AMONG THE TROTTING DEAD

Pinkie slowly woke from her slumber. Blinking her eyes, she let out a sigh as she scanned the interior of their tent. Seeing that the sun had barley rose, she slowly sat up. Seeing her breath, she crossed her forelegs across her chest as she worked up the nerve to get up and embrace the cold.

“What time is it?” Copper slurred as he rolled over and cuddled her lower half.

Pinkie smiled as she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “It’s time to get up.”

Copper grumbled as he opened his eyes a noticed how dull the morning sunlight was. “Is it cloudy outside?” As to answer his question, a strong gust of wind shook the tent.

“Damn…” Limestone sat up and crawled over to the door. Unzipping the cover’s flap, she opened it. They were met with a strong gust of wind. Quickly zipping it back up, Limestone shivered and ran her hooves over her upper forelegs. “Of course.”

“Get your jackets and boots on.” Pinkie buttoned up her jacket. “It’s adventuring time!”

“Roger that.” Granite put on his beanie.

“Hope the hike to the base isn’t a long one…” Copper grumbled as he zipped up his jacket.

Standing before the gate of the military base, Pinkie glared through its thick mesh skin studying the buildings on the other side, or what she could see through the storm.

Limestone walked along the tall metal fence. “See a way in?” She eyed her coltfriend. “Without teleporting.”

Pinkie walked up to the control panel and fiddled with the buttons. Heavy metallic clicking filled their ears as she hopped from one button to another. With nothing happening, she frowned as she scanned the fence. Copper walked up to the control panel. “It’s not working.” She watched him eye it with a skeptical eye.

“Yeah, I know…” He took out his knife. “But there are many ways to open a door.” He pried off the front panel exposing the wires within. Seeing some of the large fuses were damaged and the mechanical on/off switches for the buttons rusted, he pulled out a green wire and cut it. “Let’s see if this is the one.” He touched the exposed ends and was only rewarded with a spark. “Nope.” He pulled out the blue wire and cut it. “Best out of two?” They touched and a spark and a metallic thud sounded off.

Watching the heavy door swinging outward, the thick wire mesh acting as it’s sail, capturing the howling winds. Pinkie smiled as she took out her axe. “Let’s go.”

Entering the base, they slowly scanned their surroundings as they neared one of the buildings. Hearing a growl, they stopped, their ears swiveling about, trying to locate the sound’s origin. Seeing a figure through the blistering winds, Copper sat on his hunches and raised his bat as it approached.

The figure came into view, exposing itself as a trotter in military outfit. Grunting, Coper swung his bat stunning the creature. He swung once more, knocking it down to the ground. Granite activated his horn and stabbed the trotter’s skull.

“Watch yourselves.” Limestone looked behind them.

“We’re almost to the building.” Pinkie saw its silhouette.

“I wonder what’s behind door number one?” Granite laughed.

Limestone rolled her eyes as her sister giggled at his joke. “Hopefully food.”

Getting to the building, they saw blood smears on the door. Hesitantly, Copper put his ear to the metal door. Hearing only the howling of wind and the creaking of its metal frame, he sighed as he looked at the rest of them. “Ready?” They nodded as he took out his knife and jammed it in the gap of the door and doorframe. Prying it against the doorknob’s bolt, he leaned into his knife until the bolt gave way.

Throwing open the door, Granite aimed his pistol as he walked in. His military training taking over. Closing the door behind her, Pinkie scanned the dimly lit room. “Looks like a lobby?” Limestone walked past the chairs and up to a receptionist desk.

“This is the base’s headquarters.” Granite smiled. “Information on the base would be in this room.” He led them down the hall and into a room on their right.

“Dejavu?” Copper whistled.

“You’ve been on base before?” Granite asked.

“Once…” Copper bit his lower lip as he tried to not make eye contact.

Granite shrugged his shoulders as he slowly opened the door. “Ah, shit!” He jumped as the sight of a stallion who looked to be in his mid-fifties, laying in a chair, head leaning back with a gaping exit wound on the back of his skull.

“Looks like the corporal couldn’t handle what was happening to his stallions.” Copper grimaced as they slowly walked past the corpse.

“Many couldn’t…” Granite sighed as he walked over to a white board with markings of black squares and letters. Limestone’s and Pinkie’s minds slowly drifted back to their hometown and the makeshift military camp set up to contain the outbreak… More like spread it.

