Chapters Twist glanced behind her. No one was there. Only the two crystal ponies trying to keep up from behind her. They panted as they tried to gallop through the snow. Twist had been trained to run through the snow, (And she had her snow horseshoes on) so she did it with ease, but it was getting to her that the crystal ponies just weren't fast enough.
"Run faster." Ordered Twist, tossing a lock of her curly bright red hair over her shoulder. The blue crystal pony looked up at Twist with enormous tears in her eyes. She was weak and trembling.
"I-I can't run any… faster, miss Twistaloo. Ple... Please can't we have a break?" She begged Twist her eyes sad and exhausted.
"You get no breaks in the apocalypse. If you don't hurry, Sombra's minions will catch up with us, and we'll be dead before you know it." Twist scoffed. She wasn't tired at all. These two needed to toughen up.
Ever since King Sombra returned, Equestria was mostly ruins and the world stood in fallen war. Every day, innocent ponies died from hunger, disease, or assault by the King's warriors. Several Ponies had made a camp in the remainders of Ponyville and together, and attempted to stay alive. But it had been attacked quite a few months ago. If Twilight hadn't gone missing... everything would still be the same. Twist sighed.
"If you don't run fast enough, you'l catch hypothermia, and die. Move it." Twist snarled. The crystal ponies didn't look any perkier, but Twist did see that they were moving along much faster. The cabin was insight now, and Twist sped up just a tad to get there sooner. She eased her hoof to knock on the door. Twist knocked seven times, waited one second and nocked again. The slide on the wooden door opened and two green eyes peered at Twist.
"Twist?" A voice with a thick accent asked. Twist nodded.
"Yes. I have the Crystal ponies. Let me in." Twist said calmly to the pair of eyes. The slide closed and the door opened. Sweetie Belle stood there. She stood out of the way to welcome in Twist ant the two ponies.
"Close the door after you come in." Sweetie Belle says in her thick accent. It used to be a squeak, but a lot can happen to a pony in ten years. The based stood there in front of the two Crystal ponies and Twist.
The based was a group of ponies, whom had survived the attack of the camp. Those ponies were: Sweetie Belle, Dinkiy Doo, Apple Bloom, Feather weight, Rumble, PipSqueak, Babs Seed, Silver Spoon, Scootaloo and Twist. The two Crystal mares were found unconscious in a crystal empire home. Twist had been searching for clues upon Twilight's disappearance, but had found the two instead. They soon awoke, and Twist took them back to the cabin that sat in the arctic. Sweetie Belle, the somewhat leader raised her broken horn.
"What are your names?" She asked, her accent still thick. The purple mare stepped forward.
"Im S-Salt Lick, and she's Bubble Burst." The purple mare qwimbled. Twist rolled her eyes. What common filly names. She shouldered the bow of her shoulder, and picked up a polish bottle.
Something caught Twist's eye. A picture on the wall. It was her filly-hood class picture. She gazed at a younger version of her self.
I was such a wimp. Twist thought as she saw her self in stupid bulk purple glasses. Every pony looked so happy. She turned away from the picture. It was painful to look at. She glanced back towards Salt Lick and Bubble Burst. They were sitting in front of the fire place, huddled together. Never mind. They're worse. Though Twist.
Apple Bloom began to sharpen her knife, Rumble, Pip, Dinky and Feather Weight, left into the other room, Silver started back to her book and Babs was nowhere to be seen. Sweetie Belle was putting on her helmet to protect her cracked horn. And Scootaloo was leaning back in her chair.
"Im going out to keep watch. Stay inside, and whatever you do, do not enter outside. Or so help me, I shall make you regret it." Snarled Sweetie Belle, at the two crystal ponies. Salt Lick and Bubble Burst, huddled to each other, not even daring to go out.
Sweetie Belle left the room shortly after that. Apple Bloom raised her head up from her knife.
"Twist, I can watch the two ponies. You go on and guard with Sweetie." She said, getting up from her chair. Twist nodded and climbed up the stairs leading to the archery range of the cabin. As Twist reached the top she saw Sweetie Belle gazing at the distant destroyed crystal empire.
"A tale of despair, evils and darkness... Please I hope your okay. May the goddesses hear my prey. If your still out there, in need you now. More than ever. Please come back to me." Sweetie Belle was singing. Her accent was clouding her singing with a lovely tone. Twist sighed. Sweetie Belle had lost her sister in one of the fires. She could have died, or she could have simply gone missing. What had ever happened, she was just, gone. Apple Bloom's sister had died on the very first attack and Rainbow dash, (Scootaloo's "sister") had become a crystal slave.
