the forgotten one

As before the light dimmed and Twilight found herself again seeing the world through Ratway’s eyes, the right eye blurred but some sort of pooling fluid creating a distorted view in the right side of his vision cone. This clearly bothered him, as he placed his hoof to his eye and applied pressure, when he pulled the hoof away the vision was back to an acceptable level of clarity.

With his vision restored he began to test the eye looking around casually, which gave Twilight the benefit of taking in her surroundings. He was in the back of a wooden carriage, the wood grey with mud and hard worn, the carriage made of repurposed wood so that multiple different shades of wood were present each aging differently giving the vehicle a patchwork appearance.

Wooden benches flanked both sides of the wheeled vehicle, nothing more then a plank of wood with 2 wedges of wood nailed on both sides in an unprofessional manner, using more nails then necessary as if made by untrained hooves. Sitting on the bench opposite were a few miserable looking earth pony’s, their faces solemn and almost looking defeated as if they were walking the green mile. Each pony looked different, the only things they had in common was their race, a chain with a dogtag on and a stained white armband showing a crude representation of princess Celestia’s cutiemark. The coughing coming from his right told twilight the same scene was present on this side of the cart as well, as to his left was the rolling road this crude form of transport was traversing, a second cart following closely behind with an exhausted looking earth pony stallion tugging it along.

Abruptly the unsuspensioned wheel of the carriage hit a pothole, and the whole wooden structure shook in such a way that was sure to cause lasting damage to the coccyx of all present. The sudden jolt causing Ratway to violently grasp at something between his legs, the cold feeling of his boomsticks steel barrel meeting his hoof, as he looked down to make sure it was still okay. The metal was clean, the cool steel not yet weathered or engraved into the work of art it had been in the present, instead it looked like it was fresh from the foundry’s, the smell of a furnace still clinging to it, which she now knew was what she had smelt as the memory had phased in.

“Quality transport fer Equestria’s finest” came a joking response from the pony to his right, the comment getting a few scattered chuckles from a few of the other pony’s present.

“Aye” agreed Ratway, before he swang the breech open on his boomstick before loading a cartridge and closing it again, the hammer remaining down acting as the safety.

The mumbling chuckles were soon interrupted by a banging on the front of the enclosed cart as a small flap popped open.

“Listen up you mud pony swine, by Celestia’s grace your worthless lives have been put in my charge, I expect you to die for Equestria that’s all your good for, now keep it down” came a angry voice tinged with a upper-class accent, before with a clank the wooden door swung back shut, returning the carriage to the awkward silence that had pervaded it prior to the joke.

As if the sun was scared by the outburst it rapidly nosedived behind the hills, plunging the land in darkness, and halting the convey in its tracks. The suffocating darkness persisted as Ratway fondled around with his hoof in the dark before with a few clicks and a spark his lighter illuminated the terrified faces that surrounded him.

“What’s happening? I was informed the cease fire was going to continue for another 5 hours” growled the officer in the front of the cart, his loud posh voice easily audible from within the wooden box of the cart. This outburst causing a panic in the back of the carriage, as a sudden uncertainty filled the already uneasy ponies contained within this mobile crate.

“We’re going to die” wailed a mare outside of the glow of the small lighters flickering flame, the terror in her voice palpable.

“I want to go home, I wasn’t even on the conscription list, my father is a shop keeper I should have been excluded, I am not like these other dregs” she grovelled, her words not dropping the H like Ratway did implying some level of education. For a moment Twilight felt Ratway’s mouth open as if to interject her rant, before at the mention that he was a dreg it shut like a bank vault.

“This is a corruption of justice, I don’t belong in this penal unit, among rapists and murderers, I am an accountant” she cried before just breaking down in tears and the thump of her hitting her head against the wooden wall, as she blindly flailed in the darkness.

“keep it down in there you mud farming whore, I am trying to think, another outburst like that and I will activate your geode” came the at this point pissed voice of the officer outside, his blunt threat silencing the mares mewling.

A few moments passed the only sound being the slow burning of the ethanol on the lighter wick, and the re-instigation of a pony that more than likely had TB coughing again, the dry hacking cough even at this distance disturbing the flame, causing it to dance as it cast long shadows in the darkness.

“Okay listen hard as I am only going to say this once, I know that’s difficult for you uncultured muckers, but at least try” came the condescending voice of the officer again, a little fear tinging his voice, but his years of upper-classetiquettewas keeping it well masked, that and his sheer disdain for his troops.
“I want three of you to scout out the road ahead, that moon bitch has broken the treaty, so I expect an attack, if its clear we will move up to Bogsend, if you die its 3 less mouths to feed, any volunteers?” he said, the ask for volunteers sounding more like an order then an offer.

“Aye sir” said Ratway without a thought, the words escaping the moment the officer had closed his lips.

“Excellent you’re an eager one you can lead this operation, if your mud pony mind is capable of formulating a basic plan. anypony else?” he asked, the only response he got was silence, so the glow of a horn filled the pitch-blackness, the blue light immediately getting another volunteer from the croaky voice of the stallion sitting opposite of Ratway.

“Aye, I would gladly die for Celestia’s glory” he sputtered out, holding the back of his neck well trembling in fear.

“Anyone else?” the officer asked again, even with the threat of what ever the glow of magic represented he didn’t gain a stir from the cowering ponies.

