The Quick, The Dead, and The Quickened Dead
"...where seldom is heard an encouraging word, and the mists just keep clouding all day.."

Ten days. Iron Heart could only remember about three week’s worth of his life, but the past ten days had been special. It would have been five days if everypony hadn't been busy sleeping, silently fighting for their life, or getting married.

Convincing the mare of the mansion to marry them had been difficult. Some gentle cajoling, foul-mouthed arguing, and a final round of bizarre bargaining had sealed the deal. Considering she was probably the only captain of a ship left on the island (they’d had no contact with Tie Down and some quick reconnaissance revealed that the Old Tub was no longer at the dock) had made the argument worth the trouble; the way Sun Shower had looked at him ever since he volunteered to fly Grey and Bray back to the mansion made the deal essential. Iron Heart’s heart was soaring no matter how numb his body was.

When they had first arrived, the mansion’s mare had tried to run them off with agitated eloquence and a filthy mouth. Bray, however, wouldn’t back down. Grey was hurt, and Bray insisted their mansion was the only way to get him the attention he needed. Iron Heart admired Bray for that.

And once again, there she was to interrupt his silent thoughts. In the gloom of noon he saw her trotting through one of the mansion’s many halls. Food and rest (after a fashion) had made her a new pony. Her body alone had come a long way in such a short time. Iron Heart had been shocked to see how starved she really was.

Not hungry (that had been an attempt to hide her true condition) she had been literally starving. When Sun Shower had shed her armor, muscles and tendons could be seen moving as her coat clung tight to her skin. Iron Heart could count a few of her ribs. He had sickened when he remembered being offered food in Phovannah. Sun Shower had refused, insisting, “Ponies are sick and dying. Give it to them. We need to save as many as we can.”

He also took notice of how much bigger her armor had made her look. This made him realize two things. First, she was a strong fighter even while weakened. Second (admittedly related), malnutrition aside, she was in peak physical condition. Any flaw in a physical regimen would have caused a collapse long ago.

None of that deterred Bray from practically forcing her into what he called, “A mandatory re-feeding, a veritable tour de force of food!” Bray's idea of a tour de force, to Iron Heart's surprise, involved milk from a two headed cow that was mixed with specific vitamins and minerals. This mixture was given in small amounts that kept getting larger with each meal. If Iron Heart admired Bray for sticking up for Grey, he could have kissed the stallion's rotting face for what he did for Sun Shower.

And so there she was. Breaking up his rhythm, arresting his attention, just being there, just being... herself. Even if the sun was darkened by the fog outside, she was radiant- providing more than enough light for him.

“Hello there sunshine,” Iron Heart looked at Sun Shower. Not the "I just noticed you were there" kind of look. It was the "I can't keep my eyes off of you" kind of stare. She stopped, looking about as if Iron Heart was talking to the candle holder, or perhaps some animal outside the window. “Oh come on! You know exactly who I'm talking to.” She pranced up to him, talking as she went.

“I didn't expect that out of your mouth.”

“You know better than anypony you can expect all sorts of things from my mouth.” He kissed her. “You remember what came out of yours?”

She looked at him, shy and innocent. “You know what I'd have to do to you if you ever told anypony.”

Iron Heart face-hoofed. “Not that. How you convinced me ta marry you after three days.”

“I told you that none of us knows how long we have. I told you that in a world like ours, any day could be our last, so we might as well live like it.”

Iron Heart nodded, bent her head low with a hoof and kissed her mane. “And this has been the longest week of my life. I have to go and see Bray. When I'm done, well... I'll meet up with you.”

“Not if I find you first.”

“It won't be hard-”

“Yes you will.”

Iron Heart stopped for a moment, stunned. Wasn't some goddess worshiper supposed to be modest or something? “...to find you? I don't get you. I like that.”

“I know.” She whispered something in his ear, then gave it a gentle nibble.

“I- uh.. well.” Having left him speechless, Sun Shower just plain left him... standing in the hall... trotting off: considering leaving him speechless an accomplishment. Once she was rounded the corner of the hall they were in, Iron Heart shook his head with a tiny neigh. “Damn.”

“Howdy partner.” Bray addressed Iron Heart as he entered the room.

“Howdy partner!” Grey beamed as Iron Heart entered the room. The tiny gray unicorn sounded a little weak, but hell, consciousness impressive after the beating he'd taken.

“Grey! You're awake. How long, Bray?” Iron Heart moved into the room and near the bed. The bed, the dresser, and end table with a candle on it gave the room a warm, homey feel, despite cracking plaster on the wall.

“Woke up about nine this morning. He's been resting and reading all day.”

“Thanks for being here when I did,” Grey said to Bray, and to Iron Heart, “and thanks Iron Heart for uh... what again?”

“T'wasn't nothing,” Bray answered, “And he flew you and half of me back to the estate.”

“Yeah, that.”

“Friends do that, Grey. No need thank me for doing what I should.”

“But it was still nice…” Grey did his best to look like he needed a hug, stretching out his arms and everything. Iron Heart rolled his eyes, went over, and gave Grey one.

“Alright now, that’s enough,” he pushed the unicorn away again.

“You sure there ain’t a way to combine all those spells into one?” Bray asked. “That was some fancy magic you did. I’m just glad I was there when your heart stopped!”

“There wasn’t any special healing spell, the potions did all that. Everything else was just figuring out what was wrong and putting the pieces back...” realization took Grey, his eyes growing wide, “my heart stopped?”

“How many of them drugs you think you were gonna get away with takin?”

“Oh. I should be dead.”

“You were, for a few moments,” Bray added cheerfully. At that, Grey started to fret.

“Calm down Grey, you’re fine,” Iron Heart neighed.

Grey protested with a nicker. “That’s not the point! I almost wasn’t fine, and I might not be again. If something happened to me, you'd be lost and have no idea what to do next. I can’t keep all that to myself. We have to go, I have to tell you what's next.” Grey was shaking now. Although a brace kept his neck still, the rest of him was free. He tried to get up. The shaking got worse and his hooves started to wobble.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Iron Heart put a hoof on the unicorn. Grey's legs went out from under him. “You’re staying here and... resting!" Iron Heart grunted as he lifted Grey and plopped him back in bed with one smooth motion. He looked over, "Bray, I need to know how long we can stay.”

Ignoring Iron Heart completely, Grey whined, “But we have to go. I’ve been out too long already.”

Bray took a little time before responding, pondering the question. “You ponies stopped one of the greatest threats this island’s known. We don't know exactly how things'll work out yet, but that don't make a bit of difference as far as I’m concerned. You all can stay here, maybe even settle for awhile. Luna knows we'll need a hoof if things go south down there.” A form appeared in the door.

“You’re awake, I’m so glad.” It was Sun Shower. She managed to look relieved without looking worried.

Grey beamed at her presence. “Hi!”

“I was just leaving,” Iron Heart explained, “and you," he motioned to Grey, "were about to get some sleep.”

“Is he going to be alright?” Bray nodded. “Grey, you and I really need to catch up,” Sun Shower assured, "Iron Heart tells me we're looking for the same thing." Iron Heart shot her a look.

“Sure?” Iron Heart and Sun Shower left the confused unicorn, a sagely nodding earth pony, and the room.

They got as far as the earlier hallway before the kissing took over. “Where’s your sister? I thought we were going to meet her.” Iron Heart asked in between kisses.

Sun Shower moved a hoof low and whispered, “I was right.”

“Okay, stop dodging. I need to know.”

“Why? Does it have to be now?” She suddenly seemed indignant. "Thinking of her are you? Maybe I-"

"Hell no! You know that's not it. Look, can't have secrets between each other, especially not now. Your sister keeps galloping off. I've never met her. I'm beginning to wonder if she's even real.”

“Don't worry stallion, she's real. When we first got here, she realized I'd left the camp unguarded, so she left to go protect it. I haven't seen her since”

“I was there. Nothing worth protecting.”

“There isn’t?” She gave a coy smile. Iron Heart reconsidered his position. Now he really wanted to know what she wasn't telling him.

“Look. I need to know. You know about some special book that I don’t, you’re supposed to be here with another sister I’ve never met, and now there’s some special something she needs to go protect? How-” As Sun Shower backed up, Iron Heart felt a change in the wind.

“Shut your muzzle before you say something you regret. I won’t be bullied into compromising the safety of my mission. Would you tell me if I asked you what you were doing here?”

“I told you! I don’t know what I'm doing here! If there's a mission here, let alone any threats, both Grey and you know better than I do.”

“Now who’s got secrets?”

