Metyl Rayns
PROLOGUE
The sky was blistered as the foaming whitecaps of the echoing peals of thunder danced in the heads of the soldiers of the PROTOMAK divisions. The warriors stood upon the bitter noctilucents as the icy rain pattered upon their golden crested wing armor and soaked their roughened leather suits. Every day dreary, in a world now of smoke and fire.
Metyllisk, G.A.A, praised recipient of the coveted Medal of Valour, mark on his thigh of a machine gun and three combat knives on top it, sat on his great and supple haunches, his body unbroken by the iron winds and the frozen rain that violently weathered the airs and the plains. Metallisk took to his mouth a piece of greywheat, and ran his talon across it, setting a smoldering ember ablaze, as he proceeded to slowly breathe out a haze of ashen smoke.
His face was half a pale ember colored metal mask embracing a draconic mandible and ears, and the other half the roughened dark mahogany of a stallion. His mane flowed a scarlet deep, speckled with crimson and sierra flecks, and his legs were the same draconic mask: Same color, same feel, same mystery.
He had one wing of a purpure that was cold byzantine and iris, bound in a cast of baked leather bound in straps of metal studded clays. His other was a silver draconic wing, unarmored and fierce, with scales like the blades of night. He wore leather armor from jaw to tip of his ragged tail, rough and cracked from his near endless battles.
He had guns and blades sheathed all over, a warning and a symbol of one thing: His own inner battle, too, was a vicious and cycling war. At one time, he knew he had a duty to fulfill, but he felt the growing sadness that came with knowing he lost his one true love to the cold icy hand of Death. Metyllisk sighed, and looked at his pendant of his love, with her service number, 347, and he, stoic as he was, fought back his tears.
Mearus, the mare beside him, said, “You must let go...”. Metyllisk snarled and grew bitter, saying, “I can't! I had never felt that way before! You don't know what it is like... to gain somepony you loved so greatly, and right after they open up to you, you go helplessly to see them die, knowing there was nothing you could do!”.
Mearus said, “Just tell me... how did everything go so wrong in this war? How do we now stand on the brink of dying? How could we have lost so much? How could YOU have lost so much?”. Metyllisk said, “I will tell you... for it is my fault. Listen to me now, for tomorrow, we shall speak in the fires of Acheron...”.
FINI DI AVVISAGLIA
CHAPTER I- BRIEF ON THE RIVER KWAI
The new recruit, Rainbow, always in the way of being late, gave a smug look to Metyllisk, her Commander-to-be, and gave a nice rear kick to shut the door, giving a click upon closing that seemed to echo her cockiness. Rainbow said, “Sorry I'm late, SIR...”, with a slick yet subtle grin.
Metyllisk said to the recruit, clearly not impressed, “You're late AGAIN. Drop and give me fifty.”. Rainbow said, “Maybe later, pops...”, which resulted in a swift kick to her knees by Metyllisk, dropping her. Metyllisk said sternly, “No, kid. You do what I say NOW.”. Rainbow grudgingly did the task, and got up.
Twi-348 and Pink-349 were already in their battle garments, ready for war. Metyllisk threw Rainbow clothes and said, “Put these on, we've got a briefing to do.”. Rainbow did so, and stood in formation beside Twi-348, tall and proud. Metyllisk said, “Welcome to the ranks, newblood. Your service number is 347, making you Rainbow-347. You get no pleasure of formalities due to your tardiness and laziness, so I will refer to you as 347.”.
Metyllisk paced back and forth slowly as he began a complex briefing on the status of the war to the recruits:
“As you all know, you have each been given mechanicks to achieve aerial flight with: Complex wingsuits designed to create LSA-Class units: Those able to hold their own on land, on sea, and in air. These were the machinations of Dr. Clydedale of the PROTOMAK divisions' scientific research corporation.”.
“You are now part of the A-division of the PROTOMAK divisions. To be precise, PROTOMAK means Pegasi Renegade Ordinance of Territorial Offensive Modern Aerial Knights. These elite soldiers are designed to adapt to all EQ-Classed environments and otherwise classified environments.”.
“Today's mission is to eliminate the core rebel faction of underground New Yoke City. We will assemble at Point Zeta, the rooftop of the rebel building. B-division would have rigged a bomb line with a short timer to the top floor elevator. When we press the basement floor button, we should be at a controlled descent rate for about 13.9 seconds. After that, things get hairy.”.