“Guess I get to pick” he said to himself with a cruel laugh.

“You” he yelled the spotlight his horn was generating falling on the mare who had unleased the tirade earlier. The light giving Ratway a good look at her, the light green mare with a sweat drenched pale blue mane and tail, her eyes like pinpricks the white’s red from crying.

“Me sir?” she asked, visibly shaking as she knew it was an order.

“Questioning an order, and insubordination, that’s 2 strikes one more and your out” he said cruelly, the glow of his horn growing brighter as if to prove his point.

“I am going to count to three and you had better get out of the carriage”

“1”
“2”

Before he could say three the mare overcame the paralysis of fear that had gripped her body and literally flew out of the back of the cart landing in a crumpled heap that slowly attempted to get to its feet before falling and faceplanting the dirt, the mud of the unpaved road now caking the front of her body, a slight whimper coming from the defeated mare.

“Just like a bog trotter to be at home in mud like the pig she is” laughed the officer.

“Now you two, help her up and get the job done, that is all” he said, before with a clunk the small door swung shut again and the sounds of someone preparing a cigar could be heard through the ramshackle wood.

Obeying the order Ratway got up from his seat, boomstick under his armpit and a moment later dropped to the road with a light clop, the sounds of his omnipresent satchels jiggling for a moment as the contents shifted. In his wake the other stallion could be heard as with another clop he joined him minus the rattle as he was less well equip. The loss of the lighter plunged the cart in darkness the small flame firmly in-between Ratway’s teeth, the warmth somewhat pleasant against his cheek.

“Guv uv A oof” he spat through the metal lighter, as he firmly grabbed the mares left shoulder, the other stallion doing the same for the right, as they pulled the mare to her wobbly feet. For a moment she almost buckled but Ratway’s firm shoulder acted as a buttress and she remained standing.

“Thanks” she stammered with a sniffle the thanks coming of more from habit then actual appreciation. Now out of the cart Ratway extinguished the lighter returning it to its holster and in the darkness firmly shoved his boomstick through one of the straps of his harness. These actions giving his eyes sufficient time to adjust to the perpetual darkness that had enveloped the land, the only sources of light being the now illuminated lamps mounted on the front of the conveys carts, as thick clouds smothered the stars.

Walking to the front of the cart the orange glow of the lamp illuminating his face as smoke stung his eyes causing tears to well.

“Sir permission to use a torch for this excursion” he asked giving a salute for good measure.

For a moment the officer just sat there puffing away on his table leg of a cigar, the grey rings of smoke floating away into the darkness the sheen of refracting light giving them a glow until they past the boundary between the light and the darkness and faded to nothing.

Twilight couldn’t get a good look at him, but she knew he was well dressed, his uniform even in the darkness appearing clean, and the sheen of his brass buttons like glowing embers in the otherwise bland surroundings. He seemed to like the question, as a crooked grin filled his face, his teeth rotted through by the high sugar diet of nobility that Twilight had read about in school. In the glow of the lamp she couldn’t discern his fur colour, but she knew he was pale with a dark mane shade, the hair seeming black in the lowlight conditions.
“You see this you ingrates” he said giving the cart wall behind him a knock, to get the occupants attention.

“This mud pony knows who his betters are, as such I feel inclined to grant your request, you may take one, don’t waste it” he continued his furrowed brow still giving a look of disgust at what he deemed to be a subpony.

“Thank you, sir” said Ratway before giving another salute, and hobbling off towards what Twilight assumed was a supply cart to retrieve the tool in question.

It was as he was fumbling around in a crate retrieving the torch, he was confronted by the stallion who had reluctantly volunteered for this little mission.

“What the buck was that shite, you was brown nosing hard” he whispered angrily, eager to keep his words out of earshot of the officer about 30m behind them.

“ye wanted to walk there in t’dark” Ratway said calmly, as with a couple of sparks the torch ignited as if to prove his point. The torch taking the form of a metal rod filled with liquid fuel the top coned in to the shape of a headlamp, the concave polished glass acing as a reflector forcing the beam in a direct manner facing forward, deeming the Lightsource sufficient Ratway slipped it onto his harness so it acted like a train nose light.

“Well no” the stallion quickly back peddled.

“Exactly, if a little brown nosin keeps me alive I would do it in a eartbeat” he replied bluntly.

“Its bad enough they got these obedience rocks in are fricking necks, I aint stumbling around in the dark like a spaz waiting for the Luna militia to gut me like a alibut” Ratway continued to add cement to his logic.

“Fine I see yer point” capitulated the stallion, not seeing a flaw in the logic that had been presented so that he would have to begrudgingly accept it.

“wot about er though” said the stallion, gesturing his head in such a way to indicate the still trembling mare waiting for them at the start of the convoy.

“aint got a clue, but she did call us all rapists, might have to oblige er in that fantasy” said Ratway, before letting out a laugh that could only signify it was a joke.

“Aye” said the stallion between an equally light-hearted snicker, the joke successfully breaking the ice.

“Ratway” said Ratway extending a hoof to shake.

“Stonespinner” the stallion replied returning the shake.

“Well Stonespinner let’s not keep the lieutenant waitin” Ratway said as he began walking down the road towards the mare, his vision fixed firmly ahead, but the squelching of mud telling Twilight Stonespinner was following behind Ratway’s unusually gait. As they passed the mare she fell into their formation one walking either side of Ratway so that they could us the light the torch he held illuminated the well past due maintenance roadway.

