We stand united 1x1 Maple Bat

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Celestia was attacking The infested that tried to get on the train, Shining helping too once he had patched up everypony. Shining was blasting them with various spell when he noticed a bunch of them trying to get into something he charged a spell and froze all of them Celestia followed up by shattering the frozen creatures. Shining attempted to open the door but he couldn't get it to move so he assumed it was locked.

Luna and ember where knocking the enemies down. Luna felt this was too easy and became a bit worried about something else happening.

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After Woody had been struck he collapsed out of instinct not wanting to take more damage. Maple noticed and attacked the one that had hit her brother running her spear straight through the creature. She turned to the one woody had blasted with a fireball and thought that it was probably getting up so she jumped and tossed her spear into it's chest pinning it to the floor. She faced the 3rd bare hoofed bucking it in the chest.

[Nocturian 2,202]

Jack was looking out from the window and his eyes were filled with horror.

"Guys.... We need to start the train NOW!!" Jack said with in a massive panic.

half a mile away, 2 mechs and around 57 enemies were moving straight to the train, they had been following the rails and were now heading for the train as the forces who had attacked earlier had served as a side attack.

Jack quickly ducked, his heart beating like crazy from the tensity of the situation.

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The 3rd creature screeched very loudly at Maple's ears, giving it a very ear cringing effect. Though the creature was not that smart, it still had instincts.

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Celestia looked at Luna "Sister I know you're strong enough to handle out there but you and ember are both needed here!"

Luna and emebr nodded and ran back to the train Luna dashed to train's engine "Sister this way!"

Celestia reached the front car "So what exactly are we gonna do up here?" She asked confused

Luna stood right in the center of the train's front car, the one that has the engine in it, "Move the train with you magic." SHe said focusing her power into the train moving it slowly forward. Celestia did the same and the train started to move quickly as if it had never stopped.

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Maple's supersonic hearing didn't exactly help with taking the scream. She dropped to the ground and covered her ears hiding from the jarring sound.

[Nocturian 2,202]

"Keep it going guys, I will try to keep them off the train!"

Jack said as he climbed through one of the broken windows and wen't on the train roof as the army from behind was approaching.

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The creature saw his opportunity and leapt at her, trying to claw her from the inside out.

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Ember flew up to the roof of the train with a long bow, Unlike Maple's bow this one had a much heavier string and was much larger, A pony would have to mount it before use. Ember however simply drew the string back and fired an arrow into the crowd of enemies. He shield was still on her back though in case she needed it.

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Maple didn't react she couldn't because of that horrible ringing noise that still was in her ears.

Woody shot a spell to freeze the creature before it actually hit Maple following up with another blast of fire.

[Nocturian 2,202]

Jack was on the train roof lying on his belly, he was looking into the distance, and he saw the group of snipers from earlier, he quickly conjured a small barrier when they fired.

The sniper bullets impacted on Jack's barrier with a hard impact, causing him to flinch, but it still managed to hold against the bullets itself.

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The creature got incinerated to death as the fire blast hit it.

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Ember turned to face where to sniper rounds came from aiming her long bow at one of them firing an arrow "Shining!" Ember yelled "Help the princesses." Little did she know that he had already gone to go do that. Suddenly the train increased in speed by about 20%. Ember lost her balance for a second grabbing Jack to make sure he didn't fall off the train as well.

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When the creature died woody rolled onto his back. "Alright. We're good." He said laying there.

Maple helped him up "No we aren't until we get out of here. I doubt there are any survivors here lets hurry and get to that forest on the edge of town." She said flying to the edge of the town. Seeing what this monster had done to this town only made it easier to want to chase after him.

Woody followed her closely. Singing a melody to slowly heal his wound.

[Nocturian 2,202]

"Thanks." he said.

Jack looked from the roof.

Lots of infected were having a desperate attempt at keeping up with the train, but their speed was no match.

"We are losing them!" Jack said.

