Chapter 3
The Meaning of Integrity
"Life's trials will test you, and shape you, but don’t let them change who you are.”

Everypony knew how the world ended. My grandma would tell us stories that her grandma had told her when she was just a filly. Over two hundred years ago the ponies of Equestria had lived in peace and harmony under the rule of the benevolent Goddesses, Celestia and Luna. The land was green and full of life and the sky was open and glorious. Yet, with all things, it could not last forever. Gran couldn't tell us why the war had started only that it had begun when the zebra nation attacked a school full of young students. It had raged for decades and thousands of lives were lost. She then told us that the zebras used their dark, foreign magics to create the weapons that would eventually burn the world. The megaspells! In order to protect ponykind, underground bunkers called Stables were built across Equestria. Gran had been born and spent most of her life in one of those. My favorite part of her tale was when she finally emerged from that steel tomb and took her first steps into the wasteland.

She had always said her first thought about the world above was how ugly it was. How wrong she had been. I sat facing the east as the first glow of the morning sun peeked over the distant mountains. It started out as the usual dull gray but eventually the clouds became alive with color. An array of pinks and purples quickly changed to reds and golds as the sun climbed higher into the sky. There was beauty to be found in this diseased and desolate land. If only she could have seen that before…

The moment of peace was shattered as I was brought back to the present. I shook my head and promptly stopped myself from taking a trip down memory lane. The sudden movement caused my bruised face to throb and I sucked in air through my teeth and I gingerly touched my cheek. As if reacting to my pain, the pretty colors on the clouds bled away and returned to the lifeless gray that stained the sky. With a sigh, I stood up and turned my back on the murky sunlight as I returned to my route.

Guard duty was never fun, but it at least gave me time to be alone with my thoughts. As my hooves carried me lazily around the outskirts of the school building, I gazed out at the emptiness. It had been two days since Rusty Blade had stuck me and since then I had found myself wanting to be on my own more and more. While I had never been an incredibly vocal pony, I had always enjoyed the company of my friends. Even now I thought about how fun it would be to take a hit of Dash with Razz and get into one of our deep, philosophical rants. Yet, I was hesitant and even anxious about going home because I knew he would be there. Eventually, I was going to have to face Rusty again. He was as unavoidable as the voice in my own head.

Suddenly, the sound of familiar music reached my ears. Returning my attention back to the task at hoof, I scanned the area until I found the source of the racket. Speaking of unavoidable noises in my head, I growled as the sprite bot came into view. The round metal body hovered aimlessly by as it blared that constant annoying music unrepentantly. It was rare to see one of them so far away from the larger settlements, but they managed to find their way out here from time to time. Without a second thought, I quickly pulled my pistol from its holster and fired two shots. The bot fell to the ground as my first bullet blasted off one of its wings and my second shot killed it for good before that nasty magical laser could retaliate.

Peaceful silence washed over me again as I holstered my gun and continued my dutiful stroll. It didn't surprise me when I heard hooves galloping towards me about twenty minutes later. I didn't need to see who it was. There were very few ponies who would be willing to rush out at the crack of dawn to join me on guard duty.

"I heard the gunshots and thought you might need help," Ash Blossom said.

This was only half true. She knew me better than anypony else and had seen my sudden withdrawal from the others. My half-hearted smiles and mumbled responses weren't fooling her, yet she had just enough restraint to avoid asking questions.

"Thanks, but it was just a sprite bot," I said curtly.

"Oh," she said quietly, her steps slowing.

Turning, I saw her looking dejectedly at her hooves as she pawed at the ground. I stopped and sighed before tilting my head, silently indicating she could join me. I couldn't help the small smile as she happily bounded to my side as if she had never been upset. We continued walking for a little while longer in silence, but I could almost feel her vibrating with the unspoken question. All she needed was a slight raise of my brow before she was off.

"Are you okay? You've been acting strange these last few days. Was it because of that stallion?"

I didn't know how to tell her. Ash was just as loyal to Rusty Blade as any other Youngblood, if not more. She loved him as if he were her own flesh and blood. "No," I said simply.

