Zombie Chronicles: New World Order

It all happened so fast...

From us all getting on that bus and driving out here, to...

To watching not one, not two, but three of our people getting brutalized. One of them being...

“Oh, goddamn! poor girl went down in one hit! Pathetic...” Apple Bloom chortled.

I heard screams of horror and whimpers of sadness as we all watched one of our closest friends get their skulls caved in from that mace...

I was driven to charge her, but after watching Cole and Alice get killed by doing exactly that... I was also driven to just stay in place until they left. Apple Bloom turned to us, seeing our horror and anger.

“Oh, hell... I guess this is harder on you guys than I thought. I’m sorry... but—in my opinion—blame that Cole douche-bag who just couldn’t control his anger. If he did nothing... maybe Scootaloo’d be alive...”

My glance turned to Jet Set, who was mortified over the killings.

He had no right to be disgusted-- he was the one who sold us out and got Scootaloo killed... and one of the Trix saw the look in my eyes.

“You did a good job tonight, Jet Set...” She congratulated him, massaging his shoulders.

Jet didn’t respond as he shivered from what I guessed was ice coming from her hands.

I glanced back at Scootaloo’s corpse and I felt the devastation of it settle in. I glared at her killer and my thoughts began to escape my mouth before I could think to stop them.

“You just started a war...”

Those four words all caught her ears as she turned to me and slowly walked over, letting the mace hang from her side. She drove the spiked end into the ground and knelt in front of me, studying me.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite... catch that.” Apple Bloom whispered, glancing at my now-glowing red amulet.

I felt a rush of power as I leaned in and took a breath.

“Your ‘Rob’ tried stabbing Celestia... and if she died, there would’ve been a war, anyway...” I assured her.

She took a moment before chuckling and grabbing me by my necklace.

“I don’t suppose we can drain one more, can we?" Apple Bloom asked her Trix friends, her eyes glowing black...

Wait...

They all began to cackle as I felt my necklace began to vibrate and glow as I felt something boiling inside of me—something that was being ripped out...

All I could do was scream as some form of vapor began to leave my pores and through my mouth and almost everywhere else possible. Every part of my body felt like it was being pulled apart and ripped open, but really it was just some form of magic leaving me...

I began to levitate, with all of whatever that amulet held leaving me and forming into spheres in the Trix’s hands. By the time I felt the rest of that power leaving me, I felt sick and saw everything go dark as I fought for consciousness... and lost.

I opened my eyes and was greeted by what seemed to be a familiar city skyline. I rose up from the ground and I saw all of the bodies—Pinkie, Fluttershy, Frank, Len, Rarity, and countless others all laid dead before my feet. I looked further on and I saw Twilight, Rainbow Dash, my father, my son, Rin, Jason, Aunt Jess, Joel, Diamond Tiara, and several others that I knew were still alive.

“Sad... isn’t it?” A familiar voice behind me asked.

I slowly turned to see Bell behind me, sharpening her knife and a bullet hole in her head.

“You... you’re dead.” I remembered.

Bell scoffed and tossed her knife away.

“They’re all dead, Kyle... because of you. You tried to be the hero and save them all, but... you failed. You failed, and now all you have left to do is mourn. Or are you finally going to reach down and pull out what I always thought was in you?” Bell asked.

I looked on in confusion before looking at my hand and seeing it restored...

“You know why I cut off your hand, Kyle? It was because I knew from the moment we sat down and talked that you had your demons, and God, was I right? I mean, sleeping with your teacher, impregnating her, then going out of your way to date your long-lost sister? That’s messed up, Kyle... That’s really messed up, and don’t forget that other white-haired girl whose throat you stabbed with that exact blade in your hand...”

I felt my fistclench at that statement, I knew she wasn’t real, but her words were absolutely true.

“Scootaloo’s dead, Kyle... and Alice, and Cole. Because you wanted to go out there and make a difference, instead of accepting what you are: A monster. Embrace your calling and do what you have to do... fight.”

I shook my head in denial, feeling a scream of anger build up inside of my chest. Bell walked closer and pushed her forehead into mine.

“Kneel down, Kyle. Plunge your hands into the darkness and pull out the savage, raw power inside you and use it! Use... that power and fight... and win.” Bell’s voice began to fade away along with the scene before me and I watched as the bodies, the buildings, and even the sky itself turn to fire.

I shut my eyes from the light and as it faded...

I slowly opened my eyes as I was loaded on the ground, Twilight sitting next to me while I was still being drained...

“Kyle? Kyle, are you there?! Kyle?!”

I fell asleep again, unable to stay awake.

I opened my eyes again to see that I was on a hill overlooking the city and at the top of the hill was...

“How’s it going, Kyle?” Daisuke asked me.

I froze, I knew that this wasn’t real, but I wanted to believe it... I ran over and hugged him and I felt his arm wrap around me.

“Daisuke, I... I’m so sorry for what happened, maybe if I kept trying, kept fighting, maybe I--”

He stopped me, raising his hand to calm me.

“Listen, Kyle... my daughter...she was strong... and you always were a lot like her—I suppose the who sibling thing makes sense, after all.”

Ichuckled and tilted my head slightly.

“Yeah, that... was kind of a surprise.” I added.

“Yeah, I see that.” Daisuke laughed along with me.

