Chapter 3: Unlikely aid
5 days later…

"I still can’t believe she did that!" Nitebeat said aggitated as they trotted along a dusty and crumbling road.

Bandit, glancing up, nodded and replied. "I know. But we can’t dwell on that right now. We have an issue on hoof."

Bandit gestures to the armored tank that was slowly creasing the hill before them. They had been on the road for five days and were just now running low on supplies. As they trotted down the road that would lead to the rebellion, they had come across a group of Changeling soldiers traveling with prisoners. The Changelings hadn’t spotted them until Nitebeat had decided to engage them. And just as the last Changeling fell a tank had rounded the hills ahead, alerted to their presence!

"well buck!" Nitebeat cursed, as The tank aimed it's strange tube towards th and let out a blasting a beam of magic near them, barely missing them. Nitebeat looked at the ground by her hooves in shock. "Where did that thing even come from?!?"

Pulling out a crossbow, Nitebeat launches the bullet at its driver. The bullet somehow miraculous hitting Changeling Soldier inside, causing him to fall off of the tank as it’s turret spun wildly and blasted into a nearby wall. "Don't ask me." Bandit responded, irrited. "As far as I know, it’s been there for a while."

Nitebeat and Bandit, spotting a cage resting just slightly beyond the tank with civilians inside, then rush to the cage as lasers resumed blasting from the tanks turret, just barely hitting them. "Bandit, you get the tank! I’ll get the prisoners." Nitebeat shouted over the explosions

Bandit nodded and levitated a tranquilizer gun towards her. stepping in front of the tank, Her horn glows a chilly sky blue as a blue shield surrounds her. Seeing this, Nitebeat uses the window of opportunity and rushes to the cage as she begins to pick the lock. Smiling at them, nitebeat breaks the lock from it's socket. "Don't worry, we’ll get you out of here!" She said in a soft voice. "Thank you. Look out!" One of the ponies shouted as Nitebeat heard a running noise behind her. Nitebeat, hearing it, turned towards the noise and saw that the Changeling that was using the tank had jumped off and was now charging at him. Bandit, in hot pursuit, jumps and hits the Changeling with one of the darts from her gun, the Changelings body crumpling as it falls asleep.

Looking up, bandit askes "What are you waiting for? Get them out!"

Nodding, Nitebeat manages to get the rusted door open wide enough to let the ponies through. Opening the door she steps aside, allowing the last prisoners to walk out. "Your free, go find a safe place to stay." Nitebeat told them as they passed. The lead prisoner looks back and nods before trotting off, The rest following in tow.
"Are you sure they will be fine?" Bandit asked, concerned.

"If not, then I don’t know… I hope yes. Now Come on, we still need to get to the rebellion base." Nite respond.

Bandit nods. Nitebeat spreads her wings and grabs bandit. Lifting off of the grounds her and bandit fly off. As the clouds drift away from the sky, and dawn ascends, Nitebeat sees a building up ahead.

"Hey, look, bandit! A building. Wonder what it has to salvage…"

"NITE! Not the time…" Bandit responds, offended.

Nitebeat sighs and continues flying. A few hours later, they land in a clearing to rest. Pulling out their last piece of bread, bandit splits it and hands one half to Nitebeat.

"Shouldn’t we save this?" She asked.

Bandit shakes her head.
" We’re gonna be able to get more. Fillydelfia is our next stop. Only a few hours flight if we don’t get… distracted, again."

Nitebeat feigns shock. Bandit giggling at the expression.

"Well, I won’t count on there being food. Supplies? Sure! Food? Not likely…"

Bandit shakes her head as she pulls out the book Zerina had given her. Nitebeat has realized since leaving her hut, she has become more focused upon that book. It was getting on her nerves…
Lying down, Nitebeat closed her eyes, Deciding to get some rest rather then tell bandit.

Waking up, Nitebeat notices that they are moving. Shaking off her groggyness she realized she was in a cage that was being pulled by changelings who were shackled and gagged. Looking around, she also noticed bandit in the corner, tied up staring at her.

Nitebeat tilted her head confused. "What?"

Bandit shakes her head and nods towards the door. Nitebeat looks at the door and sees that the caravan was surrounded by Marauders.

"well, buck! What’d they do? Follow us?"

Bandit nods. Nitebeat shakes her head and tries to stand, Instantly falling down.

"ugh… What the buck, now?"

Looking down, he sees that she was bound in her wings and her Hooves. Irritated by the restraint, Nitebeat sighs and lies there on her side.

"Well, well we’ll, look who’s up. About time!" A earthpony Marauder with a bulky white frame, blue spiked mane, violet eyes, and stripes of orange warpaint running along her body spoke, stepping into the sight of nitebeat and bandit.