At this point the three ponies slowly began walking down a deserted road surrounded by darkness, the nippy night air growing cold now the sun had been vanquished. In the peace Twilight had time to think, the memory now at a slow phase as a slow bumbling walk occupied the scene the only change being the moon peeking out of the cloud layer. She had seen so much, racism, some sort of obedience geode, conscription, penal regiment, her mind was being filled with new things and not all she liked, as it was beginning to put a tarnish of Ratway’s reputation, after all how could he end up in the company of such undesirables if he wasn’t one of them. The memory speed up as the trio walked down the road so that more then an hour had passed, the steady movement of the stars visible in the now clear night sky.

The abrupt extinguishing of the torch snapped Twilight back to what was happening.

“Hey why did you turn…” began Stonespinner, before Ratway rapidly cupped a hoof over his mouth.

“Sssh, get off the road, now”, Ratway whispered his ears twitching up a storm after hearing something that even Twilight hadn’t caught, her mind to busy on what had happened previously. With his order given, Ratway began rapidly moving to his direct left and entering the drainage ditch that commonly bordered country roads. Stonespinner following suit at this point probably working out that Ratway has some idea to what he was doing, were as the mare stayed put, a confused look on her face.

“love, for the love of Celestia get off the bucking road” hissed Ratway, a clear concern emanating from his voice, as Twilight felt the kick of adrenalin flooding his body.

“Why?” questioned the ditzy mare, missing what ever Ratway had noticed just like Twilight

“Again, why should I climb into that sluice way with you two” she asked, moving closer to them to make sure they could hear her without having to yell.

Without giving her the curtesy of a reply Ratway lunged forward and grabbed her, the mare letting out a yelp of surprise and tried to scream as she was dragged into the ditch. in response Ratway jammed one of his hooves into her mouth silencing her, as her heartbeat went crazy the mare seemingly convinced he was about to rape her, and even Twilight began to have her doubts that he might succumb to a little carnal pleasure.

Instead he just sat there the warmth of the mare’s rump firmly on his groin, his dick not even twitching as he remained deathly silent, as if waiting for something, her sent filling his nostrils as her matted hair rubbed against his nose. the desperate breathing of the mare growing more and more intense as she thrashed about in his lap, his granite grip holding her steady as she slowly nudged his back into the dirt embankment of the ditch. After a couple of minutes of frantic struggling she went limp her heavy breathing growing calm as she accepted that he was in direct control, if he was going to defile her she was powerless to stop it.

“You going to be quiet now” Ratway whispered into the mare’s ear, his breath causing it to twitch at the disturbance. He didn’t get a clear verbal response seeing as her mouth was currently occupied, but she did give an assertive nod, so he cautiously retracted his hoof and release his bear trap like grip, the mare rolling off him and crawled a few feet away along the ditch away from the two stallions, curling up in a ball and rocking slightly, the mare still terrified of her two companions, but remaining quiet like Ratway had wanted.

Without the mares erratic breathing, Twilight could now hear what Ratway had heard earlier, the sounds clopping hooves, the sounds of steel horseshoes on the semi cobbled road carrying in the now frigid night air, now much closer so all three ponies present could easily hear it.

“Is that the enemy?” asked Stonespinner, his voice a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, gooseflesh more than likely creeping over his body just like Ratway was experiencing at this moment.

“I don’t know, just button it, I don’t want them to hear us” said Ratway in muffled words, as he removed his boomstick from his harness and again checked it was loaded before propping it up so that it was aimed down the road, the barrel scanning the still deserted lane, his eyes like a hawk looking for movement, but for now finding nothing, the sound gradually growing louder as the seconds ticked by.

Then he saw them, shadows moving in the dark there had to be more then two dozen, the clattering of there hooves the only sound they made as they advanced down the winding road. The identity of the travellers unknown, the only certainty was they weren’t friendly as white armbands would have stood out in the darkness, the whites catching the gleaming moonlight like the rays of the sun. realising there were to many for them to engage successfully, Ratway popped out the breech and switched the shells, loading a cardboard cartridge the end a bright red as if to signify danger.

“Mate, I am going to shoot a flare , the moment you ear the whoosh I want you to run back to the convoy, tell the lieutenant the enemy is approaching, were gonna make a break fer it, shield yer eyes its gonna get bright” he aggressively whispered to Stonespinner, who nodded and gave a grunt of acknowledgment.

“Love did you hear that” he said in hushed tones looking over at the mare who had stopped shaking and had drawn a short knobbling stick, which she clearly had no idea how to use, as she held it completely wrong and looked like she was going to do more harm to herself then the enemy. Now knowing his plan she sheathed the weapon and prepared to run.

“mhmm” she hmphed, clearly getting the jist of Ratway’s plan, though Twilight had no idea how well she was going fair as she seemed way out of her depth, even to Twilights unmilitaristic mind.

With that little exchange complete the silence returned, Ratway steadying his boomstick, the barrel firmly aimed at the lead pony in the approaching formation, the clopping of hooves filling his ears as he calmed his breathing and aimed for centre mass. Moving his right hoof slowly he primed the hammer the raised lump of metal ready to strike, the metal locking in place with a reassuring click, now ready he held his breath and pulled the trigger.

