viewing of the unicorn's show.

“Yeah well she won’t be putting on any-” the second guard stopped at what sounded like something clattering behind them. They did a quick sweep of the dark garage and found nothing “Like I was saying, looks like her entertainment days are over. Wouldn’t want to go see a traitor's show anyway.”

“Yeah, I guess; still kind of a bummer though. I wish I could have seen her perform at least once more, it really was a heck of a show” The first lamented as they leaned against the van.

“Oh those who have so little faith in the Great and Powerful Trixie! Her flame is not extinguished yet!” the guards heard a mare shout from atop the vehicle “Though she does thank you for the kind praises!”

The guards jumped back from the van and leveled their rifles only to have their target disappear in a puff of smoke. Another puff plumed behind them as the heavy hatted mare burst forth with fingers aglow.

“Nighty night!” Trixie sang as the tips of her fingers brushed the foreheads to the two guards. They stumbled back from the showmare, who stood confidently as they tried to lift their now incredibly heavy feeling weapons.

“Wha..wut?” was all one of them managed before they both crumpled to the ground, sleeping like a pair of foals. Trixie dusted her hands off and moved toward the van when a sudden light spilled into the room.

Trixie froze as a balaclava wearing guard stared back as still as she; a faint flushing noise echoed from behind him as they stared at each other. They stood frozen like that for a beat longer before a radio crackled on the guard’s belt.

“Garage team, you’re late with your check in. Please report” the voice ordered. Trixie tensed at the unexpected obstacle, this could ruin the whole plan “Is something the matter?! Garage team respond!”

Trixie’s eyes widened as the guard slowly unclipped the radio and brought it to his covered muzzle. Her hands and horn flared as her face delivered the silent threat to the guard who seemed to… smile in response?

“This is the garage team, everything’s clear here” The guard reported, Trixie’s magic immediately dispersing as she heard the guard's voice.

“What took you so long to respond?” the radio blared.

“We accidently kicked the radio under one of the vehicles sir, sorry about that” the guard lied easily as he glanced at the fallen guards, then back at the unicorn.

The corners of Trixie’s mouth began to twitch and rise at the guard as the radio crackled again, a genuine wonder in her eyes as she realized the odds.

“Who is this?! Where is your radio pony, Private Storm?!” The voice demanded.

“Private Storm is sick sir...” Trixie beamed brightly at the stallion as he removed the balaclava and spoke clearly with a knowing smile under a sandy blonde mane.

“This is Johnny, Johnny Sasaki.”

Luna donned her newly updated battle regalia, once again sighing at the awkward feeling of it. She was used to proper metal, mail and leather enchanted with traditional magic; not this body hugging, exoskeletal covering. Granted it did still have plating, but now it was made of some kind of new mithril alloy and merely accented the complex suit below.

“At least it still looks nice and regal; not so utilitarian as some of the specialist guard armors” Luna muttered to herself, glad she commissioned young Rarity to design the suit. Several technical improvements and enchantments had been added since but Luna was just glad that it looked like the armor of a royal leader, not a futuristic soldier “She does have a unique way with form and function.”

‘Along with… Other talents’ She added internally, a slight smirk and blush creeping on her features. She shook away the thoughts, now was not the time and she had no idea if it was to become anything serious anyway. She moved back toward the balcony and leapt off to join the search, all the while failing to notice the subtle bending of air behind her most prominent trophy case.

She flew over the city as the music seemed to change slightly; it was the same song only now in a language she could understand. She wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

A scream suddenly echod from nearby but she couldn’t figure out the direction, it seemed that many citizens had begun celebrating the perceived capture of the Bloodletter and believed the music was part of it. The rest ran calling for guards in all directions, the two factions of celebrators and runners confusing the entire situation further.

“MAZE SPOTTED NEAR THE SHOPPING DISTRICT! I REPEAT MAZE SPOTTED NEAR THE SHOPPING DISTRICT!” Luna’s radio spat and she immediately flew toward the location. She blinked as she did indeed see Maze running down the street clear as day.

‘She should know better that this’ Luna thought but landed before the cyborg with a crash.

“HALT!” She cried as the human stumbled and attempted to turn but failed to escape the princess's grasp. Maze struggled as the alicorn lifted her in the air by her chest holster, surprised it had been that easy “I have no idea what you hoped to accomplish in this act Maisie but-”

Luna stopped as the cyborg began to giggle, and then laugh proper in a disturbingly masculine voice

“Sorry Princess” the male voiced Maze told her with a shit eating grin “But your villain is in another castle!”

