Resident Crusader

{This chapter contains a link to what I feel is appropriate music. While you don't have to listen to it, it will dramatically increase the mood}

Everything was going according to plan. Eve felt that Sadler would soon become all that much closer to his goal. She knew, of course, what would happen later when he became too cocky for his own good, but he didn’t know that.

She sighed as she made the last-minute changes to her personal virus, one she and she alone had control over. Things were always so boring around here, and leave it to Sadler to prevent her from having any real fun.

“Attention boss lady! We got a few intruders. They were found near the cabin near the farm. They are believed to be the perfect specimens for the Plagas.” One of the horrid Ganado creatures that made up the so-called cult spoke these drab words to her. He was always reporting stupid things to her, as if she was his boss.

“On it. Let me just perfect this. I believe I am all that closer to finalizing it.”

He saluted and wandered off. She stared after him, making sure that he was out of sight, before turning to the purple mixture in front of her. Grabbing a nearby knife from the table, she held it up, enjoying the play of the light on its surface.

The mixture was the perfect source of instant compliance. In short, it would bring anyone under her command with only a word from her. She loved testing them on any Ganados that just happened to piss her off enough to warrant a loss of mind. Too bad they kept dying due to failure to please her.

She needed her blood added to mixture for it to work. Just as she was holding the knife up, a bright flash of light exploded throughout the room, startling her briefly, before she realized who it was. She groaned, “Dammit Tara, you know I hate it when you teleport into the room!”

Tara answered, “That’s why I do it, you get so jumpy. I love watching you flinch.”

Changing the subject, Eve asked, “Was the mission successful?”

“Yeppers. You need to relax, maybe take a vacation. You are becoming a bit of a grouch being held up.”

“Shut it, Tara! So, everything is going according to plan, then?”

“Everyone is in the designated places. She was just as smart as you told me she was. I bet she never left....”

“That is enough, Tara. Just wait for my signal. Those new recruits are waiting in the next room for Sadler’s nasty little cult. Just go do whatever it is you normally do when I dismiss you.”

She pretended to not notice the mock glare of her assistant as Tara vanished from the room. She also noticed briefly that Tara had changed clothes again. She always seemed to enjoy a different wardrobe, though black was always her favorite.

Finally slicing her arm, Eve watched in fascinated interest as her blood drizzled out into the mixture, making it turn a shocking color of reddish black. She carefully added it to a group of waiting syringes, smiling a little as everything settled into place. They were finally ready! Before anyone could yell at her for being tardy, she pocketed the syringes, noting the gleeful noises emanating from them in several of her pockets. They were happy and ready.

She adjusted her glasses and smiled as she walked down the hall. The halls were empty, and no one was really out and about. Finally she saw Bitores down the hall and knew that was where the party was. Once she arrived, she noticed four figures slumped in chairs, unconscious.

Eve felt her jaw drop when she studied two of those figures closely. They were ponies! Tara wasn’t lying when she said she was successful. She fingered two of her syringes, smile widening when she heard her own happiness echoed in them. They were resonating to the ponies lying dead to the world.

As she stared at them, she noticed Bitores ready another Plagas sample over the unaware pony forms. She couldn’t have that, now, could she?

She ordered Bitores, “I will take care of it, Mr. Mendez. I can tell that these two will be perfect. You just focus on the others. I heard Luis has escaped once. Maybe you can actually do something useful for once and take care of him, at least.” Angering him was always a good thing--it would make him less likely to act. She needed Luis to be Plagas-free.

He snapped, “You know not to call me that, Eve. Sadler might think you are who you say you are, but I am a bit more suspicious of your intentions. Why is it you know so much already?”

“Call it a gift. I trust you know what that means.”

He growled a little, clawed hands working themselves free from the trench coat he always seemed to wear. He finally regained a semblance of control and didn’t move to attack her. Such a pity. She knew how that fight would have worked out. He stormed off, glaring at her on his way past.

She then turned to the two unaware ponies in front of her. She held out a hand to the bow-wearing filly and felt her fur and mane. So soft! “You two are going to be perfect! Now, let’s get you dosed up.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scootaloo screamed futilely as, once again, she failed to free herself. Blood was dripping down her injured hindhoof as she unwittingly struggled. She had cared more for preserving her own life, rather than saving her friends, and look where it had gotten her.

“That looks rather painful, doesn’t it, little filly?” That voice!

Scootaloo glared at the woman sitting on the roof of the cabin that her friends had departed. “You! I know you! You hijacked Twilight’s machine and sent us to this realm. What are you doing up there?! Get me out of here!”

“Oh how sweet, the filly talks tough for being caught in a silly bear trap. Didn’t you notice how no one noticed your pitiful screaming?”