“Not me.”

“Fine." Ever since she first laid eyes on Iron Heart, she knew there was something he wasn't telling her. His skills alone could write scrolls. "Hold onto them. You can lie to me all you want. I know for a fact there's a world of things you're not telling me. You think you're a good liar? Well I can see through you plain as day.”

Iron Heart stomped angrily but kept his tone steady. “No idea what you're implying. As I've said, I can't remember anything past a couple weeks ago. Woke up, found our way here chasing something I don't understand. In a recon unit, you have to be able to trust your allies no matter what. Your life, and more importantly, the life of your unit depends on it. Telling ya that about myself, well it's putting my life in those pretty hooves of yours.”

Sun Shower considered him. "How do you know all that... about the recon stuff?"

Iron Heart looked dazed, as if he a big cloud had been growing in the room the whole time and he hadn't noticed it until it pushed into him. He pawed the ground once, then looked up at her eyes earnestly. "I can't tell ya- I want to," he corrected himself quickly, realizing that had come out wrong, "I have all these things I can do and a way I can think, but I don't know why. Best guess is some of it's me, but most of it's military. Has to be pegasus." He lifted a wing for emphasis. "If I remember anything, anything, you'll be the first pony I tell. All I can say is that this storm cloud growing between us is killing me."

Trust is a funny thing. Some say it's earned, but for Sun Shower, it was given. “A secret. Only known to our order. Our mission to destroy the book was so dangerous, they gave us the biggest weapon we have.” Sun Shower was looking like she was betraying information she shouldn't have. "You haven't met my sister because she's keeping that secret safe until we know where... and how, to use it."

“What kind of weapon?”

“No. No more. What about you?”

“I told you.” Sun Shower didn't look like she remembered, nor did she look convinced. “I don't know. I'm only here because of that unicorn.” Iron Heart punctuated "that unicorn" with a hoof. He gave a sigh and let out some tension from his posture, but more importantly quickly steered the topic away from anything to do with Grey. “I guess I'll just have to interrogate you. I'm pretty good at it, actually.”

“You'll get nothing, we're trained to withstand any torture.”

Iron Heart moved close. Sun Shower didn't back down. “Who said anything about torture?" He moved closer still. "Standard military training prepares anypony for that." He circled as he talked. "Not a single one thinks about pleasure." He came up to her ear and whispered. "I'm going to have to pump you.” Sun Shower's ear twitched at his warm breath.

“I can't tell you why my sister hasn't at least reached out." She moved away "I should go check on her.”

“Oh, now who's interested in her sister?" Iron Heart blocked her way, smirked and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "A threesome? I could go for that." Sun Shower wavered between shock and offense. "You have to get away to call in the reinforcements, though. Right now it's just you and me, you up for that fight?” his eyes narrowed, “who do you think's gonna crack first?”

Sun Shower puffed up at the challenge. “Think you're hot shit, huh? You're gonna be passed out and I'll be gone, making sure you never see what it is I'm hiding.”

“Dirty muzzle,” Iron Heart wiped a hoof off on his breast casually, dusting away imaginary lint, “big promise.”

“I learned from the worst kind of pony, a real bad influence. One guess who that was.”

Iron Heart smiled and kissed her. “But ya see, I already counted on a few things." He slowed his cadence and wrapped her in his hooves. "Things that ebb and flow like the tide.” He kissed her again. “Things that get a hold of you and don't let go.” She kissed him, passionately, her forcefulness stopping him for a moment. “Desires,” he continued, “that shine like... the... sun.” The last three words of that sentence were punctuated with more kisses. “What do you think, Sun Shower, am I getting warm? Maybe hot?”

Sun Shower surprised him by pushing him away dancing back dangerously, lowering to a combative stance. For a moment, Iron Heart was convinced that she would actually going to attack him, that was the stance she'd used to fight the monsters that had attacked them. She scoffed, “Shine like the sun? No.” She drew herself up proudly and bowled him over, eyes dancing with fire. “Desires that burn like it.” For all that afternoon, and then into twilight, and then on a stretch of time until to dawn that lasted forever, Iron Heart even believed her.

“Oh. I am sorry, did I wake you?” A poised voice cut through Iron Heart's sleep. “Here.” Cracked, peeling lips wrapped around Iron Heart's muzzle. Noxious breath invaded his lungs. His body convulsing, his eyes in tears, Iron Heart shook to his hooves.

“What was... that... for?” Iron Heart barely got a few words out in between fits of coughing.

“Oh no need to worry, the radiation shriveling your lungs right now should be minimal.”

“The...”

“Radiation, pollution, quite commonplace, actually. Certainly better than what will happen if you refuse to get up and kill every last one of those miserable fuckers that insist on violating my dear Tara.”

“Who?”

“Right. Buckers, if you prefer. You pegasi always did insist on making up your own special vernacular. Right down to curses. Those buckers, the ponies pouring onto the manor's grounds, simply gleeful to rape, or kill or both, anypony they find; not necessarily in that order.”

“I -” Iron Heart barely spoke a word when a small metal ball landed on the carpet with a soft thud. Iron Heart didn't even guess what it was, just that it had been thrown in the room with the intent to kill them. He spun around and gave a buck, sending the ball rolling back outside the door. It barely cleared the door when the entrance to the room exploded in a shower of splinters and fire.

Iron Heart dove to one side, the pony that had ruined his slumber (he was too busy coughing, tearing, and fighting for his life to figure out who it was) dove to the other. Moments later three ponies rushed in. They scanned the room excitedly, brandishing crude melee weapons.

“Almost too easy.” They looked up at the voice to see Iron Heart dive on the one closest to him.

He was an earth pony, but little else distinguished him. His coat had been dyed a sickly green and his mane had been shaved off. His cutie mark was undetectable below the dye. Another, darker, dye formed lazy swirls around his body in an unusual pattern.

Iron Heart bucked the cruelly sharpened shovel out of the intruder's teeth. The intruder gave Iron Heart a buck of his own. He rolled with the blow, falling to the ground and twisting. His legs wound up swinging around with the twist, sweeping the intruder's fore legs out from under him.

A second intruder, a unicorn mare similarly colored with dye, flung a garden rake who's handle had been sharpened to a javelin. It flew wide of his side, landing in a corner, but still close enough he felt the whoosh of air as it passed. The third was another stallion earth pony who was scanning the room. His head swayed to the left, the right, and up. Seeing nothing, he also turned his attention to Iron Heart when there was a hoof tap on his left shoulder.

His head jerked to the left, but there was nothing there. Jerking over to the right, he again saw nothing. He started to back up, worried. His hind quarter backed into something. Turning around, he saw a ghoul mare, shaking her head, a revolver in her muzzle.

She deadpanned. “Eye homestly gannot beliefe you bid not bover do check your dail.” She was almost comically bored with the situation.

“Found you,” the pony sing-songed. He reared up weaponless, intent on attacking.

“Honesdly!” the mare replied flatly. Tounging the trigger four times, the revolver belched fire with each shot. The earth pony fell back. Two holes had planted themselves in his breast, the third sunk into his head, and the fourth grazed an ear as he fell. The mare trained her gun at the backside of the unicorn, but the earth pony got back to his hooves. “Honesdly?” She repeated. Something was off, and the ghoul mare didn't know whether to be frightened or intrigued.

He charged straight at her, lowering his head. The mare took the opportunity to send two more bullets at it. As they struck home, the stallion's course wavered but he pulled his head back over to correct it. Intrigue gave way to shock as he rammed her. The two tumbled to the floor.

Meanwhile, Iron Heart had been alternating punches and bucks, refusing to allow either opponent to gain a favorable position. The unicorn had picked up her rake and was now swiping and stabbing at Iron Heart. He dodged and weaved, but found himself flat against the ground, surrounded with nowhere to jump.

“Got you,” the unicorn whinnied as she brought the rake down. Iron Heart rolled. There was a wet thud as the rake found flesh, the flesh of her ally. He had galloped at Iron Heart instead of waiting for the unicorn to finish taking her swing, bringing him into its path. He whinnied in pain and she tried to pull it out with her magic. Iron Heart took the opportunity to roll back underneath her and give a buck to her gut. Iron Heart then swept his hind legs out a similar motion that had put him to the ground, but instead leaving himself standing and the unicorn down.

The second earth pony was bucking wildly, trying to expel the garden rake that bucked with him. The unicorn was getting up slowly. The other attacker had the ghoul pinned. Iron Heart took wing and tackled him before he could stomp down on the ghoul. They landed and rolled.