“What?!” Luna exclaimed before another Maze streaked past her, passing what looked like two Lyra’s and a burgundy hair changeling before they all ducked between buildings. She stared back in the direction the second Maze fled, her mind reeling “WHAT?!”

Her arm suddenly jerked as the weight she held lightened considerably. Her head snapped back to see the first, man-voiced Maze running away as she held the unhooked holster. She glanced at the belts before looking back up the see the Maze change shape, turning into Trixie as she high fived yet another Maze as they passed.

“WHAT!?”

“This is corporal Copper Hoof, we’ve cornered the suspect Lyra Heartstrings” her radio announced as she stood in her stupor.

“Impossible! We’re in pursuit of Lyra Heartstrings and the red headed changeling!” another voice argued.

“I’m looking at a Trixie and the reddish changeling right now, having tea with Princess Luna as the Bloodletter plays violin with a pair of guards.” a third guard delivered exasperated.

“I’ve seen three Trixies, a Twilight Sparkle, five Lyras and two princess Lunas” a final voice said in an obviously befuddled tone. Luna looked down the street to see a guard step into view holding a handset before he looked at her and slumped his shoulders “Make that three.”

Luna dropped the holster as the music changed yet again, now blaring through the radios and disrupting all communication.

She had no idea why, it really wasn’t a bad song, but it made the whole thing so much more irritating.

‘Maze you clever bitch…’ she thought tiredly as she started flying back toward the castle to gather the elements and prepare a response for whatever Maze ultimately had planned. She knew being down in the city alone was pointless with all the confusion, and seeing as they weren’t attacking anyone she was confident the guards wouldn’t escalate to violence. She glanced down to see more of the doppelgangers dancing on the roof tops or celebrating with the confused citizenry.

“Bucking trolls…”

“So how did you unseal yourself? I pretty sure if Discord can’t then you shouldn’t be able to” Bon Bon asked as the mostly now assembled group walked down the damp, stone tunnel.

The brief introductions had been made already; though Bon Bon had been quite concerned about ‘meeting’ Wolf. She as actually quite familiar with the IG, having worked with him before on a few missions. He seemed to be keeping her true identity to himself for the time though, much to Agent Sweetie Drop’s relief.

“We didn’t, because we weren't sealed” Maze told the earth pony as she cast a simple mage light spell, the statement prompting a questioning look “We pulled the old switcheroo.”

“We complemented Maze’s octocamo with a special stone skin concoction. We blinked out with a triggered, precast teleport spell of Trixie’s. Then, before the dust could settle, Maze blinked back in with a premade statue of me and took the potion. We were never actually hit by the elements.” Crystal elaborated.

“And I'm guessing those were changelings up there?” Bon Bon continued.

“Yep! They’re disguised not only as us but guards, the princess and even a few of the elements too. They’re the misdirection until we get deep enough in this surprising big and clean sewer system” Maze answered, looking at the abundance of space as they all walked comfortably side by side in the shallow waters “The smell is far less offensive than I was expecting, just a kind of wet stone and mossy smell.”

“The new systems have been separated from these older aqueducts, these typically only move small amounts of clean water through enchanted means and allow easier access to the city’s subterranean systems now” Wolf informed the cyborg “These haven’t been used for sewage or purification for nearly 20 years.”

“There were rumors the enchantments didn’t mix well with the sewage and started causing all kinds of mutations and filling the tunnels with monsters” Lyra added.

“Mutants living in a sewer…” Maze said wistfully “Ah, nostalgia.”

“Probably just lies to keep ponies from wandering too deep and finding this facility we’re looking for” Bon Bon added, having no idea what the human could be talking about. “How long do you suspect before Trixie catches up?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has already completed her task! It is you who is catching up to her!” a voice boasted from around the bend. The group hurried to see the magician standing triumphantly on a small crate before leaping down next to a familiar, balaclava wearing guard.

“Johnny?” Maze asked at the sight of the stallion, before dashing up and hefting him into a crushing bear hug “JOHNNY!”

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Crystal asked with a genuine smile as she moved to the crate, popping it open and lifting a new tentacle from within.

“W-wel-”

“Maze put him down” Lyra told the cyborg before she moved to help Crystal replace her damaged tentacle. The guard caught his breath for moment before answering as Maze released her hug.

