The hug I gave her was so strong she started beating on my leg a bit to let me go. Once I finally did, she was panting, like I'd been keeping her from breathing. Maybe I was. What did it matter, she's safe!-ish. The pounding on the door being any indication.

Everything settled for now, Data came up to me, no smile on her face. Instead she slapped me. "Don't you ever scare me like that again Dad!" She followed this up with a neck crushing hug of her own. "I thought I lost you, just like Mom....."

So that was my crime. Can't say I didn't deserve. She'd been in the room , but I didn't even see her until I woke up again. So she probably heard me tell Trigger to run, not even looking for her, so I didn't even think to try to hold on. Guess the truth is we're all more like Them than I thought. Data chose that moment to sniffle. Must have been stuck here alone for who knows how long. The only company a deranged professor, and one of her favorite ones at that.

One of the chairs falls out of place on the barricade. Trigger moves to put it back. He turned back to us, a fearful look, and Data looked about. I groaned. We were all together, but we had no way out.

"This seems unfair...." I Set Data on my back before grabbing more things for the barricade. Not much left to add. The desks were in place, I didn't have a screwdriver to loosen Charge's desk, which would work so much better. The banging continues, on and on. My thought fall back to the changeling. Nopony could ever corroborate his story. His tale might have been a chance for peace. Instead we have this living hell to deal with.

Trigger begins to tear up. "Momma's down there, what if she wakes up and those things get her?" They either already have, or she's one of them in that case. I pull him close.

"Trigger listen to me. Even if she's alive, she wouldn't want you getting hurt to try to get to her. That's the thing about parents. Even if they seem harsh, they'll always value their child's life over their own." Trigger looked up to me, almost wishing I hadn't said what I had. He began sniffling, then buried himself in my chest. Data hopped down, sitting close to him. All the while with the pounding of those feral beasts at the door. Made me think of that one book I read a while back. A father and his two kids, waiting in a room while the undead pounded on the door. Only difference, I didn't have any ammo for my gun, and....we were kinda undead too.

Trigger ends up latching onto data quickly after she starts nuzzling him a bit. They're in kind now. Rapid's not gonna take the news well. I take the moment to look over the book from earlier. Flipping through it yields little. There's mention of the Crystal Heart, griffonian crossbows, and many recent entries, rifles, M.E.W.'s, even mention of some of the more devastating things to come out of Zebrica.

One caught my eye here, particularly the Littlehorn Incident. The details are few, but it's all there, an unnatural, toxic pink cloud, with only one known survivor. The only scary part is the image it shows, and how thin the cloud seems to be. By the Sun and Moon, if such a diluted version could do that.....

I snap the book shut, pondering over this development. So only one known survivor of Littlehorn. Guess we technically can't be called survivors either. Victims seems more appropriate.

Well, knowledge in any form can be valuable, so perhaps time to take stock of what I know. First off, the ones outside seem to have degraded mentally. We haven't. It's not limited to ponies who potentially can go without mental degradation, if the changeling was anything to go by. The feral ones see us as food, even if we're as much a rotting corpse as they are.

I lift my hoof to my face, looking it over. It seems gnarled, and misshapen. The flesh oozes around my pipbuck, sealing it on far better than any lock ever could. My coat itself seems only a sickly discoloration, but looking closer, it's definitely not fine fur anymore. It's a welded together mass. The polished gunmetal gray sheen it had a distant memory, now only a pink hue remained.

Sighing, I start going through the desk, looking for anything of use. An enchanting class, maybe something. Didn't expect bullets, or a 10mm pistol in the drawer. Just what was Internal charge planning with a gun anyway? Doesn't matter, ammo, so we may have a chance. My heart sinks when the bullet count only reaches sixteen. There had to be more out there. Every other drawer revealed little aside from bottle caps, trinkets for enchanting practice, and a few bobby pins. Nothing else to pocket, they get set in my bag as well.

With that done, I load up the 10mm. With the way things are turning out, gonna need it. Holding it up at the ready, I start moving towards the door, trying to plot out our best course, when several shots crack off elsewhere, possibly from outside.

In an instant I'm at the window, looking out. A couple flashes of light come from nearby, followed by the sound of more gunshots. Somepony else mentally sound! Whoever it was, they were making their way here, cause those last few sounded much closer.

The clouds swirl a bit, dissipating enough to let me get a glimpse. That Burgundy coat, I'd recognize it anywhere. I can't help but grin. WE were getting out of here!