“What's with these ponies? They're tough!” Iron Heart yelled as he grappled for control over the other stallion.

“I have not the faintest idea,” came the reply as the mare trotted up, reloading. As she arrived, her gun belched again. A line of flame mixed into a reddish-orange spray of brain, blood, and the occasional bright glint of skull. “Finally!” The mare sighed as the revolver dropped from her muzzle to her hoof. “I have heard of hard heads-”

“Don't,” pleaded Iron Heart, whose blue coat sported a new macabre style, “Just don't.” When his expression suddenly changed to shock, she reacted by diving in the only direction she knew was safe: further forward. Iron Heart rolled to the right. Half the garden rake sunk deep into wood while the other half bit through a small carpet. Levitation magic started wiggling the rake as the unicorn strained to break it free.

“Here,” the mare offered, “Let me help.” The unicorn looked unsure, failing to even react as the mare picked up her revolver once more and demonstrated her definition of “help.” Injured and outnumbered, the last attacking pony alive turned and galloped away. As he neared the door, he started turning left. The ghoul mare fired the rest of her cylinder, grazing his left side with the last shot. He whinnied in pain and changed his direction, disappearing to the right in the hall.

Iron Heart got to his hooves and started to look for something to clean himself off with. Now that he'd had a chance to catch his breath, he easily recognized Julia: the voice from the radio in Stable Zero and Mare of her Mansion. The ghoul started nodding her head rhythmically, smiling. “Do I even want to know?” asked Iron Heart.

She ignored him, then calmly announced, “Five.” A tremor shook the room.

Iron Heart's jaw dropped. “You missed him on purpose?”

“A trap is useless unless tripped by somepony.”

“Ignoring the fact that you're a sadist, couldn't you have just shot him and saved the trap for later?”

“Serves as a warning.” She strutted to the door, stopped, and looked back. “Besides, you are right, they are tough. Now I am sure he is down. Now I can set a better trap in case they try to claim the body.” Her honesty made Iron Heart uncomfortable. He would have liked it if she'd lied, even a little.

“Isn't that a little cruel?”

She laughed. Her mirth was so genuine it gave him chills. “What is the difference between you and me, buck? What makes a military colt like yourself into a Luna-damned bad-ass like me? The answer is simple. Experience is the best trainer, you ignorant fuck! I have two hundred years of experience in doing what has to be done while you are still learning to fly. Stick by me and you might even learn something.” Hearing her on the radio in the bunker of Stable Zero had turned him on earlier. Of course, that was before he'd fallen for Sun Shower. After getting to know her more, Iron Heart's opinion of Julia had darkened considerably. Maybe her honesty was a good thing, after all. At least it he knew where she stood at any given point.

Back at the main entrance, an impromptu barricade had been set up. Bray perked up at Julia's approach.

“Sweet cakes!”

“Do not call me that, dammit. What is he doing here?” Julia jabbed a hoof at Grey.

“They were gonna kill this colt in his crib.”

“Uh-huh,” Grey added happily.

“I couldn't leave him there after the first wave.”

“Good." She replied. "Now you can earn your keep, or die trying.”

“Yay!” Grey seemed to like that idea.

“Where's Sun Shower?” Iron Heart came to the embarrassing realization that Sun Shower had been right in what she'd told him the night before. The fact the he didn't see her was distressing in a way he couldn't put into words.

Julia poised, making Iron Heart feel like he was going to be sorry for asking a perfectly reasonable question. “How should I know? I would not think a pony could be so stupid that they could lose track of something between their-” her latest obscenity was cut off by an axe crashing through the barricaded door nearest to them.

The manor's main entrance had two levels. There were twin staircases leading up to a landing on the second floor that provided a vantage to the main room it occupied. Their barricade (which was also where they stood) was on the second floor landing. Walkways leading around the room attached to two hallways (one of which Julia and Iron Heart had entered from). Two more hallways on the first floor mimicked the layout of the second, splitting off in directions opposite each other.

At the top of the staircase, on the second floor landing, lay a large, open room. It was opposite the main doors and one floor up. It looked out into a garden behind the mansion with a lighthouse further back in the distance. Sunlight poured onto many pieces of equipment, tables, documents, and weapons. A single magical energy turret hung motionless from the ceiling. A small green light belied any impression that it was inactive. Iron Heart had never been to this part of the mansion and had never seen that room, but he did notice it to be laid out like a sort of control room.

Doors, some open, some closed, lined the first and second floor. The one that had an axe head being pulled out of it was a barricaded door on the second floor, a little ways down one hall.

“Grey," barked Iron Heart, "armor up!”

“Yes-sir!” Grey gave an overly serious salute and levitated barding to all the ponies present.

“Just help yourselves,” Julia mused darkly. Iron Heart's look let her know how constructive he felt she was being.

“And one for the nice lady.” Grey had merrily levitated a set of barding to her when the door was crashed off its hinges by a dyed earth pony. She flung the barding into her path and she tumbled head over tail toward them. She managed to keep control of an axe in her teeth, even as she tumbled. Things started happening all at once.

A whirring sounded from above. More attackers flooded the room. The whirring turned into a pulsing line of pink as the magical energy turret unpacked and opened fire.

“Grey, armament!” Skipping the salute, Grey started floating weapons to his companions.

Iron Heart had managed to don his barding, but couldn't wait for a weapon. He grappled a pony's poleaxe into the floor. It's wielder struggled to get free of the weapon as the turret locked on and continued firing. To Iron Heart's amazement, the pony actually got free of the weapon and continued charging, despite a rain of magical energy that was searing her flesh. She had drawn out a combat knife as she lunged at Iron Heart. Out of options, he put out a hoof to stop her.

She collided with his hoof and imploded. So much energy had been dumped into her body that the ensuing molecular catastrophe left her a flying statue of pony-shaped ash in its wake. The statue wrapped itself around a stunned Iron Heart. All that had once been pony disintegrated into a choking cloud of dust. A dull thud sounded as the knife she had been holding fell to the floor.

And yet, the attackers kept coming. Bray the axe-pony a buck as she started to recover. She rolled into the bannister overlooking the first floor. It gave way and the pony whinnied as she tumbled down to the floor below, along with the section of railing. A strange chant of two or three more voices sounded as the initial wave was replaced by four more ponies.

“Imperfect! Impure! Imperfect! Impure!”

A sudden roar sounded. Iron Heart was knocked to the floor. A unicorn levitating a break-action shotgun had entered the fray and now had the gun open in order to reload. Iron Heart lay, groaning. A brass-sounding ting also rang out as an earth pony fired an elegant rifle he wore on a battle saddle. He seemed to have to cycle the saddle after each shot, but his two shots had been powerful enough to punch straight through the magical energy turret. It started firing wildly randomly and without stopping.

Julia flew into a frenzy herself, cursing and galloping to a control panel. A flurry of blasts rang out from the malfunctioning turret as she fought to deactivate it. Most of the blasts scorched pieces of the wall and floor. One seared the flesh of the an earth pony attacker. Another hit Bray. Julia cursed louder still.

Bray's armor glowed brightly for a moment, and returned to it's former normal color, still smoking. One attacker sent him flying with a sledgehammer. As he did so, Bray's armor cracked with the impact. As he hit the wall with a cruel smack, it splintered entirely.

“Impure!” Bray's attacker strode up to him, levitating his sledgehammer.

“I stick my tongue at you! Neeh!” Bray and hammer-pony both looked up to see Grey sticking out his tongue, pouting disapproval, his unicorn giving off a small, gray light. The shotgun pony had reloaded, the lever action pony leveled his rifle at Grey, and another, wearing a sword clenched in her teeth, looked over.

The turret deactivated with a whine and Julia looked up.

“Grey,” she cried, “NO!” The field of light gray levitation wrapped itself around a small green ball. It was irregularly shaped and emanated steady green light from its center. The green light also trailed from two tiny nobs sticking out of the top of it. At least Grey thought it was the top because that was the side the button had been on that made it start glowing.

All of the ponies watched the beautiful glow from the object as it sailed gently through the air. It fell short of anypony and bounced. Green energy crackled, buzzed, and leaked, more mesmerizing than it's standard glow. Grey noticed the burnt carpet that was left behind as the ball continued onward, coming to rest in the middle of four, mesmerized aggressors and one horrified looking Bray. Grey wondered if he'd made a mistake.

Julia galloped straight for him. Grey panicked, starting to run one way, stopping, then turning around. Her head lowered and then reared up with all her might. Grey was sent flying backwards into the main room on the second floor. He crashed into the wall with a squeak, landing on a table underneath him. Julia had lost a little momentum when she sent him flying, but she was quickly gaining it back. Her tail cleared the threshold of the room as the air on the second floor landing ignited.