With a roaring whoosh a ball of fire flew from the barrel, the hunk of burning phosphorus lodging its self firmly in the chest of the lead pony, as the hissing of the water in his cells evaporating filled the air, the grotesque scene playing out to a chorus of his screams of surprise and agony. The red glow illuminating the entire formation, stripping them of their night vision as their irises contracted at the bright light the night turning to day, as confused yelling filled the air.

“Fuckin run” yelled Ratway, as he vaulted out of the ditch and no sooner had he felt his hooves hit the road he was off running in his normal ungainly fashion. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Stonespinner do the same as well as the mare he had yet to learn the name of. The sounds of their break out being masked under the death rattles of the pony he had hit with a flare, the ball of fire cooking his organs well they still sat in his chest cavity. After a few moments the confused yelling stopped as the Luna militia worked out they were under attack and the yells of a pursuit behind them filled the air, the soldier’s hellbent on avenging their fallen brother.

Ratway and his compatriots seemed to be easily outpacing the trained troops, their armour slowing them down, in comparison to the no existent armour of the conscript dress code, Ratway seemingly unaffected by the unknown amount of weight he was carrying in his harness as the weight was an extension of himself. With the escape seeming inevitable, Twilight took a sign of relief as she hoped nothing more graphic was going to materialise, she had never wondered what would happen if you shot a pony with a flare and now she didn’t want to remember it, that was until Ratway heard a yelp behind him.

Swing his head around, Twilight got a good view of what had caused the outburst, the mare had tripped and was coming to a rolling stop in a crumpled tangle of limbs. Observing the scene, Ratway slowed his pace, to see if she would get up, the mare trying but failing to do so.

“Bugger” Ratway mumbled as he spun around to help her up. Twilight didn’t know why he had done it, everything pointed to him hating the mare, maybe Ratway himself didn’t know but she would have to ask him latter, as his rescue began to play out.

“I got ye” he said reassuringly, the voice reminding Twilight of her brother, when she had hurt herself as a filly, the voice reminiscent of the rock shining armour was, adding further conflicting messages she was getting about Ratway’s character.

“Are you hurt” he asked, trying to asses the situation as he pulled her to her hooves, the mare immediately falling again as her front right leg wasn’t taking any weight and was instead hanging limp, like a windchime in the still night air.

“I cannot feel my leg” she mewled, which Twilight interpreted as her going into shock, the front leg well and truly broken, a large compound fracture presenting its self to her medical mind.

“Shite” exclaimed Ratway as he took in the knackered leg, realising there was no way in Equestria they were outrunning the enemy if her leg was bollocked. Glancing down the road seeing the back of Stonespinner vanish into the darkness, the urge to flee creeping in, leaving this stuck up mare to her fate seemed like a viable option, but Twilight could sense a tinge of doubt, Ratway glancing towards the sound of the pursuit, then the road to safety, and finally back to the desperate mare.

“I am gonna to regret this, I already know” he grumbled to himself, his mind set on an outcome, before he dragged the mare off the road and rolled her into the drainage ditch, this part partially flooded the mare making a splash as she sank into the mud up to her neck. Ratway joining her a moment matter the cold mud nipping at the bottom of his barrel, as he lurked in the quagmire waiting for the patrol to pass.

No sooner had he cleared the road, did the patrol gallop past a dozen or so stallions blindly charging through the darkness, assuming they had continued to follow the road in the dash to escape, not taking the time to gander at the humble trench Ratway had concealed the pair in. that was until a straggler, clearly not used to such an excursion of physical prowess came up the rear. the stallion gasping, the weight of his armour putting a damper on his stamina. He stopped a few feet away from them the loud whimpering of the mare starting as she began to feel her shattered leg, thinking fast Ratway again placed a hoof over her snout silencing her, his hoof cutting off both her mouth and nostrils stopping her from breathing. For a moment she thrashed before again capitulating to his iron grasp, her eyes rolling back in her head as she went slack, her mind going dark as she lost consciousness. Gently holding her slack body so her head was above the waters surface he remained there not even daring to breath, the soft breathing of the now calm mare the only sound emanating from the pair.

For a second the stallion looked in the direction of Ratway’s hiding place, causing him to go ridged and remaining as still as a statue, but the gaze soon passed the wandering eyes of the stallion seemingly unused to the dark. Going slack in relief Ratway watched cautiously until the stallion left in a canter keen to catch up with his friends.

With the coast clear he tired to wake the mare from the slumber he had put her in, a few gentle taps to the cheeks being sufficient to have her eyes flutter open as she stirred, battered and tired.

“What the serious fuck is your problem” she snapped the moment her mind rebooted, the mare understandably upset that he had just choked her out. Moving her leg to slap him, she instead winced in pain as the shattered limb began to ache again, a few loose tears trickling down her face.

“Here let me help you” Ratway said calmly, seemingly ignoring the outburst as he gently placed her back against the embankment and retrieved tube of some sort of drug, a red cross marking it as medicine of some description.

“What is that” she snarled, clearly not wanting anymore of Ratway’s surprises.

“tis morphine, I swiped it earlier from boot camp, its not like they is gonna need it safe and sound at the royal palace, better of out ere in the field, wouldn’t you agree”, Ratway said before plunging the needle into the mare’s upper leg above the fracture causing her to wince again, the pain still very much real until the sedative kicked in.