“Well, a little while after you guys left I was called to Fillydaphia as part of the force meant to catch you. When you didn’t show up I put in a request to remain part of the effort so I could stay updated on your status, but with my track record I ended up being stationed here in Canterlot. When I heard you were petrified I tried to pull some strings, though the best I was able to do was get put on guard duty for Trixie’s van”

“And it proved to be the best outcome!” Trixie interrupted “He encountered Trixie after all, and our departure preparations were made much simpler by his assistance.”

“You sure about this Johnny? I mean Bon Bon -Oh by the way, Johnny this is Bon Bon, Bon Bon this is Johnny- She has a personal stake in this but you’re a guard, and you weren’t too sure befo-” Maze began to ask before Johnny cut her off.

“I’m sure, I know I said this is out of my league and honestly it still probably is but I don’t believe you’re the bad guys. I really hate to go against the princesses but the stuff I’ve seen these past few months tells me they just can’t see what’s really happening” Johnny interrupted, partly just to keep her from talking him out of it “If nothing else I don’t want to regret doing nothing when I could have at least tried to do the right thing.”

“And thus five become seven” Lyra stated happily as she bumped Bon Bon affectionately. The freshly expanded group finished repairing and resupplying from the crate, ready to head out in their search.

“So any of you have an inkling of which way to head first? Because I certainly-” Maze stopped mid-sentence as a faint rumbling met their ears “That a train or something?”

“We’re not under the train station… no, that sounds more like…” Bon Bon offered as they peered around the bend and down the long passage. The other end was far of and filled with an encompassing darkness, darkness that seemed to be drawing closer and now reflecting what little light there was in waves of-

“RUUUUUUN” Bon Bon screamed as they bolted down the passage way. The surging water closed the distance before they even made it back around the bend, the massive torrent engulfing them as it carried them through the underground labyrinth.

Lyra coughed and sputtered as she groggily pushed herself off the cold stone. She remembered being hit by the cascade and being swept along until she couldn’t hold her breath any more, followed then by the sensation of hitting the floor and walls until she passed out. She guessed the torrent began to equalize over the length of the tunnels and dissipate until it stretched into the shallow trench along the floor.

‘Or maybe we just hit a big drain, who knows?’ she thought as she squinted around, quickly spotting a beige pony with blue and pink hair not moving near her.

“Bon! Bonnie!” She stumbled to the mare as quick as she could and fell harshly to her knees as she lifted her into her arms. Bon Bon stirred and woozily opened her eyes to look up at her “Oh thank Celestia!”

“Well that wasn’t fun...” Bon Bon muttered before a chest was shoved into her face as Lyra hugged her tight. She struggled to talk as she tried to pat the unicorn on the back “Easy Ly, I’m okay.”

“I’m fine too, thanks so much for asking” Crystal coughed sarcastically at their side, rising to an unsteady sitting position. She looked around to notice they weren’t far off from a dead end “I don’t see anyone else.”

“Well, unless we want to- really Lyra, you can let me go- Unless we want to try crawling through one of these drain tunnels in the walls, then we’ve got one direction they could be… Assuming we didn’t get pulled through a side passage or something” Bon Bon answered as she managed to pull away from her marefriend and stand the two of them up.

They started back down the way they assumed the current carried them until they heard the rapid bounds of something closing in fast. They ducked behind the rim of one of the tunnels arches as best they could, tension bridged between them almost palpable.

A large black Fenrir bounded into sight and a collective wave of relief washed over them as they stepped out into the open.

“Maze, I found them” Wolf announced over his codec as he approached the trio of females “It is a relief to see you unharmed.”

“You too, you seen any of the others?” Lyra asked the cybernetic hound, her query quickly answered as Maze appeared around the bend carrying a very water logged Trixie on her back.

“All but Mr. Sasaki have now been accounted for” Wolf answered.

“If we were lucky enough to pull through, then Trixie is sure Mr. Sasaki has as well” Trixie offered weakly, her words muffled by Maze’s back.

“She okay?” Bon Bon asked.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is always okay!” She said with a little more pep before coughing up a light spray “She is just a little… saturated at the moment. She could walk just fine but Maze can admittedly run quite faster than she.”

“And I won’t let her; not until her nanos are done filtering the water out of her lungs” Maze added, bouncing the unicorn back into a more comfortable position “Bet you’re doubly glad you let us give ‘em to you now, huh?”

