The night sky quickly turned into day as four black, thin stick like figures walked through the clear grassy plains. Square like backpacks with open silts stuck to their backs, similar slits in ton their arms and legs armour. A dirt path cut through the plain which the four figures followed. Their fishbowl helmets contained a bright red visor, the four figures stalked along the path. Small L shape weapons on their hands, two for each for all of the figures, the group stopped as the sound of clopping hoofs sounded from down the path. Moving their hands towards small rectangular boxes on their waist and pushed a small button.
In a flash of pale blue light, the group vanished, only the shimmers of air was the only evidence that they were still there. Eventually a cart and wagon led by horses appeared into view. The wagon was instead a cage. Anthro ponies wearing what looks like roman gladiator armour but used a nightish blue armour and stripes sat inside, they all sneered and growled and the other anthro ponies was wearing a similar armour but had solar yellow and red colour scheme acting as guides and guards for the prisoners inside. One of the guards poked his spear at a female pony and chuckled darkly, "Soon, me and you sweetheart will have some fun."
The four invisible figures watched the mare shudder in thought. The figure in lead raised a hand towards his helmet and pressed a button. "Sir, we have located what appears to be the locals. No sign of the Commander." The cart passed their position as the lead figure paused for a reply before saying, "Understood sir." The group decloaked and moved behind the cart.
A prisoner gasped and looked behind, a guard turned at the prisoner and shouted, but his shouting was cut short as a hissing sound alerted the guards. Turning the guards prepared to attack, only to witness one of their own collapse to the floor with a smoking hole in his head. The guards, jaw dropped stared at the four black figures. The prisoners inside only watched in horror as the guards were wiped out by some kind of magical beam that sparked red, save for one unlucky guard, the lead figure grabbed the guard by her neck and lifted her up a few feet.
The guard squirmed and muttered curses at the lead figure, her breath get shorter as the hand tightened on her windpipe, the figure leaned in closer and spoke. "You will come with us." Its almost mechanical voice made the guard panic even more until she passed out from lack of oxygen. The prisoners watched as the lead figure tossed the guard over his shoulder, the other three walked up to the cage and smashed open the hatch. Before one of the prisoners could escape, the sound of a bolt being pulled back made them freeze. The figures had rearmed their weapons and aimed them at the prisoners.
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Back inside the town of Ponyville, within the apartment complex and room 38, was Vinyl as she walked out of her bedroom in only her dark grey lingerie yawning, her eyes opened and closed tiredly as her brain processed the main room. Blinking to cover the tiredness, she came to a shock. The second bed was unoccupied, before she could run into her roommates bedroom, a hand quickly covered her face and turned her around, her eyes stared into the crimson red of the creature she found before as he leaned forward and harshly spoke. "Where. Am. I." Vinyl fainted.
Terror hit Vinyl when she awoke, her eyes darted back and forth around the room, she eventually discovered that she now occupied the bed that the being from before once layer in, her limbs tied together with the same restraints. Tears began to streak down her face at her impending possible doom at the hands of the creature she found. "Why did you bring me here?" She heard his voice and twisted her head to the couch, Octavia, her roommate was also in her underwear with her arms tied behind her back. Her response was to glare at the thing in front of her before hissing out. "Maybe it was better if we left you in that place."
The being didn't even flinch at her tone, the man turned and faced her, more tears began to streak down. His eyes dragged themselves up and down her body, he studied her. Her eyes held a sudden fear with various thoughts racing. The man suddenly walked around the room, his eyes staring at the various things in the room while glancing at her and her roommate. His eyes finally darted to the flatscreen TV hanging on the back wall of the room, his hand fished out the remote and with a shocking clear understanding of what it is. He turned it on and switched through the channels appear to her.
The sound of dupstep hit the room when he landed on the music channel, Vinyl recognised the music and sheepishly smiled at Octavia who huffed at her. The channel was then turned onto the news channel which was just starting a new report on a powerful new element known as Celestiaium. His hand froze above the channel button as his eyes were glued to the screen, on the TV was a green crystal with a thick green gas smothering the area. "As you can see, the gas it emits is extremely poisonous to any living thing, why our dear Celestia would create such a thing is behind us." The guy on screen began to talk about how this element came to be and how Celestia created it as a new means of building materials. "Lies" the voice surprised Vinyl.
