Black Sun Nation

by DancesWithBaglez

Rating: teen
Tags: Gilda, Dinky Hooves, Other, Adventure, Rumble, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Original Character
Length: 21116

An ear-shattering blast ripped the world apart. Equestria's darkest hour was not its last. The old nation torn by civil war ushered forth a new and terrible age, where two brothers struggle to survive.

Equestria is no longer a country. The nation, decimated after a twenty-five year civil war, swings between complete anarchy and totalitarian military reign. The only reminder of the cataclysm that destroyed the land – the charred remains of Mount Canterlot – looms over whatever is left.

Now, despite the end of all they once knew, two brothers must pursue all that is left for them in the remnants of Equestria: their mother and hope.

Big thanks to flyingfox for editing Chapter 1!

Published 2016-03-07 17:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-11-21 22:06:50 UTC

Chapter 2: Remnants

As the group trekked onward, Sunny couldn’t help but observe the surroundings. The early afternoon sun beat down on him, a set of armor and building husks no longer acting as protecting from the heat. Among the lifeless grasses and dead plants lay the the occasional set of scattered bones. None of them looked big enough to belong to a pony; perhaps they belonged to woodland creatures that couldn’t handle the initial magical energy of the blast or died not long after. Regardless, the vultures had eaten well for some time. Looking to they sky, nothing circled overhead. Either there wasn’t anything left for them to eat, or they had died, themselves; most likely the latter.

“You sure you know where we’re going?” Maverick asked, not aware of his whiny tone. He kept up pace with Arcane, who walked in front of the brothers, not bothering to look back.

“I marched down this route only a few times during the war, but I’m pretty sure I still know the way.” He grimaced, looking to his injured side. The bleeding had finally stopped, but the bandage didn’t hold much of it’s original color and the pain hadn’t subsided. Not wanting to concern his younger companions, he looked forward again, biting his bottom lip and trying his best to walk properly.

As they approached a small hill, Sunny thought of the mare. Her eyes still looked into his, a fear in them that would never leave. The blood from her muzzle covering his hooves - the hooves he couldn’t bear to look at. He was a murderer. An innocent pony lay dead because of him. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his breathing steady. Did anypony see him do it? His heart nearly leapt into his throat when he remembered the colt. Would he tell the other guards? Would they come and drag him back to put him on trial? With the rage he saw in Haze’s eyes after the riot, he could kiss the rest of his life goodbye whether he was convicted or not.

Calm down, Sunny! he thought in a harsher tone than he would have liked. Just calm down. Nopony else knows, so just, I don’t know, keep going and… try not to think about it. The more he tried not to think about it, the more the opposite occurred. He cursed silently to himself before he bumped into his brother. Coming back to his senses, he realized that all three of them had reached the hilltop and a vast lower valley lay before them.

Looking across the landscape, Sunny could see why his brother and Arcane had stopped. As far as the valley stretched, aging pony skeletons clad in armor lay strewn about. Nearest them, the armor on a majority of the ponies had a darker color, most likely crafted from iron or some variation. On the far end, familiar golden sets of armor covered fallen Royalists. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came; he could only stare. His attention eventually went to Arcane. To his surprise, the other unicorn didn’t look shocked in the slightest. Instead, he looked out at the dead ponies with a blank stare.

Before Sunny could ask if everything was okay, Arcane started down the path again, not saying a word. The other two followed, knowing not to disturb the older stallion in this state.

As they neared the skeletons, more detailed features about them could be made out: two rebel soldiers lay together, one on top of the other, a rusted spear through both of their ribcages. An iron war chariot off to the left held a small group of Rebels, though deep burn marks around the hull of the vehicle spelled the fate they suffered. Reaching the farther end of the battlefield, it grew apparent that far more Royalist skeletons lay about the ground than Rebels. A tattered banner stuck in the earth waved in the wind next to a knee-high pile of golden-clad bodies, the hooves of some still clutching at their colors. Near the edge of the battlefield, a group of bodies surrounded a single one. Upon further inspection, the guarded pony’s armor held the crest of a Royalist general; even though his body had faded away a long time before, one could still feel the tension from the look of his bones.

“General Hoover the Cleft,” Arcane mumbled, bringing the officer’s hoof towards him, studying the split in the bone. He turned and looked out across the boneyard, his hardened expression faltered, threatening to break at any moment. “I knew him. I knew the ponies in this company. I would have been with him if I wasn’t told to stay in Fillydelphia…” A sharp pain shot through his side, causing him to wince, though he tried to keep his expression to a minimum. Turning back to the dead officer, he loosened the straps on the chestplate and donned the armor himself. “He doesn’t need it, anymore - and I’ll be damned if I let Haze tell me where my loyalties lie.”

Without so much as a passing glance, Arcane continued down the path, Maverick following suit. Sunny was about to join them when a glint of light hit the corner of his eye. Looking to his right, he saw sunlight reflecting off a small metallic object in the hoof of a Rebel pony. Curious, he trotted over to investigate. As he got closer, he realized that the object wasn’t an untarnished piece of armor as he had assumed. In the Rebel’s hoof sat a silver locket, the outside bearing the Royalist insignia. Despite the small crack in the Fleur de Lis, the locket was in better shape than any other piece of metalcraft he’d seen in a long time.

Sunny’s curiosity getting the better of him, and figuring the owner of the locket must be long gone, he took it gently in his hoof and opened it. What he thought would answer his questions only added more. On the right side, a faded picture of a griffon looked back at him. She didn’t smile, though he could tell that she was content, calm even. From her neck down, she wore a Royalist flight uniform, one sizably larger than those issued to pegasi. On the left half of the locket, a marking was etched into the metal: a cloud producing a bolt of striped lightning. Below the bolt was a short message, though he could barely make out the words:

“Lead the way, featherbrain.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Sunny mumbled to himself. He was broken from his thoughts by the familiar voice of Arcane, hollering at him to follow. Looking back to the locket, he put it in his saddlebag before running off towards his comrades.

“Find a trinket, Sunny?” asked Arcane, half curious and half mocking.

“You could say that,” replied Sunny, glancing back at his saddlebag. That mark, he thought. Where have I seen it before?

Maverick, though keeping a good pace with the other ponies, grew more visibly impatient by the minute. “Can’t you guys use your magic and poof use where we’re going?”

Sunny rolled his eyes and chuckled. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Maverick. There are - or, were - only a few unicorns who could ever teleport that long of a distance. Unfortunately, we’re not them.”

“You won’t have to wait much longer, Maverick. I know there’s a town not far from here. Hopefully the ponies there will be able to…” As they ascended a hilltop, Arcane stopped, looking across the valley below. A short downhill walk away sat the makings of a quaint farmer’s village, not too few buildings to qualify as a shanty town, but not enough to be a city, either. Though he could see the outlines and colors of ponies, Arcane couldn’t help feel that something was off.

“Oh thank goodness, ponies!” exclaimed Maverick, Without a second thought, he darted down the hill, saddlebags bouncing against his sides. “Hey! Anypony, hey! We need help!”

Sunny gasped. “Maverick, no! You don’t know who they are, get back here!” With an aggravated grunt, he ran after his brother. As he grew closer to the town, he noticed a funny feeling. It started as a tingle in his horn, then morphed into a light, throbbing pain as he neared the outskirts. He chocked it up to a headache caused by the events of the day. Witnessing murder on that scale could probably do that to a pony. Or committing one. He stopped, a cold chill running from his horn to his tail at the reminder. What did I say about thinking about it, Sunny? Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he could see her face again, watching him intently.

“Sunny,” said Arcane, tapping the other unicorn on the shoulder. Noticing the slight gasp and sharp look, he apologized for startling him. “You wouldn’t happen to have a hornache right now, would you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Same here. Hey, Maverick, quit staring that pony in the eye, it’s rude.”

Maverick looked back to his party and shrugged. “I can’t help it. She’s really good at this!”

Sunny raised an eyebrow quizzically and walked over to the mare. “What are you talking abo-” He stopped. As soon as he saw the mare’s face, he understood Maverick’s fascination. Her face stared blankly at an unknown entity, every muscle and feature still. In fact, she didn’t even blink; she just kept staring.

Is she… Sunny’s thought trailed off, taking a closer look. Frozen? Carefully, he reached out a hoof to touch her, but a sudden force yanked him away.

“Don’t touch her, Sunny!” said Arcane sternly, his voice failing to sound as calm and collected as usual. He opened his mouth to say something else, but he noticed Maverick walking into a building not far from where they stood. Before he could go after him, Sunny’s hoof held him back.

“I’ll get him.” As he left to pursue, he turned back to Arcane. He trotted to the building’s entrance and opened the door.

It was a bar; not the most well-furbished, though it housed several patrons, all of which sat frozen in place, same as the mare outside. A table near the front held a couple well-dressed ponies with cards in their hooves, a large pile of chips in the center. Off to the right, a unicorn patron with a bottle in hoof leaned across his stool to speak to a scantily clad pegasus mare, his expression suggesting his intentions. The bartender, looking at the display, held a cheeky smirk across his muzzle. Near the stairs on the left, an earth pony stallion wearing a fancy vest sat at a piano, his body poised and focused in concentration. As Sunny looked from one pony to the next, he heard a small chuckle from the second floor.

“Maverick!” Sunny shouted. When he received no response, a pang of fear shot through his gut. There can’t be more than frozen ponies here… could there? He didn’t plan on waiting to find out. Darting up the stairs, he followed the sounds of his brother’s laughter until he reached a white-painted door at the end of the second floor hallway. He opened the door to find Maverick sitting on his haunches, laughing at a mare seated atop a stallion on the bed in a lewd position.

“S-Sunny! They’re about to-”

With a sigh, Sunny went over and Maverick off the ground, using a spare hoof to shield his brother’s eyes from the scene. “Yes they are, Maverick, but you can’t be wandering off like that. We don’t know what’s going on here. It could be dangerous.”

“What? Is their freezing contagious?”

“I’m not saying that, but we just need to be careful. Watch our step, you know?” Maverick gave him a salute accented by a “yes, sir”, signalling his understanding. “Okay, good. Let’s get back to Arcane.” As they descended the stairs, Sunny glanced at the bar, eyeing the numerous bottles behind the frozen bartender. “You go ahead, Maverick. I’ll catch up.” Maverick nodded, walking out the door without looking back.

Once he was sure Maverick wouldn’t return, Sunny walked over to the bar, getting a closer look at the selection. His eyes fell on a bottle of bourbon near the top, unopened and calling his name. After glancing back to the door to be sure nopony else would see him, he levitated the bottle closer and put it in his saddlebag. As he was about to walk out, he grimaced and sighed, returning to the bar. “Look, I’d pay you with some rations, but I’m guessing they’d be long gone by the time this thing dissipates. Just thought I’d say thanks,” he said. As he expected, he received no response. With a slight nod, he turned around and left. As soon as he went through the door he bumped into Arcane, looking down at him with a less-than-amused glare.

“Find another trinket, Sunny?” he asked flatly.

“Yeah… something like that,” replied Sunny, trying his best not to look the older unicorn in the eye. He could still feel Arcane’s prying eyes on him, trying to force out some sort of confession. When none came, Arcane sighed and turned to Maverick.

“If the aching in my horn is any indication, we shouldn’t stick around much longer. We’ll continue on until sunset, then set up camp.” Turning back to Sunny, he whispered: “When morning comes, there’s much we need to discuss.”

His tone tied a knot in Sunny’s gut, a knot created by the uncertainty of Arcane’s intentions and his own anxiety. Did he know he took the bottle? Does he know about… her? His thoughts trailed off to the place he wanted so desperately for them not to. When he closed his eyes, her face was all he could see. As much as he pleaded for her to stop staring at him, she didn’t listen. As he left with Arcane and his brother, he looked back to the town. When he did, his heart nearly stopped. There, standing in the middle of the road behind them was the colt from Fillydelphia. Their eyes met, neither saying a word; their looks to one another said more than words ever could.

Finally, he could see the colt mouth a single word, tears starting to stream down his face: “Why?”

Sunny looked away, breathing deeply to steady his nerves. Despite his tightly-shut eyes, the image of the colt and his mother remained etched in his eyelids. His knees trembled and his body shook, the hot tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Stop… stop staring at me… he thought, as if thinking the words would make the images go away. When he could no longer bear looking at the mental portraits of the mother and son, he turned back once more to face the colt.

The colt was gone.

“What the…?” Sunny mumbled, his eyes wide.

Hearing this, Arcane craned his head to see what was up. “Something wrong, Sunny?”

“N-no. Everything’s fine. Just… the sooner we get away from this place the better. My horn is really starting to hurt.”

