Chapter 34: For Tomorrow We Die

The following day, while Dr. Hardy secretly modified the warhead, the armory issued out thousands of the new magical weapon modifications to members of the attack force, Leviathan crew, and facility defense squads.

Chris was fascinated with the addons. The barrel of his rifle now had several blue rings around it, and the magazine had purple crystals embedded in it, with the gently glowing outline of a unicorn's head etched into the side. He slid a bullet out of the magazine, marveling at the shimmering purple crystal embedded in the tip. "So what is this?" he asked the armorer, indicating the softly glowing components.

The armorer looked and grunted. "That's the barrel cooling shroud. It's like a magical Peltier junction. It will absorb and disperse heat, allowing for longer sustained fire without weapon damage. It's the ideal counterpart to the modified magazines."

Chris glanced at his ARHUD as he inserted the magazine into the rifle. The ammo count switched from 0 to 100. "Holy crap. That's like putting a barrel mag on, but it weighs almost nothing."

"Some kind of magic spell they used on it. Can load a ton of ammo into a mag no bigger than a 30 rounder."

"How about carbon buildup?"

"We have the latest ultra-clean burning residue-free ammo. Should fire well over two thousand rounds before jamming becomes an issue."

Chris smiled widely. "So I can shoot glowing bullets for as long as I want. Sounds like just what I need to rain on the Devil's parade."

"Yeah, the crystal bullets are supposed to penetrate magic fields. They work, too. Yesterday Princess Celestia came down to the range and cast magic bubbles over several targets. The rifle bullets went through them like a hot knife through butter. The pistol bullets have been modified as well, make sure and grab some magazines for them also!"

Chris thanked the armorer and took the stacks of magazines and equipment. He grinned at Marky, who smiled back in a predatory fashion while he loaded the purple magazines into his pistols.

"Ready to bring the pain."

"Yeah, buddy."

***

That evening, the humans and Equestrians had an early dinner together in the cafeteria. The atmosphere was muted, the usual laughter and banter replaced with the simple desire to be near each other one last time before their early-morning auditorium briefing and departure.

"My stomach doesn't want food." Fluttershy pushed her cucumber sandwich with a sigh.

"Just pre-mission jitters," Chris said. "It's perfectly natural to be nervous before something like this."

"Because nopony knows if we're going to win, or die horribly tomorrow while the world burns!" Pinkie Pie added, cheerfully.

"Not helping," Rarity chastised.

"It's true though!" Fluttershy said. "We could all die tomorrow!"

"You could die any day," Sanchez interjected. "Tomorrow is no different. Stop looking at it as an opportunity to die, and start looking at it as an opportunity to really live. What good is being alive if you don't do the right thing when the time arises?"

"You... you're right," Fluttershy agreed.

Twilight tapped the table with her hoof. "We will win. Good always wins over evil. Life always triumphs over death!"

"How can you be so sure?"

Twilight waved her hooves towards all of them. "Because we're here, aren't we? We're alive. Every day we live is a victory."

Emmy's forehoof crept onto Chris's lap, and he took it in his hand, giving her a gentle squeeze under the table. "I don't know everything," she said aloud, addressing the table. "But I do know I would fight to keep what we have here. And I will, because that demon out there threatens everything we live for."

Celestia and Jeff looked at each other, a glance of silent approval.

Marky shrugged. "I just wanna go shoot me some monsters. Is that so wrong?"

"That's my boy!" McAllister leaned over the table and bumped fists with him.

***

Later, Celestia lay in her bed, her ARHUD on the night stand next to her, eyes wide in the dark. She had been awake for some time now, unable to relax, her mind running a mile a minute. Finally she lifted her hoof and used her holographic wristband interface to message Luna.

• Celestia: Are you busy?
  
• Luna: Not right now, sister. How fare you?
  
• Celestia: I am well, for now. Tomorrow is the day, Luna.
  
• Luna: Oh goodness. Do be careful. I am sure you will be fine. But still I worry!
  
• Celestia: I am worried too. I have had nightmares about the day that thing touched me in my mind, Luna. The memory is still with me. I do not want to admit it, but I am afraid.
  
• Luna: I wish I could have been there for you. I cannot feel your dreams at all in that world, or the dreams of anypony else who went with you.
  
• Celestia: It has such power. Such horrible power.
  
• Luna: I wish I could come to you, sister.
  
• Celestia: You cannot, Luna. If I fall, you are Equestria's one and only hope.
  
• Luna: Do not speak of such things. You will succeed, and you will return victorious. I have infinite confidence in you.
  
• Celestia: Thank you. For everything.
  
• Luna: You had best not say goodbye.
  
• Celestia: Then I shall say only that I am proud of you, and forever grateful that you are here for me. I will see you in a few day's time. We all will.
  
• Luna: I await your return with patience and faith. My best wishes go with you, dearest sister. Be strong. Be the strongest.

Celestia terminated the link, feeling like a filthy liar as she watched the holographic screen fade out of existence. In her mind's eye, she saw herself and her friends vanishing forever in the brilliant world-ending flash of a close proximity nuclear detonation, their failure and death her fault, their final expressions accusing as the radiation tore into her guilty soul.

"Oh Luna. I hope I was telling you the truth."

A tear dripped down her cheek as she closed her eyes.

***

Twilight also lay awake in bed as well, surrounded by her five best friends. They'd decided to have a sleepover, since none of them had wanted to spend this night alone. Somehow Hamilton had ended up there as well, and was currently passed out on the couch under a blanket, his feet hanging over a pile of the girl's weapon belts, snoring almost as loudly as Rainbow Dash. For some reason it reminded Twilight of having Spike around.

Twilight had her bracelet on the lowest brightness setting in the dark room, messaging Starlight Glimmer before she slept.

• Starlight Glimmer: Zecora says he's fading, Twilight. He's been under too long.
  
• Twilight Sparkle: How long does he have?
  
• Starlight Glimmer: She's not sure. Discord's biology is still something of a mystery to us. But she can sense his mental state. She says there's not a lot of time.
  
• Twilight Sparkle: If we don't succeed tomorrow I'm afraid it won't matter anyway.
  
• Starlight Glimmer: You will. You always do.
  
• Twilight Sparkle: Thanks, Glims. I have to rest, talk to you soon, okay?
  
• Starlight Glimmer: Goodnight, Twilight. Be safe. Please.

Twilight Sparkle clicked off the hologram and stared into the darkness, comforted by the sound of her friends breathing softly, afraid that this would be the last time they would ever be together.

***

"I'm actually worried about what happens after, too," Emmy said quietly in the darkness.

"What do you mean?" Chris replied.

"If we win, what then? We all go back through the Gate, and it gets sealed forever? I don't want that, Chris."

"You know, I hadn't thought about that. With so much going on, I've only been worried about tomorrow. But I'm sure we'll figure something out."

"I hope so. I want to be with you, but I have a duty to Equestria..."

"Don't worry about it, Emmy. Focus on one thing at a time, okay? Then we'll deal with what to do after when the time comes."

"Right."

He kissed her on the forehead, and she purred in his arms.

***

Marky was also in bed, staring at the ceiling. He'd fought many battles, arrested and killed a lot of bad ponies in his time. But this was different, not that it really mattered. He'd face it the same way he faced everything, with both pistols and gallows humor, and he'd either survive, or he'd die trying.

Rena Hendricks stirred next to him, her warm breath brushing his cheek as she snuggled closer to his body.

Well, it's not all bad around here, that's for sure.

He put his hoof around her and closed his eyes.