"It is a lie, she is abusing it's power. Kane's power, it is not hers to control!" His voice shook Vinyl as she looked at their guest, "You know what that is?" Her voice was but a whisper but did not fall on deaf ears, he turned and looked at her. Her roommate hissed her name as the man stalked towards her. "Yes." The being paused as he got closer to her face. "I know what it is." His voice a vemon and Vinyl did something she is going to regret. Flaring up her magic, she pressed her lips at his, locking them in a kiss but different kind. The creature jumped back away, his energy suddenly taken and gone as Vinyl used magic to destroy her restraints. The man on his hands and knees.
He glared at her as she climbed off the bed, her hand raised in surrender, "Look, I'm sorry for that but we don't mean you any harm." His eyebrow arched up but his glare remained making Vinyl gulp. "I don't want to hurt you okay? I'm scared, she's scared and your scared. It's okay." Her voice tried to calm him down but only failed. He eventually stood onto his feet, his eyes never leaving her own. "I do not believe you." Before Vinyl could speak the news channel suddenly shouted "BREAKING NEWS" the three turned to watch as the reporter, shock and horror on her face as she heavily breathed. Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "As you can see behind me is one of the prison transport carts used by the Solar Empire, based on ancient Equestrian times, instead of modern day vehicles currently used, they were used to parade prisoners on wooden wagons throughout cities was suddenly attacked. No one survived. Not even the prisoners themselves. Both ponies of each fraction suffered some type of burn spell that creates a small hole where it then chars the inside of the body."
She took another deep breath before speaking. "The Solar Empire science team behind me discovered that the element that radiates off the burned and charred areas contain multiple traces of Celestiaium, that's right people, the very element created by Celestia herself. Just who are these ponies and why would they attack both sides of the war? Could they both be against the sides or are they much more? More on this at 7." The three inside the apartment faced one another before Vinyl spoke. "You know who did that to them don't you?" The man walked away and entered the kitchen area, he turned his head back at her, "They will destroy this world, like they almost did to mine."
She didn't know what to say afterwards, the morning continued like normal with her roommate cooking breakfast and her flicking through the TV or sitting waiting at the table while making small talk but instead, a huge black armoured figure stood in one of the rooms corners watching them like a hawk. When breakfast finally arrived, Vinyl went to work eating the pancakes, Octavia was eating a small salad while glaring at both her and their guest. The man didn't move not even when she asked if he wanted to eat, not a single movement. He just stared. After some time, she decided to make small talk with him. "Nice weather huh?" His crimson eyes that was watching her roommate as she cleaned up flicked to her. She gulped, "That spell I used, sorry for that, it's a vampirism spell. It drains the energy of a pony or whatever through a kiss or other means of physical contact. Sorry for that, I wasn't thinking."
His eyes still remained locked before he slowly nodded. His eyes went towards the still on TV. The news channel was now talking about how evil the Lunar Republic and other things like that, until something shook the camera as ponies panicked. The news station that was broadcasting live was suddenly attacked. He could see bolts and arrows flying past, small gunshots here and there, even a spear or a axe was thrown across. On screen a blue armoured figure walked into frame and shouted into the camera. "DEATH TO CELESTIA AND THE OPPRESSORS!" His voice shook Vinyl abit while he watched, he gave a small chuckle at this, remembering the occasional Nod trooper saying something similar. Vinyl looked at him in shock, she wanted to believe that she was hearing things or something. Not the fact that the man who could kill them just laughed.
