Author's Note

Alright, so this chapter has been long in the works and I apologize for that. But I wanted to post this chapter on a day that was special. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic's 7th anniversary!

So classic disclaimer that I should just be copying and pasting here but oh well, will edit it in later.

Also, before I forget. To all of you, here's hoping for another seven years of the show!

Crossroads

“Welcome back Nightfire,” The mares voice says from the darkness that was surrounding him as he lies on the circlet of light.

Nightfire remains silent as he looks into the darkness. ”Why?”

“What do you mean?” She asks softly. “Why was Peaceful Heart the one to die? Why was it then that your darkness took hold? These are questions that nopony could possibly have the answer to. Not even you Nightfire.”

“But why did it have to be me!?” Nightfire asks as he jumps to his hooves and bares his teeth at the darkness. “Celestia and Luna should’ve been the ones to live! Not me! I promised our mother and father I’d keep them safe… and look at the failure I’ve become!”

“Failure is a part of life. Look at the path that Luna had taken. Even your sister Celestia,” She replies softly. “Things may never be easy but you’re the one who has to take them all in stride and make your life better despite the impact it’ll have.”

Nightfire looks down at the ground beneath his hooves and feels some fresh tears slide down his cheeks and drop down onto the dark ground. “You don’t get it. My family has never had an easy life!” He says and looks back up into the darkness where her voice was coming from. “We lost our parents just when my sisters were learning to control their magic and I was left to raise them! Then even after we became the rulers of Equestria it still wasn’t easy. Tirek, Sombra and even Nightmare Moon… everything we had to put up with only made our lives to live and even when we stood together again things were still tense between us all. Then in the end? They sent me away to keep me alive when it should’ve been them to be sent to the Stable to be guarded by my Guard now. I should’ve died in Canterlot that day, not them…”

She remains silent for a moment before replying, her voice small and seeming far away. “Maybe they just figured that you would be the one to make up for the past where they knew they couldn’t.”

Nightfire sighs softly and then lies back down on the ground. “Then what do you think I should do?”

“Honestly I can only act as somepony for you to talk with. But I suggest going to Canterlot, find your sisters and make it up to them.”

“Canterlot huh? Like how I’ve been heading that way?” Nightfire asks as he shuffles his wings and swishes his tail gently. “Do you think I can do it and not lose anypony?”

“If you can then you prove that you’re learning from the past. If not then you’re proving that you still have lots to learn. Do your best, that’s all your Guard expects from you.”

“Thanks…” Nightfire says softly and then the light around him flashes. “Guess it’s time for me to wake up again huh?” He ask softly and looks up expecting to see the sun.

“Yes it is, hopefully the next time we meet things will be easier for you.”

“See you…” Nightfire replies and just before the darkness fades from him he gives it a small smile.

ϾϾϾ

Nightfire slowly wakes up and looks up at the window and closes his eye. “Damn sunlight…” He whispers gently and then looks at his sides as he feels somepony move under each of his wings. As he looks to his right wing he sees Warlord resting under it and then looks over at his left and sees Little Love resting under it.

“You two… I’ll keep you safe,” He thinks with a smile creeping onto his muzzle and then pulls them closer with his wings so that their backs were pressed against his sides. “I can let you guys sleep a little longer. Considering yesterday,” He says sadly and then looks at his PipBuck and then pulls out his ear bloom and flips through the available radio frequencies that were available to him and finds the one that had been available since they started their journey; one that from they were able to figure out came from someplace inside Manehatten.

As the station comes into focus over the sounds of static, soft and slow jazz music filled his ear as he slowly bobs his head in time with the soft guitar and drums. Then when the singer began, her soulful and beautiful voice filling his ear. “That’s Sapphire Shores,” Nightfire thinks to himself with a grin.

As Nightfire continues bobbing his head with Sapphire Shore’s song Warlord and Little Love slowly stir from their dreams and look up at him. “Nightfire?” Warlord asks softly.

Nightfire looks down at him and smiles then pulls out the ear bloom. “Yes Warlord?”

“What were you listening to?” Little Love asks as she tilts her head and sees the ear bloom in his magic.

“Sapphire Shores. She was a popular singer during the war. Though to be honest I thought her music was to… electronic for my taste.”

“What do you mean?” Warlord asks as Nightfire tucks it back in his saddlebags.

“I have always preferred strings and guitar in music instead of pop sounding music. Another one I really liked was the piano. Such a classical instrument and one that could lull me to sleep or stir any emotion that I feel. One time it was played by a pony when it was invented so beautifully that I cried. I felt as if the song she was playing was pulling at my very soul in ways no music ever could,” Nightfire says softly, a single tear sliding down his right cheek as he gives a sad smile. “Now I don’t think I could ever hear a song that was played so beautifully.”

“What was it like?” Little Love asks softly and scoots closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body sooth her.

“Imagine for a moment, being cradled in a warmth that not only is warm against your skin and fur but also against your very soul,” Nightfire explains as he closes his eyes and in his mind’s eye sees himself and his two sisters cuddling in the warmth of their mother and father’s embrace.

“Sounds… like something our mother would’ve loved to hear…” Little Love says and then lays her head down on her right foreleg and sniffles softly.

“Little Love listen to me for a moment ok?” Nightfire asks as he turns to face her and gives her side a gentle poke with his wing joint. Getting her to slowly turn and face him. “There is something that you should know; what your mother said is right, she’ll never leave you or any of us,” He says in a gentle voice.

“N-Never?” She asks and then wipes her nose with her foreleg.

“If Nightfire says so sister then I’m going to believe him,” Warlord says softly as he looks over Nightfire’s back at her.

Little Love looks down at the ground and then nuzzles into Nightfire’s side. “I believe you…”

Nightfire smiles and then leans his head down and nuzzles her neck softly. “I promise I’ll keep you two safe, no matter what.”

“I don’t doubt you will,” Warlord replies and then hears some of the others begin stirring from their sleep.

“Let everypony wake at their own time, I’m sure we all need it. By the way, did anypony find any cigarettes?” Nightfire asks softly.

“Since when did you start smoking Sir?” Little Love asks softly.

“I guess since right now. Right now I just something to take my mind away from our current situation,” He explains and slowly gets onto his hooves and looks out of the nearby window.

“We don’t blame you… but why smoking?” Little Love asks as she gets to her hooves.

“I don’t really know Little Love… I just don’t know,” Nightfire says as he lifts his ear bloom back out and pushes it into his ear and then looks back at the guards who had gotten up. “Everypony sleep ok?”

Swift Fear groans on the floor and looks up at him, her forehead drenched with sweat. “Not to well here.”

“Medic? Can you take a look at Swift?” Warlord asks as he looks down at her and notices her eyes are also red.

“Yes Sir,” She says as she walks over to Swift and holds a hoof against her forehead. “She’s burning up Sir,” She says as she pulls over her saddlebags and digs through it for the few things she’d need.

“What do you think it is?” Warlord asks as he turns away from Nightfire to address their sick companion and walks up to stand beside the medic.

“I’m sure it’s just a normal fever, so we need water and she needs a lot of rest,” The mare replies and pulls out a small canteen with her hoof and holds it to Swift’s muzzle. “Drink.”

“Y-Yes ma’am…” Swift replies and tilts her head back and drinks slowly. The cool liquid sliding down her throat and into her belly.

“At least it isn’t the Pegasus Flu. In our given situation it could be fatal,” Warlord says and looks away sadly.

“Well thankfully that’s not the case. Somepony needs just to carry her and make sure she is able to get some rest. Or we hold up here for a few days,” She replies and stands up to address Nightfire.

“So what’s the plan with Swift?” Nightfire asks as he turns to face them all.

“She should be in bed, or at least rest for a few days so I can monitor her condition. Thankfully we caught it early so she should be fine,” She replies gently.

“That’s good, by the way, what’s your name.”

“My name’s White Wrap,” She replies and offers a smile to him. “Let me check your neck, the bruise there should be healed further than what it is,” She says and turns to him and leans in to examine his neck. A hoof gently pressing his neck which causes him to wince and for her to nod. “Just as I thought, that bitch was stronger than I should’ve guessed. One second,” She says as she reaches into her saddle bags with her magic and pulls out a small nearly empty healing potion. “This should take care of it, take it all.”

He takes the bottle out of her magic and pulls the cork and sips down the last of the potion. “Thanks White… but do you think it was a good idea to use what was left on me? Why not have tried using it on Swift?”