Meanwhile, Bray rolled, clutched a fallen Iron Heart in his hooves, and kept rolling. Both disappeared off the second floor landing. Iron Heart's vision was pulsing in and out of focus. Now it was spinning as he looked up at the landing. Dazed, he didn't quite comprehend what he was seeing.

Something like a fire illuminated the ceiling. As a second wave of energy flashed, Iron Heart felt like his coat hairs were standing on end. The room's air, not only from upstairs, but air from the entire entrance way, came alive and rushed toward the center of the catastrophe. After the main detonation died away, the landing floor began to glow.

The mare that had been knocked to the first floor had recovered with a broken leg. Once Bray and Iron Heart landed, she tried to stumble away from them painfully. She kept her attention on them as she limped away, not bothering to look up. She gave a sudden cry. A glowing drop of matter had leaked onto her flank. From the shock, the pain, or perhaps being unsure what to do, she slowed her hobbled gait for a moment. The glow from the landing above turned into a flowing river of matter, the edge of which started to engulf her. Her cries became screams. Iron Heart looked away, not wanting to see what happened next.

“You better not have died! You are still useful to me.” Julia's voice called out, sounding to Iron Heart like it was barely above a whisper. “Bray.” Her face came into view, looking down from the section of landing that was solid and not drippy. As Iron Heart focused, his head spun sickeningly and his ears started to ring. He clenched his eyes and dropped his muzzle into the floor. When he ventured to look again, he saw Julia helping Bray to his hooves. Seeing her like that was unexpected. He never thought anything would give her real concern.

Bray came over. Iron Heart was briefly examined, defrocked, rolled onto his back, and examined again. Bray's rotten face smiled as it looked him over. The effect was mildly nauseating. “Would you look at that? He's in much better shape than I thought.” Bray disappeared from view and came back, spitting out some tiny, red-flecked balls. “Only six or seven buckshot in you! Good thing you're wearing armor!"

"Why are you whispering?" Iron Heart asked.

"Whoah there, pipe down! You're gabbing too loud. Any ringing in your head is shock.”

“Bray? Julia? What was that?” An excited gray face peeked over the landing.

“Hum, yes. Grey? Get down here you little... ” Julia seemed about to let fly with something foul, but Bray gave her a stern look. Julia rolled her eyes. “Grey, darling? Of course knocking you into a wall did not hurt you. It was only a few yards. Please come down that I may remedy that?”

Grey's face reddened. A little pony who was sure he'd done something wrong backed his head up so that only two sheepish eyes, two ears, and a horn poked over the landing. “I'm sorry Ms. Julia, I-”

“Never mind that, get down here now!” Bray looked at Julia again. She ignored him. Slow hoof beats turned into a quick trot as Grey came down the stairs, ears drooping. As he approached, his trot slowed once more.

“Are you sulking? Goddesses, really! A full grown stallion sulking? Stop that and come here!” Grey quickened his pace again, his ears staying pressed low. “Now, I might be angry if you had not deliquesced our attackers so nicely.”

“I did? Wait, what did I do?”

Julia paused to catch her composure before she spoke again. “However, you left us with nopony to interrogate. Also, that wing had been sealed off for.. Well, it had been sealed since we arrived- they must be entering from there somehow. Unfortunately, surveillance seems somewhat lacking in that wing. Furthermore, that was my last plasma grenade. Now it is up to you to make me more.” Grey nodded attentively... and politely waited for her to continue. She sighed. “Bray and I must remain here.”

She grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. A few seconds later she gave Grey a muzzle-written list. The penmanship was perfect. “Take this. It is a list of your tasks as well as the ingredients to make more of those grenades. Your primary objectives are as follows: one, find the breach and seal it. Two, activate any security systems you find in that wing. Secondary objective: pick up materials for new grenades if you find any. I do not know where you will find more casings, though.”

Grey nodded obediently, taking the list. He started lifting his hoof in the air and waving it around to show that he had a question. “Yes?” Julia huffed.

“So you two just got here recently?”

“That is correct. And we found everything as you see it.”

"What makes you think I'll find anything?"

Julia was stunned. “Is that any reason not to look?" She dismissed. "Any more questions?” Grey put a hoof on his chin to consider, then started waving it again. “YES?” Julia snapped. Grey whimpered and stopped waving his leg.

“I, um... forgot.”

“Good. Now,” Julia composed herself, “back to business.”

All of them made their way back upstairs. Grey and Iron Heart grabbed two new sets of armor, and Iron Heart was looking over some weapons Julia had laid out. Meanwhile, Grey looked outside at the early afternoon. Bray interrupted his idleness.

“Hey there.” Grey waved a tentative hello. Bray started shifting and shuffling at the awkward silence. “I know Julia's been prickly lately, it's just she's under a lot of stress.” Grey nodded, not making eye contact. “Lookee here, this should cheer you up!” Bray picked up a large canvas sack and set it down. Inside was a harness and a gun almost as long as Grey. He recognized it.

“That's!”

“Yessir. This here's Francine. Sun Shower let me know how well you two danced together while I was napping,” Bray's flank gave a little shake for emphasis, “So I though you two should get to know each other. Perhaps you can take her when you two go.”

“Aw Bray. I couldn't, she's yours.”

“Nonsense! Besides, I can't have her thinking I'm overprotective and jealous. Though, I'll skin you if alive if you don't bring her back safe.” Grey shrank. Bray laughed loud. Grey gave a nervous chuckle. After Bray had calmed Grey down enough, he continued. “Here, we should be able to tighten her down enough.”

After some Wonder-Cement, a few extra holes in some belts, and some tightening, Grey was battle-saddled. Bray explained that what Grey wore was the “grand mammy of all shotguns.”

“Francine was built to bring to bear firepower that a normal pony can't hold in her teeth, or that a regular unicorn can't simply hold with their magic.” He went on to explain the basic operation. He also showed Grey that the firearm could hold eight shells, and could even load different types of ammunition as long as it was the right caliber; unfortunately, the only shells Bray had on hoof were standard pellets.

"Now caliber's the diameter, you see. She'll take any shells that are the right size. Now, she's specially suited for an earth pony, so she don't need any fancy magic to operate."

Grey's eyes sparkled as he noticed a few gems on the inside.

"Now those are added engineering to deaden recoil, but ignore those for now. Once you had some experience with her, I may be able to tell you about those special enchantments you unicorns thought up."

After all that, Bray became serious. “I ain't gonna lie,” he explained, “there's a knack needed to use any battle saddle, but this one in particular. You have to have a plan at least three full gaits ahead. That way, in a fire fight, you ain't shooting all willy-nilly. You have to see what's going on and figure out which direction to gallop in.”

“But how can I gallop around with something this big?"

“Well, it's a metaphor. Actually galloping would be dangerous with a pony your size if you tried to fire her. Gallop to move, stop, or at least move slow when you fire. It depends on the situation.”

“If it depends on the situation, and the situation changes, won't my three-step plan not work anymore?”

“Now you're getting it!” Grey didn't feel like he was getting anything. Bray tried a different approach. “Alright, well look at it like this: you have to learn to treat it like a part of your body. With this on, you're slower but you're also stronger. You have to relearn how to move and what to move.

"Find yourself a way to bring all that firepower to bear without making yourself a target. Do that, and get some experience with her, and you two will be great partners in no time!”

“Okay.” Grey didn't sound convinced.

“That's the spirit!” Bray gave him an encouraging punch on the shoulder. “Now get out there and seal that hole.”

Grey still had a lot of questions, regardless of what he told Julia. “I need to ask you something.”

“Now what's that?”

“Julia said you two just found the place like this. Was all this stuff really here when you two came?”

“That there's a long story. Tell you what. Come back here and you'll hear all about it. I'll even give you two the full tour. How does that sound?”

“It's a deal.”

“What the hell are you two doing," Julia cut in, "Did you not understand me when I said “back to business”?”

“Sugar plum! I was teaching this fine buck here all about-”

“I do not care if you were telling him what happens when a mare and stallion love each other very, very much. You both have a mission to do, now.” Bray stood his ground, ready to come back at Julia. Grey had started to stutter out an affirmative. An explosion rocked all of their attention away from the conversation. “The front! Bray, on me!”

Julia and Bray wasted no time, disappearing down one hallway on the second floor. Grey was wondering how going that way was going to get them to the front, or even how they knew to go that way at all.