Nightfall came, and the group settled into their their poor excuse for a tent for the night. Sunny could hardly sleep, the events of the day resting too heavy on his mind. Despite his several attempts to sleep, it ultimately proved futile. He sighed, getting up while trying not to disturb Maverick. Geez, he just conks right out as soon as he hits the ground, he thought. Looking at his brother’s sleeping form, a smile slowly crossed his face. Despite all the turmoil and chaos in Fillydelphia - let alone their childhoods in the war - he could always count on Maverick to make life more bearable. Carefully, he reached down and gently ruffled his brother’s mane before stepping outside.

Looking up, he gazed at the stars, the only remaining lights in the night sky. Though nights had been darker since the blast, the light of his horn more than made up for it. As his horn lit up, he breathed in the chilly night air.

“Couldn’t sleep?” asked a voice.

Turning to the source, Sunny saw Arcane sitting on the grass a decent distance from the tent, looking to where the moon would have been. “Yeah. Hard to sleep after a day like today. How did you manage it back then?”

Arcane lowered his head to the ground, his horn lighting up like Sunny’s. “We found ways.” Turning to meet Sunny’s gaze, he gestured to the grass next to him. “Sit down, kid.”

With a nod, Sunny sat down next to him, both of their horns providing enough glow so they could properly see one another despite the darkness. “I imagine you want to ask about what I found in the town. Look, I-”

“I know it was liquor, Sunny. I can tell you right now that it won’t serve the purpose you want it to.”

Sunny raised an eyebrow, looking at Arcane suspiciously. “What are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is it won’t solve any of your problems.” He turned to Sunny with a calm yet stern expression. “I know that pain, Sunny. Not only did I experience that myself, but I saw how others tried to cope with it. I saw too many in my ranks turn to the bottle for help, for answers. You know what they got? Nothing.”

“I’m not looking for answers, Arcane,” said Sunny, growing increasingly irritated.

“Then tell me, what are you looking for in that?”

“I’m just looking to be happy again, dammit!” Sunny spat, levitating the bottle over and shaking it in front of Arcane’s face. “What’s wrong with wanting to remove myself from the pain and suffering, even for just a short while?! I can’t just sit back and suffer silently, anymore! Every time I close my eyes, you know what I see? I see them, Arcane! I see the bodies of ponies from Fillydelphia and Baltimare, and I think to myself: ‘Why them and not me?’ Why are they dead and I’m not? Should I be?”

Taking a ragged breath through clenched teeth, Sunny continued. “With that, I also think to myself that… I’m glad it wasn’t me. It sounds terrible and selfish, I know, but I just… I don’t want to die, but at the same time, I wonder why I’m not dead. I don’t know what to do, what to think, what to feel, what to anything, anymore! I just want to stop thinking, if only for a little while!”

Sunny suddenly opened the bottle and brought it to his lips, downing a large gulp of the contents. As it went down, it burned his throat, causing him to cough violently. Despite his coughing fit, he continued. “Mmm, that’s good stuff! I feel better already!” With every word he spoke, the lump in his throat grew bigger, threatening to choke him. “Now I don’t have to think about Maverick’s disability being my fault, wherever the hell my mother is, or… or…” He paused, looking to Arcane with tear-stained eyes. It was only the second time he’d seen his mentor cry, but it was just as if not more painful to watch than the last. What little resistance Sunny held on to broke. He fell into his mentor’s lap, bawling like a newborn foal. Through his sobs, he tried as best he could to finish his sentence: “...or your injury.”

Arcane rested a hoof on Sunny’s head, stroking his mane gently. “Shh, it’s okay. No shame in crying, kid. No shame.” He let his own tears fall, knowing that fighting back would no longer help. He held the younger unicorn close to him, as if it were the only thing keeping him from a similar state of hysterics.

When the tears no longer came, Sunny looked up into Arcane’s eyes. “Your side… it’s not going to heal… is it?”

“I’ll be fine,” Arcane replied, his tone suggesting he barely believed his own lie. “Don’t worry about me. If I can survive a civil war for over twenty years, I can survive this. It’s not my first rodeo, Sunny.” He squeezed tighter, letting out a heavy sigh. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. You’re my…” He paused, resting his head on the one below him. “... you’re my son. As far as I’m concerned, you're both my children. I won’t abandon you, and I’ll be damned if some wound keep me away from you both.”

They both sat there, both attempting to comfort the other’s sorrow with their presence, the presence of somepony who knew their pain, somepony who would listen to their silent screams. Arcane wasn’t sure how long they sat there in that position, but when he felt Sunny drift off to sleep, he let go of him and got up. Looking down at the other unicorn, he couldn’t help but see himself all those years ago - before the war, before things became so unbearably complicated. It was a time when magic wasn’t used to enchant weapons, extract information, or to destroy; magic was used to create, entertain, and help one’s fellow pony. It was a simpler time, a time he wished Sunny had been alive to see.

“Maybe you’ll see it someday, Sunny…” he whispered. Enveloping Sunny in his magical aura, he levitated his sleeping form back into the tent, a small smile crossing his lips. “I know you will.” With a yawn, Arcane walked over to the tent and took off his armor before curling up on the ground, sleep quickly overtaking him.

When Sunny awoke, the first thing he felt was the sun pelting his unshielded eyes. With a grumble, he got to his hooves, stretching whatever soreness or knots remained in his muscles from the day before. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Maverick still asleep, his body in a position he thought would be impossible for anypony to sleep in.

“Good, you’re awake,” said Arcane, carrying three canteens up the hillside around his neck. As Sunny looked at him, he could tell he held back a pained expression, the sides of his smile tight and unnatural. His legs buckled slightly, his breathing deep and drawn in through his teeth.

“You okay, Arcane?” asked Sunny, knowing full well that the unicorn in question was anything but.

Setting the canteens down by the tent, Arcane chuckled, quickly glancing at his injured side as he did. “I feel like a million bits.” Moments later, his head popped up with wide eyes and an excited smile. “Oh, that’s right! There’s something we need to do while Maverick is still asleep.”

Sunny watched as Arcane levitated a nearby flat rock to them, making sure the smooth side faced to the sky. Then, from his saddlebag, he produced a checkered game board. At the sight of the board, Sunny raised an eyebrow. “Is now really the time for checkers?” he asked.

“Pfft. Checkers? Think again, kid.” From the saddlebag came several intricately carved pieces, one group painted yellow and the other painted a dark blue. “You’ve never seen this one, have you?”

Sunny shook his head. The only thing he’d seen even close to this design was chess, though he’d never seen chess pieces like these before.

“That’s because this was a game played primarily by Rebel officers and tacticians. It’s called Princess Peril.”

Sunny recalled hearing the name before among the guards in Fillydelphia, though it had mainly been an inside joke towards newer recruits. “Looks a lot like chess. What the difference?”

“Let’s just say the rules are nearly identical - one exception being the pawns can move backwards like every other piece can - but you’ll find out the rest as we go.”

With an unamused huff, Sunny sat down, assembling his yellow pieces on the board. He made the first move, moving one of his pawns forward. He studied the piece, noting it beared resemblance to a younger pony, but no mouth, eyes, or nostrils were present. Assuming the first few moves would just be pawns moving closer together, Sunny asked: “So if this is a Rebel-created game, how’d you get ahold of it?”

Moving another pawn forward, Arcane smirked. “I picked up a trinket or two during the war. This is the only one I’ve made a point of keeping.”

Sunny moved his knight, a heavy armor-clad royal guardspony, behind his sizable wall of pawns. “You know, I never asked, but what was the war like? Was it always as bad as it sounded?

Sighing, Arcane made his move and looked downward, as if contemplating exactly how to phrase his thoughts. “It wasn’t always so bad. Started out as some minor civil disobedience, some protesters here and there - nothing we couldn’t deal with. After a year or two, the riots started up, and along with that, deliberate attacks against the guards, escalating to anypony openly supporting or working for the monarchy being a target. Again, nothing we couldn’t handle, but…” He trailed off, gesturing Sunny to make his move.

His curiosity peaked by Arcane’s account, he mindlessly pushed another pawn, leaving all of them moved forward one space. “Continue.”

“...but everything changed the day of the beating.”

“Beating?”

“There was a young filly in San Franciscolt, barely a teenager. A guard caught her graffitiing on one of the city’s temples to the Royal Sisters. Instead of taking her into custody, he beat her until she was black, blue, and bleeding. She didn’t die, but the city guards tried to cover it up, saying the guard acted in self defense.” Arcane moved his second rook behind a row of three pawns “After that, every pony even remotely unsatisfied with the Sisters cried for blood. That guard was found a few days later with a slit throat and the Rebel flag painted on his wall.”

“Damn. That start a bit of a chain reaction?”

Arcane chuckled. “That’s an understatement. Once the Royal Guard realized that they were targets, their numbers doubled, they armed themselves to the teeth, and became far more aggressive towards protesters. Less than a year later, the teenage daughter of General Shining Armor and Princess Cadence went missing. She’d been captured by a group of ponies aligning themselves with the Rebellion. They demanded that Celestia and Luna disband half of their forces and hold guards accountable for their actions against protesting citizens.”

“The sisters agreed, right?”

“No. They said they wouldn’t negotiate with traitors. Honestly, I think they were trying to call a bluff. They didn’t believe any harm would come to a hostage; they didn’t think a bunch of loosely-organized thugs had the guts to execute a princess, much less a hostage that young.” He paused, looking down and closing his eyes in solemn silence. “A package with the young princess’s severed wings and horn showed up on the castle doorstep days later.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Neither did we, Sunny. Neither did we. That was the turning point, the point where we realized we were no longer dealing with a band of thugs looking to stir up trouble. We were dealing with a growing, deadly force that wanted the Sisters' heads on a platter.”

Sunny’s eyes widened. “How would they allow something like that to happen? Didn’t they realize that the rebels weren’t messing around?”

“At the time, no.” Arcane moved his right-most pawn forward one space. “Think about it, Sunny: they had been the only rulers of the land since its founding. No real complaints, no significant threats to their rule from the ponies, just a peaceful reign for over a millennia. They were Equestria. Once these ponies came along and declared war on them, they may have seen it as some sort of publicity stunt. By speaking out against them, they were speaking out against their very home. Once that guard was killed, it may have given them a wake-up call that something needed to be done and that the Rebels wouldn’t go away.” After watching Sunny’s bishop draw closer to his knight, Arcane took evasive action, hiding behind his pawns. “It only did so much to arrest anypony even speaking about the Rebellion in a positive light. In fact, it only added fuel to the Rebels’ fire.”

Advancing his pieces further forward, Sunny looked across the board at Arcane, puzzled. “Didn’t they know things would only get worse?”

Arcane placed one of his pawns next to Sunny’s. “Perhaps they didn’t want to know,” he said flatly. “Ignore, or in their case outlive, the problem and hope it would go away, but a festering wound” - he glanced to his side, wincing in pain - “thrives on neglect.”

After making his move, Sunny leaned forward anxiously, as if what he was hearing was not to be heard by anypony else. “So what else happened? How’d you survive so long?”

Looking to the board in concentration, Arcane moved his pawn one space from Sunny’s nearest piece. “I was only in a few major battles, kid. Baltimare was one of four, I believe. The rest of the time I was just keeping the peace in Fillydelphia or back home in Manehattan.”

Raising an eyebrow at Arcane’s move, Sunny moved his knight into position to take the piece next turn. “You have any family in Manehattan?”

“I have… had a wife. Not sure if she’s okay or not. She’s a tough cookie, though. She’s probably all right.” He grinned before moving his pawn backwards. “She’s probably waiting for me to come back so she can scold me for being late a couple years.”

Sunny glanced at the board, moving his piece to pursue Arcane’s. “Maybe. Would she understand you sitting on your ass playing a game of chess instead of trying to find her?” he asked, smirking at the board, as if he knew that he had made the smartest move in his power.

Arcane nonchalantly knocked over Sunny’s knight with his bishop, a pony in a dark cloak with her hooves to the sky. “It’s not chess. It’s Princess Peril.” To Sunny’s surprise, he levitated the piece back onto the board a space from where it had been slain. Noticing the look he was getting, he chuckled. “Oh, right. That’s another key difference between this game and chess: any piece you take out will come back in, but it will be under your control.”

Confused, Sunny looked to the piece, then back to Arcane. “How will we know who’s taken what piece?”

“You’ll just have to keep track, kid.” Resting his elbow by the corner of the board, he kept his head propped up while looking smugly at the younger unicorn. “I would tell you the secret to this game, but I’d hate to spoil your fun.” Though he saw the gears in Sunny’s head turn, thinking of a strategy, he patted the other unicorn on the shoulder and smiled reassuringly at him. “Hey, I know it’s a bit out there, but you’ll get the hang of it.” He pointed to his newly-captured piece. “In a war like the one we had, you could never tell who was friend or foe just by looking at a pony. You had to look more than skin deep. That’s why I stayed alive. Even if you think you’re with an ally, never let your guard down.”