This was enough to cause Scootaloo’s anger to evaporate instantly. “What the hell are you talking about, lady?”

“The name’s Tara by the way! I would be a little nicer to me if I were you, seeing as how if you weren’t caught in my invention, you would have been taken away and drugged.”

“Your invention? This fucking thing is painful and I never should have abandoned my friends for my own selfish needs!” Scootaloo’s rage at being taunted, combined with the pain of another injury, increased again.

“That bear trap is nothing more than a figment of your mind, little pegasus. Since you are no longer in danger, it will be gone.” She smirked and suddenly Scootaloo felt no pain.

“How did..”

She stared at her recent injury from the bear trap and noticed that there was no blood. The area around her was devoid of blood as well. “This is impossible! How were you able to do that?! That makes absolutely no sense, lady!”

“I told you already, my name is Tara.” Her grin widened. “And I will tell you that there is absolutely no point in making sense.”

Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed. “Mom told me once of a Draconequus named Discord who said those exact words. Last time I checked, he was male.”

Tara laughed and before Scootaloo could blink or move, she vanished, appearing in front of the startled pegasus.

“Sounds like my kind of being. No, Scootaloo, I am not this Discord fellow. I love what he stood for, though. My mistress wishes to create a world where a lot of chaos would reign. That will teach everyone not to wrong my mistress.”

She vanished again and appeared on a tree branch above Scootaloo. “Before I forget, don’t you have to hurry to your little friends? They seem to be in danger, and you don’t have long before the order is sent to obliterate them into small bits.”

“I thought you told us that you weren’t our enemy! I think you are just a massive jerk.”

More laughter was her response to Scootaloo’s clever outburst.

“And you won’t be my enemy, provided you be a good mare and stay away from my mistress. Bad things tend to happen for those she hates. Her cause is always the best path, and everyone just dies to sign up. Before I leave though, I will give you a clue over where to find you little friends.”

She cleared her throat before appearing to hover over Scootaloo’s head. “A path in the village will lead you to old man Bitorez’s house. Through the house and past a sliding passageway will lead to a secret passage in a well at the end of the road. Follow the passage all the way through, and, eventually, you will arrive at small clearing of houses. Your friends are held in a small cabin.”

Mocking laughter spewed forth from Tara’s mouth as she watched Scootaloo’s anger boil over.

“That anger will never help you, young one. Will you be able to save your friends or will their game be over before long?” She winced a little, her expression becoming rueful. “Darn, that little bit snuck out. This isn’t a game like we originally thought. I can’t go and break that wall.”

She cheered up and stared evilly at Scootaloo. “You better hurry, little Pegasus, for their time is running out. Ciao!”

She waved, giggling as she vanished into thin air, leaving Scootaloo with her thoughts.

That woman was incredibly infuriating. She glared around the area as if expecting a hostile villager to pop out of out thin air, but she realized that only Tara was capable of doing that. Sighing with left over anger, she began the journey to the house that would lead her to her friends. She hoped that it wouldn’t be too late.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Leon groaned a little as he slowly returned to the land of the living. He attempted to move his hands, but instantly realized that he was incapable of doing so much as twitch. When did he get like this? Another groan and a whimper of pain. Was that Sweetie Belle?

“Why do I feel like this? My horn feels just awful.”

Yep, it was Sweetie Belle.

“Why can’t I move? I am pretty sure I wasn’t hit with some kind of stun spell. Where is Apple Bloom?” Sweetie was tired, but the worry of being separated from her friends pierced the lazy touch of slumber.

“Why do ya have ta be so dang loud? Ah feel like ma head was hit by a train. Ma stomach feels weird, too.” Apple Bloom’s response was angry and a little tired as well.

Leon gave a sigh of relief as he realized that they were still with him. “I am so glad that you two are alright! Where are we?”

A groan greeted them as the third member of their little group also woke up. “Crawl out of one hole and into another. I need to stop doing that.”

That sounded like the man whom they had rescued. Why were they all together like this? Leon realized that the man was tied with his arms behind him and attached to Leon’s own. From what he could witness, Sweetie and Apple Bloom were tied together in a similar fashion.

“Where did Scootaloo go? Why isn’t she here with us?! One minute she is with us, and the next she is gone!” Sweetie was freaking out and small tears were falling down her snout.

“I am sure she is fine. There has to be an explanation as to why she vanished. We have to keep our heads. First off, we need to remain calm.” Leon had effortlessly taken charge of the situation.

“So what brings you to this part of the world?” The mystery man had spoken and was grinning a little at Leon. In annoyance, Leon tugged a little on his bindings.

The mystery man protested, “Ow, easy, whoever you are!” The smirk was evident in his voice.