“There we are,” Granite smiled. “Mess hall, from where we’re at, it’s about twenty hooves to our left.”

“Well, what are we waiting for.” Limestone laid her hooves on his shoulders. “Let’s get to it!” She eyed the map, staring at the black square labeled ‘mess hall’.

Opening the door, it made a groaning squeal as it slowly swung inward. Feeling the cold air rush in, Pinkie frowned as they stepped in. “This place seen better days.” Limestone murmured as she studied the kitchen’s tattered state.

“You think.” Copper spoke through clenched teeth as he scanned the place with a flashlight.

“Keep on your hooves.” Granite swung his flashlight with his magic, illuminating a pair of shelves. Walking up to one of the shelves, Limestone scanned the items on them. They ranged from canned vegetables to a large assortment of premade meals.

Stepping up to a large metallic fridge, Pinkie wrapped her hoof around the handle and threw it open. An unholy smell assaulted her nostrils. Recoiling, she quickly shut the fridge and leaned against it. “Power wasn’t going to the fridge that’s for sure…” She felt like she was going to puke.

“Yeah…” Granite looked at the lightbulb barely illuminating the kitchen. “Just enough power is left to keep the emergency lights running.”

“How long do you think it will last?” Copper eyed the lightbulb skeptically.

“If it’s like most military bases, the lights are running on underground generators that are hooked up to a massive diesel drum, then…” He tapped his hoof to his chin. “Maybe another month.”

“Well…” Pinkie rubbed her snout. “Looks like we’re sticking to cans until spring.”

Shaking her head at her sister’s mannerisms, Limestone looked through the serving windows and saw a box sitting on one of the tables in the mess hall. Stepping into the room and not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she walked up to the box. Seeing that it was empty, she placed a can of corn in and seeing that it could hold a decent amount, she smiled and picked it up. “Perfect… AH!” A sharp sensation shot up her leg. She dropped the box as she looked back at her leg and saw a trotter had bitten her and wasn’t letting her go of her right hind leg.

“Limestone what’s wrong…” Time froze for Pinkie as she laid eyes on the trotter digging into her sister’s leg.

Quickly, Granite struck the trotter’s skull with his knife. Removing her leg from the trotter’s limp mouth, she hissed at the searing pain radiating from the gaping wound. “Oh, fuck…” Tears pooled around her dilated eyes.

“Shit what do we do?” Copper looked at Granite who looked pale as a ghost.

Pinkie stared wide eyed at the oozing bite on Limestone’s leg. Her body went numb as she watched infected blood dripping onto the metal floor. Her eyes drifted to the axe strapped to her side. Shivering uncontrollably, she rushed her sister and threw her to the floor. Pinning her down, she unholstered her axe and swung down onto the infected limb right below the hock.

Limestone screamed out in pain as the axe drove through her flesh, severing muscles and breaking cartilage. “What the hell are you doing?” Granite panicked.

“The only thing I can do!” She growled as she swung down on the limb once more, the sound of bone against metal sang a violent song. “Get something to stop the bleeding!” She cried as blood gushed out onto the floor.

His mind snapped back to reality as he rushed into the kitchen and up to the stove. Turning one of the nozzles, a click was heard and blue flame erupted. A burst of joy overcame him that the gas line was still powered on. Grabbing a metal spatula, he stuck it under the flame. “Looking for a first aid kit!” He ran to the back of the kitchen.

“Copper! Hold her down!” Pinkie screamed as Limestone’s animalistic flight or fight instincts kicked in. Copper helped as he watched the rest of her leg separated from her body with a meaty thud. Pain overwhelmed Limestone’s mind. Growling through the pain, she tried breaking free, but as the seconds ticked on by, she got weaker and weaker until she passed out.

“She’s going into shock!” Copper sat up as he grabbed some napkins on a nearby table and held it to the wound.

“Here!” Granite ran into the mess-hall and held the hot spatula to her wound to cauterize as much of it as he could. “Open it!” He handed the aid kit to Pinkie. Pinkie tore open the bag and rummaged through it. Seeing a white pouch, she pulled it out and showed it to Granite. “Clotting powder.” He laughed nervously. “That will work.”

Copper stared at Limestone’s severed limb. “You think it will work.”

Pinkie felt sick as she saw the limb. “What choice did we have…” She saw her sister Marble behind Copper. She was playing with Limestone’s severed leg. Feeling Pinkie’s gaze, she looked up from the limb and frowned. ‘You didn’t do this for me?’ She asked, her voice sounding ghostly.

