The Mad Mane Six.

Chapter 6

   Rusted finally came to. He felt the weight of the heated fluid pound in his head. He looked down, or more up, to see that his leg was caught on branch. He sighed, of all the trees he could land on, this one could take his weight. It was slightly ironic.
   He then looked below him and saw the war band and the leader. They knew he was there as the leader, some skinned looking beast that had a large and irregular blade latched upon his spiked back, looked up at him waiting. It then spoke in a drill Sargent's tone.
   "So you went ahead and tried to take out the Rainbow hair, and then you met Gearhead. Tell me, how's it feel the punched by a immortal that has a thing for rainbow haired chicks? By the looks of it, not fun." Rusted just frowned at the beast.
   "That look tells me that you didn't enjoy it. How funny to see such contempt to me? Should save it, for later. Trust me, I know that fact." The beast the took his blade a swung it, cleaving the tree and causing Rusted to fall down on his face. Rusted then cursed quite vigorously. He then pulled himself up.
   Once up, he saw the extent of the situation, and he wasn't happy. There were several Nightling spawn and warriors in the war band, but really upset him was the steampunk that was much larger than him. That was Juggernaut, and the one with the blade was Destruction. The war mongers of the Dark Order. If you wanted a group dead, they were more than willing to cause a genocide.
   Destruction then put his blade away and looked at Rusted Armor one good time. "You look like you just had your favorite hand ripped off. Get that face in check, otherwise I'll shove this blade in a very personal spot," Destruction told him. He decided to listen.
   Then Destruction looked to the war band and began to speak. "Listen up ladies, this one tried to go kill the leader of the group by himself. While I applaud his honor, that's not what Corruption wants. He wants total genocide of Cloudsdale. Even if he succeeded, the boss wants no survivors, so that's that. Get ready, by the looks of it, we're in for a fight. If we win this, though, your all eating good tonight. All that survive anyway. Now, move you god forsaken worms and maggots, let's make some corpses." Rusted then knew, at that moment, that he was about to help make a genocide. One similar to the one in the Crystal Empire's siege. He needed to spot it, but how?

   Franken-Dash woke up with a pain in her abdomen and a craving for sweets. She cursed at it, as if she needed another thing to worry about. Still, it was better than waking up dead. Or trapped in a tube with a group of scientists that poked and prodded at her as her limbs reattached to her body. She still had nightmares about it.
   Still, the one that she slept through was strange, and although she couldn't remember any of it, it woke her up with a ominous feeling of dread. It was almost if it was world ending, yet somehow happened in the past, the far past. She decided not to lurk on it and move on. Maybe the Infirmary had some news.
   She got up and stretched out, causing that stitching and seams to undo a little, and release some of the pressure that her joints had built up. It was uncomfortable if it went on too long without that moment, but it only occurred when she stayed still for too long. She didn't stay still except to sleep.
   She then walked to the infirmary to check on Evening. There she saw a human that had a cloak with a phoenix symbol on the arm and back of it. It had a group of roots in its hands that it took and mashed using a mortar and pestle. It then fed the paste to a particularly pained pony. Dash then went to intervene but then saw as she arrived that the pony was breathing and slept, no pain to be seen.
   "What did you give him? How did it work so fast?" She asked the hooded stranger. He took his hood off and shown his scaled but human face. His eyes shown like copper plates, reptilian and yet mammal at the same time. It was simply mesmerizing.
   He the spoke in a clam and masterful tone, very different from the others. "I gave him Vlarous Root. A  plant from Mystic. We managed to find a way to grow it on our ships, and ever since it's discovery, we've used it as a pain reliever. It's really effective at its job and, when combined with liquid energy, creates green plasma." He said.
   Franken-Dash just looked at him he said it as if it was nothing but a common subject. Science wasn't her strong suit. Still, something about the way he talked drew her in to asking questions. "So you gave a healing herb, but why is combining it with whatever this liquid energy is a good thing? Also, what is liquid energy anyway?"
   The man just looked at her with amusement and understanding. "Liquid energy is a unrefined liquidous substance that is made using plastaus ore. When subjected to certain forces it responds in mysterious manners to create all types of weapons and remedies. Green plasma is one such creation that seems to combine the chemicals of the Vlarous with that raw chemical energy of the Liquid Energy. It can jump start a heart, regenerate wounds, even supercharge the immune system. I'd tell the other stuff, but I deal with healing things, not weapons." He said
   "Who are you?" Dash said with a eyebrow raised. "And what do you mean you don't deal with weapons?" He looked at her once more with amusement, as if she had made a joke.
