Zombie Chronicles: New World Order

The crowd's reaction was a mixture of confusion and angry whispers... I did what I could to calm them, but nothing worked...

“How can we trust the Imperium if some... molester’s their leader?!” A person asked from the crowd.

I sighed and decided to break the ice the only way I knew how.

“I know what she did was wrong... most would say it was taboo... but it was a lifetime ago. Another time—another world. Now, I know I made her seem like a threat... but that was what I thought of her, but... clearly, I have a lot to think about. I’m as uncertain about this as you all are, but one thing I know is that the Imperium can either be our greatest ally... or our worst enemy.”

That seemed to work as everyone fell silent, save for a few whispers. From the other street, Thorax cleared his throat as he entered my view.

“Queen Chrysalis has also discussed a form of trade between us—if you should accept... we couldn’t help but notice that your ammunition supply is low...” He said.

I knew what he meant—if we were to go to war with the New World Order, we’ll need more than what we have.

“We’ll consider her offer... but for now, we should discuss the main reason you’re here.” I said as I went to leave with the rest of the council.

We turned the street and reached the warehouse that we were repurposing as our town hall. We went inside and shut the door behind us, the large building echoing our voices...

“So... we should discuss whether or not to go through with this. A trade would do good, but... even we don’t have enough to go up against the Trix...” Thorax said.

I sighed and took a seat, Rainbow Dash baring a look of scorn at Thorax.

“Well, I don’t know—a tank could do miracles...” She bitterly mumbled.

Thorax didn’t take offense to that comment and stood up to add his input.

“Sorry, but the tank was a one-time-deal—it was abandoned after the... slaughter.” Thorax chose his words carefully.

“Yeah-- more like a massacre.” Rainbow added—clearly that wording wasn’t enough.

Thorax went to say something, but withdrew, standing down before starting a more heated argument.

“What happened at Sanctuary was a massacre, but we’ve seen to it that everyone involved didn’t set foot back into the Imperium...” He said with an ambiance...

Strange—I thought he said that they never came back at all... was there more than he was letting on?

“We can talk about the past another time—but for now, let’s talk about the present-- do we know where the New World Order’s base is? As in their main base of operations...” I asked.

“Actually-- your guys were in it—a small part of it, anyway. They inhabit the whole entire cave—there's at least several hundred soldiers as their population—no innocents, no children.” Thorax told us.

“Then what’s stopping us from just lighting it on fire when they’re sleeping? If the flames won’t kill them, the smoke will...” Twilight said to him.

Whoa...

Thorax and Rainbow were both caught off-guard like I was by Twilight’s morbid comment, and the former cleared his throat, still showing a sense of nervousness.

“Well, first off—it's a cave, it won’t burn easily, and they have airways from back in the mining days. Second—the Trix could just put it out...”

The rest of the meeting was about trade—the proposition that the Imperium gives us ammunition in exchange for fuel and possible construction labor. I said I’d bring it before the council and our construction crew and we ended it there, Thorax heading out with his other Knights who were socializing with the other townspeople.

“...Yeah, it’s been a while since I was back here... I’m thinking on staying, but that might be another time.” A very familiar voice said beside us.

I turned to see the back of a female Knight with straight, pink hair and yellow skin...

“Fluttershy?” I asked.

She turned around and saw me—and her prideful smile faded away and the shock set in... the person who I hadn’t seen since Sanctuary fell was right in front of me—and most of all, she was with them.

“...Kyle?” She whispered as she answered her own question by running at me and holding me in a deathly hug—mostly thanks to her armor.

I did what I could to hug her back, but my arms were mainly being constricted by Fluttershy’s arms.

“Kyle! H... how’ve you been?!” She asked me with an excited tone.

“I’ve been... it’s complicated.” I let out a chuckle as Twilight looked towards her with an unfamilar glance.

Fluttershy chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Yeah... I get that.” She smiled, seemingly recalling on different times...