“Good question, however it doesn’t seem to have any effects on regular colds,” She says and then looks back to Swift who coughed again. “I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.”

“I have no doubts,” Nightfire replies with a smile on his face as he turns and walks back to where he was before and then stops cold mid step.

“What is it Sir?” Warlord asks and steps up beside him. “What is it?”

“That DJ… said my name,” Nightfire says, his eyes wide and he quickly looks down at his Pipbuck, shocked that the DJ even know of him. “Everypony turn to the Manehatten frequency!” He says and presses his hoof against his ear to block out sound from the outside.

“So you say that this Prince Nightfire was a friend of yours during the war? Seems to me like he must’ve been important huh?” The deep voice of the DJ says to the pony in the room with him.

“Yeah he was,” The other pony replies, the voice sounding very gravelly, like the pony was suffering from losing one’s voice and trying to talk anyway. “Let’s just say that he was important enough to be hidden away so he wouldn’t be a target. It was really hard to do apparently because anypony who wanted to speak with him had to go through a process that was long and tiresome. But even with all of that I still enjoyed each and every second I spent with him.”

“Sounds like you two where good friends huh?”

“Actually it was more like student and teacher.”

“Student and teacher? Do tell, I’m sure my fellow ponies are wondering how it was,” The DJ replies, causing the ponies of Nightfire’s Guard to turn their heads toward Nightfire who looked very shocked.

“Let me tell you, he really was an interesting pony. I may not have been the best student but he was patient and was willing to try different methods to help me learn,” The pony replies and then chuckles a little. “But still, after a while he decided that he should put the majority of his time into helping his sister after she stepped down and gave it to Princess Luna.”

“Wait… so you’re saying that your teacher was an Alicorn? And the brother of the Goddesses Celestia and Luna?"

“Yes, he was their older brother and he took me as a student from his sister’s school for Gifted Unicorns after I graduated. But my lessons didn’t last long.”

“So did he cancel your lessons? Or why would you cancel your lessons with a Prince of Equestria?”

“I think honestly it was a combination of the two of us canceling them. But I was still able to learn so much from him.”

Nightfire’s Guard all look over at him and he stares down at his Pipbuck. “You had a student?” Little Love asks softly as she looks at him.

“I… think I did. But the voice isn’t familiar at all. I don’t know who this pony is,” Nightfire says as his eyes flicker back and forth as he searches his memories for the student he had during the war.

“Anyway, then suddenly I stopped going to my lessons and then the bombs fell. I…” The pony begins and then pauses and sobs softly. “I ne-never got to tell him the reason why I stopped going to my lessons.”

“Why did you quit going?” He asks gently. “It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me. It must be hard for you to talk about.”

“It is… but I can talk about it…” The pony says softly and then breathes in slowly before sighing. “I was afraid. Afraid for my family. I got to them before the bombs fell and then…” The pony pauses again. “My father said he’d wait for us; my mother and my little sister in the Herd… but I became this,” The pony says and then begins crying softly.

Nightfire bites his lip and looks up at the ponies of his Guard, all of the mares having tears in their eyes while the stallions were hugging one of them close to comfort them.

“You became a Ghoul… while you watched your family die? I’m sorry for your loss,” DJ PON3 replies softly and then the sounds of hoof steps enter their ears. “I think that we should call this interview done for the time… don’t you?”

“Y-Yeah. But… can I say one last thing?” The pony who was called a ‘Ghoul’ says and sniffles.

“Of course. Please do.”

“Thanks,” The pony replies softly and then takes a deep breath to steady themselves. ”Nightfire… if you’re still alive somehow… by now there should be a note inside your Pipbuck from me that would’ve popped up. I’m sorry… for before.”

“Thank you for sharing your past with us. I’m sure that if your friend and teacher is still alive somewhere. If not I’m sure he knows you’re sorry. Anyway, that’s all the time we have for this interview… ponies of the Wasteland you’ll hear back from me in a few hours. This is DJ PON3, bringing you the news no matter how much it hurts.”

Nightfire quickly lifts his Pipbuck and flips to the notes setting of his Pipbuck and sees an unread note at the bottom of the list had hand and quickly starts reading it.

“Nightfire, my teacher.

I’m sorry about leaving you but the looming threat of us launching bombs against the Zebra and them launching against us is too much for even me to bear. I have to leave and stay with my family. You would understand why I want to be with my family if things do turn for the worst. I truly appreciate all of the time you spent teaching me all I know. If things work out, I would like to continue my lessons if you don’t take another student by then. I guess I’m just scared… but back to my point with this letter. I wish you the best and if I am somehow alive when you’re reading this then I’ll be waiting to see you again.

Sincerely,

Budding Excellence.

Nightfire slowly lowers his leg after rereading the note three times, unable to believe that she was alive. “S-She’s alive… I can’t believe it…” Tears starting to slowly slide down his cheeks.

While he had read the note the first time Little Love and Silver Gleam silently made their way over to him and started reading the note along with him. “It seems that she really cared for you…” Silver Gleam says with a smile as tears slide down her cheeks as well.

“And maybe you cared for her like a… sister or something…” Little Love replies as she wipes away a tear from her eye. “So you took students?”

Nightfire smiles a little and then nods his head slowly as he wipes away the tears on the sleeve of his trench coats right arm. “She… she was like a sister to me after all the time I spent training her with magic…” He replies softly and then pulls out his ear bloom and stashes it back inside of his saddlebags. “There is something to understand though… when I trained her, it was defense and offensive magic. She had such an ability that I taught her how to control the forbidden spell she learned by pure accident, one that I hope she hasn’t used.”

“Forbidden magic?” Warlord asks as White Wrap steps beside the Captain.

“She had such an aptitude that she learned a dark spell by pure luck. Magic that even my sisters and I went to great lengths to avoid.”

“Was she on the same level as Twilight?” Little Love asks gently.

“The Ministry Mare Twilight Sparkle?” Swift Fear asks softly and then coughs again.

“She had quite skill, I’m willing to bet that if they had challenged each other in a magic duel it’d have been a tie. Twilight was… flexible with her magic and some of the ways she applied it, while my old student was straight forward with her use of it. Where she knew she lacked skill she made up for it with creative uses of her magic to shield herself,” He says gently and looks over his Guard. “An example is when she and I spared each other I caught her off guard for a second, but before my spell connected she conjured a shield, not of solid magic. But of water from the air that she pulled together with blinding speed. It took the hit for her and she managed to nearly beat me that time which, was unfortunately the last time she and I sparred.”

“Pulled water out of the air?” Little Love asks softly, stunned by the sound of the feat.

“Used it as a shield?” Warlord asks with a stunned look on his face. “What abilities magic can do.”

“Believe me my Captain, magic can do much more than that. I know and speak from experience,” Nightfire says and looks out the window and toward that distant Everfree Forest. “Can she be carried by anypony?”

“Well… she could be…” White Wrap says softly looking over at Swift and brings a hoof to her muzzle in thought. “Feasibly yes, but I’d honestly recommend staying where we are for now. At least a few more hours, if not for her sake than for Candle Light.”

“That’s true yeah,” He replies and draws his .357 and looks at the marks he’d carved into it. “If anypony wants to come with me I want to do a quick recon and see if we can find more food anywhere.”

“Would it be ok if I came with you Sir?” Warlord asks as he steps forward and gives a small smile.

“Of course, if you think you’re up for it.”

“I’m ok. I’m ready to go if you are,” He says and spreads his wings widely.

“Anypony else? Maybe somepony I haven’t spoken with or spent much time with?” Nightfire asks as he looks over his Guard.

A single stallion and another mare step forward, their frames completely different from each other’s. The stallions muscled and very tall, but still shorter than Nightfire and the mare who was a tad bit smaller than Little Love and Silver Gleam but was carrying an assault rifle on her left side while her saddlebags on the other side seemed loaded with ammo and miscellaneous items. “We’ll go with you two Sir,” The stallion speaks, in a voice that didn’t seem to suit his form at all, nearly reminding Nightfire of Commander Hurricane from when he was little.

Nightfire slowly looks the two over, noticing that the mare was a Unicorn and the stallion was an Earth pony. “Tell me then, why do you two want to come with us?”

“Aside from what you said Sir,” The mare begins, her voice sweet almost like honey fresh from a beehive despite the weapon slung at her side. “We’d like to make sure that you and the Captain remain safe.”