   "My name is Sheac, Grand Master of the Peace Order. My job is to assist those who are less fortunate than I. Most the time, that means being in a war zone or fort. I am not trained to fight, nor will I, unless it's to heal them." He said in the same tone.
   It amazed her, someone who doesn't fight and helps a group that fights in wars. "OK, so, why follow a group that lives to wage war?" Sheac frowned at that.
   "To be the small bit of peace in a chaotic time. The Heroes believe in the balance between peace and chaos. Upholding the war they wage is just another act of balance to them. It use to be against chaotic entities that the New Order calls demons. To help them is a act of peace, as well as the act to help you and your injured. That is why I travel with them."
   She then understood. This was a man that upheld his beliefs and honor. If he was like that, then maybe the others weren't like the ones that tormented and changed her. She get to find out soon enough. Then Ngeneer then walked in with some sort of helmet. Its visor gave a red joyful eye emoji on the screen when it saw Sheac.
   "Hello brother, I see you've already started to heal these injured. May want to wait, you'll have more soon enough." Ngeneer said the last part with a somber eye. "I just spotted the war band through my scope. They are close and getting ready to fight. A few hours at most. We need to get ready."
   Franken-Dash then looked at the at the hermaphrodite and nodded. She then left and hit the alarm. It was time to get her troops prepared as the citizens of the city fled to the vault. She saw to it that each of her ponies made it to safety as she then walked to the meeting hall. There, she saw that every warrior stood in waiting, even the humans and Gearhead. 
   There was even a camera that must have hooked up to screen that allowed the soldiers on the ground to listen. The whole world was listening to this moment, but she didn't see them. She only talked to herself, for she knew that she was the only one that need this.
   "I know that I haven't seen what all you had to go through, for I was trapped for years in a tube. I had to go through my own hell, alone. The time I missed up here, I wish I had. I would be right here, fighting with you all to end the oppression that our self-proclaimed ruler Corruption has caused. I may not be able to get that time back, but I'm going to make up for it.
   "Here we stand, all of us that will and can, to resist a ruler that wasn't ours to choose. I know that we are joined by creatures that I myself do not agree with, but they are here, and they seem ready to fight with us. At least we can be certain of that.
   "This may be our last push to affirm ourselves as a legitimate threat against the tyrant that has oppressed our world for too long. As such, I hope you all decide to fight them with the tenacity that you all possess. We all know what would happen if we don't. Let's make them regret that they ever follow the monster they chose."
  She finish to a silent room, that then quickly arose to a chorus of cheers. They then ran to their weapons and a few then headed to the ground, where  the Old Order soldiers waited with weapons pointed and sandbags hastily placed in strategic locations. Gearhead then landed and pulled out his ax.
   Everyone found a position, whether it was in the city or on the ground beneath, and set up to fight. Thunder rolled from afar, and IronJaw smiled as he heard it. If there was one thing you could count on, it was the storm of emotions coming from a Majic using its Element. Ngeneer held its hand out as sparks flew from it.
   A few moments of nothing but the sound of wind and the rustling of leaves. The calm before the storm, and it's eerie note of understanding. Then came the break. The roar of fighters came from the trees. The charge of the Nightling's just started.
  Some tried to fly to the city quickly and found that the enemy had different weapons, ranged weapons. They quickly did before ether could make it halfway to the humans or the city. Their ash flew through the sky as a thick smoke.
   The charge ended as soon as it began, but the Old Order soldier didn't walk away from their posts. That was just the cannon fodder, and everyone knew it. Ironjaw then began to hold his breath.
   Then came the second wave, but it wasn't a charge, it was a walk on. Destruction walked onto the battle field with a confident stride. His blade held out in his hand signaled that it wasn't to be a reunion, or at least not in good standing. Starz then flew down and stood beside Gearhead.
   "I expected more from you Gearhead. Only that many, your gonna need alot more guns than that maggot." Destruction said with glee.
   Gearhead smiled and said," well that would be true, if I didn't have a plan." He then turned to Starz and said," He doesn't seem to recognize you, so, make him."
  The Alicorn prince then pulled out his sword and swung it spiraling twice. He finally pulled it to his face and held it like a knight with his magic. He then stood about 9 meters away from Destruction, who now roared with laughter.