“The descent will be rapid, about 8.0 metres a second, due to the vacuum created by the blast. This will continue to the bottom, but we will bail down the fourth floor air duct, which will get us to the basement with a little time to spare. At that rate, we will have 8 seconds to get the hell out of dodge! Questions?”.
Pink-349 asked, “Will there be cupcakes?”. Metyllisk griped, “That is NOT a valid question. Pink-349 said, “Muffins?”. Metyllisk barked at her, “349! We are about to embark on an important mission where we likely will NOT come out alive! Leave your revolting puerility behind.”. Metyllisk said as he walked away and out the door, “We will be there at 1700 hours. Get in the chopper.”.
FINI DE CAPITOLO I
CHAPTER II – REBEL BLOODHOUNDS
Metyllisk hang to the edge of the chopper as the group hovered towards Point Zeta. Metyllisk said loudly, nearly drowned out by the chopper blades scything around in their cyclonic wind, “347 will be right beside me. I take point, and 348 and 349 will follow close.”.
As the chopper touched down on the skyscraper's roof, Metyllisk and the group got out and proceeded into the elevator. Metyllisk gave the nod, and Rainbow-347 gave a firm press of the basement button on the elevator. A ding was heard, and the steel door shut. A slow beep emanated as the muzak played and the elevator slowly descended.
A few seconds later, the bomb went off, and a column of fire forced the elevator down as the explosion rocked the shaft. Floors went by three or four a second, and a 117 floor trip became a twenty second venture. Soon, the light indicated they reached the tenth floor, and Metyllisk said, “NOW!” as he ripped open the door, and took Rainbow-347 and dove into the shaft. Twi-348 and Pink-349 tried to get in the shaft, but a poor jump from both resulted in a shaft wall to the face.
Rainbow-347, clutched by Metyllisk, screamed, “NO! My friends!”. Metyllisk said, “It's too late! If we stop to save them, we ALL die!”. The two landed hard on the basement floor, and Metyllisk slammed through the Plexiglas blast door, right as the bomb's shockwave weakened it enough to break it, and Metyllisk bolted off into the night sky, carrying a crying Rainbow-347.
Later, Metyllisk landed, and let go of Rainbow-347. Rainbow-347 angrily hoofed him over in the face with haymaker after haymaker. All she wanted was to beat him within an inch of his life. Metyllisk grabbed Rainbow-347's hand and said, “Hitting me won't save them, brat!”.
Rainbow-347 said, “You heartless jerk! Don't you care that my friends, YOUR recruits, just died a horrible death?”. Metyllisk said neutrally, yet with a hint of his stoic nature, “Acceptable losses. Everypony must die sometime. They lived their lives.”. Rainbow-347 said, “How could you POSSIBLY be so cold? You know what? Forget you, I quit this army crap!”.
Metyllisk said, “What is there left to go back to, hm? Cloudsdale is a smoldering ruin and Ponyville is an irradiated wasteland. You have no life anymore. The last two friends you had are now jerky in a plastic bag.”. Rainbow-347 said, “Friends I want to avenge... but how.”.
Metyllisk said, “There is only one way to avenge the fallen and end the war... Kill the firestarter... Trix.”. Rainbow-347 said, “Let's go, then...”, which earned from Metyllisk the reply, “In due time. We need to make the trek to Lunaia, 347.”. Rainbow-347 glared at Metyllisk and said, “My name is Rainbow Dash... NOT 347. Remember that.”.
And so the two head off for the Lunaia, the New Canterlot. Rainbow's hair glistened in the auburn rays of the sun, sending glistening specks of rainbow light sparsely over the amber grains, as he smiled at Metyllisk, who remained emotionless. Rainbow let out a slight laugh, whipped Metyllisk gently on the nose with her vibrant tail, and said, “I'll make you a believer in friendship yet...”, as she jovially bounded forward in her usual cocky manner.
FINI DE CAPITOLO II
CHAPTER III – THE MAGIC WITHIN
After hours of walking towards Lunaia, Metyllisk stopped at a jungle, his tired haunches needing a break, as well as his ears, as Rainbow had been talking for some time now. Rainbow finally said her last words in her long monologue with, “And that is the story of my life.”.