Twist sighed again. This depressing world always got to her. It wasn't smart of her to cry, but Twist couldn't help it. She let out a sob, before clapping her hoof to her mouth to contain it. Sweetie Belle stopped singing and swiveled around to see Twist. She was wearing her helmet, so Twist couldn't read her expression. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Twist. You scared me. Come." Beckoned Sweetie Belle. Twist came into Sweetie's arms and felt the lump enclosing in there throat. Tears began to stream of the sides of her face.
Im acting wimpy... This isn't like me. Thought Twist. But she swallowed and tried to speak.
"I can't stand it anymore Sweetie." Twist croaked. "I want the world to be normal again..." Twist cried, big fat baby tears falling from his eyes. But Sweetie tensed up.
"Grab your bow." She whispered. Twist stood and tried to see where Sweetie was looking. Twist armed her bow, and pointed it in the sky, looking of her target. And she saw it. A pegasus in the distance. She pulled her bow back to shoot, but she stopped. She recognized the tail of the mare.
"RAINBOW DASH!?" Cried Sweetie into the sky. Seconds later, a beaten up and dirty Rainbow dash appeared on the landing.
"T-Twi... Twilight was found... Two miles back... She may be still alive." Gasped Rainbow. She let out a groan of exhaustion, before she blacked out at Twist's hooves.
Less than five minuets later, Twist and Pip Squeak were running as fast as they could in the direction Rainbow Dash had flown in from. The rest of the Based had stayed back to take care of Rainbow. Twist narrowed her pink eyes. She couldn't see twenty feet in front of her due to the sudden snowfall. Pip gave a groan of frustration.
"I can't see a damn thing!" He growled in his accent similar to Sweetie Belle's. Twist shook her head to rid her hair of snowflakes, and the two Based gradually came to a stop, each panting. Twist gave a growl. Just then, a Distant sound caught Twist's attention.
" A Timber Wolf?" Pip asked. The two began to shrink closer together glancing into the swirling storm around them. The loud howling like sound rang again.
"You have got to be kidding me..." Snarled Twist as she saw the bright narrowed green eyes peering at her from a distance. Pip let out a swear too naughty for writing and pulled out his pistol. Since the war started, the Equestrian Army began to produce guns and pistols for the public use.
Pip armed his weapon and shot it in the direction of the green eyes. Twist cringed and turned away. She disliked gunshots. A loud bang followed by a "Twack!" made Twist positive that the bullet hit its target.
"Run before they re-generate!" Pip ordered. Twist gave a fast nod, and darted off. Pip was close behind.
The pair seemed to have been running forever until something appeared in the distance. A limp body. Twist's hearts skipped a beat. As the two closed in on the body, they realized it wasn't Twilight. But it was one of Sombra's guards. It was most defiantly dead. His eyes were cloudy and a spray of blood in the snow indicated he didn't die by hypothermia. The partners were silent for a few seconds. Pip was the first to speak.
"What do 'ya think killed 'im?" Pip asked. Twist held out her hoof and flipped the dead unicorn over. There were teeth marks in his neck and gore marking the sides.
"O corse." Pip growled quietly. Twist cringed. She had killed ponies before, but that didn't mean she liked it. She wasn't heartless.
"Should we morn 'im or somthin'?" Pip asked Twist. The air was quiet as snow falling as Twist stood still, frozen to the ground beneath her hooves.
"No. He's one of Sombra's minions. He didn't deserve to live." Snarled Twist. She leaned over at the dead stallion. It's coat was frozen together and the body was as cold as ice. He had defiantly been dead for several days.
Just then another sound was heard. But it wasn't a Timber Wolf howl. It was a pony calling out. It took pip and Twist two seconds to each arm their weapons. Out of the storms winds and snow a face wrapped in black cloth appeared. The figure had a cloak and rags covering its whole body, so it was Impossible to tell whom it was.
"Who are you? Answer me or we'll shoot." Twist demanded. The figure stepped backwards. The figure raised a purple fore leg to reach out to its face. The figure removed the rags. Twist's heart nearly stopped
"Princess Twilight?" Twist asked hardly louder than a whisper. Twilight didn't answer. Instead she glanced down at the dead guard at her hooves.
"Who killed Shining armor?" Was all she said.
Author's Note
OMG A NEW CHAPTER?
Germinte bites
Twist gave a gasp. This was Shining Armor? The crystal prince? Twilight's brother? She though nervously. She probably thinks we did it!. Pip stepped forward.