“Indeed…”

“Well let’s go look for- Oh Fuck Me, not again!” Maze cursed as another rumbling sound headed their way.

“I do not believe it is another flood, I am picking up multiple signatures inbound” Wolf informed them. Maze set Trixie down, who despite a small teeter did manage to stand and move on her own. The rest braced, drawing or summoning their weapons.

A flood did appear around the bend, a flood of Independent Gears swarming over one another to get to them; Raptors, Dwarf Gekko, Fenrir and at least half their number looked like towering, armored gorillas with wrist mounted grenade launchers.

“Mastiffs!” Bon Bon shouted as she fired her appropriated guard rifle into the horde. The rounds did little to dissuade the wall rushing at them but there wasn’t much else they could do as they were forced to retreat.

“We have to block them somehow! This way’s a dead end!” Crystal called as she knocked a volley of grenades back with a pulse from her tendrils. Sure enough Maze could see a wall approaching quickly.

Maze turned to buy the others time when Trixie suddenly stepped in front of her, powerful arcane waves wafting off of her form. She shouted something Maze couldn’t understand and flashed her hands out; bright, glowing runes appeared covering the walls, ceiling and floors in a great ring between them and the swarm.

The runes flared a moment before exploding outwards in a brilliant maelstrom of lightning, fire, ice and pure, unrestrained chaotic magic. The first wave of the gears shattered under the onslaught as those behind crumpled against the lingering energies.

Trixie slumped and fell back into Maze’s arms, thoroughly spent. Maze carried the blue pony away from the piles as the others readied against the already buckling wall of destroyed machines. The dam broke, the remains barely stemming the tide until a cluster of rockets slammed into the middle, craving a small hole at the center of the shifting horde.

Lyra raised her other gauntlet and launched a much larger rocket straight into the opening, the projectile piercing straight into their midst. A second later a EM wave erupted out and washed over the defenders; their senses and systems tingling but fairing far better than those at the blast’s epicenter.

IGs fell and tumbled as they shut down, their systems not properly shielded against Lyra’s empowered EMP. The group recovered as the combined barrier of Lyra and Trixie’s efforts began to buckle yet again. Trixie regained her hoofing and gave the others a quick nod that her heart was fine.

Maze met the first Mastiff as it punched a hole through the remains of its fallen allies, her blade crashing against its massive fist. Others poured in after it; though less overwhelming than before as the barriers managed to bottle neck them, they still forced the others back by numbers alone.

Maze kicked off her opponent as Wolf barreled into its torso, his chainsaw ripping into it as it fought to remain standing. Maze’s blade pieced through at head of a raptor that lunged at the friendly IG before tossing its controller Gekko at the gap Wolf made; the small IG detonated on contact and shredded the mastiff’s insides.

Trixie shot a bolt of electricity at another Raptor as it slipped past the pair, collecting the charge against the IG’s armor before releasing it in a burst of plasma to melt a deep crater in the IG’s body. A shower of sparks erupted next to her head as Bon Bon bashed away a cloaked Fenrir that lunged at the distracted mage. A small rocket finished off the fallen unit as Lyra pulled the two back from the growing mob.

Crystal wrested with a mastiff as its tree trunk sized arms thrust against a pair of her tentacles. Sweat drenched her brow as she was easily pushed back, her tendrils were bashed away by the IG’s massive strength. She scowled and latched back onto the IG before it could level its launcher at her, unleashing a barrage of shocks and point blank kinetic pulses into the gear.

The machine eventually fell back with a crash, its insides pummeled and burnt into synthetic hamburger. She faltered as her overtaxed tentacles struggled to pull her back, sluggishly scraping about as they tried to recharge.

“This isn’t looking good” She said as she backed into the dead end’s wall with Bon Bon and Lyra. Wolf and Maze managed to take down another Mastiff in short order only to see there were still several more waiting to take its place. An errant swipe managed to catch an airborne Maze and send her into the stone between them.

“Yeah, this could be bad” Maze concured with a slight wince as she rose and Wolf retreated to join them.

The gathered IGs suddenly halted their advance as a unique mastiff emerged from the group, one at least a head taller than the others and custom equipped. The launcher on its wrist was removed and large, slashing claws on each arm replaced it, matching as a very distinct bladed helmet.

“Wait a minute, I know that helmet…” Maze muttered.