Metyllisk groaned and leaned back on a thick webbing of vines and roots, saying in an exasperated tone, “Finally, you shut up!”. Rainbow jumped on a neighboring thicket of vines and said in a lackadaisical tone, “Aren’t you a little ray of darkness on a sunny day…”.
Metyllisk said smugly, “Do you really think I care, kid?”. Rainbow sat up and said, “For the love of Celestia, I’m not a kid! I’m a 23 year old mare!”. Metyllisk said with a cocky grin, “You are exactly three times a mare, kiddo. I’m 47, and have been in the Army 20 years. I’ve never seen a manlier chick. In fact, I still think you’re a dyke…”, as he closed his eyes gently, grin all the wider for his stinging remark.
Rainbow jump down and walked closer to Meytllisk, saying with an angered expression on her face, “What did you call me?”. Metyllisk opened his eyes, leaned towards Rainbow, and said as he gently flicked her nose, “I called you a DYKE…”. Rainbow snarled, “Wipe the grin off your face, get some manners, apologize, and don’t call me a dyke again… POPS…”.
Metyllisk taunted her, saying, “Dyke, dyke, dyke… what are you going to do about it, ya little fillyfooler?”. Rainbow said to him, “THIS, jerkwad!”, as she gave a wicked powerful bucking squarely to Metyllisk’s face. Metyllisk was dazed but shook it off right as Rainbow had dashed off.
Metyllisk said, “Not a chance!”, as he burst forward in and tackled the fleeing Rainbow, scarring the earth as the two slid and made a hundred foot trench along the earthen ground. Metyllisk said, “Not half bad, kid. You’re faster than I thought.”. Rainbow got up off the ground, shook the dirt off, and said, “Only pony to do the Sonic Rainboom…”. Metyllisk smiled wide and said, “So you were… until me.”.
Rainbow said, shocked, “WHAT? How can that be? Even I barely pulled it off!”. Metyllisk said, “Valedictorian… an honour somepony around here wouldn’t know about…”. Rainbow said, “Hey, I never told you I dropped out of flight school! How do you know?”. Metyllisk said, “Simple, kid… your draft transcript.”.
Rainbow said, “Ugh!”, and proceeded to pounce on Metyllisk. As she pinned him, she said, “Would you quit calling me kid? I… am… RAINBOW… DASH!”. Metyllisk said in her ear, still in a taunting mood, “Whatever you say, kid…”, and Rainbow dove into him, as the two roughhoused about.
When the two broke it off, both of them laughed at their light-hearted release of their tense frustrations, but it was the fact Metyllisk laughed that surprised rainbow. Rainbow laughed softly and said, “That’s the first time I’ve heard YOU laugh, Mr. Serious.”. Metyllisk abruptly got up and said in a much more solemn tone, “Serious… I’m serious because we are in a war…”.
Metyllisk continued in a melancholy tone, as he looked to the ground in bitter memory, “I’m sick of the pain… I’m sick of the dying… I’m sick of the war. I’ve seen everypony I loved and cherished, friends and family, die all the same… from fire and disease, from the glass splinters of the shattered windows to their corpses strung on the barbed wires and pikes…”.
“The violence I’ve witnessed is appalling. I’ve seen ponies eaten alive by acid and poison, I’ve seen bodies consumed by the radiating winds, and I’ve walked in the killing fields and tread through piles of bones… I’ve seen so much horror. Too much horror for a lifetime. I just can’t keep living like this, I can’t stand the reality of this hellish wasteland that I live in…”.
“Sometimes, I look to the guns and the blades and think, ‘Metyllisk, you don’t have to suffer anymore… You can end the pain now, forever! Just take that one shot or that one stab, and drift into Tartarus in peace.’. But I knew I couldn’t do it. I’d just suffer forever with my memories… And so now, because of that, I walk in the shadow of death, and I tread in the valleys of fire… under skies of ashen clouds.”.
Rainbow said sadly, “No wonder you have become so cold… you have lived a life of horror and pain… How could such a war of so short a span do so much?”. Metyllisk responded, “It’s 1004 ANF… and this war started 1001 ANF. We had to fight when the rebels came, because we couldn’t bear the endless nightmare that would come with our defeat.”.