"He was like this when we found him. " Pip said in a strained voice. Twilight didn't answer. Twilight's eyes were filled with tears as she slumped down next to her dead brother.
Twilight let out an uncivilized wail, tears pouring out of her eyes like a faucet. "Waaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Twilight wailed. Twist shifted uncomfortably.
"Muu- muu mua..." Moaned Twilight as huge tears dribbled down her face. "AuhHaHA HA A," Twilight took a deep breath before continuing. "WHAAAAAAA!" Twist Glanced at Pip, Pip glanced back. Twilight continued to sob like a foal. "HE'S GONE FOREVER!"
"She's been bitten." Pip said suddenly. Twist turned to Pip in alarm.
"What? Are you serious?" Twist gasped. Since the war stared, the Sombra army unleashed several swarms of "Germinte" Small bugs that caused when releasing their poison (By bite or sting), It caused the victim to become: depressed, sensitive, stubborn and lose all hope.
Pip nodded and pointed his hoof to Twilight's flank. It was sticking out at a weird angle.
"Princess Twilight, we need to see your flank." Pip said extending his forearm. Twilight gave a final snivel before turning to Pip.
"Wha?" She sobbed. Pip's face darkened.
"Let. Me. See. Your. Flank." Pip ordered. Twilight's tear stained face was confused.
"Absolutely not. Perv ." Twilight grumped, turning away from Pip. Twist was surprised at her sudden mood swing. Pip's face grew red, his temper bubbling to the surface. He lunged at Twilight's flank and tore away the rag covering it.
"HEY!" Screeched Twilight. Twist gave a grunt of displeasure. As much as she hated to say it, she had defiantly been bitten. The flesh on her flank was torn and shaded green. She must have been attacked by a timber wolf too... Pip looked at Twist and nodded. As gentile as a butterfly, Pip lifted Twilight with incredible strength.
"What are you doing!? Put me down!" Screeched Twilight upon Pip's back. Pip growled and began to trot off in the direction Twist and he had come. Twist was not far behind him.
"Come along, Princess. You have ALOT of explaining to do."
"Tea." Said Sweetie Belle simply as she handed Twilight a cup frothing with hot tea. Twilight gratefully took the cup from Sweetie and took a long drink.
"Mmm. Thank you Bab Seed." Twilight responded. Babs gave a nod her green eyes giving away her mood. Emotionless.
Babs was silent as always. Twist glanced at the former warrior. Babs had fought in one of the very first battles in-between Sombra's army before being captured. Her captors thought she talked too much, so they cut her throat and stitched her lips together. Shortly after, she was rescued by Scootaloo and got the stitches on her lips taken out by Sweetie Belle. Babs lost her ability to talk, but she still expressed her self through snuffles and expression.
As it turned out, Sweetie Belle had a knack for medical treatment. She gave a Twilight few injections and clean bandage around her wound. Shorty after Sweetie said she'd be alright and back to her old self, as long she stayed hydrated.
"As you heal, You may as well tell everyone where you have been for the past ten years." Snarled Dinky as she adjusted the eyepatch over her eye.
"Ten years? If felt like an hour..." Whispered Twilight in disbelief. A groan came from the direction of Rainbow.
"Ten years. We've been waiting for you, but you where gone, so Apple Jack and Fluttershy are dead, and Rarity is missing." Rainbow moaned. She had cleaned up, even though she was a bit battered and missing some patches of fur, she looked a bit more like herself. Though she didn't sound like herself at all. Twilight's eyes filled with tears again.
"Way to go, Rainbow." Groaned Rumble smacking his hoof to his face. Twilight covered her face with her hooves again, letting out a sob. Twist couldn't take it anymore. Twist snapped.
"ENOUGH CRYING, PRINCESS! TELL US WHAT HAPPENED!" Twist screamed, her voice echoing through the walls of the hut. Everypony in the cabin where shocked at Twist's outburst, even Babs whose jaw was slightly open. Twilight's eyes were wide, and her face was shocked. Tears still streaked her face, but she stopped crying.
"I-I don't remember much. I remember..." Twilight trailed off. Her eyes widened as she remembered something.
"I was reading... in my castle... when some pony stuffed a rag into my face." Twilight said, remembering. "S-Somepony said 'Oh she'll stay asleep'. I woke up in a lovely snow covered woods. I think I blacked out again, because I don't remember anything else. I didn't even feel like my self." Twilight rambled, her voice shaky.
