“You must promise me that you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless...”

*** *** ***

[EMERGENCY POWER OVERRIDE COMPLETE]

Access Granted

The door slid open with a satisfying hiss, nearly diving through the doorway to hit the counter door panel. It closed just as the ponies rounded the corner, their bullets ricocheting off the opposite side of the steel panels. The fire only lasted a few more seconds before they finally gave in to the futility of shooting through it.

I sighed, trying to shut out every other emotion except for relief. I slumped against the wall, suddenly realizing that I was right back to where I started the day... alone. I couldn’t help but feel a silent pain in my chest... Yet the physical feeling of pain, in both my head and my leg, returned to me like a magical gust of fire.

Glitter, what she’d just done, for me of all ponies, felt like an endless void of a nightmare that you couldn’t wake up from. I gazed down at the administrative photo of her face, centered on her Badge ID card. Her expression was plain and emotionless, just like everypony else's photo, yet I begged for her to so much as smile back at me. Just give me that confident smirk from when we were stupid kids! Or just... anything!

Glitter... aww shit, Glitter. Why the fuck did you do that!? We had a plan! Hell, it was your plan! You... you didn't have to go-... Damnit! What am I going to do now?

*** *** ***

For the first time, after what seemed like hours -but was only several excruciating minutes according to my Pip-Buck- of struggling to unravel the nightmarish turn of events, I looked up to see the heavenly sight of untouched Equestrian-made weaponry. “Wow...” I actually found myself smiling in surprise at my murmur. For a minute, I had forgotten all my troubles, all of the deaths and sorrow and losses, losing myself in what I could only explain to be security officer heaven, and took in what power awaited me. “Thank you Stable-Tec.”

...never thought I’d ever say that out loud.

Just as I was beginning to calm down, the sound of several automatic rifles began to fire in unison, just outside from where I was standing, hearing more bullets ricochet off the opposite side of the door. I yelped, startled as I jumped from where I sat, feeling another surge of pain rocket through me from the sudden movements of my injured limbs. I landed on my side, knocking a grunt out of my lungs before frantically scrambling back to my hooves.

What in the name Celestia's..!? What? Are they just shooting the room out of spite!?

"The door is made of steel, you dumb sons of bitches!" I scoffed, before catching my breath. I placed a hoof over my heart, sighing from the relative safety of the sealed door, as I turned toward the center of the armory.

Even with the power override, they won’t be able to get in without Blue level clearance... which apparently some of them might have. Here’s hoping they’re not smart enough to check the security ponies that we killed earlier.

Isle after isle of shelved weaponry and ammunition stretched across the entirety of the room. I had always come through here to get to the gun range in the back, but even with the special clearance given to me by the Overmare, I only got to use the standard issue security weapons like the 10mm pistol or riot shotgun. Only by the rare favor owed to me or the occasional worthy gamble, did I ever get to use the bigger sized guns locked behind the security glass. Breaking into those would give me a permanent record of all sorts of code violations.

I smirked as I looked back down at Glitter’s Access Card. “Alright Glits… Don’t fail me now.” I reached the security window, before waving the badge in front of the card reader.

Access Granted

The glass suddenly unlocked and slid open, giving me hoof-reach access to machine and submachine guns, auto shotguns, and assault rifles. My smirk curled into a grin that may have looked just a bit maniacal in the glass' reflection. Quickly unlatching the hooks that held one of the heavy machineguns to the wall, my greedy magic wrapped tight around it and levitated it out into the open armory.

“Time to get some revenge...”

*** *** ***

“Alright you grime lickers...” I hit the control panel, readying myself with the machinegun and several belts of .50 caliber rounds wrapped around my barrel and draped across my back. While my magic lightened the load a little, I was definitely weighed down, just enough for it to be difficult to move, especially with a crippled foreleg.

Well... it wasn't like I was hauling these rounds for show and tell. The load will get lighter, one by one, once I'm through with these bastards outside.

As soon as the door slid open, I galloped out, straining my leg as I sprayed my entire surroundings with thunderous gun fire, making my ears ring with every rapid-fire 'boom!'. But I didn't care, the feeling of adrenaline pulsing through my skull numbing the ear ache for now. The machinegun orbited around me in my magic, pulling half a belt of ammunition through in the process. “YEEEAAAAHHHH!!! DIE! Di-... Woah!” My hooves suddenly stumbled over something on the floor in front of me. I fell forward, the extra weight of the ammo throwing me off balance, while my magic soon lost its grip on the heavy gun... Well, not its entire grip. The machinegun clattered on the floor with a metallic thud, its spent cartridges sprinkling around it like brass hail. Meanwhile, I landed on my face, which proceeded to splash in the red sticky carnage of several dead maintenance ponies around me.

Okay... I'm pretty sure, the last time I checked, there was only one pony here who was shot.

The thought was temporarily incinerated from my mind after a rather large bullet whizzed passed my head. “Woah, shit!” I hissed, ducking my head flat against the floor as I realized my horn was still glowing, and my magic was still tightly clenching the machinegun’s trigger, making it spin on its side while sending .50 caliber bullets flying in every direction. I quickly cut my magic, but not before the gun ate up the rest of the ammo belt, allowing a few hallow clicks to insult my injury.

Oh, come on! Is it really that hard to control? And no... I’m not talking about my magic! That could have happened to any unicorn! But... with this gun’s size and all... aside from carrying it and its ammo around, it shouldn’t have been anything more than a point and shoot weapon. I shouldn’t even have to aim with it! I mean look at this thing!

I groaned, hesitant to hoist myself back up with my hooves as I observed four extra dead ponies on the floor. Fresh blood trailed through the rest of the halls, both presumably through the way they came and through the only exit. I looked around, mentally bucking myself for not doing so before I charged out guns blazing, as I scanned my EFS for anything that might still be alive. I gulped anxiously after seeing none.

Well, something killed these ponies!

I thought back to the shots that I’d heard after I bolted inside the armory. My mane suddenly stood on end, the thought leading me to observe the several rounds of spent ammunition casings -that were not from my non-lethal shooting spree- surrounding the bodies, all peppered with a fatal amount of assault style rifle rounds. Then I remembered the gun shots, all firing in unison, not sloppy like maintenance pony riot attacks, but instead, more organized like a security firing squad.

They... they were killed by somepony else? Maybe... Maybe it was other survivors and... the rest of Security must not have been taken! And maybe Glitter’s still...

I was about to sigh at the ridiculous yet wishful thought, before my ears perked at the sound of voices. My head swiveled quick towards the hallway where the trail of blood, bodies, and empty cartridges led from.

Wait... Glossy Spring... She told me about the other ponies. The ponies that helped them blow a hole through the cavern slab. But another group of outsiders showed up and started killing them. It was the... No. No, there’s no way that can be possible. It’s almost been 200 years!

I looked back to my machinegun, giving it a hesitant glare before floating it back to my side. I struggled to replace the ammo belt with a full one. With my patience running thin, I growled out of frustration and smacked the top of the feeder with my hoof, doing my best to push the belt in without causing a jam.

Okay... maybe going with the biggest gun in the armory, that I doubt anypony has even used before today, was not the best choice. Seriously, I’m more of a quick and discreet kind of pony, not one who just charges in head on, guns blazing. Too many eyes on me at once. It feels weird! Plus, there's no way I can keep moving around like this, especially with my busted foreleg. But... Glitter did say to load up with as much firepower as possible...

Last time I listen to her... I mentally laughed at the thought, before realizing the quite literal possibility of that being the last time I’d ever be able listen to her. I sighed, considering just dropping the heavy weapon for something lighter and easier to sneak around with, before the sound of somepony’s hooves, approaching through nearby doorways, reached my ears with a twitch.

I narrowed my eyes, the hoof steps gradually shrinking in distance, and growing louder. I pulled the bolt back with a click-clack, gambling the better odds of hitting my target with my current gun, as I limped closer, down the hallway, following the trail of dead maintenance ponies to the far door. I came to a halt, hearing the hoof steps just through the next room, like they were only seconds away from opening the door and trotting right into me. My lungs quickly expanded... and I held my breath for the inevitable.