Rainbow said, “I have a question though… what happened to your body?”. Metyllisk said, “War wounds…”, as he laid down, eyeing the horizon. Rainbow laid next to him and said, “Care to talk about it?”. Metyllisk sighed and said, “It was three years ago, on the day the war started. IED blast…”. Rainbow said, “Ouch… sorry.”. Metyllisk said, “Don’t be.”, before looking at the sun briefly. Metyllisk said, “We need to keep moving.”.
FINI DE CAPITOLO III
CHAPTER IV – PAYBACK IS POISON
Rainbow said to Metyllisk, “Hell, how long we been walking for?”. Metyllisk shrugged and said, “Three, maybe four days?”. The desert sun beat fiercely upon Rainbow’s mane, drenched in firebrands of sweat that braided across her hair. Metyllisk took note of her, and silently turned his weary head to the horizon, to see in the distance the city of Lunaia.
A few hundred feet later, the two plopped down at the outer limits of Lunaia. Metyllisk said, “We can’t take too long of a breath… PROTOMAK soldiers have a 5,000,000 bit bounty in Lunaia. Expect violence.”. Rainbow said, “Hand me some weapons…”. Metyllisk tossed her a pistol and a knife, and Rainbow strapped the weapons to the belt of her wingsuit. Rainbow then said, “Let’s rock…”, followed by Metyllisk cocking his gun.
The two walked into Lunaia’s streets, and not surprisingly, there wasn’t a warm welcome waiting. The rebels all took notice, and as they cocked their guns, Metyllisk took a piece of greywheat and lit it. As he wreathed the air in a grey haze, Metyllisk said to Rainbow, “Be prepared for hell.”.
Shots rang off, and Rainbow and Metyllisk both dove behind the smoldering wreckage of cars. The tune of a firestorm of bullets met with the occasional shift caused by return fire from the PROTOMAK soldiers, but both sides were running thin on bullets. Minutes later, the inevitable clicks of empty rifles and firearms chimed out, a window of opportunity for Metyllisk and Rainbow to make a move in.
Metyllisk said, “Listen, kid, I’m coming over there. When I give the go-ahead, I’ll jump, and you will buck me with all your might, okay?”. Rainbow nodded, and Metyllisk dove across to Rainbow as the rebels slowly closed in. Metyllisk jumped and said, “Now!”, signaling Rainbow to buck with all she had, enough to send Metyllisk into an office window several stories up.
Metyllisk shouted, “I’ll cover you once my weapon is set up, just hold your ground until then!”, as he started assembling an AP PROTOMAK skyperrifle. Meanwhile, Rainbow took her knife she was given and strapped it to the back of her right hind leg. As rebel came near, Rainbow gave a reverse wheel hoof to the rebel’s throat, causing him to drop like a stone. Rainbow glanced back and said, “Who wants some?”.
The rebels rushed in, hoping to overwhelm Rainbow, but Rainbow bucked each one that came, giving a nice stiletto stab to the face of the rebels. Unfortunately, she got her blade stuck in one rebel, and had to clumsily hop about to face the rebels on her other hind leg. Right as she was about to be overwhelmed, Rainbow took out her pistol and finished off the rest of the rebels… a bullet per pony.
Just as Rainbow was getting her knife blade out and was getting back in a comfortable stance, a great horde of rebels charged for her. Rainbow said, “Aw, feathers, I’m screwed…”. Hardly had she finished before a smoky trail appeared alongside a roaring boom like thunder. A bullet struck the ground and exploding into a splendid fireball, crumbling the street and making a great hole in the road, killing the wave of rebels around it.
Rainbow looked up, to see Metyllisk’s cool and confident grin, as he cocked the bolt of the skyperrifle back and a dull iron shell was ejected out the side of the mammoth gun. Metyllisk spat out his greywheat and said, “Fly up, kid. We’re nowhere near the end of the battle. Rainbow did so, and landed inside the building.
Metyllisk and Rainbow walked until they got to a service shaft, and Metyllisk said, “Follow me…”, as the two walked up a ladder. At the top, they would find the next leg of their plan unfolding, as well they would have hoped for, considering they found the place by sheer luck.
FINI DE CAPITOLO IV
CHAPTER V – WHAT THE HEART WANTS
As Metyllisk popped up the hatch for the service shaft, Metyllisk and Rainbow got up onto the roof. The two pegasi walked close to the edge and laid down, looking at the serene ghostly aura of the moon. Rainbow sighed, as she gazed in awe at one of the few remaining purities of Equestria.