"Well then what is it?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Suddenly, she jumped in front of me and stared me down with those big, bright eyes. "For Goddesses sake, knock it off already! We're practically sisters, Wild Chains, I know when you're lying. So just tell me what's going on."

Stunned, I could only stutter incoherently as I tried to find my voice. It took a lot to upset her but when that filly got mad, she could fight off a charging bighorner. After falling to my haunches, I finally sighed and looked at my hooves. "You remember when I told you it was that stallion who had hit me?"

She nodded, falling silent to eagerly listen.

"Well it wasn't. It was Rusty."

"What?" she gasped.

I recounted what had happened two days ago, filling in the missing parts that Rusty had left out. "I know that buck deserved to die, but it shouldn't have been at the hooves of his own son," I finished.

"Why not?"

I felt a rock sink in the pit of my stomach as I looked up to see Ash watching me with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean 'why not'?"

"That colt had been abused for years. He was happy to finally put an end to all that. You even said so yourself. So why should we take that revenge from him?"

With no answer, I kept my mouth shut. Seeing this, she continued. "I don't think it was right of Rusty to hit you like that, but I think he was mad because you were siding with an adult. We're Youngbloods after all! We only look out for the kids the wasteland abandoned. That's how it's always been."

Part of me agreed with her. After all, what had any adult ever done for us? And yet, a small voice kept whispering that she was wrong. Rusty was wrong. I shook my head trying to clear it of the conflicting sides that fought each other. "Yeah, I know you're right. I shouldn't have challenged Rusty like that."

"Hey, it's okay. I think he probably feels bad about it too. I've seen you avoiding each other but maybe it's time to make amends. After all, we can't have our number one and number two fighting each other, right?"

Feeling like I had just been doused in freezing water, I tried to hold back the sudden shiver that threatened to overwhelm me. Forcing a genuine smile on my face I nodded and placed a hoof on her shoulder as I pulled her into a hug. "Thanks, Ash. You always know how to cheer me up."

"Of course. That's what best friends are supposed to do."

We pulled apart and returned to our patrol. Somehow, I managed to push down the growing anxiety as we casually gossiped about Lug Nut's not-so-secret crush on Crosshair. As we neared the school building again, I saw a familiar red figure galloping full speed up the broken road. Even from this distance I could tell something was wrong. Sensing it too, Ash broke into a run with me as we headed inside. I wasted no time rushing up the stairs and bursting into the meeting room. Rusty Blade gave me the briefest of glances before returning to Razz, who was in the middle of giving his report between ragged breaths.

"…was traveling east when I left. Pearl stayed behind to watch them."

I moved to stand beside the table while Rusty rubbed his chin in contemplation. "An' how many did you say there were?"

"I counted five, but there is a chance they could be scouting for a much larger group. It didn't look like any of them were carrying supplies other than weapons."

With a growl, our leader roughly tapped the table with a hoof. Frustration was clear in his expression as he huffed. "There 'ave been more an' more trespassers on our turf lately. I think it's time we made it clear strangers ain't allowed ta just wander onta our land!" He pointed a hoof at me. "Wild Chains, round up a few of our best fighters an' 'ave Crosshair fit 'em with the good shit. Tell her she's in charge of guardin' the place while we're away. Ash, 'ave Tato an' Lucky gather up the foals and keep an eye on 'em. If we're dealin' with a rogue group I wanna make sure they can escape quickly if the base is attacked."

With a salute, we darted out of the meeting room. Shouting orders to the ponies I gathered around the fires, I moved them into action. Some I had to buck as they were too full of booze or drugs to fully comprehend what was going on. It had been a long time since we'd needed to rally like this, and we had grown complacent. I would have to tell Rusty later. For now, I managed to get the ponies who would be going with us by the armory and reiterated our leader's orders to Crosshair. With a gleeful nod, I watched her kick open several large trunks where she kept all our best gear. I rushed to my quarters and pulled on my leather barding. Perhaps I had grown complacent too. After checking that my pistol was loaded, I grabbed a few extra clips and even a few armor piercing rounds. Then, I opened a small medical box and grabbed three orange colored tablets. Buck. This would help me fight better. Tucking them all into my saddlebags, I galloped back to my comrades just as Crosshair was giving the last filly a heavy rifle.

