Chapter 14: Chivalry long gone

I shouted in pain as a bullet grazed my cheek, raking a long bleeding line across its path. In anger, I raised my revolver and squeezed off a few rounds with my hoof. I had never been in a firefight this intense, this nerve wracking. Energy bolts and ballistic rounds flew through the air as if they were being spat from the mouth of hell itself.

“Come on my lovelies! THAT ALL YA GOT?!” Rusty screamed at the top of his lungs as his shotgun boomed again and again, sending a never ending stream of lethal lead pellets towards our hiding spot. I ducked down beside Dark Sky, who had stopped to load in her last clip for her submachine gun. I gulped nervously, my throat drying in dread. Was this going to be the end of us?

I heard Ironfist grunt loudly in pain behind me, and I turned to look. A well placed bullet had pierced his left shoulder, smashing through the weakness in the armor joint. He ducked behind a pillar and ripped off the shattered shoulder plate with his teeth. “Look! I got em!” One over enthusiastic raider shouted in glee, jumping up from behind his cover.

Without breaking concentration, Ironfist simply took out a grenade and flung it towards him. I quickly ducked behind cover. The impetuous raider and his giblets were soon sent flying into the air in different directions with a cracking boom. Before the dust even settled from the explosion, the raiders had reloaded and poured on the lead in our direction, apathetic towards the dumb ones in their ranks. Ironfist reloaded his rifle and fired back one hoofed, a testament to his will and tolerance to pain. I fired off my last shot in the revolver before it clicked empty. I looked wildly at Dark Sky, “WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!”

“Tell me something I don’t know!” She spat, just as her submachine gun clicked out cold as well. “Fuck this!” She shouted angrily as she unholstered her spare 10mm pistol. She turned to me, “We have only one option left” she said urgently over the staccato cracks of gunfire. I nodded at her, ready to take whatever choice she offered. Her horn glowed and a red canister came out of her pouch, along with what seemed to be some kind of gas mask. She handed me the mask. “Lethal gas!” She said, “This would kill everything, including us. But it would make a hole through them, we have to make a run for it!” She pointed at the warehouse door, past the ranks of immovable, blood thirsty raiders. My eyes widened in fear. She chucked me the mask. “Put this on! Don’t worry about me or him! We have our helmets!”

She turned and looked at Ironfist, who nodded and reloaded his final clip into his rifle as well. “On my mark!” She shouted in the radio. I hurriedly put on the mask in a panic, my hooves fumbling with the catches and straps. The raiders must have caught wind that we were up to something, because one of them threw out an improvised Molotov, hoping to force us out from cover. The Molotov smashed right onto the fallen locker we were hiding behind and exploded with a piercing smash. I shouted in terror and pain as flaming petrol fell on my hindlegs and seared the skin. I quickly patted them out with my hooves and huddled closer to the locker.

“3! 2! 1! Mark!!” Dark sky shouted. With a huge throw using her magic, she flung the red canister right in the middle of the room where the offending raiders are. It exploded in a silent burst, ejecting clouds of red gas everywhere. The raiders who were closest opened their mouths to scream, but didn’t managed to make a sound as their throats filled with blood. Streams of red blood and pus started running down their grimy cheeks from their eyes as they doubled up onto the ground, coughing up violently and spewing their body fluids and organs out. The screams of agonized raider ponies echoed among the gunshots like a ghastly symphony as they scrambled out of the way, trying to avoid the red mist. The raiders were well armored and equipped, but not for this kind of chemical warfare. But even as I watched on in utter horror through the lens of the gas mask, the gas was dissipating.

“HURRY MA’AM!! ITS NOW OR NEVER!” The commanding voice of Dark Sky shouted behind me and brought me back to reality. I jumped up to my hooves, ignoring the burning pain in my hindlegs and ran through the mist towards the warehouse doors with Dark sky following behind. I felt the mist painfully corroding my coat and skin, and even though I was wearing a gas mask, I held my breath and tried not to breathe. Ironfist galloped ahead first, smashing through the wooden warehouse doors with his uninjured shoulder and shattering them to splinters. My heart pounded and leapt as I saw the sun setting in the distance. The sandstorm was still there but was considerably smaller now. Almost there! Almost home free!