“Alright, if there is nopony else, let’s go. Little Love,” He says causing her to stiffen into attention due to habit. “You and another will keep watch while we’re gone, switch when you need to and I recommend somepony who has skill with long range weaponry.”

“Yes Sir,” She says and salutes him with a single hoof and then looks over the Guard before her. “White Wrap, can you look after Candle Light? I’d like her husband to accompany me on watch.”

“Of course. I’ll go and get him now,” She says and turns to go and retrieve him.

“We’ll be heading out now, just play your cards right,” Nightfire says and nods to Warlord’s sister.

“Of course Sir!” She calls out as Nightfire turns toward the door.

“Come on you three, let’s get going. I want to be back in a few hours,” He replies and steps outside, checking his E.F.S. to make sure that they were alone in the area around them. “We’re clear. We’re heading back toward were we got away, there might have been a place around there for us to get some food,” He says and turns toward where they had set the pyres. “Warlord… you know if you really want you don’t have to come with us.”

“I know… conserving what happened…” He says softly, his voice full of sorrow. “But doing this will get my head off everything but our mission.”

Nightfire looks back at him and the other two look at their Captain and then to Nightfire. “I want you to stay back for support ok? I need you to keep your mind focused on our task.”

“But Sir. I can keep my focus on our task,” Warlord says looking up to the Prince.

“No buts,” Nightfire replies and stomps with his left hoof. “We can take and handle lead here. It is a simple mission after all.”

“Don’t worry Sir,” The mare replies and lifts her hoof and lays it on his chest. “We can handle this. Just take it easy, if not for yourself then for the Guard as a whole.”

Warlord looks into the mares eyes and nods slowly. “Understood Corporal,” He replies and nods to her. “Be safe and I’ll be watching your backs.”

“Thank you Sir,” She replies and then gives him a smile.

“While we walk,” Nightfire says, interrupting them and starts walking away. “Tell me your names.”

“My name is Abundance Source.”

“And mine is Shield Stance,” The stallion replies and nods to Nightfire.

“Good, now let’s be off, it’s a little ways from here and we should make haste.”

The three others nod and they start following Nightfire as he takes point on their journey.

A few hours or so later Nightfire and the others arrive at the place where they had lost two more of their Guard; Warlord and Little Love’s mother and their other Guard. As they look at the scene Warlord steps forward and kneels before the burnt pyres and sobs softly, tears sliding down his cheeks as Nightfire and the other two watch for a moment.

“Mother…” The green Pegasus says sadly and then closes his eyes to squeeze out more tears making Nightfire step closer and lay beside his sad Captain.

“Warlord… you know your mother wouldn’t want you mourning her,” He says and reaches out with a wing to try and comfort him.

“What do you know about her?!” Warlord asks with a sudden shout and smacks Nightfire’s wing away with one of his own. “She was my mother and now my sister and I are alone!” He says and jumps onto his hooves and looks down at him. “We lost our father and now… our mother’s dead!” The two ponies watching from where they stopped look between each other, never having seen Warlord get so angry before in his life. Just as Abundant Source was ready to step forward and defend Nightfire, he raises a hoof and shakes his head slowly.

As the angry Pegasus looks at the Alicorn before him the clouds rumble and soon a light drizzle of rain comes down from above, soon soaking through their clothes and armor. “I know you’re upset Warlord, and I also know that letting you come along was a mishap on my judgement. But right here and now I want you to do something; stand down and listen to me,” Nightfire says taking a moment to make sure his mind was calm and his words would come out even.

Warlord looks down at Nightfire looks back toward the burned out wood and other materials they used in the pyres and takes a slow, deep breath and steps back into a less offensive stance.

“Ponies die Warlord, and a lot of the times it always seems that the good ponies and the ones who don’t deserve to die that go first. That’s always a strain on anypony close to them and I may not have known her long but she was a close friend like any of you.”

The green Pegasus looks down at the ground and then bites his bottom lip so hard that he nearly drew blood. “Understood.”

Nightfire walks up to him and places a hoof on his shoulder. “When we return to where we’re staying I’ll tell you about somepony who I lost when my sisters and I first become the royals we ar-“ Nightfire stops and then shakes his head slightly. “Were.”

“Ok…” Warlord says and then looks up into Nightfire’s eyes and the corners of his lips lift a little. “Let’s look around and get the mission done.”

Nightfire nods and looks back to Shield and Abundance and turn back toward the way they had started at before they were ambushed. “Come on, I don’t think that we want to get sick,” Nightfire says and casts a small shield spell above them to shield them from the rain.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Shield replies and looks up at the sky as everypony walks with Nightfire.

As they all walk Nightfire feels a close eye on the E.F.S. he drew one of his pistols just in case something popped up. “Anyway when we get back to that town split up and look through the buildings. There’s got to be some kind of food there that is still edible.”

Shield and Abundance look at each other and then she draws her weapon and checks it before readying it if a fight broke out while he readied his weapon, a short barreled rifle with a scope on the top.

“Sniper I take it?” Nightfire asks with a smile referring to his weapon of choice.

“No, just like long range weapons,” He says and looks it over and flips the safety off.

“I kind of see what you mean,” Nightfire says as he lifts his sniper rifle off his back and looks down the scope in the direction they were going. “Good news, that towns up ahead. So the plan is we go in, find any kind of food and get out. Warlord you stay back and cover us with sniper fire. We’ll go in and make it fast. There’s not really a safe spot out here for sniping unless you circle around to where those Slavers ambushed us.”

“That’s not going to be an issue. Flying is a lot easier now that we have open air to work with,” Warlord says and flexes his wings wide, stretching muscles he hadn’t used properly in a long while.

“Here,” Nightfire says as his magic glows and swings the sniper rifle of his off his back and floats in in front of Warlord. “I hope you’re a good shot.”

“Don’t worry Sir,” He replies and swipes the rifle out of Nightfire’s magic and slings it across his back, resting it comfortably between his wings. “I’m not as good as Straight Shot but I am good.”

“Just don’t shoot us,” He says and smirks at him before letting his magic fade from around his rifle and then draws his .44 and nods to Shield Stance and Abundant Source. “Come on.”

“Right behind you Sir,” Shield and Abundant say and follow behind him as he takes lead into the town as Warlord flies over the top of them toward his sniping position.

“Think that he’s in the right mind for this Sir?” Abundant asks after Warlord was out of ear shot and looks around the buildings that they had been ambushed by days prior as she levitates her short rifle up, ready to fire when she may need to.

“Yes, I know he’s in pain because of losing his mother… I was too. But he knows what’s at stake like all of us do. I am willing to think that she’s going to be Little Love’s and his guardian spirit,” Nightfire says, keeping the barrel of his gun down toward the ground, ready to lift it if they were in danger.

“Guardian spirit?” Shield Stance asks as he readies his.

“Yeah, a spirit that’s always going to be there with them, just like their father was for the three of them. This time the couple will be together again and they can look over their children from the Herd.”

“I think I understand,” Shield Stance says softly and looks around the area they were in.

“Enough of that for now, stay focused,” Nightfire says as he takes a deep breath and walks up to one of the buildings that he and Warlord had looted before. “Wait a second… did any of you find that statuette?”

“Yes Sir, I believe that Little Love looted it from one of those ponies that ambushed us,” Abundant says gently as she quickly checks he clip of her weapon before sliding it back into place and cocking her gun.

“Good, because I think that finding that here was a sign. Let’s move on to that house there, two down from us,” Nightfire replies with a soft sigh and starts walking toward the building, keeping an eye on the E.F.S.

As they near the building Nightfire steps up to the door and uses his magic to turn the knob of the old door and pushes it open, the hinges creaking from years of no maintenance. He steps aside and nods toward the dark interior and Shield Stance steps up and slings his rifle back onto his back and draws his pistol from a holster on his right leg.

“Be careful,” Nightfire says as he watches the stallion walk inside and then follows after a moment, followed swiftly by Abundant. “Look around. If you find any safe of medical box or something that’s locked let me know. I’m getting better at picking locks but I need the practice.”

“Understood. I’ll start in the upstairs,” Shield says gently around his pistol.

“I’ll stay down here with you Sir. I’ll check the kitchen and the pantry if this place has one,” Abundant replies with a smile and looks at Nightfire.

“I’ll stay here and check this room and the door over there,” He says pointing at it with his pistol. “Find anything useful, grab it and meet down here when you’re done. I don’t want to stay in this place long.”