Metyllisk looked towards Rainbow, who kept eyeing the sky while having her warm and comforting smile just barely show on her face. Rainbow’s hair was beautiful and vibrant, misted gently by the cool winter dews of the night. Among the silken fibers that wove her pristine mane were speckles of every dazzling colour.
The pastels of the green held a sparkling ocean of viridian flecks, the bold yellows bursts of goldenrod. Among the blues lay the dazzling shimmers of a sapphire cerulean blend, among the reds lay flashes of crimson. Amongst the oranges stride flares of citrine, alongst the purples waves of amethyst, and upon the indigoes lie rippling strands of iris.
All this blended so perfectly with her coat a soft matte cyan, making her a marvel to behold in the glorious lunar aurora’s that so playfully embraced the air. Even Metyllisk began to notice, his heart having slowly been softened by the nature of the pony he had been with all these many days.
Metyllisk said, “I never noticed how truly beautiful you were until just now, Rainbow.”.
Rainbow turned to him and said happily, “Hey, you called me Rainbow! Guess I wore you down a bit after all.”. Metyllisk said, “Sorry for calling you a dyke earlier, by the way.”, to which Rainbow added, “And a fillyfooler.”. Metyllisk rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed by his callous remarks, and said, “Er, yeah, sorry for that too…”.
Metyllisk saw the clamour of a brightly lit parade in the distance, and said to Rainbow, “Shoot, forgot about our mission! Help me set up the skyperrifle, Rainbow!”. Rainbow and Metyllisk both started assembling it, and when they were done, Metyllisk laid down, prone, eye fixed in the scope.”.
Metyllisk said, “Rainbow, pass me the bullet.”, and Rainbow passed him a long cobalt spike, which was apparently a bullet. Rainbow said, “What kind of bullet is this?”, to which Metyllisk replied, “.850 Nitro Cobalt Thunder… biggest bullet they make.”. Metyllisk loaded the bullet and cocked back the skyperrifle, aimed for the kill.
Metyllisk said, “Vain ol’ Trix… so like her to throw a parade in her own honour…”. Metyllisk continued, “Aim, fire… KILL.”, as he pressed the trigger and a thunderous roar was heard as the hypersonic bullet pierced Trix between the eyes, dropping her like a stone.
The bullet drove through to the power core of the float, making it violent explode, the explosion setting off a chain of explosions that destroyed most of Lunaia. Metyllisk got up and said, “A success…”, earning the joyous reply from Rainbow, “You did it, Metyllisk!”. Metyllisk smiled and said, “No, Rainbow… we did it. Face it, I probably wouldn’t have gotten far without help.”. Metyllisk then kissed Rainbow on the lips gently, making her blush.
Metyllisk said, “Aigh, sorry, I shouldn’t have done that…”. Rainbow said, “It’s okay, it’s just… I’ve never been kissed before.” Metyllisk said, “Never? Even on the cheek?”, and Rainbow replied, “Other than by my parents, no…”. Metyllisk said, “Why not? You’re missing a whole great world out there!”.
Rainbow said, “I know, but I was always so busy in flight school, and I just… I just never got around to it.”. Metyllisk said, “Maybe it’s time then that somepony decided to show you a whole new world of wonders that you’ve never seen before…”, as he locked his lips with Rainbow’s took her mane in his claws, and gently lowered her onto the ground. Rainbow eagerly said, “For all the hype, I hope you excite me…”. Metyllisk said, “Not a problem…”.
FINI DE CAPITOLO V
CHAPTER VI – DEATH IN THE WATER
Metyllisk awoke to see Rainbow next to him, smiling at him. Metyllisk had a wicked headache, and said as he got up, “Ugh… Did we…?”, to which Rainbow Dash smiled and said, “Yep… I have to admit, you were pretty good.”. Metyllisk said cockily, “Many have said that…”. Rainbow playfully swatted him with her tail and said, “Stallion getting a tad bit big for his britches, if you ask me.”.
Rainbow said, “By the way, have something to give you…”, as she pulled out a metal locket, and tossed it to Metyllisk. Metyllisk flicked it open with his claw, seeing the greyscale photograph of Rainbow in her draft photo, and the etched engraving of her service number, 347, in the bottom right corner.