“Pinkie!”

‘I guess I wasn’t your favorite sister…’

“Pinkie!”

She flinched and when she reopened her eyes, Marble was gone. Seeing what was left of her sister’s leg was wrapped the best it could be, she let out a held breath. “We need to get back home.”

“I’ll stay here and monitor her.” Granite laid her head in his lap, placing a hoof on her forehead. “Hurry…” Feeling how clammy she felt, he swallowed his worry. “We need Dr. Hooves help…” He looked at Pinkie and Copper. “You two get one of those putter-trucks up and running!”

“We need to find where they keep the keys!”

“No time! I’ll hot wire one!” Copper said as they exited the mess hall.

Alone, Granite scooted way from the trotter’s corpse and Limestone’s mangled leg. Hugging the corner near the archway into the kitchen, he wrapped his forelegs across her chest. “Limestone?” He cooed as he ran a hoof through her mane. “Don’t you die on me.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t you turn…” He squeezed her in a vain attempt to wake her from her shocked induced slumber. “I made a promise to your Pa… And I aim to keep that part of the deal…”

Hearing a pair of putter-trucks outside his heart skipped a beat as they came to a screeching halt. Hearing unfamiliar voices, he held his breath. “Looks like someponies have been here already?” A voice grumbled as they exited their vehicles. “Stay alert!” Another voice said, sounding somewhat familiar to Granite, but he couldn’t put a hoof on it. “I heard something!” Another voice shouted. Granite jerked as several gunshots rang out. Feeling his throat stuck in his throat, he tightened his grip on Limestone and began rocking her as he pulled out his pistol.

-Two Minutes Earlier-

Pinkie rushed out of the mess hall. Her long magenta mane and tail were kicked up by the winds. The blood… Her sister’s blood coating her hooves upper forelegs, and face stung as they cooled down. Seeing a line of putter-trucks and seeing one clear of debris, she ran over to the vehicle. Copper right behind her, pulled out a hammer and smashed open the window. But before he could hop into the cab the sounds of trucks pulling up to the base sent shivers down their spines.

“Get down!” Copper whispered as he and Pinkie ducked behind the hood of the truck. Hearing the vehicles stop, Pinkie and Copper held their breath as they peered over the truck’s hood. They saw six stallions jumping out of their own military looking trucks.

“Looks like someponies have been here?” One of the stallions scanned his surroundings.

“Stay alert!” Another one who sounded familiar said, but he was out of sight to get a good look at his face.

Ducking back down, Pinkie started to hyperventilate. “You think they’re friendly?”

“I…” Copper heard one of the stallions walking close by. “I don’t think so…”

“There’s blood.” One told his comrades.

“Looks fresh.” The familiar voice said. “They’re still here.”

Pinkie felt sick. What if they followed the blood back to her sister and saw her severed leg… What if they kill her because she was… Picking up a glass bottle at her hooves, she chucked it towards the stallions’ trucks. “I heard something!” One of the stallions yelled as he opened fire.

“Hold your fire!” Another grumbled.

“I take that as a no.” Copper swallowed his fear.

Feeling her heartrate was at unhealthy levels, the heaviness she felt was starting to overwhelm her. Gasping for air, Pinkie’s eyes darted around as she tried to think of something, anything. ‘Anything?’ Pinkie froze as she saw Marble standing on the hood of the putter-truck in front of them. Pinkie felt clammy as she watched her sister pull out a pocket watch and a picture of Limestone. ‘Tick-tock…’ She gave a menacing smile. ‘One more until you’re next!’

“Shut up!” Pinkie’s blood started to boil as she shook her head. “It’s not true.” Her voiced cracked.

‘Oh, but it is!’ Marble snapped back. ‘You can’t protect them!’

“No…” Pinkie squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head more violently to rid her mind of her sister.

‘Pathetic!’

“Sto…” She felt a hoof over her mouth. Glancing to her left she saw Copper covering her mouth and holding one up to his mouth. “She’s not real.” He hissed a whisper. Blinking, she looked at where her sister was only to see open air.

“I think I hear something over there?” One of the strangers yelled to his comrades. Hearing him approaching, Copper went to peak over the dashboard, when a red cylindrical object caught his eye. Seeing that it was a fire extinguisher, he looked at Pinkie and she looked back, her eyes wide as she slowly acknowledged their silent understanding.

