The Trotting Dead 2 : Neon Nights

“How the hell do we proceed from this? Neon already bucking knows about this place. And drunk on mares as he is, it’s only a matter of time before he comes back to make Zecora another offer only to find all of us.” Promontory stared down at his folded hooves, despair clear in all of his features.

“It’s in no way a positive thing that he knows about Crease Farm, but it’s not the worst news we’ve had either” Flitter chimed in from off to the side as she stroked Dinky’s mane, the filly fast asleep from the journey.

“How exactly is this good for us eh? The whole point ta leaving the Lakefront was ta distance urselves from Neon. Now we’re closern eva.” Hayseed threw his hooves up as he threw his opinion to the wind.

“As much as we’d all like to discuss the pro’s and con’s, it is none of us that will make the final decision. It’s up to Vinyl.” Rarity gently spoke as she slid her recently sharpened blade back into its weathered sheath from the far left corner of the Living Room, Zecora by her side with closed eyes.

Everypony nodded and fell silent in turn, each casting a look towards Vinyl as they did. Vinyl had stared off into the fireplace of the Farmhouse, which now housed a roaring fire, ever since she had called together everypony to discuss the news Zecora had shared with them.

Vinyl slowly heaved herself back down to all four hooves, sliding her sunglasses above her eyes as she did.

“No matter what else comes of this, Zecora has single hoofedly provided us with the best clue we have to tracking down Neon and his community. Now I know not everypony has been onboard with this idea ever since I formed my Hunting Team four months ago, but we can’t avoid or contradict it anymore. This is our best chance at fully securing the Farm, and I intend to take it. Now, I ask you all to go home and consider whether you’ll accompany me to kill Neon. And I say kill because that is the only thing to do about him. There may be others in the community who are disillusioned, or might join us in fear, or whatever, but we deal with them only as we need to once Neon is removed. Not everypony is going. We need to leave a strong enough force here to protect the Farm from herds and maintain the modifications we began today, as well as protect those too weak or young or old to come with us. We leave in 3 days. That is final.” Vinyl slammed her right front hoof down onto their table, right onto the last picture she and Neon had taken together, blotting Neon out entirely.

***

“But why not?” Silver called up to her mom with tears in her eyes.

“Because Vinyl and I say so. And that is final young mare. You won’t be coming with, following, or be involved in protecting the Neon Hunters. The last time we agreed to let them take you on a mission, we lost Peachy. I’m not accusing or blaming you sweetie, but you need to be trained in combat more before you come on any more missions. I already asked Rarity, and she promised she’d teach you swordsponship when they get back. And for now, that’ll have to be enough.” Octavia held a stern look in her face until Silver shuffled off, her muzzle staring towards only the ground.

Once Silver had closed the door to her room, Octavia sighed, and a look of immense relief took over her features. A white hoof touched her haunches a moment later, and turning, Octavia looked into the stark magenta eyes of her lover.

“Thanks Octy. She never would have listened to me, and I can’t gurantee we won’t lose anypony in any way this tim-“ Vinyl was cut off as Octavia came in for a deep kiss.

Closing her eyes, Vinyl and Octavia held each other barrel to barrel, expressing all their love and worry in this one passionate kiss. As Octavia pulled back and ended the embrace, a deep crimson shade adorned Vinyl.

“Just make sure I get you back in exchange for keeping Silver back. And this time, I want to see red blood in your mane when you come back.” Octavia shook from fetlock to forehead as she held back tears from Vinyl.

Vinyl held up Octavia’s chin, stared deep into her eyes, an understanding beyond words passing between them, and gave her a last quick kiss, before nodding vigorously and galloping away to meet up with everypony else.

***

Rarity tightened leather bracers to her front hooves with her teeth just as she heard the sound of Vinyl’s galloping approaching. Quickly taking stride, she reached galloping speed just as Vinyl met up with her.

“You and me again eh coz?” Vinyl jokingly asked, winking at Rarity as she lowered her shades.

“Always seems to be that way, but we always come back too.” Rarity added, a sinister smile adhering itself to her muzzle.

“Let’s keep it that way this time too.” Vinyl stoicly said, increasing her galloping speed as they peaked the second hilltop behind Crease Farm.

As Vinyl and Rarity slowed back down to a trot, the rest of the group came into focus. They had mustered quite a force, though it had been hard not to allow everypony to come as well.

Hayseed Turnip Truck had adorned himself in one of Big Mac’s old leather smocks for sharpening the blades to their Cider Blender, and had Hay Fever’s old ax strapped across his back.

