darkSpyro

OCC: Okay, anything I could do to head back in?

OOC: Red can walk again if he wants, Alex(the guard) warned him not to fly just yet though.

S1D3's eyes batted a few times as he blinked. The magic he used to hold the orb up let it drop to the grass. His eyes jumped around the scenery. They moved quickly, curiously, until they stopped on Jed, "Can I help you?" he looked between the pony's face and his hoof that was touching the clone. Realizing the thud of the orb shortly after becoming real again, "Ooo a ball," he picked it back up with his magic bringing it over to his side and swirling it around. He was like a child, a baby perhaps, in a full grown stallion's body. Well by his life time, he was technically about two to three years old anyhow.

--

Rainbow Dash turned her attention, as well as Gulaven's to Luminia, "Oh, what is it? Didnt say anything about you not flying, you did come to us in Cloudsdale," Rainbow mentioned, not knowing the true situation. Gulaven inclined his chin, seeing the somewhat scared and sorrow filled body language of the female. He could tell she was in some form of distress, but the level was currently unknown, from what he could sum up, she was still safe, this on a mental level that is.

Jed's eye twitched unsure of whether he was joking or seriously messed up. "Please take good care of that, it is very important" he said. He had the great urge to stab or cut the pony down, but that was the old him, before all the death.

Dusten finally put the object in his vest and turned towards the situation. He paused a little confused "Do you have the situation under control Jed?"

"It's a little complicated" He replied. Dusty walked over to his hat dusted it off and put it on before trotting over to the unicorn and pegasus "we need to track him down before he gets much farther, stop him before he has time to recover. You can fly, find him fast and we can kill him quick".

"No" Jed replied "it would be best to follow him back to his hideout, see about rescuing anypony he may have. Also we could use the reinfor-" Jed let out a fit of coughing before it slowly died down. "do you have a 20 on the doctor?" he asked looking a little worried. "It has been a few years since I was in the force, I don't even know if he still runs the factory."

"He better get out here and fix his mistakes" Dusten said sounding a little upset "I oughtta have his hide to considering it was his responsibility that something like this doesn't happen."

"Dusten, no pony knows what is going to happen next. You of everypony should understand that." Jed replied then continued on his original conversation "you head towards town, I will follow him home. In the meantime, take care of his plus one. And I don't mean kill him either, he may be valuable" And with that Jed was off, happy to be rid of babysitting.

"Hm? Oh, no, not that." Luminia glanced at each of them in turn, before turning her attention to her spear. Pulling a cloth out from under her armour, she went about polishing the weapon. "I mean specialised pegasi magic. Weather manipulation comes to mind, and speed trails. I was always a bit more... mundane."

---

Loony shook his head wearily, before flitting back out of the little house, to the ledge outside. Aside from the two beings inside the house behind him, he could feel another few deeper within the mountain, towards the heart.

Turning his head down, he heard a train. Intrigued, Loony slipped out of, trailing along the outside of the mountain.

Red looked down from above with a sigh, "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I just snuck down quickly." He said.

OOC: well Red is still with The Guard and Raptor right now, they are about to continue through he forest toward Canterlot

S tilted his head, "Wait what?" he watched Jed fly off. He made a short shrug, continuing to wave the orb around, "I just love technology. This little diddy is a special container," he was still rather intellectual, "It can hold anypony's, or being for that, consciousness. Like a little robot that had been uploaded with an AI based on a being itself," the orb floated back and forth in front of the unicorn, "Pitty though, this one seems to be empty. I wanted to upload it to my computer and run some tests on it..." he made it elevate above his head to stare at Dusty, "Bet you didn't know that I knew that," he spoke like a child too, trying to give off a "haha" attitude, "You dont look like you would know a whole lot anyway mister. The hat gives it away," he smiled with a slight tilt of the head, "You know, you can tell alot about a pony by how they present themselves. Your picture tells me you are tough, but not exactly the brightest light in the chandelier. Lets not forget the experience in combat, but lacking in skill itself," he paused to await a reply realizing he hadn't stopped talking for a good minute.

--

Rainbow Dash sighed, "Oh," she turned to Gulaven with a shrug. Looking back over at Luminia, "So how do you know Gulaven?" Gulaven remained quiet rather than answering for her, he was curious as to how they met again, a lot has happened recently his mind was still jumpy and twisted.

Dusten's eye twitched in irritation. He wasn't good with kids, he usually tried to avoid them. Although this was a special case considering the pony before him was full grown. The fact that he felt a little insulted about the hat comment made him want to beat the Sicolus look alike into a pulp, however he knew it was not meant to attack his image and so patience was required.

He sighed recollecting himself and then spoke trying to suppress his accent as much as possible "Well, there is an old saying, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I am certainly not that tough, I just had my tail handed to me. My Papa on the other hand, he was tough. And as wise a pony as there ever was. Wisdom is achieved through experience and deep thought allowing one to act in a more efficient way than one without experience."