The stallion approaching the parked putter-trucks, rounded the front of one. “Gotcha…” He pointed his rifle, but to his utter shock, he saw two ponies aiming the hose of a fire extinguisher in his face.

Pinkie frowned as she pressed down on the lever releasing a vast quantity of retardant into the stallion’s face. The stallion stumbled back and, in a panic, pressed down on his rifle’s mouth trigger. Bullets went off in all directions. Jumping out of the line of fire. Pinkie and Copper huddled against the back of the truck until the bullet’s stopped flying.

“Will you stop wasting ammo!” One of the stallion’s growled.

“I can’t see!” He cried.

“Shut up.” Another grumbled. “Sit still.”

“Keep and eye out for them!”

“What do we do now?” Pinkie whispered.

Seeing several trotters in the distance about one-hundred-yards, Copper swallowed as he looked at her seeing the fear in her eyes. “We’re going to have to go around the long way.”

“We don’t have time.” Pinkie choked on her words. “Limestone doesn’t have that time.”

Copper stared at the mess hall a few feet from their current location. “Then we’ll make a run for it.” He led the way as they quickly trotted to the building, hugging the few remaining putter-trucks. Getting to the final truck, he peeked out and saw some of the stallions looking around their pervious location. “They didn’t hear us.” He rubbed her back. Seeing an opening, he tapped her back. “Let’s go… AH!” A bullet tore through his left shoulder.

“COPPER!” Pinkie cried as she held him, staring at the wound. It was a clean shot, only tearing through his scapula’s cartilage.

“Shit!” Copper held a hoof to the wound as he tried to cover Pinkie’s body with his. In his battered state he only fell on top of her.

“Hold your fire!” The familiar sounding voice yelled. Hearing hoofsteps, Copper and Pinkie braced themselves as the mysterious pony appeared from behind the putter-truck they had emerged from. “Holy shit!” The stallion laughed. “Pinkie? Copper?” He shook his head. “What are the odds?”

“Zipper?” Pinkie felt lightheaded as she stared at the stallion’s prosthetic leg/knife. “You survived?”

“In the flesh.” He smirked. “Or what’s left of me.” He frowned. “Shit, if I knew it was you, I wouldn’t had one of my stallions shoot you.” He looked at Copper’s wound. “You alright?”

“What the hell do you think?” Copper growled.

Zipper frowned, but it morphed into a smirked. “Now you know what it’s like.”

“We tried to save you.” Pinkie fought to keep her mind from falling apart. “Even after you told us to leave you.” She glanced at her coltfriend’s wound. “Your brother, Shining, and I went back for you!”

“Never saw you…” Zipper walked up to them. “Where’s my brother?” He pointed his prosthetic leg/knife at her. “You abandoned him to?”

Pinkie glared at the stallion, her breathing heavy as she held a hoof to Copper’s wound. “He’s with us.”

Zipper’s face softened. “He’s alive?”

“Yes…” Pinkie eyed the other stallions that surround them.

“Where?” Zipper’s voice cracked. “Where is he?”

The thought of her sister dying danced in her mind. ‘You’re wasting time!’ She saw Marble sitting behind Zipper giving her a menacing smirk. “If you want to see your brother, you let us go.” She finally spoke as she tore her eyes from her twin onto Zipper.

“What?” Zipper frowned.

“You let us go, we’ll tell him you’re alive and he’ll come to you.” Pinkie returned the frown.

Zipper gritted his teeth, “Missy don’t test me!”

“That’s the deal!” Copper huffed through his pain.

“Hey, we came for the military base not for them.” A pegasus walked up to Zipper.

“Shut it, Nox.” Zipper spat. “You!” He turned his anger at Pinkie and Copper. “You think you can do this to me after all I’ve done for the group?”

Pinkie gritted her teeth. “You shot at us!” She fought back tears that begged to flow down her cheeks. “We don’t trust you!” She growled. “If you want to earn that back you listen to us! This is how it works!”

Zipper scoffed as he eyed the blood on her hooves… Seeing a darker shade of blood higher up her forelegs and some splattered on her face, his eyes slowly scanned the nearby buildings. “Who else is with you?”

“What?” Pinkie’s heart skipped a beat.

“There’s blood on your face.”

“I…” Pinkie glanced down at Copper who gave her the same shocked expression. “It’s trotter’s blood.”