"You sure you can hold that?" she asked.

With a grunt, the unicorn encased the weapon in her magic and levitated it beside her. Satisfied, Crosshair shooed her away to join the others leaving the building. We had ten ponies in all going out to find these trespassers while the rest would stay here and guard the base. Suddenly, two forms appeared at my side and I looked down to see Ebony and Ivory waiting to get their own guns.

"No, not you two. You're going to stay close to Tato and Lucky until we get back."

"But we can fight! You know that," Ivory pleaded.

"No!" I said firmly, then, seeing the hurt in their eyes, I continued. "We need you to protect the other foals. If anything happens to us, you'll be their only line of defense."

This seemed to encourage them as they nodded in determination. "You can count on us, Wild!"

Watching them race back to Tato, I saw Ash helping her gather the last few foals before returning to me. "I'm coming with you. I missed out on the last scuffle and look at what happened to you. You need someone to watch your back."

"I think this might be more than a scuffle."

"Even better," she said uncharacteristically, a smirk spreading across her face.

We galloped outside where Rusty was repeating what Razz had reported to the ponies I had selected to join us. Once everypony was on the same page, we moved out together with Razz in the lead to show us where he and Pearl had spotted the trespassers. Quiet murmurs rippled through the ranks as ponies ramped each other up for the coming fight. Normally, I would have been at Rusty's side as we bounced battleplans and tactics back and forth, but I found myself trotting at the back of the party. I tried to justify to myself that somepony needed to watch our flank.

As we marched, I felt that same anxiety from this morning bubble in my stomach. From my position I could clearly see the expressions of my companions. They were smiling, eager to find these ponies and teach them a lesson. A few had that ever familiar bloodlust I saw on the faces of so many raiders. We weren't raiders! Sure, we'd killed ponies before, but it had always been out of self-defense. I never enjoyed killing, but the wasteland is unforgiving. And yet, I could see that a few of my friends were ready to murder without hesitating. No! No, they were just bored. Things had been relatively slow these last few moons. Sure, a few intruders here and there, but it had been a long time since anything truly exciting had happened.

Still, try as I might, I could not help but think deep in the back of my mind that my friends might actually be turning into the very thing we hated right next to adults. Raiders were cruel and ruthless, killing indiscriminately and without remorse. We weren't like that. We killed only to protect ourselves and the children the wasteland forgot. Yet, recently, I had heard stories of my friends finding random travelers just passing through and robbing them blind or killing them if they put up a fight. Of course, all these ponies had been grownups. They probably deserved it. Time and time again I had seen proof that older ponies were selfish creatures. Maybe that's why many of the Youngbloods were changing. They were getting older. Soon, several members would be considered adults, including myself and even Rusty Blade. Would we change into the low life adults too?

The sound of gunshots yanked me from my thoughts. Growling, I realized I had fallen behind from the main group as they galloped several feet ahead. Everypony had their guns drawn and I wasted no time unholstering my own as I lowered my head and pushed myself to canter faster to catch up. Turning past a fallen sky chariot I saw a group of five ponies shooting from the upper level of a ruined building. From their ridiculously spiky armor to their insane laughter, it was clear these were the vile raiders who had dared encroach on our turf!

They were shooting at a lone figure desperately hiding behind a low wall. Even from this distance I could see Pearl's pale coat gleaming with an opalescent sheen. Watching her, it was clear she was injured as she favored her foreleg. How long had those bastards had her pinned down? I couldn't be sure. What I did know was that we had caught them off guard as we charged gallantly into battle. Rusty Blade wasted no time as he expertly aimed his gun and fired a single shot. In the blink of an eye, one of the raider's cried out in agony before falling off the edge of the building to land in the rubble with a sickening crunch.