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Deep inside the caverns of Equestria, a black and red building rose up to the ceiling, it's pointed tip barely touching a silicate. Red posters with the black backward, scorpion tailed C adorned it, cities of black and red buildings surrounded the temple like structure. Inside was a balding man, his eyes pierced the terminal in front of him. His own men had captured a local and left no witnesses but unfortunately, his plan was in jeopardy. A Equestrian news team rushed to the scene and spoke of the incident, luckily, they didn't suspect a thing. He chuckled at their speculations, he leaned back before sharply turning. The room he was in glowed red, his black suit somehow shined the red, this man smiled calmly at the very guard his men captured. "It appears no one knows your here."
The mare shivered in fear. "Do your worst." Her attempts to sound tough caused the man to chuckle, "Tell me, does the name Kane. Mean anything to you?" Confusion but fear as she watched. "Ah, it appears your false leader has masked my name." He strolled up to her, his hand dragging off her face. "Now I must leave you. Watch. Watch as I command a people. A people that serve for the greater good!" He turned and marched out onto a balcony. Outside people gathered, all wearing black armour or red clothing. Posters and banners, even flags waved. All bearing the same symbol. The mare was dragged next to the prophet as he raised his hands.
"Brothers!" His voice a surprisingly warm shout. "Sisters of Nod. I hereby welcome you all to Equestria! Peace is what we finally have, peace to ourselves! Away from G.D.I!" Each letter a disgusted venom as the crowd cheered, some even shouting "Kane". He smiled as he turned to look at her. "It is time my children! To free this world from a great evil, an evil that is liars and traitors. An evil that is the inhabitants. They plague this world with war! Famine! And death! We shall save them my children! Together! For Nod!" Everyone screamed and cheered for Kane, his smile wider. The mare stared in shock. "And you my dear," she shuddered at his voice as she faced him. "Will be our key to our success."
The mare panicked and cried out in fear as two men in black heavy armour grabbed her and pulled her deeper into the temple. Kane watched until she was out of sight. He calmly walked towards a command centre of some kind inside, he looked at a computer screen that flashed static instead of the usual red spinning loading screen or whatever. He sighed. "Soon my son, I will find you and return you home. Back to the Brotherhood."
Kane rubbed his temples as he thought. It was close yet so far, his goal, his mission. His promise. Looking out a nearby window, he smiled, people paraded around the streets. This city, built underground, a span of one day and yet. It continued to expand. Then again, people from various communities, jobs and workplaces joined and followed him. It still amazed him that he alone formed a powerful and global organisation, he looked around the city some more. His strong and determined eyes grew soft and lit up almost, this was his family. Everyone, was a brother, a sister, a daughter or a son. They were his family, and he will die to protect them.
"Lord Kane," his powerful determination returned. "What is it?" Turning. He glanced at the Confessor. It's gas-mask altered the voice as she spoke. "The prisoner has cracked." Kane raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Already?" Her only response was a simple "Yes" moving quickly. Kane marched through the red and black hallways until he reached a dim lit room. The same room from earlier, the female guard looked up at Kane before looking away. Kane entered slowly, he glared at each guard and waved his hand, one-by-one, they slowly left. Leaving the prophet alone with the mare. Her cyan eyes worked there ways back up, her ears fluttered still at the heavy metal boots banging off metal flooring. Kane could clearly see that she once cried.
"Why?" His voice but a whisper, he couched down to face her. "Why now?" The mare leaned back slightly. With a cough, her voice crooked, "I just want to go home." Kane moved his hand onto her shoulder and slowly moved her shirt down, his eyes watching a small red and swollen trail that resided under her fur. Carefully walking behind her, he fully removed the shirt. Her back showed various cuts and bruises. Even two simple large stubs sat on her back. "You were a flyer." Kane whispered softly to her, she nodded as tears leaked down. Kane couldn't speak again, he knew these were old yet they still scarred her. He helped her struggling hands replace her yellow shirt, she gasped. Kane moved around to her front and couched again. His eyes soft once more, "Who did this to you?" She sputtered and spoke. "T...The Sol...sol.. Emp...Empire, the...they...she threatened to kill my family if I didn't join." For once in Kane's life, he felt sympathetic, never before as he done this to people outside his Brotherhood, outside his family.