Leon gave a small sigh. He was starting to feel stressed, a really bad sign. “The name is Leon. I came here looking for this girl who was kidnapped. I managed to meet three ponies from Equestria along the way. Their names you should remember from earlier before this madness began.” With noticeable effort, he managed to work free a photo of Ashley from his pocket. “You don’t happen to know where she is, do you?”

The man stared at the picture for a few moments before giving his response. “Ah, let me guess, she is the President’s missing daughter and you are the person hired to bring her back.” His voice held wry amusement.

“That’s a little too good for a simple guess. Would you mind explaining?” Leon was unamused at this guy’s knowledge. In his experience, that usually meant a bad thing.

“Psychic powers!”

Leon remained stoic, choosing to ignore that answer.

The man laughed a little before giving in. “I am just kidding with you, amigo. I overheard several villagers and a weird woman with glasses talking about a girl they kidnapped. The woman looked awfully scary, even for me, but they said that she was held captive in a church. That church is near a graveyard. The village has a passage that leads to that area, and if we ever get out of here, you should find it rather easily.”

Leon sighed, relieved that he now had a fix on Ashley’s location. “What about you? Who are you?”

“Me? I am Luis Sera. I used to be a cop from Madrid.”

“What made you quit?”

Luis gave a sarcastic laugh and responded. “You put your life on the line, every day, and no one appreciates you. They say thanks on command, but they don’t really appreciate the selflessness of your heroic acts. I didn’t feel appreciated for my work, so I quit.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were paying rapt attention to the conversation. Neither of them were going to interrupt the feel good moment.

“I used to be a cop myself, back when Racoon City was still around. It was my blasted first day and I managed to get involved with something I never saw before.” Leon looked sad as he reminisced about his time in Racoon City.

Luis, for the first time,  looked interested in what Leon had to say. “That was the city with the viral outbreak, right?” Leon nodded slightly. “I think I may have seen a sample of the virus at the lab at the department....”

Before he could continue, a piercing laugh echoed throughout the cabin, sending them all on edge.

Commence Music

“Oh, how fun, the heroes believe they will be rescued. Well news flash, things might not go so well for you!” A woman appeared, sitting on the window, looking highly amused at the surprised faces.

“You! Ya sent us here. What the hay is goin’ on here?” Apple Bloom broke her silence.

This woman was dressed in a flowering purple and gold dress. She had brunette hair and seemed to be capable of teleporting all over the place. She proved this point by switching to a spot nearby Apple Bloom. “How sweet! Well, boss man has sent a Ganado to deal with you. Too bad you can’t move, or I would tell you to hurry. He should be here in a few seconds.”

SMASH!

A very loud crash echoed in what appeared to be the connecting room, sending sinking dread into all their hearts. A blood-drenched villager dragging a very large axe behind him walked slowly into the room. Once he was fully inside, he stopped, apparently waiting for his command.

“Wonderful, he is exactly on time! Now, I very much doubt that help will arrive on time, since this is a ways from that musty cabin. I believe you know her...the flightless and scrawny pegasus. Let’s see if she can fly to save you! If you do happen to survive, the code is 7521! Ciao darlings!”

She vanished instantly, her laughter echoing off the walls.

For a moment, no one moved. Sweetie was paralysed in fear, tears seemingly falling down without her notice.

Taking his axe, the villager raised it high over his head, then brought it down hard toward Sweetie and Apple Bloom. Leon, in a fit of desperation, twisted violently in his bindings, hoping Luis wouldn’t hinder him. Sweetie screamed as Leon kicked her and Apple Bloom away just as the axe fell down. Sparks erupted from the ground causing the villager to shake a little at the violent impact.

Apple Bloom wiggled in vain trying to get her partner to safety. The villager, blood still dripping from numerous cuts all over his body, lifted the large axe and came after them once more. Apple Bloom, who had gained a large amount of muscle from working on the farm (something she now was very thankful for), was barely able to dodge the swings.

Eventually, the villager seemed to wise up. He knocked over several tables, which fell down in a chain reaction, eventually knocking Apple Bloom over. Sweetie was left out in the open, while her comrade was buried under several tables and random assorted objects.

Sweetie finally snapped out of her shock, and struggled for awhile. Unlike Apple Bloom, she wasn’t strong enough to move both of them to safety. Things didn’t appear to be going well for her. She looked into the eyes of the crazed villager.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It didn’t take long for the injured pegasus to find the house the woman mentioned. A long winding path led up to the biggest house she had seen yet. Along the way, she found a discarded magnum with 50 cartridges for it. She was dead lucky to stop in that cabin. Being a pony, she had some trouble picking the gun up. A note next to the gun stated that it was already loaded and ready.

Idly, she wondered who had left the gun here. She picked up several herbs and carried them with her. She would give them to Leon later. A foreboding chill rushed through her and she ran out of the cabin.