“Got you,” Abundant replies with a smile as he magic levels her pistol as she walks toward the kitchen while Shield walked toward the stairs.

Nightfire looks around the dark room and then flicks on the light of his PipBuck and sees a few worn and faded pictures that somehow were still on the walls. “A family once lived here… wonder who they were,” He says as he walks up to one of the pictures and then turns his attention away when something caught his eye. He steps slowly toward a bookcase and pulls a few of the weather worn and torn books off the shelves and sees a few small boxes of bobby pins hidden behind them. “Clever pony, but why did I get a feeling that something more is right here?”

As Nightfire ponders this, he steps back and steps to the side of the bookshelf and sees hinges at the side close to a dusty and soot filled fireplace. “Looks like the ponies here were more prepared for worst case scenario that I would’ve thought,” Nightfire muses with himself as he pulls on the opposite side of the shelf and finds a small room hidden behind it. “Secret room? Did this place belong to a solider? Abundant? Come here a second,” Nightfire says as he looks into the darkness of the small hidden door.

“A hidden room?” She asks as she looks at the spot that hadn’t been visible mere moments before.

“Yeah, I want you to cover me. There might be something here we could use. I’m thinking that maybe this home was once a soldier’s.”

“A soldier lived here? What makes you so sure?” She asks as she lowers her pistol and steadies her breathing.

“Well… it’s only a hunch. But a room like this seems to be a precaution for somepony who knows something,” Nightfire says as he draws his .44 and starts slowly walking forward into the darkness, only his magic acting as a light source as he enters a small hallway that seemed to follow the wall toward the kitchen. “Stay close. Keep an eye behind us,” He says as he looks back at her and nods as she steps in behind him and nods.

“Got it. Just be careful,” She says with a nod, keeping her weapon lowered so she wouldn’t accidentally shoot him. “No path the other way. Seems like this pony had an idea for secrecy.”

“Agreed, but I can’t help but wonder whose home this was,” Nightfire says and then sets his hoof down as he steps forward and then nearly falls down a long set of stairs that had been hidden by the darkness of the hall. “Dammit!”

“What is it?” Abundant asks as she raises her pistol slightly and uses her magic to grab the edge of his armored coat.

“Nearly fell. Be careful ok? Don’t need a broken leg now,” Nightfire says as he takes a couple deep breathes to calm himself as he looks down and pushes a little more magic to his horn to light up the hall and sees that the passage leads to some kind of basement. As they walks down the old wooden stairs, Nightfire stops at the bottom and looks at a door at the bottom of the stairs and rolls his eyes. “Take aim. There’s enough room above us for me to hover a few seconds while you run in. I’ll cover you from behind.”

The mare nods and raises her pistol a little more as she watches Nightfire test the knob of the door. “Understood, I’m ready.”

“The door’s unlocked so as soon as I open it sweep the room. On three. One, two, three!” Nightfire says and pushes the door open with his hoof, pushing the door off its hinges and jumps into the air with a flap of his wings.

Abundant rushes forward into the room, her horn illuminating the area around her as she sweeps over the room with her pistol raised, however the room to greet her was plain, dust covered and spider web filled basement. “Clear Sir.”

Nightfire sets down on the ground and steps inside and then looks down, remembering that this town had been a Slaver’s outpost of sort’s days prior. “Lucky us… nothing here to attack us,” Nightfire says as he smiles and holsters his .44 as Abundant does the same with hers.

“We are lucky. No traps, no nothing,” She says and lets out a soft sigh. “Shall we start looking around?”

“Yeah, you take that side over by that desk and closest while I check out the boxes over here and the safe in the wall,” Nightfire says as he turns back toward the safe he mentioned and taps the cold metal with a hoof. As he takes his time to pick it with his magic, he begins thinking that after some time of working on it that he might not be able to open it. “Come on! Open!” Nightfire says as he pushes his magic into the keyhole and hears a faint click. “That did it?” He asks himself softly as he slowly pulls open the door and sees a few small unopened boxes of ammo for guns Nightfire was sure none of them had. “Abundant? Does anypony in our Guard have a weapon capable of firing a .50 bullet?”

“Not that I’m aware, why?” She asks after pushing the drawer of the desk back in place.

“Found a few unopened boxes of .50 caliber bullets. Maybe they’ll be useful somewhere down the road,” Nightfire says and floats the three boxes into his left saddlebag and finds a few random items, bottle caps, a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He discretely places them in his saddlebags and closes the safe. “Other than those bullets there was nothing else worthwhile. How about that desk?”

“A few miscellaneous items. Nothing that we really could use I’m afraid. I’ll check the closet now,” She says as she turns to the worn closest and pulls open the doors.

Nightfire smiles and then turns back to the stacks of boxes that were dusty and looked like they’d fall apart with easy. “Well… nothing ventured nothing gained,” He chuckles and then uses his magic to start opening the boxes one by one. Finding gun parts that looked like if they were cleaned they’d be useful. Even a few empty cylinders that would fit his .357 and .44. “That’s lucky… now any kind of quick loaders in these boxes?” Nightfire asks and goes through the two remaining ones only to find that there was nothing else of mention aside from more bottle caps and a few broken knives, forks, spoons and plates. “Strange, no food. Abundant? Find any kind of food in here?”

“Nothing Sir. Found a few dresses and suits that we could use for Candle’s foal when it’s born. Can I ask you something?” She asks as she takes a deep breath and looks around the decently sized basement.

“Of course.”

“Does it feel like we’re being watched?” The mare asks as her fur stands up a little and her ears set back against her head.

“Hmm… I don’t feel anything like that. But where does it feel like it’s coming from?” He asks as he turns away and looks at her and sees that she was beginning to act antsy, making him feel nervous himself.

“It’s… like it’s coming from everywhere. I can’t pin it down.”

“Listen to me,” Nightfire says and steps toward her and places a hoof on her shoulder. “As long as I’m here nothing’s going to hurt you. No ghost, spirit or any form of spiritual creature.”

She looks up into his eyes and nods a little, her ears perk up a little. “Thank you Sir.”

“I should just start having you all call me by my name. I maybe a few thousand years old but ‘sir’ makes me feel a lot older than I feel,” Nightfire jokes and looks around again. “Let’s get out of here. We have a few more houses to look through before we head back to the others.”

“Good idea. Besides I wonder what Shield found while we were down here,” She says with a smile. “Maybe something of use for us.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Nightfire says and turns toward the door and stops at the threshold. “Feels like… we are being watched. There’s a spirit here with us.”

“Can I please go? I’m feeling uneasy,” She says and huddles close to him and looks behind them in frantic movements.

“Of course. Go and tell Shield we’re moving to the next house,” He says and steps away from the door and lets her rush up the stairs to get away from the spirit.

“Whoever you are, know that you can rest in peace. My friends and I mean no disrespect and hope you can cross over,” Nightfire says seemingly to the empty room and as he turns away and starts up the stairs a shimmer of blue magic blinks in the corner of the room that they hadn’t explored.

***An hour and a half later***

“Well… out of all of those buildings we found maybe enough supplies to last us maybe a half a month. The food may be stale but at least it’s something right?” Nightfire asks as he waves up to Warlord with his left hoof.

“That’s about right. If we ration them maybe even a whole month. Luckily we found some medical supplies and some drinks,” Shield says with a smile as he sets down a full saddlebag of supplies.

“Agreed,” Abundant says with a smile on her face, happy to be away from that one house that made her uneasy.

“What’s up with you Abundant?” Shield asks as he notices her smile.

“What? Nothing,” She says and looks over to Nightfire who rolled his eyes.

“I’ll tell him, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Is that alright with you?” He asks as he sees her obvious fear.

“Ok… but I still feel silly about it.”

“I know. She’s acting the way she is because we felt like a spirit in the first house was watching us,” Nightfire says just as Warlord touches down beside them.

“What’s wrong?” Warlord asks as he slings the rifle off his back and presents it back to Nightfire.

“Thank you and Abundant was scared because we might’ve been watched by a spirit in the first house,” He replies and slings his rifle back over his shoulder. “Nothing happen while watching us?”

“Nothing to report. A few big roaches but I just stomped them. A spirit you say?” The Captain asks as he turns to look at the mare who had looked away shamefully.

“Don’t feel ashamed Abundant. I learned to push that fear aside and let myself stay calm in their presence.”