“Let's go,” Iron Heart interrupted, hoofing over a single health potion.

“Is this all we have?” Iron Heart nodded in reply. “Oh good, I thought this was going to be hard.” Iron Heart gave him a puzzled look. Both shared a laugh.

They skirted the section of the landing that was slowly melting away, and went through the broken door. Scorched and blasted wood ringed the previously boarded passageway. While it had not been directly hit, the ground around the entrance was widening after the affects of Grey's explosion.

The passageway was a third hallway on the second floor that had been hidden by the boarded up door. Iron Heart was astonished at how much brighter it was. Although the fog and mist was no thinner outside this wing of the mansion, more windows than the other halls allowed more ambient light in. Iron Heart was seeing the mansion in a new light. Instead of old and rotting, this section had more of a vintage feel. Everything looked brighter, warmer, without being able to point to a single light source.

“Iron Heart, look!” Grey pointed a hoof at a camera. It was strange, seeing such a piece of technology integrated into the old mansion. It didn't look active. Grey stopped and started fiddling with it with his magic. A barricade blocked further passage down the hall. From here they would have to try one of two adjoining rooms. “Hey, Iron Heart? Where's Sun Shower? I wanted to see her.”

“I asked Julia. She told me Sun Shower left a message. Wouldn't give it to me until we get this done. Dammit!”

“You know what? That's the first time I heard you swear since the city.”

“So what? Seriously, you need a thicker hide.”

“Not that, Iron Heart! You stopped swearing. You know why?”

Iron Heart had been looking around. Now he stopped. It was true. “I don't know.”

“I do.” Grey smiled like a foal with a special secret. “All done.” There was a small click and the camera started slowly scanning the hallway.

“What?”

“Loose wire.”

“Not that.” Grey shook his head, refusing to tell. “Ya can't just say that and not tell me.” That made Grey smile wider. He was enjoying his stupid little secret. What was even more annoying was that Iron Heart couldn't stop caring about it, though he was trying.

A cacophony of crunching and splitting shook the air. Muffled, angry shouts echoed confusingly. A loud crack could be heard from one of the rooms adjoining the all. Axes and sledgehammers tore a hole in the room's door to their left, which had been closed and (Iron Heart suspected) locked.

A trio of ponies burst through. They bore the same tribal trappings as the others Iron Heart had encountered. They checked the corners of the door they breached, then the hall carefully, and then moved toward the other room, which had an open door. None of them, however, bothered to look up, and therefore, none saw a delicate, silent ballet occurring just above them.

As soon as he'd heard the initial sound of the door breaking, Iron Heart had dumped Grey on his back, spread his wings, and pushed them both up to the ceiling. Delicate rhythm of his beating wings, as well as constant, minor adjustments kept them balanced near the ceiling.

The first pony trotted into the room below them and on their right. Iron Heart and Grey bobbed silently in the air like they were back on the ocean. The second pony followed the first, not looking a second time. Up, and down, up... and down. Grey, gave a tiny adjustment of his own. No! Stop moving! The third got to the edge of the door and stopped, taking one more look around. She put her head into the next room, asking a question Iron Heart couldn't hear.

Grey started to slip.

Sweet Celestia driving her sun-flaming chariot! As if reading this mental outburst, the earth pony's head came back into view. With her own sister harnessed in front! Iron Heart was starting to have a hard time thinking of something ridiculous enough for the situations. Straight curses weren't crazy enough, oh no! Grey slipped. Eating an idiot ice cream sundae with a stupid grey cherry on top!. She turned back to the others when she didn't see anything. Had Gery wrapped his fore hooves around Iron Heart's neck, he would have stayed on. As it was, Grey pressured his hooves into Iron Heart's barding for traction. There was no traction to be had. Grey fell.

After a loud whomp and an exasperated gasp, Grey wrapped his legs around the tribal pony's neck as he landed squarely on the pony's back. For one, ridiculous moment, she stood there, eyes wide. She dropped her axe and opened her muzzle. Grey smiled weakly at her companions and gave the tiniest wave of his hoof. Grey was sure she would ask "There's something on my back, isn't there?" Instead, she went wild.

“Get it off!” she yelled, bucking madly. Grey held on tighter. A unicorn levitated a weathered hunting rifle at the impromptu rodeo making its way back into the hallway. She fired once, cycled the bolt, and fired again. Two bullets buried themselves in the opposing wall. Just before it did, however, Grey felt a tug at his armor as the second shot glanced off. At least it hadn't punched through. The pony he rode was not so lucky. As she reared, the first bullet had pierced both her fore legs clean through. When the pony landed, she cried out, collapsing forward.

The unicorn leveled her rifle at the pair and pulled the trigger. There was a click. She cycled again, pulling the trigger just as the bolt locked in place. Click. The rifle levitated down to her eyes and she started trying to figure out what was wrong. Her comrade strode past her, the stock of a coach gun between his teeth.

Grey was tangled underneath crippled earth pony, who was still struggling to gain her hooves. Without a clean shot, the approaching pony moved in close. Angling the long shotgun awkwardly, he pressed it against Grey's temple. Grey didn't struggle. His flitted up toward the ceiling.

A flying set of hooves bucked the shotgun, it discharged with a roar, and Grey ducked his head into the pony inadvertently pinning him. Iron Heart soared back above the entryway to deny the other pony a shot.

When the shotgun was knocked out of place, it was no longer held properly his muzzle. His mouth came up a ruin. Recovering quickly and returning once more to the pinned pony, he lifted up a spiked horse shoe to bring down on Grey. A single word wormed through his dripping gums. “Unglean!”

“Green Tree!” the unicorn mare cried out. She was fanatically struggling with the rifle, pointing it to the pony with the broken jaw's right. He looked over, hoof still in air, to see Iron Heart bracing the coach gun against the wall. Green Tree (as Iron Heart now guessed was his name) brought his hoof down. The shotgun Iron Heart had reloaded roared once more. The mare screamed gutturally as her friend was thrown a number of yards, stumbling into the barricade.

She charged Iron Heart, screaming wordless curses. She swung her rifle stock-first like a club. Iron Heart juggled his new coach gun into his fore legs, bringing his to bear like a staff. There was a clean crack as the two stocks collided. Iron Heart was amazingly fast and brought his shotgun around for a second blow. The mare brought her rifle up just in time to block it. However, it hit with so much force that her rifle knocked away. Iron Heart noticed a second aura of blue levitation come into view from behind the mare's back.

The magic made a small twirl. A whipping sound cut through the air. The coach gun caught in a number of leather straps as the mare wrapped her weapon's tendrils around it and pulled. Her levitation was strong. Very strong. Iron Heart let his weapon go. She smiled wickedly.

Iron Heart bobbed in close to strike. A second whipping sound hissed in the air and Iron Heart heard himself whinny. Drips of blood spattered from half a dozen cuts on Iron Heart's neck. He couldn't see what was on the ends of those leather straps, but it was sharp, and they were coming around again. He tackled her down. The cruel weapon whipped at him furiously.

Iron Heart tilted a hoof under the tip of her head as she concentrated on flaying his back. A single stomp and the weapon stopped, dropping to the ground. Iron Heart pinned her down.

“Who do you work for? Why are you trying ta kill us?” Iron Heart bellowed.

“I'd rather tear out your throat and see your impurity dragged to the abyss!” she spat angrily.

He tilted his hoof under her head rather than its broken appendage. Iron Heart also brought his other hoof firmly down on her neck. “Okay.”

Grey cried out. Struggling furiously, he broke free from underneath his wounded captor and galloped over. “What did you do that for?” Iron Heart ignored him and went over to check the other body. Iron Heart was shocked that he was still alive.

“Not ordinary ponies...”

“Iron Heart? She was helpless!” The pony Grey had wriggled out from under was hobbling to her hooves, trying to get closer. Grey was frantically waving his glowing horn over the limp unicorn Iron Heart had left, desperately trying to figure out what to do. There was nothing. Grey hugged her close as she died.

Iron Heart had been talking softly to the wounded pony when the conversation died away. A wet snap wrested Grey’s attention to Iron Heart’s latest casualty. He cried out again.

Two down, one to go. Iron Heart brushed past Grey and loomed over the struggling pony.

“Iron Heart?” Grey’s voice was taking a dangerous tone. “Stop!”

“Not now, Grey,” he sighed. The earth pony’s tribal garments were smeared with red.

“Don’t you dare ignore me!”

Iron Heart grabbed the wounded earth pony by the hooves. She whimpered in pain. Grey was stunned, momentarily speechless. Iron Heart then stood the pony up. She started to breathe heavily, forelegs wobbling, dripping. Iron Heart supported her just enough to keep her standing.