   "Honestly, you expect this pathetic  little thing to fight against me how quaint he is. He wields his sword like the Dragon Prince Starz would. It's disgraceful, and I'll make sure to kill this knock-off swiftly in his honor." Destruction said and the pulled the blade down just to have Starz smack it hard. It almost caused Destruction to lose his grip.
   "At least you can hit, but you still can't stop us all. ATTACK!!!" Destruction said. Suddenly a large horde ran from the trees. It wasn't just Nightlings that attacked either, but mutants. Starz let out a curse before charging and attacking Destruction. The two now we're locked in a dual, and let it be know that any unfortunate soul that got close found out the full measure of chaos the two had made.
   However, it paled in comparison to the chaos that started the moment that the hoard began to bear. The roar was only as loud as the gunfire as the soldiers opened fire. Unfortunately, the ground forces could only focus on the nightmares that were bearing down upon them. The ones that flew to the city could get to it with ease.
   Gearhead saw it and alerted to the threat and started to confront it. He took flight and pulled his ax out. In mid air, he swung and sliced a mutant into two and it melted as it fell to the ground, making a sloppy slap as it's halves landed. It wouldn't be the last to do that.

   Franken-Dash looked and saw the massive hoard, it caused her heart to rise to her throat. She didn't blame the humans if they wanted to run, but they stayed to fight. Ironjaw the began to open fire after saying,"dear gods, their overwhelming the ground troops, the fliers are going reach the city!"
   She looked up to see another hoard that was much closer. These were not Corrupted, but looked like the mutated abominations that the less fortunate get turned into when they get infected. The beasts that they were had been covered in foul smelling boils and rashes that bled or oozed. If they had any pain, it was covered up by a sadistic smile of pure vicious thoughts.
   She had to shake the thoughts away and then realized that she need to assist IronJaw in keeping the hoard away. She then released the one secret that she tried to keep. She unfurled her wings and revealed the set of blasters that were fused to her body underneath her wings. She then proceeded to unleash several blasts that instantly killed several different Nightlings and Mutants in one hits. The rest of the pegisi then joined the fight, using special weapons that were modified for equestrian usage.
   Hel had broke loose and one would say that there were chaos entities around. The roars were deafening, and hot metal flew like rain, as did blood and wet dust. The smell of rotted meat and fresh blood was almost as potent as the one of wrought metal and acid. The only strange thing was the cold winds blowing through as a the storm grew closer.
    Franken-Dash was able to ignore most of this, focused on keeping the blood crazed hoard away, but there would be once sound she wouldn't forget. The high pitch squeal of the circular saw that was attached to the arm of a beast bent on vengeance that wasn't even his to have. It rung in her ears and messed with her vision, making it hard to tell where everything was, much less the tree that had been thrown at her.
   She felt it, and did so as a tremendous force that didn't just hit her, but another. The impact broke ribs, and the resulting tumble snapped her neck. She lay there, motionless and unable to feel. She hated when that happened. Fortunately, she only dealt with a moment of panic and then a sharp pain as her nanites then reset and repaired her neck and spinal cord. It did the same to her ribs, bit that took longer.
   She looked over as she lay and say the other one, and saw he didn't fare as well. He had lost a limb and had a large shard of wood sticking out of his chest. She took faith that he died quickly for his neck was bent unnaturally. A snapped neck was more than many received. She then got up as IronJaw the ran to her.
   "Lass, you took a mighty tumble there. Take it slow, you almost died that moment. I swore I heard your neck snap there." The Irish man said while looking at her stumble slightly.
   "What in Celestia's name threw that?" She asked, still slightly dazed. Ironjaw gave a worried look and said," That, if I would guess, is a massive metal and flesh creature with a bad attitude and a hate for rainbow haired females." He said it and a very displeased tone.
   "We have a issue, and it's name is Juggernaut. We just spotted him at the tree line. Get down and find stable cover, we are getting sieged." Said someone on the comm. It was Gearhead that responded. "We need to take him out. He just killed several soldiers on Cloudsdale, and even hit the HVP. Any ideas foe a massive almost indestructible beast that hates needles and ice?"
   Franken-Dash then had a crazy, but workable, idea. "Needles and ice, we have arrows that can freeze things, but we don't have them here. We would have to go else where to get them, but that may be a issue. Are you sure that there is nothing else, like say a deep and magical hole?"
   Gearhead was silent, and then said,"those exist here? If so, that may work. But in gonna need help finding the hole, leading him to the hole, and finally getting him in the hole. Who wants to volunteer?"
