Between Life and Death

The four of them just stood there, frozen by shock at the horrific site they just witnessed.

“Monochrome-“

“This isn’t possible,” he mumbled to himself. He slowly began to sat down as he continued talking to himself. Twilight looked up away from him and saw that all the infected people were just standing there watching them.

“…Monochrome-“

“Not now Twilight, I’m too depressed.” He interrupted. Twilight looked back at all the infected, most of them were still standing there but about twenty of them started rushing towards them.

“Monochrome, we could use some help right about now.” Twilight began panicking, Monochrome ignored her and kept talking to himself. Twilight looked up again and they were getting even closer. “Monochrome, any day now.” She looked up one more time and noticed they were about 2 yards away. “Monochrome!” Twilight grabbed his shoulder and started shacking him. This time Apple Jack looked up, she saw that one of the Pegasus start flying into the air and then straight towards them.

“Monochrome, get off yer lazy rear end and do something!” Apple Jack yelled at him, he waved his hand around telling her to go away. The three of them looked up and saw the Pegasus, right as it got to them something tackled it to the ground. It cut off its wings then it’s head then threw it into the hoard of the other infected.

“…Red?” Flutter Shy asked as she approached him. The man turned around and looked at her with a smile on his face. “Red! It is you!” Flutter Shy shouted as she hugged him.

“Hi mom, nice to see you to.”  Red replied. He let go of her then turned round to face the rest of the hoard.  He flicked his swords and summoned a black mist which radiated from them. “Why isn't Monochrome defending you?”

“He’s upset because that incident.” Twilight replied.

“I see, I guess I’d be upset to if my family died.” He took one of his swords and slashed off the head of one of the infected as it got close. “Listen, you need to get out of here, there are to many of these things, I won’t be able to hold them off for long, but I’ll be able to hold them off long enough for you all to escape.” He took both his swords and stabbed another infected in it’s chest then drew the swords out of it and cut off its head.

“Red, we can’t leave you here-“ Twilight attempted to persuade him

“You’re not leaving me here, I’m choosing to stay. There are two other people here I need to defend, it’s my job to protect them.” Red interrupted. Another three infected got close, he stabed the two on the sides and kicked the one in the middle down, he pulled his swords out of the two then cut their heads off.

“I thought it was you’re job to protect Celestia-“

“To be honest-“He threw his sword down and stabbed the third infected in its head. “I got promoted; I’m now the royal body guard. It’s my job to protect all royalty, royal family or not.”

“But, there’s no more royalty in Equestria besides me and Monochrome, why are you staying?” Twilight asked. Red looked at her with a blank expression. The all of the sudden there was a bright flash of with light behind him that killed the rest of the infected that were attacking.

“What was that?” Red pulled his sword out of the beasts head and whipped it off on its shirt, he then pointed it at a dark figure standing on a roof top.

“Who is that?”

“It’s Agony.” Red replied with a lack of emotion. Twilight looked more closely, she was holding a bow made of gold, it hade flowers on both ends of it, she was wearing a white dress with a purple ribbon around her waist, her hair was dyed white with a light violet color at the end of it, it looked as smooth as silk and it was perfectly rested over her left shoulder. Her expression was faint and it looked like she was upset. She opened her wings, jumped off the roof top and floated gently to the ground.

“Agony!” Twilight yelled from where she was standing. Agony looked over to her and vanished instantly, she then reappeared right next to her. “Agony, how have you been?”

“I've been doing fine, until these things appeared. How are you and the others?” Twilight looked away from her and to the others. “Is something wrong?”

“Most of them didn't make it. It was only me, Apple Jack, Flutter Shy, and Monochrome” Twilight side.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Agony confessed.

“Wait, wait, wait hold on a sec!” Monochrome shouted out as he stood up. “You said there were two princesses that you had to protect right? Where’s the other?”

“Up there,” Red pointed a sword into the sky. The four turned around and saw a black shadow flying to them.

“Who is that?” Monochrome asked. The shadowy figure landed about ten yards from them.

“Nyx!” Twilight yelled as she ran up to her, Nyx started running towards her as well. When they finally got close enough they hugged each other.

“Twilight, it’s so good to see you again!” Nyx told her. She was wearing a purple dress, her glasses and a silver crown, her purple hair was a mess but her headband managed to keep it out of her face.

“I mussed you so much!” Twilight continued. Nyx looked passed her and towards the other.

“Where are the others at-?”

“It was just us.” Twilight interrupted and began to cry.

“Twilight…” Nyx held her closer.

“Hey!” Monochrome shouted from far behind them, they turned and faced him. “Think we can start moving before we get into any more trouble?!” Nyx and Twilight let go of each other and headed towards the others. “And who are you anyway?”

“Monochrome, this is Nyx, she’s sort of, my daughter.” Monochrome stared at the two for a moment.

“…Why do you never tell me anything?” Monochrome asked her, he spoke calmly but on the inside was screaming and yelled with anger.

“I thought you’d might over react, I mean, she’s the spawn of Nightmare moon and all so-“

“Stop, just, stop ok?” Monochrome placed his hand over his face in a sign of disappointment.

“You’re majesty, may I ask why you left me and Agony?” Red interrupted as he stepped forward.

“A town needed my help.”

“You’re majesty, it’s my sworn duty to protect you, if something happened to you while you were there I wouldn't have been able to fend you.”