“So you a thief, that’s why you’re here” said the mare, a smile coming to her face from a combination of the opioid and her belief she had figured out the stallion in front of her.

“Not even close love, I signed up for this unit” he said bluntly, the tone of his voice showing he had taken offence to the mare’s accusation.

“Why in Celestia’s name would anyone come to this wasteland in any state other than duress” she exclaimed not buying the claim for an instant, the sudden movement of her diaphragm making her raw nerves chafe causing her to grimace in pain. The sunless sky at this point had allowed the temperature to drop, and a light snowfall began to occur, the white flakes sticking in both their manes as the conversation continued.

“Reasons I don’t think a stuck-up bitch like you would understand” he growled his patience frayed at this point, as every interaction he had had with this mare up to now had been a negative experience for him.

“You didn’t have to save me, I am sure they would have taken me as a POW for ransom, my father has a fair amount of coin, they would have been well compensated” she responded in a calm manner as if she had been in control of the situation the whole time, rationalising possible outcomes.

“You don’t onestly believe that do you, your legs broken they would ave slit your throat as you lay there flopping like a fish, and that’s after they decide if they wanted to rape you or not” he said harshly, the words suddenly sinking in as the mare realised he had just saved her life. The look of realisation flashed by quickly and her glare of disrespect soon returned further infuriating Ratway.

Making an angry sound and holding a hoof up to slap the mare for her delusion he paused, the limb fidgeting with pent-up rage, before with a depressed sigh he returned the hoof to the squelching mud.

“Listen love, I think we started this on the wrong hoof, I am Ratway” he said, offering a mud caked hoof out to shake, before noticing the filth and wiping it off on his breast and returning a still dirty frog for her to accept.

Looking at the hoof with a level of confusion, the mare reached out with her good hoof and accepted it.

“I am Rose Fleur, first born daughter of Golden Fleur” she said assertively, as if her name had some form of power.

“Gonna be onest with you love, I aint got a clue who……” began Ratway before a bloodcurdling screech cut off his sentence. The sound deeply scaring Twilight, there was something primal about it, like a long-lost predator was skulking the earth once more.

“What is that?” asked Rose, her body shaking like a leaf as the unholy call had rattled her bones, her response mirroring the thoughts in Twilights mind.

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to find out” he said as with a yank he pulled the groggy mare to her hooves for the 3rdtime today, before he lifted her out of the ditch.

“Why are you doing this?” questioned the mare, as her heavy body was pushed onto the road, the slick mud coating her fur acting as a lubricant letting her easily slip across the surface. The mare finally asking the question Twilight had been wondering these last few minutes.

Ratway didn’t answer her instead he rolled her onto her side and put her in the recovery position, leaving her there for a moment, before removing his belt, the collection of small pouches sliding off the length of leather.

“Love please stop talking, I am going to splint yer leg, I aint done this before so I need to concentrate” he said in a stern voice, before straightening her leg to a howl of pain, the ache too much for the drug to dampen. Taking her knobbling stick and then detaching the barrel from his boom stick he framed her devastated limb, the lengths of metal hopefully sufficient to hold what was left of her leg together. With the foundations in place he then proceeded to wrap his belt around the metal poles in a hodgepodge repair attempt, the belt insufficient so he resorted to using a roll of wax tape, the materials forming a tight grip on her leg as she whimpered at even the slightest movement.

With a final yank, Ratway was satisfied with the tightness of his foray into medicine, as he spat the roll of tape from his mouth and answered her question.

“Because if we don’t look out for each other no pony will” he said, before biting of the end of the tape cleanly and patting it to form a complete seal on her leg. With his task done he scooped up the scatted pouches of his equipment and shoved them into the pockets that had some level of space, his belt now serving a different purpose then its original design intention and the rest of his harness having to pick up the slack.

“You’re a real pessimist aren’t you” she said as he helped her to her hooves, the leg not able to take any weight, causing her to fall, her head coming to rest on Ratway’s now desiccated mud caked chest, the warmth of her fur pleasant in the now icy night, the mare holding for moment the head slowly bobbing as Ratway breathed, before pulling away before it lingered to long as to become weird.

“Just a realist, if you adn’t noticed your tag says expendable on it” he said tapping the small oval of metal that hang from his neck, not addressing her subtle plead for comfort, making Twilight smile for a minute a stallion joke Cadence had told her springing to mind.

“That says blood type o negative” she corrected, as even at a cursory glance it was obviously spelled out in block capitals.

“Nah love the other side” he said flipping his, so she could see it.

“Do not resuscitate, what does that mean?” she asked as they began to slowly waddle down the country lane.

“It means if you start bleeding out your aint worth putting more blood in” he responded in a sombre voice, the way he said it implying he had seen that happen.

“Then why do they list your blood type in the first place” she enquired the logic seemingly contradictory.

“So if somebody important needs blood they can bleed ya fer it” he responded, another howl echoing in the darkness this time much closer than before.

“Its getting closer” she mumbled the sedative slurring her speech somewhat as it finally reached her brain, the hotness of her breath causing wisps of water vapour to float in the air in front of her muzzle, as each breath formed a small cloud.