“Rapid!” Just me yelling his name out got Trigger's attention. He rushed over as well, quickly followed by Data. Rapid himself turned to look our way. Couldn't tell if he was grinning or not from here, but he didn't look our way too long. Two ferals came bounding out of the cloud at him. Not skipping a beat he leveled his weapon on them. Quite the find with a service rifle. Three shots at each and they were down. Still he kept his gun trained on the cloud as he backed up towards us, yet no more came. Giving it one more minute, he put the gun away and looked back to us.

“Eclipse you rotten weasel! Knew you were too stubborn to die to this!”

“Could say the same for yourself! And looks who's here!” With that I pulled both Data and Trigger up into view. Even with a bad view, I could see some of the pain wash away.

“You....you found Trigger? Oh thank Celestia......” He collapsed. Still looking up at us. “What about...what about Grapevine?” I merely lower my gaze. “No........”

“Hey, hey now, we're all OK, Trigger's OK, but we're in a bit of a bind up here! We've got the door barricaded, but there's at least twenty of those feral things outside. I don't want to see how long a barricade of desks holds them. You got any ideas?” He looked back up to us, thinking it over. Never mind, he was probably trying to file away his grief. I know the pain, but I had time. He stood up and started walking away. “Rapid, wait!”

“Hold on Eclipse, I got an idea.” His horn glowed, and he began dragging along the two corpses of the ferals, before tossing them into the bushes underneath the window. Oh no he was not considering that was he? “OK, you're gonna jump down on these.” He was. Well nothing doing. If it was our only option. Unless there was a ladder shop nearby. Pfft, doubtful.

“OK, but we're gonna add one more.” I set the foals down and start dragging Internal's body to the window. Data looks at me in fear.

“You're just tossing him out?” She started backing away like I had lost my mind. I groaned, looking over.

“Only a little bit ago Internal pretty much succeeded in goring me with his horn, plus he had gone batpony crap crazy. So really, not caring enough right now.” OK, maybe that was a bit too harsh to say. Data looked a bit dejected, but stayed put for the moment. I got Internal propped up on the sill, and push him out. I heard a squelch, followed by Rapid adjusting the pile.

“OK, all set, go for it!” I look to the foals, though neither of them really wanna move. OK, jumping from a third story window onto a pile of three bodies that the two living adults involved killed. Retrospect, could see that as off putting.

CRACK!

A section of the doorway gave out, letting a hoof and several snarls into the room in full. That barricade wouldn't last for long! In a sweep I grabbed both of them up, set them on my back, and jumped out. I landed stomach first, and gotta say, bodies don't really cushion a fall all that well. It was enough to hurt, and knock the wind out of me, which coincidentally sent a concentrated blast of the cloud right in Rapid's face. It'd have been comical if we hadn't been fleeing for our lives.

The kids made it through unscathed. That was the important part. Before I even landed from the first bounce, Rapid was grabbing Trigger up in a hug. I pulled Data close as we watched for the moment.

“Trigger....I thought I lost you.” Try and hide it all you want, you're crying Rapid. Nopony's gonna care. With the hell we've been in, a few tears means nothing. Trigger himself begins sobbing into Rapids shoulder. Truthfully he held up well during this. Regardless, we can't stay.

“I hate to interrupt, but we should get somewhere out of the open.” I lift Data off the ground and onto my back, pulling out the 10mm at the same time, holding it steady as I can. My shadow breaks up a bit as a small section stretches up my leg and side to hold it up.

“I ever tell you how creepy that looks Eclipse? Seriously, why not levitation?” Rapid sets Trigger on his own back. “Cause watching your own shadow crawl up you just makes me think it's possessed or something.”

I merely smirk. “Never really came to me any other way. Just how my magic is buddy.” Muted in the cloud, a few gunshots carry to us. Far off, too far to find the source. May those poor souls make it. “Come on, we're not exactly safe out here.”

The roads of Canterlot are just plain creepy without the normal hustle and bustle one saw every day. So many places seemed deadened or worse as we passed. Didn't help three times we got assaulted by more of those ferals. A quick bullet to the head was much cleaner at least. We made few stops, either to look for survivors as blips came on my EFS, or find food that hadn't been rotted away by the cloud. Only a few canned goods were still edible, and even then, the rust on the cans said that might not be so for long. Whether we died to the cloud or to starvation, it was going to be our end it seemed.