“You know how?” She asks, seeming a little more cheerful about that.

“It’s not easy and I learned from being in the presence of many foul spirits. It’s something you learn fast, now can somepony please pass me a drink of some kind? A beer perhaps?”

“Can’t guarantee it’s going to be cold but it’s something,” Shield says as he opens his saddlebag and pulls out a beer for each of them. “There were a few bottles all over each house in the fridges.”

“If it’s a drink that’ll be fine,” Nightfire says and twists the bottle cap off the glass bottle and in a last second though slide the caps into his saddlebag. “Maybe we should keep them, seems like they could be important.”

“I guess you might have a point. Maybe they could come in handy later,” Warlord says and shrugs his shoulders. “Pass me one to please.”

“Here you go Sir,” Shield says as he passes Warlord a beer.

“Would you like one to Abundant?” Nightfire asks as he looks at the mare.

“I’ll pass, could I get a soda of some kind?” She asks gently.

“Course, Sparkle Cola fine with you?” Nightfire asks, seeing a bottle sticking out of Shield’s bags.

“Of course,” She replies with a smile and accepts the bottle from Nightfire’s magic and pops off the cap and takes a long sip of the warm drink. “Nothing like the Stable… but it’s something right?”

“I agree. I know that Candle and Swift need the water that we found. Unfortunately it’s not pure. Trace amounts of radiation but it shouldn’t be that bad. I hope so at least,” Nightfire comments and looks around them then back to the empty town. “I still have no idea who may have lived here, some of these looked like the homes of former soldiers who served in the Equestrian army.”

“Perhaps that’s what they were, or maybe what it was made to look like,” Warlord says as he sips on his drink.

“Hmm… anyway let’s get going. We’ve got a ways to go before we’re with the others again.”

“Agreed, I’d rather not make them wait longer,” Shield says softly.

“If any of you have any questions about my past, I’ll answer some of them. But when we get back I have a rule for these questions,” Nightfire says as he turns and leads the way back to their last location.

“Really? Anything?” Abundant asks as they follow behind him, noticing that he still had the .357 of his ready in case.

“Yeah, to pass the time and keep you all asking questions about who I am as a pony,” Nightfire replies with a grin and then draws his .44 and looks down the scope. “Looks like an alligator but it’s twisted by the radiation… not really a threat now since it appears it can’t move that fast on land.”

“So nothing to worry about?” Warlord asks looking toward where Nightfire was looking.

“Nope, sorry for that false alarm,” Nightfire replies and holsters his gun and walks on normally. “So, who’s going to ask the first question?”

“I think I will,” Abundant says and then falls silent for a moment. “What was your childhood like?”

“Going straight for the old stuff,” Nightfire replies and chuckles a little. “Well from when I was first born I was always happy, my parents raised me with all the love I could’ve ever asked for. They also taught me many of the spells that I would eventually use again in my long life. Eventually they taught me how to move the moon and sun like they did before I was born. I would even say that they imprinted a lot of who they were into me. Most of the way I am is because of them.”

“So, they were Alicorns like you and your sisters huh? They must’ve been very powerful,” Shield says softly, trying to imagine how strong Nightfire’s mother and father had been.

Nightfire smirks, seeing Shield’s response as another chance to get a question answered. “Alicorns through and through. My mother was a mare who truly resembled the night and her glory and my father the same for the day.”

“Is that why you and your sisters became able to move the sun and moon?” Warlord asks now beginning to get curious.

“I’ll let that one go this time, technically you’ll be getting two or so questions answered. But that could be open to interpretation. I believe that if my mother and father didn’t move them before us then we still would’ve still moved them in our lives. But I also believe that if my sisters and I had been born to others, then maybe we’d have controlled other things in our lives. To me, life is set of choices and the roads one may take are infinite,” Nightfire says with a smirk tugging on his lips as he looks back at the three ponies with him.
“Think that maybe Swift will be ok to travel when we get back? I know you want to find that mare who you knew from long ago in… Tenpony Tower wasn’t it?” Shield asks gently.

“Correct and we can take as long as we need. I have a feeling she wouldn’t leave a place that is safe,” Nightfire says with an unsure tone. “But the sooner we leave on my original path the better. I have a feeling Canterlot is going to be dangerous and I’d rather not spend more time there than needed.”

From that moment the rest of them remained quiet, the sounds of their hooves coming down on the wasteland’s dried and irradiated soil sounding along with their breathes and the very rare gunshot from one of their guns to kill an animal that came to close and seemed vicious. Soon they arrive back at the shack and Nightfire waved a hoof knowing that whoever was keeping watch would know it was them. “We’re back, finally. I think I’m going to need a few hours of rest before we go anywhere again,” Nightfire says as he spreads his wings and flaps them a little to lift himself into the air and give his hooves a short rest. “You know, I always was the one to enjoy flying and never want to stop. I loved the feeling of the wind through my mane and fur, the sting of the wind in my eyes. Everything about it was amazing.”

“I don’t disagree with you Sir, it really is something amazing,” Warlord replies with a smile and shuffles his own wings in response.

Nightfire smiles and then lands again, flapping his wings as he lands and kicks up a cloud of dust and dirt. “Sorry. Now let’s just get inside and take a little while to catch a breather,” He says and uses his magic to focus around them and teleport them to the door of the shack. “Don’t feel like wasting any time to get a chance to relax a little,” He replies as his Guard look at him with surprise and question.

“Maybe give us a little warning next time Sir?” Abundant asks with a small chuckle.

“Of course, now relax for a little and let’s show off what we-“

“Sir!? You’re back! What happened while you guys were gone?!” Little Love asks as Nightfire places a hoof gently on her muzzle.

“Calm down Little Love, let us get a chance to relax a little before you bombard us with questions,” He says with a small smile.

She steps back once and nods her head. “Sorry Sir, I just worry about my brother,” She says and looks over at him and he groans.

“Come on Little Love, you know whose gotta look out for who,” He says and looks at her past Nightfire’s folded wing as he steps inside and goes to where he fell asleep last night.

“Everypony, looks like we were mildly successful in our little scavenging mission; food, beer, water and medical supplies and an abundance of other random stuff that could be useful.” Nightfire says with a smile as he looks over the ponies who looked at him as he laid down on his mat.

“That’s great! I’m just happy that you all made it back ok,” Little Love says with a smile as she smiles happily as well as the others who are in the room.

“We also have some more medical supplies that’ll help Swift’s cold and other things that’ll come up some time,” Nightfire says as Warlord and the others walk in and settle in their places and nod happily. “Speaking of which, White Wrap, can you come here please,” He says as he turns and uses his magic to dig into his saddle bags for some of the medical supplies and held them up with his magic as she came out of the back room with Candle and saw the supplies floating in his blue magic. “Take these and let’s see if they help Swift get better and let us continue on our way.”

“Yes Sir!” She says as she grabs the supplies with her magic and walks over to Swift and begins working on her, sticking a needle into her foreleg and injects her with some medicine that the PipBuck called ‘Med-x’ and again with another that the PipBuck was unable to name other than ‘unnamed medicine’ with some description saying that it would help with healing most sicknesses, but would leave the one injected with it soreness, dry mouth and slight stomach cramps.

“Don’t you think that such a medicine that can do so much has so little negative effects is kind of a rarity?” Close Combat asks with a questioning voice.

“Maybe it is, but right now I think it’s what Swift needs,” Nightfire says looking over at the mare who was slowly being injected with the medicine.

“It’s working… that fever. It’s already starting to go away. I don’t even feel like I have to cough anymore,” Swift says with a smile and looks over at White and the others.

“Remember the side effects and we should be good right?” Nightfire asks, having a good feeling about the medicine but also still had his curiosity about him as he shuffles his wings and looks down at his PipBuck and flips through some of the screens to read up on some of the other guards of the past.

“I think so. I’ll stay close to her and Candle Light but we should be ready to go in say… about a half hour or maybe a little less,” White Wrap says with an enthusiastic tone as she keeps the medicine intake into Swift’s body slow.

“Good to hear. Because from what I saw on our way back we’re not very far from the Everfree Forest and one of the old places my sister’s and I called home,” Nightfire says gently. “The sooner I check that place out the better.”

***About twenty-five minutes later***

“And with that,” White Wrap says as she pulls the syringe that was once filled with the strange medicine out of Swift’s body and tosses it aside. “She’s good to go.”

