Chapters Life. A whole world bustling full of bright happy faces. I don't know how it happened or why, and I don't really care to know either. Too many were lost to change anything, and I didn't really give a shit anyways.
First reports I heard were out of Fillydelphia; Something about a pathogen or a virus or something like that. Real heavy shit with the military was next- killings, bombings, ect. That was when the prison's warden cut the television for all inmates. Oh, maybe I forgot to tell you, I was a prisoner back then; No. 5582975. Hard time lock up in Neighvada state prison. About a month and a half after that, royal guard showed up in our cell block, asking for anypony to fight for the Princesses, promising pardons for all who did.
Maybe they recognized our talents as effeciant killers was what a lot of the inmates said, But I knew the real reason deep down was that their precious goddesses were desperate. Yeah I said I'd do it, I mean what the fuck else was I gonna say? "No thank you, I'd like to sit in a 12x12 cell until I fucking rot"?
I took a gamble on it, just like the rest of my life and it paid off... mostly.
They gave us each a gun and lined us up in front of Hoofington's healthcare clinic with the rest of their small military.
Fuck it, you probably already know what happened next, the place was infested with ponies who had got the disease trying to stay safe from it.The wind blew thickly through my coat, as I stood, wings outstretched as I stood atop a small bluff overlooking what used to be the small town of Ponyville.
"Hey Shady, it's time to go" a voice behind me spoke up.
"A minute you faggot" I spat back. I hated being called Shady.
"Geez Shady, don't get so uptight. It ain't good for you. Besides, the commander said to move out like 5 minutes ago, so move your plot"
I sighed. As much as I was my own mare, I couldn't disagree with the commander.
"Coming"
"Yeah, and about damn time too"
"Ace, if you don't shut the fuck up, I'm gonna castrate your ass"
He gulped. Most of the ponies in my regiment knew what I was capable of doing to those things, and even to the occasional raiding party, so my threats were almost never doubted.
As we neared the mouth of the cave where our humvees were parked, a jumble of voices and rowdy shouts could be heard surrounding a small campfire in the midst of the cave.
I facehoofed. "Seriously?" "that's the third time this week!"
Yet another fight had broken out between soldiers over Celestia knows what this time.
"Ace give me your shotgun" He hoofed it over without a sound, and scrambled back in case worst came to worst
It was a shame to waste a round, but we couldn't afford any more injuries than when I had decide it would be a good idea to just beat off the attackers by martial arts.
Standing behind the group who were now kicking a young mare in military fatigues, I cocked the gun, raised it, and pulled the trigger.
The group fell away into a jumbled formation and saluted roughly, leaving the groaning mare crying gently on the ground My gaze was hard and cold as I scanned the group with my one good eye.
"You all disgust me." I began. "What the hell was this all about?"
Their eyes turned downcast, and one by one, their salutes dropped, and their eyes followed suit.
"Oh, so that's it huh?" "That's all you're gonna say?"
I turned to the nearest soldier and grabbed him by the throat with my iron claw. "I SAID WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS ABOUT!"
He let out a choked scream, and spluttered out- "She got caught fillyfoolin' with one of them prisoners!"
My grip slackened, and then dropped back to the ground. I didn't show it in my eyes, but I had deep fear when these things happened. Not just for the other pony, but also for myself. If anypony ever found out....
"What's going on over here?"
I spun around suprised to see the commander in full battle gear approach from the mouth of the cave.
"I told you all to move out 10 fucking minuites ago."
I cleared my voice, and spoke in a shaky tone. "We have another CR64 sir"
His gaze fell upon the blue unicorn lying bruised, beaten, and crying next to the line of soldiers.
"Aww no." Sadness and disapointment dripped heavily from his words.
"Not Midnight too. You had such great potential, why the hell would you waste it!?"
The mare only cried harder.
"Luna dammit" he swore
"You ponies know the drill. Slash, give her your gun, canteen, and med kit.
"Wait!" the mare choked out "Don't leave me here, I can change, I won't do it again I swear!"
It pained me to say it, but it was nesscisary. "You know the rules Midnight, any unauthorized conduct of the like gets you expelled from the group."
I turned away as Slash dumped the provisions and machine gun next to the sobbing Midnight.
"Slash, you can get more supplies from the humvee, the rest of ya'll, Move Out!"
I tried to block out her plea's for help and mercy as I climbed into the turret of number 4.
As we drove out, I could only think- "What have we become, what have we become?"
As troubled as I was over what had happened, I managed to cling to my wits as our convoy rumbled across the scorched and muddy earth, through several packs of those things.
We prefered not to shoot them for two reasons: 1, because the noise would bring others, and fast. 2, because ammunition was short between our group, and it was hard to come by.
About an hour later, as we were cruising through a small abandoned town, I felt the speed of the hummer decreasing steadily until we ground to a halt.
Looking around, I yelled down to the driver "Why are we stopping?"
The stallion spoke some words into his CB radio, and yelled back. "Commander says there's a tree blocking the road."
"Why don't they just move it, or drive around?"
"They don't have enough room to hook it up to the winch, or ram it out of they way without damaging the vehicle." He shouted
I groaned. I knew the process just as well as all the others, and knew that it would be long and drawn out, not to mention gas wasting.