He stopped pondering the idea of probability being considered knowledge "Say you are playing russian roulette, you put one bullet in the chamber and press it to your head. Knowledge tells you that you have an 83% chance of survival. Wisdom is not pulling the trigger anyways."

"On a different note, What do you mean it's empty?" Dusten asked 'What did he do with her then?'

---

Jedidiah flew above the trees scanning the ground for any sign of the dark unicorn. He suppressed several coughs. In thought he was the most suitable considering his coat blended well with clouds allowing for stealth, he would find the hideout and then move from there. Perhaps go find Gulaven for reinforcements, It would be better to keep Dusty out of the loop considering he has the key to the box.

Even though he knew Dusten wouldn't like the idea of being left out of unfinished business, his pride was not as important as that box staying locked.

"Through Cave, I believe." Luminia replied. "Must have been. I'd only been as involved with Zephyr as I was during the later years, when he couldn't quite manage it alone, and it was definitely before then... Back when we were just a bunch of idealistic scientists, hm? Forwarding the cause of science. What went wrong?"

She sighed, flicking her wings. "He tried to achieve immortality, Cave, but he didn't have enough time."

OCC: Oh.

Red looked over, "So, how much longer until he hit Canterlot little ponies?" he asked.

The guard turned his head forward as the visor dropped for him to read a display map, "It will be mid morning tomorrow if we keep walking through the night," the visor lifted away, "If there was a night. So around 08:30 if not a little later. But," he caught up to Raptor, "We do need to rest, we need to be well rested before we get there, there is no telling what or who is surviving up there."

Raptor glanced over her shoulder to the guard and Red, "You tow love birds done chattering back there? I personally don't want to have to save your hides if you provoke a bear or something," she swung her head back to the front as she stepped over to avoid a tree and hopped over the exposed roots.

--

S nodded, "Yep, empty. There would be a light of the color of the pony who is in it," he looked at the orb once more, "Uhp, wait," he squinted, "The light must have been knocked Lois or something, I wonder from what. There is no telling what has happened to this thing before I found it," it spun around for Dustin to see the faint yellow glow in the symmetrical slits on the top and bottom of the black paneled orb, "It means there is a pony with a yellow body color in it. I wonder who would just leave it setting out in a field like this," he looked about at the battle ridden clearing.

--

Gulaven nodded, "Cave was too headstrong about his ideas. He lacked caution, at least he didnt have enough anyway," he turned to be parallel to the seat to lay down, and he reached his left hoof around to tap his shoulder where his missing limb should be. A metallic *clink* sounded with each of the taps, "I found out rather quickly just how cautious one must be."

Dusty cursed under his breath. He didn't quite understand how it worked, but he was sure if it was damaged the pony he expects to be inside could very well be injured. He straightened and added a cheerful tone to his voice before smiling and saying "who knows, but I am willing to bet you 30 bits you can't get whoever is in there out safely."

Honestly Dusten would be willing to pay much more and was hoping to lose the bet, but if he is acting like a kid, treat him like a kid. This is not the first time Dusty has had to deal with this multiple personality thing. In fact during his journeys he had run across all sorts of madness and often had to play along to seal the deal. At this point he felt nothing would surprise him, but he was weary of that statement.

"One never made such advances to science by being 'cautious'." Luminia countered lightly. "Once you throw safety to the winds, everything becomes so much more possible."

Luminia shifted. "Besides, Zephyr was almost out of money, Cave was already on his way out, and every other grand scheme had already been done by someone else. Uploading a mind to an immortal AI was the next huge step. Phora still thinks that it can be done.

"Maybe she's already reached it."

That Raptor is a *****y one...whatever, she's helping me, the least I can do is be good until we sleep. Then I'll kill something and serve it... Red thought.

OOC: lol, don't be mean to Raptor, its not her fault. You know she was may first female character and my third character over all, so she's like... Like my daughter bro(jk) oh by the way, new device, digital arts coming soon to my dA!

S1D3 clasped the orb between his hooves with a exceptional expression, "Do you even have the bits to try and prove me wrong? You do realize what I said right, the one trapped in here cannot be returned to their body... Not without some alterations done to the body itself. If your willing to raise that bet to say 100 bits, I could manage these alterations," he then looked up from the orb to Dusty, "Why do you present this challenge to me, ol' Cowpony?"

--

"And look who is still around," Gulaven added, "I've helped many ponies for quite the number of years with my work. Granted I've hired some well minded hooves to assist, but at least we are making a difference in any and every way we can," he then winced at a snap pain in his shoulder where the metallic plates connected to his skin and nerves, "I took caution, and I still managed to advance, but I do not wish to make an argument out of such subject. The work is still dangerous, my most recent accident was only a week ago, the reason my prosthetic leg was on the fritz."

Rainbow Dash had not heard of the tests he was conducting when it happened, but she was sure it couldn't have been all that important if he hadn't told her about it.

--

Raptor halted in her walk, looked to her left to see what was left of a hollowed out log, "Well, I'm beat. Today's earlier events were a little too demanding. My body aches from that fight... Come to think of it," she layer down inside the log, facing away from the guard, "I think that was Subject 21244... Little punk, takes after his mother," she was hinting at herself, but without any addition change to her tone as always.