The door opened... and a pony dressed in some kind of tactical gear casually stepped toward me, carrying what looked like an assault rifle in its mouth. Wait... scratch that. It was NOT a pony. Not even before the door had completely opened, the equine had froze at the sight of me standing in front of it, aiming a .50 caliber machinegun at his head.

Is that... what I think it is!?

If it were any other pony, I might have thought he was part of some kind of... Stable-Tec salvage crew. But... this wasn’t just any kind of pony. In fact, if it weren’t for my utter shock of what I was looking at, I wouldn’t have even hesitated to fire an entire belt of ammo into every inch of its body, no matter how yellow my EFS was telling me his blip was.

I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, just staring each other down, waiting for one of us to make even the slightest sign of movement. Some kind of gasmask covered its face, the assault rifle somehow fixed into it, along with a dark grey military uniform with harnesses and ammo pouches covering its body. Not Equestrian or Stable-Tec colors. And speaking of colors... there were none that I could make out on what wasn’t covering its coat, or its mohawk sticking out of the top of its mask. Just black and white... S-S-STRIPES?!! Yeah... stripes that traveled from its exposed ears, all the way to its puckered up tail with tuffs of hair at the end, that stiffened at an angled behind him... Definitely not a pony.

I felt my eye twitch, while its ear flicked through the opening in its gasmask, followed by a metallic click from its mouth. That was all I needed to hear. His blip suddenly flickered, though I hardly paid attention to it. For all I know, it could have turned from yellow to red. Or yellow to blue. Or yellow to... whatever the hay other colors my EFS had! Not that it mattered. It only existed for a few seconds before the end of the stalemate.

Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell, or S.A.T.S is one of the functions that us Pip-Buck wearers have the luxury of having, specifically a spell matrix to assist in combat. Most ponies in the stable rarely use it in peace time, but when trouble comes knocking, you’re better safe than sorry. From frying pans to 10mms, S.A.T.S gives you a huge advantage when you’re trying to hit something. Hell, the first time I ever used it was in maintenance, when I squashed a radroach under a pipe-wrench. It wouldn’t be the last time it came in handy.

Time appeared to slow to a crawl as the targeting spell matrix showed me all my options. Head, legs, weapon, with the torso showing my highest chance of accuracy. So, with enough spell power to shoot at least half the ammo belt into him, I placed all of my targeting brackets over his torso.

I guess the war isn’t over yet...

The spell charged and I squeezed the trigger in my magic. S.A.T.S was in control now, making my aim much more straight with the heavy gun than normal.

“Zebra...” I muttered, before slowly raising my voice to a shout. “...Zebra... Z-Z-ZEBRA!!!” I could barely hear my own blood curdling scream over the sound of my machinegun booming around me, echoing continuously in a vortex of Equestrian made magic. I watched the bullets tear the striped stallion's body apart... literally. His painful scream only lasted for a second before he was shredded by the large caliber penetrations. His limbs detached from his body, his organs bursting out through his chest, before his head exploded into gory chunks of brain and skull. Finally, after a molasses period of thunderous gunfire, S.A.T.S let go of my magic, and time returned to normal... but the thunder wouldn’t stop. It took all my energy to finally release my own magical grip from the trigger, the gun’s fire ceasing only after it ate the entire ammo belt, finally stopping with a click. Even then, it was hard to let go.

I found myself out of breath, staring down at the bloody pile of striped equine stew that I’d cooked up as if I were the personal chef for death itself. There was... barely anything left of him. You couldn’t even tell if he was a zebra anymore... and I did that to him... I... I didn’t mean to lose control like that, but I... I just-... Oh, Luna...

My forehoof suddenly slapped to my mouth, preparing for a violent expulsion of vomit.

Zebras... Goddamn Zebras!? Oh crap, are we under attack!? How the fuck did they get here!? What about our National Guard and the Army!? And what about the radiation levels!? Our analysts said that there were pockets of survivable levels, but most of everywhere else is supposed to be fatal! There’s no way Zebras could have crossed over! We-..! Okay... get a hold of yourself, Sparks. We need to contact the national authorities. This has officially gone beyond Stable-Tec’s jurisdiction. If the zekes are still out there, then the Equestrian Army ought to be too. C’mon, think! Uh... The coms center! Melody Charm could send a distress call, if... if by some miracle she’s still here and alive. Shit! If she were... she would have sent one by now... If I could just get my Badge ID... and find where Glitter ran off with Khan’s, we could open up Melody’s radio studio with an override.

My ears perked again at voices, this time sounding more frantic as I recognized that... they weren’t speaking any language that I understood. Rarely anypony down here spoke anything else than Equestrian Ponish. Sliding another ammo belt into my gun, -and wiping my mouth free of my stomach contents- I limped through the door that the Zebra entered through, kicking aside his pulpy organs and severed limbs. I headed for the next room, my hooves making sticky wet pops with every step.

*** *** ***

“I’m not telling you anything! Let me go!”

Oh... You have no idea how happy I was to hear that voice, no matter how in distress it was.

Glitter, being the only pony that my Pip-Buck had tagged as ‘friendly’, was but a single green blip in a room holding several red ones, all talking in strange tongues. Well... except for one. There was a stallion speaking rather aggressively to her in what I could only assume was zebra, before another spoke to her in... pony. Quietly putting my ear to the door, I listened.

Wait... that’s no zebra!

“Uh huh, okay.” A pony with a softer voice cleared their throat. Not quite feminine sounding, though the stallion spoke with about as much masculinity as a preteen colt. “He wants you to calm down.”

“CALM!?” She scowled. “Do I not sound CALM TO YOU!?” Her voice echoed through the wall, dwarfing all the other zebra sounds around them. “Tell him to stick his encryption up his ass!”

“Y-you...” He stuttered nervously. “O-oh boy. Do you really want me to translate that?”

She gave a very angry huff. I could almost picture her blowing her mane out of her eyes again. “What I really want is for all of you to get the fuck out of my Stable!”

BANG! BANG!

“AHH!” Glitter shrieked, painfully whimpering as I heard her body slump against the floor. “That’s... bullshit..!” I wasted no time after hearing that, quickly flipping the switch on the door panel as it slid open. I stumbled through, only to witness every head and eye immediately turn towards me. There was about five striped equines within my sight, one Earth pony stallion with a dirty white coat, frazzled black mane and big circular glasses over his eyes, and one Glitter Punch, a hole in each of her forelegs, blood beginning to matte around them in her charcoal fur. “S-Sparky!?” She cried, her eyes drifting in shock to the end of the very large barrel of my gun. “Oh crap..!”

Usually, if it was just me, my .45 and my dossier targets, I'd likely be able to make short work of these punks by simply sneaking in and pulling the trigger while they weren’t looking. Sure there’d be some commotion, but I could probably silence that as soon as it started. This is not one of those usual times. I’ve got a gun half my size, a broken leg, voices in my head, and everypony… and everyzebra... was staring right at me! There’s no way I’d be able to take them all out... Even the translator pony’s blip was red on my EFS. The asshole is going to make me kill him, isn't he!

“Glitter..!” My lips curled down in a scowl, clenching my jaw as I scanned every red blip with a gritty stare. The zebras themselves almost seemed too shocked to react at first. “Don't forget, I'm a dork!” She looked at me, completely baffled by my words, before her eyes suddenly widened... and she dropped to the floor at the same time the zebras began to raise their guns.

*** *** ***

Painful, painful moans... A decent amount of them too. I was able to tag a couple of the zekes in the room, the bullets easily missing a majority of them before they fled from my wild firing spree. I didn’t think it was possible to let my guard down with any seriousness at this point, but I definitely felt better at the sight of two zebras collapsed in a heap, squirming and moaning over their expanding puddles of bloody essence. They wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon.