“Name?”

“Ah- ow. Gala Apple,” she blubbed.

“Why am I doing this to you?”

“U-Un-Understanding?”

“Very good. Who sent you?” Grey charged in, but Iron Heart batted him away with a back leg.

“P-p-erfection told us to. We came... for enlightenment.”

“Why?”

“You are all un-unclean.”

“You’d kill me if you could, wouldn’t you?” Grey's magic tugged at Iron Heart's wing, but he shrugged it off, pulling the wing in quickly.

“I m-must... c-c-leanse.”

“So, what did she tell us Grey?”

“Gala needs help.”

“You're right. She's fanatic. So are her friends. What do you want to do Grey? Let her live? Treat her wounds?" He turned to look at the miserable, tiny Grey. "Their only purpose is to kill us...,” Iron Heart stared at Gala Apple. He saw hatred and pain mix with fear and determination. “and ponies will die if you can't see that. Our ponies.”

Grey saw it. Determination. Hatred. It was there, just like Iron Heart had said. He also listened to Gala. She was sincere about all of it, and he needed to know why. “You made your point. Now let me make mine. Let her go. NOW.” Iron Heart let go. Pain and weakness overcame Gala, who collapsed forward again.

Grey came over. “Here, drink this.” Grey lifted a bottle to her lips. It was their only healing potion. Iron Heart put out a hoof to stop him. Grey brushed it away with contempt. “Don’t you see we’re your friends?”

“But you are corruption. You have not ascended.” Maybe he could see. Maybe he could understand through her eyes...

“Gala, does that mean you ascended?” She nodded. “Why would you take that chance away from me? I want to become like you.” Gala brightened. "Can't you see? Corruption wouldn't be nice to you. If there's a chance, help me take it."

“You want your mind to be expanded?” Grey nodded. Gala's expression turned from one of fear to one of excitement. Grey was excited that it had changed so quickly. “We have made a terrible mistake, you are pilgrims, you may still be saved.” Grey upended the bottle into her throat. Iron Heart went to stop him again, but restrained himself this time. Grey waited for the potion to work its magic as Gala's legs started to heal.

“Can you walk?” Grey helped Gala to her hooves.

“You are pilgrims that travel the path of transcendence. I must warn the others.” She galloped away.

“They're strong,” Iron Heart observed, “something's wrong, though.”

"See Iron Heart? We can reach these ponies."

“What's wrong with them?” Iron Heart found the rifle and looked at it. He gripped it with his teeth, cycled it, put it against the dead mare, and pulled the trigger. The gun went off. “What's wrong with you? Now you're desecrating bodies?” Grey complained.

“Shut up. And no, that's Julia's thing. Trust me,” Iron Heart added, “there are some things even I won’t do.” Grey found that hard to believe. “Nothing wrong with this gun.”

“So what?”

“And she,” Iron Heart pointed at the body he'd just shot, “tried to flay me with this.” He'd found the scourge she'd used on him.

“It's got sharp things on it.”

“That doesn't matter.” Grey's empty stare prodded him to go on. “I'm wearing armor. So are you. She got lucky a few times,” Iron Heart rubbed his neck, “but she should have known better when I had her down. Instead, she just went for my back over and over. My back that's covered in armor. I don't care what you think Grey- I don't enjoy killing, I wish she had given up. When I looked at her, I saw one thing: she wasn't going to stop until one of us was dead. I'll do whatever it takes ta keep us safe. In the face of that kind of a fanatic, there's nothing else I can do. I just wish these bunch of crazies figured that out.”

“Huh.” Grey sat down, trying to put together a puzzle he didn't have all the pieces to. “I guess you're right. That is weird. But Gala. I think I got through to her.”

Iron Heart rubbed a temple and sighed. “Everypony keeps acting like I don't know what I'm talking about. We have to keep moving.”

They started off through the next room. "And what, exactly did she say? We're "on the way?" To what?"

"To becoming friends!"

"Did it ever occur to you she may not want to be friends, but use you?"

"For what!" Grey shouted this more than asked it.

"For anything! It could be good, but it could be bad Grey, real bad! And I'm not going to let you or any of us get hurt finding out!" They were halfway through and Grey stopped.

"But if we never try," Grey growled this, but it almost came off comical, "we'll never find," Grey lifted a hoof and stomped it down for emphasis, "out!" Grey's hoof made a snap and a crunch when it struck the floor. Iron Heart turned around to look at him. Grey lifted his hoof, amazed at its newfound power. There was a creak and a groan. Grey looked down. He disappeared in a shower of splinters and planks as a roar of wood split the air. A thud was lost in the other sounds of tumbling wood as he hit the floor below.

Iron heart came down. He started uncovering Grey. “Are you alright?”

“I don't think so." Iron Heart said nothing. "It hurt, but I think I'm okay.” Despite having fallen a full story, the dusty pony looked more excited than hurt.

“Come on ya crazy colt. Hup.” Iron Heart started pulling Grey to his hooves.

“Too bad I can't go again. It was fun!”

“Yeah, I don't think-” Grey did a little jump that Iron Heart wasn't expecting. Between Iron Heart's strength and Grey's springy hooves, the tiny unicorn lifted an inch or two off the ground. He came down and kept going with an all-too familiar cracking and splitting filling the air. Iron Heart instinctively worked his wings, but couldn't get a good grip. Grey promptly obeyed the law of gravity, slipping through Iron Heart's hooves.

This time Iron Heart followed closely behind him, flying down. Even though he was able to push Grey out of the worst of the debris, Grey still landed hard. Iron Heart swooped out of danger himself, then circled back before all the dust settled. He wasted no time in clearing away debris, some of which was from two full floors above.

“C'mon, getup!” Iron Heart coaxed, hoping for a reaction. He started to get anxious when nothing happened. A squeaky wheeze emanated from the pile of Grey.

“I got my wish, Iron Heart! Hooray...”

“You crazy-ass pony, get up here.” He gently helped him to his hooves, looking at the ground for more rotting wood. Voices in the distance made Iron Heart take stock. No wood, just stone floor and walls. They must have fallen clear into the basement. It was well lit for some reason- a number of lighted lanterns lined the wall near the ceiling. The voices sounded far off.. for now.

“I don't think they know... yet.” Iron Heart felt confident he could do a good bit of sneaking. He wasn't sure about Grey. After quickly checking over the unicorn, Iron Heart looked straight up. He saw the ceiling of the room they had been in, two floors up. “Hold on. Don't struggle this time.”

“But what if I have to sneeze again, Iron Heart?”

“You gave away our position back there for a sneeze?" Iron Heart looked down, flabbergasted. Grey cocked his head, looked up, and nodded slowly. "Well, just, don't!” With Grey perched cat-like on Iron Heart's back and a similar bobbing sensation, they started to ascend. A little extra force from Iron Heart's wings meant each bob up was more than the bob back down. More than half way to their destination, having cleared the first hole and on their way to the second. Grey started doing something with his muzzle that looked like chewing. Iron Heart wanted to face-hoof as he noticed clouds of dust falling slowly like snowflakes in the afternoon sun. “Don't you dare!” He hissed Grey let out the smallest “achoo, achoo.”

Iron Heart looked down, surprised that a "full grown stallion" could make sounds that dainty. It wasn't natural. The sudden hoof-steps that came in reply were not dainty at all. It had been slow going with the added weight, but now Iron Heart strained to put on a little extra speed.

With a grunt, he finally lifted into the top floor and dumped Grey onto it. “I'm going to go back down and see if I can distract them for you.”

“But,” Grey looked up at him like a colt whose mother told him to stay in the wagon while she went shopping, “what if I run into somepony?”

“Maybe your “friend” spread word about our pilgrimage or whatever. I don't know Grey. Do what you're good at, make nice with them or something.” Grey looked up at his companion, who flapped his wings, making for the hole in the floor.

“You think so? Okay!” Iron Heart disappeared. Grey recognized the room they had been crossing before the floor gave way and he fell. He blithely trotted through to the other end and it opened up into a dark hallway. Grey started to get spooked, but pressed on. He chose left, noticing he came out behind the barrier that had blocked their way before. It was still there, being a barrier.

“Good job!” He gave the barrier a reassuring pat. He made his way past it and rounded the corner. There was a kitchen, and in the kitchen two ponies, both unicorns, turned to look at him. One carried a cruelly sharpened spade, the other levitated a sledgehammer.