The guard stirred around to the other side of the log, "Just as much as I take after my 'father'," he was hinting at Gulaven, but Raptor did not care to notice or just to not comment after the guard, "The time is," the visor lowered down again and swiftly pulled back up, "21:37, a perfect time to stop actually. If we wake up by 07:00 we should reach Canterlot by 17:50."

"Woopty ****Ing do," Raptor rolled over and tucked her head so she was un able to see the guard and the guard could not see her face.

Luminia remained silent, contemplating the stallion with a slight crease in her expression. Her wings shifted again, stretching them out somewhat before drawing them back in.

"Perhaps there are exceptions," she finally murmured, looking away, "but is it really worth the- the collateral?"

She spat at the floor.

"Is it really worth sacrificing innocent lives?"

---

"It's funny. I wouldn't have expected you to break down like this."

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Phosphora hissed, dragging herself to her hooves. She blew a lock of mane out of her face, her golden eyes narrowed in unrestrained hatred. "Would it be so farfetched as to presume that you were behind this?"

Arlon chuckled, shaking his head with nothing short of amusement. "You flatter me, Phora. But no, I had nothing to do with this. I'd being keeping an eye on dear Helene's mercenaries when this happened."

"So I suppose you were behind that, then."

"Yes, I suppose I was. Mediziner turned out to be mentally stable from the get-go. It was easy to get him to snap, let him do my dirty work with some of my men."

Phosphora's eyes narrowed as she threw her head back, looking down at her elder brother contemptously.

"So much effort, just to take out Grey, and you didn't even kill him.

"You came here alone, Arlon. Did you honestly expect that dealing with me would be easier?"

---

Loony flitted lower, settling at the edge of one of the major train tunnels.

Patriatic looked around to try to find where Loony or even Phosophora could be, "WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!" he shouted, "SHOW YOURSELVES!"

Gulaven expected a snappy remark such as this, to which he hung his head, "I am not proud of any of those events. For the most part I was only doing my part, it was over my position in the factory's authority lines to even decide who we used or even captured. I declared we use the ones who have nothing better in their lives but to kill each other, which they easily accepted, but the foals... They were not my idea," he looked up with watery eyes but an expression of anger, "If my son found out what my job consisted of," he did not move anymore at this point, "There'd be no way he would ever look up to me again, he'd be scared of me. My wife would run away with him," Rainbow Dash had no idea of who's side she should be on, it was hard to even make any comment on the matter, "With all that, I still work, because I have to. Not just for the cures, the technology advances, or the money... For my own life. I am good at what I do, and that's why they won't let me go. Did you think the entire Rainbow Factory was run by me alone? I only control the production portion in the south western lower floors, where the nightmares are created. I may look like the big bad boss with no feelings when I'm in front of the subjects or my co-workers, but that is more an act than anything, but do not get me twisted, I only have to act sometimes, the rest is who I really am."

Rainbow Dash watched as the doctor finally rubbed his face free of the tears. He reached down to the floor with his one front limb, and the rest of his body followed. He hobbled over to Luminia, reached into his coat and pulled out something. He set it down roughly on the bench next to the female, "Tell me what you've lost," he turned away. What he had set down was an open locket, with two pictures, one of him and his family, only there was a second child. A little girl, still wrapped in the cloth she was born into. The second picture was a tombstone headed "Miena(Mean-uh) Dash" and the date under it and the initial R.I.P. Was set for only a few weeks. The tombstone was also marked with the Rainbow Factory logo, a Rainbow over a white cloud that had a bolt of lightning through it. Just next to it was a number, "Subject 1546."

Red looked over at Raptor, his head hurting, "Quick question, did you ever meet any of the other Mane Six members or that dragon?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," Luminia looked away, her expression creased. "...It was a close thing, from what she'd told me, if she had realised just a second later... My youngest, Cosmo. A good kid, always excited, loved helping others. He disappeared for a few days, a couple of years ago. I had no idea where, or why...

"Phora brought him home. Cosmo had been... different, ever since. He wasn't excited anymore, he was terrified, haunted. He lost hope. Phora explained everything, everything, to me. A royal guard, yet I can't even protect my own family."

She paused, before adding in an undertone. "My niece and nephew -my brother's kids- weren't... they weren't so lucky. My little brother was already an unstable stallion, delicate, the kids were everything after his wife left. Losing Bonnie and Atlas drove him over the edge.

"He killed himself." It was a simple statement, harsh and clear.

Gulaven stood motionless for a second, "I'm not going to sit here and have an argument over who's life has been worse, but, this at least shows the great ordeals we have been though. And only increases our need for that component, so nopony else has to experience such devastations," he turned back to Luminia, "I dont want anyone else daughters to be turned into a test subject and then food for the other lost souls."

Rainbow Dash still sitting quietly noticed the doctor return to a seated position, this time in the middle of the car, not in any seat, "Doctor? That... Your... Your daughter... She... She was my niece... Wasn't she?"