I lifted my focus away from them for the moment, slowly limping toward what I guessed to be a treacherous zebra sympathizer, and my incapacitated friend. My magic cut, dropping the smoldering machinegun to the floor with an ear shattering clatter. I felt my hooves kick aside several spent caliber casings, hearing them roll away with an eerie jingle. I clenched my jaw tight as a few striped severed limbs, ripped apart by my fire, did the same. Swallowing my disgust, my magic reached inside my jacket and pulled out my 10mm.

I saw Glitter trying to stand on her bullet pierced limbs, whimpering as she tried to hold back tears. “Glitter...” I voiced, watching her wince in pain. Her eyes returned my concerned look. “Sit tight... Get ready. They’ll be back...”

She groaned with a nod, falling back on her haunches to lift her two mangled forelegs from the ground. Her lip quivered after finally absorbing what had happened to them, appalled by the image of her once strong and fit legs being left weak and broken. I gave her a sorry look... but I had bigger concerns at the moment. My gaze slowly turned to the white stallion.

One of the .50 calibers managed to ricochet into the stallion’s chest, rendering him to the floor, desperately wheezing for air on is back. After a hard cold stare, I raised my magic and pressed the end of my pistol against his forehead. Despite the hole in his ribcage, his vitals still seemed optimal enough to let him panic. He shuddered, looking cross-eyed at the gun pressed to his head. “W-wait..!” He yelped, giving a futile attempt of gesturing for me to put the gun down by waving his forehooves up at me. “...y-you don’t n-need to d-d-do that!”

“Give me a reason...” I growled through me teeth.

He gulped, only to choke a bit on his own blood as he tried to spit it from his lungs. “I-I... I want nothing to do with you or your stable! They picked me up outside of The Hoof! They told me they needed to access some data here, that’s all I know! I swear!” He coughed, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks in thick mud-like blobs.

I pressed the pistol harder against his head. “Why, in the name of Celestia, would you be working with zebras, you turn-coat son of a bitch!?”

“W-what!?” He gasped at the feeling of me driving the barrel harder against his skull. “N-no...” He let out a nervous chuckle, seemingly trying to collect his thoughts. “This is just a misunderstanding... There’s no more war between ponies and zebras!" He coughed, though it sounded forced as if to clarify his words. "W-well... not for us anyway. Ponies in the wasteland don't care anymore! It ended when the bombs fell! You stable ponies have been away for so long... It’s almost been 200 years! They don’t want to hurt you...”

My eye twitched at that as I glanced back towards Glitter’s blood soaked forelegs. She was busy giving him the dirtiest look in the history of Stable 17. My magic pulled the slide back, cocking the 10mm threateningly.

“It’s not my fault!” He screamed, catching our looks. “All they wanted were the files encrypted in your Stable’s data archive! These... cultist ponies kept putting up a fight!” He quickly nodded towards Glitter. “She was the only one who seemed she wasn’t a part of it, given she was trying to take five of them on at once! The Zebras wanted her to help them access the archives before you showed up!”

I raised my eyebrow. “All I’m hearing is more reasons to pull the trigger...”

His face cringed in fear, now beginning to cry. “No! Please! It wasn’t supposed to go down this way! They had caps! I-I... There aren’t a lot of ponies in the wastes that can speak zebra! They offered me so much! I needed it for my family! Please! I-I... I have three foals to feed!”

This was leaving me with more questions than actual answers. What the hell are caps? I groaned in annoyance. His whiny voice was starting to get on my nerves. “Celestia, you sound like a pencil neck...”

“Sparky!” Glitter shouted from behind me, looking somewhat saddened by what she was hearing. “Just... just let him go. He’s not worth it...”

I frowned at that, not daring to look her back in the eye as my magic began to squeeze the trigger.

BANG!

“AAAHHHHH!” He shrieked as the bullet sank into his left foreleg.

BANG!

...the other going into his right.

“Oh, Luna! Sparky!” Glitter gawked.

The buck shook and squirmed and screamed in pain, his limbs trembling from the lead snapping his bones... but it wouldn’t kill him. Not quickly anyway. Glitter gasped as I turned back towards her, leaving the whimpering heap of a pathetic stallion to his fate. She looked... frightened. By me or perhaps in general? It didn’t matter. She clenched her eyes shut a moment later to snap herself out of it. After what they did to her, she should know that was far more merciful than what he deserved. My horn glowed, wrapping my magic around her and pulling her up just enough for her to feel lighter on her hooves, though still touching the ground. I groaned, her weight putting an unpleasant pressure on my horn. “Can you--?”

“Yes...” She answered, quickly. “Yeah I... I think I can...” She tested the support her forelegs could hold, slowly standing on all four hooves. She hissed through her teeth as she did so. Even with my telekinesis assisting her, it still looked painful as hell.

Our ears perked at the sound of more zebra talk coming through the adjacent doors. We were out of time, and Glitter didn’t look remotely ready to run for her life. Showing less mercy for my own handicap, I expanded my aura around her, lifted her off the ground, and draped her over my back. “Gyah!” I yelped, feeling the extra pressure on my foreleg. I had to ignore it all though, moving as fast as my three good legs could carry myself and a full grown mare.

She gasped again at my apparent pain as I began to pick up our pace, grunting to myself with every step.

Oh... You had to run ahead, I thought, You had to choose now to be the hero, didn’t you... Just look where that got us...

*** *** ***

We had made our way back to the armory, the zebras still scattered about after my little charge. We snuck back through, this time with ease, now that the access power was rerouted to the door. To Glitter’s disappointment, as well as my own, she couldn’t use anymore guns or shoot at anything in her condition. She was losing blood, and fast. If we didn’t do anything about that, pretty soon, she’ll be about as useful as Glossy Spring. To my surprise, however, our luck was not completely in the gutter after all. I practically began to drool after finding a confiscated medical box. Still no healing potion -which was what both of us desperately needed at this point- but, some healing bandages and even another dose of painkillers. I thought carefully before trotting over to Glitter with the supplies in my magical tow. “Alright... on your ass, let’s go.”

“W-what..?” She forced what humor she had left into chuckle as she looked between me and the pink and yellow medical box. A sigh escaped her lungs, relaxing a bit and doing as I told her to when she realized what I had meant. I rolled my eyes at her look, watching me skeptically as I unraveled the bandages. “You sure you know what you're doing with those?” She asked, tired but still just as skeptical.

“Hold still, will ya..?” I chuckled with her, before returning a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, Glits… I’ve done this before.”

She hissed between a soft, and pretty cute giggle after saying that, while I wrapped the bandages around her wounds. “You... You haven’t called me that since we were foals, you know? Gosh, that... that feels like it was so long ago now.” She attempted to give me a stern look, but failed over her pained, yet rather bashful smile. “I always used to hate it when you did... and Celestia, I’d never know how much I’ve missed it, until...” Her eyes locked with mine. They’ve been doing that a lot lately, haven’t they... Celestia, she looked tired and beaten, like she’d been sucked dry of all her strength and last bit of hope.

We both held our gaze for a while, somewhat lost in each other. She hardly noticed that I had finished bandaging her legs, ignoring the amounts of blood being absorbed into the fabric, eventually helping to stop the bleeding. I could tell, just by the light in her eyes, that all of the emotions that had been building up, even the ones she was able to hold back from the last time, all of it, was coming out. As if that tiny foalhood memory of my nickname for her caused the final crack in the levy, leaving her mind to be flooded by everything.

Her eyes began to water, her ears twisted back against her head, and her lips quivered uncontrollably. She didn’t speak, only giving a cute sniffle as she leaned forward onto my chest, and began to sob. It was a quiet sob, sniffling more as she let her tears run down into my fur. She attempted to wrap her forelegs around me, trying desperately to feel our warm embrace again, but her new handicap wouldn’t allow it.

So... I did what I had to do... and wrapped my own legs around her instead.