“Well hello to you two again!” The voice called out to us as we passed the guard station, it seemed oddly familiar, and all it took was one look at the door to show who. The very same pony who had been peddling drugs, sitting there with a very odd looking pipe in mouth. His eyes seemed a bit shrunken, though the waft of purplish smoke coming from the pipe itself may have had something to do with it. “So the guards of Canterlot failed us again! Even with your fancy new weapons too.”

Rapid glared over at him. “You're one to talk buddy. Just sitting back, trying to get honest workers to cough up their bits for bad habits.” He took one step forward before I put a hoof on his shoulder.

“Let him be, he won't last long against anything he attracts with all his yelling.” Rapid looked at me like I was nuts. Yeah sure the pony was a scumbag, but with how things were, he'd attract a hungry feral within an hour. I merely give him a glare. “You value your life, or whatever it can be called now, find someplace you can actually barricade. There's more out there willing to eat your face off.”

“Oh I know....I know indeed.” He stepped aside, showing several bodies draped in the station. Many were, bitten into, he merely smiled. “And look! I have plenty of food, care to join me.....or care to donate?”

Data cringed back behind me. I didn't see what Trigger did, though Rapid himself took a step back, muttering something about them being sick.

The next moment I had the 10mm pointed right at his skull, and out of his coat he pulled a revolver. Of course he still had that. The peddler merely smiled once again, making me flare in anger. I never took my gaze off him, a simple haze clouding out most else around me.

He was the first to break the silence “Yeah, I can use you for a pie. I'm thinking, carving your skull open and dumping the contents in a nice graham crust, then stuff it in an oven for about, oh, two hours. Should be lovely, the filly can have the first slice.” He didn't get further than a small chuckle, which left him a bullet in the head. The dull pink glow from it faded quickly.

“May the Princess's mercy be with you, for I have none to spare for you.” I snatched up his revolver. All six rounds, and then I found twelve more in his pockets. Pulling out the revolver Trigger found earlier, everything matched up. I kept his revolver, in case we might need another ready to go.

Looking back to the others, the reaction was mixed. Data was shaking, holding onto Trigger. Trigger seemed a bit nonchalant. He had been that way about me killing before. Then again those were feral monsters. This was a sane, well, mostly sane, pony. I blame violent hologames for his indifference.

Rapid looked at me like I was a demon or something. As I came closer, he put a hoof up. “Eclipse, your eyes.....they're a rose pink, right?”

I cocked an eyebrow, what was this about? “Yeah, why?”

Both Trigger and Data seemed to catch what he meant, though I had no idea. “Cause right now the irises are red.” Wait what? I turned around and looked in a window. Sure enough, my reflection showed red irises, yet as I looked at them in confusion, they shifted back.

“Trick of the light maybe....Or, eh. Does it matter?” I turned back to the three of them. Rapid seemed to relax.

“Yeah, maybe, but don't do that again Eclipse! We shouldn't be tossing ourselves at situations right now!” He turned and started walking off, Trigger following behind.

I stood there for a moment, Data beside me. Rapid had a point. We're just trying to get somewhere safe, and stopping at everything we come across wasn't helping. I sigh, following after. More ammo was good at least.

Soon Home comes into view. A small place like before, yet even in this pink cloud it still brought a small warmth to be back. Rapid headed over to the house next door with Trigger. That was his own place, so it left Data and me alone for now. I unlocked the door and let us in, before flopping on the couch, with Data sitting in the chair next to it. She still seemed a bit shaken up, but we could pull through.

“Wujeeta's gone. She didn't wake up like I did. She didn't wake up like professor Charge did. Just, laid there. Dead.”

“Data....”

“No, no I get it now. It's just not fair though. She wasn't a part of this stupid war, I wasn't, you weren't. So why are we hurt by it?”

“Data. We put faith that the Princesses were leading us right. Every report was saying the war was going to be over soon. The zebras....just pulled a desperation move I guess. Still, it's going to be over soon. Then....I don't know, maybe some doctors can help us.”

She didn't answer, just sitting there. I got off the couch and went into the kitchen. Most of the food was in the fridge, so that was sealed at least. Probably get a decent meal out of it, then stick to canned food where we can.

The second I opened the fridge those hopes were dashed. A concentrated amount of the cloud puffed out. When it cleared, it was easy to tell the food hadn't fared at all. Nothing but warped rot, just like our skin. Well, there was cider at least. That was still sealed, though It looked to be swirling a bit in the bottle. Did anything hold this stuff out?