Kane stood and gently raised her onto her hoofed feet. "I can promise that you will never be harmed or touched by the Solar Empire again by offering sanctuary within Temple Prime, but you must help me." She nodded, her eyes lighting up with hope. "You must exchange all Intel on what you know against both the Solar Empire and the Lunar Republic. And you must help me locate, a dear friend of mine." She clearly thought about this. She looked away before suddenly jumping at Kane. Nod soldiers quickly ran in with weapons raised, only to lower at what they saw. The mare had embraced Kane while he seemed surprised. She pulled back embarrassed. She coughed slightly and bowed, "I accept your deal." Kane brushed dust off his jacket and smiled. "Very well," he faced one of the soldiers in the room. "Major, I trust you will ensure she will be safe in your presence?"
The major nodded and removed his helmet revealing a middle aged man with military cut hair, "I promise Lord Kane." The prophet nodded back and began to leave the room. "Wait." Turning his head to face the ex-guard, "In five days, a town known as Ponyville will be raided by Solar Empire forces. That place is known for consent raids and hold hundreds of travellers who may have important information. Some of which, you may need." Kane almost smirked as he replied a thank you. He left, heading for his own personal quarters with plans for this town.
His quarters, surprisingly, was different in terms of colour and style. Unlike normal Nod design where it is either black or red. It was a normal dark grey. A study desk sat next to a window that showed the cityscape, people walked about or rushed to their jobs. A personal king sized bed with red sheets sat a few meters from the desk, it held the usual such as a closet of clothes and paintings. A certain painting done in an ancient style shown a balded man holding another by his neck. The balding man prepared a sword. Another painting that rested by the entrance door was four people, the one standing in the middle was the now dead Soviet leader: Premier Chenkov. Standing to his left was his most trusted general and next to the general was a young and beautiful woman. To the Premiers right was a man that looked almost exactly like Kane. The three where smiling while the Kane lookalike stared emotionlessly.
Kane take multiple breaths as he looked around. Walking towards his desk, a computer terminal sat as he gracefully sat in the black chair. Turning it on. He entered his password, a simple start up and log in for his personal computer. He had plans and he needed to execute them, he could send soldiers to recover information but all that would achieve is Nod's presence in the world. He must do it himself, his thoughts and plans all piecing together. Standing up after confirming an request from an engineer to use the power source of an old unused Mobile Stealth Generator vehicle from the Firestorm Crisis and update to act as a mobile shield projector and to use that new model as a new upgrade to the Tiberium War 3 model Avatar unit with an advanced shielding. Many old unused arsenal and some of the new surprising pathetic arsenal could be used together to create a much more powerful weaponry. Unfortunately, it takes time and effort. Trail and error to achieve it.
The prophet wondered how long it would take for such a new technology to be constructed. Nod needed replacements for the Ascension Conflict arsenal to be fully removed. But no matter, he had travel plans to attend to.
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A smooth warm day. The sun was high and everything was awake and bathing in its light. How disgusting, a midnight coated mare sneered at the light pouring through the cracks of the blind covered window, she like her 'sister'. Oh how she hated that word. She was a mix of the Equestrian breeds, she had the power of all three races, the strength and durability of the Earth breed, the wings and lightweightness of the Pegasi breeds and finally. The horn and magic of the Unicorn breed. She stood off to the side, peeking through the cracks in the blinds. Her sharp teeth grit in disgust at the outside world. Behind her, guarding a door to her office, was two midnight coloured armoured ponies. Her mane which reassembled the night sky with bright stars scattered around.
The doors to her office was opened slowly. Peeking around was one of her trusted lieutenants. His dark blue helmet which had a purple fluff that sat atop. He eventually walked in and gave a small cough, drawing the midnight mare's attention. Her eyes turned to face him, before looking back outside. "Have you rescued my people?" Calm and terrifying laced her words as her lieutenant spoke with worry of his own life. "There was a problem ma'am," she turned to face, a questionable glaze. "What do you mean?" She agonisingly, slowly walked towards her messy desk. Covered in piles of paper and newspapers, even a map of Equestria sat underneath the piles. "We found the prison weagon, but a news team was there." She turned her eyes back at him. A glare which would've literally melted him into atoms. Before she could speak, another soldier walked in. This one much braver. "Both sides were killed by an unknown force. There were no but one survivors since our Intel told us that they're was nine guards. Only eight Solar bodies where found along with all of our own soldiers."