“It's not black enough.” Zipper neared her. “Too fresh, too alive.”

“How can you tell?” Nox rolled his eyes. “You’re a doctor now?”

“No…” He smirked. “I used to hunt for furs with my Pa.” He stared Pinkie and Copper down, seeing if they’d break. “I know what blood looks like.” He grabbed Pinkie by the back of her neck and dragged her to the truck. “Usip, Cobalt, help me load them into the truck!”

“What about the base?” Nox asked.

“You, Chrisp, and Swillow find the others and once that’s taken care of, fill up the truck as much as you can.” He saw a few trotters had finally closed the distance. “And take care of them fuckers.” He held his knife to Pinkie’s neck. “Get in or your coltfirend gets a bullet in the head!”

Pinkie hesitantly climbed into the bed of the truck. A few seconds later, Copper crawled into the bed. Groaning from the pain, Copper laid on his back as he held a hoof to his wound. “Sweet Celestia…”

“She ain’t hearing your prayers.” Zipper hopped into the bed. “Stay right where I can see ya.” He aimed his knife at them. Hearing the truck roar to life, tears finally poured from Pinkie’s eyes as the saw the base slowly fade behind Zipper.

Seeing the truck disappear into the storm, Nox grumbled as he heard his stallions dispatch the trotters. ‘Curiosity killed the dead…’ He looked around and eyed the buildings. Frowning, his eyes fell onto the mess hall. Seeing the front doors wide open, his eyes narrowed.

Granite cursed under his breath as he heard the truck drive away. Sitting still, he focused on every little sound, trying to find out if any of them remained. Sitting for a few seconds, he let out a sigh and looked down at Limestone. Leaning in, he could hear how shallow her breathing was. “I got to get out of here…” Hearing hoofsteps, he held his breath ‘Shit!’.

Nox stepped into the kitchen. Glaring at the appliances that filled the room, he slowly walked through the room, giving each item he passed a stern glare. Nearing the archway, he stopped as he saw blood on the ground. Puckering his lips, he followed the blood drops and bloody hoof prints until he saw a trotter and a limb in a pool of blood. Confused he approached it. Giving the trotter a quick prod, and seeing it was dead as a door nail, he turned his attention to the limb. Seeing it had a bite mark, he quickly put two and two together. Noticing a trail of smeared blood, he looked up and saw a door was opened.

Granite groaned as he laid Limestone down on a cot. Scanning the barracks, and seeing that it was void of life, he let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t you worry.” He kissed Limestone’s forehead. “I’ll get you home…” He looked around. “And save them…” He rummaged through his saddlebag, pulling out his pistol, he placed the handle in his mouth and held his knife in his magic.

Stepping back into the storm, he braced himself against the winds. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly walked back to the mess hall where he knew the stallions would still be. “?” But seeing figure in the corner of his eye he stopped and slowly walked up to investigate. Seeing that it was a trotter that was pinned under a concrete barrier and that it was a soldier, he scanned its body and saw that it had a stick-grenade strapped to its chest. He frowned and pinned the trotter’s neck with his magic as he pried the grenade from its home. “Thanks.” He told the trotter as he made his way to his objective.

Nox stepped out of the mess hall. Seeing Chrisp and Swillow carrying a crate to their putter-truck he frowned. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Loading up the truck!” Chrisp shouted.

“We need to look for the others!” Nox rolled his eyes.

“You really believe Zipper?” Swillow gave the pegasus a look.

“Yeah.” Nox gritted his teeth. “If you did your job, you would’ve found a bitten severed limb.” He nodded his head at the building behind him.

Swillow and Chrisp gave each other looks. “The hell?” Chrisp asked.

“So, keep your…” Seeing a stick flying through the air. His spine shivered as it landed on the frozen asphalt and tumbled towards his friend’s. “SHIT!” He dove into the building. A ball of light filled their eyes and a wall of shrapnel filled their bodies flinging them back, throwing Chrisp into the grill of the truck and Swillow tumbling across the ground.

Poking his head out, Nox peered through the blistering whiteout for whoever threw the grenade. “Where are you!” He grabbed his pistol and aimed it sporadically, searching for any hint of life in the white. The taste of brass tickled his tongue as it kissed the trigger. Growling he stepped out of the building and up to what was left of his friends. Seeing no signs of life, he let out a yell as he walked further into the base. “Show your fucking face!” He yelled through clinched teeth.