“Ssshhhh…” I hushed her, gently rubbing her sides with my hooves to comfort her. Damnit Glitter... you had to go and get yourself shot... I wanted to chew her out for that, and believe me, I was never going to let her forget it, but... I knew this wasn’t the time. Not when she’s like this. So, I guess she could use a little sympathy. This time, I’m not going to brush her aside for getting too clingy, but to tell her... well, that her friend was there for her. Oh, son of a bitch, I was just glad that she was alive! I rested my chin against her head, burying my muzzle in her messy mane while breathing slowly, her pink hair tickling my nostrils. “Celestia… I thought you were dead, Glitter... I thought you were gone...” I whispered as she continued to cry.

I felt her shake against my chest. "...I-I'm sorry! I-I had to... Th-they... they were going to--" Her words broke, trying to speak through deep heaving sobs. I could only try to hold her tighter. "I'm... I'm fucking scared, Sparks... I... I don't want... I don't wanna die!"

“Hey! Hey, c'mon! It’s okay. You're not gonna die... Just--"

She disagreed immediately, shedding thicker tears as she wailed. "I will if I can't walk!!!" She sniffled, "A-a-and now you're gonna leave me!!!"

"What!?" I pulled back, my wide eyes and dropped jaw just staring at her. She'd actually think that I would--?

No I... I wouldn't! I couldn't! Not Glitter... I-- I think I might have wanted to cry after hearing that... Fuck, after what we had been through the last few hours, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I really did. Especially hearing those words... with what she said to me... But, I didn't. I may have wanted to, but... Celestia, I don't even know if I was capable of crying!

Glitter Punch, she... she deserved a time and a place for that. Now... Now it was just her time to cry. To just let it all out. I didn’t want to rob her of that... I just... wanted to help her do it comfortably. You could probably tell by now, but I'm obviously not much of the crying type. Isn't it an unspoken rule for stallions not to cry, anyway? While ponies like Glitter like to push their emotions into the limited capacity of the levy, I prefer to lock each and every one of mine away into their own coffins, hopefully never to see the living world again. What was left of it anyway...

She continued to cry, leaning into me again. I could feel her tears begin to matte my fur between the opening in my jacket. "I killed that mare, Spark... I killed her..." She wept through a shaky voice, her whole body still trembling. "She just wanted my h-h-help and I-- ...they're gonna get me like they got her! They're gonna get me for killing her! A-and..." She paused, drawing short, hyperventilated breaths as she slowly pulled away, looking down as if to avoid my confused wide-eyed stare. "Maybe... m-maybe they should... maybe--"

"Stop that!" My voice cracked, hugging her tight once more. Emotions creaked open inside me... and I hated it! "No they're not! You hear me? They're not gonna get you, alright!? Now say it! Say you're gonna be alright!"

Her shivering and blubbering cries only continued. She didn't want to believe it...

"SAY THE GODDAMN FUCKING WORDS, GLITTER!!!"

There was a long silence, her shivering and sniffling taking their time, only to gradually settle with every breath. Eventually her rattling fear and anxiety calmed back down to a simple sob. Her breath was still shaky, her eyes were still wet, her legs were still broken... but her voice... "I--" She gulped, "I-I don't... I don't want you to leave... Please say you won't leave me..."

Those words bit me deep. I wanted to scream it at her. I wanted her to know I'd never do that! After gaining her trust! After all these years! I couldn't just throw that away again... could I?

The question felt as if it were forced down my throat to squeeze the answer out of my heart. Could I? Would I? ...Should I?

Well, Spark... She's waiting. Say the goddamn fucking words!

Slowly, I tilted her chin up with my hoof to glare at her, my eyes more stern and serious than ever before. "Hey... I've got your back, remember? You said you trusted me. So, Celestia damn me if I don't give you what you paid for! I didn't leave you when we were foals, and Glitter Punch, I am not gonna leave you now! I'm NOT gonna let you die! We’re gonna get out of this… Just like you said! I promise. I-I... I...”

...I'm so sorry.

She blinked, sniffling every so often as she absorbed my words. Quietly, she spoke, a quivering smile threatening to appear below her snout. "O-okay... then... I-I'm gonna be alright... gonna... gonna be alright with you..." She finally relaxed, falling softly against my chest once more. She eventually moved her forehoof between us. I tensed, worried she'd hurt herself if she strained the wound too much, only for a soft gloomy giggle to leave her lips, placing her hoof over my heart. "I... I knew that sweet colt was still in here..."

I sighed, chuckling lightly. My breath blew a bit of her mane aside while gently nuzzling her between her ears. Relief finally beginning to resettle between us. "I'm sure you're gonna enjoy teasing me about that later..." We enjoyed our warmth for a moment longer... even while trapped between the hell that was currently consuming our soon to be former home... it was nice to feel each other again. After we finally departed, it struck me that... that was the longest time we'd hugged each other since we were foals. But... as much as I wanted it to last, we had to get moving. "Now... we've gotta come up with a plan."

*** *** ***

“Tell me how it goes again?”

I flinched, squinting my eyes with a groan. I shifted my lips to blow the silky pink tail hairs out of my face again. “Glitter...” I warned, probably for the third time now.

“Oh... S-sorry, Spark...” She finally lifted her tail above my head before swishing it to the side. “I... I guess I can’t help it...”

I could almost picture a dark crimson tint form across her cheeks as she said that. Glitter’s rear legs dangled on either side of my head -forelegs on either side of my flanks- while she laid parallel across my back while on her stomach... and facing the opposite direction. On any normal day, I wouldn’t be caught dead like this... however, that being a legitimate possibility, I figured it might be worth the risk of humiliation. Especially since the only ponies who would take the time to laugh at us now would probably kill us all in the same breath. She watched my back with a 10mm, while I levitated a pristine assault rifle that I’d grabbed from the armory beside us.

She suddenly tucked her 10mm pistol back between her chin and my rump. I had to ignore the agitating metal digging into my hide for the moment, knowing she only took the grip out of her mouth if she needed to speak, or ask questions. I got used to asking what she wanted before she even opened her mouth because of that, as we... or more accurately, as I slowly limped down the hall towards the game room with her on my back. Her tail would often flick upward on instinct before landing over my face.

“Yeah... I can tell...” I said, slightly out of breath as I resumed our trek down the hall. “You know, my neck feels like it’s on fire right now...”

She suddenly gave a distasteful nicker. “I swear, if you make one more joke about my-...”

“Hey, relax. I’m only teasin’, alright?” I chuckled rather weakly at my joke, even though on any other given day it would at least deserve a hearty snicker. “You said you wanted me to go over the plan again?”

“Yeah... If you could...” She sighed, “I just... I need a little bit of reassurance right now, that’s all.”

“You said it...” I bleakly agreed before clearing my throat.

I made sure to stay focused on the area in front of me, sometimes taking the energy to peek down any adjacent hallways or any open rooms, just in case there was a maintenance pony patrolling around us. The assault rifle wasn’t as powerful as the machinegun, but it was a hell of a lot lighter and faster to move with. Plus, I don’t think I’d be able to carry both Glitter and the .50 cal belts. Still, I should be able to make short work of any bad guys, striped or not, so long as there weren’t too many at once. Hopefully they’d be too concentrated on fighting each other to worry about two poor and broken loyalists wandering around.

“Right now...” I began, once again explaining the plan we put together while we cuddled in the armory. “...we’re close to the game room. Once we’re in there... well...” I was soon remined of her two crippled forelegs, the tightly wrapped limbs bouncing worthlessly against my flanks with every step. “...I guess you won't be able to work your magic on that safe with your legs like that. You’ll have to coach me through picking the lock while you keep a look out... After we get my badge ID, we’ll head straight to the medbay, and get us a healing potion to share or something. We’ll have to use our three badge IDs to open Stem’s office. He’s bound to have something in there at least.”