   Franken-Dash jumped the gun and said," I will, I found the thing on my way here. Let's just say, it's a flat shelf of rock over a very deep abyss, and it's deeper than the one around Griffinstone, so yeah, you want to fly over it. I almost fell in at its edge."
   Gearhead was silent again as the sound of Juggernaut's gun blazed lead into the sandbags below. Ironjaw saw the hoard bearing down on the troops."Gearhead, we need to act now. Our people and the city are about to get overrun if that assault keeps up. We need to end him this time."
   Gearhead snapped out of whatever phase he was in and then answered. "If you know the way, then your best fit to lead. Juggernaut is after you anyway, so it won't be hard to lead him away. Try not to get killed, Riplight would kill me if you did that."
   Franken-Dash then gave a annoyed face to someone who couldn't see her and said, "nice that was why you were worried for me." She swore that he smiled and then said,"That's just one reason, there's a few more I'm keeping in my pocket, never know when you might need them."
   She just raised her eyebrow. This was the guy that fought countless battles. He seemed to flip his mood on a dime, he had magic, and he fought like a true warrior, and yet somehow acts like that. It infuriated her to no end, mainly because it reminded her of some pony in particular. Still, that was how she kept from stressing out in these situations. She then realized that she was wasting time.
   She stretched her wings out and took flight. She quickly got out of room that she was in and flew straight to Gearhead, who was beheading a Nightling. A group 0f fliers began to surround Gearhead as he grimaced at them. A set of bolts then flew in out of nowhere and hit every one of the group. Franken-Dash then flew next to him.
   "Thanks for the assist. Now, to get the big guy's attention. I have a spell that has a little gift for him, but spells consume mana, and trust me, less mana isn't a good thing. Got any ideas. " He asked with a slight bit of winded attitude.
   Franken-Dash thought, and then had a idea. She sent a few bolts at Juggernaut, who, when hit, reeled. He then looked dead at the two pegisi with disdain and hate. "Think we got his attention?" Franken-Dash asked. Gearhead didn't need to answer.
   Juggernaut then roared at the two of them and proceeded to unleash a hell storm of bullets upon them. They both dodged and fled, he followed in a wrathful chase. It was now a game of cat and mouse, or wolf and deer, if the latter be more appropriate.
   They knew that if he lost them once they hit the forest that they would have to regain his attention. It wouldn't be hard, but it would be annoying, so the stuck low to the forest floor, and had to fly quickly to avoid the beast behind them. The problem was that hitting trees would be a painful crash to them, and a mere annoyance to him. The bright side was that they were fast enough to stay ahead of them. The not so bright side was that he was fast enough to keep up as he pummeled through groves of trees. Either way,  one mistake would be a pain filled demise.
   A intense half hour and the three reach a clearing that had a spot not to far that was devoid of life. It also had a hole in the middle of the bare spot. They didn't stop till they got to it. Juggernaut, however, stopped short of the plate.
   "Do you honestly think I'm still stupid you overly righteous son of a Succubus?" Gearhead's jaw dropped at that. Franken-Dash just snickered at the insult. It was clever, and it used appropriate words. Gearhead looked at her with a bit of surprise.
   "He didn't curse at you." She responded. Gearhead looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He then turned to Juggernaut.
   "Since when where you able to form sentences that didn't contain 'blood' or 'for'? Last time we faced, you where only interested in killed without speaking." Gearhead said. Juggernaut smiled the best he could, which was surprisingly well considering he had a face of scrap metal and flesh.
   "Let's just say that I had help on a revelation. I was created to instill fear in hopes to give my ruler more power, but the truth was that I always loved choas. I just didn't know it, much like anything else. Fortunately, I got to learn from a particular Chaos Queen that you know of." Juggernaut said.
   Franken-Dash felt a wave of angry heat suddenly come from Gearhead. It was as if a massive heat wave had hit suddenly. She swore that she even say his mane glow slightly, like a set of embers. He stared intensely at the metal beast. It was as if two long hated foes had suddenly confronted one another.
   "You dare betray your own order? You betray all of creation? I thought you had a semblance of honor in that unceasing hatred for all life. I see now that I was wrong about you, and I don't believe that you know how much you fell without Fear to guide you." He said.
   "Queen Necro Vitallis will enjoy you once I get you both to her. She'll eat well, and have a new mate. She'll reward me well." Juggernaut said as he suddenly began to show his true form. Flesh turned to flame, and metal glew like it was fresh from a forge.