Gulaven turned his head slowly, "I had to tell your aunt she had a birth defect."

--

"Who the he!! Is the 'Mane Six'?" Raptor questioned without moving to look up to Red. The guard turned to his database with the visor dropping over his eyes.

"The Mane Six, you know, egg-head (Twilight), fashionista (Rarity), rubber ball in a room with the walls closing in (Pinkie Pie), cowgirl (AJ), shy one (Fluttershy), and Rainbow Dash." Red answered, "Know any of them?"

"I'm sorry, truly, for bringing this up." Luminia said quietly. "I understand how it hurts, but I didn't know what you'd..."

She trailed off, gazing at some point in the middle distance. "I need to find them. All of them." she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "I won't rest until I know what happened to my children."

---

Arlon laughed. "I'm intrigued as to how you got that information, but it doesn't matter. Remember, Phora, I didn't attend to them in person, now didn't I? The mercenaries were a trifling concern, and I cared not to waste my time dealing with them myself."

Phosphora flicked her wings, staying silent for a while.

"What are you, Announcer? What are you?" she finally asked, her voice carrying a hint of sadness. She understood what so many others had not. "What plausible excuse is there for you to be doing this to yourself?"

Arlon didn't respond. He couldn't.

---

Hellena awoke with a start, jerking forward as she attempted to scramble to her hooves. It was a moment before she realised that she had been dreaming, why, and how. Glancing aside at Grey, the stallion still fast asleep, she settled back down.

"Loony," she muttered hoarsely, "you're an asshole."

ooc: Sorry I've been gone, I have been moving out and just now got wifi.

"Alright a hundred bits" Dusten said "It's very simple, I want that pony out of there. And to me that is worth 100 bits. However if you can't get her out of there, then I make money for my trouble."

'how frustrating' Dusty thought 'sure I can find the money but it would cost my lunch for about a week. And I would have to hit multiple of my stashes'.

The car turned dark again, they had just gone into another tunnel. This was to be one of the longer ones, it circled through the mountain where it would exit out slightly higher than the entrance, "We will aid each other than. Whether or not we do find the component we are looking for, I can have some of my guards out in search parties. They are very well trained, taught their teachers myself actually," Gulaven laid down to rub his face again, "If we locate the component, we can make a significant change for the good of Equestria... Whatever is left of it anyway."

Rainbow Dash came over to sit in the seat across from Luminia, tears continuously drop from her cheeks, no doubt about her niece. She looked at the floor mostly, but she took a steady deep breath, raised her head to look through the boarded window, "Uh guys... I'm seeing lights here and there in this tunnel... I dont think it's vacant."

The train started to slow down at a rapid pace, causing Rainbow to drop quickly to the floor after hitting the other seat set in front of her. Gulaven roled a few times before stabilizing himself, "What's going on out-" he stopped realizing he lost his communication device that was built into his robotic limb, he groaned at that fact.

OOC:Hey Reshiram4ever: which tunnel are then in?

--

Raptor finally moved to look up at Red with a slight raised brown and lip, "You mean the elements of harmony bearers? Yeah," she dropped her head to her hooves which she had pulled around to be parallel with the log, "I knew Rainbow Dash and her Pegasus friend... The yellow one with the animal fedish. Rainbow Dash is currently still a worker in the Rain... Bow..." her pupils dilated for a quiet minute. She became un responsive, but she snapped back shaking her head, "A place I plan to never go back to," she roled back onto her side and tucked her legs and head in.

The guard looked back up to Red, removing the shield, sure to keep it stable as he moved it to the ground, "Maybe you should try to walk, it may sting at first, but the serum is still working. It would be much easier for you to find a more comfortable location rather than a hay cushioned metal shield," the visor lifted away, "Oh, and the Mane Six is a fan made title for the Element bearers, mixing the pony themed term of mane with the meaning of the regular targeting word of main to create the illusion of it being the main pony characters in this story of life(fourth wall or naw?). At least that is what the local database pulled up."

Red nodded, "Alright mister...what's you're name?" he asked.

OOC: An abandoned tunnel that forked into another one near the exit. Loony didn't want to be disturbed.

Due to her size, Luminia found herself in an odd position wedged between the seat she was on, and the one in front. Swearing under her breath, she pulled herself to her hooves. Luminia picked up her spear with a wing.

---

Loony flickered in alarm.

"How could I forget that there was more than one tunnel?" he hissed to himself, teleporting in a flash of ruby light back in front of the little house in the tunnel, and in full view of the train.

---

Argaent frowned, shaking his head with an exasperated impatience.

"Well, better keep going, shouldn't we?" he asked rhetorically, scratching at a spot under his scarf.

Patriatic looked around and sat down, sighing as he removed his face...to reveal a robotic endoskeletal face.

The guard sat down just outside the other end of the log to talk with Red, "I go by three names, but my real name is Alexander. Some call me "The Black Knight" too, but I prefer my actual name," the guard replied reaching up to take his helmet off. Raptor still lay motionless in the log, probably flushing through her memories of that name. The guard's mane was of a medium length, alternating in black and white, with a forward connecting spike formation.