“We’re nearly there, just try to ignore it” reassured Ratway, but the increase of his pace told Twilight he was just as scared, but this fear seemed based on something other than the irrational fear of the unknown. His speed quickening further when the scattering of crows could be heard behind them, the caws like a demented laughs in the darkness heralding something much worse.

“shite its already on top of us” he grumbled realising running was no longer an option, not with the injured mare in tow at least. Coming to a stop he quickly glanced around for cover, or at the very least something he could put his back to, the barren farmland not providing any reasonable cover the best he could find was a small Hawthorne tree, the leaves long gone leaving a spiny mass of fibrous spindles.

Moving as fast as the Rose’s condition would allow the pair made there way to the overgrown shrub as he slowly lowered the mare to her rump, her back painfully propped up by the spiny growth.

“you’re not leaving me here are you?” she said the rhythm of terror creeping into her voice as she thought he might abandon her to her fate crossed her mind.

“Nah love, just making sure we see it coming, not in the mood to get rundown and torn apart by some orror of the night” said Ratway confidently, his gooseflesh gone as he had convinced himself he could take whatever the night would throw at him.

Instinctively reaching for his boomstick he then realised it was currently tied to the mares leg, so instead he pulled a small knife the emblem of the moon carved into it, the darkness of the engraving contrasting well with the seemingly liquid blade glistening in the moonlight. The wooden hilt filling his mouth with the taste of wax, twilight couldn’t point out the cause, but the taste seemed to be stilling Ratway’s body, his heartbeat slowing as he awaited the monster, he didn’t have to wait long.

For a few moments the only sounds was the panicked breathing of the mare behind him, and the rustling of branches in front of him as his foe approached. Realising he couldn’t see shit, he tried to restart the torch on his chest, the rolling block producing sparks, the flame just not taking, before with a sizzle a beam of light cut through the darkness.

The moment the beam materialized, it got the red eye gleam of what ever had been pursuing them. The beast was jet black, and looked to be the size of a bear, its features obscured as its natural fur colour blending it into the surrounding darkness. the sudden light had startled the beast, causing it to roar in anger, clearly dissatisfied that its prey could not see it.

“What is that!!” screamed the mare now able to see what had been hunting them, her voice being heard, but at this point Ratway was ignoring her, his eyes firmly fixed on the beast in front of him. Placing the knife in his left hoof Ratway pointed the blade at the approaching abomination.

“come and have a go if you think yer fucking hard enough” he said before returning the wooden hilt to his mouth and prepared to fight, the words coming out more like a chest beating then an actual threat, but it riled a response in the animal causing it to charge.

And just like that history repeated its self, Ratway moving like he had when he had killed the alpha rat, the normally ungainly pony moving like a trained dancer, every attack from the creature being dodged as he stabbed the short blade into the hard tissue of the monster, the growls of annoyance filling Twilight with hope that he would win this fight, he had to seeing as she was delving his mind at this very instant.

It was just when this thought had passed her mind that the creature landed a hit, the massive paw slamming into Ratway’s face, the claws partially retracted but still exposed enough to rend a shallow cut across his face that immediately began leaking sticky blood. But above that it flung him like a ragdoll a good couple of yards, the stallion landing hard winding him, as he tried to rise to he hooves wheezing like an asthma patient he could only look over as the beast approached the screaming mare, his body failing him as he was powerless to stop what would come next.

“No please, I don’t want to die” pleaded Rose, slowly trying back away with her back hooves, but the firm tension of the Hawthorne bush didn’t part and she simple stayed in place, unable to slid into the embrace of the branches.

“No, no, noo….” She screamed before being abruptly cut off, the monster slamming its open maw over her head silencing her, her muffled screams still permeating the flesh but coming out as nothing but gibberish as she began to weakly thrash in its maw. Instead of biting down the creature simple swallowed, a single powerful gulp pinning her forelegs and almost covering her barrel, the splint Ratway had constructed miraculously stayed in place though, joining the mare on her trip down the water slide. The flickering light of the torch giving him a good view of her flowery cutie mark before with another swallow her flanks joined her in the taught flesh. The whole scene triggering Twilight as her mind flashed back to her run in with the overgrown tadpole a week prior, the whole experience making her very uncomfortable, the memory flickering for an instant before she regained her composure allowing it to continue.

“Bugger me sideways and call me princess Celestia” groaned Ratway as he stumbled to his feet, the expression a new euphemism that Twilight had never heard before, and if the situation was different would have gained a laugh from her. Instead she could only gawk in horror as with another swallow the only part of the mare left in the cool night air was her weakly twitching green rear hooves and a small stretch of her blue tail, the length of hair wildly twitching as it was the only part of her not vacuum wrapped in neck flesh, the strong muscles containing the unagreeable meal, so it could more easily be swallowed.

With one last rolling gulp Rose slide entirely into the gullet, a dull but large bulge slowly moving down the creature’s neck. Ratway just remained fixed in place looking at the spectacle, his torch beam following the mass as it travelled down the throat before disappearing into the creature’s chest and reappearing as a weakly wriggling bulge in its lower belly, the mares desperate pleads easily audible as she screamed her lungs out in the stomachs acrid confides.