They braced as a mastiff broke from the line and charged. Their eyes shot wide and a collective waver of confusion weaved through the remaining units as it stopped dead, standing in place with a sai jutting out from its head.

Grates covering the dark side drains flew off as a quartet of figures flew out of them, rolled up into somersaults. One landed against the Mastiff and launched off after reclaiming its weapon’s twin. The bipedal figures landed and stared confidently at the assembled gears from under their masks of blue, red, purple and orange.

“Nnnnoooo…” Maze said in amused disbelief and began giggling as the four rounded figures raised their weapons in ready stances.

“Are they Ninjas?” Crystal asked as Mazes giggles turned to chuckles.

“I think they’re cyborgs” Lyra added as Maze began to laugh whole heartedly.

“They would appear to be turtles” Wolf added as Maze finally stopped, thrusting her fist into the air.

“TURTLE POWERRRRR!” she yelled in fan-girl glee as the music rang out and the cybernetic reptiles launched themselves at the opposing force.

The one in blue flashed between a pair of raptors and immediately ignored them as he charged the large, helmeted mastiff commander right after. The two raptors slowly bisected behind the turtle as his swords met the towering gear's claws, sparks flying as its allies had their hands full with the other turtles.

The red one leapt upon the back another mastiff as it tried to pass and drove his sai straight up under its chin, removing it from the fight before catching the blade of a raptor in with his weapon's prongs. He ducked under the gear’s head, snapping the blade as he twisted the sai and driving the other into the other into the control unit. The unit fell dead as the turtle already moved to its next target.

The orange masked turtle knocked away wave after wave of dwarf gekko as his purple masked brother messed with a complicated hunk of scrap metal behind him. The nunchuck wielder shouted something in japaneighs as he caught a pair of Gekko that leapt at him and jammed them on either ends of each nunchacku, turning them into sparking flails. He charged a mastiff and the flew back as the IGs detonated and removed the gorilla gear's torso.

A raptor charged the tinkering turtle only to meet a large, static cone as it shot from the inventor’s makeshift device. The sparking cone passed straight through the raptor and expanded to affect nearly a third of the remaining IGs, who all teetered in place for a moment before immediately attacking the nearest target; friend or foe alike.

“That’s an interesting trick…” Lyra muttered before shaking her head and turning ask Maze “Shouldn’t we be helping them?”

She blinked as she saw the human already gone, running straight into the fight and shouting something about her childhood dreams. She looked over to the others who just shrugged before running into the fray as well.

With their combined force, it didn’t take long until there was only a few mastiff left. The four turtle ninjas faced the now heavily damaged mastiff leader as the one in blue shouted something in what also sounded like Japaneighs and brandished his sword threateningly. The mastiff roared before it launched several flash bangs from barrels hidden under its armored pauldrons. By the time they recovered the remaining IGs were gone, the distant thumping of their retreat heard down the passage.

The red one moved to peruse when Blue held out his arm, shaking his head at the more aggressive ninja. An argument ensued that was definitely in japaneighs; Maze knew a little and could tell the fight was basically what one could grab from the context, but she was too rusty to make out the rest.

“HEY!” They spun to see a familiar stallion hanging out of one of the holes the turtles emerged from “You guys will not believe what I found!”

“Ninja turtle cyborgs?” Crystal asked rhetorically as she gestured to the still arguing turtles, the other two having gotten involved in the sibling squabble.

“No! Er, well yeah, but not just them!” Johnny began his short, abridged tale “I was pulled down a drain and nearly drowned when one of the turtles pulled me from the water. I found myself in a surprisingly well furnished section of sewers and came face to face with a large bipedal rat. I think he’s their father or teacher or something.”

“Master Splinter” Maze stated with a confident smile.

“YEAH! That’s what he said! Wait, how did you…?” Johnny asked but continued on when Maze just beamed back at the four mutants “Uh, anyway… the brothers barely know any Equestrian but the Splinter guy knew a little and once we heard the explosions he sent the four to help us; a real nice guy.”

“But what and who are they?” Bon Bon asked as Maze stood and walked up to the ninja.

“Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael” Maze listed off each as she pointed to the respective brothers. They immediately stopped bickering and stared at Maze, looked at one another and then stared at her again clearly surprised.

“…How?” Leo asked curiously in Equestrian; Johnny did say they didn’t know much, not none.

“Ninja Magic” Maze replied as she wiggled her fingers mysteriously.