His face twisted in concentration, Sunny looked at the board, noting the position of every piece he knew was his. Since Arcane had only take one of his pieces so far, it wouldn’t be hard to keep track if he took one or two more. He confidently moved a rook into position to take his former bishop next turn if Arcane didn’t move it. To his surprise, he didn’t, instead moving one of his knights from behind his pawns. “Aha!” Sunny exclaimed, moving his rook to reclaim his bishop.

“Hmm, not bad,” said Arcane, smiling and rubbing his chin with an hoof. Before Sunny realized his mistake, he moved his knight to take the other’s rook, leaving the newly-claimed bishop vulnerable on the following turn. “Hey, it’s okay, kid,” he said, noticing Sunny’s growing frustration. “It’s your first time playing it, and I haven’t told you all the secrets I know about the game, so don’t feel bad about not being able to win.”

“Hey, I haven’t lost yet, so don’t go thinking that I have,” Sunny seethed, coming across much angrier than he would have liked. Despite it just being a game, he didn’t want to be shown up by the old stallion; he didn’t want to be inferior.

Arcane smiled. “Very well. It’s your move.”

Sunny sent out his second knight. After Arcane moved his left-most pawn past one of his, he sent his second bishop to join the fray with his knight. I have to get to his king, he thought. I’ll have him right where I want him.

Moving another pawn past Sunny’s growing forces in the center, Arcane took a deep, happy breath. “Having fun?” he asked lightheartedly, knowing this would only agitate Sunny more.

“I will be when I win,” said Sunny, giving his mentor a quick smirk before moving his queen up to the middle of the board, hoping it would scare Arcane into recalling his forces in the center. To his dismay, the opposing pawns in his path didn’t move, only the ones on the side. He wondered why every move Arcane made didn’t come towards his king or even try to protect his own. Why are his moves so pointless?

When Sunny took one of his knights with his queen, Arcane cowered playfully. “Oh no, the mighty Sunny has invaded my territory! What ever shall I do?”

Sunny puffed out his chest, looking to Arcane’s side of the board with a smug smile. He’d win his very first game of Princess Peril and show Arcane just how good of a soldier he had become.

Arcane reached out and moved his bishop hidden behind his king, taking Sunny’s queen.

Silence. Sunny looked at the board, dumbfounded. He wasn’t entirely sure what to feel; anger, despair, anything other than what he’d been feeling only moments before. Okay, don’t panic, Sunny, he thought. Just fall back to your side and regroup. He went to move his knight back, but his jaw dropped when he found his side of the board swarmed with Arcane’s pawns. If he went forward, it would be suicide, but if he went back, he’d face an entirely different force. To his horror, he had nowhere to run. With a heavy, defeated sigh, he took is king piece, Princess Celestia, and put it on its side. “You win,” he said, not wanting to look the old stallion in the eye.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up,” said Arcane, reaching across the board and ruffling Sunny’s mane. “You did good for your first game; you had a strategy and you followed it, but keep in mind that this game isn’t chess. It’s not about who eliminates the most pieces, it’s about outmaneuvering and outsmarting the opponent, reading their movements, position yourself so that they can’t hope to overtake you.”

“I guess you’re right. Doesn’t make losing any easier.”

Moving to sit next to Sunny, Arcane levitated his king piece, Princess Luna, in front of them. “You want to know one key to winning?”

Ears perked, Sunny looked to Arcane in excitement. “Totally! What is it?”

Arcane smirked. “Don’t lose yourself. Even in battle it’s easy to give in to the swirling hurricane of emotions and thoughts in your mind, but you can’t let them control you under any circumstances.” He set the Luna piece back on the board. “Emotions like fear and anger - the most common ones - can cloud your judgement. Your mind must be alert to your surroundings and your condition at all times.” He got up, heading to the tent while levitating the board and pieces back into his saddlebag. “Never lose your cool, even in the most trying of times.”

As Arcane went to wake up Maverick, Sunny sat and pondered what his mentor had said. He has a point, he thought. I lost my cool back in Fillydelphia on more than one occasion, and look what happened there. Just gotta be calm, Sunny. Be calm. He closed his eyes, taking steady, deep breaths, practicing what he’d do if a situation proved too much for him to handle. In that state, breathing and concentrating, it was as if the rest of world faded around him. In his mind, he felt his hooves touch the soft grass of the field he had grown familiar with, the figure of his mother before him, her smile as warm and inviting as her wings. As he felt them wrap around his form, a strange poking sensation jolted him from his trance. Opening his eyes, he found Arcane and Maverick staring down at him, both a bit confused.

“How could you be sleeping, Sunny? The sun’s up,” Maverick said, pointing to the perpetual eclipse in the sky.

“Um, I guess I was just a little tired. Sorry for keeping you both waiting.”

Once Sunny had gathered his own supplies, the group set off down the path, unaware of the pair of eyes that watched them from the shadows.

Chapter 3: Hollow Shades

“A-are you sure this is a g-good idea?” Maverick asked, struggling to hide the fear in his voice. Though he tried his best to understand why his brother and Arcane wanted to go into the dark, spooky-looking forest before them, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around why they’d want to go in rather than run away. “Isn’t there another path to this Hollow Shades place?”

“If there was, we would’ve taken it,” replied Arcane, “but we need to get there one way or another. There’s a pretty good distance between here and the mountain pass, so we need to see if we can stock up on more supplies.” He winced, his wound making itself known. When he saw Maverick look to his injury with a curious eye, he tried to turn away, but deep down he knew he couldn’t keep the truth from Maverick forever.

“It’s okay, Maverick. We’ll be fine. Just pretend it’s Nightmare Night and we’re going to get some candy,” said Sunny, giving his brother a playful nudge.

“But will there be candy, Sunny? You said that the time you wanted me to come get rations with you, and they didn’t have any.”

Sunny pursed his lips, looking this way and that, not meeting Maverick’s eyes. “They were probably fresh out. This time will be different, I promise.”

Maverick looked suspiciously at his brother, but raised an eyebrow. “You promise?” When he received a nod as an answer, he returned the gesture. “Okay. I trust you.”

Smiling at the two brothers, Arcane looked forward at the thick line of trees. “Ready, boys?”

With a deep breath and a glance between both Sunny and Arcane, Maverick nodded firmly. “Let’s go!”

Entering the woods, the ponies found their path darkened significantly, the thick treetops blotting out any light that tried to seep through. The unicorns’ horns lit up, illuminating the path a few feet in front of them.

“Hey guys, I think I’m - ow!” Maverick exclaimed, his snout colliding with a tree in the darkness. He groaned, rubbing his nose gingerly. “Hey, Sunny, could I walk behind you? I can’t see anything in here and this place gives me the creeps.”

With a throaty chuckle, Sunny gestured his brother to follow, which he was more than happy to oblige.

The farther into the forest they ventured, the darker it seemed to get and the less effective their horn lights became, eventually fading to little more than candlelight. Despite the light’s limited pervasiveness, the animals of the forest began to stir, the surrounding area echoing with the sounds of various insects, bats, and whatever else lurked in the darkness.

Though Sunny had never been afraid of the dark, the strange new sounds put him on edge. In his youth, neither he nor Maverick had ever seen such undisturbed nature, even in the park held in Baltimare’s town square. Looking down, he saw grass, green grass, something he hadn’t seen in years. It felt crisp and plush under his hooves, comforting his aches and brushing gently against his coat. The taller patches tickled his stomach, as if reaching upward to embrace him, but not quite having the length to do so. He considered that perhaps it was trying to pull him down instead of push up, prompting another thought that, given his actions, it may be trying to drag him to Hell. He pushed the thought from his mind.

“Hey, Arcane,” said Maverick, craning his head to the right in the direction of the only other light source. “Why’s the grass green here? Wouldn’t the big bang thing have turned it yellow like the rest?” Sunny glanced back at his brother in surprise. He was more observant of his surroundings than he gave him credit for. Maybe there was still hope that he’d recover, after all.

“Like the town with the frozen ponies, there may have been a pocket of magic from the Canterlot blast that settled here.”

“If that’s the case, it looks like it had a hell of a different effect,” replied Sunny, still trying to grasp that he was touching living, growing grass again. His brief comfort was interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping behind them. His ears perked, he looked back towards the source. “You hear that?”

“Hear what?” asked Maverick, looking to where his brother was, fear creeping its way into his tone. Silence. The birds ceased chirping, even the bugs shut up; the only sound came from the beating hearts of the increasingly wary brothers, a light breeze rustling through the trees, and Arcane’s hoofsteps continuing forward.

“Hey, Arcane, how much farther do we have until we reach Hollow Shades?” asked Sunny, gesturing for Maverick to get in front of him, putting him as far away from the noise as possible without him leaving the light.

“Not sure, actually. These forests were thick even back then, so if the blast’s magic got to it, who knows what could have changed.”

“You don’t think that the creatures could have been affected, do you?”

Arcane stopped, turning towards the flicker of light provided by Sunny’s horn. “Not that I know of, why?”

Before Sunny could answer, a brown blur leaped out of the darkness and tackled him to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs. When he opened his eyes, he saw a glowing-eyed, snarling dog standing on his chest, its teeth dripping with drool. As it was about to lunge for his throat, Maverick grabbed it and threw it against a nearby tree.

“Get off him!”

When it hit the tree, it yelped as it fell to the ground. It turned and ran back into the darkness, moving much slower than it had before. From the grass, another creature leapt at Maverick, this time a raccoon with the same glowing eyes as the dog. Maverick yelled in surprise, cowering as the beast came towards him. A field of golden magic enveloped the raccoon, tossing it far into the darkness.

Arcane galloped up to the other two ponies, casting a shield of magic just as the dog came back for a second charge. “Both of you, run!”

Sunny took off with Maverick not far behind, the heavily smothered light from Sunny’s horn allowing them to weave around trees just as they were about to collide. From behind them, they could hear the faint struggle of Arcane attempting to follow them while trying to fend off the attacking creatures.

“You think he’ll be okay, Sunny?”

“Should be… he’s faced worse,” Sunny replied, trying to convince himself that he hadn’t just left the old stallion to die. With every step he took, his mind screamed for him to turn back, to keep Arcane from getting himself killed. Deep in his mental conflict, he didn’t notice the tree in his path until it was too late, slamming into it with a hard thud.

“Sunny! Are you okay?” asked Maverick, looking over his shoulder towards Arcane’s flickering light as it slowly but surely approached.

Rubbing his forehead with a hoof, Sunny got back to his hooves. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Let’s keep mov-” he was cut off when a great roar came from his right. Fearing the worst, he turned and shot a bolt of magic in the direction of the sound. The blast provided a dim light as it whizzed past the creature barreling towards them from the darkness. Before he could fire another shot, an enormous brown bear charged out of the brush.

“Maverick, get behind me!” Sunny shouted, casting a shield in front of him, bracing for impact. When the bear collided with his shield, the unicorn dug his hooves into the ground, doing all in his power to keep the shield up. The bear clawed at the magical field, slammed its body into it numerous times with unnatural strength.

Sunny knew he couldn’t keep the shield up for long at that rate, but options were limited. As he tried to think of a plan in his panicked, racing mind, a collective feral shriek came from his left. Before he knew what hit him, a group of weasels pounced on him, breaking his concentration, and with it, his shield. He tried to get up, but the weasels seemed to hold him down, digging their teeth into his skin.

“Sunny!” cried Maverick, his eyes fixed on his brother and not the bear headed straight for him. Following his brother’s gaze of terror, he noticed the bear by the time it was within ten feet of him. His eyes went wide, like prey just before the predator strikes.

Just as the bear was about to grab Maverick, Arcane ran up from the side and jumped on the beast, tackling it with all his strength. They both fell to the ground, the unicorn crying out as he landed on his injured side. The bear quickly recovered, growling at the pony still laying on the ground.

Still trying to shake off the weasels, Sunny lit up his horn, prepared to push them all back in a single pulse, until a set of small teeth bit down, cancelling his spell. He drew breaths in through clenched teeth, the pain from the bites only increasing. When he tried to cast the spell again, he found himself unable to. His heart raced more than it had before, knowing without magic and unable to move, he was powerless to stop the bear from ripping Arcane to shreds. All he could do was scream. “Get up, Arcane! Please!”