Iron Heart had reached the middle floor, of the first floor. This large room seemed to have been a study at some point. He gave a shrill whistle with his hoof. Voices changed their direction and hoofs stomped their way to him. The hole down to the basement was near the middle here and the entrance to the room was closed. Or it least it had been until the door was stripped off its hinges, coming down with a crash as a pony burst through it, throwing his full weight against it. Surly shouting followed.

“Looks like they heard the message of “love and tolerate” ta me,” Iron Heart snarked. He swooped down the hole and into the basement. Rifling through a saddlebag, his hoof came out with a combat shotgun Julia had lent him. It fired one shell at a time, but could be fired again as quickly as he could use the trigger. As an added bonus, the cylinder sticking out of the bottom carried a dozen shells.

Crouching low, he hid in shadow where the basement's lighting wasn't very good. He waited for the ponies to follow him. Vague shadows dancing on the shadow of the broken timbers and hushed whispers could be heard. When nothing happened, Iron Heart took a moment and used his wings and hooves for a trick that added an extra shell to the gun's load.

Still nothing. The room he was in only had one exit... well, two with the new hole. He slunk over to the door and quietly opened it.

This next room contained a small, oddly shaped hallway that opened into another room. There was nopony in the next room either. Hundreds of bottles were stacked in shelves. Something had rattled many out of place. Some were empty, a few were shattered, but more were filled with... something Iron Heart didn't bother investigating.

He quickly flew back and forth, stacking a number of the bottles on the door he'd closed; he even made sure to balance one on the handle. After that, he lay more of the bottles deeper in the room on a section of floor that was poorly lit, the bottle racks blocking most of the light. The other door lead to a staircase upwards. He carefully moved up the stairs. Having reached the top, he put a hoof on the knob and felt it turn. As the door burst open, he pressed himself tighly against the wall, thankful for the space between the door and wall. Three forms filed in.

They were more than halfway down the stairs when Iron Heart pushed his shotgun into the neck of the last pony in their line.

“Don’t move an’ drop yer gums. Lep me gho an’ he liffs.” He strained to form words past the stock in his muzzle. In the light streaming down behind him, Iron Heart could see that they had no intention of complying. “I faid-”

“We hear you, filthy one, but we will not stop the cleansing,” came the reply.

“Beah, beah. Why gill me voh? Neffer harned ya.”

The pony that answered him, an earth stallion, was farthest down the stairs. “You are imperfect, and therefore unclean. Anything impure must burn.” Iron Heart was getting sick of this. It made no sense to try and kill him for what, existing? He was about to do his best at giving the stallion some choice words when the stallion suddenly smiled. The way he smiled unsettled Iron Heart thoroughly. The stallion he’d leveled his shotgun at also saw the change.

“Will I become perfect, brother?” he asked. Iron Heart tried to understand what was going on and think of a plan at the same time. Neither came.

“Serve him in your perfect body in the next life, as you serve him in this one. Such is the promise for all his servants.” The conversation would have been insufferable to Iron Heart if he hadn’t noticed something even more terrifying. The light bathing stairway from near the top of the stairs and behind him changed.

Iron Heart couldn't fire. Despite his situation, it was a stallion's head at the end of his shotgun's muzzle. He wouldn’t do that to his captive unless the situation changed. He needed Grey to believe that. He needed himself to know that. To his chagrin, the situation changed. Iron Heart recognized the mechanical sound behind him as a gun being charged. He hunched his head forward and tried to make as small a target as possible while keeping his head out of everypony’s sight. One bullet punched through his armor and lodged itself in his body. He reared up and roared furiously.

Recovering and staying low, he boxed his captive, connecting with his jaw. In that jaw was a bit that serving as a trigger on his former captive's battle saddle. A rifle's report echoed violently in the confined space. The intruders lower on the stairs lost their composure when the bullet from the discharged rifle struck one of them. Iron Heart punched his former captive forward with his fore legs and bucked with his back legs as hard as he knew how. His front legs hadn't fully landed on the stairs, however, and that threw him off balance. His buck failed to connect with anything solidly, but his hind legs brushed against a metal tube on their way down, and a third shot rang out from behind him. This shot was sent wild and lodged itself deep into the wall.

Iron Heart turned around quickly, ignoring what happened to his former captive who tumbled bodily down the stairs and into his comrades, propelled by Iron Heart's strong push and helped along by gravity (for as much as he defied it, Iron Heart was happy gravity was coming to his aid for once). There were three shots in rapid succession and a pained whinny coming from below on the stairs. His eyes narrowed as he saw for the first time the mare at the top of the stairwell, the one that had silently approached and shot him.

She was trying to level her gun after his back legs had knocked her aim off. She was almost back, but her eyes met Iron Heart's, completely composed and pointing his shotgun almost at her nose. As they stared for a silent moment, Iron Heart heard shuffling and muffled shouting as the group downstairs sorted themselves out. The mare before him bore all the tribal garments and markings of her fellows. Unlike her body paint, though, her eyes were unique. They shone a deep off-ruby. In the low light they were stunning gems of their own secret fire. They were unsure. He shook his head. The silent message was a deafening “NO!”

The mare lowered her head. Iron Heart took the move for submission, as if a puppy was putting down the stick in her teeth for her master. The stick had a barrel, however, and that barrel drifted back in a dangerous direction, almost reaching Iron Heart. He never gave her the chance. Boxing her gun away, he felt awful about tonguing the trigger. The mare’s head exploded away from the stairwell, plastering the plaster of the hallway behind with a chunky red. It sprayed everywhere else, too. Iron Heart peered into the ruined seat of those two ruby jewels, ashamed. A tiny fountain pulsed black-red liquid onto the carpet as the mare bled out. Iron Heart exited the stairwell, shut the door, took a special stance just past the corner of the door, and sighed. Damn. DAMN!.

“DAMNIT!” He yelled at the door. "GIVE IT UP!"

A calm, mocking voice came back muffled, but audible, “Not until we’ve finished, vile one. Not until this house is purified.”

Great. This again. Iron Heart rolled the body away from the door with a hoof and returned once more to his position. “You know, we don’t have to be killing each other…”

“You’re right, filth, we only have to be killing you.” Dull thumps were followed shortly by splintering, cracking wood. Smoke curled up from the partially ruined door. Silence blanketed all the world. There was some clacking, crazy buckers, two louder thumps, and two more holes in the door. Once again there was silence.

After a long time, muffled hoof-steps plodded up the stairs.

An eye grew in one of the holes of the door, searching. It disappeared. Two strong hooves bucked the door open. Iron Heart boxed it shut directly on the pony that had started to gallop through. Iron Heart fell to the ground on his back, blocking the door with his weight, and kicked himself underneath the trapped pony. There was a revolver in the pony's teeth, which he spat out.

“Hel- BLAM,” were the only things the trapped pony managed to say. The door's eye grew back, looked down, and returned with a double barrel, arching to point down at Iron Heart. Iron Heart spat out his own shotgun. He used the cracks in the door, his legs, and his wings to push himself tail over head and back on all four hooves once again and deny the shotgun its target. He flung the door open, wrenching the gun away.

Inside, a pony's teeth cracked together as his jaws bit down on his tongue, trying to keep control of the gun and use the trigger. Iron Heart appeared in front of the pony, his gun on the floor between them. “Why?” Iron Heart asked. The earth pony, the one that had first replied, went for the shotgun. So did Iron Heart.

They reached it at the same time, but Iron Heart didn't stoop to pick it up. Instead, he simply kicked it in the stunned pony's face. All three, Iron Heart, this crazy earth pony, and the shotgun, tumbled down the stairs.

Some time later the door opened at the top of the stair. “Iron Heart!” a cheerful voice beamed into the darkness. “Remember how you asked me to make friends? Well, I-“ Grey stopped short. One square of light pierced the darkness from the landing. The hallway’s walls were spattered and smeared. Iron Heart stood heaving over a mare’s corpse near the bottom of the stairs. He'd been dragging her body below. Iron Heart’s eyes looked up in the darkness. “Uh oh.”

Two unicorns emerged from behind Grey. One held a sledge hammer in his muzzle while the other levitated a sharpened shovel. They circled around Grey and made their way toward the monstrous eyes. “No wait!” Grey pleaded. The two brushed him aside when he tried to stop them. “Please, I can explain. Brother? Sister!” Nopony answered Grey. Not a single reply came as the two moved down the stairs. Iron Heart's eyes darted away, his form rounding the corner.