'Hmm. There is no need for further investigation declaring your disappearance. There is nothing more to be said." Declared Silver Spoon whom had been quiet the entire day. Twist was starting to cool off. Why had she screamed like that?
"Who are all of you?" Twilight asked looking at the group of battle-scared ponies around her. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat.
"We are the Based. A group of ponies fighting against survival in the war. I Sweetie Belle, AppleBloom, Scootaloo, Twist, Dinky, Pipsqueak, Silver Spoon, Bab seed, Feather weight, Rumble, Salt Lick and Bubble Burst."
Twilight looked at the group of ponies in shock. She finally realized what had become of the world around her.
'Bout time... Thought Twist.
"Well, it looks like all our new guests could use some rest." Interrupted Feather Weight. Rumble threw a blanket over Rainbow's head, in hopes she would fall asleep, like a canary.
"GOOD NIGHT." Said Feather Weight loudly, as he slammed the door to the stallions beds.
"Jeez. What a hot head." Said Rainbow from under the blanket.
Author's Note
Another chapter? jeez its like I don't have a LIFE or something!
Author's Note
Careful, some touchy material is ahead. You have been warned.
Traitors
It was the crack of dawn. The winter sky was brilliant orange, and the snow glistened with sun. Going hunting in the early morning was the only thing that soothed Twist's nerves.
After an unsettling night of sleep, Sweetie Belle was going to over plans with Twilight, So everypony else had to find something else to do. Babs and Scootaloo had plans on robbing the market, And the rest of the based where going on a search for any valuables to sell.
Money was tight for the Based, but most of the time they weren't too hungry. Babs and Scoots both being master thieves, Twist being a decent hunter, and finally, Dinky was a good cook.
With her belly close to the snow, Twist crept across the snowy forest. All of a sudden, a twig snapped. Twist's reflexes where like a rubber band. She snapped an arrow in the direction of the sound. The arrow, shot into a bush. A squeak followed.
Twist cantered over to the bush to peak inside. There was the rabbit, the arrow wedged into its throat. Twist gagged to so the green slime coating the rabbit's fur. Vial poison.
"Of course. I really need this right now." Growled Twist. Vial poison was the signature weapon for WoodJets, followers of Sombra. Their favorite pastime: watching animals slowly die for fun. Seconds later, the murmur of voices, and more twigs cracking. Twist feels the panic start to set in.
Twist snapped her line of vision back and forth trying to find someway out of this horrible situation. If she got into that pine tree really fast, she could probably avoid death. After all, there is no cure for vial poison.
Twist began to scramble up the tree Her creme hooves scraping the bark. Finally reaching the top, she looked down to see the group of WoodJets.
Hmm. A green unicorn... A blue pegasus... A white unicorn... Her heart froze. Among the group of WoodJets was Bubble Burst and Salt lick. Twist stifled a gasp. Oh. No. They. Didn't. Those traitors were WOODJETS! And to think she rescued those idiots! She felt disgusted. Twists ears perked to hear their voices.
"Eh boss, I think your acting is okay. BB's betta." The green unicorn snickered, the white unicorn rolled her eyes. He turned at Bubble Burst who on cue gave a cocky grin.
"Eh. Was worth it. That group of ponies are as dumb as dung. Their cottage is up north." She replied. The whole group began to snicker and Salt Lick trotted over to the Green Unicorn and kissed him. Twist felt angry. She had never felt rage so hot and warm in her throat. She knew exactly what they were going to do. They were going to ambush. She knew to do too. She armed her arrow, and aimed at Bubble Burst's Throat. And let the arrow fly.
She never thought she would be so happy to hear a gurgle of pain, and a spurt of blood. Bubble bust collapsed. Twist fired two more arrows, finding their targets in Salt Lick and the white unicorns throats. The Green unicorn and the blue pegasus shrieked cowardly and fled. after their silhouette and hoof steps faded, Twist kept out of the tree, her hoofs clapping onto the snow. She trotted over to the bodies.
Bubble Burst and the white unicorn where completely dead. But Salt Lick was still gurgling with pain.
"Ghgh-" She coughed before her eyes glazed over. Twist pulled out the arrow of her throat, and began to scratch into her fur; "May her soul suffer in tartarus".
Tears welled in Twists eyes, as she pulled away the bloody arrow. She wanted to stick the arrow in Salt Licks eye, but she needed to keep her arrows.
"Fuck. Fuck all of you." Twist cursed and kicked Bubble Bursts dead body. She hardly knew the two earth ponies, but she had trusted them. She gave them information. That only showed that no pony could be trusted.
Not. A. Single. Mare.