Ace had used the iron stove on the farm to rework what weights he had left into giant steel boots that ran up to his canons, which he currently keep punching and kicking the air with.

Promontory had spent 2 months learning the art of archery from Fluttershy, and had worked an old apple tree branch into his bow and several Everfree branches into arrows. He also had his 4 knives along his stifle thanks to 2 tight fitting bandoliers.

Fluttershy would be remaining behind, but she had accompanied them to see them off and begin her perimeter patrol. She currently wore her old Crystal Lancing armor, with many black arrows sticking out from her quiver.

Ginger was borrowing Hazel’s biohazard suit, as well as Derpy’s old baseball bat. With a few chemical grenades hanging off of a bandolier, she was well prepared to deal with small groups of Trotters silently, or ambush a few ponies.

Flitter wore a suit of rafters woven together with Plunder Roots that Zecora had adjusted for her as she hugged Dinky goodbye, two curved and spiked tribal swords now accompanying her two spears. Her mane was pulled back into a long ponytail, and the occasional strand tossled free to give her a properly frizzled look.

Derpy hovered a short distance away, love and fear in her eyes as she took Dinky away from her other mom when their embrace ended. She had over a dozen knives bandoliered around her, as she would be Fluttershy’s primary assistant in defending Crease Farm in their absence.

Millie wore an old Guard’s helmet, fashioned to expose her mane rather than hide it, with the handle of a katana borrowed from Rarity’s stockpile gently scraping it if she looked too far ahead. She also had a multitude of shuriken on a leather belt around her loin as a distance weapon.

Lemon Hearts stood at Millie’s side for the moment, but upon hearing the hooffalls of Vinyl, she galloped at her instead, a stitched together leather suit stretching the entirety of her body excluding only her crest and dock, where a knife or two lay hidden and easily accessible.

“What the buck is this Vinyl?! You ask me to join your Neon Hunt months ago, and now that we’re actually going, I’m hanging behind like the fillies?!” Lemon held outrage in her voice, but still managed to prevent herself from screaming and bringing any Trotters out.

“I’m sorry Lemon, but after losing Turf, we need somepony else acting as additional backup to Derpy and Fluttershy. And nopony would be better than you for that. I know how bad you wanna see Neon’s body, but trust us. He’s not getting out of this. And we all need you to stay here.” Vinyl carefully begged Lemon, only to hear her scoff a moment later.

“You better not end up regretting this choice Vinyl. Or you’ll only have yourself to blame” Lemon swished her tail as she galloped off back to the Farm, following Derpy’s form in the horizon.

Flaring her horn bright red for a second as their agreed signal, Vinyl called everypony to her side to prepare to march.

“Okay everypony. I don’t need to tell you why we’re here anymore. This is the beginning of our endgame. Rarity and Ginger are gonna bring up the front since they can best deal with surprise groups the quietest. Hayseed, Ace, and Flitter will follow in line next as they’re the most versatile. Promontory, Millie, and Me will round us out at the end. We’re the far distance specialists, as well as being able to fight at close range if one of you needs help.” Vinyl calmly yet decisively laid down their formation, with each pony nodding in silence in turn.

“Neighagra Falls is our best chance to find Neon’s camps based on the information we have. That’s an easy 2 days from here, so we go til pitch black, make camp, and ambush it when we’re rested and ready the next day.” Rarity chimed in as lieutenant, and everypony stayed stock still, ready to move at the first signal.

“Operation Neon Rain begins. Trot Out!” Vinyl called, speeding to a gallop easily, Rarity speeding ahead of her momentarily, with Flitter shadowing everypony from above, as the formation reached peak and the ponies entered the forest that edged the Foal Mountains.

***

Ginger waved her hooves gently in the current direction of the lookout they had stumbled upon just barely before they would have had to abandon their ambush. Vinyl nearly slid along the ground as she raised her shades and levelled the stallion in her sights, as her horn began to faintly glow, a hoof pressed down firmly on her withers, only for Promontory to shake his head at her.

“If there are any more, you’ll send them off back to the camp. I’ve got him. But I need Ginger’s help.” Promontory gently whispered, Ginger following his lead as she shifted a clorophilin grenade off her bandolier after Promontory pointed at it.

Narrowing the pony with the odd metal tube in his hands in his sights, Promontory notched an off blue arrow and aimed it towards his exposed ergot. As he nodded, Ginger lobbed her grenade towards the cracked window of the two story lookout, eliciting only a dull thud against the wood, and a slight twitch of the stallions ear before Promontory’s arrow entered his hoof and he fell over the side of the railing like Smarty Pants.