The turtles returned blank, unamused looks; glancing at each other before resuming the stare.

“Bullshit” Raph said clearly, causing Maze and the rest of the turtles to laugh.

“Yeah, I guess I can’t pull that on you guys huh?” Maze chuckled as she scratched the back of her head. The rest of the group just looked at each other before shaking their heads, only Johnny and Bon Bon still confused.

“Tell you later” Lyra told them before taking out her tablet “Maze can you ask if they can help up find the lab.”

“My japaneighs is incredibly rusty, I’d be lucky if I didn’t end up insulting them” Maze replied when Don suddenly hurried past the woman up to Lyra’s tablet, clearly fascinated by the compact computer.

The two quickly managed to achieve an understanding through the shared language ‘tech geek’ and the turtles led them to a large pipe jutting slanted out of the floor. They gestured for them to slide down, getting some uneasy looks from a few of those present.

“I shall scout ahead” Wolf offered before climbing in, a muted squeal echoing up as metal scrapped against metal during his decent.

“The way is unobstructed, it seems to have led to a small maintenance area; the room is clear” Wolf alerted the others over the codec. They piled one after another until it was just Maze left above with the teenagers. They seemed apprehensive about joining them so Maze didn’t push the issue and gave them an understanding nod.

“Cowabunga dudes!” she flashed the hang ten sign and slid down, but not before seeing Mikey return the gesture with a grin.

“My eight-year-old self is losing their shit right now!” Maze giggled with an exceptionally excited smile “You have no idea!”

They had continued through the halls of the complex, gathering what intel they could from anything notable they passed. They passed what seemed to be barracks, an IG storage and refueling area, along with a few offices and a garage of some sort. They were currently moving through a large research and development lab as Maze continued to gush.

“Yeah sure that’s great Maze-Where the hell is everybody!?” Crystal asked “This is a massive underground lab! Don’t they need workers and scientists to run everything?”

“They’ve evacuated, looks like in a hurry too. They must have realized the IG’s didn’t stop us” Bon Bon explained as she looked around the room; nothing was terribly out of place but there was enough to tell the story. A few fallen pencils and papers and knocked over coffees; Bon Bon lifted a still upright cup and sniffed the contents “Still rather fresh and warm, they haven’t been gone long.”

“But what about all the data and evidence? They must have known that’s what we were coming for, wouldn’t they have wiped everything?” Lyra asked.

“Maybe they didn’t have time” Bon Bon replied as she pulled the cover off a lump on one of the tables “What the… wait a minute, this is the one of Princess Luna’s!”

The other gathered around the table, a large Fenrir unit lay intact but deactivated on top as cable and wires poured from its ports and hatches. Lyra ran a hand across its leg to remove the light layer of dust covering the subtle symbol underneath.

“Royal Hound Unit 004: Rex” Wolf stated as he observed the Fenrir “He was part of the pack I brought to apprehend you. He should not be here; with no chance of success against overwhelming odds, the hound units are supposed to either maintain covert surveillance until reinforcements arrive or retreat and report all data to Princess Luna herself.”

“He did run away, I remember that,” Johnny confirmed “the rest were destroyed, but he- wait! You don’t think this means Princess Luna is involved in all this somehow do you?!”

“Luna has the entire military available to her, and it wouldn’t explain shutting the unit down. It would give anything to the princess freely, with no hesitation” Maze countered the guard’s worries “Right?”

“Correct, the obedience protocol would prevent the need for this.”

“There’s stuff about you in here Maze… on all of us actually” Lyra drew the attention the of the group to a small computer connected to the wires and cables plugged into the Fenrir. “Combat analysis, movement tracking, even partial data on a blood sample from you… someone intercepted this thing for data on us… data on you.”

“It’s always about you, isn’t Maze?” Trixie teased lightly, still quite exhausted from before.

“Hang on let me see,” Lyra moved to another computer, one with a more impressive tower attached that linked into a data port in the wall. She began typing and interfacing with her tablet while the others waited.

Maze still wondered at Equertia’s strange mixture of technology and magic, which seemed to be epitomized in this room. Some of it looked like a modern Earth R&D lab or something while the rest looked like some wizard’s spell vault; magic runes mixed in mathematical equations and ancient scrolls hung next to projector displays; it all gave a rather surreal feel the to lab.

‘Not too many more years and they could start creating things more complex and advanced than what was actually in Metal Gear’ Maze thought.