   Gearhead grew angrier, and the only reason that Franken-Dash knew this was that the air around him grew warmer. His mane did more than just flicker like embers, it was as if his mane was on fire. His anger manifested itself as flame, and both burned brightly. Either from righteous anger, or from the chaotic maelstrom, the fire burned bright.
   Gearhead was the first one to attack, swinging his ax at the leg of the beast. The blade stuck true and sliced halfway through. Juggernaut hissed as steam flared out of the cut. Juggernaut then swung his fist towards Gearhead,  but Gearhead was suddenly far more nimble than even Franken-Dash thought. He ducked out of the way and skirted backwards. He then used the chain to pulled the Ax out of Juggernaut's leg.
   "So this is the famed Rage, The god of anger. Why choose someone so, slow to get angry? Must be tiring trying to get him angry so often, just for few moments of respite. So, why choose him?" Juggernaut said.
   Rage looked at him and said," because, he's not like the others, he hates his anger, and would want a savage to help me anyway. Your vengeance is false, his is far more."
  Juggernaut snarled and started to charge, only to find ice shards lodged in his wounds. He buckled and collapsed, pain written over a face that didn't know it well before. Rage walked closer to him, the fires burned bright between them, looking as if they both were infernos. Even the flames fought over space.
   "You gave yourself to chaos, and to chaos you return." Rage said as he pulled up his ax. Unfortunately, Juggernaut had a plan. Juggernaut quickly grabbed Rage and pummeled him against the ground. Gearhead felt his ribs break and puncture his lungs. He tasted the blood that now rushed put of his lungs and through his throat.
    Juggernaut then looked at Franken-Dash, who seemed a bit dumbfounded. It wore off instantly, and she realized that she would have to fight. She immediately began to fire at Juggernaut, putting shot after shot into bis face, enraging him into a frenzy. The level of wrath he bore down apon her was terrifying, but she had a idea.
   She swiftly ducked and slid out of the way of the smashing blow he had tried on her. She then let a few blasts off to get him to move, but it didn't do anything. He had just looked at her with a crooked smile when he turned after the hits. He then smacked her out of the sky in a speed that she couldn't even achieve.
   She bounced off the ground as she felt her ribs break and deform. She coughed blood as the ribs had punctured and sliced open her lungs.
She felt as if she were drowning, and it truth, she was. She then landed the second time without bouncing, though it wasn't as forgiving. He deformed ribs had bounced around and did even more damage. This time damaging and opening up her stomach. Her insides burned as digestive juices had worked on the internal wounds.
   Juggernaut then walked to her, thudding footsteps echoed along the plateau. He smiled wider and wider as he got closer to her. He stopped short of smashing her under his metal foot. He then, instead, picked her up in the giant right claw and held her. Blood dripped from the mouth that she was far too weak to close.
   "And to think, all things finally come to a head. Revenge will be mine finally, rainbow hair. To think, all of this was just for you. The deception that Corruption concocted to ruin your name, the years of blood spilled in the past for your doppelganger, and all the torment that you and your kind had put me through. You took my wife from me, didn't even kill her, just turned her her against me. And now, here, now, all things come to a and end. I'll let Rusted know that it was a pleasure killing his faith in you, as it was to kill his people." Juggernaut said to the barely alive Franken-Dash. He smiled one more time," as it was a pleasure crushing the life put of you. The rainbows end here lady."
  He then got a rude awakening. He had his arm sliced off by a large blade, causing Franken-Dash to fall down from his grasp. She landed near a crawling Gearhead, who had blood pouring from his mouth. She looked up to see Rusted Armor fighting Juggernaut. Rusted was roaring something at the beast. She couldn't make anything out anymore. Not even the needle that Gearhead jammed into her thigh. She then felt a sudden shock of electricity, and the went Comatose. The battle was over, but her war had just began.

   However, that wasn't the only fight for survival. Light-years away a menace had stirred. One that only had minute control, but enough.
   Shadow Warrior had suddenly  appeared as the flash of light from the rift suddenly closed. She was expecting to see her brother Buckshot standing next to her only to find nothing but ash, smoke, a red sky, and a sickening familiar smell of pollution that she came to recognize was a nearby LOC weapons factory. She held her shot gun close to her.
   She had only taken a few steps forward when a secondary temporal ping went off in her detector gadget. The rift released a building not more that 30 kilometers from her location. She knew that Fate had pulled her here, and that may have been why. She then activated her energy bike and rode to the location. What terrible truth she would find.