The Invasion

Bass led Breeze and I through the thick forest towards the Order’s encampment. He had promised to help us free all the ponies there in exchange for our guarantee of his safety. The young zebra was very smart, as he knew that Twilight would ring his neck the first chance she got. After all, he’d been part of the raiding party that raped her and kidnapped her. He’d never personally gotten his hooves on her, but he’d watched as she was tortured. I was a little miffed that he hadn’t had the courage to speak up as she was plowed like a field, but I held my tongue. We needed his help, and he was the friendliest zebra I’d met so far besides Breeze.

Speaking of Breeze, she and Bass really hit it off. They spent the entire journey laughing and talking while I lagged behind. I felt a little left out. I mean, what could possibly have been so humorous? Perhaps they were joking about Cutthroat or stripes or tree leaves or any number of assorted things. I tried overhearing them, but every time I got close, they ducked their heads down and whispered. My mind worked overtime trying to figure out just what it was they were speaking of, but I couldn’t figure anything out. Then, suddenly, it hit me.

They…they’re gonna betray me! I thought frantically as I began a small descent into paranoia, they’re gonna leave me to the wolves the minute we get into that camp! Oh, why did I ever trust them?! Breeze only fucked me to get close to me, and Bass is probably her true special somepony…maybe…even her husband! Oh, shit…I’m fucked! I’m so royally fucked!

This is the part of the story where the reader places shame upon the main character, and I definitely deserved it. For what I did next was rather inexcusable. I stopped and stared at them with eyes that, I’m certain, were the size of the average dinner plate. I then began shrieking at them as my mind parlayed scenario after scenario where I was fed through the meat grinder. I saw my body being tossed about like Twilight’s Smarty Pants doll. I watched as my mind conjured up images of my limbs being torn off, my blood running red, and worst of all, my beloved Twilight being unable to help me. I saw her enslaved to Cutthroat, doing his bidding, and completing menial sexual labor.

“NO! NO!” I screamed as the two zebras tried and tried to calm me, “YOU’RE NOTHING BUT FUCKING TRAITORS! YOU’RE GONNA LEAVE ME TO DIE!”

“That’s not true!” Breeze said desperately, “we’re your friends! Honest, we are!”

“Yeah, Trundle!” Bass exclaimed in the same tone, “Breeze is right! We’ll never leave you behind!”

“How can I trust you?!” I asked breathlessly as I backed against a nearby tree, “you were with him! You know him! You followed him! You committed to his bloodthirsty and malevolent nature-“

“-and we were wrong to do that!” Breeze said firmly, “now, we want to help you and the ponies, Trundle Hoof! We can do it, but we can’t do it alone. We need you…”

The look in their eyes was honest and kind and it put my mind at ease. I allowed myself to be helped up and I apologized profusely for my outburst. I explained what happened, and how I’d had a small panic attack. My zebra friends understood and, to my surprise, wrapped me up in a warm embrace. I returned the gesture, and asked them why they were so secretive with their conversation.

“Well…some things are just private,” Breeze said, “but I promise you, we’re not planning anything.”

“Yeah,” Bass said, “things are gonna go just the way we want them to. We’ll get to the camp, rescue the ponies, and defeat Cutthroat once and for all.”

“Alright,” I said.

It was an hour or so later when we finally burst from the bushes and looked down into the encampment. It was absolutely gigantic, and my knees involuntarily knocked together. Tents stretched out forever across the ground, carpeting it with their solidarity and sameness. They were all exactly alike: dark green with a small camouflage flap across the front. In the very center of camp stood a very tall, very luxurious canopy. I assumed that it was Cutthroat’s residence, and I confirmed my suspicions when I saw the evil zebra hauling two chained ponies across the clearing. They were dressed in suits of armor, but I could still tell some distinguishing features. I gulped as I recognized Rarity’s beautiful purple tail and Fluttershy’s uniquely long pink mane.

“Those are my friends!” I whispered to my companions, “Rarity and Fluttershy!”

“Alright,” Breeze said, “here’s the plan: Bass, you need to act as bait so Trundle and I can break the ponies out of the prisoner’s quarters. Keep Cutthroat occupied as long as you can, alright?”

“I’ll do my best,” Bass said, “you have my word.”

“Good,” Breeze said, “Trundle, you and I will head for where they’re keeping the mares on lockdown.”

“But, how do you know it’s all mares?”

“It’s Cutthroat’s MO,” she explained, “he takes the mares for breeding purposes and kills the stallions. Plus, I’ve seen the inside of those tents. They aren’t pretty, the beds are ragged and torn, and the mares are fairly starved. Then, Cutthroat dresses them in suits of armor before raping them.”

“Why in the hell does he do that?” I asked.

“It’s a fetish he has, the sick bastard,” she said, “he loves mares in uniform, and he loves to watch them…take the uniforms off. But, enough about his perversion. We have lives to save!”

It was thus that we made our way down the hill and towards the zebra camp. As it loomed closer in my vision, I could make out different features of the tents and the roads that connected them. It was like a small city, and I suddenly became very nervous. Could this ragtag group of two zebras and a pony really take down this entire guerilla regime?