“Here we go again, listen Red, Equestria is dying, you don’t need to protect us-“ Agony groaned.

“I took a vow to protect all royalty, in Equestria or not, member to the royal family or not, it’s my duty to serve.” Red aggressively replied.

“Red listen.” Nyx grabbed Red by his shoulders, he looked at her and started blushing. “We don’t need you to fight for us, we’re perfectly capable of defending ourselves.” Red nodded his head and Nyx let go of him.

“Ok, so, hey” Monochrome got everyone’s attention. “Are we just going to stand here or are we going to keep moving?” The other’s all agreed with him and started their way throught the blood ridden streets of Canterlot.

“So Twilight, who is that?” Nyx asked.

“Oh, that’s Monochrome, he’s one of the new friends I made-“

“Did someone mention my name?”

“Well, Monochrome.” Nyx walked in front of him. “It’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand thinking he would shake it, but instead he stared at her with a blank expression.

“…Put that hand down, I don’t interact with evil.” Monochrome walked past her.

“Monochrome!” Twilight yelled at him, he stopped and turned around and so did the others. “She’s my daughter, be nice to her.”

“Twilight, if I showed you a piece of blank paper, would you wonder what I called it?”

“What-?”

“The list of shits I give! I honestly wouldn’t care if she was your mother! Now shut-up and keep moving!” Monochrome snapped at her then kept walking.

“That’s it.” Red approached him. “Listen up you blond headed freak you do not-!” Monochrome turned around and punched him right in his fore-head and he went flying backwards.

“Don’t you ever touch me again-!”

“Monochrome what is with you!?” Twilight yelled as Nyx and Flutter Shy ran past her and towards Red.

“First of all; I don’t like evil. Second; I don’t like idiots. And right now, I’m traveling with both! So if you want to know what’s wrong with me, why don’t you go ahead and looked at that daughter of yours and that red headed moron.” He continued walking, but after his forth step he was hit by a strange  black mist like energy. He stumbled forward then turned around and saw Red holding his sword and it was radiating a black mist. Monochrome growled then pulled out his scythe and rushed towards him at a blinding speed, and within less than a second he was directly in front of Red, he swung his scythe and separated his upper half of his body from his lower half.

“Red!” Flutter Shy screamed as she ran past Monochrome. He placed his scythe over his shoulder then went back to walking, Flutter Shy went over to Red’s upper half and held him, he snapped his fingers and there was a bright flash of light and a second him appeared infront of Monochrome and started attacking him.

“What’s the hell!?” Monochrome yelled, he turned around and saw the other Red turn into dust. “How did you do that!?”

“Same way I did it earlier.” He continued swinging his two swords, and eventually hit him leaving a cut on the chest of his shirt.

“I thought you were supposed to protect royalty!?”

“Yes, I am, but you don’t deserve to be a prince.” He reached out his arm and stabbed him in his stomach.

“Oi! Watch where you’re swinging those things!” Monochrome took his scythe and swung it, he missed by less than an inch.

“Both of you stop!” Twilight yelled. The two ignored and her kept attacking each other.

“Why are you attacking me?!”

“Because you killed me!”

“It was self-defense-!”

“It was murder!” Red swung his sword and cut open his throat. He placed his hand over the cut then removed it.

“…You know if I wasn’t immortal that would have killed me.” He lifted his scythe and swung it right at him, he ducked and managed to lose only a strand of hair of the top of his head. Monochrome’s skin started turning red and his hair caught fire.

“Stand still you little bastard!”

“Hey I find that offensive!” Red jumped as Monochrome swung at his feet.

“Both of you stop!” Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs. The two of them stopped attacking right as their weapons were placed at each other’s throats. “What has gotten into you two!? We’re trying to run from all those things but with you two attacking each other like that I wouldn’t be amazed if they gave us a head start!” They lowered their weapons and stared at each other. “Monochrome what is with you? Everything was going well with you until we met up with them-“

“Is now the best time-?“ Monochrome started.

“Why are you acting like this-!?”

“It isn’t important!” The flames on his head started to die down.

“Monochrome-!”

“Twilight it doesn’t matter!” He dropped his scythe, his hair started turning blue and black and his skin started turning blue.

“Monochrome just tell me why your-“

“How would you like it if you lost the people you cared about the most!?” everything went silent after that, no one talked. Monochrome fell backwards and sat down. “Because of those things I lost my sisters. They were on that thing when they attacked it.” He started crying. “I’m just sensitive at the moment.”

“Monochrome, I’m sorry, I didn’t-“

“It’s not your fault that this is happening, so don’t apologize.” Red held out his hand and offered to help Monochrome up. He took his hand and got back up.

“Monochrome, as a loyal subject to royalty, I’d like to help you, along with the others.”

“How are you going to help me-“

“I received message from Ankh, he has an outpost set up in Ce’Dal and offered to shelter us.”

“How do you know that?”

“The message was supposed to go to the sisters, but they refused the offer.”

“Ok, Ce’Dal it is.” Monochrome picked up his scythe and it faded into thin air. Monochrome held out his hand and shook it with Red’s. “I apologize for attacking you, even if you are the spawn of Sombra you didn’t deserve to die like that.

“Spawn of- how’d you-?”

“I can read minds, remember that.” Red rolled his eyes then let Monochrome pass him, hours later they made it to the bottom of the mountain and into the Everfree.