--

The car door slid open and Cauldron jumped in, "Stay back Doctor," he swung his metal covered hoof to knock away a sword. The sword was held by a blade cuff, the only was dressed in metal pieces and other ponies skins, and dawned a royal guard helmet. He was dressed for a good fight, "Torch, I need you to help me get this one out of the car.

Rainbow Dash stood up from her crumbled position, holding her head high, "Alright, I've had enough. I'm done playing this soft pony," she reached up to pull her goggles up to her eyes, "I went head first into a dragon's cave and kicked him in the face. Time to be the pin ny friends saw me as, it's time I was Rainbow Dash again," this was the Rainbow Dash her friends knew her as, the toughest and bravest pony they believed she was. Rainbow Dash noted the pattern in the parries, back up to the wall of the car to place her hind legs up and pushed back on them like a spring. She spread her wings, pushed up off the floor with her front legs, unleashed her spring loaded legs, and gave her wings one powerful stride. She threw herself into the front left side of the attacker. They tumbled to the other side of the car where Rainbow dash pinned the pony. She had her back right leg, along with her body, atop his stomach, her back left hoof held the insane pony's blade to the ground, and her from right hoof pushed into a pressure point on the pony's front left leg. She put her free left hoof through the opening in the front of the helmet to strike the pony in the nose. She repeatedly beat the pony's face in with all her strength.

After a few seconds of this Gulaven managed role upright, "Rainbow Dash!" She was furiously blundering the attacker's face into the back of his helmet, "Stop, he's dead," he hobbled over and put his front left hoof on hers to halt her strikes. With heavy breaths, Rainbow Dash turned to Gulaven, hatred and energy still in her eyes.

That hatred died into sorrow, "I was just so tired of sitting aside when I knew there was something I could do to help."

"I know," the doctor said quietly, "We all have felt that way at one point, I know I have," hinting to his currently missing limb.

--

S tossed the orb up and held out his hoof to Dusty, "Shake on it bud," the orb cam down behind him, but was caught with his magic before it reached the ground.

Red smirked, "Quick questions:
1. How are you so badplot(ass) looking?
2. *whispering* If you had a filly or colt with Celestia, what would he/she look like with you're looks Alex?"

"When you're done," Luminia stated, stepping down from the train lightly with a flick of her wings. "We still aren't alone here."

---

Loony watched quietly, remaining in the dark corner. The one with the rainbow hair seemed vaguely familiar, though he wasn't completely sure where from. He withdrew warily, determined not to let her near his ward and her colleague.

OOC: pictures of Alex(The Black Knight) can be seen on my facebook page: TheCreativeCrew just go to the photo section, because I currently cannot post to dA, no working medium for such tasks :(

The guard gave Red an "Are you stupid?" Look, but turned it quickly to a smile for the strange yet uplifting compliment, "Well I can't really tell you that now can I?" He was acting of course, "But, I'll tell you it starts with just waking up like this," and boom goes the dynamite, "As for me and Celestia's child, oo that's a toughy, well," he rubbed his chin with a big grin, "I'd have to say our daughter would be more along the lines of sexy than anything. She would definitely have my eyes, her mothers attitude mixed with mine, and a love for scarves, maybe house cloaks," he laughed a little, "Honestly I wouldn't know, shed be too independent for her father. If it was a boy, he'd be quite the mare's man, breaking hearts with soft eye catching glances, his very presence would make the girls squee, and the guys stand to attention to avoid conflict with such power," The Guard replied to the best of his abilities and threw in what he could to lighten the mood.

--

Rainbow Dash lifted her goggles to the top of her head, put her game fact back on, took the blade and blade cuff off the now mince-faced pony to take it into action, "Right behind you Luminia," she even took the helmet for protection. Dr. Gulaven knew this Rainbow Dash, it wasn't truly the one her friends knew, it was one the factory knew. There was bloodshed before her eyes, she is now in fight mode, her more unstable mentality, something she developed while working in the extraction rooms. She may not be able to stop herself, especially if she continues on this blood induced insanity.

Pity. Loony realised that he felt pity for that rainbow-maned psychopath. Maybe there was no magic involved with the pegasus. Maybe he could chance an attempt at making himself known (while idly wondering why they hadn't yet).

Luminia frowned, slowly drawing closer to Rainbow Dash.

---

"It's time to let this go, Arlon." Phosphora whispered, pressing on in his silence. "Cave died years ago. You have no quarrel with me."

He instinctively reached for his back at the mention of Cave. A pair of slight nubs were visible, even under his suit. Located exactly where a pair of wings should've been on a pegasus...

"You're going to destroy yourself." she continued. "Please stop. No matter how far I have descended, I would never take it as far as dad did."

"Well, that should give you some inspiration to help everypony find where she is. Maybe you can get some respect after years of nopony knowing you're name." he suggested.

