I have no idea why but I struggled to sleep. I ended up waking up before every pony but I heard Frosty talking to some pony outside the cave.

I slowly moved to see who she was talking to and I heard Frosty say “They held me down and took turns using me before we found each other. They made me feel so weak and helpless.”

I kept inching closer and closer to see who she was talking to and saw that zebra mare again and then she said “Lucky for you the stallions you described earlier have very high odds of being infertile.”

Frosty exhaled then said, “Thanks Zonk for telling me that but I still feel so…WHO IS THERE!” as she whipped around aiming her rifle at where I was.

I slowly came out and said, “It is me Frosty do not shoot, and also when is Zonk a mare!?”

Frosty looked at Zonk and then back to me as they said “This is a secret Zonk and my dad kept. She came out here to talk to me and do math on what might happen tomorrow.”

Zonk started getting their armor on as I asked “Ok but why?”

Zonk after getting their helmet on and then said “It is better to get your head blown off from behind as a stallion than getting mounted from behind as a mare.” Then I realized what they were talking about earlier.

“Hey Frosty, you know you don't need to hide what happened as we ca-,” I said before Frosty went silent and returned to her watch effectively putting an end to our chat.

Zonk placed a hoof on my shoulder and jested to the cave. I got the hint and started walking back into the cave. She lowered her visor and her voice became more stallion-like and said “I ran the math in my head we are very likely going to run into raiders outside the gates of the fortress likely in a camp of their own so we going need to fight.”

I nodded in silence as she kept talking saying “So keep doing what you're doing and we will make it through as I plan for the future,” I nodded again as she started moving supplies between every pony’s bags before others woke up.

I took time to get a bit more sleep before we left in the morning.

When morning came around we started walking up the mountain path to Frosty Peak Fortress and we spotted a raider camp being shot up by some pony with what sounded to be a high-speed gun with the sound of support fire.

Frost ran in forcing me, Sturdy Hoof and Night Haven chased after her but Zonk split off.

We flanked a few raiders shooting at Plow in his power armor. Plow’s power armor was dented and damaged and looks like he's been fighting for days.

I ready my gun in my magic as every pony with me ready aimed and fired at the raiders from behind.

Our rifles rang out in a storm of bullets taking the raiders by surprise as we killed them all from behind. The few who managed to charge us got taken care of in melee by Night Haven.

After the fighting we met up with Plow as I walked up to them they grabbed me and gave me one hell of a hug.

“You're all alive!” Plow said while chuckling.

“Ya it's us and a few allies we made on the way now let me go I think I feel my bones breaking,” I said only half joking.

Night Haven and Sterdy Hoofs started looting the dead raiders as Plow looked at them and said to Frosty, Zonk, and Me “One of them looks like a raider what with that?”

Before I could explain Zonk stepped in and said “Don’t worry she's on our side now tell us about the fortress right now.”

Plow nodded before setting their minigun to the side to refill his ammo and started to tell us everything.

“Well after you guys gone missing raiders launched a massive attack and blew two holes in the wall. We held them back but then we started losing more ponies to a few dog packs they let loose,” Plow said as he kept a stoic look on their face.

We all started to sit down and listen as Night Haven and Sturdy hoof kept looting as Plow then said “When the night came a few raiders in heavy armor showed up to pick a few of us off good news is they were not taken any pony alive but the raiders got away.”

It sound like Graymane’s Chosen but we let him keep talking “Then we had to listen to them playing sounds of them raping a few ARA prisoners they had taken likely from the missing patrols. It was broadcasted over speakers so happy I got the A-OK to fire a rock at those speakers even if it provoked them to attack us again.”

“So why are you out here,” Night Haven said after handing out ammo she scavenged from the raider bodies.

Plow was silent a moment as he looked at her and then at Zonk. With a shake of Zonk's head in approval Plow kept talking “to open a path for the Injured to be escorted back to Canterlot. Judgment already came and gone telling us they going bring her judges and few troops to help but.”

“They already getting ready to attack am I right?” Night Haven asked.

Plow nodded as Sturdy Hoof joined us saying “So we should head to Canterlot instead?”

Zonk spoke up saying “No we are going to the fortress at least the four of us. you and Night Haven are free to leave the group.”

Night Haven was about to reply before I spoke up and cut her off. Saying to both of them “No guarantees that we going to make it out of this it is very likely we will die there.”

Night Haven said, “I was ordered to defend you as the last order I was given, and after everything, it's because I am honor-bound to. Also, I have grown to like you so I will die with you if I have to.”

Sturdy Hoof then said, “I got no pony waiting for me back home and I own Graymane for killing my friends.”

Plow picked up their minigun and spun the barrel then waved for us to follow as he escorted us through the mountain path to the fortress and what we saw on our way shocked us.