Rainbow said, “It’s my service locket. They use them to identify the soldiers who die in war, recognizing them by photograph and service number.”. Metyllisk closed the locket, put it in his wingsuit, and said, “I’m a General. I know these steel lockets well, young Rainbow. But why give it to me?”.
Rainbow said, “If I die in this war, I want you to have something to remember me by. You’re the only one left who knows me. All my friends, family, even my foes… they’re all dead. If I die, and you don’t remember me, I won’t even be a memory. I’ll be nothing more than a faded scratch on the stone walls of time.”.
Metyllisk said, “You have become more than a memory to me. You’ve become a love, a fire, a passion. Truth be told, without you, I too have no reason to fight. Everypony I knew has died by now. You’re the only one left for me to love, Rainbow. You’re the only thing left worth fighting for. You are the final thing left to fight for.”.
“Maybe we’ll both survive the madness of the war. Maybe we can rebuild from the shadows of the ashes. But I can’t help but ask… how can the world ever be the same again, when this nightmare and horror has so deeply sunken into our hearts? How can we rebuild when we stand in a smoky, fiery ruin littered with the dead masses?”.
Rainbow told him, “Brick by brick, stone by stone, we’ll make it. The road will be hard, but nothing can truly destroy the hearts of those willing to fight. What is right prevails, what is wrong dies in the same misery it came from. But the war is over, and we can make everything good again.”.
As she finished, a low droning blast belted out slowly from the distance. Metyllisk and Rainbow looked towards the sky, and saw a great grey blimp in the distance that clouded the skies, the menace slowly coming towards Metyllisk and Rainbow. Rainbow said, “What is that…?”, and Metyllisk said, “The airship Desolation, a sign this war is not yet over…”.
The blimp poured over the skyline a noxious gas, rendering Metyllisk and Rainbow completely unconscious, as rebel soldiers took the two limp pegasi into the blimp, hell bent on somehow ending the war one way or the other: By the remaining rebels dying or the PROTOMAK soldiers coming to their trap, and wiping out their enemy once and for all.
FINI DE CAPITOLO VI
CHAPTER VII – THE MANEDENBURG
Metyllisk opened his eyes to see a tall mare over him, and he got up and said, “Luna…”. Luna hoofed him hard in the chest, sending him back down flat on the table he was strapped to. Metyllisk snarled, “What do you want, Luna?”, Luna said, “Surrender from you, victory for me.”. Metyllisk said weakly, “Never, whore.”.
Luna said, “I think you’ll change your mind very fast…”, as she cued for the blinds of the room’s window to be drawn. On the other side of the thick glass window lay Rainbow, terrified, strapped to a table by all fours. Luna said, “Give PROTOMAK’s official surrender, or she dies a VERY painful death.”. Metyllisk said as he spat in Luna’s face, “Go suck a lemon…”.
Luna said, “Very well then.”, as she signaled ponies to flood into Rainbow’s room. All Metyllisk could do was watch in horror as rebels came in, and proceed to beat and abuse Rainbow horrifically without a shred of mercy. Metyllisk, consumed by rage, shredded the bindings that held him, and breathed the vicious draconian fires that came with his jaw’s nature.
Metyllisk roared and screamed out in fury as he flared his flames as powerfully as his incredible rage could. As he flared his flames, the very iron walls around Metyllisk melted, and soon the entire room was melting in the hellish fires of the beastly inferno he had evoked, as if the fires of Tartarus were lashing out from his sole and tearing apart everything around the stallion, who was foaming blood from his maw from the violent force of his indescribable fury.
The soldiers torturing Rainbow fled in pure terror, as Metyllisk dove through the molten window, sending a torrent of liquid glass rain as it shattered. He went to grab Rainbow, and ran through sulfuric flames of the disintegrating bling, carrying the unconscious pegasus on his back, saying to the horribly wounded mare, "Don’t you die on me, Rainbow! Hell, don’t you die on me!”.
Luna got up, shook off the shock, and bolted full gallop after Metyllisk, and she rammed him into a wall. Luna then tossed him and bucked him up through the blimp, making him cut the fuel lines to the ship, making the boiler room catch fire and explode, engulfing the blimp in flames. Metyllisk tried to get back in, but Luna used her magic to seal the hole he came through.