“That fast? I feel like a new mare!” Swift says as she jumps to her hooves and then winces as a stomach cramp hits her hard. “Ok… not quite yet.”

“Well enough?” Nightfire asks as he gets onto his hooves and stretches himself out.

“Yes Sir, as long as I’ve got our medic with me I’ll be fine.”

“Then let’s head out. Remember everypony, stay close and try to keep another within line of sight. Don’t need anypony getting lost inside the forest. Considering the dangers that can be inside it.”

“Like what Sir?” Warlord asks as he to raises to his hooves and flaps his wings a little.

“Ursa Minor and Major, Timberwolves among other things. There may even be other creatures that are like the Ursas but they are smaller but faster. If you run into any of them, leave them to me,” He says with a firm tone. “It has been a long time but I know they’ll remember a royal’s presence when they see me,” Nightfire says and then up to the door. ‘At least I hope they do,’ He thinks softly, hoping that they’d go through with little trouble from the plants and animals inside. “Also, there are plants that you must be wary of. One called Poison Joke in particular is dangerous. It will take a quality of yourself and then twist it on you in some way. Twilight and her friends had some pretty funny things happen to them but who knows how the Wasteland may have changed them.”

“What does the plant look like?” Candle Light asks softly, holding her belly gently with a hoof.

“They are a flower with blue pedals. IF you think you see it ask me quickly. I don’t need anything going wrong because I doubt that we have a cure for it on any of us,” Nightfire replies and opens the door slowly. “Gather your things and prepare to move. I’ll stand watch till then,” He says and spreads his wings and flaps them down to fly up to the roof and lie prone on the roof with his sniper rifle off his back and ready to fire at a moment’s notice. ‘That forest may prove to be more than they are ready for, especially this early. But maybe… I should just have them go through and leave me to exploring my old home. After all, that forest was already dangerous before the war. With radiation and the after effects of it who knows what monsters could be inside,’ Nightfire thinks to himself as he sweeps the area with his gun, making sure they’d be clear when it was time.

Shortly after Warlord flies up to the roof and taps three times on the stone. “Sir? We’re ready to go.”

Nightfire looks back at Warlord and nods with a smile and stands up and slings his rifle back into place. “Captain? I want you to do me a favor.”

“Yes Sir?” Warlord asks before he could turn around completely.

“When we get to the forest… I want all of you to continue ahead to a hut that’s near the other side of the forest.”

“But Sir! That idea can’t be the smartest move for us!” Warlord exclaims as he looks at Nightfire as he steps up and frowns a little.

“I know it seems like a bad idea, but I believe this to be the best course of action. But I’ll let the Guard be the ones to make the decision; either we travel together, or you all travel ahead of me alone,” Nightfire says as he slowly folds his wings back into place and licks his lips slowly to moisten them. “I know that the majority rule will put it to traveling together. But never hurts.” He then spreads his wings and glides off the roof and looks over the Guard along with Warlord.

“Nightfire has a question to ask of us, one that’ll determine this part of our journey. Through the Everfree Forest,” Warlord says, addressing the Guard while Nightfire looks on toward the forest in front of them.

Slowly Nightfire turns back and in a serious tone begins. “Before us is the most dangerous place in Equestria before the war. I can’t begin to imagine how the last day of the war may have affected it, there could be more dangerous threats in there than when the war hadn’t started. So,” Nightfire says, looking at each of his Guard before continuing. “The question I present to you all; stay with me and travel through the forest, or I send you all through on a different path and have you wait for me on the other side? The choice is a majority rule.”

“Why even bother asking Sir?” Swift Fear begins with a confidant expression. “We’re going to stay with you. After all, it’s part of our duty isn’t it?”

Nightfire smiles and then nods slowly and looks over the Guard. “Do you all believe her words?”

The rest of the Guard give affirmative nods of agreement, bringing a smile to Nightfire’s and Warlord’s faces.

“I knew they’d choose that choice,” Warlord whispers softly to Nightfire who turns to look back a Warlord with a smile.

“So did I, but sometimes I have been wrong before,” Nightfire whispers back and then turns toward the forest before them. “So if that’s your choice, then let’s move. Watch yourselves and stay alert, we don’t know of anything inside the forest that could mean us harm.”

“Yes Sir!” The Guard shout as they salute him and begin moving toward the forest with Nightfire in the lead.

***At the edge of the forest***

“So… this is the Everfree Forest?” Little Love asks softly as she looks up at the dark forest before them and shivers softly. “It feels… angry.”

“Yeah it does. Like there’s a hidden monster inside that is making this place feel ominous,” Abundant Source says softly, shivering gently from the feeling that swept over them just at the edge of the forest.

As Nightfire looks at the forest, he sees burn marks on the trees and the floor of the forest. “We’re not the first ones to come through here. Looks at the burn marks,” Nightfire says and draws his .44 and checks the cylinder before loading the one empty spot with the correct bullet. “Stay sharp and keep your eyes open. Don’t try and be a hero, just stay back and take care of things from a distance.”

“Burn marks… looks like it was done by flamethrowers or even just a match to the underbrush. But the whole forest would be on fire, instead of just smoky,” The Guards heavy weapon specialist says softly as he examines one of the burned trees.

“A flamethrower? Well that’s great,” Nightfire replies with a sarcastic tone and turns back to look into the forest. “Name?”

“Not really important at the moment Sir, let’s just focus on getting through the forest. But if you really want to know, my name is Fire Flight,” He says with a smile and shifts his mini gun on his fiery colored back to a more comfortable position

“Fire Flight? Interesting name,” Nightfire comments before taking the first step into the forest, remembering what the forest was like when he was younger. “Everypony, let’s move,” Nightfire says as he takes point in leading them through the forest, looking everywhere he could to keep an eye out for danger.

“Has this forest always been like this?” Candle asks softly as her husband stays beside her, helping her along as they walked.

“Yeah, ever since I can remember. I recall my sisters and I made bets to see who could say in it the longest. I normally could but there was the few times were Luna or Celestia could stay in longer,” He says and then chuckles a little.

“What is it?” Straight Shot asks gently.

“Well… the times they beat me in our little dares, were because I got scared. Yes, before you start, even I get scared. When my mother and father died, I was afraid I wouldn’t know what to do without their guidance, and that was only one example,” He says and the wipes his eyes gently with the sleeve of his coat. “The castle here in the forest… is the first home we had after our parents died. To me it’s always held significance to me since it was where my sisters and I lived a good majority of our lives as we started ruling over Equestria. Then the castle in Canterlot, where we lived before the war,” He says and then steps back as a red dot appears on his EFS which made him raise his weapon and to cause the others to raise their own taking aim ahead of them.

“Where is it?”

“What the hell could it be?”

Nightfire takes a deep breath and slowly lets out the breath before sweeping his gaze everywhere, where the red dot was going with each second; getting closer and closer and sweeping from left to right. The ground even beginning to shake from whatever was heading their way. “Everypony… stay calm and keep your weapons ready…” Nightfire says as the dot gets within a few hundred yards of them, the ground shaking harder and harder with each step and then suddenly, it stops a mere ten meters away from them all.
“It stopped?” Warlord asks softly, his gun ready to fire.

“Yeah but… what the hell is it that is in front of us?” Little Love asks as she looks around, using her own EFS to try and find the enemy before them.

Nightfire swivels his ears and then activates his targeting spell and finds that nothing is able to be targeted which makes him deactivate it and then slowly raises his gun and holsters the pistol before a small shift in the air made him squint his eyes and stare at one spot, seeing a small glow in the air. Quickly Nightfire begins seeing very brief flashes of light in the air and then begins slowly making out a shape, upon realizing what it was he spoke up. “Everypony… lower your weapons slowly.”

“But Sir? What about the dot?” Straight Shot asks while looking down the scope of the rifle.

“Check it again… it’s changed color,” Nightfire says and raises a hoof slowly. “My friends and I mean you no harm. We’re only passing through…” Nightfire says in a calm voice. “We aren’t meaning to trespass on your home, we just need to get to the other side and then you can be left in peace.”

“Sir? What are you talking about and who’s there?” Close Combat asks as he looks around, not seeing who Nightfire was talking to.

“Look up into the sky, and pay close attention,” Nightfire replies softly and then slowly lowers his hoof as the shape before them came into all of their fields of vision. Some of them gasped and backed away and one other raised his weapon and took aim. “Lower your weapon… and don’t do anything sudden!” Nightfire commands quickly and raises his hoof again as the large creature lowered its head to look at the Alicorn Prince and then to the Guard behind him.