I felt the 10mm dig into my hide again. “And then...” Glitter began, shifting slightly atop me, apparently feeling a bit more encouraged as she picked up the rest of our plan. “...hopefully while whatever supplies we find are working their magic, we’ll be making our way to the coms center to open up Mel’s broadcast. If the zekes are still out there, then ponies still oughta’ be kicking too. We’ll call the Army, the National Guard... hell, we’ll get Canterlot on the line if we have to...” She paused for a moment to think. “So, do you think he was telling the truth?”

“Who?” I asked, still keeping most of my attention ahead of me.

“You know... The poor bastard who’s legs you shot?” She mumbled, a tone of obviousness surrounding her voice.

I simply shrugged. “Glitter... you are the poor bastard who’s legs were shot... that bastard was a scumbag outsider working for Equestria’s worst enemy...” I thought back to what he had said... and the way he said it. ’There’s no more war between ponies and zebras!’, ‘All they wanted were the files encrypted in your Stable’s data archive!’ The guy was so scared, he would of told me if he was wearing mares’ underwear if I asked him. I shook my head with a sigh. “Doesn’t matter if he was telling the truth or not... The zekes are here for something and they’re obviously inclined to shoot us down to get what they want.”

I stopped abruptly in my tracks after catching several red blips surrounding us on my EFS, seeming to appear out of nowhere. I felt my heartrate spike once they started closing in on every side. Oh Crap! There’s no way we can take on all these bastards! I rotated the rifle 180 degrees around me, checking every inch of my vision for potential threats... but, after looking back and forth, twice, nothing was there to shoot at. The red blips just continued to trot invisibly around us, as if whoever was making them were just ghosts of stable’s past, paying us no mind as they casually moved through the halls... although, I’d be surprised if we weren’t the ghosts at this point...

Okay, Spark, I’ll let that cryptic thought slide this time, but if it takes me one minute longer than it already will to fall asleep tonight, I’m gonna slam my head against the wall...

I prevented myself from sharing reason to panic with Glitter, remembering just how misleading our EFS can be, especially on an older model Pip-Buck. I have no way of telling if they’re a floor above us, a floor below us, or right around the next corner. And even still, if I’m looking at a crazed maintenance mare, a striped foe, or a goddamn nest of radroaches. My hesitation only lasted for a few seconds before I shook myself back to the plan at hoof. “Uh, where were we?”

“Oh..!” Glitter cleared her throat before continuing. “From the coms center, we go to Diamond’s office and open the Overmare’s escape tunnel.”

“Right...” I sighed, “...then we track down Aqua, Khan, Diamond-...”

“And Platinum!” Glitter’s voice was intense, as if to specifically prioritize finding our treacherous friend.

My brow raised with a nod. “...and Platinum... and we’ll kill any treacherous bitch or bastard that gets in our way...” I felt a smirk creep across my muzzle, despite the excruciating pain that should have been shooting up and down my leg. It was a good thing we found that painkiller. “So... you feeling reassured yet?”

I heard her give a doubtful sigh. “I’ll let you know once we get to the Medbay…”

“Well that’s not a long ways off now.” I finally stopped us in front of a door, maneuvering the rifle’s butt to the adjacent control panel. “We’re here...” I said, my magic smacking the end of the rifle against the switch, prompting the game room door to slide open.

I took one step inside, equally prepared to gun down any possible maintenance goons already occupying the bar, card tables and slot machines as I was to find the room completely empty. Even if I was fatally unprepared for what I would see next, it still only took one step before I froze, immediately planting my hooves into the grey floor. My joints locked so tight that my hooves could have started growing roots right through the cement. There, not ten hoof steps in front of me, was Platinum Braid... grinning ear to ear like a mad mare.

N-no... No... No, it’s not her! Just... my mind playing tricks again...

My ear twitched at a voice behind me. A voice of concern. It was Glitter... asking why I had stopped. My shoulders had lurched forward with the suddenness of my scare, threatening the mare to nearly fall off my back. Her voice was tiny though, barely worth registering in the back of my mind. Right now, it felt like only two ponies existed on whatever realm I had just stumbled into. My eyes were wide as saucers, staring down the mare in front of me. My blood pulsed thickly through my temples, while a deep and silent breath absorbed all the moisture inside my mouth, making it as dry as a desert. My jaw simply hung limp at the startling sight. Yet Platinum just stood there, silently mocking me with her big smug and drunken grin.

So Platinum Braid, the mare who had been my friend since foalhood, the mare who I trusted through most of my life, the mare I disobeyed the rules of my father to stay friends with... the same mare who had begun poking the hornet’s nest of stable authority -of which I was a part of!- and had launched the biggest revolution the stable has ever seen against us, the mare who I swore I watched die in an elevator, and the mare who has been haunting me ever since... was standing right in front of me.

...so what!? She-- It was only a figment of my imagination, nothing more.

It was stupid to think that Platinum was actually dead, and that she was somehow haunting me. Heh... I’m already the biggest skeptic of ghosts and the supernatural, despite the cryptic poetry of such that believes it in the back of my mind. Besides, Glitter said that her security ponies saw her alive, and still leading the traitors! Even if those same security ponies had joined her ranks... they probably wouldn’t have thought to try and mislead us by telling her she’s still alive, right? Right!? I’ll just step right passed her and go around the bar to Cider Twist’s safe, risking more pain in my leg to trot a little bit faster, maybe, to make sure she doesn’t whip some gun out in her magic, or cast some offensive spell… She learned the same things that I did, after all...

No, no, but that’s not going to happen, because she’s not really there!

I cleared my throat before leaning my head back towards Glitter, not taking my sight off the pony in front of me. “Y-yeah... uh... it’s nothing. Just... It’s nothing...” I unconsciously brightened the glow of my horn for a possible spell of my own, the room now beaming a dark red ambience around us. I took a deep breath and another step inside. I was only halfway through the doorway before I stopped again. I nearly gave in to the urge to slam my head against the wall for once more forgetting to use another stable-tec value. I wouldn’t dare to take another step toward that dauntingly joyous look on Platinum’s face before I checked my EFS. And... Okay, so what if it shows her green blip right where she’s standing? That could be a part of my imagination too! Right?

My breath was dry and sour in my throat. Panic was beginning it’s slow conquest across my body. I was starting to wish that Platinum would do something, anything, other than just stand there. Then at least I would know for sure.

In hind sight... I oughta be more careful what I wish for...

I tried to take in another breath, but my lungs were already at full capacity. No, wait... I just stopped breathing after I watched her throw her head back... and begin to laugh. She laughed hard... hysterically... Maniacally! She wouldn’t stop! Her jet black mane dangled loosely in front of her face and bounced up and down with every gut-wrenching holler that came up her throat, starting to pound the floor with her forehooves. I found myself gaping at the steel colored mare, unable to believe what I was still surely seeing... what I was hearing. Her laughter would die into a stretch of continuous giggles before inching its way back to hysteria.

She... she’s laughing at me! Why is she laughing at me!?

Panic was finally beginning to surrender to anger and frustration, nearly feeling the coals of resentment burn red hot in my chest. She knows that she’s been fucking with me! She thinks she’s winning her little game, and that-... Grrr! THAT PISSES ME OFF!!! I instinctively tried to reach for a pack of cigarettes in my pocket to calm my nerves... but I was never lucky enough to find one while searching through the rooms. I was on my own to control my temper... and right now, I had no intention of doing so...

“I told you... TO SHUT UP!!!” I screamed, though I could barely hear myself think, the words forming from the glowing embers of anger. After everything she’s done to me today, she just stands there and arrogantly laughs at me...

“S-sparky?” Glitter’s frightened voice came up behind me through a vortex of my own rage, whittling away at whatever better influence it would have had on my rationality.

I whirled the assault rifle around toward Platinum. The coals in my chest had grown into a raging bonfire, feeling as if its flames could have been burning holes through my eyes. I narrowed the gun’s sights right on her laughing face. “SHUT THE FUCK UP, PLATINUM!!!”