The guard tilted his head, "I'm following orders to bring Raptor to Canterlot. Celestia will be my mission when it is issued to me," he was true to his work, "Also... It may be best I not be known really. Even if I managed to find the princess, there's no true reason for her to just accept me as a husband," he then smirked, "But I can always keep searching both the world data base and my surroundings to find any clues as to her whereabouts," his right iris began to glow red. His smirk dropped, and he fell silent. The red glowing eye staring directly at Red. He began to move, reaching his right hoof over to the handle of the sword where the armor's mechanics locked onto the blade. The blade would slide half way out, and he shook his head closing the single eye, "Gah, sorry. That bug, it got in my head," he made the armor release the sword back into the sheath, and covering the eye with his hoof, "I'll have my dock recode my visual software," the left eye flashed blue light for a split second, "There, that should suppress the corrupt data for a while," he dropped his hoof back to the ground to reveal the now blue right eye, "Don't worry, I'm not all cybernetic, my eyes were damaged a while back, these are much better replacements. I can increase my visual range," the iris closed in around the pupil, "And them of course night vision," the iris turned a dim green while the pupil made a low violet glow, "Then there is just the cool loading cycle," the irises went white, and the color reappeared in a circular motion till it filled the iris sector of the eye, "Those where all they could do for me, that's why I have the advanced helmet, that allows me access to even highly restricted files, but that's all that needs to be said," he pulled the helmet down to his side, "It really only reacts to my eyes, otherwise its just another helmet to anypony else."

--

Rainbow Dash was standing outside the cart where she could see Torch kicking ponies off the engine of the train. She pulled up, stabilizing herself on her hind legs, holding he sings out to add resistance to falling forward. She walked slowly at first to verify she could keep the stance to use the blade cuff properly, "Rainbow," Gulaven stood at the door of the car, "Don't get hurt, your aunt wouldn't forgive me if you got hurt on my term."

"I'll be fine doc." She said somewhat annoyed, "Besides, I'm Rainbow Dash, danger is my middle name," she advanced to the engine of the train. Another blade armed pony swing a simple horizontal swing toward her neck, where she leaned way back, forcing herself forward under the swing with her wings on the ground, and reaching her blade over to the attacker's limbs. Severing one and deeply cutting the other, she stood back up.

"Do you think she'll find robotics 'attractive'?" he asked, then chuckled.

OCC: Is there anything Barkis could do?

Luminia expertly plunged her spear through the throat of a pony that had lunged for her, frowning distastefully. Killing had always been something she avoided, if she could. She resented how quickly, and brutally, she had to dispatch this individual.

Pulling her spear out of his throat, Luminia left him to drown in his own blood, standing her ground stoically.

---

"It doesn't matter," Arlon finally replied, tearing his eyes away from his own back. The pain still felt fresh. Cave hadn't stopped at just driving his 'eldest' away from home.

It was almost draconian. It sickened him. Even after all these years, he couldn't fathom why.

"Please-!" Come to think of it, her pleading was tiring, too. He hadn't tolerated Pen long enough to destroy him, after all, just to succumb to Phosphora's bleating.

"No."

The fallen angel was quick in his strike, but the goddess was quicker. Flitting into the air, Phosphora fled, her snowy feathers glinting in the firelight.

"Watch and learn, Announcer," her voice echoed down, almost mournful, "I'm not just another heart to scrape off the floor.

"You've started a fight with the wrong mare."

OOC: update time kids(jk): SandmandOTexas is currently experiencing some technical difficulties and will not be available for a little bit. He hasn't told us to pause or put the RP on hold, but lets try not to overwhelm him with a butt ton of new posts to read. The man don't really have that much time with work and college plans(well haven't heard much a bout college recently but still and option).

The guard smiled, "I'm sure she could make an acceptation if not. Not to mention they aren't all that noticeable," he shifted and expanded his wings for a second to stretch, "Alright, we can continue this conversation some other time, even I've got to sleep at least once a day, or at least 6 of the 24 hour time span."

--

Rainbow Dash jest left the wounded pony behind her as she made her way to the front of the train. Torch was fending off at least three other ponies at once. Constantly knocking them over the side of the train, "Come on you idiots, can you not see what you're doing is futile. You will not succeed in taking this engine!" Torch could be heard yelling to the attackers. Rainbow Dash strolled up to the engine just as Torch pushed the climbing pony off, she brought the sword up into the pony's side as it slid down the blade. The blade would eventually stick out the other side of the pony's neck.

Gulaven could only watch from the car as the ones he considered friends, fought both to protect themselves, and yet probably not knowing it but protecting him as well.

ooc: Thanks SD, I am actually out of college. But it will be a hassle getting on Darkspyro. I will be able to get on but it won't be to the degree It used to. I will try though.

Dusten reached out and shook the hoof of the clone "Fine, lets get this done" he said "I am ready to get this mess over with."

---

"thats it huh?" Jedidiah said hovering a good distance above a cave "Now I just need to track down Gulaven and perhaps get some reinforcements. No telling what surprises he has in there."

Arlon stood by warily, though his expression remained flat. He began the agonizingly slow ascent through the facility, something that would've been so much quicker if he had wings.

"Protocol versus progress. Good show, old girl. I'm not disappointed."