Grimacing, Arcane shakily got back to his hooves, fresh blood dripping from his side from under the bandage. His eyes tried to focus on the bear slowly approaching him, but his vision blurred, his eyelids drooped slightly, and his hooves barely kept him stable. The light from his horn flickered, threatening to give out at any second. Despite this, he remained standing, staring down the bear with as much of a scowl as he could muster.

As the bear began to charge, a field of magenta magic enveloped the creature, stopping it in its tracks. In the distance, the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the forest, growing louder as the approaching pony drew closer.

“Off of him, now!” yelled a voice. Suddenly, the weasels let go of Sunny, darting their way back into the shadows. In the faint light of the magenta ball around the bear, a light-purple unicorn mare with a faded-yellow mane appeared. She walked up to the trapped bear, her hoofsteps indicating irritation. “Clyde, stop it! These ones aren’t dangerous.” Releasing the bear from her bubble, she gestured for it to run along, which it did in shame. Looking between the three ponies on the ground, she walked up to Maverick and held out her hoof. “You folks alright? We heard fighting and thought it was an army headed our way. When I saw it was just three travelers, I came to save your hides.”

“H-help him,” groaned Sunny, pointing a hoof towards the unicorn who was barely standing, blood dripping at an alarming pace from his side.

The mare’s eyes went wide. She enveloped the older stallion in her magic and helped Sunny to his hooves. “Come on, we’re not far from town. Follow me.”

Trotting as fast as he could behind the mare, Sunny looked over his wounds. The weasels had managed to break the skin in several places, painting his fur red in uneven patches all over. Luckily, his horn only stung a bit from the bite; he didn’t feel any damage would be permanent. Maybe he’d just try and take it easy on magic for a day or two. He laughed at his own thoughts. As if not using magic for a couple days was going to happen, given the evident hostility of the world outside Fillydelphia.

“Hey, Sunny,” whispered Maverick, easily keeping pace with his brother with much less effort, “are you going to be okay?”

Sunny looked back at him and forced a grin across his lips. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just kinda stings, is all.” He turned his head forward again just as he winced in pain, the sting of the bites making its presence known more than it had before.

“Almost there, just hang on.”

Sunny stopped cold, his momentum carrying him forward to the ground. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was Arcane’s bleeding form held in the unicorn mare’s magical grip.

Groaning, grunting, and screaming; these were the sounds Sunny awoke to. Opening his eyes slowly, his ears twitched, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. Looking up, he saw a roof made of thick, sturdy logs held together by tightly-woven rope. A wall of white brick made up the walls of the dimly-lit building. When his eyes moved to his right, he saw Maverick standing in the far corner, looking in jaw-slacked shock at what he was witnessing. He followed his brother’s gaze to a cot next to him, the unicorn mare standing over a writhing figure on the bed.

Maverick noticed Sunny was awake and rushed over to him. “Sunny! Something’s wrong with Arcane!”

“What?” Sunny replied groggily, trying to get a better look at what the mare was doing. She levitated a bottle of alcohol over to the bed and tilted it downward, the chugging sound accompanied by a familiar scream. “Arcane!”

Pulling off the sheet over him, Sunny got out of bed and shambled toward the mare, only to fall to the floor a few steps after he started. The mare turned around, rolling her eyes and picking him up with her magic. “Normally, I’d tell you to get the hell back in bed, but I may just need you right now. You’re actual injuries aren’t terrible, and the weasels’ saliva should have run the worst of its course by now, so you can help hold this one down since softy over there won’t do it.” She pointed to Maverick, who sat on his haunches with his hooves firmly over his ears.

“Wh-what do you mean hold him down?” asked Sunny, his words slightly slurred, though he was fully aware of the situation.

“I’m going to cauterize the wound, and I can’t have him squirming too much.” When she saw the bitten unicorn’s gaze turn to the dagger, blade immersed in the fire of a lantern on the table by the head of the cot, she sighed. “Look, if I had anesthesia, I’d put him under for this, but that’s not a luxury we have right now. We need to do this or he’ll bleed out.”

“If you so much as bring that near him, so help me I’ll-”

“You’ll what? Watch him die slowly without knowing what the hell to do to stop it?” Taking in a long deep breath, the mare tried as best she could to calm her nerves. “You want him to live, yes? Then hold him down. We don’t have a lot of time, here.”

Looking from the mare to Arcane and back, Sunny nodded solemnly, trotting over and placing his front hooves on the old stallion’s shoulders. His mentor lazily looked at him, a smile crossing his lips. Sunny couldn’t bear to return the gesture.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to put this in your mouth,” said the mare, levitating over a cloth near the lantern. She placed the fabric between the stallion’s teeth, a brief pang of remorse overtaking her. When her gaze returned to the stallion, she saw him looking at her with the most determined, fearless eyes she’d seen in years. She nodded firmly, levitating over the dagger, its blade red-hot and sizzling. “Ready?”

Arcane said something indistinguishable around the cloth, but it sounded as though he was ready. Sunny nodded slowly, knowing what was about to come.

As soon as the burning metal touched flesh, Sunny felt Arcane try to thrash about, his teeth clamped tight on the cloth, his eyes wider than he’d ever seen them, and a muffled scream trying in vain to escape him. It took all of his remaining physical and emotional strength to hold Arcane down, but he knew what would happen if he let up for even a second.

Every few seconds she’d take the blade away, only to press it back on the wound again, causing another strain on Suny’s muscles and psyche at hearing his mentor scream, feeling him try to struggle under him. Before long, Sunny shut his eyes, trying to block out the screams as best he could. There was only so much blocking out his mind could do.

The minutes dragged on, nopony saying a word as the cauterizing process continued. At some point in the procedure, Arcane had fallen unconscious, no longer screaming, but still grimacing with every application of the heated blade.

“Okay, you can let go of him, now,” said the mare, taking the blade away for the final time.

Sunny sat back on his haunches, looking at his shaking hooves. Who am I? he thought. I killed a mare with these hooves, then I held Arcane down as he was tortured. How can I look at them again?

A gentle hoof tapped his shoulder. Jerking his head up, he saw the unicorn mare, smiling gently at him. “He’s going to be okay,” she said. “You did what had to be done. I think he owes you one when he wakes up.”

It wasn’t until then that Sunny noticed how beautiful the mare was. Her purple coat reminded him of irises, a flower he’d seen only once or twice in his lifetime, though he had never appreciated them as much as he did in that moment. Her two-toned yellow mane looked so soft, so plush, as if he could lose himself in sensation of it brushing against his face. Eyes golden like the most precious of metals looked down at him, soothing whatever discomfort he may have had and sent his heart soaring into the sky. In his entire life of wartime and strife, he’d never seen something so calming, so… heavenly.

“Haven’t patched you up, yet. Get back in bed and I’ll have a look at ya.”

Sunny obeyed, not wanting to question or displease such a magnificent creature. He couldn’t help but watch her every move as she examined his bite marks, applying a splash of alcohol to every one that broke skin. Though the liquid burned to the touch, it paled in comparison to the nervous pit in his stomach forming at the sight of such beauty. He’d never thought of a mare this way, before. In his younger years, none of the mares in Fillydelphia - both in its current state and previous - caught his eye, let alone any in his childhood in Baltimare; the only truly beautiful mare he had known was his mother. Now, as he looked at the mare before him, beauty had received a new definition.

“Never really had time for introductions, did we? What’s your name?” she asked.

Snapped from his thoughts by the mare’s angelic voice, Sunny shook his head, trying to form a cohesive sentence among the jumbled thoughts. “S-Sunny. How about you?”

“I’m Dinky. Pleased to meet you.” She extended her hoof for him to shake, which he immediately obliged. “Your bites should heal in a day or two, but it’ll take a bit longer before that one recovers. Had the starting of an infection, there. Good thing you got him here when you did.” She sat down on the bed next to Sunny, gesturing to Maverick, who had moved to Arcane and was looking the sleeping stallion over. “What’s his deal?”

Sunny’s heart went from fluttering to freefalling, nervous tingles replaced by anger. “Nothing’s wrong with him. He’s just fine. Right, Maverick?”

“What?” Maverick turned to look at the other ponies, looking between them as if he didn’t know who they were.

With a heavy sigh, Dinky shifted so she looked Sunny directly in the eye. “You understand that I’m not an idiot, right? You’ll find I’m no stranger to medical conditions, both physical and mental. I know an issue when I see it. Just tell me, maybe I can he-”

“Nothing’s wrong with him! He’s fine!” Sunny spat. Realizing who he’d spoken so irately to, he swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. “I just… don’t bring it up, again. Ever. Please.”

Dinky nodded. “Okay. I won’t.”

Looking to the floor, Sunny wanted to clear the palpable tension from the air, but he wasn’t sure how. Gods, why am I so nervous? I’m not fighting, so why am I… “So… how long have you lived in Hollow Shades?”

With a smile Dinky walked over to the bedside table, rearranging the medical tools. “We came here about five years ago. My mother and I were in a group of travelers from Ponyville and happened upon this place.” She chuckled to herself, dipping her hooves in a bowl of clear alcohol, most likely for sterilization. “I can still remember he reaction when we found it was occupied by Royalists. Mother launched herself at one of the guards and hugged him so hard he could barely breathe.”

A small smile crossed Sunny’s muzzle. “Reminds me of my brother.” He gestured to Maverick, who still stood at Arcane’s side, moving his jaw and putting words in his mouth.

“You’re brothers?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

“Sure are!” Maverick exclaimed, trotting over to Sunny and sitting next to him, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

Dinky humphed. “You twins?” she asked jokingly.

Maverick shook his head. “Oh, no. He’s the older one, I’m the younger brother.”

Dinky looked between Maverick and Sunny, unsure of what to say. “Well, it’s good to have somepony watching your back out there, especially family.” Her eyes lit up, turning to face the brothers. “Speaking of family, my mother always likes to meet travelers - we get so few, it’s always a treat when any come around. Would you two like to have dinner with us tomorrow night?”

Sunny raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking us on a date?”

With a grimace, Dinky brought a hoof to her face. “No, it’s not like that. I’m just wanting to know if you’d like to meet my mother over some food. Not a date, just having dinner.” As she watched the brothers look to each other and back at her, she wondered just what kind of experience the two had actually had with mares wherever they came from.

With a nod, Sunny stepped forward. “Yeah. Sounds good, but would we be able to bring Arcane?”

“Well, if he’s awake by then, I suppose we could bring him in if we carry him, but we’d have to be really careful.”

“Good enough for us!” Maverick glanced back at Arcane, then back to Dinky. “We never eat without him.”

“All right, I’ll let my mother know.” Dinky turned to the door. “In the meantime, you both are free to browse the town, see if there’s anything you’d like to trade for. We may have a good amount of odds and ends, maybe something will catch your eye.”

With a collective nod, Sunny and Maverick gathered their saddlebags and walked to the door, but Sunny turned back to Dinky with a stern expression. “You’ll make sure he stays alive, right?”

Dinky smiled warmly. “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. He’s in capable hooves.”

As Sunny stepped out of the door, a held breath he didn’t know he had escaped him. A path of grassless dirt greeted him, brushing against his hooves as he followed his brother. The buildings of the town had a similar makeup to the one they were in: stone brick walls with log roofs. The structures formed two parallel lines, in the center of said lines sat a marvelous fountain, a statue of Celestia with her wings spread in vulnerability standing tall above the water. Though some parts of the statue had been crudely reattached and noticeable cracks remained, the fine-cut stone remained in fair condition.

From above them, even though the sun still hung in the sky, a sort of unnatural darkness blanketed the town, creating an air of unease. Thick treetops blotted out most of the light the sun would have provided, though not much would have been given in its eclipsed state. The windows of every building flickered with the light of lanterns, some having posted them on the outside by their doors. The few ponies that walked along the path between buildings all had some form of light, unicorns with their horns lit while pegasi and earth ponies carried lanterns on their sides.

Sunny watched one pony in particular, noting the gold armor that adorned his back. He didn’t look to be in the right shape to be a Royalist guard, though maybe standards were different elsewhere in the country. His gaze followed the armor-clad pony to a tall log wall. The wall surrounded the entire town, the only exit being the gate not too far from where he and Maverick stood. The pony ascended a flight of stairs to a catwalk that followed the length of the wall, allowing ponies to watch the forest encircling the town.

“Oh, Sunny! Look at that one!” Maverick exclaimed, pointing to an open-faced, building, the light coming from it much greater than the others. Before Sunny could respond, Maverick already galloped his way over.

With a sigh and a crooked smile, Sunny followed. When he reached the entrance, a warm rush of air greeted him. The lights of a roaring fire danced about the interior and his coat, adding to the sense of unusual calm he felt. The smell of burning metal filled his nostrils, reminding him of the Fillydelphia armory when he first received his guard armor. On the stone walls hung various sets of armor; several looked to be of a lighter variety, though Sunny couldn’t tell what they were made from. Only three sets of plate armor sat on the wall - two bearing Rebel colors and one familiar golden set.