Just as I was about to jump to joyous escape, Dark sky shouted in pain. I turned around and was mortified to see her crumple to the ground. 2 gunshot wounds to her right hindleg and hip bled bright red onto the dusty floor. She was still a few meters from the exit. The red mist had vanished, leaving behind a carnage filled with confused and dying raider ponies. Only half of the raiders had been affected, as they lay on the ground dying painfully with their blood spurting out of every orifice they had. The rest of them were rallying quick as they reloaded their weapons, changing their formation and giving chase on us.

“GO!! RUN!!!” Dark sky yelled desperately at us, as she raised her pistol and shot back at the regrouping raiders.

I took one fleeting glance at Ironfist and looked back at Dark Sky. I cursed myself for what I was going to do, but I couldn’t bear to think of the alternative. I recklessly dove back into the warehouse.

“MA’AM!! NO!” Ironfist shouted as he raised his rifle with his uninjured hoof, taking aim and laying down cover fire with whatever little ammo he had left.

I ran in and grabbed Dark Sky by her vest using my teeth before dragging her towards the exit, my hooves burning with effort and pain as they pushed against the floor.

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! GET OUT OF HERE!!” Dark Sky screamed at me. She would have tried to shake me off too, if she wasn’t concentrating on emptying the rest of her ammo into the raiders. Grunting with the effort, I pulled and pulled, concentrating on getting the both of us to the relative safety of the warehouse exterior.

Bullets snapped around me and Dark Sky, with some even hissing and past my ears. It was like death itself whispering to me. I couldn’t think of anything, and just kept dragging the indignant Dark Sky. My mind was blank except for the will to live. Just a meter left.

Suddenly, razor white pain shot through my body as a well-placed bullet hit me in the spine, followed by a shot between my right ribs. I screamed and fell to the floor, doubling up from the pain. My brain seized up from the agony and I couldn’t feel my legs. The distant click of Dark Sky’s pistol behind me signaled that she was finally out. My right lung filled with blood and I started coughing up red. Through tear misted eyes I looked on as Ironfist threw away his empty rifle, taking out his sidearm and running towards us. A grenade sailed through the opening and detonated behind Ironfist, throwing him and shrapnel through the air before slamming him to the ground, unconscious.

The gunfire ceased like water tapering off from the sudden closing of a faucet. My mind was just hazy from the pain. Dark Sky had stopped struggling. I didn’t know why, she could have passed out from the blood loss, or perhaps she’s dead. A dark form appeared over me, and the blurry face of Rusty appeared over me. He smiled evilly. A hoof slammed down over my throat, cutting of my windpipe and supply of oxygen. I choked and wheezed in pain, struggling weakly to remove his leg.

“I guess that if this is all a hero of the wastelands have, no wonder everything is fucked.” He spat. I struggled to hear him right, his voice sounding distant. A shotgun obscured my view as Rusty raised his weapon. I stared down into the darkness of the barrel defiantly before closing my eyes.

“Goodbye, ‘hero’.” Rusty mocked.

*BANG*

I waited for my first glimpse of paradise, if Celestia even made one for us.

I waited.

And waited.

Nothing, except the pounding of my overstressed heart. The horrific pain in my side and back was still there, it was still getting colder. I still faintly felt the wind of the wastes, still felt the cold dusty floor I was laying on. What in the seven hells was this? Is this it?

Something warm and wet dripped on my forehead.