Grey tried one more time to get in front of them, maybe even block their way as they descended, but the mare gave him a buck square to his chest and Grey dropped, gasping for air. “No!” He managed between gasps. “I can ex- we can work…” a fit of coughing took over. The mare split into two, and as she reached the bottom of the stairs, her horn flared crimson and she split into four.

Iron Heart was already in a favorable position, hovering to the doorway's side. The second the second mare came into the first room he fired. He didn’t feel concerned about revealing his position, now that the second pony was in the room, he could focus on the lead… What the hell? His mind raced, trying to grasp the situation. There were more ponies than there should have been; a lot more. What was worse, other things troubled his subconscious, but it wasn’t bothering to share.

In his confusion, Iron Heart bobbed in the air. A hammer flew through air and smoke, striking his side. The blow knocked the wind out of him and would have been savage but for the armor covering him. He landed to catch his breath C'mon baby barding blue, hold together! C'mon you stupid pepgasus, think!

A second hammer caught him less unaware than the first, and rolled with the blow. That lessened the impact, but sent him sliding across the floor. The first hammer was waiting, though, and came down on him when he stopped. The second blow landed on his haunch, causing it to seize. Without waiting, he took wing. There was a strange woosh of air that ruffled his feathers. A clank of metal on stone rang out from where he’d just been.

“Vat vhe?” Flying just below the ceiling so as not to hit his head, he became instinctually aware that moving would be a really good idea. A third hammer brushed through his tail as he flew to the opposing corner of the room.

“Bon’t bou... buckers… bie!” A few raining shells and roars from his weapon punctuated his speech. As he hovered, he fired at the remaining three targets. Suddenly the three targets were down to one. Iron Heart saw the second mare drop forward with scattered red dots cruelly pocking her back, but the other two were nowhere. He tounged his trigger once more. There was a click and nothing else. “Bam!”

Iron Heart landed in the center of the room and started furiously working with the gun in his hooves, trying to clear the jam. The mare struggled to get to her hooves, but they buckled underneath her. She panted softly. A number of bottles rattled, shattered, and there was a loud thump. Iron Heart scanned the room vigorously for an explanation. A single bottle, still filled with the unknown liquid bumped against a hoof. As it rebounded lightly, his hooves continued to work while mental pieces started to shift into place.

Some bottles had rolled around as if a pony had slipped on them, others shattered as if a pony had fallen on them. Yet the mare was in the wrong place to run into his trap. His mind and his weapon came together again with a metallic snap. His trap had been tripped. The other thing bothering his subconscious bubbled to the top. Iron Heart brought the gun to bear on the center of his trap. Nopony could be seen. His combat shotgun roared all the same.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! The bottles shattered. Scatter shot ricocheted into the stonework wall, and a slight red mist sprayed and nothing more. Peering close he thought he saw a few red dots appear on the ground. His world buckled and spun. Before he knew what happened, he was looking at the ceiling, while yet another mare (Iron Heart thought it looked like the one that was wounded on the ground, maybe even a copy) was looking down at him, a hammer in her mouth.

He stared curiously at the mare looking down. With a glance the mare on the ground, the first thing bothering his mind surfaced. The mares were all the same. The stallion was missing. Multiple magics were in play, and he finally knew what they were. Iron Heart rolled once more. He sprung to his hooves and used his wings to lift him off the ground. While the room still spun, he kept moving, trusting in his wings and momentum more than anything to keep his balance. He stopped over the mare still on the ground, bleeding. She looked at him, her horn glowing a fierce crimson.

“Please don’t. Stop. Just stop.” His ears worked, straining to hear what he knew was coming. “Stop and this all gets better. I can get you better.” Hoofsteps approached as quietly as they could. Iron Heart still heard them clearly as they worked across the stone floor. “Please.” he pleaded. The mare looked around. Her breathing was labored, her mind looked like it was trying to decide something. The mare fixed his gaze. Iron Heart cocked his head as he noticed the focus in her eyes change. It shifted to look behind him. There it was- her decision.

Diving had become standard for Iron Heart. His experience and practice had been heavy recently, and he put that to good use. A wedge opened up in the mare's flesh and she cried out. A sledgehammer came down on her and the pony holding it disappeared.

“N-n-noooo!” Grey screamed. “Why? Why! It’s not supposed to be like this, it never was!” He was hugging the door frame to the room, sobbing. He galloped to Iron Heart, shoving him away. Iron Heart bumped into something. Or something bumped into him.

“Grey? Grey! Shut up and listen! I can't see 'em. Some kinda.” Iron Heart was knocked a few feet. He fought to keep his balance, unable to tell if the blow broke through his armor. Grey wasn't even paying attention. “GREY!”

“She's dying Iron Heart!”

“I'm about to join her! HE'S INVISIBLE!” That caught Grey's attention. He looked over at Iron Heart, who hobbled across the room (his haunch was still locked), trying to avoid a death he couldn't see, couldn't fight back against, couldn't... couldn't... Grey looked down sadly at the mare by his hooves, his recent friend. He looked at his other new friend, or at least tried to, seeing only empty space. Next at Iron Heart. Why did he have to choose?

“Stop it! Both of you!” Grey squeaked weakly, like he was yelling at an ocean tide to go away, and the ocean wasn't listening. Iron Heart fell, a line of red trailing up from the ground to Iron Heart, to a blade that might as well have been made of air. Angry, confused, Grey's panicked mind settled.

A gray tiny light flared over his horn. It was accompanied by his tiny voice growling low, then rising higher in pitch toward a scream. The light on his horn started to grow, too. Somewhere near the middle of his ascending pitch, it reverberated. While he wasn't very loud, the whole room began to sing along with him. Iron Heart and his unseen attacker stopped, dumbfounded and looked at Grey. Soon the room wasn't just bathed in sound, but in light. An axe, a unicorn, and a glowing magical aura cast a three dimensional shadow. A similar shadow shone around Iron Heart. “There,” called the room in a matter-of-fact tone, “now you're even.”

“Not hardly.” The shadow turned its attention from Grey to the pony at his hooves, a recovered shotgun meeting his gaze. He swung his axe. A shotgun blast roared in the smallish space. The monotone gray of the room softened and died away. A pony did the same.

Addendum I:
The following communique has been censored for administrative review.
-Officer 34
Office of Wartime Intelligence

Attachment to official dispatch containing orders for Cdr ---------
Upon reviewing your reported findings and the quite spirited letter containing your unexpected request, I have been asked by the Council to provide the following response.

Despite your repeated insistence to the contrary, this council can find no legitimate grounds for disciplinary action (or any action for that matter) that would hinder Lt Clnl Penelope or those ponies under her command. And while we appreciate that you have taken it upon yourself to critique, nay, investigate those under a different command, allow us to integrate your own words into this official dispatch of orders: numbers do not lie, and neither do results.

Lt Clnl Penelope has flourished in her current command. Her dedication to the good of the Enclave as demonstrated by her outstanding results is exemplary. The Council is impressed with her progress- and that is not an assessment we take lightly. For the first time since the start of surface integration, the ponies under her command have shown enthusiasm for the progress being made. An enthusiasm, we might add, seemingly absent in other, more defensive, commands.

The success in this sector of our intelligence community, wartime operations, and civilian infrastructure has been a much needed boost for morale. Nopony else seems to have been able to provide the level of dedication or service that she and those under her command have accomplished.

This leads us to the following actions. First of all, as you may have already noticed, 2nd Lt Penelope is hereby promoted to the rank of Lt Clnl. From this time forward she will be addressed and treated with all the rights and privileges pursuant to her current rank.

Furthermore, we have considered and accepted your request for reassignment. Lt Clnl Penelope has been given complete operational control of Operation ------------------. Finally, you are hereby assigned as her liaison to the Council for the duration of this operation. You are to personally report to her headquarters with your new orders immediately.

Who knows, after the loss of Neighvarro and the debacle at Dragon Mountain, the experience of working with Lt Clnl Penelope may even inspire results within your own commission.

Secretary of the Council, written on their behalf

LEVEL UP
New Perk: Breadth of Magic
Your hunger for knowledge has allowed you to learn magic of all kinds. While this versatility is unique, it comes at a price. The number of spells you can learn each level is doubled. Any spells learned above the normal amount have their effectiveness halved.

Who cares about using any of it? I just want to know how it works!

LEVEL UP
New Perk: First, Do Know Harm
You gain a +5% damage bonus when doing damage. Be careful, though, this bonus applies to all damage done by you- including any damage inflicted to allies!

Being good at taking ponies apart does not qualify you for surgery. Surgeons actually put ponies back together when they're done!

Author's Note

-Ch. 12 Complete