At once, the guns were turned on us and we rushed to find cover. A bullet whizzed overhead as I dove behind the trunk of a large, long dead tree. Close by, I heard Rusty calling out orders to those who could hear him.

"Razz, Ash, git over there an' help Pearl. Lug Nut, Wild, cover 'em. The rest of you, kill those fuckers!"

Poking my head around the trunk I took aim and pulled the trigger several times before ducking back into safety. The pained shout was music to my ears. Hooves clattering on cement told me that Razz and Ash were racing to help our injured friend. After a quick reload, I jumped away from the tree and fired wildly at the building. I wasn't aiming to kill anypony yet, just force them to keep their heads down while the others were in the open. Together with Lug Nut's huge shotgun spraying bullets on them, they didn't dare try to retaliate more than just a blind shot here and there.

Once Razz and Ash were safely behind the wall, I backed into safety again to reload. Somepony screamed, but I wasn't sure if it had been friend or foe but there was no time to check. I heard a heavy thunk on the other side of the tree and peeked to see a round object slowly rolling away.

"Shit!" Without thinking, I bolted away from the protection of the trunk moments before the grenade exploded. The shock of the blast swept me off my hooves and threw me several feet. The force of the impact knocked the gun from my mouth causing it to slide away. A raider was already shooting at where I had landed, and I hissed as one of the bullets grazed my shoulder. Scrambling to get my hooves under me, I darted towards the only cover I could see and practically slammed into Rusty Blade.

"Git yer gun, I'll cover ya!" he hollered.

Any grievances the two of us had felt for one another were cast aside as the fighting raged on around us. Nodding, I waited for him to fire then bolted for my gun. Flinching away from flying bullets, I quickly scooped the gun in my mouth before returning fire without aiming. Galloping back to Rusty Blade, I ducked below the steel beams and proceeded to reload the chamber with shaky hooves.

"We need ta git 'em from behind an' flush 'em outta that damn building," Rusty growled.

Glancing through the barrier, I could see he was right. As long as they held the high ground, we couldn't do much damage. My ammo was getting low and I was forced to switch to my armor piercing rounds. The others couldn't be fairing much better than me. We needed to end this now or else we'd be sitting ducks. From the looks of it, the building had once been a marketplace where ponies could go to buy all sorts of goods. In the front, just below the massive hole in the wall where the raiders where shooting at us from the second level, there was a large door that hung open. There had to be another way in there.

As if reading my mind, Rusty tilted his head towards the other end of the large ruin. "I saw a back door over yonder but I ain't sure if yer gonna be able ta git in from there."

Following his gaze, I could see a smaller door some distance away. Unlike the front one, this one hadn't been made of glass. "All we need another pair of quiet hooves and a good bucker," I said.

He smiled knowingly. "Alright, take this. Now go on and we'll cover fer ya."

Pulling a grenade out of his saddlebag, I tossed it into my own before sprinting across the parking lot towards Razz and Ash. The filly had bandaged Pearl's leg to stop the bleeding and now stood over her to protect her from the rain of bullets. Razz was taking pot shots every now and then, but his attention was focused on the pale girl.

"You okay?" I asked Pearl quickly.

"It's just a flesh wound, Wild. Nothing I can't handle."

I respected her tenacity but the pain in her expression gave away the lies she told. Still, I nodded approvingly and looked at Razz. "I need your help."

"I'm not leaving her."

I sighed. We didn't have time to play nice. Kicking his leg out from under him, I wrapped a foreleg around his neck and slammed him against the wall. "We are going to die if you don't help me. Now move your ass or I will move it for you!"

Gulping fearfully, he swiftly nodded. Turning to Ash, I didn't have to say anything before she spoke. "Go. I'll take care of her."

Waiting for a break in the battle, I galloped to the far end of the lot where the unmistakable form of Lug Nut was camped out behind a dumpster. Razz was close on my heels and together we fired up at the gaping hole to keep the raider's heads down as we ran. Once behind the dumpster, we heard them retaliate pathetically as bullets deflected off the rusty metal. Looking at my companions, I quickly laid out a plan to turn the battle our way. Making sure we were all on the same page, I turned and spotted Rusty Blade looking over at us. I raised a hoof to give him the signal.

