Problems of a Dead World

Chapter 19: Heeeeere's Jackson

Earl's heart stomped around in his chest as he began walking up the stairs. Twilight's words continued ringing in his ears, along with twisted visions of Jackson slaughtering Equestria's residents. It caused him to shudder slightly as his hooves climbed the wooden steps of Twilight's staircase. Macintosh quickly noticed and nudged Earl slightly, causing him to jump to the side and stare at the large earthpony.

"Everything alright?" Mac asked.

"Just... On edge. I want to kill this bastard, and go live in exile like I should." Earl replied, a pathetic sadness strong in his voice.

Macintosh shook his head and put his foreleg in Earl's path.

"Look, AJ already told you, it's grief. Twi didn't mean a word of that." Mac said, trying his best to sound caring.

Earl simply shook his head and continued up the stairs, shoving Mac's foreleg away. The large red earthpony scowled and wrapped a foreleg around the grey unicorn's chest, quickly pulling him back into his view.

"O'er the last five years, I've seen you two be closer than any other ponies I've ever seen in all my life. You really think she would throw it away? Lose two stallions in her life? Fucked up as it may sound... She needs somepony to blame right now... Somepony who ain't an alien hellbent on killing everything in it's sight." Mac continued.

The earthpony put his hoof on Earl's shoulder for a fuller effect.

"She loves yah', and that's not going to change. We're all just a little... Confused, for lack of a better word."

Earl nodded, and slowly raised his foreleg to move Mac's from his shoulder.

"OK... OK, It's just not every day you hear the love of your life tell you that she wants you gone forever. But... You're making sense." He replied.

"Don't I always?" Macintosh said with a chuckle.

Earl chuckled as well and shook his head, then continued up the stairs, his mind partially cleared.

"Thanks." He said over his shoulder, nearing the top of the stairs.

"Don't mention it." mac replied, nearing the stair's end as well.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Earl asked, eyeing the door to the room nervously.

"We're gonna' show that bastard what we think'a him, what else?" Mac replied.

Earl shook his head and pointed a hoof to the door.

"We can't just beat him to shit, he's gonna have guns for sure." He said.

"Then we disarm him, you forgettin' we have guns of our own?" Mac replied, quickly tapping a hoof to Earl's horn.

The grey unicorn cringed slightly on contact and moved his head away. After a moment he shook his head and pushed open the door to the room.

"I'm just saying, maybe we should make a plan-" Earl said.

He was quickly cut off by the sound of gunfire and bullets whizzing past him.

"JESUS H. FUCK!" He screamed in fear, slamming the door shut.

"Aww I missed. C'mon little alien ponies, get in here and I'll make it quick!" Jackson shouted from the other side of the room.

Mac looked to Earl, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"He's here already?!" Mac asked.

Before Earl could respond, another burst of gunfire roared from inside of the room, followed immediately by several bullet holes in the door and the wall next to Macintosh. The large earthpony instantly covered his head with his hooves as small bits of wood and dust were thrown into the air.

"Shit! Downstairs!" Earl shouted, pointing his hoof frantically down the steps.

"You go! I have an idea!" Mac shouted in return.

Earl nodded and proceeded down the steps as Macintosh positioned his back legs in front of the door, then waited for his moment. After several seconds, the handle on the door began to turn, signaling Mac for attack. With as much force as he could muster, the red stallion bucked the door, causing it to fly off of the hinges and collide with the human on the other side. Jackson stumbled backwards in response and dropped the items in his hands with a pained shout. Having successfully subdued Jackson for a moment, Macintosh trotted down the stairs hurriedly.

As Big Macintosh neared the end of the steps, Earl threw open the door to the room that Applejack and Twilight were in, causing both mares to scream worriedly.

"He's here, we've got to move, NOW!" Earl said waving his hoof out of the room.

"Already?!" Applejack asked, terrified.

"Yes! Now come on!" Earl shouted.

Applejack nodded and put a foreleg around Twilight, gently herding her in the direction of the door as she continued to sob. After leaving the room, the two mares frantically made their way to the front door. Twilight trotted out immediately, but Applejack stopped just before the exit.

"I'll rally up the girls like I said and get everypony out of town!" The orange earthpony said.

"Contact the guard, too." Earl said.

Applejack nodded in return and left Twilight's home hurriedly.

"Where's Jackson?" The grey unicorn asked, looking to Macintosh.

"Upstairs, hit him with the door, we have a second." Mac replied.

Earl nodded in response and looked around the main room of the library worriedly, searching for a plan.

"We should hide. Take up a spot, then catch him by surprise when he gets down here." Earl said.

Mac nodded and searched the room for a moment.

"Alright, blow out the candles, I'll wait in the tunnel that leads to the basement, you get low by the base of the stairs." The earthpony said after several seconds.

"Right." Earl said in response.

The grey unicorn narrowed his eyes and aimed his horn to the first group of candles lighting the room, then discharged a bolt of blue energy, killing the light on contact. He continued blasting away at the candles, while Mac took up his previously stated position. When the final light had been blasted, a thick blanket of darkness enveloped the main room of the tree house. Satisfied with the state of the room, Earl trotted over to the base of the stairs, and fell to his knees against the side of the steps.

"Get down here you crazy motherfucker..." Earl said in a savage tone under his breath.

* * *

Jackson shook his head and let out an exhausted groan as he lifted himself from the floor of the library. He cursed under his breath and placed a hand against his cheek, where a steady stream of blood was flowing from an open wound.

"Big Red Bitch... You die first..." He said quietly to himself.

The colonel continued cursing to himself as he retrieved the two items he had dropped from his hands as he fell. A blood-stained assault rifle, fresh from the hands of one of his fallen soldiers, and a red, plastic container, filled to the brim with gasoline he had recovered from the totaled truck. After retrieving the two items, he slung the rifle over his shoulder and began unscrewing the cap of the red can.

"Smokin' em' out..." He said quietly.

After the can had successfully been opened, Jackson began pouring it's contents in various places across Twilight's room, a wicked smile across his face.

"Worked in Nam'..."

He continued painting the room in the liquid, careful not to get any on himself. After he had coated most of the room, he placed the gas can next to the door and began fishing around in the pocket on his pants. He smiled upon feeling the tool he was searching for, and pulled out a small metallic square.

"It'll work here."

Jackson flicked open the small device, opened the top, and flicked it, igniting a small flame atop the lighter. With a vicious smile on his face, he tossed the lighter into the room causing the gasoline to ignite and swallow it in an intensely bright fire. The colonel began laughing maniacally and retrieved the now half-empty gas can from beside the door.

"Hope you fellas like barbecue!" He shouted with a wicked laugh.