The large creature then slowly moves its head closer to Nightfire and nuzzles Nightfire’s raised hoof and to the surprise of everypony; it purrs softly in its throat.

“It’s… purring?” Swift Fear asks as she slowly holsters her weapon.

“Yeah but what the hell is that thing?” White Wrap asks gently as she bites her bottom lip gently.

“It’s an Ursa Minor. They’re smaller than their parents but they still are a problem when they begin rampaging. Twilight Sparkle dealt with one years and years ago af-“ Nightfire began as a large and loud boom filled the air, shaking the nearby trees and caused the Ursa to look toward the direction of it and take off into the forest toward the west.

“The hell?!” Warlord shouts and Nightfire spreads his wings to keep himself balanced.

“Anypony know what caused that?” Nightfire asks as he looks at each member of the Guard.

“From that sound… maybe it was a rocket launcher. But it may have been several at once or even a flame made it to a large gas tank,” Fire Flight says quickly, a hoof raised to his muzzle in thought. “But maybe it was something else that was stronger than that. It’s all a guess even for me,” He says and shakes his head while shuffling his wings gently.

“Alright… everypony stay close and be ready to use the forest to hide if anypony comes our way,” Nightfire says and redraws his .44 and starts slowly walking toward the interior of the dark forest.

About half an hour went by without anything happening to them, however red dots did appear on everyponies EFS and when they hid the red dots seemed to vanish as well. Eventually Candle Light asks about the red dots. “Isn’t anypony else worried about the red on our EFS’s? Seems like they are mirroring our movements.”

“Could be right… Sir, what do you think they might be?” Warlord asks, keeping his voice down to avoid any nearby enemy being able to pin down their location.

“Hmm… I have heard tales of ponies inside this forest being followed and their sense of direction being distorted… but what we’re seeing isn’t like anything I’ve ever encountered before. Maybe it’s a new anomaly thanks to the War. Possible it could be the magic radiation that drifted into this place over the years that added to the strange vibe this forest had,” Nightfire says and looks down the scope of his pistol and doesn’t see anything in the near area of the scope. “But I can’t be sure at all,” Nightfire says as he lowers his weapon and then shakes his head. “I can’t begin to understand the effects he war had on everything. But for now, one of you keep a close eye on them.”

As they walk on, the dots seemed to mirror their movements and after they stopped again, a voice sounds out from the forest, moving closer with the hoof steps of others. “Yeah, I can’t believe Red Eye’s got us out here in this fuckin’ forest! Other than the castle what good is this fucking haunted place?” The pony asks, the voice belonging to a stallion and was getting closer by the second.
Nightfire quickly backs up against a tree and motions for the others to do the same.

Soon the voices were right next to them, as Nightfire peered around the tree he was hiding behind and saw that two of the five had flamethrowers. ‘Dammit, only if I had a sword or silenced weapon. Anything I have will only draw attention to me…’ Nightfire thinks and holds his breath, listening to the ponies walking by talk.

“Well what else do you fucking thing he’d want this forest for? Once those plants are burned away we can move on with our plan with little resistance. Though that takes all the fun out of this,” The second of the voices said, sounding annoyed.

“What? You’d rather be back in Fillydelphia whipping slaves and being ordered around by that gryphon that has that rifle?” A third asks sounding surprised by the choice of the first and second.

“Fuck no! But not like there’s much to do anyway,” The first one says and Nightfire closes his eyes and readies himself, his knife ready along with the .357 before opening his eyes and looks to the tree beside his and sees that the ponies had stopped in their tracks. “Look there. Looks like a group of ponies came in this way.”

Nightfire inhales quietly through his nose and with his magic levitates his knife over the head of the pony pointing at their tracks before slamming it down with as much force as needed to puncture bone. Then he quickly jumps out from behind his tree and pushes the barrel of his .357 against the chest of the furthest one to the left and pulls the trigger twice with his magic the body that was pressed against the barrel muffling the sound but not silencing it completely.

The first pony hits the ground dead from the knife puncturing his brain while the other two barely get a second to react before the two shots from Nightfire’s gun send the one receiving the bullets grunt twice with each impact, the bullets tearing their way through his chest, into his heart and through his lungs. As the last stallion looks on at his now dead companions, the one just barely standing now beginning to drool blood and gasp weakly while looking at his chest then to the final one and then fell over dead. “Y-You killed them! You fucking bastard!” He says and then quickly turns on Nightfire, aiming at him with the flamethrower and pulls the trigger, the flames shooting out causing him to duck to avoid the heat and burning to death.

Nightfire then quickly rolls to the side and looking up at him, and before he could pull the trigger suddenly three bullets pierce the stallion’s neck from behind and Nightfire sees that Warlord had taken the shot.

The pony falls to the ground while reaching for his throat as he chokes on the blood slowly filling his mouth and down his throat into his lungs, looking at Nightfire with terror in his eyes as the Alicorn looks into his eyes in turn.

“I’m not sorry for fighting you, but I’m sorry your death was like this,” Nightfire says in a soft tone as he stands before pulling the knife from the other pony and floats it in front of his heart and then slides the blade through his chest and into the muscle beneath his fur and skin. “Go to the herd and be at peace.”

As the light dies in the stallion’s eyes he takes one last pained and gasping breath before lying still.

Nightfire closes his eyes and takes a deep breath through his nose and looks away and pulls the knife from the pony he’d just killed and sheathes it as the ponies of his Guard step out from their hiding spots. “Let’s keep going. If they said anything that’s accurate then we’re close to the old castle.”

“Do you want to take a moment?” Little Love asks as she and a few of the others look at the three he’d just killed.

“Or at least see what kind of equipment they had on them?” Straight Shot asks gently looking over the first one Nightfire had killed.

“Do so if you wish, but make haste. I’d rather not stay in this forest any longer than needed,” Nightfire says with an unnatural sense of urgency.

“Why would they say the plants were a threat in here?” Swift asks as she flips the second stallion over onto his back and begins looking through his gear with White Wrap while Warlord and Little Love look at the first one.

“Better question is what plants in here are the ones that made them carry flamethrowers in the first place,” Silver Gleam says as she shakes her head and steps away from the stallion that Nightfire had last killed. “Their gear is to poor and the flamethrowers are nearly at the point of breaking.”

“Get what you can then, anything that could work later,” Nightfire says as he lifts his .357 and with a casual flick of the gun opens the cylinder and ejects the used bullets and reloads it with normal rounds. “Check them for ammo or even chems.”

“Chems? Why would we… medical right,” Close Combat begins and then looks over at White Wrap. “Sorry. I forget we have a medic with us sometimes. You’re to quiet.”

“I’ve learned to make myself scarce in the worst case scenario. But no offence taken my old friend,” White Wrap replies with a smile. “This one had something on him called ‘Hydra’ and from the PipBuck’s information about it it’s quite the chem.”

“Keep it then for now White Wrap, now if that’s everything let’s get going,” Nightfire says and flicks the cylinder back into place and slides it into his holster and draws the .44.

“Are you nervous?” Little Love asks as they all look at him and see his nervous-like glances.

“Yes ok! I don’t know what’s happened to my old home here in the forest and I don’t want to think it’s changed after all of this time,” Nightfire says and looks back at them all and then looks down. “Sorry for snapping at you. I… just haven’t set hoof in that castle in so many years and I don’t want to imagine what another group may have changed it into,” Nightfire replies and slowly checks the cylinder of that gun and then slides it back into its holster.

“Don’t apologize Sir. None of us have any idea what you’re going through with this,” Iron Sun says as his sister nods in agreement.

“Thanks,” Nightfire says with a small smile and looks deeper into the forest where the ponies had come from. “I wonder what has happened to my home since I was away.”

“We’ll soon find out Sir,” Little Love says as her brother reloads his 9 millimeter pistol and slides the slide back into his gun and cocks it.

“Warlord? May I have a word with you?” Nightfire asks as he steps away from the Guard with Warlord following behind him. Once they were a few steps away Nightfire turns to speak with Warlord and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Are you ok Warlord?”

“Of course Sir… but it was nothing to take that shot when you were in danger,” Warlord replies, looking into Nightfire’s eyes even though his hoof was tapping against the ground.