Under the armor on a couple racks sat a fair amount of weaponry. Several swords, shields, spears, and maces sat neatly together, each shining brightly in the forge’s glow. Standing by a tall wooden counter was an earth pony as big as if not more so than Maverick, looking to the younger one in confusion. Seeing Sunny walk in, he turned. “This one with you?” he asked, his voice gravelly and rough on the ears.

Fearing Maverick had said something out of line, Sunny walked over and bowed his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I really should keep a closer eye on him, he tends to just -”

“It’s quite alright, lad. He’s got an air about him, an air of a potential warrior. What do you think?”

Discouraged by Maverick’s growing smile, Sunny swallowed hard. “I suppose… maybe…” he said, barely masking his disgust at the idea.

The stallion laughed, leaning over the counter to support himself. After taking a minute or two to regain his composure, he looked behind him to his forge. “Anyway. My name’s Fletcher, and welcome to Gladiator Depot. Anything specific you fellas were looking for?”

“Well, I suppose I could use a set or armor, seeing as I lost my last set,” said Sunny, thinking back to his armor that remained in Fillydelphia.

Fletcher’s eyes beamed. “Say no more, I’ve got just the stuff for ya!” He walked back to the hung armor sets and grabbed one of the lighter pairs. “Ya ever seen hemp armor, boy?” He laughed when he received a head shake as a response. “Not too many have. While the Royalists and Rebels liked to focus on their heavy, most protective armors, the ponies in Saddle Arabia came up with a technique to weave a plant into armor strong enough to protect from arrows.”

“A plant? You’re kidding,” Sunny replied with a scoff.

“Swear on my life! It may not protect from as much as the standard plate armors for the war factions, but it’ll keep ya nimble enough to dodge what it can’t protect against.”

Sunny pondered for a moment. While it was tempting to go for the gold set, giving himself a sense of familiarity, he wasn’t the biggest fan of the weight. He had to admit, the plate of the Royalists did weigh him down, making evasive maneuvers fairly difficult.

“Could I try it on?”

“By all means!”

Taking the armor in his hooves, Sunny noted the texture, noticing the beige cover didn’t feel much different than a normal garment. Using magic to slip the armor on, he nodded slightly as it hugged his torso, pressing against his chest running down to his flank. He moved each of his limbs, amazed at how much he could move despite wearing armor. One question remained in his mind, though. “Would this really stop an arrow?”

In one swift motion, Fletcher reached behind the counter, slammed a crossbow on top, and shot at Sunny. Before Sunny could react, the arrow struck him in the side, the force pushing him a few inches away. After his heart had restarted, he wondered why he didn’t feel any pain. Then he looked to where the bolt hit him. While it was lodged in the armor, the bolt hadn’t even touched his fur.

“I-I suppose that’s one way to demonstrate it,” said Sunny, laughing nervously. That was a little too close for comfort, he thought. Let’s just get the armor and get out.

“Sunny, can I get some armor, too?”

Sunny turned to Maverick, giving him a sour look. “Maverick, you’re not going to fight anypony on my watch, okay?” Though his brother frowned and kicked his hoof on the ground, Sunny didn’t waver. “I won’t have you putting yourself in danger.”

“You may as well get him some armor, then,” Fletcher chimed in. “Even if he ain’t fighting, the armor will protect him.”

Sunny had to admit, Fletcher had a point. What kind of security did Maverick have in such a hostile world with nothing to protect his hide? He nodded to his brother, signalling his permission had been given.

Despite Maverick’s pleases to get the plate Royalist armor (to finally be a guard, he said), Sunny picked out a piece similar to his, but with a chainmail shirt overtop, adding an extra layer of protection while still allowing Maverick the maneuverability to dodge and escape if a situation became dire.

As Sunny reached into his saddlebag for rations to trade, Fletcher shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t take those. Food ain’t my jurisdiction. I take metal for metal.”

Ears folded back, Sunny looked back towards the building Arcane and Dinky were in, wondering if he could trade Arcane’s set for these two. The thought immediately left his mind, remembering just how much the armor meant to Arcane. It wasn’t just armor, it was a symbol of who he was; a reminder of where his loyalties were.

“Is there some other way we could pay for it?” Sunny asked.

Fletcher pondered for a moment, face scrunched in concentration. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and a sly grin crossed his muzzle. “One of the wall-guarding shifts was assigned to me a few days ago. For the next week, I have to keep watch for a few hours during the night. However, if somepony were to, I don’t know, fill my position for the week, I may consider negotiating with rations.”

With a slow, understanding nod, Sunny smirked. “Okay. I’m sure I can find somepony who can.”

Maverick looked confused. “Couldn’t you do it, Sunny?”

Pursing his lips, Sunny turned to his brother. “Yeah. Yeah I could,” he said flatly.

“Splendid! First shift is tomorrow after sundown. Once the shifts have been completed, I’ll give you both your armor.” He paused, shooting the brothers a chilling glare. “But if either of you so much as sets hoof outside the wall with my armor before the payment is made, the animals won’t be the only things you’ll have hunting you down.” As the others left, he wished them luck in their travels, reminding them to return if they ever needed protection or weapons in the future.

“That guy seemed nice,” said Maverick, taking a second look back at the blacksmith’s shop.

“He was interesting, I’ll give him that,” Sunny replied, looking to the side where he’d been shot. Though it had proved Fletcher’s point, it had also put Sunny on edge. Was he not the only weirdo in this town? I guess isolation hasn’t been kind to them, he thought. His thoughts went back to Dinky. Hasn’t been kind to some.

To his left, Sunny saw another shop with its door open, a lantern flickering in the window. In the dimming light of the early evening, he could barely make out the words of the sign above the door: Bonnie’s Bits and Baubles. “Hey Maverick, want to check that place out?”

Maverick nodded vigorously.

Inside the shop, two display cases sat near the center, glass covering the contents within. On the left wall hung several ornements most likely salvaged from battlefields: a Royalist war horn, a Rebel general’s tunic, and a pair of goggles labeled to belong to the legendary Spitfire, to name a few. On the right wall hung various hoof-knit scarves, blankets, and hats. Some bore Royalist colors, others with Rebel ones. Hanging on the back wall of the store, a Royalist Air Force flight suit sat pinned to the stone; despite the fading color, the blood stains remained clearly visible. Near the suit lay a wide wooden counter, an aging bonnet-clad mare sitting behind it, her head resting on the surface.

When Sunny approached, he noticed the mare was sleeping, deeply, at that. Thinking to come back later, he jumped when Maverick tapped firmly on the countertop. The mare bolted up, speaking in gibberish and flailing her legs. Once she was aware of her surroundings, she glared at Maverick. “It common where you come from to wake ponies when they’re nappin’?”

Sunny stepped up to the counter, putting a hoof on Maverick’s shoulder. “Sorry about that, he can be a bit eager at times. However, we were wanting to see what all you had available.”

Looking the two stallions over, the mare narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. I got items if you’re looking to trade.” She reached underneath the counter, mumbling to herself as she rummaged around. Before long she placed a faded scroll onto the counter along with a golden watch, a pearl necklace, and a patch of worn cloth. “These are just a sample of what I’ve acquired over the years. This right here” - she pointed to the watch - “belonged to the Captain of the Royalist Armed Forces, Shining Armor, himself! It’s stopped at exactly 3:50, the time when he officially returned the Rebellion’s declaration of war.”

“Woah,” Maverick whispered, his eyes alight like the lantern in the window.

“And this here,” the mare continued, “is the necklace Princess Celestia wore to Princess Flurry Heart’s funeral. Sad day, that was. Truly sad. Genuine pearls on this one, though!”

Sunny looked to Maverick then to the items on the counter, his skepticism growing.

“Oh but this here! This is something I rarely show anypony that steps in here. You two are lucky to even know this exists!”

I’m sure, thought Sunny.

“This cloth was once part of the blindfold the Rebels had around Spitfire’s eyes when they… you know…”

Recoiling a bit, Sunny thought back to the stories he heard in Fillydelphia about Spitfire. It made the tales he heard about her as a child all the more gut-wrenching. How ponies could commit such heinous acts against other ponies, he would never know. “You just… keep something like that around?”

“Hey, it was traded to me years back, boy,” said the mare, her tone indicating she had gone on the defensive. “Besides, the stallion who traded this to me threw in the goggles and flight suit. I couldn’t pass up such an offer!”

Looking to the goggles and suit on the wall, Sunny’s stomach turned at the thought. Were there ponies that had such little respect for the dead, let alone the tortured? Sometimes he wondered how growing up in Baltimare hadn’t made him a crazed lunatic like the Rebellion had to many others. Not to say the Royalists didn’t have their fanatics, as well, but even stories of the Spitfire Incident left a sour taste in his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the scroll. “What’s that?” he asked.

“That? Oh, it’s a spell. Something only few unicorns have ever been able to master.”

Sunny’s ears perked. “What could I trade you for that?”

A wide grin crossed the old mare’s muzzle. “Let me think about that one. This kind of spell isn’t available for just any eyes to see.” From under the counter, she brought a small, sugar-coated object to her mouth.

Maverick froze. “What’s that?” he asked, his voice low and anxious.

“This? It’s candy,” the mare replied, bringing another piece up as she chewed the first.

“Did you say… candy?” Maverick’s smile looked as though it would grow beyond what his muzzle was capable of handling, his legs shaking with glee.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”

Nearly squealing with delight, Maverick bounced up and down on the tips of his hooves, dancing like a lunatic. “How much for the candy?” he asked once he had run out of breath from dancing.

Noting the earth pony’s enthusiasm for her treat, the mare smirked. “Oh, I don’t know. It won’t come cheap, I can tell ya that. Don’t see candy too often, anymore - quite a rarity, it is!”

Sunny looked between his brother and the candy before letting out a long sigh. He reached into his saddlebag and placed a small but unmistakable pin on the counter: his coat of arms. “Will this cover it?”

For a brief moment, he noticed the mare’s eyes light up. “Mmm, yes. That should do just nicely.”

As she reached for it, Sunny withdrew the pin in his hoof. “Throw in the scroll and it’s yours.”

With a grumble and an eye roll, the shopkeep nudged the scroll closer and handed over her bag of sweets. When Sunny put his pin back on the counter, she snatched it up immediately, not taking a second glance back at the brothers as they left the store with their items.

Sunny and Maverick walked back to the building where Arcane and Dinky were and sat down outside the door. Maverick wasted no time in opening his bag of newly-acquired treats and popping one into his mouth. Audible “mmm”s and “mhm”s accompanied the noisy sounds of his chewing as he ate one piece after another. Glancing to his right, he saw Sunny giving him an odd look, causing him to stop. Looking from the bag back to Sunny, he held it out. “Did you want some?” he asked, his mouth still full.

After taking a brief pause, Sunny smiled crookedly. “You know what? Sure.” He reached into the bag and took a piece in his hoof to examine it. A black, sugar-coated ball rolled back and forth across his fur. As soon as it touched his tongue, he couldn’t help but join in Maverick’s eccentric approval. He couldn’t remember the last time he had candy - let alone sugar. As he chewed the morsel, he looked up at the sky, counting what stars he could see through the treetops.

“You know something?” said Maverick quietly, taking breaks between his words to eat another piece of candy. “That Dinky girl is real pretty.”

Sunny’s eyes widened. He slowly turned his head to meet Maverick’s eyes, an eyebrow cocked. “Maverick? What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know. She is, isn’t she?”

Swallowing hard, Sunny tried not to let his brother see his reddened cheeks. “I… guess so. But honestly, Maverick, mares are the last thing you should be worrying about.”

Curious, Maverick turned to Sunny after eating the last piece of candy in the bag. “What makes you say that?”

“Well,” Sunny started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “mares take up a lot of time. While they may be… pretty, as you said, you have to consider if you have enough time to devote to them.”

“But don’t we have all the time in the world, now? If all we’re doing is walking, don’t we have all the time we need?”

Sunny internally cursed at himself. “I suppose, but out there, ponies can…” he paused, debating whether he should tell Maverick what can happen to ponies in Equestria’s current and former war-ridden state. “Just… try not to think about it too much, brother. A marefriend won’t keep you safe or help you out here.” Looking back to the sky, he paused. “It’s getting late. Why don’t you sleep on one of the beds in there and we can talk more in the morning.”

“Okay, Sunny. Goodnight.” With that, Maverick got up and walked through the door.