Moments later, a single grenade was thrown towards the raiders. One of them tried to shoot it but as it exploded, a great flash erupted over the battlefield. Several ponies screamed as they were temporarily blinded. The three of us, on the other hoof, used the moment to quickly gallop to the side door Rusty had seen. Lug Nut's powerful hooves made short work of the ancient lock and within seconds, Razz and I were inside. The door closed behind us, cutting off the sounds of fighting as we were cast in darkness. Carefully, we made our way around aisles of decaying food and rotten wood. Metal carts were scattered all over as were the bones of many skeletons. The sight of the long dead ponies hardly affected me anymore. They were as common as the clouds in the sky. Just a remnant of days long gone. Or so I told myself. I pretended to skirt around them for the sake of stealth.

Luckily, nopony was in the lower levels and we quickly trotted to the stairs. Above us, we could hear the insane laughter coming from the ponies above. They were enjoying the slaughter of my friends! Razz growled under his breath as he realized this too.

"Let's end this," he whispered.

Nodding, I climbed each step carefully until I poked my head at the top. Four raiders stood with their backs to us, each one taking a turn to shoot at the band below. Every time I heard a Youngblood scream in pain, the raiders would giggle madly. Bastards! Pulling the grenade from my bags, I heard the gentle hum of magic as Razz picked it up. Thanks to that horn of his, he would be far more accurate than me and we both knew it. Covering my ears, I watched him toss the orb into the middle of the room.

"Fuck! Hit the deck!"

It was too late. With an enormous boom, three raiders were sent flying through the opening. If the explosion hadn't killed them, my allies would turn them into swiss cheese. The remaining pony had been the farthest from the blast, but once the dust cleared, I could see he hadn't gotten away uninjured. Stumbling about and mumbling incoherently he searched the room for the leg that had been blown clear off. Pulling my pistol out, I was about to charge in to finish the poor bastard off, but Razz darted past me. With a vicious growl, he bucked the raider hard sending him sprawling with a yelp of agony. Then, he proceeded to stomp on the mangled stump repeatedly. Taken aback by his rage, I could only watch as the stallion begged for mercy from a child.

It came from the bullet I put in between his eyes. Razz fell back in surprise then turned on me, that snarl still etched on his face.

"Why did you kill him?"

"Because we aren't like them. We don't torture ponies!" I said, holstering my gun.

"Do you think they would have shown us the same kindness, Wild? Look what they did to Pearl. He deserved everything he got!"

He marched past me, slamming into my shoulder hard before trotting down the stairs. The gunfire had settled outside but I found myself unable to join my friends. The warring ponies in my mind took up arms against each other again as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Razz had been right. If the shoe had been on the other hoof, the raiders would have enjoyed watching us die slowly. He had been upset by what had happened to Pearl and was justified in his actions, right? But we should never stoop to the level of a raider, even if they had wronged us. They deserved to die, of that I had no doubt, yet it should be quick and without a second thought. That was how it has always been. What made us different than them, better than them.

With growing anxiety, I sighed and made my way downstairs. I desperately wanted to get home and drink the first bottle of booze I could find. Leaving the building, I could see a few of my companions looting the fallen raiders while several others were licking their wounds. Luckily, we hadn't lost anypony. Ash moved around to those who had been injured and quickly treated them. Seeing me, she quickly trotted over and examined the gash on my shoulder.

"Looks like it's not too deep. I can bandage it for you or cut it off, you know, to match your ear."

I chuckled dryly. "Take it off. Then I can have you do all my guard shifts".

"Darn, I left my saw at home. You'll just have to keep it."

"Yet another scar to add to my collection. How are the others?"

"Nothing too serious, thankfully. Pearl had to drink two health potions, but she should be fine."