“There! I think I got it… They’re studying emotional suppression and amplification, just like we’ve seen” Lyra said as she activated the project and transferred the readout to there.

“Yeah, except now we have proof!” Crystal smirked triumphantly “Let’s see the princesses ignore us now!”

“But we still have no idea who these ponies are. Plus most of these kind of operations are smart enough to use employee numbers and code names to disguise even the janitors’ identities, let alone the big bads” Bon Bon pointed out, quickly stuttering as she realized she may have revealed too much of her training “I mean, I could only assume; I could be completely wrong… heh...”

“No, you’re right” Lyra answered, oblivious while Crystal squinted somewhat suspiciously at the mare “The files and documents referrer to ponies called simply ‘the CEO’ and ‘Nice Leggings’, most everypony else is just a number or another codename”

“We can use Rex” Wolf stated, still looking at the Fenrir “We can reactivate him and review his reports and recordings.”

“He tried to kill us Wolf” Crystal pointed out.

“I should still be recognized as pack leader if he never made it back to Luna. I’ll be able to override the specifics of his orders; not only allowing us to access his data but gain another, if only temporary ally” Wolf explained to them “And if he did make it to Luna, then we can assume her involvement this; either way, intelligence is gained.”

“And if he does try something it’s not like you ladies couldn’t handle it; you beat like six of them before, Wolf included!” Johnny added “Er-No offence.”

“None taken.”

“Well alright then, let’s turn this puppy on then” Lyra punned, face palming immediately after she realized it “Oh dear Celestia it’s contagious…”

“Shhh,” Maze whispered as she gently hugged the mare “Don’t fight it.”

The screen showed a blurry, disjointed view of running through a forest. The video sped up as inconsequential travel time passed and a box appeared in the upper corner showing a map and the viewer’s current location.

“Should we be able to see that? Isn’t it all calculated internally?” Maze asked next to the Fenrir called Rex, sitting obediently as they viewed what were essentially its memories in the darkened room.

“AI Neural networks work differently than traditional computers; they’re designed to mimic organic brain processing, meaning they don’t just pull information from a static database. It forms memories and still needs a HUD for specific, internal information like we do” Lyra answered informatively.

“It is what allows us to think creatively and develop more individuality” Wolf added “It also allows the potential to grow and improve beyond predetermined limits, unlike traditional AI.”

“It does have some draw backs though, such as needing to learn even the most basic functions and understanding. The blurry picture is caused by an undeveloped visual processor- or in laypony terms; just how Rex hasn’t learned how to talk, he also hasn’t completely learned how to create clear memories of what he's seen yet. There's also the small risk of rampancy.”

“Yeah yeah, enough with the lessons; something’s happening” Crystal interrupted as something sent the view spinning before the screen went blank. The view switched back on and was now of the same room they were in, a pony in a lab coat to be seen talking silently to someone off screen.

“Hang on, I’m trying to sync the audio” Lyra said.

“-and the process should begin shortly after that sir. Until then it we will keep the unit active to prevent data corruption.” The science pony finished as the subject stepped into frame and got close enough to the Fenrir to make out clearly, even with the blurry screen. The stallion blew a large puff of smoke from his cigar into Rex’s face.

“You have a unique honor little pup, you get to help us bring true peace to the world” the expensively dressed pony with a dark, slicked back mane said in a somewhat gruff voice before laughing.

“But that’s Filthy Rich!” Lyra exclaimed “he’s the CEO of World Marshal… Why would he attack his own company?”

“Deniability” Bon Bon answered, a disapproving irritation piecing through her even tone “In the event something ever suggested his involvement, he could dismiss any minor claim by posing as just another victim”

“Is that really necessary?” a cultured voice asked from off screen. Another, even more expensively dressed pony stepped into view and gestured at the fenrir “It’s my understanding the princess’s hounds are smart enough to have feelings, do you really need to taunt the poor dog?”

“Wait! Fancy Pants?! Ok THAT one I did not see coming” Bon Bon exclaimed.

“Calm you britches, I’m just having a little fun. I dare say most ponies will grow rather dull once we take control. You making any progress out in the dirt?” Rich asked the monocle wearing stallion.

“More than your little projects here,” Fancy Pants answered joyfully, earning a slight frown from the brown bussinesspony “I’m just teasing Rich, but yes; all that’s left is that little piece of yours.”