Sunny grimaced. Idiot, he thought. The hell kind of thing to say is that? You couldn’t just tell him, could you? You don’t even want to tell yourself! With a heavy sigh, Sunny walked back into the building. The first thing he saw was Maverick laying on one of the cots, already fast asleep. Big surprise there. Farther to the left, he saw Dinky standing over Arcane, her hooves over his chest.

When he approached, he noticed her magical magenta glow enveloping her hooves as she slowly moved them up and down Arcane’s body. “What’s that you’re doing?” he asked.

When Dinky turned to look at him, he couldn't help but glance away, hoping she didn’t see his reddened cheeks in the lamplight. “Oh, I’m making sure everything's running smoothly on the inside. See?”

Through Dinky’s magic, Sunny could see the various internal workings of Arcane’s body. His veins, his muscles, his organs, and his nerves were all within the highlighted space. “Dear Celestia…”

Taking her hooves away from Arcane, Dinky looked at Sunny, puzzled. “Celestia? Where are you from, anyway?” She turned back to the table and rearranged her medical tools, making sure none were out of place or unsanitized.

“Fillydelphia. Well, I was born and grew up with my brother in Baltimare, but that was a long-” He stopped when he heard the tool in Dinky’s aura hit the floor with a light clanking sound. She turned her head towards him, eyes wide, mouth agape. “Is… something wrong?” he asked, unsure why it looked as though Dinky had seen a ghost.

Realizing she had been staring at him for an uncomfortable amount of time, Dinky laughed nervously “It’s nothing, really,” she assured after noticing Sunny’s questioning gaze. She gestured to the cots after trotting to the doorway and peeking outside.

“It’s getting late. Why don’t you get some rest? Your bandages should be able to come off tomorrow.” Though her voice landed pleasantly on his ears, Sunny couldn’t get past the look she’d previously given him.

With an uneasy nod, Sunny walked to the cot next to Maverick’s and laid down, watching as Dinky blew out the lamp on the table and trotted towards the door. He tried as best he could to keep his eyes open, but the events of the day hung not only in his mind, but on his eyes, forcing them shut and lulling him to sleep.

Dinky looked to Arcane’s sleeping form and sighed heavily. She was about to say something, but stopped when she realized it would fall on unconscious ears. Shaking her head slightly, she opened the door and left the newcomers to their sleep.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Journal Entry 1

Author: Sunny

Date: 3 years after the blast

Three years. Seems like only yesterday Equestria turned into the chilled, barren hellhole around us. A twenty-five year civil war ended in a flash, so to speak; a beam of magical fire that wiped out countless lives of soldiers and civilians alike. I guess after something like that happens, priorities can change rather quickly.

Anyway, Arcane said I should keep some sort of record of what happens to me - mentioned something about future generations. Not sure how many healthy ponies are left. Like I said: priorities change. However, I've complied with the old stallion’s request, seeing as there isn't anything better to do with my spare time here in Fillydelphia. They mostly just have me light the street lamps at night. Not sure why; pretty much any unicorn can do it. Who knows? - maybe I'm just their lackey of sorts. Still, I guess living here isn't as bad as living beyond the city wall.

It doesn't seem that long ago since Maverick and I came here... amazing how things can change so quickly…

He's gotten better with that speech problem of his. Hell, he's even regained enough intelligence to function at the level of a colt about half his age, but he's still nowhere near where he used to be back home. Funny, as an adult, he isn't as smart as he was when he was a kid. Irony is cruel, I suppose.

Hard to stay happy for him given the condition of the citizens here. There’s only so many times they can shoot him death glares before he knows something is up. I can’t help our situation, I can’t help what happened in Baltimare, I -

“Hey, Sunny,” called a voice.

The pony in question glanced up from his journal to see a golden unicorn with a brown mane standing in the bedroom doorway. “Is it time already?”

“Afraid so. Come on, kid. General Haze doesn't like it when any of his guards are late.”

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Sunny released the quill in his magical grasp and rose. Good. I was starting to go off on a tangent. “What do you think he wants this time?”

The old stallion looked grim. “No guarantees, but I’m suspecting it won’t be a pay raise. Never is…”

Sunny strapped on his tarnished gold armor, the color not terribly different from his butter-yellow coat. He ruffled his short dark-orange mane before dawning the helmet. Thankfully to him, the upper nose guard covered the scar across his forehead. Looking to the older stallion, he could see why some thought of them as father and son.

Sunny was the first to speak. “Well, let’s not keep him waiting.”

A nod from his elder was all he needed as an answer. Arcane exited the bedroom, but Sunny stayed back a moment, looking to a framed photograph on the bedside table. The picture looked as though it had seen much better days, it’s corners torn slightly and the image a bit faded, but he could still see the magnificent pony within: an orange-red maned pegasus mare with a cream coat, her wings a breathtaking sight to behold. Her feathers appeared velvety soft even in picture form, their size complimenting her immense wings. She smiled sweetly at him - an innocent, meek smile that still warmed his heart even in the face of turmoil. With a little sigh, he nodded to the picture and trotted out into the kitchen towards the front door.

“Guard duty again?” whined a voice from the kitchen table. There sat a midnight blue earth pony with a cloud grey mane, the bulk of his muscles impressive even for one of his race.

“We’ll be back in a bit, Maverick. You know the drill: don’t go anywhere, don’t let anyone in besides us, and keep the door locked. Understood?” Sunny asked, giving his brother a no-nonsense look.

“Got it, Sunny.”

“Good.”

With that, the door clicked shut as Sunny and Arcane stepped out into the chilled city air. The familiar scene greeted them: the partially rebuilt structures near the capitol building and the towering fence encompassing it all. The ponies on guard atop the wall looked down on the duo, sharing the same grim expression - a mutual understanding. At the end of the still-ravaged road lay the capitol building, a golden-roofed beacon among the barely touched wreckage.

So much gone to waste, Sunny thought, looking at the crumbled city around him. Couldn’t any of the restoration effort have gone here? Was the wall that damn important?

Drawing closer to their destination, Sunny and Arcane entered the more populated area of Fillydelphia. As they passed, stallions shot them killing glares and mothers hid with their children in makeshift homes.

How many of them have to starve and freeze to death out here before Haze does something?

"Sunny."

"Uh, yeah?" Sunny asked, his train of thought being derailed.

"We're here."

Looking in front of him, Sunny beheld the steel chain fence around the capitol. At the gate, a guard pony stepped forward, a light grey pegasus with spear in hoof and armor matching theirs.

"Name and rank, please?" he asked.

Arcane took a step forward. "Arcane. Major."

The stallion turned to Sunny. "And you?"

"Sunny. Private First Class."

The guard pony motioned for the others behind the fence to open the gate. Turning back to the two stallions in front of him, he smirked. "Welcome back, guys. You're just in time for General Haze to scold you for being a minute late."

Rolling his eyes, Arcane stepped past the guard, "You get used to it after a while Felix. Son of a bitch is always griping about something."

Felix shot Arcane a concerned glance. "Sir, don't let him hear you saying that. He may be... difficult, but he's the only meal ticket we have."

"I'm well aware," replied Arcane flatly. Instead of carrying on the conversation, he continued up the stone path without another word.

Still wanting to chat, Felix turned to Sunny. "Well, I should probably let you go. Don't want you and the old stallion missing your big assignment."

Sunny looked puzzled. "Assignment? What kind of assignment?"

"Let's just say that things aren't looking up." He chuckled. "Then again, what else is new?" Clearing his throat after his attempt at humor failed to lighten the atmosphere, he motioned for Sunny to continue on the path. "Go on, now - and good luck, kid."

Sunny nodded. "Thanks, Felix." What he didn't see was the austere expression on Felix's face when their eye contact broke.

Upon entering the capitol building, Sunny was greeted by the pearl white walls, their luster almost sickly. How the guards in here are able to keep their lunch in, I'll never know. Contrasting with the walls, the lengthy carpet bared a faint resemblance to the color of blood - a deep maroon. Above the doorway dangled a marvelous crystal chandelier. The colors of the interior may have been gorgeous, but the glare was a bit much after entering from the dingy outdoors. Following the carpet, he reached the main attraction: the conference room. Several guards stood around the room, all circled around the grand table in the center. At the end of the table sat a grey unicorn. His frizzled black mane held a few grey streaks, though it was not the most noticeable aspect about him. He wore a flawless crimson tunic adorned with the golden Fleur de Lis and olive branches of the Royalists, a chain mail shirt underneath, giving him an air of elegance and nobility. The most noticeable thing about him, however, was the annoyed look he directed towards Sunny.

"Sunny! Where have you been, soldier?!" he shouted, his voice gruff and hoarse, likely due to excess shouting. Looking at his pale blue eyes, Sunny could see they were slightly bloodshot, dark bags circled underneath. He and the other guards knew Haze to be a hardened pony, though it became clearer with each day that the situation in the city did him no favors.

"S-so sorry, General Haze, sir. It’ll never happen again." Sunny knelt in respect. Though he no longer looked to his superior, he knew his eyes still attempted to prod at him. When he rose, he dared not make eye contact again.

"I’d sure as hell hope not! One more stunt like this and you can kiss that armor goodbye!" He paused, sighed, then directed his attention to Arcane. “In the future, try to keep your son in line.”

Sunny said nothing. Arcane posing as his and Maverick’s father allowed them to live together and get increased rations. Giving up such luxuries would be foolish, even if there was the chance they may be found out eventually.

He may as well be my father, Sunny thought. That old bastard's been taking care of my brother and I since we came to that orphanage here. Hell, he saved our lives in Baltimare. In all aspects, I suppose he is my father. Not that the one before was much of a comparison...

"Now that everypony is here, let us get to the subject at hoof," said Haze, snapping Sunny from his thoughts. He sighed heavily, running a hoof through his mane in frustration. "I’m going to level with all of you: it’s not looking good. Food’s short as it is, and despite what I’ve told the citizens, they keep asking for more.” He shook his head, looking down in defeat. “I can’t exactly give them more when the few suppliers we have either get killed, raided, or stop coming out here entirely!” Standing up from his chair, he trotted to the window at the back of the room, giving him a good view of his city. "Reports from several of the outer wall guards say they've overheard talk of a 'demonstration' at today's ration handout. This is where you all come in," - he turned away from the window and faced his armored company - "You are to act as extra security when the rations are given out. If things turn violent, your main objective is to protect the rations. Defend yourselves if need be. Just..." Pausing, he met the eyes of each guard in the room, trying as best he could to keep his voice steady. “...just try not to take this too far. We don’t need blood on our hooves.”

General Haze placed his front hooves on the table. "For doing this, you will all receive an extra day's pay. I understand your concern, boys, but we’re running out of options. Are my orders understood?" No objection. "Very well. Grab what gear you need from the armory, set up the booth, and don’t do anything stupid. Dismissed."

An hour later, all of the guard ponies at the meeting stood just in front of the gate to the capitol; a mountain of grain bags, packages of dried fruits, canned vegetables, and containers of water behind them. Shortly, the signal would be given for the city residents to collect their share for the following week.

"Hey Arcane," Sunny whispered to the stallion standing next to him.

"Yes?"

"You don't think things will turn ugly, do you? I'd rather take our rations home without another pony's blood on my hooves. I-I mean, just thinking about it makes me so damn nervous. I-"

"Sunny, breathe."

Taking a deep breath, Sunny tried to compose himself. "Sorry. I'm just..."

"Scared?" Arcane asked with a slight chuckle. "Well hey, I don't blame you." He put a hoof on Sunny's shoulder. "To be honest, I'm a little scared, too."

"Funny. After all of your service in the war, I thought you weren’t scared of anything."

Arcane smirked at his younger, shorter comrade. "I'm not as hard as you and your brother may think, kid." He shoved Sunny's helmet playfully. Both struggled desperately to hold back laughter, but all humor ceased when the whistle sounded.

A banshee cry of a siren, shrill and penetrating, pierced the calm of the city. As the echoes dissipated, ponies slowly emerged from their excuses of abodes; some from ruined buildings, some from shacks, and some from the street itself. One by one, the citizens of Fillydelphia approached the steel chain gate, forming a crude line in front of the opening where a guard pony stood behind a booth. All looked on as a sack of the mountain's contents was given to the guard at the booth.

"Here you go, ma'am," he said with masquerade of a smile, handing the mare in the front the sack.

"Um, excuse me sir, but I think that there's been a mistake. There should be more in here." Looking into her bag, she found only a fraction of what she expected. "This... This has to be some kind of sick j-joke."

