Zombie Chronicles: New World Order

After several drama-filled days, we were finally able to give Scootaloo, Cole, and Alice a proper funeral. Kat was at her two friend’s graves while Twilight, Rainbow, and I were in the front, with Sombra giving a eulogy for them.

“In the time I knew Scootaloo Niwa-Williams, she always wanted to prove herself to the people she cared about. She’d go out on runs whenever she got the chance, help find our missing people... and even help people who thought couldn’t be helped...”

I noticed that Rin looked down to the floor at that statement, with a tear running down her cheek. I then saw my father stand, setting his hand on my shoulder.

“There’s a lot of things I wish I could change in my life... not telling my son about my daughter’s existence is just part of that list... but, despite the... awkwardness—Scootaloo was there when my son needed someone—anyone—to help guide him. I just wish I got to know my own daughter...” His voice cracked toward the end as he sat back down.

Sombra let out a short sigh of remorse before continuing.

“Though I didn’t very much know Alice or Cole... going from how Cole fought back—I can make the assumption that he was a family man... he died trying to keep his family safe. And Alice--”

Kat stood up, walking up and standing next to Sombra.

“I knew Cole and Alice since high school... I met Alice and introduced her to Cole and...” Kat took a moment before continuing, possibly lamenting on ‘Frosty’...

“No. I won’t let my friends die in vain, and neither should any of you. If you don’t fight... you die.” Kat said as she stormed away from the funeral.

We were all distraught by her temper, but she was right—we need to fight the Trix because if we don’t-- they’d just kill us, and from what I heard, it’s what they do...

After the funeral, I managed to spot that Blazing Waters guy—the one from the New World Order—talking to Rainbow Dash... or trying to.

“...You don’t remember me? M-Ms. Harshwinny’s class, lower-left row, junior year?” He asked, much to Rainbow’s struggle to remember.

“Hmm... I think I do—you were the guy with the... uh... I think you had that laptop, with the stickers?” She struggled.

“Uh... I think I did—wait, no, that was... damn, who was that guy?”

I decided to cut that awkward conversation short before it got worse.

“Blazing. Can I borrow you for a moment?” I asked him.

He nodded and awkwardly waved goodbye before walking over to me.

“Y-yeah?” He asked.

“I was hoping we could talk about what you know on the New World Order. Anything you know could help us.” I said to him.

He sighed, and signaled that we go on the porch of the house he chose. I nodded and we sat up there, looking over the street in front of us.

“Okay... so, where do I start? When the world fell, the Trix were... God, I don’t know how to explain this to make sense—they were trapped in some... magic book.”

Trapped... in a book? That was a new one.

“Okay... keep going.” I said, just deciding to roll along.

“By then, Apple Bloom was in Texas with some relatives because of something she did back home. She made her way back up here to find someone, but... it didn’t end well. She eventually found the New World Order’s base... an abandoned cave system used for mining back in the day—built with several airways and had several entrances... that cave your team hit? That was just a small sector. A little later on, Apple Bloom came across the book they were trapped in after it was abandoned—the Legendarium, I think it was called, something like that. Anyway, once Apple Bloom freed them... they struck a deal. With the Trix’s power and Apple Bloom’s... charisma, they were able to create a following from nearby refugee camps. The Dogs came with the Trix, apparently they were their enforcers out here...”

The Dogs worked for the Trix? They burned my father’s orphanage to the ground... was it for them?

“How... do you even know all of this?” I asked him—it seemed odd how much he knew on them...

Blazing sighed and leaned back, seemingly taking a moment.

“I did a few... odd favors for them, back when I first joined.” He said to me.

I took a moment before realizing exactly what he meant.

“Oh...” I whispered, almost chuckling.

“Yeah... I was... morally grey back then, y’know? I figured... why not? Kept me fed, safe... then I saw what they really are, and I couldn’t anymore.”

I sighed, realizing that we may have a few things in common, and thanked him, getting up to leave.

“Jason was there, too.” He said without looking at me.

I stopped, letting out a faint sigh.

“Okay... what’s your point?” I asked him.

Blazing got up and glanced at me.

“You heard what Apple Bloom said—Jason was their puppet, some toy that they threw away after they were done with it. He was a slave to them in every possible way, and now it seems like he has no idea... unless he’s faking it.” He said to me.

I almost wanted to punch him, but I then realized that he had a point—Jason seemed wrecked when he and Twilight were in that van, but now he’s seemingly back to normal...

Could he be faking it?

“Thanks for the input, Blazing...” I said as I walked away, hoping to talk to Jason whenever I got the chance.

I knew that Applejack and I had to talk about it—we couldn’t avoid it.

We were having dinner from the pantry they had, AJ cooked while I simply thought over how I was going to say it...

“So... AJ...” I started, letting out a sigh as I started.

“Yeah?” She asked me.

Well... here goes.

“You know Clover, right?” I asked her.

She must’ve picked up on what I was about to say as she simply nodded with a kind of glint in her eye.

“Yeah... and we both know that we haven’t seen each other in almost 3 years, so if you’re sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’, just know that I don’t hate you for it...” She said to me.

I sighed, knowing that I still had to say it...

“...A year ago, I slept with Clover... twice—maybe three times, I... can’t really remember.” I “confessed”.

Applejack didn’t say anything—she didn’t have to. Her understanding smile was all I needed to see.

“I’m not mad, sugarcube—you thought I was dead, I thought the same ... there’s no shame in tryin’ to move on... in fact, I’m glad you did—there'd been no use wailin’ over me for the rest of your life.”

Honestly, I expected that reaction from her, but that didn’t make me feel any better about it all.

“Okay, but you’re here, now... So, what happens from here?” I asked.

Applejack took a moment before shrugging.

“I... don’t know. You really don’t remember a thing that the Trix did to you?” She asked me.

Truthfully, I’ve caught glimpses at my body while I was in astral form—the tortured state it was in... but I chose to ignore them since I’d wake up every day good as new.

“No, not everything... I have an idea of what they did, but nothing scarring.” I said before realizing the scar on my eye.

That one came from before then.

She seemed like she was about to ask about it, but she withdrew.

She then formed a smirk and glanced up at me.

“This isn’t the part when ya’ll tell me she got pregnant, right?”

I almost spit out my food as I coughed and shook my head.

“No! Nope, no, no, no! No baby Clover-Jasons anytime soon!” I screamed out in humor.

Like that... a large part of the weight of guilt on my chest that I’ve been carrying is gone. After two years of training and a year as a prisoner... I think I’d be able to live normally again...