“Cough er up you basterd!” yelled Ratway, as he snapped from his daze and charge the overgrown furball, knife firmly locked in his jaws. In response the beast simply turned and faced him a small burp leaking from its maw, the scent a mixture of rotting meat and Roses natural musk. As this was playing out Twilights heart rate was spiking, she had just seen a mare just like her be reduced to a lump of mare meat weakly wriggling in a stomach, her mind racing as the memory began to flicker again, the scene growing hazy as her lack of focus began to affect the spell.

In the blurred image, all she could see was Ratway getting the shit beaten out of him, the pale fur growing claggy with his blood as his lack of focus meant he was being battered by the larger predator, leaving him sprawled out in the dry golden grass. The creature leering over him, the weakly wriggling bulge that had been Rose pressed against his back as the creature prepared to reunite them.

“Do it ye cunt” spat Ratway, a large loogy of snot and crimson blood flying from his mouth hitting the monster in the face, as even when bloodied his defiance remained, his refusal to capitulate steadying Twilights mind and in turn the memory just Intime to see a huge maw open up in front of him, the throat pulsating in anticipation for his arrival.

And with a simple nudge his face hit the rolling throat, the memory playing out just as twilight had remembered with her experience with the frog, as from the prey’s perspective all digestive systems seem quite similar. With a few shakes of its head and strong gulps Ratway was entirely in the throat and slowly travelling down the conveyer belt that was the oesophagus ready to be unceremoniously dumped in the waiting stomach, acids undoubtable pooling already chipping away at Roses soft flesh.

In a few rolls of the peristalsis Ratway’s head pressed against the sphincter, his entire body in a single great hug as the monster’s throat muscles tried to shove him into the stewing sack that was the stomach. For a moment the ring held tight before it relented and his head was shoved into the space, his cranium impacting the still whimpering head of Rose, the mare somehow turning herself around in the stomach, more than likely in a desperate attempt to crawl back the way she entered.

“Buck, it got you too” whined Rose, his arrival dashing her hopes of rescue as they would both digest into a shared group of turds together. The mares mewling continuing as he was forced face first underneath her, the strong throat giving him the leverage to slide under her in the slick stomach without much issue. His body slipping under her barrel, so his forehead came to a rest in the curve of her hips, nose pressed against her mare hood, the sudden pressure on her uterine bulge causing her to yelp at the unwanted contact.

“First I get swallowed now I am being defiled!” she screamed before Ratway felt the sphincter force his hips through the small space and he slid under Roses genitalia as he began to fold backwards his spine curving uncomfortably, as the gullet tried to force him into an already over stuffed organ. Spinning his body like a dolphin, Ratway managed to turn himself around and with a slurp he felt his tail slither into the stomach to join him, the stallion now completely contained in the stomach just like the mare he had ended up on top of. During the short journey his face having dragged its way across her belly and her back, now coming to a rest at the back of her head as they were forced in an involuntary spooning, his limp dick pressing against her pert asshole the sphincter winking in distress at the overall predicament.

“If your going to rape me, just get it over with, were dead anyway” moped Rose evidently giving up at this point, and feeling his dick pressed against her private parts expected he might go for one last thrill. His vision impaired by her enzyme basted mane sticking to his face, he instead tried to pull himself over the mare reaching with his hoof for her broken leg.

“Who’s the pessimist now” he grumbled as she let out another yelp as he grabbed her broken leg the splint still holding firm even after being ingested and drenched in foul stomach fluid. At this point Twilight could feel herself hyperventilating the scene playing out just like she had experienced it was only a matter of time for they were passed out and digested, even now the limited tart air supply was running low, the air that was swallowed with them rapidly depleting into the panicked and at this point broken mare Ratway was lying on top of, the only thing keeping Twilight focused was the urge to see how he would get out of this.

“What are you doing” screamed Rose as Ratway began to awkwardly yank at the splint, trying to pull it off the damaged leg. The mare spasming like the limb was on fire as the mare began to writhe in agony, the opioids more than likely wearing off as the pain became the main thing in her mind, surpassing the tight stomach she was currently balled up in.

“I am not dying like this” he snapped as with a slightly stronger yank the boomstick barrel peeled itself free from the splint, the bonding agent of the tape sizzling as it was exposed to the acid, just like his flesh would do soon if he didn’t get out of here, the gurgling of the stomach intensifying as it geared up to convert two pony’s into a load of turds and a colourful hairball. It was at this point Twilight realised his plan, he was going to shot his way out of this hell pit.

Slowly manoeuvring the long barrel in the small stomach, he somehow got the breech end to his face and pulling his other fore hoof from underneath Rose he against all odds managed to snap the breech into place, the two parts not clicking as he fumbled in the red darkness, the thundering of the beast’s heart overtaking his other senses, the rate increasing as it ran back to its lair to no doubt sleep them off. Eventually the parts finally twisted together as always, but only after a few tentative minutes had eaten into the precious air supply,

A smile creeping to his face, with the realisation that this might actually work, he opened one of his pockets and 6 or so shells fell from the leather bag, the metal objects sinking to the bottom of the stomach, so he had to blindly grope in the stinging fluid until he felt one against his hoof. Yanking it to his face he wasn’t happy with what he saw and plunged his hoof back into the bubbling broth, the mare below him now still, having passed out from the pain or succumbed to the fumes at this point he didn’t know or care.

Finding the cylinder shape of another shell he seized it and just like the first brought it to his face, this time laughing to himself as it must have been the one he was looking for. Loading it into the breach the metal snapping closed like the jaws of the monster that had devoured him he pulled back the hammer and pointing the gun past Rose’s head aiming towards the ground.