“Buck it.” I grabbed one, popping it open with a flick of it's shadow, and took one large gulp. It tasted aged, in a bad way, but still like apple cider. I took the bottle back into the living room. Data was sitting there, tapping buttons on the TV with her magic. Surprising the electricity works, now that I think about it. Too bad television reception stank now. Static, static, more static. Every channel static.

Data groaned, turning it off. “Even TV's dead.....”

“Hey now, we can't be certain of that. Could just be something causing interference. We could always put on a holotape or something.”

She laid flat. Ears drooped. “No, it's your turn to pick, and you always pick the same one.”

“Oh come on! Spacebulls is a classic!”

“It's only a year old, and the first hour and a half is just a big ship flying by slowly, until finally you see the end of it, with a bumper stick 'We brake for nopony.' All that for an overly corny plot.”

“So that's a yes?”

“Fine........”

I practically squee, flitting through our holotape collection until I find it, and set it to play. The opening credits begin to roll, and that's when the power cuts out.

“Oh come on!” Had I been paying attention, I would have noticed Data's horn had stopped glowing then.

Well, at least the books seemed in OK condition. Let Data do something while I got things together. Namely my cleaning supplies for my hoof blade. Letting it slip out, I took my first good look at it since earlier today. The blade was covered in blood, sure, but while that came out easily enough, the pinkish hue it had taken on didn't. Maybe it was the cloud's work again. Doubted it'd mean much.

I was just finishing with the polish when a knock came at the door. With a thought I swung it open with the knob's shadow. Rapid and Trigger.

“Yo...can we stay here tonight?” He almost looks fearful. What's brought this on?

“Well, yeah, but why?” I let my blade retract as I hop off the couch. Rapid's been acting strange since we found each other, but this, even this seems too far out.

“Umm...it's kinda...” He looks away for a moment, down at his leg, when his eyes pop a bit wide. “I felt it better we stick close, in case more of those things show up.”

“Good point....alright, you two have the guest room, first door on the right upstairs.” Without a thanks he rushes up, without Trigger, leaving the colt to hop up on a chair.

Really, the best term to describe the next few moments was awkward. I hopped back on the couch, with nothing really said, only the occasional turning of a page.

“So, Trigger....” He looked away from me. Probably not in the mood to talk. Another page turned. I adjusted myself a bit to have a hoof free. The couch creaked a bit under my weight. Hold on a second, it didn't do that earlier. Adjusting myself again, it made no sound. With a shrug, we all return to the silence.

Said silence is broken as the creaking noise returns. All three of us look about for the source. Nothing. Again a creak, and finally I look up, just in time for several cracks to sound out, and half the ceiling falls. With it the bed from the guest room falls, Rapid on it. Luckily nopony was under it. Rapid was face down in the bed.

“Rapid, you alright?” Slowly he looked up and about, the small frame in his front hooves slipped from them. I got a clear look at the photo. His and Grapevine's wedding. Both of them had cake on their face, grinning like idiots. So that's what it was.

He looked over to me, nodding slowly. Parts of his face were stained wet. He'd been crying. Hopping off the couch, I moved over, putting a hoof on his shoulder as he lay there.

“Look, it's, not going to be easy, I know. Grapevine was a wonderful mare, and you were everything to her, and her you, I get it. But Trigger's gonna need you to be strong, OK?” Rapid blinked a few times and looked away.

“I...I don't know how Eclipse....without her I feel lost. Like there's no point.” He slumped down on the broken bed. “I guess, I just need time to think.”

“Of course.....” I look at the kids, Data's watching, a hint of sorrow. She's probably thinking of her mother. Trigger's crying. I sit down next to the bed, thinking myself. This cloud's turned so many lives upside down, killed so many. This war has been a blight.....something needs to be done.

I stand up once again, heading upstairs. Bedroom, guest room, office, ah, storage. Inside is a whole assortment of things collected by myself and the family. Notes on our history, theories on origins, our family's work for generations. What sits in the middle is a simple lock box. Opening it slowly, the plush contents are revealed. Despite the damage the cloud has done to everything else, the Ember family amulet looks as shiny and clean as ever. I slip it around my neck, the coolness of the metal a strange sensation for the moment. It will pass. I gather a few more things, a holster for the revolver to cinch around my waist, more ammunition for it, and some extra for the 10mm, then a set of saddlebags. Next I pull my armor down. The fit is off due to my shirt, but what can be done? A few more buckles in place, the holster set, and the revolver and 10mm loaded, I make my way back down.