“Warlord, I want you to take it easy. Leave things to the others for now ok?”

“But Sir! I th-“ Warlord began only to be interrupted by Nightfire’s hoof being raised.

“You lost your mother and your father and you feel like this is pointless now. I get it. I really do,” Nightfire begins, his eyes wetting with tears. “But when I lost my mother and father I knew I had to look after my sisters. To be there for them when I knew our mother and father couldn’t be anymore,” Nightfire pauses and wipes his eyes with the back of his coat’s sleeve. “But I failed them. I failed my family. I don’t want to see you make that same mistake. That’s why I want you to let somepony else take the lead that you’ve led for so long.”

Warlord looks down at the ground and then breathes deeply. “Yes Sir…”

Nightfire puts his hoof back on Warlord’s shoulder and smiles. “I know I am not the best to talk with about that, but I can only offer the best advice that I can.”

“I know sir… I know. But thank you for this,” Warlord says with a smile as he looks back up into Nightfire’s eyes.

“Come on, let’s keep going,” Nightfire says and walks back to the others with Warlord in tow. “Ready to go everypony?”

“Yes Sir!” The Guard replies with a quick salute.

“Stay sharp and Little Love? For now till I say otherwise you’re Captain,” Nightfire says to her making her look at her brother in shock.

“But Sir! What about my brother?” She asks with a concerned look toward him, however he wouldn’t meet her eye.

“Don’t worry Little Love. He just needs a little while to think about something I talked with him about. Nothing really major,” Nightfire says and drapes a wing over Warlord’s back.

“He’s right Little Love… I just… need some time to think about some things,” Warlord says and nods to her, his voice seeming hesitant.

“Okay… well then, let’s keep going,” She replies and looks back into the forest, feeling a shiver creep up her spine.

“Agreed. Let’s keep moving and everypony keep your eyes sharp. If you see anything let me know immediately,” Nightfire says as he draws his .44 and keeps it ready in case he had to respond quickly.

“Sir, yes Sir,” They all reply and as they start walking, Nightfire took lead with Little Love at his side while Warlord walked back with Iron Sun and his sister.

As they walked deeper into the forest, Nightfire kept sweeping his gaze every direction he could to make sure they wouldn’t be caught by surprise. He also kept his attention on his E.F.S. and only the same anomaly was occurring; their same places being mirrored and only seeming to be walking toward them from a long distance away. “What the hell is going on?”

“Seems like the forest may be messing with our E.F.S. I can’t tell if there is an army in front of us or what!” Straight Shot exclaims and stamps his hoof down hard. Then after a moment he jumps to the side as a blue vine shoots out of the ground and shoots toward him as he jumps to the side, he shoots it straight through the middle of the vine, causing it to fall over as if dead and Nightfire examines it from a safer distance. “What the hell are these?”

“Blue plant… blue flower on the end of it… I think this is Poison Joke. But,” Nightfire says as he looks down at the plant, readying himself if more tried to appear. “They look off. I’ve never seen that plant do anything like that before.”

Little Love looks at him with the others and look around the area then to her brother after a moment. “Keep your eyes open.”

“And don’t touch it. I don’t like the way it looks now and I never liked it before,” Nightfire replies as he gives the vine a wide berth, not getting any kind of good vibe from it as he begins walking around the one as his wings twitch and he barely manages to turn his gaze behind him as a blue vine shoots toward him with near blinding speed.

Before the vine could make any form of contact with Nightfire’s body however, Swift Fear locks onto it with her E.F.S. and fire four shots at the middle of it and the vine thrashes as part of it as the part that was remaining shot past Nightfire into a tree that was behind him and collided with it with an audible thud.

“Everypony! Make a break for it! Follow me!” Nightfire says as he spreads his wings and before he could take to the air, he looks forward and on the E.F.S. see’s the dots weren’t mimicking them, but was the tips of each and every vine that was before them. “Stay off the ground! Unicorns if you can lift your friends into the air! Pegasi carry them if you can!” Nightfire says as he jumps into the air and as his magic surrounds a few of his Guard; mainly focusing on the Unicorns so they could keep their magic focused on levitating their fellow Guard ponies into the air away from the blue vines while the Pegasi had their weapons focused on the ground.

Nightfire watches as some of them struggle to lift their friends but then as if the situation pushed their minds and bodies into overdrive, suddenly they all were above the ground. “Everypony ok?”

“We ha-have to hurry! None of us can keep this up for very long!” Little Love exclaims as she holds up Candle Light and White Wrap, her magic forming a third layer of overglow around her horn while her eyes were clenched shut in concentration while her ears were pinned back against her head.

Nightfire nods and begins flying toward their current destination with haste, letting the Pegasi shoot down the vines that nearly touched any of them and tried to form a barrier from keeping them from going in a straight path. ‘What’s going on with these plants! It’s like they know exactly where we’re going and where we are in the air!’ Nightfire screams in his mind as he divides his attention to floating the number of Unicorns in his Guard and keeping his breathing as collected as he could while flying and manipulating so many in his magic. ‘I remember this was easy when I was little… now suddenly this is a struggle. Perhaps I’m just out of practice,’ Nightfire thinks to himself with a scoff and suddenly the red dots on their E.F.S.’s vanished. “What the… where the hell did they go?!”

“There’s nothing on the E.F.S. except all of us,” Warlord says as he looks at his and shakes his head as if he had dirt in his eyes.

“What in Equestria were those things?” Swift Fear asks gently as she strains to keep Close Combat off the ground, her magic never having had been as refined as Little Love’s.

“Now a question; do we dare settle back on the ground?” Straight Shot asks as he looks at the ground and shifts his gaze to his wife.

“None of us can ke-keep up this forever!” White Wrap says as she struggles to hold her spell since her magic was mainly used for medical reasons and instead she lacked the strength to support two ponies in her magic field alone.

“We land now. Everypony just… keep watch on each other and the ground. I’ll keep an eye out with Warlord and Straight Shot for threats out around us,” Nightfire says as he slowly begins flying down toward the ground, slowing the flap of his wings so that a minute and a half later they all were on the ground. The group of Unicorn’s sighing loudly as they pant as the release their magic hold on their friends.

“Everypony down!” Shield Stance exclaims quietly as he looks out and sees a large building before them, a large expense of forest keeping them hidden from view. “Look there,” He says and points with a hoof.

The others follow his hoof and see nearly two hundred ponies all carrying weapons of different calibers, uses and weight. “What in Tartarus? What are they doing to my old home?”

The other’s look over at Nightfire who looked at the ponies walking around the castle and some who seemed to be walking toward a path in the forest nearly a thousand yards from their current position.

“I wonder where they are going…” Warlord says as he follows the slight number of them walking toward it while others seemed to be standing Guard around it.

“Doesn’t matter… I have to get inside of that castle,” Nightfire says as he bares his teeth with anger.

“Alone? I don’t think so Sir!” Little Love says as she steps a hoof down on the end of his tail surprising everypony who knew that normally she was timid and quite emotional.

“No, I’m going alone,” Nightfire says firmly and moves to stand up and pulls his tail out from under her hoof and then looks down as she teleports in front of him and looks into his eyes.

“No you aren’t!” She exclaims with a quick and quiet shout. “I’m going with you. That’s that. Somepony needs to watch your back and I’ll do it this time,” She says with confidence that made the others look at her with wide eyes, ever her own brother who hadn’t seen her this adamant with her choice.

Nightfire looks into her eyes and then toward the castle and sighs. “You follow my every word inside ok? I don’t want you getting hurt because you hesitated ok?” He says and looks back down into her eyes with a calm expression.

“Yes Sir,” She says and nods to him.

“Then… Warlord you’re in charge while we’re gone. We shouldn’t be gone longer than an hour,” Nightfire says as he spreads his wings and drapes one across her back.

“Yes Sir!” Warlord says and looks to his sister who seemed full of confidence. “Be careful in there.”

“Don’t worry. We will,” Little Love says and then suddenly Nightfire’s horn glows with a dull light and they vanish in a flash.

As Warlord looks at the castle before them, Warlord looks at the others. “Everypony, settle. We’ll wait here for them to get back. Straight Shot, you and three others cover our flanks. While the rest of us keep your eyes peeled in the forest around us for any of those other ponies.”

They quickly follow his orders and before he goes to take up a positon he places a hoof over his heart. ‘Bring her back safely Nightfire. Or I don’t think I’ll be able to keep going.’