The guard's eyes remained solid, cold and devoid of feeling. The mare's, on the other hand, pleaded, begged against all rationality that what she perceived was not the truth. No response. It didn't take long for her anguish and her forlorn demeanor to shift to rage. "Damn you..." she hissed. "Damn you all! You think we can get by on scraps?! I have three foals waiting at home who haven't eaten for two days, and you're telling me that rations have been cut again?!" She slammed her hoof on the booth counter, her muzzle inches from the guard's. "You’re all a bunch of low-life crooks, the lot of ya! How can you live with yourselves knowing that you’re killing us like this?"

"Are you quite finished, ma'am? If so, I would suggest you move along before you are made to," the guard said, his tone carrying a slight undertone of irritation. No words were spoken; none were needed. The mare remained where she stood just as the guard stood in his respective position. Slowly, the guard's horn lit up. "Ma'am, I highly encourage you to simply move along. I will not hesitate to-"

"If you’re going to kill me, you may as well do it now. It’ll save me the trouble of starving to death. While you’re at it, kill everypony here!” She leaned in further towards the stallion. "At least then we won’t have to live in a world with scum like you."

Suddenly, the guard shoved the mare to the ground, climbing through the booth opening to loom over her, horn lit. "Why must I repeat myself to you?" he asked, seething. "Move. Along."

From the line, a stallion jumped onto the guard, ripping off his helmet and slamming it on his head. The guard fell limp on the ground, unconscious. Regaining her footing, the mare grabbed the helmet and brought it down on the guard's skull. Over and over again she struck, raining down her hatred. The blood of the guard now covered a good portion of his armor while stray flecks dotted the coat and face of his killer. By this time, a few ponies in line fled back to their homes, screaming and running for their lives. Many, however, remained, glaring through the fence at the guards surrounding the mountain of food.

To Sunny, time no longer held meaning. Looking to his comrade, dead, his blood trickling in a crimson river through the bottom of the fence, everything froze. The images of Baltimare from that day surged back to him from the very depths of his mind; the fallen gazing up to him through eyes cloudy and still. His breath caught in his throat, nothing but the vision of the Hell he had become so familiar with before him. No longer did his eyes see the citizens of Fillydelphia killing him with their glares, but through the eyes of his younger self saw the dead strewn about the streets of his former home. Whether it be the dead of the past or the killers of the present, he knew it mattered little; it would still turn out the same way: ponies would die, be buried and forgotten by both time and those who cherished them. The world wouldn't stop at demise - quite the contrary. It would be propelled forward, more to take the place of those lost.

"Sunny!"

Snapping from his stupor, the first thought to come to him was that he had forgotten to breathe. Looking to his side, he saw Arcane. Sunny cleared his throat before speaking, hoping that he could pretend all was relatively well. "Y-yes?"

Arcane motioned to the barricade, the ponies on the other side attempting to push it over. He took a deep breath. "Come on, Sunny. I'm afraid now isn't the time for daydreaming. They're going to break in and we have a job to do." Stepping forward, he raised his horn, an amber glow appearing and creating a curved, transparent barrier twice his width before him, the top just over his head and the bottom nearly touching his front hooves. "Unicorns to the front! Shields up!"

In no time at all, the unicorns in armor - including Sunny - stood with Arcane and cast similar barriers in front of them. With all of the shields next to each other, a sort of wall was formed, a gentle hum filling the air.

"Pegasi and Earth ponies, be ready to fight back any that get past!"

Crash! The fence broke and fell to the ground, releasing its captives upon the guards. One by one, the ponies collided with the shields, but to no avail. With each impact, the unicorns strained harder to keep their fields up. Frenzied grunts and screams of rage ripped through the air.

Sunny barely kept his shield active. A muscular earth pony repeatedly slammed himself into the field, his eyes wide in a fiery rage. He could barely hear his aggressor’s obscenities over the cries of the other rioters.

Suddenly, a few ponies away, one of the shields cracked, shattering into thousands of luminescent shards. With this single opening, the townsponies barreled through, knocking down more unicorns in their wake, creating more gaps in the magical wall.

Sunny panicked. In his moment of hesitation, his shield dropped. The next sensation he felt was being driven to the ground and a hoof connecting with his face. His eyes looking to the side, he saw a splatter of his own blood not far from his mouth.

...why?

Slowly turning his vision upward, Sunny saw the earth pony raise his hoof once more. He couldn’t tell what the pony said, but he could make out the words “my wife.”

Before another punch could be delivered, a blast of magic struck the earth pony in the head, sending him flying off of Sunny. For a moment, he didn’t move, relishing the serenity his brain created for him in a pain-stricken stupor.

“Sunny!”

Turning his head to the right, he saw Arcane, flecks of blood on his breastplate and face. “Get up, Sunny! C’mon!”

The events transpiring hit Sunny like the punch to his face not a minute before. He scrambled to his hooves and looked desperately to his comrade. “Arcane! I-” A loud whooping from one of the rioters interrupted him. Then, to his horror, dozens more ponies emerged from the buildings beyond the fence - and following them were dozens more.

This isn’t a demonstration, Sunny thought. It’s a full-scale revolution!

“Hey!” Arcane grabbed Sunny’s face and directed it to his. “I need you to listen to me. What I’m going to tell you goes against orders, but I need you to trust me, okay?”

Sunny nodded.

“Okay, go and-” A stray bolt of magic zipped past, causing both ponies to duck. “Go and get Maverick. Take what rations you can, and meet me by the city limits in fifteen minutes. If I’m not there, leave without me. Understood?”

Through all of the noise and chaos around them, Sunny nodded slowly, not bothering to question his mentor.

“Good.” Arcane stood up, hoisting Sunny to stand once more. “You know what to do.” No sooner had he said this than a townspony brandishing a kitchen knife charged him. Arcane turned around and bucked him square in the jaw before he was able to deliver a slash.

Sunny took this as his cue. He darted to the left, only the fence separating him from the path downtown. I sure hope this spell works, he thought. Growing closer to the fence, he lit up his horn, a fiery orange glow spreading from his head, to his chest, to his legs - all around him. Just before he would have collided face-first into steel, he disappeared. Only a split second after he vanished, he reappeared, this time on the opposite side of the fence. I can’t believe that worked! he thought.

His legs wobbled a little, the amount of magic used in such a short time leaving him lightheaded. No wonder I don’t use that often. Putting one hoof in front of the other, he worked himself from a walk to a gallop, racing down the path into downtown Fillydelphia.

Over his years in the city, Sunny learned the layout inside and out. “Okay, so if I go down there, through the next one, and in that direction,” he said between heavy breaths, “that should take me to-”

An explosion on the path in front of him stopped him dead in his tracks. A cloud of dust rose up around Sunny, lightly coating his coat and armor with dirt. When the dust mostly settled, he looked around frantically, trying to regain his bearings.

“Hey, that one’s all alone! Get him!”

Sunny’s head jerked to his left. A light-blue unicorn stared back at him from a second-story window, his horn charging up.

Kicking his legs into high gear, Sunny ran as fast as he could. Taking a quick look behind him, he saw a green pegasus flying dangerously close. The blue unicorn’s magic hit the ground mere inches from his front hooves, sending him tumbling to the road. Before he had a chance to try and regain his footing, the pegasus was on him.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this!” she shouted, bringing up a hoof to strike.

As the pegasi’s hoof came in, Sunny blocked it with his own. He quickly grabbed her head and slammed it into his with a loud grunt, his helmet protecting him from most of the damage.

The pegasus fell back, her hooves grasping her head in agony. “Ah! Dammit!” she hissed, taking sharp breaths through clenched teeth. A trickle of blood ran down her face.

Scrambling to his hooves, Sunny took off, running faster than he recalled ever running before. In a few seconds, he’d have a choice: take the main route home or take a shortcut through the alleys.

Taking a sharp left, he darted down a dimly lit alley, hopping over emaciated townsponies as he went. Most simply looked at him with eyes soon to fade, though some did try in vain to reach out and grab him, to finally get in a jab at their oppressors.

At the end of the alley, Sunny had to stop; his throat burned and his chest felt as though it would collapse. He stood there, gasping for air, his mind racing on what to do next. Looking to his right, his blood ran cold. There, heading in the direction of the capitol, were another group of townsponies, armed and ready for a fight - one of which turned to face his direction.

“Hey, it’s one of them!”

Sunny darted down the next alley on the other side of the road, hearing the angry shouts of the ponies that sounded like they abandoned their original plan and were now chasing him. Try as he might to run as quietly as possible, his hooves clopping against stone did little to muffle his retreat.

Time became a blur to Sunny; his only impulse now to run, to escape danger. He galloped down alleyway after alleyway, not caring whether it brought him closer to Maverick as long as it got him away from the angry horde that would surely pick him apart. The farther he ran, the less he thought he could hear them, but he dared not stop.

A slight misstep in his run brought him to the ground, sliding a short distance on his back. It was only then that he realized how much his chest, throat, and lungs hurt. He sat there for a minute or two, letting his breathing return to a less intense pace and allowing his eyes to close in forced-relaxation. Hugging himself tightly, he tried his best to not think of the possible danger that he faced or reality, itself. Instead, he pictured an open field, the grass lush and crisp beneath his hooves. Daisies and daffodils speckled across the sea of green. The bright sun above warmed his face in a way he hadn’t felt in years. A clear sky made host to many birds, their songs of cheer bringing a smile to has face. Standing in front of him, however, was the most magnificent sight of them all: her. She stood before him, her immense wings stretched out, her innocent smile melting away any fear or doubt in his mind. Slowly, she draped her wings around him, the feathers brushing lightly, almost gracefully against his coat. She sighed happily, pulling him into a firm yet comfortable embrace.

The world no longer mattered to Sunny; the only desire in his mind was for the mare to never let him go, to never return him to whatever reality may have in store. He felt himself drifting, the light of the sun slowly dimming and the air growing a faint chill.

A light clopping of hooves not far behind him snapped his eyes wide open. When he tried to get up, his legs didn’t cooperate enough to allow him to stand. Panicking, he drug himself around the corner into an open doorway, his back resting against the wall. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus in on the sounds growing nearer, his ears twitching about. Though his mind raced with several hundred ways in which the townsponies would ultimately kill him, he could make out the sound of a single pony running his direction.

“I think it’s this way! Don’t fall behind!”

A mare’s voice - a voice close to what the pegasus sounded like. Had she finally come to kill him? Would she torture him?

Suddenly another pair of hoofsteps, this one lighter than the first. Oh gods, the pegasus got backup?! I’m done for! I’m going to die here! Maverick won’t make it here alone!

When he opened his eyes, he no longer heard the closing hoofsteps of Fillydelphians or smelled the dank air of the alleys. Instead, an all-too familiar scene sat before him: he and his brother - children once more - cowering before one of the Baltimare guards, his eyes glazed over, his mouth and chin stained with drink, and flecks of blood coating his armor.

“The hell are you doing not in the fight? Don't you know the Royalists are here?” he slurred, taking step after step after clumsy step closer to the brothers. He eyed Sunny, noting the yellow color of his coat. "Hey, wait... you're yellow, they're yellow... you're one of them!"

Sunny stepped forward, his horn sparking. “Don’t worry Maverick, I’ll take care of this.” Though he tried to appear as intimidating as possible, staring down a pony more than twice his size and age didn’t help. Cold shocks ran up and down his spine, his legs visibly trembling.

“You Royalists ain't gonna leave here alive,” said the stallion, coming even closer, wading his way through the bodies strewn about the ground, “them princesses can't have this city!”

Charging up his horn, Sunny shot a fiery bolt at the guard, but his shot went just past his head. “We're not Royalists! We've lived here our whole lives, just let us go!”

The guard sighed. “Yeah right.” He hiccuped, then continued. "No more lies!" He charged the two, nostrils flared with fury.

Sunny charged and shot again, but the guard shrugged off the blow. Before he could get another blast ready, his attacker was on him, unsheathing his sword from his foreleg and slashing at him. His forehead erupted in a world of pain and a torrent of red. He screamed, falling to the ground and clasping his hooves to his wound.

“Too easy,” chuckled the guard. He took a step closer to Sunny, who still writhed on the bloody ground. “Now to finish the job.”

Maverick stood between the two, staring daggers at the older earth pony. “Not if I have anything to say about it!” He ran at the guard and landed a swift punch to his face. Before the guard could recover, he turned around and delivered a solid buck to his upper chest, the sound of his hooves slamming against iron reverberating for several seconds.

“Think you're tough, huh?!” He grabbed Maverick and drove him into the ground with all of his might. He chuckled some at the sound of his victim’s cry. “Not so tough without the Royal Whores to help ya, huh?”

Picking up Maverick by the head, the guard grunted with every thud against the cobblestone road. Over and over again he drove the other other pony into the ground, creating a sickening rhythm.

Sunny, crying and breathing sharply, tried his best to stand up. “Stop it…” he wheezed.