It was Armor and Graymane blocking our path by themselves. Graymane was dressed in gray hardened leather armor smoking a cigar as Armor was in power armor and just standing there.

Why only two of them are here? There must be more hidden somewhere or with stealth bucks or something.

We stopped wondering as he waved to us and we got closer carefully as Plow asked “Is that Graymane?”

“Rook and Night Haven good to see you still alive and you found something that belongs to me,” Graymane said sounding as if we were friends.

“What are you talking about Graymane,” Zonk said but all that got was Zonk being sucker punched by Armor.

Plow ready his minigun but by the time he was ready Graymane pulled and aimed a revolver right at Frosty's head ready to fire.

“I am talking to Rook and Night Haven now put the minigun down or I will kill to get what belongs to me,” Graymane said with a tone that sounded more like a disappointed preacher than some pony who was a raider leader.

“What do you want?” Night Haven asked as we were at Grayman's mercy.

Graymane gave a smile and pointed a hoof behind us as Freesoul came walking in missing her front right hoof.

“How the fuck,” was all I could say before she pick me up with her magic and tossed me away from her as I hit the ground hard on my back.

She tried to close the gap she made between us but Graymane stopped her saying “No we need something from them. do not let your blind anger make you weak.”

Then he made his way to me and look me as i got up then said “Soulreaper i want it give it to me willing and you all can leave.”

I stayed silent as I tried to figure out if I should take the deal but I had no choice but to accept. Before I accepted I remember he broke our last deal.

I felt a wave of dread as things started feeling hopeless normally Zonk would do something but they being watched by Armor like a Hawk and Freesoul here making things harder.

I need to buy time till some pony smarter then me could come up with something so I ask Graymane a question “Why don’t you just kill me and take it?”

Graymane started to laugh for a good minute before saying to me “Because of the bounding spell your father put on it.”

My dad? He has to be mistaken my father never own a gun like Soulreaper and if he did why didn’t he use it during attack in the settlement back then.

“My father never owned a gun like this you must be mistaken,” I said as Night Haven started going through her bags slowly and quietly.

Graymane looked me in my eyes say “Your father's name was King am I wrong?”

“Yes your wrong,” I replied looking him in his eyes.

“Lier,” Graymane said before pistol whipping me then sai,d “You got his eyes, His mane, and coat color your father was King leader of the Checkmate raiders, or should say ex-leader after I took over and he fled with a legendary revolver of his.”

I smile say “You must be wrong just because i look like him and his name was Checkmate do not mean be this King you are talking about you must be mistaken.”

Graymane smiled and hit me again with his revolver then said “Never said his name was Checkmate is that name he going with these days? Who am I kidding he is likely dead because your uncle died to me day before Freesoul reported seeing you had his revolver.”

Graymane took a moment to smoke his cigar and blow it in my face then said “After all the revolver goes to the next oldest pony in the bloodline.”

Before I could process the info Night Heaven yelled out “FOR THE ARA!” as she tossed an impacted grenade at Graymane.

Armor moved faster then a pony in power armor should be able to and caught it in the air causing there hoof to explode and causing enough chaos for Plow to to open fire there minigun at Armor trying to kill them.

Armor staggered as they hoof gone but there was no blood no flesh or bone as they struggled to keep up.

“This our chance to kill them!” Zonk shouted as Sturdy hoof tackled Freesoul.

I took my chance and pull out Soulreaper fully ready to fire it but a smoke screen deployed from Armor’s power armor making it hard to see them.

I knew what to do I turned and screamed “we need to get out of here now while two of them cannot see!”

Every pony agree as sturdy hoof shot Freesoul in one of her three hoofs and head-butted her as we all fleed.

We all ran up the mountains path but no clue why or how but a shot fly out of the the smoke screen and hit Frosty in back of one of her left back legs and one to her front hoof.

Plow grab her and tossed her on his back as we fleed and manage get away arriving at Frosty Peak Fortress.

A pony from the Fortress yelled out “Plow is back and he got a few ponies with him open the gate!”

The Fortress gate oopenedlong enough for all of us to get in side only to be greeted by Winterboots and a few ARA Troopers all aiming ttheir guns at Night Haven and Sturdy hoof.

Winterboots order the medical team to take in Frosty as Zonk makes their way to Winterboot to explain everything after a few Winteboots hold a hoofs up and they lower their weapons.

Night Haven flapped her bat wings and said “So are we good?”

I nodded and said ,“I am going to get treated for my head injuries you two should go to Winterboots for orders.”

They both nodded as I headed to get medical treatment. Marking the end of another day for us as the sun goes down.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading sorry took long and so will next one but i am working on them.