I could see the pale pony leaning against Razz as they started making their way home. Seeing him made my façade fade for a moment. Of course, Ash Blossom saw it and she gave me a concerned look.

"You okay?" she asked, placing a hoof on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to be drunk right now."

"I think we all earned a drink," came Rusty's voice. The brown unicorn walked up to us with a pleased smile. "Ya did good, Wild. I knew I could count on ya."

"I did what I could."

"Oh, don't be so modest. Ifn it weren't fer you an' Razz, we might not have survived. I'm glad yer still on our side. Ya had me worried for a bit there. I thought you was goin' soft on us."

His words stung almost worse than his hooves. I fought to keep my ears from falling flat and my expression neutral. It was only a joke, I told myself. Ash laughed, as if to confirm my lies, and lightly slapped Rusty on the side.

"Wild Chains, a softy? Like that'll ever happen."

Once again, I found myself at the back of the party as we made our way back home. The going was much slower to make it easier for the injured ponies. Our hooves clopped on the asphalt and I lost myself in the rhythmic sound as I let my mind wander yet again. I didn't like how much that was happening, yet I did nothing to stop it. Only when I slammed into Lug Nut's flank did I realize the group had stopped. Rubbing my snout, I moved around the large colt to see what everypony was looking at.

In the distance, a lone pony was walking across the road. He hadn't noticed us thanks to the setting sun at our backs. Even the clouds couldn't completely cut off the sickeningly harsh light. Rusty and Razz were talking quietly together, and I trotted up beside the red coated unicorn to hear what they were saying.

"I'm gettin' real tired of all these goddess damned intruders thinkin' they can just waltz inta our territory," Rusty said.

"We need to show ponies they aren't welcome here," Razz said with a growl.

"Perhaps it's time we increased our guard patrols," I chimed in. "We've been getting pretty sloppy lately."

Razz turned to me his expression showing he was still sore about the raider. "What was sloppy about Pearl and I? We were outnumbered!"

I rolled my eyes. "That's not what I mean, and you know it. There should have been more ponies out on patrol instead of staying in and getting drunk and high."

"Weren't you just talking about drinking? Pot calling the kettle black."

"Listen here, you little shit!"

"Enough!" Rusty barked. Those orange eyes fell on me with the same ferocity from the other day and I felt my ears droop as I looked away. "Razz's right, Wild. It ain't us, it's them. We've been here fer years but they don't see us as a threat just 'cause we're young."

Several ponies muttered in agreement while a few nodded their heads. My heart sank to see Ash was among them.

"I think it's time we finally show the wasteland that we ain't some lowly band of urchins. We're the Youngbloods and this is our land!

"Here here!" Lug Nut called out as the others cheered.

"Let's make that stallion our first example! Once we're done with him, ain't no pony gonna dare step hoof on our terf again."

"Wait, Rusty!" I said. "Look at him, he's just a lonely traveler. He isn't even wearing barding. Let's just chase him off and go home." I could feel the stares from the others like ice on my back, but I refused to look at them. Rusty just glared at me as if I had taken the wind right out of his sails, and in a way, I had. Fighting against those powerful eyes, I continued in a desperate attempt to get one of my oldest friends to see what he was becoming. "This isn't who you are. Please."

He smiled, a grim line that never reached his eyes. "I never would 'ave thought you, of all ponies, would stand up fer some random adult. You've gone soft, Wild Chains."

"What? No, I-"

"Either yer with us or yer against us."

"Of course, I'm with you!"

"Time to prove it."

Before I could respond, he turned on his hooves and charged towards the unfortunate buck. The others followed behind him, only Ash sparing me a second glance as she darted by. With a growl, I cantered after them. My mind was like a howling storm as thunderous thoughts fought against each other. These ponies were my friends, my family! I had fought by their side for years. Whatever the wasteland threw at us, we were there to fight against it together. Yet now, I didn't even know who they were. Something had changed and for a long time I refused to see it. Now I had to make a choice.

Did I lose myself in the madness that had claimed my friends, or did I stay true to myself?