Maverick no longer tried to break free from his attacker. Though his body continued to jerk with every impact, he ceased his cries for mercy; his eyes remained closed despite the relentless beating.

“Stop it…”

Sunny managed to stand back up.

“Stop...it…”

Eyes wide with rage, blood still cascading down his face, and teeth gritted, he roared and charged at the guard. “Get off my brother you monster!”

The guard stopped and looked to Sunny just in time to see his hoof connect with his face. He fell back, swearing and grabbing his nose.

Sunny got on top of him, punching him relentlessly, his rage propelling his hooves faster and harder than he thought possible. “Leave. My. Brother. Alone!” he shouted, each word accented by another punch. He paid no attention to the guard’s pleas for him to stop or the blood coating his hooves; he just kept hitting the threat to his brother - his responsibility.

When Sunny lost all strength to keep punching, he pressed his hooves against the ground, keeping him from falling onto the guard in exhaustion. He closed his eyes, heavy, ragged breaths escaping him.

He wasn’t sure how long he was in that position - supporting his weight on his front legs and recovering, but when he opened his eyes, the image before him appeared unclear, almost blurred. Strangely, he no longer felt the pain on his forehead or feel the blood running down his face. However, he did feel a warm liquid on his hooves.

When his eyes finally adjusted, all thoughts and functions in him stopped. Under him lay the body of a mare; she looked nothing like the pegasus from before. Her eyes stared up at him, her shocked and horrified expression frozen on her battered, bloody face.

Sunny could barely breathe. Slowly, begrudgingly, he lifted his hooves, wanting the nightmare in front of him to vanish and simply be his eyes playing tricks. All doubt cleared from his mind when he beheld his hooves, blood coating both, the mare’s life still dripping from them. His whole body trembled, thoughts coming back to him and racing through his mind faster than he could comprehend. His vision blurred and the world spun around him. Though he wanted with every fiber inside him to scream, no sound came.

“Momma?”

Sunny slowly, painfully turned to face the voice. Not far from him stood a colt no older than he had been when he lived in Baltimare, his expression confused and worried. When the colt took a step closer, Sunny flinched. “S-stay back! Don’t come any closer!” Please don’t…

“What’s wrong with Momma, sir?”

With all of his being, Sunny tired not to scream. It would be so easy; all he had to do was run away. Turn and run.

Why am I not doing that?

“S-she, um, I-” he brushed his hoof over her eyes, closing them “-she’s sleeping, son. Just… just give her some time.” He got up, taking careful steps away from the mare’s body. “Let her rest.”

The colt held the same look of confusion, as if he didn’t believe Sunny’s story. “Are you sure she’s sleeping?”

A lump in Sunny’s throat swelled to dangerous proportions. Several tears rolled down his cheeks. Why wouldn’t the colt stop looking at him? “I... I’m sure.”

Without saying anything more, Sunny turned tail and ran, ran as fast and hard as he thought necessary to escape what he’d just done. The blood on his hooves splattered on the road, painting a guilty path behind him. Glancing back, he saw the colt next to his mother, giving her a few light shakes.

Sunny no longer cared about the tremendous pain in his hooves and lungs; all thoughts shifted to making sure Maverick was okay and trying to forget what he saw. At this point, he knew he was relatively close to the apartment, but the images of what he’d seen remained burned in his mind. Everywhere he looked, he saw her staring at him, her eyes clouded yet still possessing a chilling aura. He couldn’t have done something like that to an innocent pony, could he?

Not long later, Sunny reached the door to the apartment. He hammered on the door, trying as best he could to steady his breathing. “Maverick! It’s Sunny, open up!”

In no time at all, the lock to the door clicked, and a concerned looking Maverick opened it. “Sunny! Are you okay? I heard angry voices and-”

Sunny stepped inside, immediately going to the bedroom. “Pack your things, brother. We’re leaving.”

“Leaving? W-where are we going?”

Sunny paused. “I… don’t know yet, but Arcane will come with us. Grab what rations and supplies you can and meet me by the-”

A loud explosion from outside stopped him mid-sentence. “Hang on.” He unframed the picture of the pegasus mare, tucked the photo into his chestplate, and headed to the front door. “I’m going to go check on that. Don’t go anywhere until I get back and keep the door locked. Got it?”

“Got it!”

Stepping out and looking in the direction of the capitol, Sunny watched as streams of magic from surrounding buildings bombarded the courtyard. Along with the more major blasts, thin, concentrated bolts of magic rained down on the area where his comrades still fought.

Arcane!

As he dashed towards his fellow guards, he saw several armored pegasai take flight and charge the nests. Some made it to the buildings, others were picked off as they flew. He saw magic being shot from the battlefield, as well, guard unicorns trying their best to eliminate the snipers. Entering the courtyard, his breath caught in his throat momentarily. Bodies lay strewn about the ground; a few belonged to guards, but most to townsponies. Though the guards remained greatly outnumbered even then, he could see the rebels fought a losing battle. Trying to avoid eye contact with the corpses and the bolts of magic still hitting the ground around him, he spotted Arcane, who had emerged victorious from a skirmish with an earth pony.

“Arcane!” Sunny shouted, running towards him.

Arcane turned to face Sunny, his face covered in dust and blood, his armor battered, and his eyes laden with exhaustion. “Sunny! What are you doing here? I thought I told you to meet me at the-” A shot of magic hit him in the side, sending him to the ground.

Sunny’s heart stopped. In the split second it took for his mentor to hit the ground, he had already rushed to his side. Gritting his teeth, he took Arcane by the shoulders and dragged him behind the crates of rations not far away. “Arcane, hey! Are you okay? Talk to me!” he shouted, trying to make himself heard over the battle raging around them.

Groaning, Arcane placed a hoof where the magic struck him. “Ugh, that’s gonna hurt for a while.”

Several bolts of magic ripped through the crates above, a dusting of grain along with bits of fruit and vegetables falling onto the two ponies. A few sparks from the magic ignited the contents of the crates, allowing a small fire to start.

Sunny shook off what he could of the food, though some still clung to his armor and coat. “You going to be okay, Arcane?”

The old stallion grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his side. “Yeah, don’t worry about me. I’ll pull through.” More crates met the fate of the others, leaving few of them to hide behind. “Sunny, we need to take out those snipers.” He turned to face Sunny and put a hoof on his shoulder. “I’m going to need your help, though.”

Looking to the battle raging around them, to Arcane, then to the bodies strew about the bloodied ground, Sunny hesitated. He thought of the mare, bleeding and lifeless, her eyes unblinking and glazed over. “I… I ca-”

“Sunny, listen to me and listen good!” Arcane yelled, forcing Sunny to meet his eyes. “I know you’re scared, but I need you right now. Do you trust me?”

Slowly, Sunny nodded, a held breath escaping him. “I trust you.”

Arcane nodded, smirking. “Good. Now, I’m going to draw their attention, you charge up a spell and hit them with everything you’ve got.” His smirk disappeared, replaced by a somber frown. “Sunny, no matter what happens to me, you can’t stop the spell - keep charging it no matter what. Understand?”

“Understood, sir!”

Without another word, Arcane dashed out from behind the crates, firing a hail of magic at the nest. When he knew he’d attracted their attention, he casted the shield he’d used before, straining to block the incoming fire.

Concentrating, Sunny lit up his horn, wisps of energy accumulating at the tip. The ball expanded ever so slowly, the growing flames licking at his horn and mane. As the spell formed, he tried his best to block out the world. Noise dissipated, time slowed, and all that remained was focus. Though a peaceful silence surrounded him, a nagging fear still persisted: now that Arcane was injured, could he really hold them off?

Sunny’s eyes opened slowly. As he turned to look at Arcane, he witnessed the last shot that broke through his shield. The sight of his mentor on the ground, unprotected, trying his best to dodge the shots that pelted the space around him, caused his spell to waver. Out of the corner of his eye, Sunny saw a pegasus charging towards Arcane, a shovel in his hooves.

The spell broke, the energy from the ball surging back into Sunny as he darted to intercept the pegasus. Just as the pegasus was about to bring down the shovel, a hoof connected with his jaw; he tumbled across the ground before coming to a stop a short distance away, unconscious. Sunny put up a shield similar to Arcane’s in front of them. Looking back, he saw Arcane, breathing heavily, staring at him with an irritated expression.

“Sunny… why would you-”

Suddenly, the sniper nest erupted in a magical explosion, sending the ponies within flying. The force of the blast weakened the supports, collapsing the roof above and crushing any other ponies who may have been on the floor. Due to the age of the building, the force of the collapse brought the second floor along with the first, then another and another until the entire building lay in a smoldering pile. A cloud of pulverized brick and mortar billowed from the remains, creeping its way down the building to the courtyard.

Though a few skirmishes still persisted around the battlefield, it was clear the rebels had lost the day.

Turning to face the source of the magic, Sunny and Arcane saw General Haze, his gaze fixed on both of them. “And I thought I’d seen everything…” he growled.

Arcane slowly stood, grimacing at the pain in his bones. “Sir?”

In no time at all, Haze stood inches from Arcane, his face twisted in unbridled rage. “Don’t ‘sir’ me, Arcane! I’ve seen a lot of things in my time, but never have I seen such a careless display!” He pointed to the pile of ration crates, the flames still raging. “Not only do you hide - or in Pvt. Sunny’s case, run - from the battle, but then you use our rations as cover! Are you out of your mind?!”

Though Arcane tried as best he could to remain steadfast, Sunny could see the light trembling in his hooves.

“And is it true that you told your son to run from the battle?”

Sunny stepped forward to interject, but Arcane cut him off. “Yes, sir, I did.”

Silence. Haze continued to stare into Arcane’s eyes with an unwavering fury. “I have no place for cowards among my ranks,” he hissed. He ripped Arcane’s coat of arms from his chestplate and drove it into the ground under his hoof. “I don’t care what happened when we fought together in the war! For your carelessness” - he pointed back to the pile of burning rations - “and your crimes, you and your sons are no longer welcome here!”

“Haze, I-”

“Did. I. Stutter?!”

After a moment, Haze sighed a long, angry sigh and looked down, grimacing. “Two hours,” he muttered. “You have two hours to leave the city. If you and your sons are still here after that time, you will be punished to the fullest extent of my law.”

Arcane didn’t move. He stood there, trying his best to remain expressionless, though with every passing moment, it became clearer just how much Haze’s words tore at him. “But-”

“Go now!” Haze shouted. “Go… before I change my mind…” Sunny could have sworn he saw a tear line across the general’s muzzle.

As they turned to walk back to the apartment, Sunny noted that he had never seen Arcane cry until that moment. For such a proud pony, a pony who dedicated his life to the Royal Guard to be discharged in such a way, he couldn't imagine how much he was holding back. Behind them, the guards finished their work of piling up the bodies of dead Fillydelphians.

When they reached the apartment door, neither of them even needed to knock before Maverick opened up. Six saddlebags hung over his back and a smile adorned his muzzle. “We’re ready to go, guys!”

“Good. The sooner we leave, the better.” muttered Arcane.

“So… I guess this is goodbye?” asked Felix, looking the two brothers and former commanding officer in front of him over.

“I suppose it is,” replied Sunny, trying as best he could to keep a normal demeanor despite the days events.

Felix nodded. “All right. Well, since you’re, you know, leaving for good, I’m going to have to ask you and Arcane for your armor.”

With a sigh, Sunny removed his armor, first his helmet, then his chestpiece, making sure to put the photo of the pegasus in one of his saddlebags. He couldn’t say he missed the stuff; it may have provided a good deal of protection, but he found it too heavy for his liking. It made him feel confined, as if the more he wore it, the less he could move. Arcane followed suit.

“Oh and, uh, you didn’t get it from me, but here,” Felix took the coat of arms from Sunny’s chestplate and placed it in his hoof “I thought you might want to keep that.”

Sunny studied the emblem: his rank displayed with the Fleur de Lis and olive branches of the Royalists behind it. He clutched it to his chest tightly, trying his best to not break down then and there.

“Thank you… Felix.”

Nodding to his friend, Sunny put the emblem in his bag and walked with his brother and mentor out of the gate, flinching as the gate shut behind them.

In front of them lay a path away from the city, yellowing grass encompassing the route with a few dead trees providing little comfort. For miles, nothing stuck out in their vision; all that came after the road was more road. Through the thin clouds of magical residue in the sky, the sun remained eclipsed by the moon - the same state it had been in for the last three years.

“C’mon, you two. Let’s go.” said Arcane.

Sunny looked back to see faint wisps of black smoke coming from the city. What could possess a leader to not bury his citizens?

Levitating the photo of the pegasus from his bag, Sunny looked at it intently. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to Maverick, again. I won’t let you down… mother.