 

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Ember picked up Jack and half-flew half-climbed back into the train. She set Jack down once she got back inside. "Let's get to the front of the train." She suggested. "Make sure they're all right." She walked to the front assuming Jack was following her

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Maple and Woody reached the forest. They kept walking through it and Woody looked at a map of equestria, "Says to closest town's that way. Which is where I'd image he'd have gone. Though what do we do once we find him?"

"We fight him and we win. Like Usual." Maple said optimisticly.

"That's... Not at very good battle stratagy." Woody looked skeptical. "I was saying they're gonna have a army and we're just a pony and a dragonequus."

"And we stand a great chance because of the dragonequus." Maple said breaking into a sprint "Let's hurry with any luck he hasn't destroyed anything yet!"

[Nocturian 2,202]

"I will come in a bit." Jack said

He leaned against the side of the wall as he sat on the ground.

He inhaled a few times to calm down.

Jack then slowly crawled to the front of the train.

 

[Maple Bat 3,567]

A few minutes later Ember, Embarrassed, came back over to Jack and picked him up. "Sorry, forgot you where still hurt." She carried him to the front of the train.

After about an hour of moving the train Celestia Luna and Shining here all tired. The conductor closed the thing he was working on. "Alright you 3 can stop now the train can move on it's own again." They all reacted differently Celestia stopped 1st almost losing consciousness, Then Luna stopped she was sweating and had a server lack of energy Magical and Physical. And shining just fell onto the floor.

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Maple and Woody continued until they reached Vanhoover which was the closest civilization to where they had ended up. They looked at the town fearing the worst.

[Nocturian 2,202]

Eventually, when they arrived, Jack looked at the 3.

"Do you guys need my spare magic? Because let's be honest here, you are all going to have a lot more use for it than I have, considering I don't do a whole lot with my magic." Jack suggested.

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The town had suffered quite the damage, but in the middle of the town square was something bizarre happening.

Unconscious bodies where being picked up some weird machines, some of the ponies, while there was one Terran among them.

Big drones where picking them one by one and loading them in some sort of machine.

[Maple Bat 3,567]

"We'll be alright." Celestia said wearily. "It has been a while since then, we have recovered enough for now."

Luna raised a hoof "I actually would like a bit if you don't mind Jack!"

Shining too raised a hoof. "Same here. It's not the best feeling in the world."

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Maple saw what was happening and couldn't believe what was happening. "I... Don't know what to say..."

Woody looked at all that was happening as well. "Well I see why you thought we'd need to stop them... Let's go kick butt!" Maple nodded, and the two moved closer to the town.

[Nocturian 2,202]

"Alright, since it's for 2, using my reserves shouldn't be a problem." Jack said he started channelling his magic to Luna and Shining Armour.

In the aftermath, Jack was lying exhausted in Ember's arms.

"There, that should... do it." Jack said with a small smile.

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The drones were working steadily on gathering the unconscious people.

Those who had not been yet infected, the drones started injecting them with the virus via small syringes that were attached to their bodies.

They did not notice the 2 moving closer.

[Maple Bat 3,567]

"Thank you Jack." Shining said getting up.

"Indeed Thanks you, very much!" Luna said moving around a bit more quickly and freely. "We best keep moving you few."

Celestia nodded. "We're about to get to where it gets cold though. Did everyone prepare for the harsher weather?"

Luna smiled pulling out a large fluffy cloak that was colored-purple. "Yes We did sister! Did you?"

Celestia pulled out a cloak that looked the exact same except the purple color was White with gold trim. "Let me guess..."

"Rarity. Yes." Luna said laughing.

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Maple flew up in the air and split a drone in half with her spear. "Hey Live pony right here!" She yelled flying off

Woody dragged a drone down to the ground and disabled it via lightning magic. He started to examine it. He looked for any sort of weakspot or things he could use as an advantage.

[Nocturian 2,202]

"Well, I don't really have anything for the cold weather, but that is ok, I have been through more harsher environments than this." Jack said

"Tough is it perhaps ok if we first rest up a bit more? We need all the strength we can gather." Jack said.