We stayed silent for a moment, taking in the shock of seeing Fluttershy again, until things only got better...

“Fluttershy-- where are...” I turned to see Riku run up to us.

Oh, boy...

“Kyle?!” Riku ran up and held me in an embrace—similar to the one from Fluttershy, except I moved my arms in advance.

I couldn’t even begin to form my words on anything that happened after Sanctuary as my father, carrying Starswirl, approached us...

“Riku Niwa? Your Scootaloo’s adopted mother...” He said to her.

Riku released me and turned to my father.

“Y-yeah—how is she? Where is she, I thought she’d be with you.” She said to me.

My dad looked at me and I mouthed out “She doesn’t know” the best I could, and he nodded.

“Ms. Niwa... there’s a lot we have to discuss. You, Kyle, and I... Come with me and we’ll talk about it.” He said, leading her to the house.

“And who’s this—don't tell me you and Scoots had a kid!” She gasped in joy as she gestured if she could hold Starswirl and my father handed her over.

“Uh... no. I-it’s a long story, and we should talk about it inside... all of us.” I told her.

Riku’s smile started to fade as she started to catch on.

Now to tell the awkward and tragic story of Scootaloo Niwa-Williams...

During the retelling of the story, Riku’s expression went from happy, to horrified, to destroyed, all in the span of 9 minutes...

“God...” She simply whispered, still trying to grasp the concept that for almost two years, I had unknowingly been dating my long-lost sister.

Yeah...

“So... this Apple Bloom, that’s the reason you came to the Imperium? To talk to Chrysalis about fighting back?” She asked me.

I nodded, unready to go into our awkward story just yet.

“I... figured that you wouldn’t go back there just to make up... we went there because we had no choice, unless we wanted to starve to death. Trust me, it took a long time for me to forgive them for what they did to us... but I guess in this world, everyone deserves a second chance.” Riku said.

Everyone, huh? Including a woman who beat her best friend’s skull in like a pinata?

I chose not to add my input and asked her what her plan was—stay here or go back to the Imperium.

“I... don’t know. I hoped to find Scootaloo here, but... I was too late.” She said, readjusting her gauntlet as she went to leave with the other Knights.

“The funerals are tomorrow, if you want to stay here for the night. I can escort you back to the Imperium after...”

I saw Riku hesitate as she went out to talk to the others, possibly to see if she could stay with us.

I sighed and turned to my dad— and my eyes set on Starswirl, my own son, who I never really acknowledged ever since I learned about him...

“Can I... see him?” I asked my dad.

He hesitated for a moment and lifted him up, handing him to me as Twilight and Rainbow met up with us.

“Uh, you still know how to hold them, right?” Dad asked, while chuckling.

“Yeah-- I still remember the younger ones back at the orphanage...”

Like that—me and my son locked eyes, and I lost all train of thought. I had no idea what I was feeling—shock? Pride? Joy?

Looking back, I think it was love... unconditional love that I instantly swore to protect until the day I died...

“W...who?” He asked, pointing a finger at me.

My dad started to shed a tear as he leaned down next to us.

“This is your daddy, bud... your actual daddy...” He said.

Starswirl glanced at me, resting his hand on my cheek...

“D...daddy?”

I let out a short smile and nodded as the other two moved over to me, both eager to greet the kid.

“Hi... I’m... your daddy’s... friend.” Rainbow said, holding out a finger as he grabbed it.

Twilight let out a small smile as she did the same, Starswirl using his other hand to grab her present finger.

“Twily!” He called out in joy, an act that melted my heart.

“The whole time I was helping Adagio raise him, I had no idea that he was your son...” Twilight said, laughing in glee.

Just like that... I realized that everyone in that room was my family. Twi, Dash, my dad, and my son. Everyone out there was part of that family, and I swore that I won’t fail to protect them again—that I’d die for them if I had to. I’d do whatever it’d take to keep them safe...

Whatever it'd take.