Tears in my eyes, I pushed myself to run faster. Lungs burning from the effort, I quickly gained on the small herd of children. I could hear some of them jeering about tearing his legs off and posting his head on a pike. I did not join them. I knew now that I never would. Instead, I galloped around them, passing by Rusty Blade at the head, not daring to face him for fear those eyes would hold me back. Instead, I put my head down and charged as fast as I could towards the buck. The rumble of our hooves finally got his attention and he turned to look at us. It was only now that I was able to see him clearly. He wasn't just some random buck. He was a unicorn with a coat the color of sun-bleached bones and a mane as pure as snow. Upon his back were a pair of old, worn saddlebags and nothing more. No guns or weapons of any kind. He was no threat to us. He didn't deserve what was about to happen.

For a moment, our eyes met. Then I opened my mouth and called out as loud as I could, "Run!"

I watched as his horn ignite…

BANG!

A deep, searing pain exploded from my flank and suddenly I was falling to the hard asphalt. For a moment, I thought the stranger had shot me but as I tried to find him, he had vanished without a trace. I couldn't think about that for long as my brain finally caught up with the fact that I had been shot. Gazing down at my flank, I could see a clean bullet hole just below my cutie mark oozing blood at a rapid pace. Moments later, I was surrounded by the gang of young ponies who I had once called family. Rusty Blade stood over me, the barrel of his gun still smoking. Weakly, I made to move for my own weapon but cried out in pure agony as the tall colt slammed his hoof on my flank.

"How dare you! First, you betray us an' let the enemy git away. Then, ya have the audacity ta try and shoot me! You have no idea where that pony just went. Fer all we know, he's makin' his way towards home as we speak."

"He… he didn't have any… any weapons… aagh!!"

Rusty pressed harder and I felt hot tears flow down my cheeks as I writhed beneath him. My vision was blurry, but I could still make out the savage looks of the fillies and colts who circled me. Razz glared at me with pure loathing while Lug Nut barred yellowed teeth. Even Pearl, though she must have been in great pain, managed to sneer at me with contempt. But there was one pony whose expression was of deep sorrow and betrayal. Ash sobbed quietly beside Rusty Blade, her bright eyes locked on to mine.

"Why, Wild? Why would you do this?"

I couldn't answer her. Instead, I just shook my head and let the tears fall.

"Well, Youngbloods, what do you think we should do with this traitor?" Rusty called out.

"Cast her away"

"Beat her!"

Rusty Blade stepped off me and moved back from the raging mob. "Prove to me that you're all still loyal. Teach this traitor a lesson. Show her what it means to be a true Youngblood!"

There was no hesitation. Before I could react, the hooves of a dozen ponies began to buck me as hard as they could. Teeth pulled at my tail and mane as blow after savage blow came down on me. It was all I could do to protect my head as I began to black out. The last thing I saw was a lilac pony shove Razz aside as she looked down upon me with hurt.

"I'm sorry," Ash Blossom said.

Then, with a merciful kick to the head, I felt no more.

Floating. I was floating in darkness and silence. Nothing. Blissful nothing. I could have stayed like this forever. Just me and the oblivion. Yet, I was not alone. In the distance, I could hear hoof steps approaching. The sound was enough to set off a chain reaction that dragged me back to consciousness. My body felt like it was on fire. I moaned and felt my eye lids flutter as I tried to see who had brought me back to this hellish existence. A pair of white hooves stood beside me. Death. Death had come for me. I knew I should have been afraid, and yet, I felt myself beginning to fall back into that sweet, black nothingness. Take me home, Death. I'm ready.

Footnote: Level up!
New Perk: Tough Hide (level one) – The brutal experiences of the Equestrian Wasteland have hardened you. You gain +3 to Damage Threshold for each level of this perk you take.

Author's Note

As always, thank you for reading. I apologize if the ending felt a little rushed, I was excited to finish it before the new year. All the thanks for SonnyStar's amazing and quick editing. I'm always open to any constructive criticism so don't be shy if you see anything that needs to be changed. Anyways, happy holidays!