“Yes yes, the psycho went to ensure the retrieval himself” Rich stated before giving a small shutter “As much as I dislike his company he gets the job done so I’m sure we’ll have it soon enough; even if that mercenary girl fails.”

“Excellent! If nothing else then Peace Walker will make us a force that even she would fear” Fancy Pants delivered in a tone far too jovial for the devious statement.

“Mr.CEO, Mr. Leggings; we are ready to begin” was all the video showed before the screen went blank again, and the Fenrir Rex looked to Wolf, a series of low tones to be heard.

“He informs me there is no more” Wolf relayed for the voiceless IG as the lights came back on. As soon as Rex had reactivated, Wolf overrode his orders; they were still to eliminate the threat to Equestria but he managed to relay that Maze wasn’t a part of that threat. If one of the princesses countered those orders themselves there wasn’t much to be done, but until then it would be nice to have the extra support.

“Peace Walker…” Lyra muttered as she activated more protocols on the tablet, the computer whining in defiance of the infiltrating software. Lyra punched through the security with another tap and found a single file labeled ‘PW’ “It’s… something.”

“Well no shit” Crystal snarked at the simple explanation.

“Sorry but that’s all I got, it’s something Big and they’re building in another facility to the south near Appaloosa. I can only assume they wanted to keep everything separate…” Lyra guessed “I don’t suppose you have any of your clairvoyance on this matter, do you?”

“Maybe, but we should get moving; we’ve spent enough time in this room already and we still don’t have much on of just what all they were doing here” Maze stated to which the others quickly agreed.

“Yeah, the rest on here is either inconsequential to us or corrupted; I guess they were able to wipe a bit after all” Lyra made a quick copy of the important files as well as the most heavily encrypted ones she had yet to crack “okay ready, let’s go.”

After more unrewarding searching, the group found a massive room filled with tall stacks of parts and crates as a long assembly line dominated one side of the room. A complex crane and construction system filled the ceiling as its main claw hung close to the higher stacks of crates.

“Everything in the room seems too big to get out” Johnny noticed.

“They most likely use teleportation. I can see a few amplifiers of the walls and floor that suggest long range focal points” Trixie answered “It certainly explains how they could move four Grads from here to Manehatten without anypony seeing them.”

“WELL DEDUCED LITTLE MAGE!” the group staggered as the voice thundered through their minds. Wolf and Rex readied against the unseen attack while unable to hear the echoing, mental assault.

The organic members of the group recovered as a figure rose from behind the crates to hover high above them. At best all they could see it was an earth pony in a full body leather suit and a gas mask.

“Well, well, well,” the figure hisses through the mask “At last, I get to see you with my physical eyes.”

Bon Bon snapped a quick burst from her rifle at the levitating pony only for him to dismiss the effort, sending the rounds careening off target with but a wave of the hand. Maze’s eyes widened as the realization hit her, she hadn’t wanted to believe it before but here he was; the psychic FOXHOUND member’s counterpart clear as day.

‘Psycho Mantis’ the overwhelming thought passed through her mind.

“Very good Maisie. Except unlike your fictional little earth game, this Psycho Mantis is very real and far more powerful.” The psychic chuckled as he invaded the human’s thoughts.

“KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HE’S IN MY HEAD!” Maze feigned panic before glaring bluntly at the psychic.

“Amusing…” Mantis deadpanned and raised his hand toward the group “Now, I want to have a little fun before you all die… so dance puppet!”

Maze felt an usual sensation course through her as she turned back to face the group.

“Guys…you’re gonna want to run” Maze stated, even Wolf twitching at the serious tone.

“What? Why?!” Crystal demanded as Maze began to draw her sword, her body turning to point it menacingly against them.

“Because I’m not doing this!” Maze informed them.

The group scattered as the cyborg exploded toward them with lethal intent as the masked puppet master cackled down from above.

Author's Notes:

Nostalgia Trip! Silly chapter, I know; probably with a little more exposition then needed too, but it is still better than it was (this chapter was originally like, 2000 words longer )

I did notice no one commented on the sketches last chapter- not that I need praise or anything but if you ladies and gents don't care then I'll stop posting them- I'll probably won't stop making them but if you'd prefer quicker chapters rather than slower chapters with sketches to go with than that's cool. If anyone has any opinions on the matter let me know in the comments

So with that out of the way, as always- Hope you enjoyed the story so far and hope to see you for the next chapter! Have a good one!