“I'm heading out, possibly to find some supplies, and hopefully some clues on this cloud.” Data looks away, not wanting to show her tears. “I know, but everypony's more prepared. I have plenty of ammunition, so I should be fine. I'm just heading up the road to the market district.” Still she doesn't look my way. Rapid's already moved to the couch with Trigger next to him. Rapid merely nods.

“Alright....I'll watch over them, but don't go too far.” I give him a small salute, and head out the door.

Again the roads seem oddly calm. Nopony alive in sights, and my EFS doesn't give away anything is out there either. The streets themselves are littered with corpses, all malformed, and stuck to it like bubble gum left out in the sun. It didn't take long before the tell tale moan of one rising reached my ears. Off to the left, EFS hadn't picked it up yet. Before it even got situated I had my 10mm trained on it.

It was a dog. A Germane Shepard by the looks of it. It looks about, sniffing around, before turning my way. Great. It started snarling, moving slowly my way. The eyes couldn't tell me a thing. Was it a mindless feral, or did it think I was just intruding? I start backing away. Our eyes stayed locked, each of us waiting for the other to falter, look away. With a rough bark, it charges, leaving me no options. It gets halfway before I fire. No time to react, it slumps over, the bullet hole in it's skull glowing a dull pink.

Poor thing was just an animal, yet another victim in this. May it find it's owner in the after. I turn, looking about to make sure nothing else was about, before a voice reaches my ears, off a different road

“Mirabelle, where our you? AGH, son of a- Curse these bodies. Somepony should sweep them up. Great, a stain, smells like rotten carrots.” Around a corner another pony trots out. Wearing what could have passed for a fine suit before all this, not anymore though. I don't even point my gun, it's clear he's not one of them.

“Hey! Great, another survivor!” I start over, but when he spots me he runs up to me.

“Oh good, finally, a guard that's actually competent enough to be alive right now.” He was grinning at me in a weird way.

“Well, I'd use alive loosely....”

“Nonsense, you're here, breathing. But that's not important. What is, is finding my poor lost puppy Mirabelle. She's a Germane Shepard, and such a sweet thing. Wearing a collar studded with diamonds too. Have you seen her?”

“You mean that dog, over there?” I point to the one that had attacked me, only a short ways away. He rushes over, looking the poor thing over.

“Mirabelle, oh my poor sweet Mirabelle.....what is this hole in her head....” He looks to me, his face scrunched like I'd started giving off a scent of rotten tomatoes.

“Well, hate to break it, but your dog attacked. I didn't have a choice but to put her down.” His jaw dropped. Like I insulted him directly. “Look, I'm sorry, but I'm just trying to-”

“Now you listen here you upstart, lame pathetic excuse for a guard! Mirabelle cost me a pretty sum of bits to have sent from Germaneigh. Oh, when all this pink smog nonsense blows over, you're certain to have your title stripped. I'll make sure you never get a bit ever again!” He had stomped over to me during his rant, getting in my face, which was hard since he was a good half a head shorter.

“Look I'm sorry but-”

“Sorry? Is sorry going to bring her back, no! I demand you pay me right now for the damages you've done, or so help me I'll take this to court. Your career, your funds, your home, all gone!” Oh that was it. I grab him by the neck of his suit.

“Now you listen here Mr. born into money. You've already given me a headache as is. Your dog had intentions to murder me and possibly eat me, so don't go thinking it's my fault they're dead. Second, this pointless pink smog as you put it, is bucking Littlehorn agent you dolt! The same stuff used to kill all those children! Third, Take a damn good look in a mirror when you get a chance, cause your outside finally looks as bad as your inside! Get good look, cause that's what you really are, and now, your threats to take all I own are meaningless. I've already lost most of my worldly possessions in this, so you can go rot in a hole for all I care!” I toss him on a corpse, the satisfying sound of squelching as it no doubt leaves another stain. He yells out in pain. Well shit, he got a jagged rib through his gut.

“You, you just assaulted me....I'll have your head for this!” He jumps up at me, but stops when he sees the revolver in the grip of my shadow, pointed right at him.

“Advice, don't piss me off any more buddy. I'm going to leave, and you're not going to follow. I happen to cross paths with you by chance later, I'll do nothing as long as you keep your mouth shut.” He looks to me, then to the gun, then back to me, before turning tail and running. The revolver goes back in it's holster, leaving me holding the 10mm again. I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of a window. Again my irises are red. I shake my head, and they return to their normal rose pink. What's going on there anyway?