"Frakskull. Back off. It’s time to feed em’." Another marauder spoke, clearly the leader. Hearing him, The Marauder named frakskull backs off.

"jus’ so ya know, whip tail, Ah’ still don’t like working with that general… especially with… these ponies…" Frakskull responded, irritated.

"Me neither, honey… but if we don’t, we’ll die. Now go git’ dat’ filth off!"

Frakskull trots off, leaving Whiptail, bandit, and Nitebeat alone. Opening the cage, the Marauder named whiptail steps towards Nitebeat and places a plate of meat in front of her. Whiptail was similar in look to Frakskull, except she was more skinnier with a yellow and black striped mane and tail and no war paint.

"Eat. We can’t have ya dying on us now…" she commanded.

"Why? Do ya expect me to eat food from a cannibal?" Nitebeat responded with a hint of hatred in her voice.

'No. if ah’ had a choice, I’d be given ya something better." Whiptail retorted with the same spiteful tone as Nitebeat. "Especially to a creature as vile as your kind… Cuz’ not all of us are bad…"

Turning, whip tail trots out of the cage, done with talking.

"Oh. and if you're thinking of escaping, don’t. He’d be here soon. And trust me… ya don’t wanna deal with him."

She said, gestured at her flank where her cutie mark had been burned off. Before trotting out of the cage and Leaving Nite and bandit alone, nitebeat excruciatingly confused… and tired. And hungry...

It was midnight when the shouting began, Startling Nitebeat from her restless sleep. Nitebeat, still groggy, looked up and realized that the camp was on fire!

"RUN! It’s the shadow!!!!" A random marauder screamed somewhere beyond their vision. Nitebeat then heard the locks on the cell click open. Turning towards the noise, her horn glowing, she sees whip tail.

"GO! Use this chance to get out while you can! The rebellion base isn’t too far from here!"

'Wait! How do-" nitebeat responded before Whip tail interrupted her. "No time to explain! Untie your friend and go!"

Nitebeat nods. Getting up she realized that she was no longer bound. Running to bandit, she wakes her up and starts untying her.

"Wha? What’s going on?" Bandit replied groggily.

"We're getting out of here! That’s wut!" Nitebeat told her. Bandit immediately jumps to her feet, awake.

Whip tail stood there, waiting and said. "Go, head to the back entrance. Frakskull will meet ya there!"

Whip tail points north. Nitebeat nods and both bandit and her trot out into the chaos of the Marauders camp. Fires burned around them as they ran.

"I feel like we do more running than anything else!" Bandit told nite as they ran past burning tents, weird black crystal pillars, and dead marauders. Laughing Nitebeat replied, "I hear that!"

Suddenly a marauder steps out from behind a tree, a battle axe in his Hooves. Grinning achieviantly He charges them.

"Really?" Nitebeat says, stepping aside and trippinh the charging marauder. He then takes the dropped axe and decapitates him. Bandit stares at the body in horror.

Nitebeat, seeing her shocked expression, tilts her head confused. "What? Self defense."
"You are Seriously sick…" Bandit replied. Nitebeat beans at the comment, giggling slightly. "Thanks!"

The two ponies then continue on their way. Killing marauders as they went. Bandit slows down long enough to levitate her tranquilizer gun out from a barrel as they run by one of the tents.

Seeing notes confused face, bandit responded dismissively. "Saw them toss it in here when we were being carried to this place."

Nitebeat nodded.

As they approach the gate, a marauder runs in front of them. He raises his spear to kill them as he runs by but is stabbed by a spiked chain and Instantly turns to crystal.

Nitebeat stops, gazing at the crystalized marauder. "Wha? Who?"
"Lets not worry about that now. We need to get out of here!" Bandit urges Nitebeat. Shaking off the sight, Nitebeat and bandit rush through the open gate and out into the Equestrian Doomscape.

A few feet from them stood frakskull, their supplies slung over hee back. As they approach, she tosses it to them.

"Don't worry about the food. We already refilled your bags." She said.

"Ummm… thanks?" Bandit responded, a bit off-putted by the friendlyness of the crazed pony.

Frakskull just snorts and rushes back into the camp, her crossbow blazing as she laughed.

"Did that just happen?" Bandit asks nite as she watches frakskull run into the burning camp, shooting wildly. Nitebeat just shrugged.

"So where to now, miss mapper?" She asked bandit.

"Haha. North. Like she said, Wubmaster!" Bandit replied with a teasing wink.

Nitebeat laughs and Both ponies rush northward towards fillydelfia.

Author's Note

Yes, I'm aware of the spelling errors in my stories and how much the characters talk. And I'm sorry this took so long to write... I've been busy.