Hang on guys, I will be there soon...At least, I hope so.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Apple Bloom quickly recovered and bucked the tables off herself. She was barely able to dodge this time, and Sweetie put some effort into helping her dodge. The going was extremely awkward though, and hurt the two ponies dearly. Sometimes, when adrenaline and fear of death kicks in, it can lead to super-pony feats of incredible strength.

Sweetie Belle had to use her hind hooves to do a kind of crab walk, while Apple Bloom used her strength to keep them away from harm. Leon and Luis attempted to stall the villager by kicking at items scattered in his path, to delay when they could. For some odd reason, the villager never went after them, even when their attempts would have gotten his attention otherwise.

How much longer can we hold out like this? Leon didn’t dare think of the alternative.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Finally, she made it out of that blasted underground passage. She had been ambushed by several of those blasted crazy ponies, but she managed to work the gun and shoot them. Surprisingly, she had very good aim and got several headshots.

“Back, you fuckers! I am on a very important mission and can’t afford any delays!”

Her plea was ignored, and several of them attempted to swing their implements of doom toward her. She easily dodged these pitiful attempts at assassination. She raised her magnum in one hoof and shot her closest attacker directly into the face.

Unfortunately, her mark was off a bit, and the bullet ended up shattering his left eye. It exploded, causing the guy to howl in agony. She ignored his pain and bucked his legs out from under him. She used the magnum on anyone stupid enough to get in her way. This was the funnest thing she had ever done in her life!

“Now, back the fuck off! I am in a hurry, and I really can’t afford delays!”

Wisely they listened to her this time.

++++++++++++++++++

Apple Bloom was tiring quickly, and her dodges with a frantic and terrified Sweetie Belle were coming closer to being fatally slow. Leon and Luis helping was a blessing from Celestia, but how much longer could she hold out?

Sweetie was starting to hyperventilate with fear. This was the scariest thing she had ever faced in her young life, and she really didn’t want to die here. As if to spite them, Apple Bloom tripped in her dodge, taking Sweetie Belle with her.

Triumphant, and barely worn out, the villager seemed to walk slowly up to the downed and utterly exhausted Apple Bloom. “Ah can’t get up no mo’. This guy is jus’ too strong an’ doesn’t seem ta tire out easily.”

Apple Bloom was panting heavily. She didn’t get up. Sweetie Belle was crying. They awaited the axe to eat deeply of their blood.

“Hey fuck face! Leave my friends alone, or suffer severe consequences!”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

She emerged behind double doors into a small settlement. What appeared to be guard towers made their homes on certain rooftops. Luckily, no one was around to hinder her progress. Tara’s words came back to her, and she searched frantically for the cabin that would house her friends.

She spotted what appeared to be a bridge, and she crossed it, hoping to find the cabin. Instead, she found what appeared to be gates blocking whatever was through them. Screams and sounds of frantic movement echoed in the silent and eerie air.

She galloped over to the gates crashing through them frantically. Wood splinters were littered all over the ground and the screams seemed to emanate from within. She took off, wasting no time in something so small as victory in finding the right place.

Once she was inside, she turned a small corner, and there was a gruesome and scary sight. A villager drenched in bloody wounds carrying an enormous axe was standing over Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Glancing at Sweetie’s scared and traumatized face caused something to snap deep within the young Pegasus.

“I promise that I won’t let the darkness or anything bad happen to you...”

She remembered that promise and intended to keep it no matter what. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the room.

“Hey fuck face! Leave my friends alone or suffer severe consequences!”

Rage and exhaustion led to a shortage of patience. So help the unfortunate villager if he wasn’t compliant.

He stopped his attack, and turned around, seemingly glaring at her.. He stared at his axe thoughtfully for a moment before finally swinging it toward her. Her eyes widened when she noticed it flying towards her. She ran forward, hoping to all that was holy that she wouldn’t mess up.

She jumped into the air, using her small wings to propel her forward. Her hooves found purchase on a small corner of the blade, and she jumped forward with her momentum. Flipping through the air, she aimed her trusty magnum.

She shot the gun, ejecting a bullet at high velocity toward her unlucky victim. The villager’s head exploded into a shower of gore, drenching her further. Her damaged hoof shouted in agonizing pain from the excessive use of recoil. The axe was thrown and lodged into the nearby wall.

When she landed her attack, she noticed her friends, as well as Leon and the stranger staring at her with wide eyes. She grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

“Very well done, young pegasus. You managed to save your friends.” Tara’s cruel voice sounded from behind her. “I will let you get a move on and continue your adventure. You better be thinking over that choice you will have to make. This won’t be the last time you see me Scootaloo. Ciao!”

Her laughter was the last thing they all heard, as she vanished before Scootaloo could do so much as blink.