Didn't matter for now, the market district was just ahead. A few shops were opened up, and several blips on my EFS were showing. Carefully, I slide into a general store. Two others are there, rifling through everything on the shelves. Other survivors, I slip out before they spot me and move on.

Next store has nopony in it, so I begin my search there, mostly going for preserved foods and canned goods. They'd take longer. Several bottles of water ere there, but all of them were swirling pink. Probably not any good. My saddlebags fill up quickly, all manner of foods that should stay good for however long we need them to.

Those two I had left alone were coming out of that store at the same time I came out of my spot. We looked to each other for a moment, the two of them holding onto all manner of goods, fearful. I sigh and walk over, before simply passing them.

“I'm not taking you in for something I'm guilty of too here....” They both look relieved and rush off. I continue on my way back, keeping an eye out for ferals. A beep comes up on my pipbuck. Odd, don't recall setting an alarm. Looking down at it, it says something about a new station being found, labeled 'help, please.' Sighing, I pop in my earpiece to listen.

”-can come here immediately. This message loops. To anypony out there, this is Sound Byte of WYNG. I was able to jury rig the generator for the building, but not without some help from the neighbors. Anyway, If anypony is out there and listening, I ask if you're wondering if the cloud will ever stop, if they can come here immediately. This message loops.”

I pull it out immediately. Well, we got a lead, but for now, I need to get this stuff home. My pace quickens. Several homes pass by, including the one the dog was by. There's that idiot again, though sucks for him, two ferals have him up a lamppost. I start moving by in an attempt to not catch their eyes. He's wailing for help.....

Faust bucking dammit! I pull both my revolver and the 10mm and train it on the two ferals, sending a shot into the one on the right one's noggin. The other one takes the 10mm in the gut. Both go down. I rush over and pump a revolver shot into the second one's head, leaving both dead for good.

“There, I killed your dog, so I saved your plot to make up for it, we're bucking even, bye!” I rush off to home, leaving him flabbergasted.

My home doesn't come into view quick enough. Slowing to a stop in front of the door, I push it open. The scene inside has the TV on, and a hologame running, with Rapid, Data, and Trigger sitting on the relocated guest bed.

“OK, now get the one on the right. Keep an eye on your health. That's it, no wait that one's got a rocket launcher!”

“I know dad, I'm concentrating!” A few sounds that seemed nothing like explosions sounded from the TV, and game over washed on the screen. “Buck it all to Tartarus!”

I facehoof. “Language, Trigger.” Everypony looks my way, and Data rushes up, giving me a hug.

“You're back....I thought you might be gone...”

“Hey, I'm tougher than that. Only two of them overall, oh, and one dog. Gave it's owner an earful after.” I set her down, and pull the saddlebags off. A multitude of canned goods, preserved foods, and the like. Even a couple bottles of Sunrise Sarsaparilla. “Decent load too. Almost wish I hadn't bought groceries right before all this happened. The bits might have been useful.”

Rapid hops off the bed “Nice spread I'd say. Though, any luck on news?” I nod, pulling up the station, playing the message once again for everypony to hear.

“So, We'll rest for tonight. If anypony else wants to go find out more, I'm heading in the morning.” Rapid looks away. Trigger just goes back to the game. “Data?”

“I...I don't wanna go back out there....I don't want you to either.” She starts tearing up, I hold a hoof under her chin.

“I know sweetie. But If it gets rid of the cloud, we can start rebuilding. If nothing is done, this might spread out beyond Canterlot. If you don't want to go, that's fine. I promise I'll come back from it.”

“But...but what if we can't breathe without it anymore?”

“Now that's.....” Actually a very good question. I sigh. “You've got a point, but, the pain it caused when I was running through it to the school to find you....I wouldn't wish that on anyone else, pony or zebra. If the cloud spreads, so many more will suffer from it.” She sniffled a bit, but nodded all the same. She wanted me to stay....dammit I wish I could, but I had my duty as a royal guard to do. Even if it's my last act.

Level 4!

Anger pains - situations that make you mad draw out an inner fire. Irises of eyes turn red, +1 to strength and agility, and all damage received is reduced 10% when in an angered state.

Author's Note

Ok, this chapter gave me trouble. I see now where I have problems overall, and that's juggling usage of multiple characters. Hopefully as I continue to work on this, I can improve in that aspect.

but yeah, chapter 3,