---

Loony crackled slightly, putting a pony that had been fool enough to attempt an attack on the incorporeal being to sleep. Carefully, slowly, he withdrew back to the house. Knowing Hellena, she would probably be trying to beat the door down, trying to get in on the fight.

---

Predictably, she was doing just that.

OCC: Hey Sandy, take your time.

Red nodded, "Okay, I'm gonna go play watchdog while you rest." he replied.

S1D3 pulled his hoof back and brought it back quickly to bump Dusten's, "What mess?" He then started walking off in the direction Sicolus had run in, and the same direction they had come into this area from. He just walked on as if it was by GPS that he knew where to go.

--

The guard picked up his shield to place it back onto his back, shaking the hay and padding out, "Try not to to go too far off, still don't believe the Everfree forest is the safest place, which is why you don't run into anypony out here often enough to make it the best route, but that doesn't mean there are no dangers here," The guard drew his sword, and stuck it in the ground right next to himself, "If you run into some trouble, if you can get back here, them do, if not, call for me. My helmet has an advanced hearing module that will alert me when I am being called for."

--

Rainbow Dash hopped up dropping the pony off her blade and gliding to the other side of the engine to map out the ponies that were still trying to board the train. She dropped down with her rear hoof extended out to kick one of the ponies in the face and rode him down to the ground. If smashing his head into the ground wasn't enough, she landed putting the blade through his chest. She stood back up turning to a pony who had just watched her friend die, "Hammer!" She stepped back away from Rainbow Dash. The second to last attacker on this side dropped down toward Rainbow from the side of the train. She was stopped by a hoof to the chest. Rainbow Dash took the helmet off, and chucked the metal piece strongly at the female running away, knocking the pony down onto a rough patch of rock.

Before Rainbow could go for the runner, she put her bladeless hoof into the other pony's shoulder knocking her back to the ground against the train's wheels. As she looked up from her crumpled position the hoof mounted sword crossed her neck, severing her esophagus. Leaving the pony to choke on her own blood, Rainbow Dash started for the runner who managed to get up and started quickly limping away. Rainbow took the blade cuff off and spear flung it, piercing the runner through her rear. She dropped from the strike in the distance. Crying from the attack, she kept pulling herself away with limp legs dragging behind her. Gulaven had turned to the screams, looking through the window, "No Rainbow," he dropped down to keep himself from watching. Rainbow Dash had came up and put her hoof back into the cuff, lifting it up slowly from within the pony, she then pushed it in advancing the blade through the pony. It broke through her belly and stabbed the ground, completely immobilizing the pony.

Red nodded and pulled out his phone, "Time to check MySpace... no new messages, no new comments, at least I have you Tom..." he said.

Ooc: Doing this on my phone. I hate touch screen so much. Still suffering from internet problems.

Dusten rubbed his head before walking after S. He walked for a ways before he slowed down as a ringing noise in his ears began to grow louder until it was deafening.

He head began to feel as if it where going to rip in half. He clutched the sides of his skull hitting the ground and slamming his eyes shut. Then images began to flash.

To Dusty it felt like the pain would never stop and it seemed go for hours, although it was really only a few seconds. Then as quickly as it came the pain faded Away.

He slowly got back upright, his knees still shaking as he stumbled forward to follow the clone. 'what the hell?' He thought to himself.

"Mistress. I am truly surprised that you would call upon me for help."

"I wouldn't, had the need not been dire. You understand why, don't you?"

"Please; I'm insulted that you would think my intelligence is subpar as to not know what wanders within the depths of my, ahem, domain. He is as a virus, and he needs to be eliminated."

"Not yet, it isn't." Phosphora twitched, but she had known what risk she was taking, trying to negotiate with this self-aware entity.

And it knew exactly what was at risk on her end. Zephyr would eventually be nothing without it - her, but always vice-versa.

That would never change.

"Your not dieing on me are ya?" S looked back with a slim grin he kind of always had at this point, "Deal's off I ya croak right," he made a quick hop of a skip as he came to the main entrance to the hide out. The lunar guards still stood in place they way they left them, "Hey guys, this one's with me. He wont be here too long so it'd be best not to spread the word that we have a visitor, be rather wrong of you to say someone is here if they had already left right?" He then looked back to Dusty, "Come on slow poke, wanna get this thing done."

--

Rainbow Dash had come back to the car, taking note that the other attackers were being dealt with, "Hey Doc," she pushed her hoof through her main to adjust it so that it did not hang down in front of her eyes, "Did you ever know my mom?" The question was very un expected let alone way out of place from the situation.

"Uh, eh," Gulaven was taken by surprise, "Well..." He tilted his head in thought, "I don't recall meeting her at any point in time. I may have seen her once or twice when your father visited. You two look quite a lot alike. Sorry dear, but never knew her personally."

"So you didn't feel anything when she was used for the rainbows?" Rainbow Dash's stare was fixed on the saddened expression that plastered the doctor's face, "You knew her then didn't you?"