I opened my heavy eyelids reluctantly, and my eyes snapped open at the sight before me. Rusty stood still, eyes and mouth open in shock, as a red flower bloomed over his chest over his rags and armor. He reached and touched it with a hoof, unbelieving. A pearly white and intricately carved revolver appeared before my eyes and raised itself to Rusty’s forehead. He looked up, staring at the perfectly polished barrel right between his eyes and the pony holding it. Before he even had time to react, a .50 mm hollow point magnum round blew his head into a brilliant display of gore and brains. His body flew off me from the force of the bullet and landed in a crumpled heap 6 feet away from me.

I gasped and coughed at the sudden intake of air that my lungs so desperately needed once my windpipe was cleared again. I looked at the raiders. None of them moved nor spoke. Paralyzed in fear at the reaper that they saw standing at the giant open doors to the warehouse. I tiredly turned my head and froze in shock as well.

Blackheart.

None other than the Commander in Chief of the Legionnaires, and the Master of Castle Blackmire himself stood in the doorway in his gilded black power armor, a smoking white revolver at his side. Behind him was a convoy of armored vehicles, along with a hundred rifles, energy weapons and explosive launchers. All wielded by black clad soldiers, all raised and laser sights trained on each and every hapless raider. They must have used the sandstorm to keep the element of surprise.

They outnumbered the Nightstalkers now 3 to 1.

Blackheart holstered his weapon and bent down over me before speaking softly into his mike.

“Kill them all.”

No pony would have withstood the amount of firepower that poured into the warehouse that night, which lit up the night sky like a flare in the darkness.

Through my rapidly blackening vision, I vaguely felt Blackheart caress my face before picking me up with his hooves.

And then sweet darkness consumed me.

“…..pulse is healthy…..”

“Is she out of…?”

“I can’t say for certain, my lord…”

“If she dies, I will consider that a failure on your part to do your duty.”

“My lord I assure you, I’ve done everything I could to save her, including arcane surgery. It’s up to her now.” A squeaking and frightened voice distantly came into focus.

“When will she wake?” A deep and authoritarian voice asked.

“I-it’s hard to say…. It could be w-weeks, months… maybe never.” The frightened voice spoke out quietly.

Quiet silence for a few minutes.

“Please…. Make sure she wakes up…” The deep male voice softly said.

Then nothing more.

There’s an itching in the back of my throat. A senseless and persistent itch.

I coughed, trying to absolve it quickly and go back to peaceful sleep, but it wasn’t that easy.

“Augh...” I groaned softly. I had to get that itching dryness away.

I slowly opened my eyes, squinting and blinking at the soft light that shone above me. I was in some kind of bed with pure white linen sheets. I looked around, trying not to strain my stiff neck too much. Medical instruments in a cupboard, and a drip connected to my left forehoof told me only one thing. I was in some kind of sick bay. The layout and materials used were reminiscent of the medical wards back in Stable 2. I looked to my side, and was grateful to see a jug of water. I reached out to take it, but as I stretched, a sudden debilitating pain seared through my ribs and back. I gasped and jerked in reflex, knocking the jug off my bedside table and onto the floor where it smashed into bits.

“Good, you’re awake.” A silky voice sounded out. I looked up, startled.

Blackheart stood at the foot of my bed, along with a nurse and an old pony doctor. He took one look at the spilled water on the floor and glared at the nurse. The nurse gave a frightened squeak of acknowledgement and scurried off to find another pitcher for me.

The doctor nervously stepped forward. “I-if you don’t mind, Ma’am. Now that you’re awake, please allow me to do a few checks on you.” I nodded in agreement.

“How do you feel?” The doctor asked as he shined a light generated from his horn into my eyes and examined me intently.

“Um, thirsty? Other than that and the pain in my back, fine.” I rasped. The old unicorn checked his clipboard. “And the pain? Is it still intolerable?” He asked gently. “N-no. More like a nagging ache sort of pain.” I replied. “Good, do you remember why you’re here?” He asked.

“Um, yes. I got shot by a few raiders.” I replied hesitantly, trying to avoid looking Blackheart in the eyes.