Seeing a light flicker to his right he gasped and fired off a shot. The light stopped. Cursing under his breath he chased after it, “ERR!” He growled as someone struck his side, throwing him to the ground, causing him to drop his pistol. Before he could make heads or tails of the situation, a hoof struck him across the face, then his stomach which knocked the wind out of him.

Gritting his teeth, he took a gasp of air and looked at the pony who tackled him. Seeing a brown and white unicorn sitting on top of him, he narrowed his eyes, until the blue glow around the unicorn’s horn and pistol caught his eye.

“Where did you take them!” Granite spat, throwing Nox’s pistol somewhere far from where they were at. Nox kept his mouth shut and only spat in the stallion’s face. Granite’s jaw tightened as he unholstered his pistol and shoved it in Nox’s face. “Where did you take them!”

Nox frowned. “You don’t have the guts to make it personal.” He smirked.

Granite bashed him over the head. “Try me!” He placed the pistol against the side of his head. “Tell, me or I’ll pull the trigger.”

Nox laughed. “You need me alive.” He gave him a smirk. “So, I know that threat is all bark and no bite.” Granite frowned as he holstered his pistol and dragged Nox over toward the trotter he found earlier. Seeing the monster, Nox began to panic. “The fuck dude!”

“Maybe being infected will clear your head…” His felt his hind legs give way as Nox kicked them. Falling forward, he landed face first beside the trotter. The monster growled as it desperately tried to take a bite out of his face. “ERR!” He felt Nox jam his hooves into his back.

“How about you!” Nox pushed him towards the monster.

Using all his strength, Granite pushed himself off the ground causing Nox to stumble back. He quickly took out his pistol and struck him across the face. Nox held a hoof to his cheek as he stumbled back. Spitting out blood, he slowly paced around Granite, eyes locked with his. Grantie growled as he aimed at the trotter and put one through its skull. Taking a step forward, he aimed his pistol at Nox.

“You ain’t going to shoot me.” Nox spat. Granite felt a chill run down his back. Deep down he knew that, but he didn’t need to know. He fired a shot striking Nox in his hindleg. “Mother fucker!” Nox cried out as he stumbled from the searing pain shooting up his leg.

“Where are they!” Granite closed the distance.

“Wait…” Nox held up a hoof.

“Where!” Granite fired at the ground.

Chunks of asphalt went flying. “Wait!” Nox sat down, allowing Granite to get face to face. “I’ll tell you… Just… Wait…”

Granite kept the pistol to his face. “Talk!”

Nox slowly nodded as he leaned his head down to catch his breath… Nox jumped Granite and tackled him to the ground. The pistol went off, sending a bullet ricocheting to places unknown. Groaning from the fall, Grante ground his teeth to dull the pain as he sat up, but was quickly pushed to the ground again, and gasped as Nox sat on his chest.

Feeling hooves on his neck, Granite opened his eyes and glared at the earth pony. Activating his horn, he lifted a rock and threw it at Nox. Nox growled at the hit but kept his hooves in place. Giving up on that line of attack, he grabbed Nox’s neck with his magic. “Two can play this game…” He choked as he used every ounce of his will power to stay alert and to keep his spell alive.

Choking on his own words, Nox’s eyes narrowed as he took his hooves off Granite’s neck and punched him several times across the face. “Mother! Fucking! Bitch!” Nox aimed for his horn.

Pain unlike no other shot through his skull, but he pressed on. ‘Just a little…’ He felt Nox’s hooves on his horn… In a split second, Nox pressed down, cocking his head in an awkward position, allowing the perfect pivot point to snap his horn.

Magical discharge and blood oozed out from his stump of a horn. A strong urge to puke overwhelmed him and he vomited all over himself. Gasping for air, grasping for anything to save him from the pain he felt, he shot up, but Nox quickly pinned him to the ground and placed his hooves on his neck once more.

“Just die!” Nox laughed. “And don’t worry, I’ll find your friend, wherever you’re hiding them!” He gave a menacing smile as he leaned in, increasing the pressure on Granite’s neck.

Granite glared up at the stallion, his vision doubled and blurry. Choking for any amount of air, his flight or fight took over and he flailed his hooves wildly about in a desperate attempt to flee. But darkness slowly crept into his vison as he felt his life begin to fade. But before his mind went dark, he saw a figure running up to them, carrying an object in their mouth.