“Wait, what!?” I felt Glitter quickly shift atop my back. She rolled over and landed beside me on her rump, turning toward Platinum Braid at lightning speed. But she only sat there in utter confusion, blinking her eyes between me and the hysterical mare before finally deciding to look at me, her eyes wide with bewildered terror. “Sparky! What are you talking about!? There’s nothing-...”

“Don’t feel bad when you get her killed, Spaaarks~” Platinum abruptly teased while the shadowy pony figures from before resumed the laughter behind us.

And that... was the last straw...

I clenched my jaw tight. I'm not sure if it was Glitter's horrified expression or the way that my throat felt like grated cheese afterwards, but I could have sworn that some kind of animalistic growl escaped from the back of my throat. “YYYEEAAAAHHHHH!!!” I squeezed the trigger. My aura wouldn’t let it go until it was satisfied with the constant sound of loud fire being replaced by hallow clicks. I watched as the bullets flew into my foalhood friend... It was for her own good... It was for Glitter’s own good... It was for my own good! But not a drop of her blood was spilled. Just like before, each and every one of my bullets passed right through her. And, just when I was about to throw my gun down and charge at her, she began to giggle again.

No... NO!!! She did it again!!!

I huffed, not wanting to let her insult my intelligence any further as I realized what would come next. She was gone not a moment later, forcing me to flinch from another flash of blinding light.

“SPARKY!” Glitter’s frantic voice practically knocked me aside the head.

“Did you see her!?” I turned back to her and pointed my hoof towards yet another wall that I had apparently shot to death. “She was right there! Please tell me you at least saw her!”

Glitter just stared at me, wide-eyed and panic-stricken, only shaking her head. “What. The fuck. Is wrong with you!? There wasn’t anything th--”

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

It was an understatement to say that I was getting sick of ponies laughing at me...

I thought it might have been the shadows again, continuing to torture me beyond their graves... but, I wasn’t the only one to hear it this time. Glitter’s ears perked too, her eyes widening, her breath halting... her heart sinking, all at the same time that mine did. These were not the ponies of my past, though their shadows cast over us all the same, yet in a dominate manner that the former did not. This was not the laughter of jealous ponies enjoying the chance to see me fail, but the cruel laughter of somepony… somepony who was like me... That’s the way I might have laughed if I had watched some punk trip over his hooves while he was running from me. Maybe I wouldn’t have done it out loud like this... but... I knew the laugh...

“Looks like we’ve caught a couple of heretics, everypony…” A raspy mare snarled behind us, speaking around what could have been her mouth salivating from the thought of a tasty meal. “Folly has rewarded us once again!”

I gulped, knowing the sea of red blips behind us, this time, was nothing but true. The bastards must have heard my shots... Double damn me for that!!! At least ten ponies stood in the hallway, hooting and hollering over us as we sat there, frozen with fear. For the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, I was truly at a loss for... anything. I could only think about how fucked we were. Two ponies who could hardly stand, let alone run... we might as well have been served to them on a silver platter.

If there was any opportunity we had to escape, we surely missed it, as every single red blip lunged toward us, shouting and chanting and laughing in unified throngs. “FEAST, FEAST, FEAST, FEAST!”

“RUN SPARKS, RUN!!!” Glitter moved before I was able to snap out of my forlorn trance, attempting to gallop away with her life. This time was all too different from her great elevator escape. Aside from the fact that she had at least encouraged me to run with her, she hardly made it a single hoofstep before her broken forelegs collapsed out from under her, and she went crashing head first into me, knocking the gun out of my magical grasp. I grunted, both of us hitting the floor, myself landing completely whole inside the game room, while Glitter only made it half way, her rear legs sticking out into the hallway. She screamed not a moment later. I recovered just in time to see at least four greasy, tattered, and blood thirsty earth ponies latch on to her legs and begin to pull.

“NO!” I hollered, my aura diving for her forelegs. She screamed even louder as my magic gripped her hooves and pulled as hard as I could.

I could see the terror and pain in her eyes, screaming at her wounds tearing back open in front of her with sickly wet pulls. “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, OH FUCK!” She cried, frantically looking back at her attackers as they pulled her back towards their snarling, toothy grins. “Celestia and Luna! Get them off me!!!”

These were no maintenance ponies. No pony from a stable could look or... smell like that! These were... these were savages! Tattered, ragged clothes adorned their sun bleached coats, stained with mud, blood and... who knows what else. Dirty, rotten, diseased... like the translator buck, but a million times worse! No... these ponies... these were the outsiders!

They continued to laugh, almost as if they believed this was some sort of game we were playing. Like they enjoyed watching our futile attempt of escape. I desperately looked around the room, searching for something, anything, to get us out of this. My eyes suddenly locked with the assault rifle on the floor beside me, its barrel still smoldering from its last use.

I quickly replaced my magic with my forehooves, growling from the new strain on my own leg, while continuing to pull against the dominant strength of the crazed ponies. “Hold on, Glitter! Fuck! Just-... Hrrrg!” It was still no use. Now I was being dragged across the floor, towards the hall along with her, my strength out matched 4 to 1. Without a second to lose, my magic wrapped around the assault rifle and swung it around, aiming it just above Glitter’s head. Déjà vu struck me again as the rest of the murderous bastards began to crawl their way around the ones who were grabbing Glitter’s legs. It would be like... shooting radroaches in a barrel. This time, I didn’t need to wait for Khan’s order. I clenched my eyes shut and squeezed the trigger.

*Click*

I squeezed it again...

*Click*

No, no, NO! I can't be out of ammo, now!!! Maybe... maybe it's just a misfire!

*Click*

It was impossible to breath anymore as I desperately pulled back against the trigger over and over, begging for the rifle to give me even just one loud crack… Celestia, Please! JUST ONE!!!

*Click* *Click* *Click* *Click*

Glitter let loose a blood curdling shriek. All I could do was watch them bite down, all four of them sinking their teeth into her legs. “Fuuuuck!” She cried, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face as she began to bawl like a newborn foal. The ponies -...if you could even call them that anymore- started to tear the flesh of those once beautiful, muscular, athletic legs that Glitter had prided herself in strengthening all her life, completely away from her body in red stringy chunks. “Oh Celestia! OH FUCK! It... IT HURTS!!!”

I dropped the gun, letting it clatter to the floor in a heap. My stomach churned at the sight of them digging into my friend. I didn’t know whether to feel horrified or disgusted. Oh, for fuck sakes! DO SOMETHING YOU IDIOT!!! You promised to have her back, and she's being eaten alive!!! But I couldn’t... I couldn’t even shoot them. I couldn’t try and save her. I couldn’t do anything! I had wasted the last of my ammo on my mind fucking imagination of Platinum Braid. But you’re a unicorn! You promised her that you’d use your magic if she needed you to! WELL SHE SURE AS FUCK NEEDS IT NOW!!! USE MAGIC! Blast them! Zap them! Beam them! Do something! ANYTHING!

“But, I... I can’t...”

I had to think faster as my cannibalistic kin laughed even harder at the audible clicks of my empty gun. Glitter’s 10mm! I screamed in thought, almost as if to announce the suggestion to myself as loud as possible. My magic instantly dove for the object next. Meanwhile, I had to prop my shoulder against the game room’s side of the door frame to keep myself from being pulled into the hallway. With the whorish, bittersweet luck that it was, the outsiders were now more focused on eating Glitter than pulling her further towards them. Yet still, I kept my forehooves committed to hooking around hers, while hers did the same around mine. Finally finding it’s grip, my magic yanked the pistol out from under her body, entering SATS just as three more of the bastards came through the door, and fired what remained of the magazine.