Metyllisk knew then there was nothing he could do. He flew down where the window was to see the horrible site of Rainbow shrieking in terror as she slowly was burning alive, smothered by flames. Metyllisk screamed out, “Rainbow!”, as the blimp reached critical failure and started to descend, every pony inside slowly melting into dust, ash, and molten slag.
As Metyllisk started to shed his tears, the PROTOMAK soldiers in the area fled to the skies, and a PROTOMAK carried away a bitterly weeping Metyllisk, who, for the first time in years had felt an emotion: Love. And so end his bitter recollection of the tragedy of war…
FINI DE CAPITOLO VII
CHAPTER VIII – DESOLATION’S MIASMA
Mearus said to Metyllisk after hearing his tale, “Oh… wow… I’m very sorry for your loss.”. Metyllisk laid down and looked at the blimp, which crashed in a fiery explosion of pillars of flame and iron rains. Metyllisk shed his cold, dark tears in a bittersweet recognition that the war was over, and it cost Metyllisk everything worth living for to end it: His family, his friends, everypony he knew… and the painful death of his lover.
Metyllisk said, “She was more than a lover to me… she was my everything. I had no relatives anymore, my friends all died… everypony I knew had died. She was so beautiful… and kind and caring. Everything I needed, everything I wanted… and for most of that short time I knew her, I took it all for granted.”.
“Some ponies say that love must bloom in time, but I felt something different. I felt that I had somepony that was one of a kind… a unique mare I could never replace. I’ve lived a lonesome life, and she was my first love. I had bedded ponies before, but I never had that spark making me a lover. Rainbow was different… she was everything I could possibly have wanted: Beauty, attitude, wit, charm, ferocity, and a good heart.”.
Mearus said, “I know it’s tough… but look at the one bright side… the war is over!”. Metyllisk got up and said callously at her, “The war is over? The war is over- so what? Look around you! Look at this nightmarish hell! The skies have blacked with smoke and ashes, and the world is filled with fields of mass graves and rotting bones! There is NOTHING left to live for!”.
Mearus said, “We could rebuild…”, as Metyllisk barked, “Rebuilt WHAT? Nothing is left but this horrid wasteland! Everything is in ruination, the lands are desolate and bare, and almost everypony is DEAD! There is nothing to go back to, there is no life to salvage, there is nothing left but pain and misery, and there is nothing left for us to die a cold, agonizing death from the fires, the plagues, the famine, and the radiated winds!”
“I just can’t do this anymore! In three short years, I’ve seen everyone I love die! I’ve tasted the bitter dust and dirt to scrounge up the meager rations of caked sod I lived off of for years, I’ve seen the world fall to pieces… I’ve seen everything, and I’ve seen too much! I can’t live in this pain anymore, I can’t stand to see another pony die! I’m putting myself out of this icy, morbid world of darkness and misery!”.
Metyllisk pulled out a combat knife and shouted out to Mearus and the crumbling, lifeless sky, “Tonight, I rest in Tartarus! Tonight, I drift in Acheron’s bitter flames!”, and he drove the blade of his knife through his skull, dropping him for good. Mearus could only look in shock as the stallion finally ended his worldly misery, as blood flowed slowly out his mouth and dripped from his lips and his jaw.
Metyllisk went limp, and his lifeless body slipped off the cloud and plummeted to the ground. Quite a time later, his cold body slammed into the wreckage of the airship Desolation. Cold, silent, and lifeless, Metyllisk had finally broken free of the damnation of having to live, bitter and alone, in a world weather by bullets, bombs, and the sands of time.
FINI DE CAPITOLO VIII
CHAPTER IX – IRONY’S RUINOUS SPEAR
Rainbow awoke in the next morning, weak and bleeding slowly to death. She looked at her body, covered in chars and wounds from the crash. Her wingsuit was shredded and torn all over, cooked and ripped from the fire and the tortures she had to endure. She got up, and weakly crawled along the wreckage, barely and mustering the strength to speak the words, over and over, “S-somepony…? A-n-nypony… is anypony there? Help… me…”.
Rainbow stumbled across somepony, a familiar one… Metyllisk. She turned him over, and saw the knife in his temple, blood having streamed down his face. Rainbow felt his cold, lifeless husk, knowing she touched nothing more than a vapid shell of a stallion. Tears ran down he face as she pulled out the knife, and was shocked when she saw the name etched into the blade: Metyllisk.