The lieutenant let out a sign of relief. The mare in general held her hand to her temples, slightly rubbing them to ease stress. "So, I guess we should locate and question this survivor." Unlike her sister, she was open to suggestions from others within her ranks. As terrifying as she can be. She was nice and that was something that her soldiers could say despite what she would do to them for failure. Her lieutenant quickly worked up some nerve and spoke next while the other soldier remained at attention. "I believe we should be more careful, this new force could be powerful and is currently. Unpredictable. I suggest we send more spies to cities and towns to learn and uncover more. And our sources recently revealed that the Solar Empire is mobilising quickly, I believe an attack is imminent."
Processing this new knowledge, she walked towards the two and faced both of them down. Her lieutenant was sweating at this point while the other remained emotionless. "Very well, we go as you planned," she turned and strolled to her desk. The darkness of the room making it seem that her eyes glow as she stares back. "You may leave."
The soldier saluted and left while her lieutenant nodded before following. The Princess of the Night watched as they left, when she made sure they where gone. She made a hand motion to her office guards to watch the outside area, they nodded and left the room. She eventually stood up, yawning as she went. Her wings fluttered open and stretched to their fullest as she herself stretched out her limbs. When the bones cracked and popped. She tried to rub the sleep from her eyes but failed. Wondering herself into a built in bathroom through a nearby door in the office, she stared into the mirror and sighed, the water from the sink flowed out as she cupped water in her hands before splashing it into her face. She was fed up, tired of this war but her tyrant of a sister. She growled slightly at that thought. Bags sat under her eyes, emptiness filled her, the Lunar Republic was a brilliant idea at the time but now.
She thought back to her past, before all this happened, the happy moments in life. The times she played with her sister before she went greedy with power and order. All of those times, where now gone. With sudden determination. Her magic almost flared and almost broke the sink from her strength. No! She won't let this world, her home be ruined by her sister. She would fight tooth and feather in order to achieve this peace and freedom, she would die if she must.
Cleaning herself up, she walked out and went straight out her office. Her destination was the planning room inside her base. The hallways, unlike her dark blue office. They were painted a midnight black with blue streaks flowing through them. She followed the streaks until she arrived at the very room she was after. Inside was multiple computers and a large table with a map pinned onto it, the yellow pieces on the map where Solar Empire military positions or controlled cities. Even some bases her scouts uncovered sat on the map. The blue pieces resembled her own forces and such, unfortunately, her pieces where short and spread out while her sisters had possibly thousands or much more and had almost complete control of the map. Her lieutenant was also here and shuddered in fear when he saw her. She couldn't be that scary. Could she? She asked herself this every time, every day and night. Well, then again. She did alot of threats and personally tortured prisoners which left them broken and mindlessly crying.
"Princess Luna! Your highness." Her lieutenant spoke surprised. "How goes your plan?" She was quick and straight to the point, he gulped and continued speaking, "We have already made arrangements for our spies to be sent to various locations. And as for the Solar Empire military sudden mobilising, we have prepped our defences and increased the strength of our personal." She smiled and went across the room towards a coffee machine where she poured herself a cup and started to stare a spoon in it. "Excellent, it's no wonder I keep you around. You make everything done alot quicker than my previous lieutenants." It was no rumour that she mentally harmed and possibly killed those lieutenants for committing traitorous acts and attempted to get close to her only to try and murder her for power or whatever. She turned around and drunk out of her coffee as her lieutenant paled before returning to work as quick as a sugar rush would do.