My eyes widened for a moment of shock as I felt a mist of coppery liquid pepper my face and body after the quick shots. The spell matrix evaporated around me, and the three ponies collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap... that was at least seven ponies too short. I winced at the sound of my gun going click again. “Fuck!” The curse grated my throat harshly, as I desperately threw the pistol into the wall of red blips. It struck one of the stallions -munching down on Glitter’s legs- in the face, rendering him to the floor with an abrupt end to laughing with his mouth full. In fact, all of their laughter seemed to have hitched for a moment of surprise. Within the last thirty seconds, they had just lost four ponies they once had.

I saw three more red blips make their way towards the door frame, when suddenly, I felt something tug at the collar of my barding. Oh... FUCK NO!!! My mouth twitched in panic and anger, looking down to see a greenish glow grasping my stable jacket like a falcon’s claw, before it aggressively pulled me towards the door. My rear hooves scraped backwards against the floor, trying desperately to pull away from the magical force... but with Glitter still in my hooves...

“S-Sparks...” My ear twitched at her calling my name. I looked down at Glitter's horrified face. She was biting her lip, quivering from the pain. Her big watery eyes shined up at me as if to beg for me to pull her out of this, away from harm. To save her. She could barely speak through her crying, her trembling hooves digging into my own even harder. “AAHHHH! IT HURTS!!!... Why does it hurt if I can’t feel my fucking legs, Sparks!?” She sniveled the question through her bawling. I... had no idea how to answer it as I fought for her life. “D-don't let them t-take my cutiemark! For Luna’s sake, u-use... M-magic! Just... Please! You promised!”

“I uh...” I mumbled, still struggling to stay on my side of the door as my hooves... suddenly -if ever so slightly- gave the cultists a bit of slack over her body. “I know...”

In that instance, there was only one thing that came to my mind... and that one thing grew... it grew strong and fast, breaking through every other emotion and thought in my mind... it grew so strong, it began to chip away at that weaker material shell of mine, and began to expose my very core. I complained about Glitter being selfish... and I said that everypony… everypony practiced it. One way or another. Whatever guilt I could have felt never stood a chance. It wouldn’t matter if I’d ever be able to forgive myself either... It wouldn’t matter here... Not in this moment. The emotions that creaked out before felt as if they were being locked away by some internal force. It... it made me feel... better.

No... NO NO NO!!! Not now... I... I can still--! I promised her!!!

But... for some reason... something wouldn't let me hear her begging. I couldn't hear her plead to get me to promise I break my oath. Instead... I only heard myself think that I could get away with lying to her... tricking her... Yes... why be hasty when you could bluff your way to victory? I couldn't hear her saying she trusted me, after all these years of skepticism and looking at me like I was a snake... SHE SAID SHE TRUSTED ME!!! But, instead, all I could hear was my own cold words...I've never trusted anypony, Glitter. Anypony. Why should she be any different? I couldn't hear her thanking me after cutting her out of the wires! I couldn't hear her crying in my hooves in the armory! I couldn't hear myself GENUINELY promise her that I wouldn't leave her! I couldn't hear when she-- a-and when I--... I...

...I... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die for her... I'm gonna get myself killed. Unless...

“N-no...” Glitter shuddered, no doubt catching the way my eyes unconsciously rolled upwards to gaze longingly at the door’s control panel above my head. “S-Spark? Spark Charger, please...” My mouth twitched as I slowly looked back down at her. She had quieted down a bit, the screams now whimpering sobs. Our eyes locked again... And I could see the emotional fear and pain... and hope in her eyes. Me? I just gave a steady, breathless stare. Glitter’s eyes, even still through her sweat soaked pink mane drooping over her face, were as beautiful as the day I had met her. Like rubies glistening against whatever light shined in the darkness. “Please...” She repeated, “Please, don’t...”

My horn glowed, my magic brushing her mane out of her face to give me a better look at her eyes. My hooves were too busy to do so, still locked with Glitter’s... The red aura slowly traveled down her face to lovingly caress her cheek. I gulped... and closed my eyes. Take a deep breath... and count to ten...

Goddesses... if things were different... If I had only really seen how amazing she was when we were foals. I would have fell head over hooves for her. I would have stopped moping over my chances with Diamond, and the impossibility with Aqua. I would have asked Glitter to that stupid stable dance when we were teens. She never told me, but... I knew the way she always looked at me and Diamond. It was me... Glitter wanted me all that time. If I could do it over, maybe... maybe we could have had a life... I think we... we would have made it good. I wish... I wish I could see what that would have been like... Heh... Glitter R. Punch and Spark C. Charger... We would have made a pretty good team. Well... I guess we did in the end...

“I’m sorry...” I let my hooves fall limp across her forelegs. "Let... let go of me, Glitter..." My magic let go of her face, before moving to pull the switch on the control panel. At last, the rival unicorn’s magical grip flickered, and then weakly imploded in on itself as the closing steel panels obstructed her view of me. Not... a very strong sorceress...

“NO! PLEASE! YOU CAN STILL HELP ME!!! YOU CAN STILL-- GYAAAAHHHH!!!!” Even as I let her go... her hooves just wouldn’t give up, still clawing, desperately trying to hook around me... trying everything she could to grab me, knowing in her heart that I would see a way... see a way to still save her. Just as the door was about to slam on top of her, she let out a shriek that made my ears ring, and my stomach lurch. Their teeth were making their way up her back now... just like the security buck in the medbay, or the mare she shot in the hallway. Even after the door had pinned her to the floor, she still made an effort to cling to me.

"C-come on, now... let go..." I hated that I had to pry myself away... but she was persistent. "I said, LET GO!!!" I growled, finally yanking my hooves back.

Her breath was becoming shorter now, turning into high pitched wheezes. Her lips continued to twitch and quiver, a stream of red flowing from the corners of her mouth. “...d-don’t...” She gasped and coughed, her big eyes trying to stay open, glaring up at me desperately. “...don’t leave... m-me...”

My magic made sure to wrap around Khan’s Badge ID card, still dangling around Glitter’s neck before I yanked it free as well. It’s not like you’ll be missing it... I was cruelly reminded of what she’d told me back in her office, as I added it to my new collection.

I made the mistake of looking back down at my... at my friend. One of the few that I ever had as a foal. She was just lying there, eyes beginning to flutter up at me... still hoping, as she bathed in a horrible puddle of red ichor and pulp from her very own assorted organs which continued to spill out and expand under the gap in the door, turning her once clean blue security barding to a sickening dark crimson. The smell was excruciatingly strong, reeking of copper and easily overwhelming the previous stench of sweat and panic.

I wasn’t sure how to feel. I just knew that I wanted to do something for her. She said she cared about me, or at least something close to caring. And then she trusted me... and what do I do, but just... break my promise. A promise that meant more to her than you could imagine. I knew it did... and yet I still broke it. She deserved better than that. I cared too... I realize that now. I cared for her a lot. Maybe not always, but... Celestia, I didn’t want her to go! Not like this...

My heart began to ache. I was hesitant... but, I knew whatever I did next wouldn't change how this would end. Sighing, I offered my forehoof back, and returned a worthless grip in my leg to do nothing but gently hold hooves with her. “Glitter... you stay strong now...” I said quietly, hardly standing to look her in the eye.

I’m not sure how long I sat there with her, giving her an earful of what would be the final words she’d ever hear again. And most of those words... Well, I’d prefer if they’d stay between just me and her alone.

I reached my hoof up to wipe my eyes free of any tears... Yet, I almost despised the fact that they were still completely dry, only to twitch resentfully from my own touch.

Glitter simply grabbed my hoof a bit tighter in response... but, only for a few seconds.

“Hey! You hear me!? You’re a brave mare... You're the chief of security! You’re...” I paused for a moment, realizing I was running out of time. She was losing consciousness, her eye lids starting to look as if they weighed a ton on the poor girl. But she fought on to keep them open. It was all she could do now. Even her grip began to fade away from my foreleg. I ignored that, just continuing to hold her. “Glitter, we’re... We’re really lost, aren’t we...” I closed my eyes as I gently nuzzled her cheek with my own. She closed her eyes as well, taking a shaky deep breath that sounded chronic, painful and short... Yet, I didn’t know what else I could do! “You said you didn’t care back then, but... I’m scared too, Glitter. I’ve always been scared...” I did my best to swallow the pain surging up my chest... but even I couldn’t do that anymore. I sputtered a sigh as I pulled away, knowing that last attempt of comfort would always feel cold in my memory. “I... I have to go now...”