[Maple Bat 3,567]

"Sounds good. We can rest in the castle." Shining said. "Guess I get to see Flurry and Cadance again before we go out then." The group got off the train and started heading that way eventually coming across the area that was destroyed during the fight with Treasured Crystal. Shining was scared when he saw Flurry there "Flurry! Oh Celestia are you ok!"

Celestia chuckled a but very quietly. "Still odd that I'm a expression"

Flurry turned when she heard Shining armor "Hey Dad. Don't worry I'm fine!"

Luna walked over looking around at the destoyed buildings and ground "What happened here?"

"A stallion came by to attack Maple, who was here at the time, but he's dead now. His bodies over..." She pointed to a empty space. "T...There..."

[Nocturian 2,202]

Jack frowned.

"Dead? I am not so sure, if he really did inject himself with the virus, then his body may have died, but he could have turned.

You might want to check him just to be sure." Jack said

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Flurry looked at Jack "I would but his bodies gone so he defiantly turned." She said shaken "I... I didn't know that could happen. But there was also this assassin with him they..." She remember what they said to her "She... She told me I'd make a 'interesting specimen'." She was really scared

Shining knelt down next to her "Hey It's ok we're here now you're safe."

Luna looked at Jack. "You know who that is Jack?"

[Nocturian 2,202]

"Yes, I know who that is without a doubt."

"It was my mother, or rather her real name is Karliah. While she does act as some sort of hitman, she is far worse then that.

She has a tendency of kidnapping someone and then use this person as her personal test subject, somethimes modifying the person beyond belief, injecting it will all sorts of modified dna, the results are often just terrifying. Last time i remember, she tried to create an entire new species by combining the dna traits of multiple species and injecting them all into one person and then combining it straight with the virus. I did not know what became of it, but all i know is that such things go defy any form of morality regarding life." Jack said with a sad voice.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Mickey Adaptus

[Maple Bat 3,567]

A chill slowly went down Flurry spine she shook visibly "That's awful! Why... Why would they do that?" She looked around worried the assassin was still here

"Because Flurry that's what people do when they are evil and bored." Shining said to her. "Try to calm down though the assassin isn't here anymore and let's get back to the castle."

Flurry weakly nodded and started walking back there after fixing a bit of the road with magic. Celestia walked over to Luna "Flurry seems like she's grown well."

Luna agreed with her. "That she has. But I already knew that. Maple gets letters from her sometimes and even more rarely she shares them with me."

Celestia looked at Luna and thought to herself Maybe I should get a captain as devoted as your's then

[Nocturian 2,202]

"You know... I could actually try to get outside help for Equestria if I can get my hands on an enemy communicator. That could actually steer the tides of war into our favour." Jack said with optimism.

But his optimism was ruined as the mark on his arm suddenly started to glow a bright dark red.

Before Jack could say anything, his body entire went limp in Ember's arms.

The effect had been instant, as Jack's body temperature started to get colder by the second.

The realisation came to pass as the transformation was about to start....

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Ember felt him go limp and his body tempeture change, She realized something had happened. calmly said to shining and Flurry "Hey you two go up ahead me and the other princess need to talk about something."

Flurry turned around "But I'm a princess too! Why can't I join in the talk?" She said trying to be a bit more active in this war than she had been.

Shining looked a flurry placing his hoof on her shoulder. "You've been through a lot today. Let's just head back to the castle for now."

"A...Alright dad." She said reluctantly "Though share with me what I could help with!" She said before heading off.

Luna looked at ember "What is the meaning of..." She saw what was going on and gasped quickly. She conjured up a portal and  jumped into Jack's dream. She landed and looked around "Alright you monster where are you?"

[Nocturian 2,202]

The dream was in a weird shape, instead of the usual white void, there was this time a red sky, dying stars could be seen in the distance

"Can you hear them? They are calling to us, it is beautiful."  the creature said as it reappeared 20 meters away from luna in the air.

 

[Maple Bat 3,567]

Luna used her levitaion magic and threw the creature to the ground. "I only see destruction. And that's no beauty. You must be stopped after all, We beat you once before..." Luna said "and We can do it again." Nightmare Moon finished. She used the same spell to make her horn into a sword that she used last time and rushed the creature.