Luna simply smiled. As she walked to the map, studying it. Casually having sips out her drink, the room was almost peaceful as the ponies worked. Some having small talk with each other while others focused on their work. A door opened and in walked one of her scouts, unlike the normal dark blue armour, this one had green and brown patches of paint to act as camouflage. The scouts eyes looked around before they found Luna. The scout quickly walked over, "You majesty. A large patch of Celestiaium has been recently mined." Her words where quick while the Princess of the Night grew surprised. She looked around as everypony in the room stopped what they where doing. "How?" It was no joke that very element was utterly impossible to harvest, even the Solar Empire have trouble in collecting it.
The scout took a moment to gain some breath. "From what I saw, some weird machine was inside the patch before it vanished as soon as I blinked. I dared to not get close as to not get infected with the plague." Information and talks of harvesting Celestiaium was known but to see it actually happening surprised her even more when such a device somehow entered the field. And the virus that came from it was terrifying enough, let alone the monsters from it, because of that. Luna had doubts it was her sister who created such an element but an outside force. But that doesn't matter, she faced the scout again after staring at her cup. "Get some rest, Lieutenant! Rally some warriors, I must see this myself."
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It was over. At least that's what GDI thought. At least that's what the world thought. James thought different, years of fighting Nod told him that. They would always come back, Nod was a parasite that no matter what you do, it just keeps coming back. His leaders would tell him to relax and calm down, but he knew they were coming back. But then days and no sign of Nod nor the Scrin threat. Never returned. James was a aging man, his once brown hair greyed. His young face, now shaped by war. He was a war veteran and now, he was nothing.
He sat at his desk, in his apartment in a fancy Blue-Zone, the News said nonsense through his radio. The goldish walls surrounding him with the usual home furnishings. A poster with the GDI symbol sat in his room. Night peeked through his curtains, the moon was high. The former commando rubbed his aged eyes, rubbing off the inches of sleep. A sound came from his computer, a screen popped up with the words. [TRANSMISSION INCOMING]
Unsure to what this was, he let the screen disappear and be replaced with a symbol he never seen before, it looked like the ZoCom symbol but more edged like a phoenix and what looked like the Earth behind it. A banner like thing with words that was hard to read due to his small computer. Confusion took his face as the symbol was replaced by a man in his mid-twenties with face deforming scars looking at him through a camera connecting them both. His eyes which looked ruined and replaced by a dark purple artificial ones stared back at him, he smiled before saying, "Hello Commander."
James suddenly reached for his phone but was stopped when the man spoke again. "No need for that, GDI doesn't need to know about me yet." He paused as James slowly let go of his phone, "Much better" the person sighed before coughing slightly. "Listen, I need your help, this world is in danger and your the only one who can help me. Kane. Must be stopped, and I can help you get to him and ensure that by your hand. Nod will be defeated. But first, you must help me shut down LEGION. Do we have a deal?" James thought heavily about this, help this person he doesn't know or seen before in taking down the Marked of Kane and get revenge. Or not at all and pretend this never happened.
He closed his eyes in thought before he opened them, he saw what he guessed as a fellow soldier from his scars and damaged face prepare to shut off the communication. "I accept." Genuine surprise took both him and the fellow soldier before he nodded and removed his hand from flicking off the switch. He clapped both hands together and spoke, "Excellent. I'll prepare your command U.I and have you ready for leading our forces, you will not regret this Commander. I assure you." The screen turned off and restarted, he was back on his home desktop but a new application had appeared on the centre of the screen. It lacked a title but the icon was the symbol he saw moments ago, clicking on it brought him to what he could guess as the command interface that nearly all GDI and Nod commanders used to control and monitor their forces and bases. And once in his lofe after the war, James smiled.
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A/N
Looks like Nod has some plans up their shelves as well and Kane giving a prisoner safe from her own government. As for Kane being nice, well, I wanted to explore a different side of Kane. And also, it looks like our dear Nod guest has finally awoken. Definitely not my favourite route I took there, I could've done something different but yeah. We also get a look at the Lunar Republic and a glimpse of what's happening at Earth. That new fraction was made up on the spot but the leader behind it is a nod to a discontinued Fic I had on here. Also, remember when I said I would use C&C3 and Kane's Wrath units and such, well, I thought that I should return some old units. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. R&R