As a gray cloud exploded over the building, a loud thud and a cough were heard by Vinyl’s group, as Vinyl and Millie gently notched their swords out and Vinyl squinted about, careful of any Trotters who might appear or backup for these ponies.

Hayseed waved his left hoof three times at the group to signal the All Clear from that point on. Ace appeared back into their group and pawed the ground twice, his version of all clear from behind them.

Vinyl whistled Flitter to survey the building as the gray cloud faded away about it at this cue, and Millie and Ace galloped forward for ground assistance in her survey. Flitter looped the building twice and peered through every opening with the help of her spears, and landed between Ace and Millie a few moments later.

“There were 2 others inside but they’re passed out from the clorophilin. And the colt Promontory got is just limp off at the side.” Flitter explained at a low volume to Vinyl and Rarity as they galloped over to her.

“What did you hit him with Promontory?” Ginger curiously asked, leaping down from retrieving her grenade’s broken shell.

“An arrow I made from the gas spewing plant in the Everfree. Causes you to pass out and go limp immediately if you hit the right spot. Fluttershy gave me a couple extra just in case. Now we can use him as leverage when we get to the camp.” Promontory briefly smiled, but wiped it from his features just as fast.

“What about the other two? Do we kill them?” Millie asked, her sword still unsecured from its sheath.

“No. These ponies may have joined Neon for now, but that doesn’t make them bad. We leave them for now.” Rarity took control of the group, causing Millie to re-sheath her sword in response.

“Ungurded? That’d be plum ol’ sterpid in case they git up and hed fer Neon.” Hayseed chimed in as he rejoined them to discuss this.

Vinyl closed her eyes in concentration for a moment before looking up into the faces of her team, with a look that commanded respect and focus instantly.

“Ace. We need you to guard these two here. We’ll take the stunned one with us as a bargaining chip. But we can’t afford to leave these two as wild cards, and you’re the best at close range subduing if they wake up before all is done.” Vinyl knew she was asking a lot of Ace to give up his chance at personally giving Neon revenge for what he had done, but Hayseed was too weak and Promontory couldn’t be asked to stay behind from this.

“Alright Vinyl. I’ll try not to rough em up too bad in case they do wanna join us later. Just don’t keep me waiting.” Ace held his hoof up to Vinyl, causing the mare to laugh and bump it in turn.

“We won’t Ace. Promise.” Vinyl whispered as she leaned into Ace for a moment before turning to face everypony else.

“No more stealth. With that colt there, we can gallop through no fear. If this was their lookout, that means there’s no Trotters beyond this point, and Ace can handle any that will follow. We end this within 2 hours. Move out.” Vinyl spoke with a military like command, and as she galloped away, Ace, Rarity, Millie, Ginger, and Promontory all saw a shadow of Shining Armor blend into her form for but the span of a blink.

***

“Ooooooh. That was a rough one eh foalies?” Film Reel almost cooned after resting her metal tube on the ground. As she rubbed her hoof over the very noticeable lump in her belly, she again thought of it as a gurantee for permanent protection from Neon as well as a sign of her position amongst the community.

Just as Film moved to grab her tube though, an odd spiked blade came under her throat latch and punctured just enough to bring tiny droplets of blood onto her coat.

“I’m guessing you’re the one called Film Reel eh? Millie said you’d be the one furthest along in her pregnancy after all.” Flitter whispered as she pressed her tribal blade gently closer.

“I don’t know who you are, but I can tell where you’re from. If you stop this now, I can convince Neon to let you join us. You don’t even have to join his Ponem first.” Film felt sweat in her fur, even more so as she was slowly moved back towards the tree line.

“Relax. You’re just a bit more personal of protection than Sure Shot is all.” Flitter quickly said, before bending her pasterns, and quickly pivoting to fly and throw Film to Rarity who emerged from the shadows just in time to secure Film in them as Flitter flew past them and her wingbeats went silent.

“You should sleep more. It’s good for the foal.” Rarity mocked as she swung the bunt of her blade around and knocked Film Reel unconscious, enveloping her in magic before she could hit the ground.

***

“You dogs will never get away wit-“ Sure Shot began to say before he had a rag with excelagin stuffed into his muzzle, causing his tongue to swell to the point he could make more than muffled sounds anymore.

Film Reel whimpered a distance away, her hooves bound to a certain distance apart by leather straps. Promontory stepped up beside her at her reaction to Sure Shot’s restraints.

