Everything Falls Eventually

After every deafening boom, a zombie pegasus fell to the ragged earth. Explosions began to erupt all around us! The undead dropped like flies.

"What the hell is going on?!" shouted Rainbow Dash. No pony had an answer, we just watched dumbfounded as the final zombies fell dead once again.

"Who's there?!" I shouted into the timid air. We looked all around for our savior, but we saw nothing. Then, a raspy and deep voice sounded from behind the trees.

"Next time you run."

"We don't run from fights!" Fluttershy called out. A dark figure moved into view.

"Damn shame. You'll die if you stand up to everything. You ain't me darling," he responded darkly.

"Who are ya?" asked Applejack. He turned what I think is his stare towards her.

"A friend who's survived this entire time. I see that you've done so as well. Good, perhaps my only company won't be the sounds of my dying allies and the buzzing of the flies feeding off rotting corpses," he replied. As he stepped closer, I could make him out. He was wearing a hood with a strange emblem flashing across his armor. He was heavily armored, he was weaponed to the teeth with axes, two machine guns, two assault rifles attached to each side, a strange looking gun strapped to his back, and a ring of explosives swung around his chest.

"Why don't you lift up that hood?" I asked.

"Do you really want to see what has become of me? As you can see, I've learned more from these five years than you have, meaning I've made more mistakes. Haven't died, don't plan on doing so. Where you heading?" he questioned.

"We'll be asking the questions here!" shouted Rainbow Dash. He looked up, lifting a hoof and pointing it at her. His arm wasn't real! It was robotic almost with a strange accessory attached under his wrist.

"I don't like that kind of attitude from amateurs. Just tell me where you are heading. If I find it worth my time, I'll help," he offered. I heard Rainbow Dash mutter amateurs in a sarcastic tone under her breath.

"Not to offend you or anything, but we would like to see our rescuer's face and know his name," I told him. He reached up and grabbed his hood.

"The name is Silent Flash!" he exclaimed, removing his hood. A metal mask covered most of his face, the same emblem carved into his right cheek, blood and dirt mixed into strange patterns across his forehead. "What do you think?" he asked, smiling.

"Woah! You look awesome!" complimented Rainbow Dash. To me, he looked horrifying, but the others were fascinated with him.

"Why the mask?" asked Pinkie Pie. He chuckled and looked at her.

"Being to hell and back hurts my friend. This keeps me alive, keeps me gripping onto my final walls of sanity. Without this, I would still be alive, but not in the right mind," he explained. He glanced at me and saw my worried expression. He pointed toward me and beckoned me forward. I walked slowly towards him.

"What do you need?" I asked. His gaze fell to his hoof as he handed me something.

"Attach that to your wrist. Flick your wrist to deploy the blade," he whispered in my ear.

"Thanks," I muttered. I didn't like him that much, but this was something that could be useful.

"One question: Why do you have metal limbs?" asked Fluttershy.

"Amputation. They were getting in my way, the pain given from my enemy. The armor I wear protects my body," he explained further. "Enough questions about me! What about where you're going?" he asked.

"The safe haven across Equestrian borders," said Rarity. The grimaced at the word "Equestrian". Something was up about that.

"A death wish. I like that! Let's go then, we don't have a lot of time before the undead pick up our scent..." he trailed off, closing his eyes and wincing. What was wrong with this pony?

"There's a town nearby, but it is always surrounded by bandits. Disgusting pieces of shit is what they are. Murdering our own while we fend off the bastards from hell. Isn't that amazing?" he asked sarcastically. "Then again, they are trying to protect the secret..." he didn't finish his sentence again. He knew something that was extremely important, and he wasn't sharing. He suddenly stopped and stood on his hind legs, unsheathing an axe from his hip.

"Something wrong?" whispered Rarity. He nodded and pulled back his arm, then he threw it.

A scream penetrated the air. Rustling could be heard and loud thud as a lifeless body hit the burnt ground. Silent headed off towards the source of the ruckus. We followed and soon heard him chuckling and the familiar sound of an axe being pulled out of flesh. After he was finished chuckling, his ears pricked up. He cursed under his breath and motioned for us to follow him. We didn't know what was going on, but it was something bad.

"Shit!" Silent whispered loudly. He hid behind a tree and peered around it. The fires of a burning town lit up the dark sky. The trees aflame as the screams of the innocent survivors sounded throughout the tense air. It took us a second to realize what town is was. It was Ponyville... our home... set ablaze and awaiting the final piece of wood to burn....