“Go? D-don’t... don’t go, Spark... Don’t want you to... t-to...” Her eyes remained closed, not clenched tight like mine were, but peaceful and calm as if she were napping, despite her ongoing struggle to simply breathe. She lost consciousness for a second, finally dosing off into the blissful rest she deserved. There were still light tugs being pulled against my hoof. Even now... she still thought I could change course...

It was true, I guess... I could have... It wasn't too late... all I had to do was open the door and--

She suddenly stirred, groaning as her eyes tiredly fluttered back open to look up at me. “S-Spark Ch-Ch-Charger?” She asked, sounding as if she hadn’t seen me for days. I was at loss as she gave me a weak smile. “S-Spark... you came back... I knew you wouldn’t... leave me... You’re a good... pony...” She looked happy... like she was relieved to see me only after closing her eyes. It only lasted for a moment longer before her smile finally faded to concern. She looked around and blinked. “W-where’s..? Are our f-f-friends... here? DB? P-Platinum? M-Misty? Khan? A-Aqua?” Her eyes landed on me again. “Spark? Oh, Spark... Cheer up... Please don’t cry... I don’t like it when... my friends... c-cry...”

I gave a dry swallow and reluctantly nodded. "They uh... they will be. They’re on their way... everypony will be here soon, Glitter. I... I promise I'll find them."

Another empty promise, Spark?

NO!!! I--... I'll... I'll find them...

"Oh... that's good... I really wanted to see them... it's been so long..." She gave the weakest of giggles, ending it in a painful cough as she trembled in my hooves. "It's... it's getting cold, Spark... I think I'm... sick..."

I couldn't take much more... The flow of my magic increased, letting my horn glow brighter and brighter. I gave her one last look, even as it stung to keep my eyes open. One last tired grunt escaped my lungs before swinging my aura against the door’s controls. The panel sparked and crunched from the force of my charged magic, falling completely off the wall... while the door remained closed on top of her. I furrowed my brow before finally letting go of her hoof and trotting back towards the bar with my empty assault rifle. It’s done...

“...w-wait... no...” Her voice was hardly even a whisper now. “...c-come ba-back... pl-please don’t... l-leave yet... everypony will... be here... soon... we could... h-have a... d-d-... dance...”

At long last, she fell silent, her chest ceasing to rise and fall in a shudder. She finally relaxed, her eyes forever memorialized in sadness while anxiously fixed on me, hoping that I’d accept her offer to dance... but, all I could see was her still begging for me to pull her away. It was the last time our eyes would ever lock. I’m not sure if she was even still in there to hear it, but when I saw her finally slip away like that... Celestia, I couldn't stop looking at her. “I... I won’t be far, Glits. You know I won’t be far...”

It was quick. Very quick. I didn’t even have time to say what I wish she could have heard from me, before their final and most violent pull ripped her completely out from under the door. I fell backwards in shock, the steel finally slamming shut against the blood drenched concrete, never to reopen... or at least until they put their repair skills to the test. It would buy me enough of the time I needed either way.

I stood back up behind the bar. The only sounds that remained were the horrific sounds of meat being chewed sloppily from behind the door.

A good pony... You’ve always called me that... And maybe... if I’m lucky... you really did still think of me that way, deep down. Even if I’m the last pony who deserves to be called that.

I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, just staring at the game room entrance, the door beginning to smolder from the busted wiring on its panel, giving off mechanical whines that thankfully replaced that disgusting sound behind it. Even then, I wanted to forget the new danger that I was in. Like this was just some kind of sick nightmare, and all I had to do was gallop up to that door and open it to see Glitter standing there, as if she had just knocked on the door to my quarters, wanting to go out to the lounge and grab a drink. Then maybe later we’d dance, and... I’ll miss you Glitter...

Maybe it was my seeping anger for the ponies in the hallway. Maybe it was the mechanical clanks of the malfunctioning door. Maybe it was the tangy smell of blood. Maybe it was the impossible fact that zebras, speaking in strange tongues that few dared to waste time on, were attacking our stable. Or, maybe it was the reminder that if I stood there in shock for much longer, somepony was going to eventually find me... and my friend’s death would have been for nothing. But, whatever it was, it snapped me out of my clouded daze of longing for that mare.

I blinked, feeling my blood run cold as I turned to see that dark steel box, still sitting there, tucked between the wall and the shelving of the bar, the tumblers inside its lock laughing... mocking me for my lack of criminal skill... I was not in the mood for it...

You... you want to see criminal, is that it? Because... I can show you criminal...

My magic wrapped around the handle of Cider Twist’s safe, my horn emitting an unconscious, yet intense glow of red that couldn’t have looked anything less than a representation of my purebred hatred and rage... and sorrow... but my face remained cold as I simply grimaced down at the pathetic mass of metal, preventing me from reaching my Badge ID. I pulled... Or, I guess it was more of a yank.

I didn’t mean for it to happen. It was just... I knew I couldn't open it any other way, okay!? Not without the help I was expecting to get from Glitter... and that wasn’t going to happen anymore. All I had left was brute force, just like I did with the cupboards several hours ago. But this... It was an accident! I couldn’t see how bright my horn was glowing! It... It could have happened to anypony. Or, more precisely, any Unicorn... All I tried to do was break it open! I just... lost control of my strength for a small second. A second! A short erosion of magical constraint... Just a few more extra units of energetic force than were necessary...

The concrete around the safe cracked, the steel atop the counter dented, and the wood of the cupboards next to it splintered. The entire safe suddenly dislodged from the wall with a loud crunch!

My eyes twitched as I held the steel box in suspension. I stared at it, trying to ignore the little pony in my head telling me to admit to what I already knew... But, Sparkhorns are always in control!

My ears suddenly perked at more voices running around the corners of the halls around the game room. I shook myself back into focus, recollecting my-- our previous plan in my head. I quickly spun on my hooves and headed for the back door, the one that led into the diner. I wouldn’t forget what had happened the last time. I opened the door... almost nostalgic when there was no hardened buck to the chest that greeted me when I entered. I stopped dead in my tracks and gave one final look back at the entrance to the game room... sighing as I made sure to lock regret back up in its coffin. It was the last moment I had before turning and limping away with my life... the safe in my magical tow.

I’m not sure why or how... but the diner’s jukebox made a sudden loud twang, its needle swinging across the last record it had played for the ponies enjoying their meal here over three days ago. Then, the record started to spin... The eerie scratch made my teeth grind, before the song finally began to play. I gulped and quickened my pace, knowing that whatever it was... I didn’t want to hear it.

Weeeeeell~ come on let’s go, let’s go, let’s go little darlin’
And tell me that you’ll never leave me,
Come on, come on let’s go-a
Again, again, and again...

Later Glitter... I won’t be far...

Well, I love you so, dear
And I’ll never let you go...

Footnote: You’ve Lost Karma!

You’re running out of excuses, Spark...

Author's Note

The last couple of chapters were... kinda hard to write, both physically and mentally. It really got me thinking about similar friendships, like that of Spark and Glitter, that I had as well, and how they just kinda fell apart without you really realizing it had. And as much as you really regret the split and as much as you really want to try it again... for some, it's just too late. A part of me envies Spark for getting that second chance... Even if, in the end, he never really seized it properly. Heh... I find myself relating to that more than I want to. And of course, when you decide to... ahem... do what I did to a character you put your heart into to create, so much so that, in a way, that character becomes a friend itself, it is rather heartbreaking.

Update: Aaaand Chapter division complete!

Hope this makes it a bit better to read.

I plan the next chapter to be the final one of the Act! So I hope you stayed tuned!