“I couldn’t paralyze his mouth, and he happens to have a big one. That’s the only reason for that treatment. For now, you have nothing to fear from us. If you’ve done anything to Chip though… I can’t make any promises.” Promontory gravely said as he trotted away and notched three arrows for the upcoming march.

“You’re carrying his foal? I never thought you’d sink so far Film.” Millie whispered through holding Film’s leash in her mouth.

“He’s a much better leader than Shining Armor could ever be. He wasn’t afraid to go to Baltimare. He commands respect. Speaking of Shining..-“ Film began, only to hear heavy hooffalls a moment later.

“You don’t get to say his name.” Vinyl leered down at Film, causing her to flinch.

“Wait… Blue mane, sunglasses, magenta eyes… You couldn’t be Vinyl Scratch could you?” Film’s face lit up with shock as Vinyl’s merely took on a darker gleam.

“When we’re done here today, you have a choice to make. And looking at you now, you’d better think good and hard about it. You can scatter to the winds of Equestria and take your chances on another community taking you in, or you can come with us. It’s your choice. We won’t force you.” Vinyl spoke calmly and as a strange light of epiphany overtook Film, she turned about, lit her horn in a bright blue glow and marched towards the edge of Marevia.

“Let’s end this.” Vinyl gravely spoke, her eyes narrowing as Millie moved in place behind her with Film Reel, Rarity and Flitter behind them with blades twirling about, Promontory leading Sure Shot with arrows easily moving between a multitude of imagined targets. Hayseed trotted behind him, his axe blade easily carving a line in the ground, and Ginger followed him, her bat still on her back, but several grenades tucked into her now unzipped sleeves.

***

“NEON!!!! Get out here now!” Vinyl screamed, as she let a spell fly at the biggest building in the crude town, which shook from the force of the spell.

Three dozen ponies descended from all sides, all of them carrying the strange tubes that Film and Sure Shot had when they’d been captured. As the ponies pointed them down on the group, Vinyl felt as though the carried a far greater power than they seemed to.

Ginger clenched her hooves, and Hayseed swung his ax over his shoulders in prep. Promontory took aim at the closest ponies, while Rarity and Flitter steadied their blades in their grips. Vinyl merely continued to stare at the largest building, from which only mares had emerged thus far.

There were quite a collection of ponies in Marevia. More unicorns and earth ponies than Pegasi, but there were a couple. Most of the stallions were about the same age as or younger than Hayseed, while the mares seemed to be aged similar to Vinyl and Millie. No colts or fillies were seen, but from the concerned looks and shifting stances of certain ponies, Vinyl guessed they were being kept in side as a precaution.

“Neon, you know who this is. You may not believe it, but it’s true. I survived, and I found the Lakefront. Shining Armor took me in and guided me, before he died and bequeathed leadership to me. I heard about what you did from many ponies in the community, including Promontory and Millie, who are here with me now. Turf and Ace can’t be here to confront you, but I assure you they’d be here if they could be. I don’t intend to destroy your community or your citizens. Even Ambrosia and Film Reel only did what they did after you led them to darkness. But you have committed crimes against the Lakefront, and you must be brought to justice. You have Chip Mint, son of Promontory among your numbers. He is the only one we demand you return. We do not come empty hooved though. We have a colt named Sure Shot who we brought with us from your lookout and one of your first concubines who is pregnant with your foal, Film Reel, among our numbers. As a sign of fairness, we will release Sure Shot now.” Vinyl spoke clear without pause at a great volume, her magic magnifying her speech.

Promontory removed the gag on Sure Shot and shoved him aside to the nearest ponies, who immediately rushed forward and brought him back behind their lines. As everypony grew still again, Vinyl continued.

”Now we offer you a trade. Chip Mint for Film Reel. My soldiers will remain here in the street as a sign of what we are prepared to do, but Film will accompany me as we meet to trade and discuss how you will attone for what you have done. I possess no weapons, but my soldiers will not drop or relax theirs until Chip is in our custody and we march out of this place Sure Shot told us is called Marevia. That is all. Be prepared Neon. I am coming.” Vinyl ended her speech as she trotted forward and took Film’s leash from Millie in her magic, which gave Millie the freedom to draw three shuriken a hoof and take her katana in her mouth.

As Vinyl began to walk under the company, a slow trotting sound met her ears, and she narrowed her eyes in anticipation.

The door in front of her swung open in a blinding white flash, revealing the withered, tired form of Neon, his black and white eye each bloodshot beyond belief yet also showing anticipation.

“I’ve been praying and waiting for this for a long time. Come on in.” Vinyl swung his hoof inward at Vinyl, a mysterious smile on his muzzle.