Rainbow said to his body, “Metyl… you killed yourself? But… why?”. Suddenly, Rainbow heard Celestia in the air calling for survivors. Celestia said loudly, “Can anypony hear me down there? Is anypony alive?”. Rainbow shouted skyward, “I’m here, Celestia! Help!”.
Celestia landed near the dying pegasus and said, “Rainbow! You’re alive! Were there any other survivors?”. Rainbow said, “No, I don’t think anypony else lived. I’m barely alive.”. Rainbow continued, “Celestia, Metyllisk… he killed himself… but why?”. Celestia said, “He thought he had lost you forever.”.
Rainbow said, “But… he didn’t.”. Celestia said, “It was a very real possibility though. Nopony should have been able to survive the explosion caused by the crash of Desolation.”. Rainbow said, “But… still… he died NEEDLESSLY!”. Celestia said, “His mind was haunted by the memories of war…”.
“He just couldn’t take it anymore. He saw so much death, so much agony, so much pain and suffering… He couldn’t take the madness anymore, and losing you, the only thing left for him to live for… it was too much. The thought of your death was the tipping point that drove him to suicide.”.
Rainbow said, tears flowing free down her cheeks, “We could have had a life together… N-No, it was just a lofty dream. Too much has been lost… too much has been ruined. He just… he just never could have been the same.”. Celestia said to Rainbow, “Every moment keeping him alive was a waking nightmare. His soul has had enough torture, and it hurts to know in death… he can find no rest. Now, let me take you to get your wounds healed.”. And so Rainbow got on Celestia, and they flew off into the bitter midday sky.
FINI DE CAPITOLO IX
CHAPTER X – THE ULTIMATE SOLITUDE
As nightfall came, Celestia headed for the medic’s tent, Rainbow asleep on her back. When they grounded, the hard impact of landing not only jostled Rainbow awake, but loosened a rag that was covering one of her wounds, a bowling ball sized wound that gushed out blood.
Celestia told the medic, “Get her help, fast!”. The medic quickly got Rainbow, now having large amounts of blood gush out her wound, and as Rainbow left a bloody trail, the medic knew it was far too late. She was dying. The medic hurried, but long before he was at the ICU, Rainbow was fading.
At this point, the medic could only head for the morgue. When he got there, he put Rainbow on a table, the one next to Metyllisk, as she writhed in agony and seethed in pain. Rainbow took the last good look of her life at Metyllisk and said, “I love you, Metyllisk… Even in death, I love you…”.
Rainbow felt the life leave her body, and took in a small, painful gasp, before she slowly breathed her last and drifted away tranquilly. The medic said solemnly, “Time of death: 1732, in the year 1004 ANF.”. He then covered up Metyllisk and Rainbow, preparing them for autopsy, to see what happened to Metyllisk, and why Rainbow lived so long.
Metyllisk’s was mundane, nothing beyond a case of maddening suicide caused by the desolation of war and the death that haunts its wake. Rainbow’s autopsy was worse to see the results of, prompting the medic to call for Celestia. When Celestia came in, she asked, “Did you find anything?”.
The medic said in a sad tone, “We found out… she was with foal. The father was the PROTOMAK G.A.A named Metyllisk.”. Celestia said, “I can’t believe it… I… I just wish I could have been faster… landed softer… done better… anything better.”. The medic said, “It would only have kept her in misery.”. Celestia said, “When things get better, I’ll hold service in their memory.”.
A few months later, on a day Celestia decreed as the first Veterans of Equestria Day, Celestia went to those of Equestria left who had survived. The lucky peasants, the valiant soldiers, the royalty… everyone left had gathered to the 21-gun salutes to give honour to the fallen soldiers’ names. Each loss was bitter, but two deaths rang more so than others… Rainbow and Metyllisk, whose actions ended the nightmare that was the Great Equestrian War.
Celestia went to the tomb of Rainbow and Metyllisk, and said, “We will never forget your actions, great pegasi.”. Celestia then etched these words into the door of their tomb:
“Forever remembered in our hearts. Rest In Peace, Rainbow Dash (981-1004) and Metalle Leski (957-1004).”.
FINIS