Red continued to stream through his laptop to his Twitter, "LOL, just got my leg broken, crashin' with pony homies." he typed.

Luminia stood by quietly, preferring not to intrude on the conversation. Bad feelings needed to be talked out. She knew that from experience, or rather, the lack thereof.

Why did she still pretend the heart of her life had been innocent? She had never talked to Cave about it.

Sever the wings and cut the strings.

---

Yellow eyes on gold. An unstable creation and the highest mind of a generation.

Phosphora kept it a secret. Maybe her mother knew that she would bring it to life, after Cave expired before it came to fruition. Science was science, and she would never hold back.

What was important was that Arlon didn't know.

The AI chuckled, flicking her mechanical wings with nothing short of amusement.

"Do you honestly think that the virus can take down this facility alone?" she asked. "Do you honestly fear a clipped pegasi, mistress?"

"Yes, I do." Phosphora replied. "You don't understand him like I do. A stallion with nothing has everything to gain, and it doesn't matter what has to fall for him to get his way. Zephyr is already unstable; you must feel it."

"Indeed. If you would let me into the system, maybe something could be done."

"It was not my choice to use my wife's sister," he replied rather blankly, "I was never informed about the ponies we took in. It was just all calculations and numbers. I do my job by being the figure head, a major piece in the gears of the machine, I am more of an actor for the real ones behind it all. Sure I gave orders, but it was what was asked of me," he paused seeing Rainbow Dash approach him without looking him in the eyes any.ore, she stared at the floor standing in front of him, "I thought you knew that," he was met only with a strong hoof to the side of his face. He dared not say another word. Rainbow had just placed her leg back down when she looked up to Gulaven. Her expression was confusing, it was of a blunt smile, but it was filled with hatred and sorrow, "Dash," he began sitting up the best he could, "Never strike me again. That is an order from both your boss, and your elder," he swung his head back to throw his mane back to its relative smooth shape.

Rainbow Dash hopped up onto the seat with the doctor, "Doc... What is wrong with me?" She was now leaning against his back as he faced outward and her next to the window behind him, "Why must I be so blind, yet so aware?"

Doctor Gulaven turned his head so.that he could at least see her body as she laid her head on his black coat, "You are not flawed dear Dash, you are just unique, like everypony else."

--

OOC: Still haven't had Patriatic reply to the Sheppard...

--

The guard rest his head down on his hooves has they were set up half way in the log, Raptor will remember herself one day... She snapped earlier, but she doesn't seem to care this time around. There has to be some way to make her care... To care for something. he pondered the idea further until he passed out.

The guard's dream was much like any normal dream, random events occurred until the main focus plotted itself out. The guard was in his old house in Canterlot, back when he was a simple handy-pony working for a small company with too many workers. He was met at his own door by two strangers. One Pegasus stallion with a dull brown body, the other a red earth pony mare with a rich soft mane. Raptor was a pony back then, she showed expressions, she had natural thoughts. She showed interest, curiosity, and affection long ago. These ponies that visit his house offered him a job told most would not refuse. Not accepting the job right away, he finds himself in his house late at night. Watching through his kitchen windows he spots figures landing in the dark shadows of the buildings' alleyway. Darting out the door he made his way to the alley expecting the figures to be the kidnappers that had been taking children recently. He turns the corner to find the mare he had found at his door just earlier that day. "You should have taken the job as soon as you could. Now you'll join us the hard way," she spoke rather confidently. Backing him into a cage that had just appeared. Being entrapped and carried off in the night. As they drew closer he could see the Rainbow Factory growing. The guard snapped awake just before the doors could open.

"No." Phosphora turned away, her voice firm. "You are not the queen of this empire. I'm not handing you the crown."

"How melodramatic." She sounded almost sad. It was a lie; she didn't have emotions, she was incapable of even processing such a trivial thing. "Very well. I can wait just a few more years. You want my help, mistress? Take it."

Phosphora's expression remained neutral, except for a shadow of pity to cross her face. "Thank you."

The AI remained silent, until Phosphora was almost about to take off from her resting place. Dragging herself to her hooves, she almost resembled a gangly alicorn of wires and metallic plating. Unnatural, yet a goddess in every right.

"Listen," she stated quietly, with a slight trill of her mechanical voice, "I'm not connected to Zephyr. I have no idea what is really going on in the backstage. But I'm not an idiot. I can see this facility falling apart. I'm not connected, yet I can feel it.

"I'm never abandoning this facility. I was your father's last project. And I will die in here."

And with that, she tossed herself from the ledge which she had lain dormant for years, ready to eliminate any and all that would set foot within her precious home.

---

Hellena stopped beating at the door just as Loony slipped in through the cracks, shimmering indiscriminately. Grey moaned, as if about to stir, before rolling over onto his side and settling down again.

"There was no need to make all that noise." Loony stated mildly.

"What was I supposed to do?" she retorted with exasperation, flicking back her mane as she slunk back over to her bed. "You weren't here, and there was something going on out there! I didn't know what happened!"

OCC: Oh, right.

"Sheppard, there's something I need to tell you." Patriatic said.