This... this was how things were meant to be—our family, alive and growing together... but that’s not what happened.

“No... it’s not. Everything that Bell said to you... as much as I hate to admit it, she’s right.”

That caught me off-guard, I didn’t expect him to actually agree with his sister-in-law's killer.

“But... what about--”

“Did I ever tell you about Dark, Kyle?”

Dark—his family curse in a way, Scootaloo told me what she knew from Daisuke.

“Yeah... he was the spirit of an art thief, a family thing, right?” I asked.

“Yes... he is the embodiment and pure example of thievery. He was a wanted man for over 40 years after he disappeared... mainly because my mother wasn’t able to summon him. He and I disagreed at first, but as time passed, we understood each other. We learned from each other, and in time, we learned to work together. Light and Dark, fighting as one. That’s what you need to be, Kyle—don't let your rage consume you, but don’t just neglect it. Fight, for everyone you’ve lost and everything you still have to lose.” Daisuke’s voice began to fade away as well, causing me to run at him, only for the world around me to flash white.

“...Alright, stop!” Autumn Flier’s words brought me back to reality as I collapsed on the ground gasping for air, feeling as if I had no energy...

The Trix looked on and laughed as Apple Bloom mockingly swung down on Jason, only to stop at the last minute.

“Oh, look who’s back to the land of the living. He’s a fighter... unlike someone I know...” Apple Bloom gestured to Autumn who was starting to look like his old self again.

I looked at my hand and saw that it was wrinkled and shriveled... I then glanced into a puddle and saw that my face was also shriveled away, just like Autumn’s was when we first got lined up...

“It’s a side effect of the extraction process. Don’t worry, it wears off—you'll be back to your old self in no time.” Icy smirked as I clenched my prosthetic fist in anger, the metallic fingers digging into the dirt.

“Alright, we’re done here. Load it up, folks—we're headin’ home!” Apple Bloom ordered.

The Trix sneered a bit and began to hover above the ground until they flew off into the night sky.

“Tssh... show-offs.” Apple Bloom scoffed.

She turned back to me and saw that I still had a look of rage in my eye and she walked over to me, swinging her mace as she did.

“Just so we’re clear, Kyle... killing Scootaloo was no accident. I wanted to send a message through that thick skull of yours that you shouldn’t have killed Top Dog... think of it as an eye for an eye. And as for Rob... the man was an idiot—and yeah, killing Celestia would’ve started a war... if anything, I just stopped one.” Apple Bloom growled in my ear and pulled away, possibly eager to leave, and tossing out three sheets as she went, possibly for the bodies...

“I’m glad we could even out our score, now make sure that it stays even. I do not wanna have to do that stunt again...” Apple Bloom called out as she hopped into a small buggy and drove off.

A moment of silence kicked in as we all turned to each other, some of us more devastated than others. None of us knew what to say to each other, except for Jason.

“Applejack?” He called out.

She didn’t respond as she ran over and hugged him, sobbing as she did. He hugged her back and looked onto Aunt Jess, who smiled through her tears. She then turned to Rich and held him in an embrace, as Rich deeply sighed as he kept his silence. The two then ran over to Jason and Applejack, and was joined by my father, and they all shared a crying group hug.

As they did, Jason’s shirt lifted up a little, and I noticed a form of brand on his back, consisting of two antlers and a broken heart in the center...

Twilight, Rainbow, and I all turned to each other in a fury of emotions—rage and sadness being the strongest.

“We’re gonna kill them... not yet, but we will.” I assured them.

I looked over to the strangers—a kid with a pink hat and a scar running down his cheek, the guy with the red spiked hair wearing a scowl, a blonde in what seemed to be a set of green body armor, two red-heads—one wearing the same kind of armor as the blonde, some weird guy with a white buttoned-shirt and a set of small glasses, and another with blue hair and a black hoodie.

“You’re all welcome to join us, if you want... we’ll need the numbers.” I told them.

“Wherever they go, we go.” The kid in the pink hat said.

Jason broke away and came over to me.

“Hey, little dude...” Jason sheepishly said.

I slightly smiled and stood up, now at equal height with my cousin, if not a few millimeters taller...

“Hey.” I said, my eyes starting to water as I saw Scootaloo’s body on the ground...

“This was my fault...” One blue-haired guy in the far left said.

I glanced at him but Jet Set’s groans took me by surprise...

I turned to see that the Trix left him behind, and as a result, he was bawling into the ground...

I felt that anger boil up inside of me as my glance shifted back to Scootaloo’s corpse... I didn’t need any other source of inspiration as I slowly, weakly walked over, careful not to disturb Scootaloo, and balled my prosthetic fist, and grabbed Jet Set by his hair with my good hand. He glanced up at me as I brought my knuckles down into his face, hearing a crunch as his nose began to bleed... I didn’t care as I punched him a second time, now with more rage and vigor... I then let go of his hair and let out one last punch, knocking him down to the ground, spitting out blood...

“Restrain him, and let’s go...” I said as the group began to rise and Rainbow Dash grabbed a sheet, followed by Twilight and Jason...

I turned to the others, most of them either covered in dirt and blood or still suffering from the shock...

“They started a war... they don’t know it yet, but they did... when we’re ready... we’re going to fight them... and we’re gonna win.”

No-one said a word... they all just nodded or seemingly agreed with me as we started carrying the bodies onto the bus...