“Quite correct. Seems like there’s no damage to your noggin if you don’t mind me saying.” The old unicorn quipped and laughed nervously. “Your right lung and spine was hit. The lung and burns were fairly easy to repair, your lower spine however, was shattered. It took quite a bit of hard work and magic to reconstruct. But still, it’s fine now. It should mend properly in no time at all. I assume you are able to feel sensations in your legs now?” He tapped my bandaged hindlegs gently. I nodded, feeling the nudge. “But I can’t seem to move them yet…” I said. The doctor patted my shoulder. “I assure you Mistress, you’ll be able to move them in a few days, and walk in a week. For now you need bed rest and certain potions to help with the healing.” I looked at him. “What about Ironfist and Dark Sky?” I asked, a growing pit of dread in my belly.

“They are fine.” The old unicorn replied. “Your guards are receiving medical treatment here as well, and they are in no immediate danger. You took quite a beating if I may say so, frankly I’m amazed that you and the little heir are still alive.” I stared at him, hoping that I didn’t hear that correctly. He smiled sadly. “Yes, it’s true. I expect it won’t be anytime soon, in a few months give or take if everything goes well.”

The nurse bustled in and offered me a mug of clear fresh water while bowing her head. I accepted it gratefully, and chugged down the sweet cooling liquid to soothe my inflamed throat while she cleaned up the mess I made on the floor. I tried to ignore the bombshell the doctor just dropped on me. I just can’t bear to think about that for now. While I was drinking, Blackheart cleared his throat menacingly. The doctor and nurse took the hint, and immediately left the room. The atmosphere in the private ward grew cold and uncomfortably dark as Blackheart looked at me in silence, while I looked down at my sheets, unwilling to make eye contact.

“Explain yourself.” He said quietly.

I kept silent, unsure how, or if it’s possible at all, to talk my way out of this.

“I-if I told you the truth, you wouldn’t believe me anyway. But I can promise you I did not try to escape! I-I just didn’t know what came over me! I just…..” I faltered into silence, almost breaking out into tears. If Blackheart thought I tried to escape, he would make good on his threat for sure.

“I would believe you.” Blackheart replied softly. “I’ve already gotten the first hand reports and debriefs from Ironfist and Dark Sky. I simply find it very frustrating that despite my efforts to warn and discipline you, you still never change.”

He continued to stare at me uncomfortably. I kept quiet for a while, till I finally decided to break the silence.

“How did you find us? I thought we were finished for sure.” I asked.

He was quiet for a moment.

“A team on patrol picked up a distress call from Dark Sky a few hours after a search operation was underway. They were taking shelter from the sandstorm close to Officer Sky’s location. They braved the storm out to relay the message back to me. I ordered them to stand down and wait for me to head here with reinforcements personally, once I heard that you and your guards were ambushed by Nightstalkers. I have business with them as well. Not all strictly about you.” Blackheart said bluntly.

I didn’t know of anything to say so I kept my mouth shut.

“Stay here and get well. Once you’re discharged I expect you back at your duties immediately. You’re also no longer allowed outside the Castle without asking me directly.” He said in silent anger, before turning to leave.

“Wait!” I shakily stopped him in his tracks. He turned and looked at me with those glaring violet eyes.

“I-it’s not Dark Sky or Ironfist’s fault. It was mine. Please….” I stammered, with tears brimming in my eyes.

He stared at me for a long while.

“I do not tolerate failure, Little Pip.”

He left the ward and the door slammed solidly shut behind him.

Author's Note

Chapter 14!!! I cant tell you guys how much of a relief it is that I actually managed to complete this chapter. I'm so very sorry to anyone thats been waiting, but I was having a hard time in university. Classes and exams and all. You guys know the drill hahaha. Anyway here it is, and I'm on holiday, so I SHOULD be able to push out some more chapters quickly now. If not, please send all complaints to the department of Valve for making DOTA 2 and CS GO.

Again I apologize if I took so long. Gaming combined with writer's block make one hell of a procrastination cocktail.