More voices from the radio met my ears, but was too garbled for me to make out, but the driver must have understood because he reached over and switched off the engine.
All throught the convoy, the sound of roaring engines began to fade as ponies climbed out of their humvees and began making their way to the back to help with the backing out of the big metal monsters. As the noise of the engines faded though, I heard another sound, like the whispering of wind through a forest of hollow trees. But I knew better than anypony what it really was.
"GET BACK IN YOUR CARS, THEY'RE HERE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
As if on cue, a swarm of deads poured around the corner, all screaming a bloodthirsty cry and foaming at their rotted mouths.
The ponies raised their assualt rifles and fired into the crowd, but only a few of the freaks fell to the dust. The rest of them slammed into our soldiers in a wave of blood and bullets.
I spun the .50 cal around to face the enemy and opened up with a screaming war cry.
Countless shell casings flew past my face as I mowed down dozens of deads in short bursts of yellow-orange fire.
I had just cleared a fresh wave of them, when I felt the driver side door being opened. I looked down in time to see a freak, flesh burned and riddled with holes, reaching for my right leg.
Not taking my hoof off the trigger, I reached down with my claw and crushed the creature's head in a spray of blood and brains, which coated almost the entire driver's side.
Then came a sound nopony ever wants to hear in battle- The rapid clicking of the .50 cal on empty chambers.
"Oh, shit"
almost immediatly, the deads all swung their heads in unison to stare at me with glazed eyes. The turret was empty. And I was lunch.
I silently cursed myself for not learning how to drive, and began priming my machine gun for a final stand, when the passenger door flew open and a young unicorn mare, barely older than a filly landed on her back in the seat.
"What the?!" I started to say, but before I could finish, she had slammed both doors shut and climbed into the driver's seat, ignoring the mess. Reaching over to the dashboard, she twisted the key in the ignition, bringing the engine to life with a roar
"You can drive!?" I said, shocked.
She didn't respond, but instead threw it in reverse and slammed the humvee behind us out of the way like it was a foal's toy. Throwing it into drive, she yelled "Hang on!" to me as she hit the accelerator and sped off into a grassy plain on the left of some houses, crushing everything in her path under the hummer's massive tires.
I looked back at the faces of those still fighting the horde. The look they gave me, a mixture of pure fear and anger still haunts me.
As the unicorn jolted across the plain with her less than superior driving skills, I felt my conciousness slip from me as I fell down, down, down into a world of blackness.
I groaned, and blinked my eyes in the bright light that seemed to be all around me, making my head throb with pain. Then it came rushing back, the abandoning, the attack, and the faces.
As my vision cleared, I found myself squinting into the bright light of the hummer's emergency lamp which had been moved to send it's glare rudely into my eyes
I raised a hoof to sheild my vision but found it unable to move. becoming a bit more aware of my surroundings, I saw the figure of something lurking just beyond the reach of the lamp's glow. Despite being constantly drilled not to fear, I was completely helpless and vulnerable and it was starting to get to me.
My heart beat faster and I flexed my metal claw repeatedly as the figure drew a knife from it's side with a -shhhk-
"Just stop!" I said "Let me go!"
The figure didn't respond, but stepped into the light. It was the mare from earlier, and she held the gleaming knife in a sheath of blue magical energy and bent over the ropes that held me down on the table.
"Sorry about that, but I had to check you"
"Check me?!" I said, still a bit freaked "check me for what?"
"Bites, scratches, signs of a turner. You know, right?"
I did know. Each morning with the group, we would undergo physical examination for any sign of infection, or any other personal problems that might endanger the safety of our little bunch of criminals.
"Yeah" I said as she moved around me, severing each of the restraints.
When she was done, I sat up and groaned as I felt my muscles stretch out tightly and several bones pop.
"Hey, with that examination" I started" "You weren't checking... ya' know.."
"Fraid so" she responded with a smirk. I groaned again, this time from embarrasment.
"Don't take it like that. I may not be that old, but I've seen bites in places stranger than that"
"Dare I ask where"
"No, probably not"
I chuckled in spite of myself, but it soon faded to a sigh as I remembered what had happened to all of my friends.
"Survivors remorse" she said
"huh?" I looked up at her.
"Survivors remorse, it's when everyone else dies and you feel guilty that you're still alive"
"No" I retorted a bit more harsh than intended, though the other mare took no notice.
"I may be young, but I'm not stupid. I can see your hurt, and you have more than I've seen in anypony."
"It's not just from the convoy, is it?" I remained silent this time, staring at the space between my forehoof and claw.
"If you want to talk about it-" she said, scooting closer to me.
I rose to my hooves and cleared my throat.
"Look," I told her sternly I just met you like an hour ago-"
"A day" she corrected me
"Whatever" "And I don't care to have my fortune told by some stupid two year old filly in the middle of the apocalypse wasteland, thank you very much."
This time around, she did look hurt.
"That's some way to treat your rescuer. And I have a name you know"
"Well then, what is it" I said, trying to make my voice softer.
"It's Raindrops"
A small gasp escaped me as the name drew flashes of memory out from the before time- the happier time before war.
"Raindrops" I breathed softly.