Then with a click nothing happened, the shell failing to discharge.

“This aint happening, not now” he said pulling the hammer back again, and with another click nothing happened.

“Fuckin Cunt, don’t fail on my now” he said pulling the trigger back and forth to a serenade of dull clicks the shell not arming.

“Celestias witness I am going to die” he said aloud the realisation of death creeping in just like it had with Twilight, as she realised he understood exactly what she had been through.

“No, no I am not dying here” he said a fire in his voice as he opened the breech, took the shell out and put it back in, pulling the trigger back one last time and muttered a prayer that over the monster’s heart Twilight couldn’t make out. Then the trigger fell and there was a loud bang, the stale air suddenly disappearing as any oxygen was used in the blast.

Suffocating for an instant Ratway’s lungs starving of oxygen, he felt the abdomen wall beneath him spasm and split, the over stuffed organ tearing around the hole he had punctured in the beast as it wailed in its death rattle. And a moment later he could breath his head was sucked through the hole and was now pressed against the dry earth of the beast’s lair, in the moonlight the bones and pellets of countless meals lay strew across the barren cave, as with a few wriggles of his hips he slid from the beasts ruptured belly.

“Fuck you death” he said giddily chuckling to himself as he slipped free from the moist carcass of the monster, the legs weakly twitching as it rapidly bleed to death from this gaping flesh wound.

“Enjoy that indigestion cunt” he yelled, the high of life filling him with an ungodly fervour, as he realised he had defeated something from the inside after it had confidently assumed he and Rose was just meat to digest and shit out.

“Shite Rose”, he said realising she was still in the stomach as he reached into the hole and grabbed her head pulling her free from the guts grip with a loud shlock. She wasn’t breathing her body warm but still, the breath of life having left her lungs, grabbing her tag in his hoof he looked at it.

Rose Fleur
Number: 038050
Blood type:Apos
Do not resuscitate

For a moment Twilight assumed he would follow the instructions, and leave her to rot, he had seemed quite clear about what it meant when it had been brought up earlier, and he still didn’t seem to like the mare much. To her surprise instead he placed her on her back and began to give her Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, his breath became hers as he locked lips with her and exhaled a few times before using his hooves he pumped her chest.

“Come on I didn’t give you permission to die” he mumbled before locking lips again and letting his breath flow into her. His constant compressions seemed to be working as she suddenly began to cough uncontrollable and vomited a small part of her last meal back into her mouth as her eyes snapped open.

“Am I dead?” she asked, her head in his lap, her pretty features a mess after one of the worst days imaginable, her mane still matted with the acid that was supposed to turn her to chyme.

“No, I kicked Death’s arse” he said pointing to the slain monster its blood steaming in the cold air almost as if its soul was escaping into the frigid air.

“Now lets get back to the others before they think we really are dead” said Ratway with a smile, a relief creeping through his body now it was over, at least for now, with that the memory sped up, he rebound her leg and they waddled for a hour or two until meeting up with the convoy, Stonespinner’s surprised face when he saw Ratway and Rose stumble out of the darkness, him recanting the small skirmish they had against the Luna militia, before handing Ratway back the knife he had lost fighting the monster as he explained how they had assumed they had been captured, then the memory ended and Twilight was back in the pub.

“I would like to take a break” blurted Twilight the moment she knew Ratway would be able to hear her, wanting a time to calm down as if the next memory was anything like the last she would be unable to cope.

“Why little dove, I have plenty more to show you” asked Ratway, an eyebrow raised as he gave her a confused look.

“Yes, why Twilight, we were making so much progress, the content may be a bit graphic, but this is first-hoof experience form over a millennium ago, this is a once in a life time opportunity” chimed starlight, her pupil eager to carry on the probing.

“I am feeling tired and I don’t think it would be safe to continue” lied Twilight cuffing an excuse as that seemed plausible.

Suddenly Starlight realised why twilight wanted to stop, her face suddenly flashing a look of concern and understanding as she realised Twilight might be having flash backs to her unpleasant experience with the frog.

“Yes I agree we should take a break” Starlight said quickly pulling a u-turn, much to Twilights delight as she knew her pupil was now on the same page as her.

And like that they were back in the library, the scene unchanged remaining how they had left it.

“We will continue this tomorrow I have a letter to write, Starlight would you take Ratway back to his quarters I have something to do” she said, the moment they left she closed the door with a slow magic spell and locked the door, before she let the tears out. She had tried so hard to forget what had happened to her not even a forknight ago and this last memory had brought it all back, a waterfall of tears falling down her purple muzzle as she let it out.

After about 10 minutes she reigned her emotions in and penned a letter to her mentor, the quill dancing across the paper as she recorded what she had seen, the more graphic parts causing her to stop as she bawled for a time, before soldiering on until the letter was complete. with a sigh she rolled it up and tossed it in the pile she had written so far on the curious case that was Ratway, it seemed that for every question he answered he gave her 10 more to ask. Those questions could wait for tomorrow, she was going for a walk, Pinkies cakes would be a sure-fire way to turn this downer into a better day, and with those thoughts she left the library intent on savouring some sugary sweetness with her friends to balance out the sour she had experience in that last memory.